A\N: I am so sorry for late update. I had planned to update it yesterday, but our college authority thought that the girls are sitting free at home, so why don't we arrange a seminar for them ? So day before yesterday, they declared that there will be a seminar on the next day. So since last two days, I am was too busy with preparing my paper, correcting it, pressing my college uniform etc. Lastly, the webinar is completed successfully and I got much praised too.

NOW HAVE A HAPPY READING….

The bright morning sun touched his face and eyes softly through the window along with the cool breeze which he loved the most. He woke up and opened his eyes gently but with a sweet smile over his lips today, after a long period.

It was his special day. Since last nineteen years, there had been nothing special in his life except of his daughter. But there was nothing there for him to be happy for himself. There had been no source of his personal happiness, he had always experienced happiness in his daughter's happiness or success only… he did not has any other option left. But today everything was different!

He washed his face properly and came out to the balcony, without wiping his face, feeling the cold breeze blowing over his already wet face. He took a deep breath and felt relaxed and happy like a child… after so long years! He wondered how a phone call at 12 AM, from someone very special, could made his day!

Last night, when the call had come in his mobile, he had been already half asleep. He had picked up the call with his closed eyes, without checking the caller ID. In reply of his sleepy tired "hello", the caller replied….

Caller: so gaye the tum?

His eyes shot opened immediately due to shock and he sat up on the bed with….

Abhijeet: Daya tum? Is waqt? Sab kuch theek to haina?

Daya: haan sab kuch theek hain…. Actually main kisi aur wajah se call kiya tha….

Abhijeet: haan… batao na

Daya: woh main yeh keh raha tha ki… woh…. Happy Birthday Abhijeet!

Abhijeet could not speak anything at first as he could not believe his own ears that he had rung him at this hour of night, just to wish him for his birthday? How could he remember his birthday till now, when he himself had forgotten about this special day?

He could not remember when was the last time someone wished him for his birthday at 12 AM. Till now, he used to think that it did not really matter, but right now, he realized that how different and special the feeling was! Knowing that someone cared for him... someone remembered and stayed awake, just for him. And he found that his voice was chocked in emotion while Daya continued to call him with...

Daya: Abhijeet! Abhijeet are you there? Tum sun rahe ho?

He came out from his trance with a jerk and managed to reply as…

Abhijeet: haan woh main… Thank you Daya….

Daya: You are welcome!

Abhijeet: haan par tumhe yaad kaise tha?

Daya took some time to compose his emotions and then replied….

Daya: haan bas yaad reh gaya…. Kal calendar dekha to yaad aa gaya ki….

He stopped for a while and recited the rest in his heart as….

Daya: ki aaj mere kisi apne ki janamdin hain….

But he could not speak out those words but remained silent. Abhijeet too was silent…. relishing the moment of happiness after so long time! They maintained that long comfortable silence for long until Daya broke it with a soft yet hesitating….

Daya: tumhara koi program hain kya kal? I mean tumhare birthday pe kuch special? Timhari beti ki saath kuch personal?

Abhijeet(with a laugh): arey nahin…. Itne saalon se kabhi to yaad hi nahin aaya ki saal ki yeh ek din mere liye special bhi ho sakta hain…. Mujhe to yaad hi nahin rehta tha ki yeh din kab aaya aur kab chala gaya…. Main bilkul free hoon aaj…. Subah ek publisher ke saath meeting hain mere agle kitaab ko leke phir main free hoon….

Daya: accha to tum free ho to kya mere saath lunch pe chaloge kal? Mujhe kuch batana hain tumhe….

Abhijeet remained silent for a while and then spoke up in calm in soft tone….

Abhijeet: mujhe bhi tumhe kuch batana tha Daya…. Chalo kal milte hain lunch pe…

Daya(in firm tone): aur ek baat Abhijeet…. Kal sirf hum dono milenge…. Humare bacche nahin…. Mujhe tumhe personally kuch batana hain jo main nahin chahta ki humare baccho ko pata chale….

Abhijeet(in same firm tone): main bhi tumhe yeh hi kehna chahta tha Daya…. Kal sirf hum dono milenge…. Aur koi nahin….

Daya: theek hain…. Main Royal Restaurant mein ek table humare liye book kar leta hoon…. Who humare liye ek personal mulakat hona chahiye….

Abhijeet: okay done….

Daya(in soft tone): accha yeh batao ki kal kya gift lekar aaun tumhare liye?

Abhijeet(with a laugh): kya Daya! Main koi chota baccha hoon kya jo tum mere liye gift laoge?

Daya(in frank tone): kyun? Gift pe sirf baccho ka hi haq hota hain kya? Tum kuch zyada hi buddhe ho gaye ho Abhijeet…. Chalo surprise hi rehne deta hoon woh gift….

Abhijeet(with a smile): chalo theek hain…. I am waiting! Dekhte hain kya surprise hain….

Daya: accha chalo good night….

Abhijeet: good night!

He disconnected the call and remained starring towards the mobile set with a smile. After a while he put away the mobile and laid back with a soft….

Abhijeet: tum nahin jante Daya magar mujhe mera gift mil gaya hain….

He smiled. Till now he could not believe how that one single phone call had taken him back to the old era… in his golden days. Before his continuous struggle against this cruel world. Before all those mess happened! Before his resignation! When he was the bright young CID officer Abhijeet, absolutely happy with his life and with his relatives! In every birthday eve, he used to go to sleep with smiles as he knew that many calls would come on sharp 12 AM.

Since last years of his life, he had complete forgotten to live for himself. He just lived for the only reason for his life, his daughter. He had forgotten how it felt to be felt special. Since these years, none had ever rung him at 12 AM, not even his own daughter as he himself had forbidden her to do so.

He never had given that right to anyone except Daya!

He waited. He had really waited for that special phone call during all these years, despite knowing that it would never come as Daya did not know his phone number even…. But he used to wait. And at least the call came! He smiled with a genuine thought as….

Abhijeet: well! Better late than never!

He smiled again and continued to enjoy the weather until a pair of soft arms embraced him from behind while pressing her head in his shoulder with a cute….

Deepti: happy birthday papa…. Wish you a multiple happy returns of the day. I love you.

Abhijeet fondled her head slightly with a soft….

Abhijeet: thank you Deepti….

Deepti tightened her grip over his shoulder with a cute….

Deepti: ummmmm…. Aap na kabhi nahin jana mujhe chod kar…. Love you the most….

Abhijeet patted her head slightly and kissed her head softly. She released him and grabbed him from his shoulder and said in sad tone….

Deepti: papa aaj na mujhe chutti nahin mila…. To hum lunch pe nahin jaa sakte… aaj Headquarters mein ek urgent meeting hain forensic doctors ka….

Abhijeet: koi baat nahin beta… main bhi ek waqt isi department ka hissa tha…. Isliye main samajhta hoon ki humara duty kya hain…. Tum jaao…. Hum raat mein dinner ke liye chalenge…. Waise bhi tum chinta mat karo…. Daya ne mujhe aaj lunch ke liye bulaya hain…. Keh raha tha ki use kuch kehna hain mujhe….

Deepti smiled deeply as she could guess what might be he wanted to tell her father. She said in excited tone….

Deepti: sach papa? Phir to aapko zaroor jana chahiye….

Abhijeet(in confused tone): haan to tum kyun itna excited ho rahe ho?

Deepti slapped herself in mind realizing that she had gone over excited. She should not let her father know about her role in the upcoming incidents of his life. So she rectified her mistake with a cute….

Deepti: papa woh aapke liye gift layenge na isliye… itne saalon mein aapko mere siwaye kisi se gift lete huye nahin dekha na, so I am excited ki woh kya gift denge aapko….

Abhijeet(with a smile): Deepti! Tum bhi na bilkul pagal ho….

He pressed her cheeks softly. She smiled and exclaimed in soft tone….

Deepti: accha ab aap fresh ho jaao…. Main breakfast banati hoon…

Abhijeet: arey nahin…. Tumhe late ho jayega…. Lab jana haina tumhe? Tum jaao main banata hoon breakfast.

Deepti(with a sweet smile): nahin papa…. Aap to saal bhar ghar ka kaam karte rehte hain…. Kam se kam aaj ka din to rest lijiye…. Aaj aap koi kaam nahin karne wale…. Yeh meri final decision hain….

Abhijeet: accha? Final decision?

Deepti(in firm tone): haan….

Abhijeet(with a sigh): okay meri dadi maa…. Ab aap jaiye warna sach mein late ho jayenge….

She left with a small smile playing over her lips. Abhijeet sat down on the swing present there with his heart still beating high in curiosity. He had decided already. He really wanted to give a second chance to their relationship… he again wanted those strings to be sorted out now which had knotted unexpectedly some years ago.

After having shower, Abhijeet opened his wardrobe and became confused severely. It was long since he had attended any type of social functions or parties for avoiding unwanted questions which he had to face there. He was really confused what to wear today for the get together with Daya!

Since ages, he had stopped paying attention to his looks, and did only what she had to, to look presentable at his workplace. But today, he wanted to look different!

It took a little more time than other days to ch

oose a dress. Finally, he managed to pick up a light pink shirt for himself, along with a chocolate coloured coat, dark blue jeans and brown office leather shoes. And yes he was ready! After a long time, he felt so good looking in the mirror. It was reminding him about his CID days! Only he lacked a gun today.

He reached the restaurant and went to the table booked for them. Daya had not reached yet. He ordered a cup of coffee for himself and began to wait for Daya while playing with words in his mind. He had decided to open his heart in front of Daya but was in doubt about the process. But he knew that he had to do it. They had already lost a lot of precious moments of their life due to the all the factors named anger, ego, silence and misunderstandings! And now it was the time to sort out all these.

He came out from his trance with the door opening sound. He sat straight to welcome Daya, who entered the restaurant with a straight face and a strange gaze in his eyes. Abhijeet said with a hesitant voice...

Abhijeet: Daya mujhe tumse kuch kehna hain...

Daya(in strange tone): mujhe bhi tumhe kuch kehna hain... magar aaj tumhara birthday haina, to pehle gift le lo...

Abhijeet(with a smile): to do n...

SLAAAAAAAAAAP!

A strong slap landed over his right cheek which did not let him complete his words. He was left hell shocked due to this unexpected birthday gift! He looked up towards Daya and got shocked!

END OF THE CHAPTER

So do you all like the birthday gift? What did Abhijeet see which made him so shocked?Why did Daya slap Abhijeet? Why he is acting so strange? What is going to happen next? How will Abhijeet react? What will Daya say? Will everything end after reaching in this final lap? Stay tuned to know more.

PerfectAbhi: yes dear... par koi samjhe to na? Is duniya mein Friendship ka rishta hi woh rishta hain jise baar baar duniya ki magnifying glass ke neeche aana padta hain... kyun ki is duniya ki zyadatar log hi is pavitra rishtein ko apni gandi nazar se dekhna chahte hain... ab hum logo ki nazariya to badal nahin sakte na? Thanks for your review.

Guest: look dear... you look straight and it does not mean that everybody look straight. This world has the tendency to look a simple thing obliquely. And the relationship between Daya and Abhijeet is not only mere friendship but something more than it. Thanks for your review. Read the reply which I had wrote in previous chapter. Have a bright day.

Sonu: dear Deepti is not the biological daughter of Abhijeet. As I said in earlier chapter, she is Shreya, the adopted daughter of Abhijeet, whom we saw in Nanhi Gawah and Khatre mein Masoom. She was already about nine to ten years old during Khatre mein Masoom. Now add nineteen more years with it. What's the result? Twenty eight or twenty nine. She is old enough to join CID. And about Abhir... it is still suspense. Keep patience. Thanks for your review.

Next will be after 515 reviews.

Storm will run across both the lives.

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Thanks to each and every reviewers

With love and regards

Your Nikita

A\N: Only 5 reviews have remained to complete 1285 reviews in A Drop Of Friendship. Please review friends.