!-!-!-! NOTE!-!-!-!
"" Please jump to Chapter 25,"
with an important note-""
===chapter 23===
Abhijeet slowly turned around and looked at Daya who was sleeping peacefully beside him. He stared at his peaceful face for few seconds and gave a soft smile. Moving his hand beside him for several times he finally got the touch of his mobile. He presses the lock button but the phone's light didn't turn on. He knitted his eyebrows and he pressed the lock button again but the result was the same. An irritating sound escaped his mouth and he slowly got up. Connecting his phone to the charger bank he tried to switch it on but the percentage was at 0. He sighed and laid down. As expected, even after trying to sleep for a long time all he did was turning left and right. After a while he saw a shadow on their tent which was created because of the moonlight outside. The shadow figure seemed to be sitting with knees bent near chest and on the shadow's head was a bunch of curly hairs. He looked at Daya once again and slowly got up. Opening the zipper of the tent his eyes immediately met hers and both shared a small but heartfelt smile. He slowly came out of the tent and closed the tent zipper back as much soundlessly as possible.
"Nind nahi arahi?" He asked sitting beside her leaning against the tree.
" uhu" she uttered under her breath looking at him loud enough for him to hear and looked back at the moon.
" Purey din kafi thaki hui thi, tab toh ped ke niche baithte hee soo geyi. Aur aab jagi ho?! Kamal hai!" Abhijeet said in a surprised voice.
" Bas, aise hee. Kuch dino se sabkuch itni jaldi badal geyi bas raat hotey hee wo sab sar mai ghumte hain. Kuch din toh lagega shayed, dimag thand honeke liye." She said looking at him in a low voice and freeing her bended knees from near her chest, spreading them in the front.
Abhijeet raised both his eyebrows giving a soft smile .
" Kuch der ke liye ye udhar leta hun."Saying this, Abhijeet suddenly laid on her lap crossing his arms near his chest with a soft smile making her look at him with a jeark and closed his eyes. He had a soft smile playing on his lips and she kept looking at him trying to gaps the situation with both her hands resting on the ground on her both sides.
Since childhood, not once has Abhijeet ever slept without listening to his mother's lullaby. Abhijeet and Daya's parents died in a car accident and though young, but as the older son he had to go to the hospital during their parent's surgery keeping Daya at home.
"Daya chal ye doodh pee le jaldi. Nakhre nahi karte aah..
5 years old Abhijeet was trying to make 1 year old Daya drink milk from a feeder.
Suddenly the doorbell rang and Abhijeet put aside the feeder and ran towards the door. As his parents taught him, he didn' open the door right away but took the stool that was meant for him and stood near the door to see the person on the other side through the peep hole. He saw the familiar face of their parents' friend Mrs Soubhangi and her daughter. He opened the door for them.
"Aunty aap? Ma baba toh…
"Han beta ghar nahi hai. Tumhe z..zara mere..mere sath ana hoga." The lady said to him trying to smile.
"Likin aunty, keya baat hai? Aur Daya ko akele..
"Beta Priyanka di rahegi na Daya ke sath. Tumhe mere sath ana padega beta. Tumhare ma baba ke paas hee jayenge hum. Chalo ab." The lady told him.
"Accha aunt thik hai. Chaliye." Abhijeet said and went with Mrs Soubhangi.
Upon reaching the hospital, seeing sick people all around he started feeling nervous and stayed closed to the woman. He asked her,
"Aunty, hum yaha keun aye hai? Yaha toh jab main bukhar se biamr padha tha tab mujhe le aya tha ma baba ne. Aur..aur jab Daya aya tha humare paas, tab yaha aye thaey. Aur yaha jo bhi dikh raha hai sab biimar hai. Hum yaha keya karrahe hai? Aur mere ma baba kidhar hai."
The lady finally stopped walking and got on her knees to reach his eye level. She removed the hairs from his forehead and she couldn't fake smile anymore. Looking at him with pity, she said,
"Beta hum yaha isiliye aye hai keunki tumahre ma baba achanak se bohot zyada bimar padh geye. Hum unhe dekhne aye hai. Aur Daya chota hai na, isliye usey ghar chod aye. Chalo beta ma baba ke paas chalet hai. Hmm?"
"Likin aunty..
" Mr and Mrs Srivastava's guardian?"
His words were interrupted by the doctor's words.
"J..jee. The lady replied.
"Likin aap ye baccha ko aab keun le ayi? Patients ke beta hai? The doctor asked.
"Han." She replied in short.
"Dekhiye patients ke halat bohot hee kharab hai. Inmai bacche ko..The doctor stopped in the middle of his sentence as he didn't find him standing there anymore following the doctor's gaze the lady looked beside her only to find her friends' son missing. Both of them started looking around and their gaze stopped at the glass door of the OT room.
Abhijeet was looking at his mother who was lying on the OT bed and was covered in her own blood. Several cords and piped were attached to her body and the doctors were in a rush in the room. The 5 years old boy's eye remained open. As he took a step ahead the automatic door of the operation theater opened and he took a step forward like he was bewitched. Before he took one more step the doctor blocked his vision coming forward and coming to his level hold him by his shoulders.
"Beta aapke mumma aab bimar hai, likin jaldi hee thik hojayenge han? Main hun na aapke ma ke paas. Hum aapke mumma ko thik karrahe hai. Aap aab aapke aunty ke sathe jao. Hum aapko bula laenge, thik hai? jao"
Saying this, the doctor pulled him from there and asked him to wait somewhere far from this room. Mrs Soubhangi regretted for bringing this child to such a place as he became a statue after seeing his mother in that that state. She was trying to divert his gaze but he kept his eye fixed on his mother. As it was hard to make him move, she took him in her arms and walked out of that place as quickly as possible but until his mother completely went out of his sight he silently kept his eyes fixed on her.
After witnessing his mother in that state, since that day, nightmares have always been his companion while sleeping. As a cure he has the recording of his mother which helps him go to sleep and to have at least a little sound sleep. His mom recorded the lullaby for him on a voice recorder since she had to go on business trips often. Since then, whenever Abhijeet bought a new phone, he transferred the voice file to his phone to help himself to sleep at night. Without the record, he is not able to fall asleep now.
While his mind was wandering around his past days, he felt some fingers running through his hairs slowly. He smiled. Without him realizing, with her fingers running in his hairs, slowly he drifted into sleep.
…
…
The morning sun fall on Daya's eyes and woke him from sleep. Wondering if he is the only late one, he opened the zipper of the tent and came out rubbing his eyes. He was stretching his body and when he lifted both his arms up he opened his eyes and say Abhijeet sleeping peacefully on Tarika's lap and Tarika's hands were resting in Abhijeet's hair and shoulder. As soon as Daya saw them with his hands still in the air he raised his eyebrows pressing his lips together went back in the tent. Abhijeet's phone on the charger caught hi s eyes and he smiled after thinking something for a second.
Tarika found herself waking up in a sitting position against the tree. When she was about to move something on her lap stopped her from doing so and she remembered last night. She smiled looking at him. As her fingers were still in his hairs she too them out slowly. His sleeping face forced her to smile.
" Aotey huye sab aise cute lagte hai keya?" She thought in her mind still wearing the smile.
Suddenly she saw a small curve on his forehead and slowly that started to increase and spread to the whole forehead. She took her hand near his to wake him up slowly and he grabbed her hand with a sudden jerk as soon and her hand touched his. She flinched at his sudden move and sat straight.
"Abhijeet! Abhijeet! utho."
She called out to him as he was becoming restless now and several drops of sweats were seen on his forehead now. His grip on her hand was becoming tighter only and his body was moving too much.
"Abhijeet utho tum bas bura sapne dekh rahe ho aur kuch nahi. Main hun yehi."
The grip on her hand seemed to have started to have loosen a bit but he was still moving his head a lot and now he started moaning.
" It's okay, it's just a nightmare. I'm here. Wake up now." She said again caressing his forehead and hair making him open his eyes with a jerk.
"Oh..umm sorry Tarika, main yaha aise so geya. Tumhe yaha rehena padha mere waja se. Darasal..
"Koi baat nahi Ahijeet, it's okay. Likin aap aise aksar bure sapne dekhte ho keya?" She asked him as he sat straight and started talking as soon as he woke up.
Abhijeet gave a smile and looked down. He remained silent for a few moments and Tarika kept looking at him silently.
"Bachpan se." Abhijeet said after he looked up at her. Seeing her curious and sad eyes he gave a soft smile and continued what was left unsaid.
…
"Arey bhai subha subha bahar kaha se arahe ho? Tarika bhabi ko jagana geya they ya chupke se dekhne geya tha?" Daya teased as soon as Abhijeet came inside the tent.
"Tu kab utha?" He asked her as Daya was still sitting on his sleeping mat.
"Bas abhi." Daya replied wearing a teasing smile which made Abhijeet frown. He was going to say something to him but he stopped with the ringing tone of his phone. The caller id was displaying College Principle.
Arey aab shanti se chuti bhi nahi mana sakta keya? summer vacation pe principle ka phone keun?" Abhiujeet said in a disturbed tone which made Daya look at him.
" Good morning sir." Abhijeet picked up the phone even if he didn't want to.
" Good morning Dr Abhijeet. I'm sorry to call you on this vacation but this is something urgent." a tensed voice came from the other side which made Abhijeet tense.
" What type of emergency sir?" He asked in a tensed voice.
" You need to come to the college now as soon as possible. And you should better come with Ms Tarika."
"Ms Tarika from 2nd year sir?" Tension was clear in Abhijeet's voice. Tarika's name made Daya look at Abhijeet with questioning eyes.
" Yes, her. It's not something I can tell you over the phone. You should better come to the college.I will be waiting for you. See you soon Dr Abhijeet." The principle said a hung the phone without giving him anymore chance to speak.
"Ye keya chakkar hai?" Abhijeet asked looking at his phone.
"Keya baat hai Abhijeet?
"Pata nahi. Principle bolrahe hai urgently college janeke liye. Aur sath mai Tarika ko bhi bulaya." Abhijeet said in a tensed voice.
"Kahi tum donoke rishtey ke baremai pata toh nahi chal geya?!" Daya said in an excited and tensed voice.
Abhijeet looked at him keeping his hands on hips pressing his lips and frowning.
...
...
"Tu subha subha bahar kaha se arahi hai?" Purvi asked as soon as Tarika went into the tent.
"Keun? Keun batau? Tarika said and sat on her sleeping mat making a face.
"Hoh! dekho dekho madam aab mood dikharahi hai!" Purvi said with disbelief in her voice which made Tarika make a face.
"Chal aab jaldi fresh ho ja. Bahar ghumna bhi toh hai. Soneke liye toh camping pe aye nahi hum." Tarika said as she went near her belongings.
"Oh Purvi!" Daya called her as he saw her with her toothpaste, brush, water and towel.
" Han bol. Keya bhaiya bhi subha subha bhar se andar geye na?" Purvi asked excitedly.
"Han? Han wo toh geya hai. Likin ab baat wo nahi hai. Hume Mumbai ke liye nikalna padega. Daya said in a disappointed voice.
" Keya? Likin keun?" Purvi asked in a loud voice which made Tarika come out and she asked what happened.
" Abhjieet ke paas college ke principle ke phone aya tha, wo kehertaha tha ki kuch urgent mamle mai Abhijeet ko abhi college jana hoga. Aur toh aur..His pace became slow as he was coming to Tarika's topic,
"Aur keya?" Tarika asked.
" Tarika ko bhi bulaye hai sath."
This made Purvi and Tarika look at each other surprised.
...
...
In Mumbai.
Both Abhijeet and Tarika were waiing in the Principle's room. As the college was off for summer vacation there was no one else but the guards. Tarika was looking tensed. Toease her Abhijeet said,
"Don't worry. Jo bhi ho, sath mai deal karenge. Yunhi solve hojayega. Hmm?" He said and looked at her with a soft smile on his lips making her smile a little.
They both stood up on the appearence of the principle.
"Hello sir." They both greeted him and sat down as the principle sat down on his chair.
" Dr Abhijeet aap yaha aneke baad college ke website check kiya keya eekbar bhi?" The principle asked directly getting on the point iwithout wasting any time on pointless tlaks.
" Jee? Jee nahi sir." He told being confsed.
"I think you both should check out. The headline and the hot topic of our College webisite page." He said and kept his gaze fixed on them. THey both looked at one anther once with confused look and both went to the college website. The first picture that pooped out, made both of them horrified and their eyes remained open wide without blinking even once.
...
...