"Kya kar rahe ho, Daya?"

Rahul's voice startled Daya who immediately closed the notebook in his hands and tried to smile.

"Bhaiya, aap? Aaiye na."

Rahul came inside and sat beside him. "Tumne mere sawal ka jawab nahi diya."

Daya knowingly put his hand over the notebook and slid it behind. "Kuch nahi bhai, voh bas agle hafte se college jaane wala hun na, toh usi ki taiyari kar raha tha."

A wide smile took over Rahul's features. "Kya? Sachmein? Yeh toh bahot achi baat hai!"

Daya's heart wrenched seeing the happiness on his brother's face.

"Acha tu-"

"Rahul!" Both turned their attention towards the person standing at the door.
"Kya hua Jeet?" Rahul inquired.

Abhijeet gestured him to come outside. "Bahar aao, zara kaam hai tumse."
Rahul's eyes held confusion but he believing that something indeed might be wrong, he gave a final look to Daya and went towards his mate.

"Kya hua?"

"Tu chal, mai bata raha hun." Abhijeet pulled him outside, gave a silent nod to Daya and closed the door. Daya sighed in relief once his brother was out of his room but his hand didn't dare touch that notebook again. He just kept staring at it waiting for Abhijeet to come back.

On the otherhand, Rahul stood outside his brother's room with his hands on his waist, wearing irritated expressions. Abhijeet turned back after closing the door and finding Rahul's firm gaze upon him, huffed. "Dekh voh zaruri tha."

"Kya zaruri tha?" Rahul asked, looking straight at him.

"Tera vahan se bahar nikalna." Abhijeet answered reluctantly. "Aur ek baat."
"Kya?"

Abhijeet pointed his finger at him. "Aage se bina uski ijazat liye uske room mein pair tak mat rakhna."

Rahul gave him a stern look. "Haan, yeh sahi hai. Tum jao, toh theek, mai jau, toh nahi. Aisa kyun?"

Abhijeet frowned, "Rahul baat ko samjho yaar. Vo nahi chahta ke uska secret kisiko bhi pata chale."

"Mu..mujhe bhi nahi?" Rahul asked in hurt. Abhijeet bit his lip.

"Rahul..yaar mai wada karta hun, Daya khud tujhe aakar sab bata dega par filhal use thoda waqt de?" Abhijeet pat his back.

But Rahul backed away. "Usne tujhe bataya hai na Jeet?" Abhijeet looked at him in surprise, "Haan? Toh tu mujhe-"

"Rahul please!" Abhijeet interrupted, "mai tujhe isswaqt kuch nahi bata sakta. Yeh kaam Daya ko khud karna padega. I am-" Guilt pondered over Abhijeet's heart seeing the hope in Rahul's eyes vanishing, "I am sorry yaar."

Rahul nodded, pressing his lips against eachother. Abhijeet tried to say something more but Rahul walked away from there uttering, "I understand."

Abhijeet shook his head in disappointment. "Bas gussa karlo aur baat khatam.." he kept staring for some moments in the direction Rahul went, then jerked his head knocking on Daya's door. "Khudhi sab samaj jaega."

He opened the door to a disturbed Daya who immediately stood up from his place.

"Abhijeet, bhaiya ko-"

"Kuch nahi pata chala, relax." He interrupted Daya calmly. Daya took a sigh of relief and sat back, placing his hand on the notebook. Abhijeet narrowed his eyes at it. "Vaise, likh kya rahe the tum?"

Daya followed his gaze. "Yeh?" He opened the book and presented it infront of Abhijeet who took it in his hands and started reading it. But understanding nothing he glanced at Daya in utter confusion.

"Aap itna zor mat daliye apne dimag pe, yeh language aapke samajh mein nahi aaegi."

"Kya matlab?" Abhijeet asked, sitting down beside him, "Koi secret language hai kya?"

Daya shook his head, "Nahi. Voh..yaad hai maine aapse kaha tha ki do aise bhi hai jinki bhasha mujhe samajh nahi aati?" Abhijeet nodded, "Toh bas mai vahi likh raha tha joh voh keh rahe hai take badmein translate kar saku."

Abhijeet nodded grimly. "Agar aisa hai toh.." He took out his phone and opened translator, "Isimein daalke dekhlo."

Daya took his phone and smiled. He started translating everything very carefully. Abhijeet patiently waited for him. After some mere minutes he saw that Daya was no more writing anything but just staring at the page, so he shook him gently but that gentle touch too caused Daya's body to jerk loudly.
"Daya?" Abhijeet uttered in surprise, "kya hua?"

Daya's hands shivered as he handed down the page to Abhijeet, whispering, "Yeh ek cancer patient the. Inhone mujhe uss hospital ka address diya hai jahan inki maut hui. Wahan unki wife bhi admit hai. Yeh chahta hai ke mai uske bete ke liye ek family dhundu."

Abhijeet gave him a slow nod, carefully observing his actions. "Aur kuch?"

Daya looked away. "Inki wife..uss bache ki maa..un..unke paas zyada din nahi.." he stopped feeling a lump in his throat.

Abhijeet sighed feeling his concern for the child. He patted his back, "Yeh unusual toh nahi haina, Daya? It's fine."

Daya kept a firm gaze over him, then broke out in a dry grin, "Kaash aap meri tarah inn logonko dekh paate, Abhijeet. Fir aap aisa kabhi nahi kehte." Abhijeet's mouth parted but Daya shook his head, "Kher, chhodiye." Pointing at something in the air, but not looking at it. "Abhi yeh bhi baaki hai. Ek baar iska bayan leliya, fir hum sochenge ki aage kya karna hai. Theek hai na?"

Abhijeet gave him a silent smile with a positive nod. Daya didn't return it but got back to his work while Abhijeet kept watching him ask questions, write down answers and recheck if he'd done it correct. It was a little awkward for Abhijeet. His eyes wandered around the whole room, wondering how many souls would actually be cutting through him right now but he was at ease, because Daya had indeed told him that they see only what they want to see. He knew he wouldn't be on that list or he hoped so. But then too it was scary. Just the mere thought of something trapped in afterlife being in the same room as you was scary.

And Daya too was shivering as he talked to those spirits. Abhijeet knew he was terrified but didn't let it show. He wondered how Daya controlled himself infront of other people. Abhijeet had his own experience so trusting Daya wasn't too difficult for him, but others?.. Knowing Daya's family, even Rahul won't trust him, let alone his parents.

"Abhijeet?" Daya's sudden voice startled him.
"Hmm?"

"Yeh dekhiye." He gave him the notebook. "Yeh inke ghar ka address hai. Yeh bas itna chahte hai ki mai agle Sunday ko inke ghar jau. Aage ka sab yeh mujhe ussi waqt bata denge."

Abhijeet nodded, reading the address. "Dono pasmein hi hai."

"Haan magar", Daya looked at the chair near the window and gulped, "voh ladki..uska ghar thoda dur hai. Tumkur mein."

"Usne kya kahan?"

"She was poisoned by her stepmother." Daya said. "Usne kaha ki aage ka voh ghar chalkar hi bataegi."

"Mere khayal se ek aur bhi tha na Daya?"

Daya nodded. "Haan lekin uska kaam hogaya."

"Acha?" Abhijeet exclaimed in surprise. "Kya kaam tha uska?"

Daya bit his lip. "Uska adha sar kuchal gaya hai..pata nahi kya hua uske saath. Use bas apni bachchi keliye ek letter likhna tha aur date apne marne ke pehle ki daali hai. Maine likh diya." He opened his drawer and removed an envelope. "Lekin pata nahi post kahan karu."

Abhijeet suspired. "Ek kaam karo, mujhe dedo."

Daya, in confusion, "Aap kya karoge."

Abhijeet shrugged. "Mai ise post kar dunga."

"Kaise?"

"Aapke bhaiya se kehkar." Daya's face fell so, Abhijeet added in a soft tone. "Don't worry. Mai keh dunga ke mera koi letter hai. Fir voh sawal nahi puchega."

"Hmm." Daya sat down tiredly. Abhijeet frowned. "Tumse ek baat puch sakta hun?"

"Puchiye." He whispered.

"Tum Rahul ko kuch batana kyun nahi chahte?"

That question silenced Daya and Abhijeet waited for him patiently. He knew Rahul was much of a sceptical person but he would definitely understand Daya.
"Mai nahi chahte ke," in an extremely low tone, "voh bhi mujhe pagal samjhe."
Abhijeet's eyes widened. "Daya, please..tum pagal nahi ho aur Rahul yeh baat achese jaanta hai."

Daya shook his head negatively, running a hand through his hair. "Jab hum chote the na Abhijeet, tab dad hume magics dikhate the. Mujhe voh sab bahot pasand the, sabse favourite toh voh coin vali thi lekin.." Downing his head, "Bhaiya ko bachpan se hi yeh sab chize achi nahi lagti. Jabbhi mai unhe koi jaadu dikhane ko kehta, he used to get so mad! Voh zarurat se zyada rational hai. Voh nahi samjhenge Abhijeet." A tear crawled down his cheeks. "Meri family kabhi nahi samjhegi."

Abhijeet knew there was something more to it because of the previous term tear 'bhi'.Also, that tear wasn't for what Daya spoke out loud. But he let it slip sensing Daya's discomfort.

"Tum koshish toh karo." Abhijeet mumbled.
Daya, looking away momentarily, "Nahi Abhijeet, please..yeh topic nahi."

Abhijeet sighed. "Koi baat nahi. Tum tayar ho jao. Aaj hospital chalna haina?"
Daya gave him a slight nod, so Abhijeet smiled at him and opened the door when heard.

"Abhijeet?"

He turned around.

"Aapko toh.." Daya gulped, "Aapko toh mujhpar bharosa hai na?"

Abhijeet furrowed his eyebrows, nodding. "Haan Daya, of course. Agar nahi hota toh mai tumhari madat hi nahi karta."

Daya pressed his lips against each other and downed his head. Abhijeet took it as his cue to leave. He headed towards Rahul's rooming closing the door behind.

He had noticed it many times. It's not about someone else trusting him, it's that Daya himself didn't trust his intuitions. There were so many instances where he'd noticed that Daya had self-esteem issues. It's normal for a sixteen year old teen and it's even normal for a person like Daya. He's been suffering since childhood. Maybe that's why Daya is not that afraid of staying alone. He's gotten used to it. But just imagining a child staying amongst dead..Wow! Now that's what you actually call scary!

...

"Maine voh letter Rahul ko dediya. Maine usse kaha ke kuch personal hai issliye usne zyada sawal bhi nahi puche."

Pradyuman sir nodded, asking in a soft tone. "Hospital mein kya hua."

Abhijeet, in a doleful tone. "Bade sahi waqt par pohoche hum wahan, sir."

...

A/N Sorry. I know yeh thoda boring tha but it was the need of the story. Next chap will be good, I promise.

Will update soon but at the same time if I disappear, please understand. I've got boards to give. :/

'WAN' is on its last chapter. I am working on it and it'll need more time.

Thank you.

Love you all.

Take care,

Janhvi.