~~~ Sau aansu roye do ankhiyan ~~~

It was raining cat and dog outside since the past 24 hours. There were no signs of changing the weather into a good one any soon. Roads had turned into pools. People had been abducted in their own houses.

Someone was impatiently ringing daya's doorbell. He rushed to see if there is someone seeking some kind of help in this awful weather.

As he opened the door he found tarika standing there placing her one hand on her protruding belly and holding an umbrella in her another hand.

"Tarika tum yaha? Is everything alright?" Daya asked surprisingly

"Han mujhe andar to aane do!" Tarika said closing her umbrella moving inside.

"Tarika tumhe is halat me yaha tak aane ki kya jarurat thi? Wo bhi itne kharab mausam me, kuch kaam tha to mujhe bula liya hota?" Daya said in concern and supported her helping her to sit on the couch.

Tarika adjusted herself comfortably, while daya placed the pillows behind her back.

"Kaise bulati? Mausam itna kharab hai, phone me bhi signal nahi aa raha. Jarurat padne par kisi ko contact bhi nahi kar sakti!" Tarika said annoyingly.

"Ok, lekin baat kya hai? Sab theek to hai?" Daya asked standing in front of her.

Tarika inhaled a deep breath, "bas achanak se bahut bechaini si ho rahi thi daya. Pata nahi kyun dil bahut ghabra raha hai. Abhijeet ko call karne ki koshish ki but no luck!"

Daya nodded his head with a smile and sat beside her placing his hand on her shoulder, "Tarika... Tum bhi na faltu ki chinta karti rehti ho, tumhe pata hai na aisi halat me jyada stress lena achha nahi hota. Abhijeet kal hi wapas aa raha hai, aur use pata chala ki tum itni careless hokar idhar udhar ghoom rahi ho to tum janti ho na uska gussa!"

Tarika made a face, "Janti hu, ek to ye mausam, I just hate this weather, pata nahi itni barish kyun ho rahi hai, thamne ka naam hi nahi le rahi. Daya tum please try Karo na, abhijeet se baat karni hai mujhe. Please!"

Daya assured her by his eyes, "theek hai pareshan mat ho, main dekhta hu!"

The number you have dialed is not reachable

Came the voice when daya tried to call abhijeet.

He tried again and again then turned to tarika with a disappointed face.

"Ek to mausam itna kharab upar se yo log Shillong me hain, waha bhi yahi haal hai. Meri samajh me nahi aata ye conference kahi aur bhi to arrange ki ja sakti thi, jaha kam se kam phone ka network mil sakta." Daya murmured annoyingly.

Tarika became sad then something clicked her mind, "tum shreya ko call kyun nahi karte, wo log sath me hi honge! Kya pata shreya ka phone lag jaye!"

Daya looked at her, "yeah, right" he dialed shreya's number hopefully and for his luck it was connected. "Oh Yes" he exclaimed happily looking at tarika, "Shreya please pick up the phone" daya murmured impatiently listening to her caller tune.

"Tumhe pata to hoga...tumhi pe main fida hu..

Tumhi mere har pal me...tum aaj me tum kal me...

hey shona... hey shona.."

Shreya received his call and he got to hear her sweet cheerful voice.

"Hello...daya sir!"

Daya smiled hearing her excited voice on getting a call from him. "Ha shreya... How are you?"

"Main theek hu sir, aap kaise hain?" Shreya asked, daya could guess from her voice that how much she was delighted talking to him.

"Han main bhi theek hu, wo actually tarika abhijeet se baat Karna chahti hai, lekin uska phone nahi lag raha, kya wo tumhare sath hai abhi?" Daya asked.

"Nahi sir...main to hotel me hu but abhijeet sir abhi thodi der pehle kisi kaam se hotel se bahar gaye, bas aate hi honge. Tarika se boliye jyada tension na le, wo ekdum theek hain aur hum kal tak Mumbai pahuch jayenge!" Shreya said in a loud voice as it was raining which was suppressing her voice.

"Wahi to bol raha hu par wo samajhti nahi. Achha theek hai tum dono jaldi aa jao, we are missing you both" daya said and wished if he could say what he was trying to hide.

"Sir, kya kaha aapne, thoda uncha boliye sunai nahi diya?" Shreya said loudly.

Daya was not in a mood to repeat his words, "umm...nothing, ye lo tarika se baat Karo!" He said and forwarded the mobile to tarika.

"Hi shreya...come back soon, can't wait more to see you both." Tarika said exchanging glances with daya.

"Oh really... Tum hum dono ko miss kar rahi ho ya sirf abhijeet sir ko, sach sach bolna han" shreya said in a mood of teasing her.

But due to the bad weather tarika couldn't hear her properly. She put the cellphone on loudspeaker mode to facilitate the hearing.

"Ha shreya kya bola tumne, Sunai nahi diya?" Tarika said loudly.

"Offo... Kuch nahi tum rehne do!" Shreya said tiredly and continued after a pause, "achha tarika, wo tumne daya sir ko us envelope ke bare me kuch bataya to nahi?"

Hearing his name daya became curious and looked at tarika. Tarika bit her lips and immediately put the call on handset mode.

"Offo shreya... Tum bhi na, maine kuch nahi bataya baba...aur ab to batane ki jarurat bhi nahi padegi, tum kal aa hi rahi ho to" tarika said looking at daya with a mischievous smile. "Achha suno, abhijeet aa jaye to bolna mujhse baat kare, baby ne kick maar maarke pareshan kar rakha hai.!" Tarika said touching her belly.

Shreya smiled at this, "achha ab samjhi to us bechare ki complain karni hai tumhe abhijeet sir se, Jo abhi is duniya me aaya bhi nahi... dekho madam mere nephew ya niece ko koi problem nahi honi chahiye han warna soch lena criminals darte hain uski masi ke naam se!"

Tarika laughed at her, "han han..miss karate queen, ek baar tumhara ye nephew ya niece aa jaye phir tum hi sambhalna"

She waited for shreya's reply but the call got disconnected due to bad signal.

"Hello...hello...shreya...oh no, signal chala gaya" tarika said sadly.

Daya looked at her, "ye shreya kya baat kar rahi thi, kis envelope ke bare me?"

Tarika shrugged her shoulders, "main kyun batau? Wo kal aa rahi hai khud hi puch lena"

"Tarika... Please bata do yaar... Wo mere bare me kuch bol rahi thi... Kya...kya baat hai..batao na please?" Daya started pleading to her.

"Achha... Jab usse baat karne ka mauka milta hai to aise bante ho jaise tumhe uski koi parwaah hi nahi aur ab uske muh se apna naam sunkar itna bechain huye ja rahe ho. Tum dono ke dono ekdum pagal ho, ek dusre pe dil hi dil me marte ho lekin accept karne se pata nahi kiske baap se darte ho, huhh!"

Daya turned red, "main kisi se darta warta nahi hu... Sahi waqt aayega to bol dunga samjhi"

"Aur kab aayega sahi waqt... Bas intejar hi karte reh jaoge!" Tarika said taunting him.

"Achha baba... Tum gussa mat Karo, keep calm, dekho ab to pata chal gaya na ki abhijeet theek hai. Chalo main tumhe ghar chod deta hu. Maid hai na ghar pe? Nahi to tum yahi ruk jao!" Daya said in concern.

"Nahi maid hai meri dekhbhal ke liye, don't worry!" Tarika said getting up from the couch.

Daya dropped her safely at her home and returned back. The rain and storm continued whole night. Both daya and tarika were eagerly waiting for the next morning to come.

When they got up the next morning everything had settled back to normal. Clean atmosphere, no raining... No storm.

Daya turned on the TV to see some weather reports. He happened to stop by a news channel.

"Cloudburst and a major landslide in Shillong engulfed hundreds of lives."

Daya was shaken hearing this, he flipped some other channels for more detailed news.

"and in the same area a Cid conference was going on based on innovative crime patrolling. The bus which was carrying the cid officers from different branches, had also become a prey of this natural disaster and there is no hope for anyone's survival."

Daya's throat dried. He went blank. He got no idea what to do. He took out his mobile and tried to connect the authorities.

"Yes, this is inspector daya from cid... I just want to know the exact status. What about the two officers went from Mumbai to attend the conference" he shouted loosing his cool.

"Is it, Sr inspector abhijeet and inspector shreya ?"

"Yes?" Daya confirmed.

"Sorry to say sir, their bodies have been found. We would try to send them Mumbai soon."

Daya threw the cellphone angrily shattering into pieces. "Nooooo" he collapsed on the floor pulling his own hair. He cried and suddenly realized about tarika. He rushed to her home.

As tarika saw him, she looked at him with a painful smile, " dont say anything! mujhe news mil chuki hai daya, I don't want to cry. I...I know its... Its not good for my baby. Main rougi nahi... I have to keep calm... Abhijeet ne mana kiya tha stress lene ko.. I have to keep calm."

Daya couldn't see her in this pathetic condition. He broke down in front of her.

Tarika put her hand on his shoulder, "dekho na daya... Sab kuch khatam karke ye toofan ye barish sab kuch kaise tham gaya... Kaise ekdum shant ho gaya!"

Daya continued crying.

Tarika felt her voice chocked, "daya... Unhone kaha ki abhijeet aur shreya... un dono ki bodies... Sham tak Mumbai... Pahuch jayegi" she shivered while talking, "pehli baar mujhe dead bodies ke naam se dar lag raha hai daya... Mere paas himmat nahi hai dekhne ki...tum...tum dekh paoge?"

Daya looked at her and hugged her.

Tarika patted his back, "shhh...be strong daya, hum to cid wale hain...humare paas dil kaha hota hai.. Hume rona kaha sikhaya jata hai daya?"

Daya separated and looked at her, "tarika... Don't you realize hum apna sab kuch kho chuke hain..itni shant kaise ho sakti ho tum!" He shook her by her shoulders.

Tarika looked at him and smirked, "tum kal shreya ke surprise ke bare me puch rahe the na..." She said and moved inside.

Daya watched her shockingly. She returned with an envelope and handed over it to daya.

Daya composed himself and opened the envelope. He found a ring and a letter inside.

Daya was looking at the ring in his hand. He was speechless and turned to look up at tarika.

Tarika smiled, "tum sahi waqt aane ka intejar kar rahe the na... Par shreya aur intejar nahi kar sakti thi tumhara, she was madly in love with you. She bought this ring for you. Wapas aakar so khud tumhe propose karne wali thi...par pata nahi kyun ye envelope mujhe dekar gayi, kyunki use lag raha tha shayad wo wapas nahi aa payegi. " tarika couldn't speak further and broke down.

Daya was staring at the ring completely lost. Some fresh teardrops rolled down his cheeks and fell on the letter in his hand.

He read the letter.

"I am sorry... I wish if I could get down on my one knee to say... I love you! Will you marry me"

That was all written there.

Daya clutched the paper in his hand and hugged it near his heart. "Shreya... Tumne aisa kyun socha ki tum wapas nahi aa paogi. Jab tumhe aisa lag raha tha to gayi hi kyun?" He cried hugging the letter.

He didn't bother to rub his tears. He slid the ring by his own in his finger and kissed it.

Tarika put a hand on his shoulder, "you are lucky daya, kam se kam ek aakhiri baar shreya se baat to kar li thi... Main to abhijeet se baat bhi nahi kar payi" she said crying, "aahh" she exclaimed holding her stomach as the baby again kicked her.

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o-o-o The End o-o-o

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A/N: first time wrote something tragic, I don't know how to portray such emotions. Hope it was worth of reading. Hope you people are crying, otherwise I am failed on my first try on tragedy. :-(

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Aapki

Geet