Hey guysss...back with the 12th chapter...ssoooo let's begin..
~Guest : Thank you so much dear.
~Sandhya Sinha : Thanks Sandhya
~ObsessedwithShreya : Thanks so much for the support.
~Iraboti : Really ? I made you that emotional ? Bohot Achcha laga ki Jaise mere emotions the Aap Waise samajh paye. Thanks so much.
~Rubli : Yes Finally Shreya met Abhijeet. Abhi jald hi ACP sir se bhi mulaqaat hogi. Stay tuned.
~Pari : Thnx Pari. Hope you like today's emotional roller coaster as well.
~Guest : Sorry yaar. Shyd editing me gadbad ho gyi...Next time se nahi hoga.
~Xyz : Kaki bhi toh insaan hai. Hojata hai kabhi kabhi...
~Teki Jyoti Haa Jyoti thoda editing me do baar copy paste ho gya and pata bhi nahi chala. I will keep it in mind always.
LoveDaya : I feel sad for you bro...PG life sucks at being busy. Btw congrats for your new adventure. And yes Me likhte rahungi and don't worry aapko Jaise time milega Waise padhte jana. Afterall career comes first. And waisebhi mujhe pata hai ki even if you don't say you'll always support me. Thanks you so much...
Abhirika Jai : Thanks dude
Priya : Thank you so much.
Dareyapurelove : OMG you really want a fully bubbly romantic OS. Okay then...I'll work on it that way. Will get back to you soon on that update...
Guest : Thank you.
Priya : Hey Priya, Apologies to you. See, I don't want to sugarcoat things. Because I don't know how many of you guessed it right but I'm in medical profession. And work kills like crazy. I write everyday. I write small paragraph everyday. Par aapko bhi pata hai na ki mere chapters kafi bade hote hai. Toh time lag hi jata hai. Again again extreme sorry to keep you waiting. But at this moment this is the best that I can do...
Govind Agrawal : Thanks :-)
Guest : Hey sorry to keep you waiting. But here's the update.
Umm So guys when I read the reviews of last chapter, many of you wrote to me or messaged me that they are chronic overthinker. So this one is for them. I just want to you guys to know that whenever you are surrounded by thinking clouds just know one thing. Your mental peace and your stability and your self respect comes first. Everything else is secondary.
Social Seekh : You disrespect yourself everytime you say yes when you want to say no. You call it loyalty, friendship or love but in reality you are just hoping that someone will see how amazing of a person you are and choose you. It doesn't work that way. Choose yourself. That's how you teach them. By choosing you.
Chapter 12 : Dear Inner Child... !
" Daya Aap bhi na...Thodi der ruk nahi sakte the kya !" Shreya said as Daya drank his sip of coffee. " Are usme kya hai ? Abhijeet ayega toh ek aur cup coffee pee lunga." Daya said very casually. " Aap na ekdum coffee addict ho !" Shreya said slapping him on his upper arms. Daya smiled. Very few people were able to make out that he's a coffee addict. He even doubted that Abhijeet paid attention to this small stuff.
It was again a sort of double date for them. Abhijeet, Tarika and Daya, Shreya were meeting for coffee. Apparently Abhijeet and Tarika were a little late. Tarika ko kuch Dr. Salunkhe ne kaam ke liye rok ke rakha tha. Daya was in casual clothes today. Navy blue colored Denims and a grayish blue and white striped Shirt. Shreya on the other hand was wearing a dark blue colored jeans coupled with an orange colored kurta. It was a sudden gift from Daya. The kurta I mean. Apparently he had taken Kaki out somewhere to buy some stuff and in return had bought something for Shreya also. Shreya had coupled it with matching jumkas and jootis. All in all she was looking beautiful today.
" Lo agye !" Shreya said as she saw the door opening and Abhijeet and Tarika walking in. They were still in office clothes. It could be clearly made out. " Bohot time laga diya boss !" Daya said as they got up and rearranged the chairs. " Are yaar woh DCP Chitrole ! Jabtak woh drug deal pakdi nahi jati tabtak jeene nahi dega woh !" Abhijeet said. In the mean time Tarika gave Shreya a side hug ! " Hi ! How are you ?" Shreya asked. " Kya yaar ! Kaam kaam aur kaam !" Tarika said. " Achcha hua boss me toh nikal gaya ! Kaho na kaho tumne mujhe Delhi ki conference me bhejne ka decision jo liya hai na ...bohot Achcha hai...!" Daya said mocking Abhijeet for his work load.
" Jab bol raha tha tab toh samjha nahi. Bas chillane ke liye batado !" Abhijeet said that rudely and out of nowhere. " Abhii...! Ho gayi na. Raat gyi Baat gyi !" Tarika said trying to lighten up the atmosphere. Daya was still looking down with guilt. Daya was about to say something when Shreya intervened. " Sir, Iss baar maaf kar dijiye. Agle baar se nahi hoga !" Shreya said so genuinely that it could be easily seen in her eyes. Even Daya and Tarika were shocked to hear that. Abhijeet then looked towards Shreya. She defined innocence. He then looked towards Daya and said, " Sirf ye bol rahi hai isiliye maaf kar raha hoon ! Warna teri maafi ka toh asar hi nahi hota Aajkal mujhpe !" Abhijeet said in a fatherly tone. " Aaj maafi mango ! Kal fir wohi galti !" Abhijeet said again. " Boss ! Lo kaan bhi pakad liye !" Daya said holding his hears and that made everyone laugh.
" Order de de ? Finally sab maafi mangna aur maaf karna ho gya honga toh ?" Tarika said finally and everybody placed their orders. They were having a good time chit chatting things about the bereau, things not about the bereau. Things about ACP sir. Little did Shreya knew that Abhijeet and Tarika were preparing Shreya a little bit for ACP sir.
( Flashback, Abhijeet's house )
" Abhijeet ! Dinner plan krle ?" Tarika asked Abhijeet. She was sitting in front of the mirror and doing some of her night care routine. Abhijeet was sitting at the small table and reading some files literally not paying any attention to Tarika. " Hmm !" Came Abhijeet's reply. Tarika then turned around and looked at him. She then got up and and went near the table and closed Abhijeet's file. " Abhi ? Kya tum bhi ? Kya roj roj bereau ka kaam ghar pe leke ate ho !" Tarika said and she pretended to be angry. " Tarika Ji... !" Abhijeet said trying to make her understand but one look at her and he understood that maybe today was not a work from home kinda day. " Achcha. Bataiye kya bol rahi thi aap ?" Abhijeet said as he closed his file, his laptop and his mobile. " Kya kaam hai mere liye !" Abhijeet said again getting up and drinking a small amount of water from the glass on his side table.
" Woh me bol rahi thi ki ek dinner rakh de ! ACP sir bhi Shreya se mil lenge !" Tarika said trying to open up the topic. Abhijeet then sat down on the bed and thought about it seriously. " Dono ekdum serious hai ?" He asked. " Haa !" Tarika said. " Aur waisebhi kitna der karenge na Abhijeet. Mana ki Shreya toh 25 ki hai. Par Daya toh 32 ka hai na !" Tarika said. " Aur kuch kuch mamle me toh mujhe Shreya Daya se jyada samajhdaar lagti hai !" Tarika said. " Haa baat toh sahi hai !" Abhijeet said as he recalled his all the meets with Shreya.
" Toh ye weekend Dinner pakka ?" Tarika asked. " Nahi. Abhi nahi !" Abhijeet replied in an instant showing his clear oppose. " Matlab ? Me samjhi nahi !" Tarika asked confused. " Aur kitna late Abhi ?" Tarika asked. Abhijeet then punched the bridge of his nose and said, " Late ki baat nahi hai Tarika Ji. Isme hum dono ki haisiyaat ki baat hai !" Abhijeet said trying to explain the things to her. " Me fir bhi nahi samjhi. Mujhe toh bas abhi itna samajh raha hai ki jyada der nahi karni chahiye!" Tarika said still explaining her side. " Tum samajh nahi rahi ho Tarika!" Abhijeet now said lovingly. " Mana ki Daya apna hai, Shreya bhi apni hai. Lekin apni hone ke pehle woh Kaka kaki ki bhi toh hai. Hai na ?" Abhijeet asked. And now Tarika started to understand the thing. " Kuch decisions unhe bhi lene dete hai. Haa... kaka se baat kar sakta hoon me !" Abhijeet said and then took a long pause. " Lekin Kaka ke samne mere se jyada ACP sir maayne rakhte hai. Aur mujhe puri garuntee hai ki ACP sir ne unse baat ki hi hogi !" Abhijeet said.
" Toh Abhi hum kuch kadam tab hi uthayenge jab bade log Hume kuch kahenge !" Abhijeet said as he straightened the blankets. Tarika smiled. " Tab tak aap Shreya se baat krte rahiye. Hitler ke barime anjaan mat rakhiye unhe ekdum. Kya pata pehli mulaqaat me hi muchhee dekh ke darr jaye !" Abhijhet said again making Tarika laugh a little. She got up from where she was sleeping and went near Abhijeet. " Tum bhi na abhi kabhi kabhi bohot samajhdaar bante ho !" Tarika said pulling his cheeks. " Kabhi kabhi ?" Abhijeet asked raising his eyebrows and holding Tarika from waist. That made Traika giggle...
Little did they know that what Abhijeet said was the truth. ACP sir had already talked to Kaka. And Kaka had answered him in the words that he will talk to Shreya and let him know.
( Present )
The boys were chatting into there own. Both of them then got up to settle the bills leaving behind the ladies at the table. " Waise aaj ye yellow kaise kya ekdum ?" Tarika asked Shreya looking at her kurti. That left Shreya a little puzzled. " Nahi nahi...dont get me wrong. Kurti Achchi hai ! Par tum kaise kya yellow pehen rahi ho !" Tarika asked Shreya. " You clearly told that Yellow is your most hated color !" Tarika said again. Little did they know that this conversation was clearly audible to Daya.
Ab kya bolu...agar ye bol dungi toh ki Daya ne laya hai toh Daya ko kisi bhi haal me pata chal hi jayga ki mujhe ye pasand nahi...Toh fir ab...
" Haa woh bas yuhi... !" Shreya was searching for some answers when she felt a gentle pat on her shoulders. " Chale !" She heard Daya's voice from behind. " Haa !" Shreya said trying to get out of conversation with Tarika.
And soon both of the couples were into their cars and on their way home.
" Kaki ko kya Saman chahiye ?" Daya asked with his eyes still on the road. Shreya searched her black leather purse and found the list that kaki had handed it to her. She read it in mind and said, " Gorcery store pe mil jayga Daya ye sab !" Shreya said and Daya turned his car towards one of the grocery store in between.
Both of them went towards the store and on reaching Shreya handed the list to the man sitting behind the counter. " Oye chotu ! Ye Saman de jaldi sir aur Madam ko !" The man shouted. Shreya eyes went near the dark chocolate that were stacked in a mini freezer. It was her habit of keeping some dark chocolate with her on late night shifts. It helped her to keep herself awake when she was in dire need of bed. But then again she was with Daya this time.
Dark chocolate lungi toh judge toh karenge jarur. Waise bhi kya hi farak girta hai. Black Coffee ho dark chocolate. Kaam hi toh chalana hai bas.
Shreya thought to herself. She had a night shift today and Daya was dropping her at the hospital directly. And after dropping Daya would proceed towards Kaka's house. Well at least that was the plan as of now. " Ye lijiye Saab !" The manager said as all the things that were kaki's requirement lay in front of them. " Woh ek dark chocolate dena !" Daya said out of nowhere pointing towards the freezer. Shock could be easily seen in Shreya's eyes. " Kiske liye ?" Shreya asked out of curiosity. " Mere liye. Kaki ke yaha Jake dark chocolate khaunga !" Daya said making shreya all the more curious. " Are pagli, Night Shift hai na tumhari ! Raat me lagti hai na Tumko ?" Daya said then literally simplifying everything so that Shreya could understand. " Haa woh toh hai..par mujhe nahi chahiye !" Shreya said in complete opposition. " Heh ?" Daya asked now he being curious. " Haa bas nahi chahiye ! Aap ye Saman lijiye aur chaliye bas !" Shreya said getting a little irritated.
This was a little shocking for Daya. Shreya never showed mood swings neither she had any foul or irritated moods. Even if she was dealing with a bad day, it never appeared on her face or mood. She used to keep very calm about it.
" Okay ! Okay ! Thik hai !" Daya said as he payed the bill and both of them returned back to the car. Within minutes Daya dropped Shreya to the hospital and went to Kaka, Kaki's house.
( Kaka-kaki's house )
" Baki sab kaisa chal raha hai !" Kaka asked as he took a tea sip. Daya was sitting in front of him drinking his coffee again. Maybe what Shreya had said was correct. He was a coffee addict afterall. " Haa baki sub thik !" Daya replied. He wanted to start a conversation here and it was an important one. But he wasn't able to open up about it freely. " Pradyuman ka phone aya tha kuch dino pehle !" Kaka asked. Finally Daya got a lead. " Kuch nahi ! Puch rahe the tumhare aur Shreya ke barime !" Kaka answered. " Kya kaha aapne ?" Daya asked now keeping his coffee away. " Isi barime baat krni hai. Uss din Shreya se bhi baat ki maine. Abhi tumse kar raha hoon !" Kaka said in a serious tone.
" Kaka.. Actually... !" Daya said taking a long pause. " Mujhe usi barime baat karni hai aapse !" Daya continued. Kaka was all ears ! " Dekhiye Shreya aur me ek dusre se pyar jarur karte hai lekin... !" Daya said and then again looked towards Kaka. Kaka's expression suddenly changed. " Nahi nahi Kaka.. Aap jo samajh rahe hai waisa nahi hai. Hum dono ke bich sab thik hi chal raha hai !" Daya said pacifying him. " Toh fir kya baat hai !" Now Kaka asked being curious. " Dekhiye thoda na hume Waqt dijiye. Aur to be very specific Shreya ko Waqt dijiye. Usse ekdum agey ki baat, Shaadi ki chize ye sab baato ka pressure na daale. Baukhla jati hai woh. Aur aapko se behtar use kaun janta hai !" Daya said in a very simple yet clear tone. Kaka was dumbfounded hearing this. He sure didn't put that kind of pressure on Shreya. In the meanwhile Kaki came from kitchen and put something like supper on the breakfast table. " Ye lo beta garma garam banaya hai abhi !" Kaki said as she took a seat.
" Tumhe koi galat fehmi hui hai Daya. Maine aisa kuch kaha hi nahi Shreya se !" Kaka said honestly. He then looked towards Kaki if Kaki had said anything to Shreya about those things. Then kaki put a finger on her lips and acted like she was zipping it. " Na baba na...meri zabaan inhone hi toh band karke rakhi hai. Me chahu bhi toh baat nahi kar sakti ye mamle me !" Kaki said taking a sip from her own cup. " Toh fir kya hi hua uss din ?" Now Daya asked himself. Something was sure not matching up !. Kis din ki baat kar rahe ho Daya ?" Kaka asked. Now he also wanted to know exactly what had happened. " Are ye 2 din pehle ki baat hai. Shreya milke gyi thi aapse. Tab kya baat hui thi ?" Now Daya asked demanding some answers. " Uss din normal hi baat hui thi meri aur Shreya ki. Fir Kishori ayi ..Uska mood kuch kharab tha.. .Kishori.. ?" Kaka then looked towards his wife.
Kaki then immediately got up from her place and went into the kitchen. And at that moment only the house bell rang. " Mera dost aya honga. Tum baat karlo Kishori se !" Kaka said giving Daya and Kaki the required amount of space and time. Daya kept his coffee cup back on the table and followed Kaki into the kitchen.
" Maine Kuch nahi kaha Shreya se. Tujhe toh pata hai na Shreya Kaisi hai. Uska mood kitna uchal kud krta rehta hai !" Kaki said defending her side. " Kaki maine ye toh kaha hi nahi na ki Shreya ka mood kharab tha krke !" Daya said now standing besides refrigerator taking a little support of it by leaning on it. He had his hands crossed as if he was interrogating someone. " Ye mere samne CID inspector na bano tum. Badi hu tumse. 2 bate samjhayi thi bas usko. Woh bhi Jake bata di hongi usne tujhe. Ab agya tu mujhse jhagadne. Hai na ?" Kaki asked angrily looking towards Daya. " Kaki..Kaki... !" Daya said marching towards his mother. " Ye tu bhi Achchi se janti aur me bhi. Shyd mere se jyada achchise tu janti hai ki Shreya kabhi aise nahi kregi. Woh Idhar ki baat udhar nahi krti. Usne mujhe ek shabd se nahi btaya ki tere aur uske bich me kya baatchit hui. Me bas ye janna chahta hoon ki tune use kis wajahse se data." Daya said very calmy holding kaki's both the shoulder.
" Kya hua Daya ? Kuch bohot serious ho gya kya ? Ekdum se ye sab chize kyu jannii hai ?" Kaki asked with a serious face now. " Kuch hua nahi hai Kaki. Bas kuch chize ... !" Daya said and then took a pause.
" Kuch chize samajh me ati hai mujhe uski ! Pyar karta hoon me usse ! Haq hai mera ye janne ke kya aisi kya baat hui tum dono ki bich ki woh ladki Jaise jee rahi thi usse ekdum ki alag ho gyi hai !" Daya asked finally clarifying and putting it into words. A guilty feeling was clearly visible in her eyes. She kept the sponge with which she was wiping the platform aside and sat on the chair. " Woh uss din ek dost se mili thi me ! Usne kaha tha... !" Kaki said. " Kya ?" Daya asked with an utmost emergency. " Uska bhi barabar hi tha. Shreya ko bachpana band karna chahiye na ab. Shadi ki umar ho gyi hai. Toh fir maine bas usse itna kaha ki Daya ke taur tarike apnau. Bachpana band karo. Har chiz Daya hi kyu samajhle. Har chiz tu hi kyu kare ? Usne bhi toh kuch karna chahiye. Hai na ?" Kaki said still defending her side.
Daya then squatted down in front of her and with a very sad face said, " Ye kya Keh diya Kaki tune ? Meri akho me dekh ke bata ki Shreya mere liye kuch nahi karti. Ki uska bachpana mujhe sehen nahi hota. Are mere aur Abhijeet ke jhagde suljhati hai woh. Matlab samajh rahi hai kitni samajhdaar hai teri beti !" Daya said trying to knock some sense into Kaki's brain.
Now suddenly everything started making sense. The vanilla over the Sundae, complete opposition to the dark chocolate.
Daya then got up and completely turned facing his back towards Kaki. " Woh jaisi hai waise hi pyari hai mujhe. Mujhe kuch badalna hai. Toh tu kyu jabardasti kar rahi hai. Jeene de na yaar use. Kitne mushkil se free huyi thi mere sath. Sab kaam bigad diya tune." Daya said a little bit angrily now. " Me darr gayi thi Daya. Woh Saheli kisi pati patni ke barime bata rahi thi...!" Kaki said explaining but then was cut off by Kaka. " Ye tumne thik nahi kiya Kishori !" Kaka said. " Tumne inn do choto ka Bachpan apni akho se dekha hai tumne. Uske bawajoot tumne ye sab Keh diya!" Kaka said. Now even he was angry.
" Mujhe uss din aur kuch soojha nahi ! Darr gyi thi me. In dono ko lekar. Kya karti." Kaki said guiltily. " Thik nahi kiya tune Kaki. Are nahi dekha hai hum dono ne Bachpan. Kabhi nahi. Mujhe toh baadme Abhijeet mila. Use nahi mila Kaki koi. Jo uske nakhre utha sake. Jisko woh choti choti baato ke liye pareshan kare. Tujhe pata hai woh pehle hi kitna sochti hai. Gunde piche lagte hai tabhi bhi sochti ki Daya ko batau ya nahi. Aur tu ye sab Keh gyi !" Daya said.
" Aur aisa nahi hai na Kishori ki woh samajhdaar nahi hai. Bachchi bohot samajhdaar hai lekin use bhi zindagi ji lene de ! Haa agar Daya use bol raha ho ga ki use khudko badalne ki jarurat hai. Ye rishta mujhe kabhi manjoor nahi. Meri beti ne aajtak Sirf dusro ki hisab se zindagi jee hai. Abhi woh khudke liye jiyegi bas !" Kaka said and left angrily. " Me baat krti hoon usse !" Kaki then said realizing her mistake. " Koi Matlab nahi. Woh abhi vishwas nahi karegi !" Daya said rubbing his hands over his face. " Toh fir ab !" Kaki said as she didn't know what to do now.
" Sab ispe Paani fir gaya !" Daya said as he left in utter disbelief.
( Next evening )
Shreya's 24 hour shift had ended and she had just gotten out of her building. It was around 7 in the evening as Shreya looked at the sky and then at the watch. A web of cloud surrounded the dark sky filling the atmosphere with blue light. Shreya tied her hair in a messy bun and kept her mobile phone back in the purse. She was about to go to catch some taxi when she saw Daya standing in front her leaning on his car. " Are Daya Aap ?" She asked surprise. Daya smiled at her. Though tired, though worn out she looked perfect. " Haa woh thodi help chahiye thi mujhe !" Daya asked. " Aapko koi case ki investigation nahi hai aaj ?" Shreya asked raising her eyebrows. " Kyu ? Mere yaha ane se problem hai tumhe ? Agar aisa hai toh thik hai. koi baat nahi !" Daya said as he angrily got inside the car. But Shreya caught his hand and stopped him doing so. Daya looked behind and a little sideways to see what was stopping him since his back was facing Shreya. This was the first time Shreya had stopped him or held his hand like this. " Daya.. bas aisehi pucha...Mujhe bhala kya hi problem hogi ?" Shreya now said calmly biting her lower lip.
" Hmm ! Chale fir !" Daya said and Shreya just nodded and within no time they were on the road. " Woh last week Aap busy the na. Bas isiliye pucha tha maine." Shreya said as she explained her behaviour. " Haa woh aaj hi case khatam hui !" Daya said looking straight towards the road. Shreya suddenly became silent. She didn't know what to say. Daya then looked sideways and admired her beauty. Her hair was tied in a messy bun. Some flicks of hair were seen on her cheeks that was she constantly putting back behind the ear. Shreya was looking outside. It was her usual practice whenever she was inside any car. She liked to stare out of the window.
" Waise kya help chahiye thi aapko ?" Shreya finally said breaking the silence. " Haa woh conference ke liye kuch naye kapde chahiye and main thing Matlab Abhijeet aur Tarika ki anniversary aa rahi hai toh unke liye gift kharidna hai." Daya said as he parked his car in the parking of the mall. " Oo nice !" Shreya said as both of them got out and proceeded towards the men's store.
Daya got inside and just randomly picked up 3 black formal shirts. Shreya looked at this dumbfounded.
Yeh banda pagal toh nahi ho gya na...
Shreya thought to herself as she called out to Daya. " Daya !" Shreya said that made Daya stop. " Kya hua ?" Daya asked. " Aise shopping nahi krte !" Shreya said. " Matlab ?" Daya asked. Shreya then went near him and pulled out the shirts that he had chosen. " This is black , This is also black..This is navy blue but dur se toh black hi dikhega ! 3 blacks !" Shreya said giving it a disgusting look. " Are yaar me toh aisehi kapde uthata hoon !" Daya said very casually. " Are thode colors lene me kya problem hai !" Shreya said and kept back all the three shirts and started looking at some other options. Daya sighed in frustation and said, " Joker lagunga yaar. Conference hai koi fancy dress thodi !" Daya said as he went behind Shreya. " Are Aap bhi color Matlab kya jhataaak color thodi lene bol rahi hoon. Grey hai, light blue hai, creme hai light yellow hai, masculine greens hai. Aap bhi na. Hadd krte hai !" Shreya said selecting some of the shirts from the choice available and handed them to Daya. " Ye try karke aaiye !" Shreya said. " Seriously ?" Daya said. But then Shreya literally pushed him towards the trial room.
" Pakkese joker lagunga !" Daya said as he tried the first one. It was light blue shirt. He closed the buttons and then had a look at the mirror. It actually looked on him. He then tried the second one. It was a bottle green in color. Well this one was perfect too. And the third, It was red color not bright red kinds but it had a little masculine touch. Something between red and maroon. It was quite different form the colors that he opted on regular basis. But then it was perfect too. " Daya Aap andar ho ?" Shreya asked knocking a little. " Haa ! Kya hua ?" Daya asked being a little curious. " Yeh black wala Achcha hai. Ye tray karo !" Shreya said handling him the shirt through the open space above the door. Daya took it in and tried it. Well it was black but it had class. There a small creme golden color logo of the brand as the front pocket. It increased its aesthetic value.
Daya smiled at the little changes that Shreya introduced into his life. These things he was sure that he wouldn't have done if he was alone. This mere thought bought a big smile on his face.
Daya then took all the shirts and came out of trial room. " Aur try krne hai ?" Shreya asked. Daya just nodded negatively. " Yeh sab thik hai !" Daya said. " Really Aap black chod ke ye sab kharidne ke liye tayar hai ?" Shreya asked raising her eyebrows. " I guess I love your choice a little too much ... !" Daya said playfully placing her large palm on Shreya's head and teasing her. " Tum yahi Ruko me bill bharke ata hoon !" Daya said and Shreya agreed. Shreya then proceeded towards the watch section. She was going over through the various models when she felt Daya's tap from behind. " Perfect me bhi yahi soch raha tha. Woh couple wali watches rehti hai na...Abhi aur Tarika ke liye !" Daya said. He then himself started looking at some of them.
" Daya woh actually !" Shreya said and took a long pause. " Watches toh unke pass hongi hi. Aur woh khud kabhi bhi le sakte hai !" Shreya said. " Toh fir ?" Daya asked. " Gifts toh aisi chize hoti hai jo samne wala insaan khudke liye kabhi na kharide !" Shreya said again. " Baat toh sahi hai. Lekin aisi koi chiz me nahi janta jo Abhi khud ke liye nahi karega !" Daya said shrugging his shoulders. " Weekend vacation de kisi resort me ?" Shreya asked very thoughtfully. Even Daya was surprised at her thoughtfulness. " Waise bhi aapki life kitni busy rehti hai. Abhijeet Sir toh aisehi chutti nahi lete honge kabhi !" Shreya said trying to explain her option. Daya liked the idea but then reality peeped in. " Impossible hai woh. Tarika ko ekbaar Dr. Salunkhe de denge chutti. Abhijeet ko toh milne se rahi !" Daya said again looking towards the designer watches. But then he felt Shreya's hand on his shoulder. " Daya ekbaar Aap baat kariye na. Matlab ACP sir. Abhijeet Sir bhi ACP sir ke samne aapko itna sambhalte hai. Unke liye bhi toh koi aisa kare ! Shyd Aap baat kare toh chutti de bhi de !" Shreya said calmly.
And then maybe Shreya was right too. Abhijeet deserved something in return. And a weekend getaway was a best thing that he could have as of now.
" Thik hai me baat karta hoon !" Daya said still not promising anything. " Chale fir !" Shreya asked. " Haa Chalo tum bhi Thak gyi hongi !" Daya said as they proceeded towards parking. They reached the car and Daya opened the door for her. Daya was a gentleman afterall. Always opened the doors, Always walked behind the girls, Always kept Shreya on the less dangerous side of road. And Shreya loved that quantity in men. She loved when they split bills but she also loved when sometimes in the middle of very hectic day, Daya used to send her favorite flowers. Inside this fully independent girl, hid some of very archaic desires.
Daya was driving when suddenly he looked at Shreya. She was again looking out window where the world passed in a blur. Perhaps she liked to get lost. Daya gave it thought ki Abhi baat karna thik rahega ya nahi...but then jab tak karunga nahi tab tak sab clear kaise hoga. So now he was thinking how to start the difficult conversation.
"Shreya !" Daya said that made Shreya look towards him attentively. " Haan ?" She asked. " Waise tumhari choice bohot Achchi hai !" Daya said referring to the shirts she had selected for him. " Woh toh bas yuhi...!" Shreya said. " Ladke na inn sab mamlo me bohot kam sochte hai. Aur unko ek hi color dikhta hai. Black !" Shreya said laughing as she remembered Daya shopping. " Baat toh sahi hai !" Daya said. " Aur tumhe black se nafrat hogi !" Daya said and acted as if he was guessing. " Nahi. Nafrat to... !" Shreya said and stopped suddenly. " Ye sab chodiye. Black color bura nahi hai. Lekin Aap Har ek chiz black utha rahe the toh kya hi Matlab tha sab ka !" Shreya said trying to cover what she had missed in the previous statement. Daya just laughed drinking some water from the bottle with one hand while other hand on the steering wheel.
There was this long pause, a sort of moment in between. " Shreya !" Daya said breaking it. " Waise mujhe pata hai tum kya kehne wali thi !" Daya said again making Shreya confused. " Kya ?" She asked. " Yahi na ki tumhe yellow color se nafrat hai !" Daya said making Shreya look a little away from him. There was this long pause again where Shreya was trying to hid her face and Daya was continiously observing her. " Nahi Daya. Aisa toh nahi kaha maine !" Shreya said. " Par sach hai na ?" Daya asked again. This statement made Shreya blush to the roots.
The car suddenly stopped in the middle of a secluded highway. There was dense forest on both the sides. " Yaha kaha ruk gye ?" Shreya asked as she looked outside the window. " Chalo aao bahar !" Daya said after parking the car a little sideways so that it didn't block the road. " Are kidhar ?" Shreya asked again. " Yaha me bohot kaam karta hoon !" Daya said opening the door for Shreya. " Kaam Matlab?" Shreya asked curiously. " Are ye spot pe maine sabse jyada crime dekhe hai." Daya said dramatically. " Khoon, chori, accidents, loot maar... ! Sab ho chuka hai yahape !" Daya said. That made Shreya shit scared. On hearing the words, she literally held Daya's hand tightly and never left his side. " Sunn ke hi darr gyi ?" Daya asked laughing. But that didn't relax Shreya. She held even them tighter. " Are Chalo ! Hoon na me ! Kuch nahi hoga !" Daya said as he dragged her somewhere.
Daya then literally walked through the forest with Shreya in her hand. The terrain was a little difficult but that didn't make Daya stop or slow down. Through the big rocks, and broken branches they finally made it to some cliff area. Then without any warning Daya cane from behind Shreya and covered her eyes with his hands. " DAYA !" Shreya literally shouted. " Aise jagah pe majak mat kariye !" Shreya said now in a calmer voice. " Shh ! Bs Chalo!" Daya said he helped her a few steps to climb.
The cold breeze instantly blew through Shreya's hair and now she could easily make it out they were outside the forest a little bit. " Meri favorite jagah hai !" Daya said opening her eyes. It was dark and the first thing that Shreya saw was little yellow and red city lights. The whole city was visible from this place. Everything appeared so tiny and so faaarrr away. " Yaha se toh Pura sheher dikhta hai !" Shreya said smiling at the view. " Its so captivating!" Shreya exclaimed again. " Hai na khoobsurat ?" Daya asked as he sat down on the slightly wet ground that was covered with mud, small stones and delicate twigs. " Bohot !" Shreya said as she followed Daya sitting besides him.
" Jab college me tha tab sabse pehle ye jagah Dekhi thi !" Daya said. " Bohot chid Mach rahi thi. Dimag ekdum unstable ho chuka tha. Toh yaha ake baith gaya !" Daya said. He then pointed towards the city and said, " Sab takleef waha chod di !" Daya said. " Bohot Achcha laga !" He said again and then looked towards Shreya. A feeling of content washed over his face. It always did when he used to sit here. " Daya ! Sab thik hai na ?" Shreya asked. " Aaj conference ka kuch form bhar raha tha. Toh Date of birth bharte samay yaad aya. Mera to na koi samay hai na koi wajoot !" Daya said in a little depressing tone. Shreya felt sad for the reality. She then slided a little closer to him and kept her face on his knees. Daya engulfed Shreya with his hands. He knew that action meant he was not alone anymore.
" Raghavendra naam tha !" Daya said. " Kiska ?" Shreya asked. " Mere pita ka !" Daya said that shocked Shreya a little bit. " Aapko kaise pata ?" She asked looking at his face. " Jab CID join kiya tha tab bohot contacts lagakar pata kiya tha maine !" Daya said. " Toh aap mile ho unse ?" Shreya. " Milne hi wala tha. Kuch jawab chahiye the. Par Abhi ne rok liya !" Daya said. " Fir uske baadse aaj ke pehle kabhi socha bhi nahi !" Daya said playing with Shreya's locks of hair. " Toh fir aaj kya hua Daya ekdum se ?" Shreya asked now looking at the view. " Tab Abhi ne kaha ki purani chizo me mat baho. Toh uspe Pura vishwas rakh ke sab kuch chod ke agey badh gaya. Ye mamle me na kabhi kaka-kaki se baat ki, na kabhi Tarika se, na kabhi ACP sir se. Sirf Abhijeet aur Abhi tum." Daya said. That made Shreya get up and completely turned towards him. " Aaj tumhe puch raha hoon Shreya ? Kya maine thik kiya ?" Daya asked with a very serious face. Shreya took a deep breathe and said, " Mera toh yahi sochna hai ki jo darwaze bhagwan ne khud band kiye hai unhe dobara khola nahi karte !" Shreya passed on the mature statement very calmly as if saying things like that was no big thing for her. Daya beamed with Pride at the maturity of his girl.
Just then there was a small thunder. It was very small but even that made Shreya shudder in her place. " Bohot darti ho Shreya tum !" Daya said just observing her physique. " Aur pata hai ! Mera Yeh manna hai ki insaan Tabhi darta hai jab use uss chiz ke barime kuch bhi nahi pata yaa fir sab kuch pata hai !" Daya said and that made Shreya a little bit uncomfortable. " Toh aisa kya dekha hai Shreya tumne ? Aur kya pata hai tumhe ?" Daya now asked a straight forward question.
" Daya, In sabke barime me baat nahi krti !" Shreya said very calmly trying to change the topic. " Hmm !" Daya said. " Conversations can be a lot sometimes. They heal though !" Daya said again looking towards Shreya. Finally Shreya took a deep breathe and started.
" School me thi. Achanak se phone aya ki koi lene aya hai ghar se !" Shreya started looking straight towards the city and Daya continiously looking at her. " Mujhe pakka pata tha driver uncle honge. Aur wohi the." Shreya said and then took a long pause. " Papa business me Iss kadar busy the ki jyada Waqt nahi nikal pate the. Lekin jabhi bhi Waqt milta tha Aise hi school se chutti Kara kar late the !" Shreya said. " Bohot khush thi me. Driver uncle thode udaas lage par shyd papa ne daat diya honga isiliye udaas the. Me toh nachte nachte ghar gyi thi !" Shreya said as she remembered the moments. " Ghar me gyi toh pata chala kisi car accident ke barime !" Now the pain was clearly visible in her eyes.
Shreya changed her position to Indian style and suddenly started laughing hysterically. " Phusssshhhh !" She said clapping once with her both hands. And then suddenly her laughter was converted into a very small controlled cry. " Ek hi din me meri duniya khatam ho gyi !" Shreya said. Daya placed his hand at Shreya's back and started patting it in order to help her relax. " Mama papa ke business partner the. Aur mama Mami mujhe pyar bhi bohot krte the. Unhone jimmedari li meri !" Shreya said. " Of course unhone toh jimmedari lene hi thi. Bohot achche log the !" Shreya said. She then looked towards her hands and stared at the brown mark. Now Daya took her hand in his and pressed the scar a little. It was nothing but a dark roughed area of the skin.
" Jitne achche log lagte the, shyd Utne achche nahi thi ! Jitna socha tha ki mujhse pyar krte hai, utna pyar bhi nahi krte the !" Shreya said telling her side of story. " Isiliye toh jab kaka kaki ke yaha chod ke diya Mami ne tab kisika dil bhi nahi tuta !" Shreya said. " Jab thodi badi hui tab pata chala ki accident toh accident tha hi nahi. Sab business or property ka khel tha !" Shreya said.
" Jab pehli baar dekha tha tab Kaisi thi tum !" Daya said as he remembered the initial days. " Pura din kisi kitaab me sir gadaye rakhti thi !" He continued. Shreya laughed at the memory. " Kya hi karti. Duniya se bharosa uth chuka tha mera !" Shreya said while playing with some sticks and stones on the ground. She then looked towards Daya and said, " So Daya aap thik keh rahe the, Maine ye sab chize Dekhi hai. Murder, chori, Mara piti..Aur bohot kuch. Raat ke andhere me kya kya ho sakta hai iska merese jyada andaja nahi hoga kisiko. And yes thats why I get scared. Perhaps a little too much. But at this stage that is the only thing I can do !" Shreya said in a very serious voice.
" I'm sorry. Me toh bas majak krta rehta tha !" Daya said as he realized his mistake. " Its okay ! You know a person's behaviour has a lot to do with his own internal struggle." Shreya said smiling. " Sach kaha !" Daya said. " Aap pure time Mumbai me hi the ?" Shreya asked Daya about his life. " Haa...bas training ke liye kahi jana padta tha tab jata tha. Otherwise to mera sab yahi hai. CID ki jab job mili thi tab ek saal kahi aur posting hui thi. Par fir unhe performance Achcha laga toh direct Mumbai me transfer kar diya." Daya said. " That's great !' Shreya said appreciating his hard work. " Me toh pure time yahi tha. Tumhari tarah Mumbai chod ke Bhag nahi gaya !" Daya asked Shreya. " Haa mera Pura college life kahi bahar hi gaya hai !" Shreya said. " Par kyu ? Mumbai me bhi toh bohot behtareen medical colleges hai !" Daya asked being curious. Shreya laughed a little. " Daya ! Jiska koi nahi hota na..usko Har kisi ke mutabik chalna padta hai ! Jaha jaha Jaise Jaise scholarship mili waha waha padhte gyi !" Shreya said remembering her college days.
Daya then looked at her sideways and admired her beauty. She looked beautiful in moonlight. Her skin flawless. Smooth as a silk on the glass. " Toh ab jab sab apne mann ka kar sakti ho ! Toh kyu mere mutabik jee rahi ho ?" Daya asked. Shreya bit her lower lip on hearing that question. She decided to pretend as if she didn't knew anything. " Matlab me nahi samjhi !" Shreya said. " Jhooth !" Daya said. He then held her face tightly his both hands resting on her temple area.
Daya then directly looked into his eyes and said, " I am sorry you had to grow up so soon. While the whole world was busy praising your maturity, I know that you had no choice. But ab me hoon yaha tumhara sunne ke liye !" Daya said. " Talk to Me!" Daya said again holding her tighter with every word. " Kya ?" Shreya said as she didn't know what to speak. " Sshh ! I'm not talking to you !" Daya said that confused Shreya all the more. " I'm talking to your inner child. If she wants to talk. I'm here to listen." Daya said.
Shreya's lips quivered a bit. But then the floodgates opened. " Mujhe yellow color bilkul nahi pasand. Mujhe Sirf pastel shades pasand hai." Shreya said. " Okay !" Daya said acknowledging what Shreya said. " Mujhe ye diet, healthy foods in sabki adat nahi. Mujhe streetfoods bohot pasand hai !" Shreya said again. " Aur ?" Daya asked. " Mujhe deserts me creamy, buttery chize pasand. Icecreams me bhi Sundaes pasand hai. Cup aur cone me chize boring lagti hai mujhe !" Shreya said. That cause Daya to laugh a little. " Mujhe comedy movies bohot pasand hai. Romantic cliches wagre nahi. Aur... !" Shreya said. " Aur ?" Daya asked. " Aur mujhe Aap bhi bohot pasand hai. Thode strict aur khadoos ho...par I like you!" Shreya said.
Daya laughed on hearing that. " I need a hug !" Shreya said looking down at the mud below. Blushing slightly biting her lower lip. And the next moment she knew she hit Daya's body hard. And in no time she was within his strong arms. They defined strength and protection. And at the same time it felt like the softest duvet in the world. Daya's one hand engulfed her upper arms and the other gently stroked her head. " I love you Daya ! And I mean it. I'm never going to leave you alone !" Shreya said. This was a surprise for Daya. Yes Shreya had confessed that she had started falling in love with him but this was the first time she had said it so confidently and so meaningfully.
" I love you too !" Daya said kissing Shreya's forehead.
Sometimes the fairytale is slightly different from the dream. The castle well ..may be not the castle. Stop searching for some fairytale, stop searching for the Cinderella shoes, stop searching for the prince charming. He's going to arrive anyways. Now or later. Search Yourself. Choose yourself.
Because something beautiful happens when you stop waiting to be chosen and choose yourself. When you love yourself first. When you can be alone with the shape of yourself. And suddenly the right people will show up. The right opportunity aligns. All the hustling you were doing, trying to prove yourself worthy, stops feeling right. And instead you get into the flow of life. And everything you thought you had to earn for or strive for starts coming a lot easy. When you chose you , everything and everyone has to rise to that level. And all the good things that you thought you'd have to force, arrive in the perfect timing. Yes, you need to show up. Yes, you need to work. But it will be with the right people and for the right opportunities. And that kind of life lit you up from inside....Because you are lit up from inside.