Author's Note -
Hello. Koi janta hai mujhe... Bhul toh nahi gaye? Sabse pehle toh ek bada wala sorryyyyyy... Bohot delay go gaya. Festive season aur phir studies. Likhne ka time mila hi nahi... But ha here i am with the chapter. Not a long one but sweet one! Go on and read! Thanks to everyone who reviewed.
*Next morning*
Abhijeet requested ACP sir to not cook for them today and instead he would cook with Daya. Even though ACP sir rolled his eyes at him knowing Abhijeet did not know how to cook and would end up cooking something inedible, he agreed. He did not want to interfere in Abhijeet's 'mission friendship with Daya' and left for beauro after only cooking breakfast so that until lunch they would not have to remain hungry.
Soon Daya was pulled out of his room by Abhijeet and made to have breakfast and then pulled to the kitchen.
Daya - Kya hua sir?
Asked confused Daya seeing Abhijeet's excitement.
Abhijeet - Ajj hum dono milke lunch banayege!
Daya - Hmm... Ok.
Abhijeet - Kya banana hai?
Daya - Aap jo bole sir.
Abhijeet - Aree mai toh bolne ke liye kuch bhi bol dunga. Par banayega kon!
Daya - Matlab?
Abhijeet - (smiling sheepishly) Mujhe maggi aur sandwich ke alawa kuch banana nahi aata... Tumhe toh aata hai na? (Fearing) Nahi toh bahar ka khana allowed nahi hai abhi toh ajj bhuka hi rehna padega!
Daya - Ha sir mujhe aata hai. Aap ko kya pasand hai aap batayiye mai bana dunga.
Abhijeet - Aree bana dunga matlab! Mai bhi help karuga! Tumhe kya pasand hai woh banate hai.
Daya - Mujhe kuch bhi chalega sir...
Abhijeet - Chalega nahi. Pasand puch raha hu!
Daya - Sab pasand hai sir mujhe...
Abhijeet sighed and said...
Abhijeet - Aalo ke parathe chalte hai? Aur banane aate hai?
Daya - Ji sir.
Abhijeet - Ha toh chalo wahi banate hai!
Soon both of them got to work. Abhijeet to the work of making a mess while Daya to cleaning it. By 2:30 they still somehow managed to make a lunch that was good enough with Abhijeet proudly calling his mother to tell that he finally cooked a lunch that wasn't maggi. Sharada afraid of how Daya would be eating it if at all Abhijeet had indeed cooked even talked to him about it. While Daya assured it was good enough. Obviously because he was the one who made it at the end.
*2 days later*
Abhijeet knocked on Daya's door. Soon Daya opened it and Abhijeet asked...
Abhijeet - Puku ko walk pe leke jaa raha hu. Chaloge?
Daya was about to deny but before he could Abhijeet said...
Abhijeet - Nahi nahi. Strike what i said. Phir se suno. Puku ko walk pe leke jaa raha hu. Tum bhi saath chalo.
Daya kept looking at him with an open mouth that he had previously opened to deny but never got a chance to close. So Abhijeet added...
Abhijeet - Aise kya dekh rahe ho? Tumhe option dene se haa thodi na bologe tum. Tumhe toh sidha batana hi padta hai ki kya karna hai.
Daya looked away embarrassed.
Abhijeet - Chalo jaldi se change karke aa jao. Puku se waise bhi sidha nahi baitha jata jab pata chal jaye ki bahar jana hai toh.
Daya nodded and went back in to change.
Soon they were out on the evening walk with puku which puku enjoyed throughly. Cause it was after 20 years that both his friends were out on a walk with him. No matter the one who gave him his name didn't remember him anymore he still enjoyed rubbing his head on Daya's leg. And then Abhijeet would pretend sad to be ignored while he did this and so puku would repeat the same with him.
*1 day later, night*
Abhijeet was engrossed in his book while Daya stared the rotating fan. Though Abhijeet had noticed his action he waited for Daya to snap out of his trance. But when he didn't even after his long wait he called...
Abhijeet - Daya?
Daya - (snapping out) Ji sir?
Abhijeet shook his head indicating nothing and got back to his book. And Daya got back to the fan.
15 minutes later when Abhijeet was done with the silence he sighed and kept the book aside. Then he turned to Daya in some excitement and called...
Abhijeet - Daya!
Daya - Ji sir?
Abhijeet - Chalo kal kahin bhaag jate hai! (Grinning)
Daya - Ji? (Confused)
Abhijeet - Ha! Ab itne din se hum ghar pe baithe hai. Bore ho gaya hu mai. Sir office nahi jane dete. Aur dad ghumne nahi jane dete! Isilye chalo na bhaag ke kahin jate hai!
Daya - Kaha?
Abhijeet - Tum batao. Koi bhi jagah! Disco, bar, pub... Kuch bhi chalega. Mast pike aayege!
Daya - What!?
Daya yelled and sat up straight. He couldn't believe what Abhijeet just said.
Abhijeet - Ha...
Daya - Sir apko pata bhi hai aap kya bol rahe hai?
Abhijeet - Aree ab juice pine mai kya problem hai? (Innocently)
Daya - Sir aap disco, bar yaa pub mai jake juice piyege?
Abhijeet - Ha! Milta hai waha pe. Khabriyo ke saath baithke wahi toh pite hai hum natak karte karte.
Daya - Par apko wahi kyu jana hai?
Abhijeet - Toh kaha jaye? Kisi ki shaadi mai ghus jaye kal?
Daya - Kiski shaadi?
Abhijeet - Aree kisi ki bhi. Shaadiyo ka season hai. Bahar niklege jo pehli milegi usme ghus jayege!
Daya - Sir aap theek toh hai na? (Genuinely worried) Aap kya bole jaa rahe hai?
Abhijeet - (angrily) Ha toh aur kya karu mai tumme josh lane ke liye? Itne boring kaise ho sakte tum? Piche 47 minutes 39 seconds se bas pankhe ko ghure jaa rahe ho! Bhai itna bhi acha nahi dikhta woh. Itna ghuroge usse sharmake bhaag jayega!
Daya - Par sir...
Abhijeet - Koi sir wir nahi nahi! Mujhe kuch nahi pata! Kal hum kahin toh jayege. Ab kaha, kab, kaise woh sab tum plan karo. Kal subah tak plan ready rehna chahiye!
Not even waiting for a response Abhijeet walked up to the fan and switched it off. Glared at Daya warning him against switching it on even though he was himself feeling hot he crashed the bed and went off to sleep. Leaving Daya to stare at him and make a plan for tomorrow's outing.
*2 days later*
Abhijeet knocked on the door of their room but there was no response from the other side. He knocked again... There was again silence. Not wanting to wait anymore, especially with Daya, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.
Daya was sitting by the window pane as always observing the gulmohar tree. Sighing Abhijeet moved to him but instead of calling him out he himself sat beside Daya on the window pane. He observed Daya's face for moment. Silence was all he could see.
Abhijeet - Pareshan ho? (Caringly)
Daya snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the door which lay open. Abhijeet answered his unasked question...
Abhijeet - Lock karna bhul gaye hoge tum. Abhi 2 minute pehle aaya mai.
Daya looked at him for a second and again looked away out of the window.
Abhijeet - Pareshan ho? (He repeated)
Daya - Nahi sir...
Abhijeet - Toh kya hua?
Daya - Kuch nahi sir...
Abhijeet - Theek hai... Nahi batana mat batao ki kis baat se pareshan ho. Par yeh toh bata sakte ho ki mujhe batate kyu nahi ho tum kuch?
Daya - Nahi sir... Aisa kuch nahi...
Abhijeet - (cutting him off) Tumhe jhoot bolna nahi aata Daya. (After a second) Dosti ke kabil nahi hu tumahri?
Daya - Nahi sir aap galat...
Abhijeet - (cutting him again) Pyar se, mana kar, daat kar, gusse se... Ek hafte mai har mumkin koshish karli maine. Par ek baar bhi tumne yeh nahi jataya ki tum mujhe kuch aur nahi toh kamse kam ek aisa senior toh mante ho jo tumhe pasand ho. Itna bura hu kya mai? Baki sab khadus mante hai... Par tumhe toh zayada data bhi nahi maine ab tak. Phir?
Daya - Sir aap samjh nahi rahe sir... Aapki galti nahi...
Abhijeet - Toh samjhao mujhe. Wahi toh chahta hu mai! Kya nahi samjh raha mai?
Daya - Aap aur ACP sir akhir kyu mujhe samjhna chahte hai? Kya lagta hai aap logo ko? Mujhe nahi samjh aata ki ACP sir mujhe apne ghar kyu le aaye. Quarters jane ki baat agar sach bhi ho toh bhi itne dino se mujhe quarter allot kyu nahi ho raha janta hu mai. Sir khud delay karwa rahe hai. Aap jo goli lagne ke agle din beauro jane ki zid karne lagte hai itne dino se ek baar bhi jane ki baat kyu nahi kar rahe samjhta hu mai sir. Par aap log kyu nahi samjhte ki mai koi rishte nahi banana chahta!
Abhijeet - Aur hum tumhe yu phir se suicide attempt karne ke liye nahi chod sakte...
Daya - Mujhe kisi ki sympathy ki zarurat nahi hai sir...
Abhijeet - Sympathy nahi hai yeh. Dosti ka matlab samjhte ho? (Turning soft) Yeh jo diwar apne aas paas bana kar rakhi hai tumne... Usse kyu nahi todna chahte tum? Kisi aur ko nahi toh apne aap ko toh mauka do? Mujhe nahi toh kisi ko toh apne kareeb aane do? Koi khud ke liye yaa khud ki wajh se nahi muskurata! Khud ke joke pe koi khud nahi hasta! Agar tum apni iss diwar ko todoge hi nahi toh tumhe muskurane ki wajh milegi kaha se?
Daya turned to look at him and again turned away. While Abhijeet continued...
Abhijeet - Nahi puchuga mai koi sawal tumse jiska jawab tumhe nahi dena chahte. Jab tak tum khud nahi batate mai tumhare ateet yaa aaj ke bare mai kuch nahi puchuga yeh wada hai mera. Na mai tumhe kuch sikhane aaya hu. Mai koi philosopher nahi hu jo tumhe zindagi kaise jeete hai woh sikhau. Mai toh bas ek dosti ka haat bada raha hu! Bas kabhi tumhare saath khana banana chahta hu... Toh bas kabhi tumhe late aane ke liye sir ki daat se bachana. Kabhi beauro se bas jhoot bolkar jaldi nikal ke tumhare saath movie jana hai mujhe... Yaa phir bas ek bike ride pe. Aur kuch nahi toh yehi issi tarah khidki pe baithke kuch baate karni hai mujhe tumse. Issi ko toh dosti kehte hai! Mai tumhari problems solve nahi kar sakta. Par sun toh sakta hu? Yeh mauka bhi nahi de sakte tum mujhe?
Daya did not respond. He didn't even turn to look at Abhijeet. With his blank stare ke kept staring outside the window. Abhijeet waited for a couple minutes for his answer but when Daya didn't move, he sighed and got up from his seat. He had lost maybe. He failed at the winning Daya's trust and friendship. Deciding to talk to ACP sir about this in the night he took a step ahead to leave the room. Just then, Daya said from behind him still not looking at him,
Daya - Aaj ACP sir ko aane mai late hone wala hai na... Saath dinner banaye?
A broad smile lit up Abhijeet's face and he turned around to Daya. So did Daya to look up at him in small smile...
Daya - Par mai aalo ke parathe nahi bana raha ab apke saath phir se. Daal rice banayege. Usme aap gadbad nahi kar sakte... (Timidly he added) Hopefully...
Abhijeet - Acha! Dekho toh sahab ko. Dosti hui nahi ki meri tang khichna chalu! Theek hai theek hai. Tum bhi kya yaad rakhoge kitna acha dost mila hai tumhe...
To be continued...
Author's Note -
Hash! Chalo Daya sir ne finally Abhijeet sir ki friendship toh accept ki. Kitni mehnat karwai Abhi sir se par kar li finally. Par ab aage kya hoga. How will Abhi sir and ACP sir along with Aditya and Sharada help Daya out? Keep reading and reviewing! And i will try my best not to be late anymore! Please iss baar maaf kardo *puppy eyes*. Itne sare duo moments ke badle ek mafi toh banti hai na!