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Chapter 11
She was again in the same place where she had been 2 nights in a row . The place held an repelling aura .She felt the need to run away as soon as she can and as fast as she can. The place was unknown but it seemed familiar . The silence was devastating . Where is everybody she thought. She tried to find door , windows anything . But she was trapped .She stumbled here and there . Her legs touched something . She lowered herself down to see what it was . It was Shreya in the same position as her mother . She couldn't believe her eyes. It was all happening again. She sat in the corner and sobbed uncontrollably untill "Amairaah !" . She knows this voice . Its the voice of her father. But wait he is dead . She followed the voice when she stumbled upon something . She kneelt down to see what it was. It was the source of her sound. " Amairaah" He called again . Amairaah fearfully moved closer again . . This was Daya . He was bleeding profusely .No no no she couldn't let him die . She turned her head to the sound of another person laughing . Even after four years she had never forgotten this laugh. This was the same man who killed her father . And now her was pointing a gun a Daya. " PLEASE STOP . Please I beg you please stop ." She cried in that person's leg . But it was like she wasn't visible to them anymore . She screamed , she cried but all she could just do was stand and watch her loved ones die again. Amairaah stiod frozen when the man started to press the trigger . Amairaah stood frozen when he shot the bullet .She scremed in pain and rage at the site . She watched Daya and Shreya undergoing the same fate as her mom and dad . The man turned towards her , " I told you , I will come back for the remaning of your family . You are destined to watch this . To watch each and everyone you know die mercilessly in front of your eyes . And you know what , I won't kill you . You live to see your dead ones . " Amairaah sobbed horribly . She went near Daya and Shreya's body and cried , " I am sorry . I am sorry . " She covered her ears and continued to sob untill something woke her up abruptly .
She boltingly went into the bathroom to wash her teary face . The nightmares had started making a daily appearance . Amairaah looked at herself in the mirror . Her eyes were red and they had tiredness filled inside them . There were mark of tears on her cheek . Amairaah wondered if she had been screaming loudly during the whole nightmare showdown . She had screamed the first time . Enough to wake Shreya from her sleep . With baby steps she came near Shreya's room and listened with an intention to see if she was awake . But there was no sound . Looks like she was sleeping contently. Amairaah went back to her room and checked the timing . It was 3:30 in the morning . Sleep wasn't going to pay her a visit now she knew . And it was quite late to dose on a sleeping pill . She lied on the bed and tightly wrapped her blanket around herself. Was she scared this much on the insides that her fears had started manifesting as nightmares . Fear of exactly what . The chances of that incidence repeating were nearly zero. Then why she was so scared . Probably she was scared because Shreya had been selected for a mission. Amairaah was constantly thinking when suddenly the man who she had crashed with her in the hospital came to her mind . Who was that man she thought . He was still not found . It was like after that day he had vanished into thin air. No traces of him anywhere . " Shut up! and try to sleep." Amairaah said to herself . But there was this little voice inside her with which she couldn't help but agree. Something was left out . Something's missing . Frustatingly she got up from her bed and searched the drawers for her headfones . She put them in her ears and blasted the music at full volume . Apparently any noise besides the one in her head was good to her now .
Morning came very quickly. Today No Daya for breakfast Amairaah thought. Daya had became quite regular at their household now . Shreya and Daya's love story was blossoming very beautifully . Radhabai had even asked them about marriage. But Daya very playfully replied , " Agar rukne ki naubat ayi na toh me zindagi bhar rukne ko tayar hu aur agar karne ki naubat ayi ko ek din rukna bhi bohit jyada ho jayga mere liye." Shreya asked Amairaah , " Kya soch rahi hai itna ?" Amairaah replied , " Nahi kuch bhi toh nahi . Waise aap mission ke liye kab nikal rahe ho ? " Shreya said that she still had three weeks left . Amairaahi finished her breakfast and left for the college .
College was lazy day today. Actually it was for Amairaah. She was feeling sleepy in the very between. Thanks to her nightmares . She was thinking about the evening dinner that was supposed to held at their place . It was in the honor of Abhijeet and Tarika as Abhiheet had fibally proposed her. Shreya had already warned her to be home on time . But she didn't want to be there . She was happy for Tarika but family celebrations ,They weren't her things . These people asked questions . Where were you ? Why are you late ? What were you doing . These questions angered Amairaah . Anger leads to hate . Hate causes suffering . Suffering causes depression and depression causes physical ailments . Conclusion made - People are dangerous . Keep them away . And she already had one headstrong cop constantly keeping an eye on her. Whenever Amairaah thought about Daya , she felt nice for a few seconds about how he cares for her . But then after that the hate games begins . She missed her freedom. She missed that time when she didn't have to think what she was doing . And most importantly she hated how that man used to bring out the dustiest corners of her mixed up soul . Yes she had cried in front of him . She had shared her fears . But Amairaah thought that it was making her vulnerable emotionally . She was not vulnerable and she had decided that she wouldn't be one . But then this man comes along and tries to destry the walls that you have created . That kind of vulnerability , That kind of honesty - Her body didn't have any energy to handle that. Well that was the last time Inspector Daya you saw me weak . I am not going to fall again for your attitude . Decision made - " Going very late to the dinner at home."
" Are you done hating people . If yes I an hungry . I wanna have lunch ." Kavya said coming from behind . " How can you so surely say That I was hateing people ?"
Amairaah asked in surprise ." Come on , its your typical "I hate everybody" face . Waise who are hating this time . Who's topping the list ? " Amairaah smirked ." Hating people is taking too much of my energy .From now on I am just going to pretend that they don't exist ." Kavya laughed at that . Her friend sure had a sense of humor ." Hey btw I'm coming to your room after college. " Amairaah said to kavya . Kavya asked her , " But you need to go home early, right ? There's going to be a bunch of people at your home ." Amairaah replied ," That's why I dont wanna be there so early ."
( In a coffee shop )
Abhijeet and Daya walked into a coffee shop . " Party to tum de rahe ho na boss ??" Daya teasingly asked . " Sharam ani chahiye Daya tumhe . Waha tarika ji ke dosto ko dekho , tarika ke liye dinner de rahi hai..aur yaha tum !! " Abhijeet said to Daya . " Me toh humesha party lene ke side se rahunga boss chahe kuch bhi ho jaye ." Daya said. They both laughed at that . " Waise daya , tune kya socha hai ?" Abhijeet asked Daya . " Haa boss , starter me hara bhara kebab , main course me ek panner and ek vegetable kofta mangate hai aur fir last me Dal tadka and rice . Haa aur desserts me ruko me check karta hu.." Abhijeet snatched the menu card from Daya and asked , " O' mere bhai . Tumhe achchi tarike se pata hai me kya bol raha hu. Me lunch ke barime me nahi tere aur shreya ke barime puch raha hu. Topic change mat kar tu." Daya smiled . He also knew somewhere that Abhijeet would be asking him this question today. " Boss tumse kya chupana ab. Abhi tak socha nahi uske barime . Matlab mujhe exactly nahi pata ki shadi ka topic nikalne ke baad shreya kaise react karegi . Uska abhi abhi naya job hai and upar se her past . Aur fir Amairaah ki responsibility bhi toh hai uspe. " Abhijeet laughed at this , " Kya yaar Daya , ye nayi job hai aisa hai waise hai..in sabko leke kya sochna itna . Aur rahi baat Amairaah ki . Toh shadi ke baat tog woh tumhari responsibility bhi toh hui na . Tum kaha akho se dur jane doge usko . " Daya replied , " Yahi toh problem hai boss. Aur yahi baat batana chahta hu me tumhe . Aisa lagta hai ji abhi tak Amairaah sambhki nahi hai uske sath jo bhi hua uske baad . Jab hum pehli baar mile the yaad hai.. woh kaise takra gyi thi mujhe ..." Abhijeet interupted and said , " Woh tumhari pehli mulaqaat nahi thi . Aur tum dono ki shakal dekh ke tih aise lagra tha ki pehli mulaqaat jo bhi thi kuch khas nahi thi." Daya was shocked . " Tumhe kaise pata ye ?" Abhijeet replied , " Tum dono ko akhe bohit dekhne layak thi. Aur waise bhi me jis Daya ko janta hu , Use toh khud sr. inpc daya bhi nahi pehchanta hoga . Woh toh bas maine mood light kiya tha taki tum dono ko aone misunderstanging clear krne ke liye thoda space mile . " That was reason Daya always trusted this guy with his life . He knew about Daya more than anyone . "Waise kya hua tha ?" Abhijeet asked . Daya told him everything . How he and sachin had spotted her smoking and how he had requested sachin to be quite about it . Why it was not difficult for him that night to accept the possibility that Amairaah can also be drunk . And how suddenly out of nowhere she had started crying that night . Abhiheet said to Daya , " Ye toh achchi baat hai na Daya , Tere sath bate share karne lagi hai woh . She has started confining in you . Toh problem kis baat ka hai ?" Daya replied " Boss the problem is uska mind bohot unstable hai. Matlab ek hafte pehle mujhe apne darr bata rahi thi . Aur aaj jab milenge na tab dekhna baat bhi nahi krengi. Aur fir aisehi me lagta hai ki Shreya ki first priority Amairaah hi honi chahiye . She needs to get herself stable . Uske mood swings nahi hote - uske moods; they bounce , rebounce , oscillate fluctuate aur kya kya bhagwan jane . " They both laughed at that . " Ha yar notice tih maine bhi kiya hai . Logose baat nahi krengi. Jaise baat karna hi gunha ho and baat krengi toh baras pdengi unpe. Par in sabka solution Tum dono ka wait karna nahi hai. Tum dono jaldi se jaldi age badho and give her a stable family structure . " Abhijeet said . They kept talking about that.
Yes actually it was completely true . Amairaah needed some male dominance in her life . She needed a fatherly figure . Somebody who would make her account for all her mistakes , improper behaviour and rebelliousness . Somebody who would take the responsibility to correct them. And most importantly somebody who would accept her as she is with her rebellion.
( In Kavya's room )
Amairaah and kavya went to kavya's room as the college ended . Amairaah was very well aware of the fact about how her sister would react if she comes to know about her purposely coming home late. She knew better But here was she anyway. She plopped on a bean bag and heaved a sigh of relief. Her fone vibrated . Amairaah thought it might be Shreya so she didn't bother to answer it . But even after 10-15 mins , the vibrations didn't seemed to stop . " Who the hell is calling now ? " Amairaah said as she took out her fone from denim pockets . It was an unknown number . She picked it up but no body was speaking from the other side . She tried and then gave up . " Freaking idiots .Agar baat nahi karni rehti to call hi kyu krte hai ." Amairaah said angrily as she took out a cigarette . God she missed those . She light it up and inhaled peacefully . All her problems seemed to blow away. " Music laga" She said to Kavya . Kavya was in the right mind today. " Dekh ek cigar pi aur chup chap tere ghar jaa. Waise bhi un logo ke samne bohot drama ho chuka hai abtk . Ab aur nahi." Amairaah looked at her , " Tension mat le . Aaj kya drama hona hai . Kuch bahana maar dungi padhai ka." They had few arguments about when to leave but finally they both agreed to leave after 2 hours. Amairaah decided to take a nap and asked Kavya to wake her up at the proper time
AMAIRAAH , WAKE UP!". She heard some one scream. Still half asleep , Amairaah mumbled out a jumbled word . Kavya put her hands up in air saying "Amairaah you are impossible. Come on you need to go home . Its already 8 . Pohochane Tak 8:30 ho jayenge." Amairaah quickly collected her things and headed for the parking . She quickly got inside the car and left for home . Amairaah had a tickle inside her throat . She knew this kind of feeling. She was well aware of it . It meant that she was going to cough profusely after some time . She just wished that Daya doesn't notice this. She reached home .Before getting out of the car , she drank ample amount of water and put a mint candy in her mouth . This would do untill 5-10 mins untill she manage to answer Shreya 's questions and get inside her room as soon as possible .
She entered the house . " Kitta late Amu ? Bataya tha na waqt pe ana hai karke .." Expected - Amairaah thought . " Woh waqt pe kuch kaam yaad agya toh kavya aur me karre the abtk .Me ati hu fresh hoke ." Amairaah said proceeding towards her room . She had a good look around to see who were present . She saw Abhijeet , Tarika , Rajat , vineet, purvi and dr salunkhe . She didn't see Daya there . She felt a sigh of relief . After reaching the room she changed her clothes , drank a whole lot of water and also gulped a moderate amount of cough syrup . She knew cough syrup is not an answer to the cough caused by smoking . But it would make her survive for a few hours she thought . Having a final look at herself she went downwards.
When she reached the living area , everybody was going towards the dining table . She still didn't find Daya. She danced a little inside . She took her seat and asked shreya , " Daya sir nahi aaye ?" just to make sure . " Nahi woh unko aur ACP sir ko koi meeting attend krni thi toh woh wohi pe hai." She thanked god for her stars today . " Waise Amairaah " Tarika said . " Yes mam " Amairaah asked . " Shreya Daya - Daya krti rehti hai waha tak thik tha . Abhi tum bhi ! Kuch jyada hi jadu kar diya hai Daya ne tumpe! Hai na abhijeet ?" tarika said teasingly . Shreya blushed at this . But Amairaah , She wasn't missing Daya - oo how happy she would be of Daya stopped paying attention to her. The dinner was served . Amairaah took very little portion in her plate . She just wanted to be safe and get away from these bunch of people as soon as possible . The first bite -ok . The second bite - also ok . The third bite - Not bad . Amairaah thought she can do it but at fourth bite , she started coughing . She was being served water . She was being told to look up . And everyone was reacting as if it was a medical emergency. She just pacified them that the food had struck in her wind pipe and she will be just back from washroom . Amairaah excused herself from the scenario . Just as Amairaah left , Daya entered in very formal colthes . He removed his suit and placed it on the back of chair . " Are Daya tum aagye itne jaldi . Aur ACP saab nahi aye tumhare sath ? " Dr salunkhe asked. " Nahi Dr. saab . ACP sir ka dimag chitrole abhi bhi kha raha hai . Mujhe jane ki permission mil gyi . " Daya replied ." Waise ekdum sahi waqt pe aye ho . Abhi just 5 min pehle hi humne khana shuru kiya . Chalo tum bhi baith jao ." Daya nodded and said that he just needs to freshen up a little before starting .
( In the washroom area )
Here Amairaah's cough was taking a turn for worse . She never had this much and what was causing it she thought . She quickly pulled out her cell phone and dialled Kavya's number . " Kavya ...(cough)..(cough)..just check the brand of the cigars I smoked today...(cough)...(cough).." Amairaah asked Kavya . " Does that matter ?" Kavya asked surprisingly cause she had never heard of the question before . "I dont know , Its just that I am coughing a hell lot than normal . I thought unknowingly I have might used a different brand this time ." Kavya told her to stay on hold while she checked that thing . Amairaah was waiting for her answer when she felt that somebody was watching her . She turned to see who it was . As she came to know who it was she just hoped for the ground to swallow her . " Daya sir...aaaaaap...sir aaaaap yaha ?" Daya was staring her with anger boiling at its peak . Amairaah saw his red hot eyes . Those eyes can melt the peaks of Antartica . God she wished she was in Antartica now. Why does she makes things worse for herself .
He came near her and ran his hand over his hair . He looked around the room on both sides and then Amairaah felt a sharp stinging slap on her face. The slap didn't hurt that much . Daya was cautious about that . But he sure made it sting .
Amairaah was shocked to see such outrage of Daya . But deep down she knew that she deserved to be punished .
The problem wasn't his attitude. The problem was her . She was on her bad behaviour and she had obviously lied . Daya had given her many chances again and again. But she fell short for them. And the fact that she didn't learn things easy way , Daya was sure to introduce the harder ones .
Amairaah kept looking at him. Even though Daya scolded her , he made sure to let her know that he cared for her . She expected him to shout at her but he remained silent . More than that his eyes were numb . Numb with pain . Of course she was rude ;her words hurt , but Daya's silence broke her heart .
Seeing the silence , even she didn't utter a word and excused herself from the scene .
Amairaah reached the dining area and started finishing her meal . Daya joined them 10 mins after . After sometime everybody had finished their meal and they were taking leave . Amairaah had excused herself in her room saying she had an exam tomorrow . As Daya was leaving Abhijeet stopped him , "Are Daya, kaha jaa rahe ho tum? Itte late aaye aur itte jldi nikloge ?" Daya was in no mood of teasing but if he had not agreed , Abhijeet would have made an mountain of a mole hill . So he waited .
Data and Shreya were watching some.movie together when suddenly shreya's phone rang . It was Purvi , she had forgotten her house keys at shreya's home . Shreya told her to wait there mid way only and she will come and drop those keys . Daya told her that he will go but shreya refused . So he waited for shreya in the living room itself .
He wasn't going to talk to Amairaah . He was in no mood . He was angry . And he knew that could make things much worse . He didn't regret slapping her. He didnt even a bit . She deserved that he thought . He was continuously thinking untill he heard a scream...
(In Amairaah's room)
Amairaah felt sad for the slap . But she thought to follow what she had decided in the afternoon. She was going to distance herself from Daya. She was not letting him come any closer now at least consciously . Why to think about that guy if he doesn't matter anymore she thought . She changed herself into night clothes and sat on the bed . She pulled out the bottle of sleeping pills from the drawer for she had the fear of nightmares . She needed a good night's sleep tonight . She popped one pill switched off the lights and covered hedself with blankets hoping that sleep will pay her a visit soon enough .
she was back in the marine tin vessel once again . She could hear the laugh of the guy. she was scared , scared to hell as if who would die now. Her mind tried to get her out of that thing but she couldn't . She was trapped there . The aure made her filled with negative energy . The man suddenly stopped laughing. Amairaah looked at that man. He was raising his hand that had weapon held on it . He came forcefully towards Amairaah in an attempt to hit her . But she ditched it putting herself down for a minute of two. She again started to hear the laugh.She had just dodged the man that was trying to kill her and now he is laughing . That's strange Amairaah thought . But the laughing was growing by the minute .She took a look around when she stpped dead in her senses . There was shreya , lying on the ground with blood oozing out ger head with a great flow . In an attempt to save herself , she had gotten shreya killed . She tried to wake her up . She was shaking her continuously , calling her out by her name but shreya was not responding . She cried . Shreya was the only family she had remaining and she can't let her die . " That's how your mother died right ??" The man said laughingly . Amairaah was still crying. she cant let her sister die. " Well history has repeated itself . Shreya dies the same way as your mother ." said the man and continued laughing . He again started to speak , " Well do you remeber who dies after your mother ?" Amairaah cried. Crying only sge replied " Dad" . The man laughed again. "I wonder who is going to die in his place this time ." Amairaah started searching the whole ship untill she saw a gravely injured man lying around in a pool of blood. This was Daya . No no no she couldn't let him die . She turned her head to the sound of another person . Even after four years she had never forgotten this voice. This was the same man who killed her father . And now her was pointing a gun a Daya. " PLEASE STOP . Please I beg you please stop ." She cried in that person's leg . But it was like she wasn't visible to them anymore . She screamed , she cried..."
Daya had quickly made her way to Amairaah's room hearing her scream . He was ready with a gun in his hand if someday had entered the room . But to his surprise her found Amairaah alone in the room on her bed . She had scrunched her face as if in pain , her fists tightened and she was whimpering . A bad dream he thought . Tugging his gun back into his pants he went near the bed quickly and laid a hand on Amairaah's shoulder . He thought that would calm her down .But to his surprise jumping out of the skin Amairaah gave a terrified scream . Daya tried to shake her a little in order to wake her up but when even that didn't work he sat down on the bed took her in his arms and cradled her like he would have cradled a child . She was still screaming and and fear striken even in his arms . " Please let them go !!" she again cried in Daya' s arm . What is she seeing that is affecting her so much he thought . He loosened his tie and started whispering soothing things in Amairaah's ear . " Amairaah...Amairaah get up kid . Hum ghar pe hai .Aur yaha sab kuch thik hai . everything's fine. Nothing's damaged .Everything is fine." Finally very slowly her screams had slowed down and they had turned into small sniffles. She slowly opened her eyes .
Shock shown in the eyes of both as the both saw each other . Daya looked at Amairaah's eyes . Her eyes were blood shot , and there was presence of large bags under them . On the Other hand Amairaah was shocked to see Daya . How she had behaved with him , he sould have stopped worrying about her . But here he was lying on her bed comforting her .She put her head under his chin and cried again " I..I'm so..sorry." . She drifted a little bit far from Daya saying this . But Daya' s hold tightened on her and he continued whispering soothing words into her ears . She had calmed down completely now . Very gently Daya placed her on her bed once a again and covered her in blankets.
Daya was about to switch off the lights when he saw shreya coming running to the room . " Kya hua Daya sab thik toh hai na ?" She started toh remove the blankets of her sister's face slightly to have a look but Daya stopped her.
"ssshhh. Aram se sone do . Bura sapna dekhri thi woh. Dar gyi thi toh upar ana pada .Chalo ab jagao mat use. "
They both left the room switching of the lights . Shreya told him that Amairaah had waken up right in the middle of night somedays back . They were discussing about that as were going down ghe stairs.
Radhabai was watching this scene in the Amairaah's room from a distance ." Amairaah beta kitna bhi dur bhagte raho duniya se , logo se ya apne aap se - Ye saab aapko humesha wapas leke ayenge."