CHAPTER 3

A/N: This chapter is inspired by the episode "Baby in danger", with a little modifications to adjust with the plot of the story.

A woman got hit by a truck. The people informed cid.

Daya, Shreya and Freddy reached at the spot where they later came to know from the people that the woman had a baby with her a few minutes before the accident.

Daya, Shreya and Freddy started searching the baby all around. They found a crying baby thrown in the bushes. They took the baby with them to the cid bureau.

"Sir, Nikhil aur Freddy sir us aurat ke bare me pata kar rahe hain. I hope ki jaldi kuch pata chal jaye!" Shreya said to Daya.

"Hmm." Daya nodded and then turned to the baby who was crying loudly. Daya tried to calm down the baby but he was just crying.

Acp Pradyuman came there, "Kya hua Daya iss bachhe ke maa-baap ya guardians ke bare me kuch pata chala?"

"Sir kuch nahi pata chala abhi tak." Daya told.

"Okay, to jab tak iska koi guardian nahi mil jata iski dekhbhal ki responsibility cid ki hai."

Daya looked at the baby and smiled. "Sir main ise ghar le jaun. Main karunga iski dekhbhal."

Shreya looked at Daya, "Sir are you sure aap akele sambhal payenge itne chote baby ko?"

Daya looked at her, "Akela kaha hu, Samantha hai na!"

"Oh yes!" Shreya said smiling.

Acp too smiled, "That's a good idea Daya, Samantha will definitely love this cute baby."

o-o-o

Daya reached at home with the baby. He was excited to see Samantha's reaction on seeing a cute baby.

"Samantha... Samantha.. Kaha ho tum?" He gave her a call.

Samantha came outside.

"Kya hua?" She saw the baby in Daya's hands, " aur ye kya hai?"

Daya smiled, "Oh come on Samantha, can't you see, ek baby hai. Dekho kitna pyara hai"

Samantha stared at Daya, "Kaha mila ye tumhe? Ise yaha kyun lekar aaye ho?"

Daya told everything.

"To ab jab tak iska koi family member ya relative nahi mil jata, ye humare sath rahega."

Samantha gave him a confused look, "Humare sath matlab?"

Daya looked at her, "Matlab hum dono ke sath. Hum dono iski dekhbhal karenge."

"Excuse me! Dimag theek hai tumhara? Ye humara ghar hai ya koi orphanage? Jo sadak pe pada koi lavaris bachha utha kar ghar lekar chale aaye tum!" Samantha snapped.

Daya looked at her shocked, "Ye kya bol rahi ho tum...

Suddenly the baby started crying. Daya tried to pamper him and make him quiet but the baby continued crying.

"Samantha dekho na ye kitna ro raha hai. Please ek baar dekho na. Shayad tumhari god me jakar chup ho jaye." Daya requested her to take the baby in her lap.

Samantha stepped back, "eeyuu, door rakho ise, kya kar rahe ho? Tumhe pata hai main kitni hygiene conscious hu, pata nahi kitne germs honge iski body pe." She said making a face.

Daya was stunned, "Samantha, tumhare samne ek chota sa bachha roye ja raha hai aur tumhe hygiene ki padi hai? Tumhara dil hai ya patthar?"

"Oh please bakwas mat karo Daya. Mujhse nahi hoga ye." Samantha said making faces.

Daya shook his head and started trying to make the baby quiet. He started moving in the hall with the baby in his hands. He sang something, he danced to entertain the baby, he gave him some toys, he did everything he could do but the baby didn't stop crying. Samantha was just watching him from a distance.

Finally Daya gave up and decided to call Shreya.

"Shreya kya tum abhi turant ghar pe aa sakti ho? Wo baby bahut ro raha hai. Main use ab aur nahi sambhal sakta." Daya said talking to Shreya on the phone.

"Sir, aapki wife ka mera ghar pe aana pasand nahi, main kaise aaun?" Shreya said directly.

"Come on Shreya, ye mera bhi ghar hai. Main bula raha hu na tumhe, tum aao, main bhi dekhta hu kaun rokta hai tumhe ghar pe aane se!" Daya said glaring at Samantha.

Samantha gritted her teeth but said nothing.

"Theek hai sir, main aa rahi hu." Shreya said and disconnected the call.

"Tumhe har kaam me madad ke liye bas Shreya hi najar aati hai?" Samantha commented.

Daya glared at her, "Han!"

Samantha kept quiet after receiving Daya's fiery look.

Soon Shreya reached there. She received Samantha's hateful glance as she entered. Shreya just ignored her and moved to Daya holding the baby.

"Sir main aa gayi hu, laiye mujhe deejiye baby ko."

Daya handed over the baby to Shreya. Baby was still crying. Shreya turned to Daya.

"Sir, shayad ise bhookh lagi hai."

"Main iske liye doodh lekar aata hu."

Daya went to get some milk for the baby. Shreya was trying to make the baby quiet and Samantha was just staring at her angrily.

"Kya kar rahi ho tum?" Samantha shouted, "Daya ne tumhe iss liye bulaya hai taki tum ise chup kara sako, lekin ye to roye hi ja raha hai. To kya fayda tumhare yaha aane ka? Iske rone ki aawaj sunkar mere kaan me dard ho raha hai. For god's sake muh band karao iska. How annoying!"

Shreya looked at Samantha, "You find it annoying? Mujhe to laga tha ki aap apne ghar me bachhe ke rone ki aawaj sunne ke liye taras rahi hain."

Samantha stared at Shreya. Her blood started boiling. She stepped closer to Shreya and glared into her eyes. "Kya kaha tumne? How dare you? You are making fun of me? Main maa nahi ban sakti iss baat ka taunt kar rahi ho mujhe?"

"Maine aisa kuch nahi kaha?" Shreya said calmly.

Meanwhile Daya returned with the milk bottle and found Samantha yelling at Shreya.

"Kya ho raha hai Samantha?" He asked.

Samantha looked at daya fuming in anger, "Mujhse kya puch rahe ho? Isse pucho kya ho raha hai? Aaj mera majak banane me koi kasar nahi chodi tumne Daya. Iss bachhe ko kyun lekar aaye yaha tum? Mujhe dikhane ke liye ki dekho Samantha main tumhare liye ek baby lekar aaya hu, kyunki tum to kabhi maa ban nahi sakti. Hai na yahi realize karwane ke liye mujhe aur embarrass karne ke liye le aaye na tum is lavaris bachhe ko yaha?"

Daya was about to blurt out something but Shreya started speaking.

"Aap Daya sir ko humesha ulta hi kyun samajhti hain? Wo iss bachhe ko yaha ye soch kar le aaye ki aapko khushi hogi. Aapke chehre pe smile dekhna chahte the wo. Aapko embarrass karne ke liye nahi."

Samantha turned to Shreya, "Main Daya se baat kar rahi hu na, tumhe beech me bolne ko kisne kaha?"

"Samantha talk to me!" Daya said angrily.

"Tumse kya baat karu?" Samantha yelled, "Tum ek baat kaan kholkar sun lo Daya, mujhe baccha chahiye to sirf apna. Main maa nahi ban sakti iska matlab ye nahi ki tum kisi sadak pe pade huye bachhe ko uthakar lakar meri god me daal do. Dobara aisa kuch karne ki sochna bhi mat. Le jao iss bachhe ko yaha se, main ise ek minute bhi bardasht nahi kar sakti."

Daya was speechless. He looked at Shreya and the crying baby in her arms.

"Sir, main iss bachhe ko apne sath ghar lekar ja rahi hu." She glanced at Samantha, "yaha ka ambience bachhe ke liye kuch theek nahi lag raha?"

"Han jao ise yaha se lekar. Get out!" Samantha yelled.

Shreya stared at Samantha, "What kind of woman you are?"

"Not of your kind at least, jise humesha ek pati aur patni ke beech jhagda karwane ke alawa aur kuch aata hi nahi. Maine tumhe mana kiya tha na mere ghar pe aane se, phir bhi muh utha kar chali aayi? Humesha Daya se chipke rehne me maja aata hai na tumhe? Sharm to aati nahi tumhe?"

Shreya smirked, "Sharm mujhe nahi aapko asani chahiye, aapke hote huye aapke husband ko mujhe call karke bulana pada."

Daya was fed up. "Shut up both of you!"

Both became silent except the baby who was still crying.

Daya turned to Samantha, "Tumhe pata hai bhagwan ne tumhe maa banne ki khushi kyun nahi di kyunki tum uske layak hi nahi ho. You don't deserve it. I hate you!"

Samantha was hatefully looking at Daya. No words came out of her mouth.

Daya turned to Shreya, "Tumne theek kaha Shreya, yaha ka ambience bachhe ke liye unfavorable hai. Chalo yaha se."

Samantha started yelling at both of them. They ignored her and moved from there. They drove to shreya's home.

Shreya fed the baby. He stopped crying and started playing.

Shreya looked at Daya playing with the baby. She noticed a soothing happiness in his eyes. She noticed the desire and fondness of a baby in daya's eyes. He was pampering the baby like his own. The baby was playing with his mustache. Shreya was stood in a corner and admiring him with a smile.

She came out of the trance as Daya called her.

"Oh no Shreya dekho na isne kya kar diya. Diaper change Karna padega."

Shreya moved to him, "Laiye sir main kar deti hu."

Daya refused, "Nahi main karunga. Tum diaper do."

"Sir main kar deti hu na, aap kyun pareshan...

"Shreya apne seniors se behas nahi karte. Maine kaha na main hi diaper change karunga." Daya said scolding her.

Shreya smiled and gave him the diaper.

Daya started changing the diaper. He took 2 minutes to understand the design of the diaper. Shreya was giggling silently. Daya tried but ultimately gave up.

"Tum hi karo." He said to Shreya.

Shreya laughed at him, "Sir aap bhi na. Maine kaha tha na ye aapke bas ki baat nahi hai."

Daya moved aside and started watching Shreya. "Aur tumhe itni knowledge kaise?"

Shreya looked at him, "Mera ek chota sa nephew hai sir, usse milne jati hu to uska diaper main hi change karti hu."

Daya smiled, "Oh! practice makes man perfect!".

"Woman!" Shreya corrected him.

Both burst out laughing.

Soon the baby fell asleep. Shreya came to Daya.

"Sir baby to so gaya hai. Aapko bahut pareshan kiya na usne. Thak gaye honge aap. Coffee laun?"

Daya said nothing, he seemed lost in his thoughts. Shreya moved to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Sir kaha khoye huye hain?"

Daya looked at her. Shreya was shocked seeing him in tears. "Sir aapki aankho me aansu?"

Daya rubbed his eyes and smiled, "Yahi soch raha tha ki chote bachhe ko sambhalna kitna mushkil kaam hota hai. Dekho na ek diaper tak nahi change kar sakta main." He smirked, "Achha hai mere ghar me koi baby nahi hai. Babies are headache!"

Shreya felt a pinch in her heart. She couldn't see his pain. She squeezed is shoulder, "Sir main aapke liye coffee lekar aati hu."

She left from there hiding her tears.

Meanwhile Daya got a call from Sachin. They had found baby's paternal uncle.

"Shreya bachhe ke uncle ke bare me pata chal gaya hai. Sachin usko lekar yaha aa raha hai." Daya stepped into kitchen speaking to her but found her crying silently.

She immediately turned her face seeing Daya.

"Shreya!" Daya moved to her and caught her shoulders. "Tumhe kya hua?"

She had wiped her tears by then. "Kuch nahi sir, main to bas coffee bana rahi thi."

Daya placed his hand on her cheek, "Idhar dekho jara."

Shreya looked into his eyes.

"Tum kyun ro rahi thi?" Daya asked cupping her face.

Shreya sobbed, "Kyunki aap ro rahe the!"

Daya kept looking into her eyes. He shook his head, "lekin mujhe rota dekh kar tum kyun ro rahi ho?"

"I don't know!" Shreya said again turning her face.

.

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...to be continued