CHAPTER 10

Daya and Shreya sat together for the dinner. Daya was extremely annoyed with the incidents. Shreya noticed him eying furiously at Kajal and Sachin who were enjoying each other's company.

"Daya tum Kajal di aur Sachin ko is terah se kyun ghoor rahe ho? Kahi tumhe Kajal di ko Sachin ke sath dekh kar jalan to nahi ho rahi?" Shreya teased Daya.

Daya looked at her and smirked, "Mujhe kyun jalan hogi? Tumhari di kisi ke sath bhi dinner kare mujhe kya? Mujhe problem sirf ye hai ki wo mere client ke sath dinner kar rahi hai. Sachin ko Tarika ke sath hona chahiye tha lekin use tumne Abhijeet ke sath bhej diya. Main sab samajh raha hu tum ye sab jaan boojhkar kar rahi ho. Lekin tum jyada khush mat ho. Tumhe kya lagta hai 10 minute ke liye Abhijeet aur Tarika ek sath rehkar phir se kareeb aa jayenge?" He smirked.

Shreya gave him equally sweet smile, "Phir se kareeb aayenge ya nahi wo nahi pata lekin ye jaroor pata hai ki unki dooriyan kuch to kam hogi."

Daya shot her a glare.

"Arey han ek aur baat kehni thi, tumne dekha Rajat ne Purvi ko kitne achhe se sambhala. Tumhe nahi lagta ki wo dono sath me achhe lagte hain...

Shreya had not finished yet and Daya started scolding her, "What rubbish? Purvi aur Rajat? Dimag kharab hai tumhara? Doctor hai wo uska. Wo nahi sambhalega use to aur kaun sambhalega? Lekin iska kya matlab hai ki sath me achhe lagte hain? Kuch bhi bolti ho tum!"

Shreya became silent and preferred to concentrate on her food. "Tumse to baat Karna hi bekar hai." She muttered.

Here Kajal and Sachin were truly enjoying being together.

"Can we exchange numbers?" Kajal asked with a glint in her eyes.

Sachin stared at her and smiled, "Why not?"

o-o-o

Tarika was driving and Abhijeet was sitting silently holding his head. He stared at her.

"Tarika tum us NRI ke sath committed hone ka natak kyun kar rahi ho? Mujhe jalane ke liye?"

Tarika smirked without looking at him, "Tumhe aisa kyun lagta hai ki main natak kar rahi hu. Wo mujhe bahut pasand karta hai aur main bhi."

"To matlab tumne mujhe apni life se puri terah se nikal diya hai." Abhijeet asked with a painful smile.

"Maine tumhe apni life se kabhi nahi nikala Abhi, tum khud gaye ho mujhe chod kar." Tarika said in a low voice.

Abhijeet was silent for a moment then he turned to Tarika and caught her hand which made her to loose her control on the steering and she applied the break with a loud jerk. She turned to him.

"Kya kar rahe ho tum?"

"Gadi roko main khud ghar chala jaunga. Aur ye lo apna rumaal. Thank you so much for your fake concerns!" Abhijeet said curtly.

"Fake concerns?" Tarika uttered looking at him hurt. Her eyes became teary and she got down the car angrily.

Abhijeet felt bad. He jerked his head and he too got down the car. "Tarika ruko!" He followed her.

Tarika neglected him and started moving. Abhijeet ran and caught her hand to stop her.

Tarika jerked his hand angrily, "chodo mera hath. Tumhe lagta hai main dikhawa kar rahi thi ki main tumhari care karti hu? Aur tum? Tum to wo bhi nahi karte. 2 saal ka rishta 2 minute me khatam kar diya tumne aur mujhe taunt kar rahe ho? Really? You know what, go to hell" she hit his chest, "Tumhari maa ne tumhare liye bilkul sahi ladki pasand ki hai. Aaj to sirf tumhara sar phoda hai kal ko wo tumhara gala daba de to achha hai. Isi ke layak ho tum!" And she burst out crying.

Abhijeet just pulled her in his arms. She reciprocated but he hugged her tightly.

"I am sorry!" Abhijeet said kissing her head.

"Tumhe mujhse jyada pyar koi nahi kar sakta Abhi itna yaad rakhna tum!" Tarika mumbled in a choked voice sobbing on his chest.

"I know!" Abhijeet said caressing her back, "Aur wo NRI kya tumhe mujhse jyada pyar kar sakta hai?"

Tarika separated and looked at him, "Main usse pyar nahi karti. Lekin wo ek achha ladka hai. Tum to apni maa ki pasand ki ladki se shadi kar loge to kya main zindagi bhar akeli baithi rahungi? Lekin agar tum apni maa ko mana lo to main wapas tumhare paas aa jaungi. Sachin bhi abhi itna serious nahi hai." Tarika said looking into his eyes with lot of hopes.

Abhijeet went silent for a minute. Then he looked up into her eyes, "Okay! Main ek baar maa ko manane ki koshish karunga! Tum kisi aur ke sath serious mat hona!"

"Really?" Tarika smiled broadly and hugged him tightly.

o-o-o

Rajat safely took Purvi to her home. Purvi's mom started scolding her for spoiling her meeting with Abhijeet. Rajat somehow handled Purvi's mom and then took Purvi in her room. He gave her some medicine to make her relax.

Purvi rested her head on the pillow. Rajat grabbed a stool and sat near the bed. Purvi looked at him.

"Tum waha kya karne aaye the?"

"Main Divya ko dinner pe le gaya tha!" Rajat told.

"Oh!" Purvi felt bad, "Divya mujhse nafrat karti hogi na, main humesha tum dono ki date barbaad kar deti hu!"

"No!" Rajat said, "Aisa kuch nahi hai. Divya tumse nafrat nahi karti. Han thodi irritate ho jati hai and that's genuine. Lekin wo bahut sensible hai use pata hai ki isme tumhari koi galti nahi hai. In fact usne khud mujhe bola tumhare sath aane ke liye."

Purvi smiled, "Wo bahut achhi hai. Tum usse bahut pyar karte ho na?"

"Han wo bahut achhi hai." Rajat said skipping the question, "Lekin tumhe kya ho gaya tha achanak? Tumhara to andhere se dar kam ho chuka tha na even ab to tum lights off karke sone lagi thi. Phir kaise dar gayi andhere se?"

Purvi was pressing her fingers, "main andhere se nahi dari thi."

"To phir?"

"Usne mera hath pakda aur mujhe bahut ajeeb laga. Tum to jante ho koi mere kareeb aaye aur mujhe touch kare to mujhe bahut dar lagta hai." Purvi said innocently playing with her fingers.

Rajat sighed, "Lekin tumhari shadi hone wali hai. Uske hath pakadne bhar se tum itna dar jaogi to shadi ke baad...

Purvi interrupted him, "mujhe shadi nahi karni usse. Meri zindagi to jo hai wo hai lekin mujhse shadi karke uski zindagi barbaad ho jayegi. Achha hua aaj use meri sachhai ke bare me pata chal gaya. I hope wo khud mujhse shadi karne se inkaar kar de."

Rajat stared at her for a moment, "Tumhe pata hai Purvi tumhe ye jo phobia hai na uska reason ye hai ki tum kisi ko trust nahi karti."

Purvi looked at him pain reflecting in her eyes, "Aur tumhe pata hai ki aisa kyun hai. 5 saal ki ek bachhi ko kidnap karke ek andhere kamre me band kar diya jaye wo bhi pure 4 mahino ke liye. Uske dil aur dimag pe kya asar padega Rajat. Wo andhera aaj bhi darata hai mujhe. Us hadse ne meri zindagi barbaad kar di Rajat. Log mujhe pagal kehte hain abnormal kehte hain lekin mera dard koi nahi janta. Tum bhi nahi." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she felt a lump in her throat.

"Main samajh sakta hu Purvi...

"Nahi samajh sakte tum!" Purvi shouted, "Kyunki tumhe pura sach nahi pata."

"Pura sach? Matlab?" Rajat asked confused.

Purvi looked at her, "Tum janna chahte ho main kisi pe trust kyun nahi kar pati? Rajat tumhe sirf ye pata hai ki bachpan me kuch logo ne mujhe kidnap kiya tha ransom ke liye. Tumhe ye nahi pata ki iske peeche kaun tha."

Rajat stood up and moved near her, "Wo to tumhe bhi nahi pata na."

"Mujhe sab pata hai Rajat lekin maine kisi ko bataya nahi. Na police ko na dad ko aur na tumhe."

Rajat stared at her, "Kaun hai wo?"

Purvi rubbed her tears, "Wahi aurat jise main maa kehti hu. Meri sauteli maa, dad ki dusri wife." Purvi revealed the suspense in an unexpectedly calm voice.

Rajat was frozen on his place. He was aware about cruel behavior of Purvi's step mother but he had never thought that she can do something so inhumane just for money .

"Ab tum batao Rajat jab apni maa ko trust nahi kar sakti to kisi ajnabi pe trust kaise karu?" Purvi said in a choked voice.

"Tumne aaj tak ye baat sabse chupa kar kyun rakhi?" Rajat asked totally shocked.

"Batane ka bhi koi fayda nahi tha. Koi meri baat pe yakeen nahi karta. Kidnapping ke baad main sadme me thi. Kai dino tak kuch bol hi nahi payi aur jab bolne ki koshish ki tab tak maa ne mujhe duniya ke samne abnormal declare kar diya tha."

Rajat was shaken from the core. He sat down with a sigh. "Ye jante huye bhi ki tumhara sabse bada dushman kaun hai tum itne dino se usi ke sath reh rahi ho?"

"Aur kaha jaun? Dushman hai par uski aadat hai mujhe. Bahar ki duniya me koi dusra hai bhi to nahi jispe trust karu. Han koi hai jispe bharosa hai mujhe lekin mujhe pata nahi wo kab tak rahega mere sath." Purvi said staring at the wall.

"Kaun hai jispe bharosa hai tumhe?" Rajat asked.

Purvi looked at him smiling, "Mera doctor!"

Rajat looked into her eyes and got lost there.

o-o-o

Tasha was trying to feed her puppy Shero. Divya was sitting on the couch with a coffee mug.

"To kal phir Rajat tumhe akela chod kar chala gaya?" Tasha asked.

"Jana pada yaar use. Maine hi bheja. Purvi ki halat hi aisi thi ki Rajat ke alawa aur koi use sambhal hi nahi sakta tha." Divya said taking a sip.

Tasha was having a hard time with her puppy who was showing no interest in the food. "Offo main kya karu iska? Kuch bhi kha hi nahi raha." Tasha said annoyingly.

Meanwhile the doorbell rang. Tasha asked Divya to open the door.

Divya went and opened the door.

"Hi baby this is for you!"

Nikhil was standing there holding a rose bouquet. He looked at divya and stopped smiling.

"Tum? Mujhe laga Tasha hogi."

Divya was jealous seeing the beautiful bouquet in his hand for Tasha.

"Wo andar hai." Divya said leaving the door opened.

Nikhil stepped inside. Tasha came there and became happy seeing the bouquet.

"Nikhil tum! Oh wow. Kitna pyara bouquet hai. How romantic! Hai na Divya." Tasha said trying to make Divya jealous.

Divya gave her a faint smile.

"Tumse jyada pyara nahi hai." Nikhil said and Tasha blushed.

Divya was trying her hard to ignore them.

"Tasha you know..." Nikhil started but stopped abruptly as Shero started barking seeing a stranger there.

Nikhil's eyes popped out. "Kutta? Ta- tasha ye- ye kutta yaha kya kar raha hai. Mujhe kutto se bahut dar lagta hai."

Tasha frowned, "Nikhil kutta mat bola. It sounds bad. Iska naam Shero hai. Ye yahi rehta hai mere sath."

Nikhil stepped back as Shero started approaching him. Shero stared at Nikhil and started growling.

"Shero calm down baby!" Tasha tried to handle Shero.

Divya was watching them silently sitting on the couch.

"Tasha please ise door karo!" Nikhil said moving behind.

"Relax Nikhil!" Tasha said and tried to hold Shero but it jumped on Nikhil.

Nikhil screamed on top of his lungs and he jumped on the couch beside Divya.

Divya stood up and started laughing at him.

Shero started chasing Nikhil. He was running from one corner to another screaming like anything. Tasha was bewildered and Divya was laughing and enjoying the scenario. Suddenly Nikhil fell down and Shero caught his leg in his mouth. Nikhil cried in pain. Both Divya and Tasha ran for his rescue. Tasha pulled away Shero and Divya helped Nikhil getting up.

"Oh my god! Isne to Nikhil ko kaat liya. Dekho khoon nikal raha hai." Divya said pointing at his leg.

"Oh no! Nikhil maine kaha tha na shant raho. Bhago mat. Tumhe dekh kar pata nahi Shero kyun itna aggressive ho gaya." Tasha said caressing Shero holding in her lap.

Nikhil was crying in pain holding his leg.

"Tasha kahi infection na ho jaye. Injection lena padega nikhil ko." Divya said in concern.

"Oh no!" Nikhil exclaimed.

"Are han!" Tasha said, "Nikhil chalo hospital chalte hain. Divya tum please Shero ka dhyan rakhna."

"Tasha main Shero ko handle nahi kar sakti. Wo bahut gusse me lag raha hai. Kahi mujhe bhi kaat liya to? Ek kaam karte hain tum Shero ko sambhalo main Nikhil ko hospital le jati hu." Divya said holding Nikhil's arm for support.

"Ok!" Tasha agreed. "Pata nahi is duniya me mere alawa aur koi hai bhi ya nahi jo Shero ko handle kar sake?"

"Hi Tasha!"

Tasha turned and found Vivek standing on the doorstep.

.

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...to be continued