===chapter 25===

Important Note:

I uploaded chapter 25 yesterday, but it was not displaying anywhere. Not on the story page, neither on my profile or story status. So I had to delete this chapter yesterday, and I am posting again today in this original story and so the next chapters will be uploaded here. Hopefully this gets displayed today.

Enjoy!

She was walking through the same passage she has been walking for 2 years. But the humming sound around her was making her feel like today is her first time walking through this passage. Her steps were becoming heavier with each sound banging on her ear drums.

" akhir goal taak pouchneke liye keya keya nahi karte loog...

" Mujhe toh pehele se hee shak tha kuch toh hai donoke bich..

" Rishta hai accha hai, likin abhi itni dur tak...

Each word was slowing down her steps. But then the incident from today's morning crossed her mind.

In the morning,

She was getting ready for class as today was first class after vacation. A lot was going on in her mind about how the students are going to treat her. Will they accept it as normal or will there be more teasing. Will she able to attend her classes peacefully ignoring all the teases or will she become weak because of them.

" Tarika!" She came back to this world with a touch on her shoulder and a pair of eyes looking at her through the mirror.

" Han Purvi." She replied with a bright smile.

" I know aab puri tarha se strong rehena thoda mushkil toh hai,but I know you can do it. Aur main toh hun na tere sath. Saab thik hee hoga."

Purvi said understanding what might be going through in her friend's mind now. Tarika smiled and turned back towards her. She took both her hands in her's and gave her a bright smile and said, " of course I have you. And yes, I can do it. Don't worry. Chal aab. Main baas abhi aayi. "

Purvi smiled and their conversation got interrupted with Tarika's phone's ringing which was displaying Avhijeet's name. Purvi gave her a smile and went out of Tarika's room.

" Jee boliye." Tarika said in a cheerful voice as soon as she picked up the phone.

" Are you okay?" Came from the other side.

" Han Abhijeet. Bilkul thik hun. Keun keya hua?" Tarika asked in a jolly mood.

" Tarika. You don't have to pretend you know. Vacation ke baad aaj first class hai aur ismai itna kuch...Main..

" Abhijeet! Relax. I'm really fine. Aur jise jo bolna hai bolne dijhiye na. I can deal with it. Logoka muh toh hainhee bolneke liye. So jise jo bolna hai toh boley. Aap mere fikar bilkul maat kijhiyega. Philhal toh aapko khudka phikar karni chahiye. Aap teacher hai aapke bhi toh...

" Tarika...

With him calling her both remained silent for few seconds and Abhijeet said breaking the silence,

" Take care. Call me or text me whenever you need anything I'll be there."

A smile took place on her lips and she said, " Sure. Aap bhi aapna dheyan rakhna. "

" I love you." Abhijeet said and remained silent for her reply.

She smiled and said, " Main bhi."

Abhijeet knitted his eyebrows and asked, " Main bhi keya?"

"Tarikaaaa jaldi aaaa. Class shuru ho jayega. Gari start de di hai maineeee." Purvi's voice came from the outside of the house.

" Han han ati hun. " " Bye. " saying she hung up the phone with a smile. On the other side Abhijeet sighted and started off for college too.

With a sudden grip on her arm she came back to reality and looked beside her to find Purvi standing there.

" Challl" She said and started dragging her.

Yes. It's her fight. She has to deal with it alone. Abhijeet is the teacher no matter what. He has his own burden to handle. She has to handle her own burden. This is the way they both can help and support and of course love each other. Ignoring all the voices she she smiled at Purvi and they both went towards their class.

Here in front of the teachers' room Abhijeet observed the whole scenario and sighted. While the students were crossing him they were greeting him like they always do, but he was also being welcomed by the humming sound of all students gossiping in low voice. He sighted once again and went in the roomexpecting more earful fromhis colleagues.

At night, Tarika was sitting in her room after dinner. She was thinking about the whole day and was wondering how will she be able to handle all these. She has one more year left for college which she wants to complete without any drama. She came back to this world with her phone's ringtone. Again it was him.

" Han." Came her short reply.

He saw her face today. She was clearly having a hard time in ignoring all those comments. In his student life and also later from his friends, he listened one common thing. Lovers or girlfriends always blamed them for any single wrong. They always complain. Even back in those days, Shruti used to complain about a lot of things too. Even about those she could handle on her own. But her... she has been greeting him with a smile whenever they talked since that day. Even today morning, when she was passing by the teachers' room seeing him she passed the most beautiful welcoming smile. All these days, She asked him if he was okay instead of making him listen a bunch of complains. Instead of being comforted by him, she offered him comfort in case he was not okay.

Han...that one word seemed so light, so comforting, so full of love he felt like he was going to cry and would hug her tight if she was in front of him now.

" Video on karo." The first word came out his mouth. He heard a soft breath coming out which meant she smiled softly at what he just said. Turning the video on she smiled at him.

" Khana khaya?" He asked as they both laid down on their chest against the pillow.

" Han. Aapne?" She replied and asked with the same smiling face.

" Hmm. Tum thik toh ho na Tarika. Mujse chupao maat please. " Abhijeet said with anxiety in his voice.

" Han baba bilkul. Zarur thik hun main. Mu..

" Tarika." He stopped her in the midway and continued," Yaar please mujse aise chupao ma. Baas tum mere kheyal rakhoge keya? Mera koi farz nahi banta? Mujhe bhi toh tumhare kheyal rakhne do. Share karno apni dikkat mere sath. Mujhe bhi tumhe comfort dena hai. Aise akele sab saho maat. Ye thik nahi hai yaar."Abhijeet said restlessly.

" Akele kaha? Aap bhi toh seherahe hai na!"

" Likin Tarika...

" Abhijeet." She called out to him softly and continued.

" I understand aap keya bolrahe ho. Sarey padeshania akele handle karna koi bhi rishtey ke liye accha nahi hota right . Aur hume eek dusreke sath saab share karna chahiye. Han baat sahi hai. Aur hum donomai se koi bhi kuch bhi akele nahi handle karrahe hai. Ye problem jo aap face karrahe hai, wo main bhi face karrahi hun na. Han ye sahi hai ki aab sab ka muh bandh honemai thodi si wakt toh lag jayega. Tab tak ignore karenge. Aur baat toh main akele nahi sun rahi hun na. Aap bhi toh sun rahey hai. Hum dono ko hee pata hai ki hume kaisa lagraha hai aur ye dheere dheere bandh ho jayega. Till then, we just have to go with it. Aur Abhijeet, aap please itna guilty feel maat karo. Main bar bar bolrahi hun, main akele nahi hun ismai. It's okay. Aur aise iss baat pe padhe rehene se hum dono ke mood bigar jayenge na. Aur aap mere khabar le raha hai, mere care karrahe hai, its enough for me. Toh keun na hum kuch aur baat karen." She finished at one go while he listened to her silently.

" Hmm?" She said again as there was no response from him except his continuous stare.

Giving up he looked down and smiled softly.

" subha ka baat khatam nahi ki thi tumne. Keya bolrahi thi?" He asked now in a teasing voice.

Tarika raised her eyebrows and smiled in a mischievous way now.

" Kounsi...baat?" She said slowly showing too much confusion.

" Wo wo.. tum bhi... tum bhi keya?" He said grinning.

" Aan woo. Wo toh aise hee. Mai bhi class ja rahi thi wahi kehe rahi thi. " She said smiling big.

" Arey aise kaise. Main janta hun tum kuch aur kehenewali thi. Wo bolo na. " Abhijeet whined like a kid.

" Aab agar pata hai kuch aur bolnewali thi toh aapko toh pata hee hai ki main keya bolnewali thi. Toh aab main phirse bolneki dikkat keun lungi?" Tarika said in the most innocent way.

" Panga lena koi tumse sikhe." Abhijeet said loosing to her.

" Haha. Good night. " She laughed and cut the call.

No matter what she says, unable to get out of his guilty Abhijeet spends another sleepless night. Her words soothed his heart a bit though.

Next morning,

As soon as Daya came out of his room he saw Abhijeet drinking coffee on the dinning table. When he saw Daya he pointed towards the coffee machine which had his black coffee ready. Taking his cup he sat beside Abhijeet.

" Aaj itne jaldi uth geye bhai?" He asked taking a sip from his cup.

" Jaldi utha nahi, walki soya nahi. Subha subha jogging karke aya hun. Tujhe bhi jaldi uthna karna chahiye. You should watch you cholesterol."

" Huh baatei aise karrahe ho jaise budha main ho raha hun. " Daya said carelessly and took another sip.

" Keya! Bu..bu..budha?! Main?!" Abhijeet was in disbelief at the early morning insult he just had to digest with his coffee. Without saying anything he hit his brother's head hard from the behind and took an angry sip from his coffee while Daya silently rubbed the back of his head after letting out a painful sound.

" Baat keya hai Abhijeet?" Daya asked after few moments of silence as Abhijeet didn't sleep last night. He knew it was not the usual reason, but something else.

Abhijeet sighted and narrated the last night's conversation with Tarika.

" Pata nahi Daya. Chahey Tarika kuch bhi boley, mujhe guilty lagraha hai. Mere eek purani dushmani ki waja se Tarika ke life mai bhi..

" Bhaiya " cutting him in the midway Daya continued after Abhineet stopped.

" Life mai aise koi situations atey hai jismai humare koi control nahi hota. Jaise ki tum donoke ye situation. Shruti is your past. Obviously jo hua uske bad uske jaise insaan aise kaam karega. Jiske khudke samajhneki capacity se jealousy zyada hai, uske kamo ke waja se hume khudko kosna nahi chahiye. Isse baas tumhare mental halata kharab hee hoga aur kuch nahi. Ismai na hi tumhare galti hai aur nahi tumhara koi haat. Jo horaha hai tumhare control ke bahar hai. Keunki Shruti aise insaan nahi hai jisse baat karke kuch samjhaya ja sakta hai. Aur agar ho bhi sakta hai, toh kamse kam wo humare baat toh marke bhi nahi sunega. So, agar aab ye tum aapni galti bolke aise khudko koste rahoge toh sirf wahi hoga jo Shruti chahti hai. Tumhari bechaini aur tum dono ke bich mai farar. Behetar ye hoga Abhijeet ki jis cheez pe tumhare control nahi hai, usko leke pareshan maat ho. Usko bhulake sab sath milke situation tackel dete hai. Hum khush rahenge sath. Believe me. Jo Shruti chahti hai, wo hum hone nahi de sakte na. Right?" Daya finished talking with the question.

Abhijeet was just silently looking at him. One hand there is Tarika and on the other hand here is Daya. And then there is him who is just listening to them amazed.

" Samjhi na mere baat ko?" Daya asked geting no response from him.

Abhijeet smiled nodding his head and said " Han, samjha. Khudko nahi kosunga. "

" Good." Daya said with a smile.

Abhijeet suddenly got up and hugged Daya from the behind and Daya was taken aback by his sudden action but smiled and patted on his arm. Leaving him Abhijeet went towards his room to get ready for class after tapping his brother on his shoulder

A:N: sorry for late update guys. But as I have come back after a long break it's a bit hard for me to continue smoothly. I update when I can write and am satisfied with my own writing. Hope you guys bear with me.

And thanks to those who reviewed on the last chapter. It really means a lot. Thank you so much for your contenious support. Love you guys.