CHAPTER 10

Daya didn't come back to shreya to see how is she. Shreya screamed, cried, pleaded but daya didn't open the door. Finally shreya gave up, she held a corner and sat on the floor burying her head in her knees.

She was cursing her fate when the door opened and daya came inside.

"Shreya" he called her name.

Shreya lifted her head up and looked at him.

Daya kneeled down in front of her and cupped her face. He caressed her cheeks, shreya closed her eyes. Her cheeks had turned blackish due to the rolling of tears carrying kohl out of her eyes. Daya moved his fingers in her messy hair and leaned in. He kissed her forehead. Shreya looked at him with blank expressions.

Daya brought his face closer and started brushing his cheek against her, "Shreya, ye kya haal bana liya hai tumne apna han? Tumhe is haal me dekhkar mujhe kitni takleef ho rahi hai, pata bhi hai tumhe? Main tumhe aise nahi dekh sakta shreya, nahi dekh sakta." He whispered kissing her earlobe and neck.

Shreya moved backwards slightly, "Daya can I get some water please? Bahut pyas lagi hai, gala sukh raha hai!" Shreya said in a weak voice.

Daya looked at her and smiled, "of course! Kyun nahi, main abhi lekar aata hu" he said and stood up.

He stopped at the door, turned and looked at her, "tum kahi jana nahi han! I'll be right back" he warned her very politely.

Shreya closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall behind her.

Soon daya returned with a glass of water and a plate of food.

"I am right here!" He said with a broad smile. "Ye lo shreya, pani" Shreya immediately grabbed the glass from his hand and gulped all the water.

"Shreya, dekho maine dinner bhi ready kar liya! Tumhari favorite dish banai hai. Aur main tumhe apne hatho se khilaunga, lekin tum pehle yaha se utho, come on get up!" He caught her shoulders and made her to stand up. He took her to the bed and came with the plate of food in his hand.

"Chalo khao aur batao kaisa bana hai!" Daya said and fed her with his hands.

Shreya silently ate the food, she had no other option. Firstly she was really hungry and secondly it was daya's wish. She had neither enough energy nor enough guts to protest him.

Daya fed her lovingly and he too ate the same food. He cleaned her corner of lips with his thumb. Shreya looked up at him.

"Shreya ek baat batau?" Daya whispered placing his hand on her cheek. Shreya didn't respond but looked into his eyes. A grin appeared on daya's face, "hum dono ne abhi abhi jo bhi khaya na, usme poison tha, aur ab thodi der me hum dono is duniya se kahi bahut door chale jayenge, jaha sirf hum dono honge" daya whispered.

Shreya's eyes widened in horror. She was dumbstruck. Fear and apprehension took their features on her face. She put her hand on her mouth. She became panicked and began to scream.

"Nooooo...dayaaa.. Ye kya kiya tumne... How could you!" She agitated him by holding his collar.

Daya burst out in a laughter and caught her hands. "Hahaha... Relax Shreya relax... I was just kidding! Majak kar raha tha main"

Shreya calmed down and looked at him with frightened expressions. Daya cupped her face, "Bas mujhe majboor mat karna, is majak ko hakikat banane ke liye. Tumne mujhe chodkar jane ke bare me socha bhi na to pehle tumhari jaan lunga aur phir khud ki. Tum mere sath nahi jee sakti aur main tumhare bina nahi jee sakta" he whispered moving his finger on her cheek.

Shreya gasped, "main tumhe chodkar kahi nahi jaungi"

"Good! I Love you" he said pushing her lightly on the bed and leaned over her.

He undressed himself and pressed his body against her. Shreya hugged him while tears made their ways out of her eyes. He began to kiss her lips, shreya unwillingly responded him. She cried internally as he attacked her neck with his warm kisses.

Daya embraced her in his arms, she placed her head on his chest and both slept.

At midnight, shreya woke up suddenly hearing daya's voice. He was talking to someone and sobbing. Shreya found daya's place on the bed empty. She got up with a jerk and spotted daya sitting on the floor near the foot of the bed holding a photo frame.

Daya was crying in a low voice and caressing the picture, "Maa tum kyun chali gayi mujhe akela chodkar? Dekho na koi bhi mujhse pyar nahi karta. I am so unwanted in this world. Mera apna koi bhi nahi hai itni badi duniya me. Sab mujhse nafrat kyun karte hain. Sab mujhe bura kyun samajhte hain. Maa, you know that main bura nahi hu na, main aapka beta hu na maa, main bura nahi hu."

Shreya got down the bed and moved towards daya with slow steps looking at him shockingly.

Daya was in his own world, "maa aapko pata hai shreya kitni pyari hai. Use dekhte hi pyar ho gaya tha mujhe. Usko pakar main kitna khush tha ki koi hai is duniya me jo mera apna hai, jo mujhse pyar karta hai. Lekin shreya bhi duniya ki bato me aa gayi. Wo bhi ab mujhse pyar nahi karti. Wo mujhe khooni samajhti hai. Maa, kya main aisa kar sakta hu? Aapko to pata hai na, main kisi ka khoon nahi kar sakta. Phir main shreya ko kaise samjhau. Wo mujhe chodkar jane ki baat karti hai. Jaise tum chali gayi, waise shreya bhi chali gayi to mera kya hoga maa? Main kaise jee paunga. Main aisa nahi hone dunga maa... Kabhi nahi hone dunga aisa. Main use khud se door nahi jane dunga. Agar usne mujhe chodkar jane ki koshish ki na to main...

Daya's sentence left incomplete as shreya placed her hand on his shoulder.

Daya looked up at her, tears were flowing out of his eyes. Shreya rubbed his tears, "daya tum yaha kya kar rahe ho?" She asked sweetly like talking to a kid.

Daya looked at the picture in his hands, "maa ki bahut yaad aa rahi thi aaj, bas unse baat kar raha tha."

Shreya gently took the picture from his hand, "daya, itni raat ko? Maa se phir kabhi baat kar lena, abhi chalo so jao. Aur main tumhe chodkar kabhi kahi nahi jaungi. Main tumse bahut pyar karti hu. Main humesha tumhare sath rahungi, I promise!"

"Jhooth bol rahi ho tum?" Daya uttered looking away.

Shreya placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards her, "main sach bol rahi hu daya. I love you so much!" She said cupping his face in her hands. Daya hugged her tightly and rested his head on her shoulder. Shreya rubbed his back giving him sooth in her arms.

Shreya separated and held his hand, "ab chalo daya, so jao please, main hu na tumhare sath, kahi nahi ja rahi main" she made him stand up and carried him to the bed.

"Shreya, mujhe maa ki bahut yaad aa rahi hai! Can you sing a lullaby like her" daya said placing his head in her lap and wrapping his hands around her waist.

Shreya smiled and caressed his head moving her fingers in his hair, "of course I can!" She said and started singing a lullaby.

Daya slept peacefully hugging her and resting his head in her lap. Shreya shifted his head on the bed from her lap and kept a pillow. She stared at his innocent face. She kissed his forehead, "I love you daya! Main tumhe chodkar kahi nahi jaungi. Tumhare sath rehna shayad mushkil hai lekin tumhe chodkar jana usse bhi jyada mushkil" She whispered and slept hugging him.

Here, Purvi reached Mysore. She had Daya and Shreya's address given by shreya. She reached at their apartment.

Purvi rang the bell, "Shreya open the door" she mumbled ranging the bell continuously.

But she got no response and suddenly her eyes fell on the lock hanging on the door.

"Yaha to tala laga hua hai. Ghar pe koi nahi hai? Kaha gaye honge ye dono?" She thought worriedly.

Meanwhile Nishant happened to came there. Purvi saw him and called him.

"Excuse me, kya Mr Daya Shetty aur unki wife Shreya ko jante hain aap?"

Nishant looked at her confusingly, "Han, par aap kaun?"

"Main...main Shreya ki friend hu. Usse milne aayi thi. Par shayad wo ghar pe hai nahi."

Nishant nodded his head, "Aapko shayad yaha aane se pehle unse ek baar baat kar leni chahiye thi. Unhone aapko bataya nahi, wo kahi aur shift ho gaye hain. Ab wo yaha nahi rehte"

Purvi got a shock, "what? Ab wo yaha nahi rehte? Shift kab kiya unhone? Kaha gaye? Kuch pata hai aapko?"

"I am sorry, mujhe nahi pata. " Nishant said.

Purvi was disappointed, "its ok" she said then again looked at him, "kya aap bata sakte hain ki unka relation kaisa tha, I mean kya unke beech sab normal tha?"

"Shreya ji ke husband unse bahut pyar karte the. In fact wo unke liye bahut possessive the. Unko shreya ji ka mujhse baat Karna bhi pasand nahi tha. Dheere dheere Shreya ji ne mujhse baat Karna bhi band kar diya tha. Wo ghar se bhi bahut kam hi bahar nikalti thi. Wo itne secretly yaha se chale gaye hume to pata bhi nahi chala." Nishant told purvi.

"Thank you! " purvi said and left from there.

"Bina kisi ko inform kiye address change karna is baat ka proof hai ki daya aur shreya ke beech kuch to gadbad hai. Kuch bhi ho jaye, mujhe pata lagana hi hoga ki Shreya kaha hai aur kis haal me hai." Purvi thought and started trying to find out a way to know where is shreya.

Suddenly something clicked her mind, "yes, Daya ke office se uska recent address shayad mil jaye."

Purvi immediately find out the office where daya was working. She confirmed through a sweeper that daya regularly comes office and today he is present in the office.

Purvi gave him some money and told him to not to inform daya that she was inquiring about him.

When at evening daya came out of the office, Purvi followed him.

Daya sat in his car and drove away. Purvi was in a taxi just behind him.

"Us car ka peecha Karo." Purvi ordered the driver and started following daya.

"Ab dekhti hu tumhara naya address kya hai? Aur tum sabse chup kyun rahe ho? Shreya ka mobile ek baar off hone ke baad dobara on kyun nahi hua? " Purvi thought with a determination.

.

.

.

...To be continued