Who Kissed Me in the Dark?
Chapter 2
The entire night Shreya kept tossing and turning in bed trying to fathom who Daya's secret admirer would be.
It must have been one of those giggly group of girls who had been sitting next to him. I am sure of it. But then why didn't Daya sir object such inadmissible behaviour? And why didn't he admit who had done it? Why was he pretending that he had no knowledge about the incident?
Her head was smarming with questions.
How dare she kiss him! Stupid, idiot girl.
Shreya punched her pillow in frustration. She couldn't wait to get back to bureau the next day and find out more about that silly little girl who had the audacity to kiss a senior CID officer.
The next day as soon as Shreya reached office, she was handed a pile of case files which kept her busy till afternoon. She kept shooting furitive glances at Daya and other colleagues but no one seemed to be in a mood to discuss the previous night's incident.
During their tea break in the afternoon however, she couldn't help hearing the loud and gay voices of Daya, Abhijeet and Freddy coming from beside the tea/coffee machine.
"Chal Daya ab bata de yaar, bas ho gaya. Jaldi bata ki wo ladki kaun thi" said Abhijeet.
"Kya tum log toh mere piche hi pade ho" said Daya. For some reason his voice seemed cheery and casual rather than angry. Shreya who was lurking in the shadows nearby, scowled.
"Kya baat hai sir bade khush lag rahe ho aap?" said Freddy.
"Arre Freddy ye sab to uss cinema hall wali ladki ka kamal hai" said Abhijeet slapping Daya on the back.
"Main sach bol raha hu yaar, mujhe nahi pata ki wo ladki kaun thi. Par ab aisa lag raha hai ki pata chal jana chahiye tha mujhe. Thoda mil vil leta usse aur -"
There was a clattering sound - Shreya's cellphone had fell to the floor.
Abhijeet, Daya and Freddy rushed outside to find the source of the noise.
"Shreya tum yaha darwaze ke piche kya kar rahi ho?" said Abhijeet as Freddy handed her her phone.
"Wo... main bas-"
"Wo na chup chup ke tum logon ki baatein sunn rahi thi Abhijeet. Itna interesting discussion jo chal raha hai tum logon ka" said Tarika who had appeared at her side.
"Arre Tarika jee aap yaha?" said Abhijeet.
"Kyu? Maine nahi aa sakti?" asked Tarika.
"Arre nahi nahi bilkul aa sakti hain, main toh kehta hoon aap roz hamare saath hi aa jayein chai peene. Kyu wo Salunkhe sir ke saath baithi rehti hai aap din bhar" said Abhijeet.
"Thank you Abhijeet. Waise tumhara idea bura nahi hai. Lekin aaj mujhe pata tha ki jaroor kuch special discussion hone wala hai isliye main yaha aa gayi. Jara mujhe bhi toh pata chale Daya ki nayi girlfriend kaun hai" said Tarika.
"Don't worry main jald hi pata kar lunga." said Daya.
"Wo kaise? Tum toh keh rahe ho ki tumne na usse dekha tak nahi toh pata kaise karoge?" asked Abhijeet.
"Dekh, agar wo ladki mujhme interested hai toh wo jaroor mujhe phirse contact karne ki koshish karegi tab pata chal hi jayega na" said Daya.
"Ye baat sahi hai" said Abhijeet.
Shreya suddenly had a vision of Daya being greeted by a faceless, pretty girl. His strong arms wrapped around her in a loving embrace and their lips coming closer and closer... no! No, no, it can't happen. I won't let it happen.
"Shayad tumne already usse kahi dekh liya ho? Kya pata shayad wo tumhare bilkul saamne khadi ho" said Tarika with a sly smile.
"Kya matlab?" said Abhijeet looking suspicious.
"Bas keh rahi hoon Abhijeet. Koi Daya ki dost ho sakti hai jo kal film dekhne usi theatre me aayi thi" said Tarika.
"Maine toh nahi dekha kisi dost ko kal waha pe" said Daya trying to remember.
"Lekin yaar Daya, jara detail me batao na ke hua kaise ye sab" said Abhijeet.
"Main aise kaise bata sakta hoon, kuch to privacy honi chahiye na" said Daya and everyone laughed.
"Privacy huh? Achha achha samajh gaya." said Abhijeet. "Lekin pata jaroor lagana"
Shreya's face remained neutral, never betraying the turmoil coursing in her mind. She gritted her teeth, her grip tightening around the tea cup in her hand.
Main toh pata karke hi rahungi uss ladki ke baare me isse pehle ki wo khud jaake Daya sir se baat karein.
Evening -
For almost quarter of an hour, Shreya was debating with herself whether to go to Daya's house or not.
Why am I getting jealous of some stranger girl? I can trust him. I know he loves me. I don't think he has made any new friend and even if he has, he definitely doesn't love her.
But howsoever she tried to convince herself, she couldn't shut the green little devil whispering continously in her head.
I am going to him. I am going to ask him all about this mystery girl.
Shreya could feel her heart racing as she stepped up to his front door. She could see that the lights were on but no one came to open the door.
Perhaps he is upstairs with her...
She rang again and again and finally on the fourth ring, she heard the footsteps on the stairs and the door opened. He was speaking to someone on the phone. He was wearing tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt.
Shreya looked at the cellphone in Daya's hand and his expression. He obviously had been in the middle of some interesting conversation and was surprised to see her there.
"Shreya tum?" he said, lowering his cellphone.
"Kya main andar aa sakti hu?" she asked.
"Haan, aao" he said, stepping aside to let her pass.
"Hello? Haan, sorry kuch nahi darwaze pe koi aaya tha. Tum bolo main sunn raha hoon" Daya spoke into the phone signalling Shreya to sit down.
Shreya however remained standing looking around the house.
Minutes passed. She could hear Daya's soft laughter as he continued listening to the person on the other end of the phone.
"Kisse baatein kar rahe hai aap?" Shreya asked finally losing her patience.
"Kya? Par kyun?" he asked her.
"Kuch nahi aise hi puch rahi thi. Nahi batana ho to mat batayein" she said.
"Uh... suno main tumhe baad me call karta hoon. Abhi main thoda busy hoon... haan baba pakka call back karunga, promise" he said and disconnected the call.
"Sorry wo kya hai na ki bohot dino ke baad mere dost ka call aaya -"
"No problem" said Shreya before he could finish talking.
Daya could sense her obvious anger but couldn't guess the reason behind it.
"Um, bolo kya baat hai?" he said.
"Kuch bhi nahi" she said.
"Toh yaha kyu aayi thi?"
"Kyu? Mana hai yaha aana? Nahi aa sakti main?" she snapped.
"Ofcourse aa sakti ho par..." his voice trailed off.
Shreya was so angry that she felt any moment now she was going to start crying.
"I am sorry sir, mujhe nahi pata main kyu aayi thi yaha. I am really sorry ki maine aapse rudely baat ki." she said and turned to go.
"Shreya ruko" said Daya.
"Nahi sir please-"
"Shreya" said Daya rather sternly and she stopped. "Sach sach batao kya baat hai"
"Main sach keh rahi hu. Koi baat nahi hai" she said stubbornly. "Main chalu?"
"Accha thik hai. Tum yaha baith jao thodi der. Main coffee banakar lata hu tumhare liye. Uske baad chali jana" said Daya.
"Okay" she mumbled. She calmed down a bit
Shreya stared at the pink flowers placed next to the television as she heard Daya making coffee for them in the kitchen. The flowers indeed looked pretty in pink.
...Pink.
The lipstick mark had been pink. Almost the same shade of the flowers. Maybe a little darker. And suddenly all of it came back to her. It was driving her mad. It was not a time to procastinate. It was now or never.
"Toh kaun thi wo ladki? Sir?" she asked trying to keep her voice casual.
"Ladki? Kaun ladki?" Daya appeared holding a strainer in his hand.
"Wahi jisne cinema hall me aapko..." she couldn't bring herself to say the word "kiss"
Daya couldn't help smiling. So this was what it was all about. The fact that he had some secret admirer was driving her mad.
"Oh woh ladki... uska kya.. kuch nahi" he said.
"Kuch nahi matlab?" She asked.
"Tum jaana kya chahti ho?" he asked.
"Sab kuch! Mera matlab hai ki uska naam kya hai? Kya wo aapki dost hai aur aur sab kuch!" she said flaring up.
Daya scratched his chin. "Uh... par Shreya ye toh thodi private baatein hai. Haan, main jaanta hu ki hum colleagues hai aur itne saalo se jaante hai ek dusre ko par I am sorry main abhi tumhe iske baare me kuch nahi bata sakta. Uss raat jo bhi hua wo hona nahi chahiye tha atleast ek public place me. Tum jitna mujhe jaanti ho usse to tumhe pata chal gaya hi hoga ki main apni personal life jyada tar share nahi karta kisi ke saath toh... I hope you will try to understand." said Daya.
Her hands were trembling as she heard him speaking. She could feel pinpricks of tears in the corner of her eyes. So, he was involved with this girl. How foolish had she been to have thought that he possibly might love her!
"Shreya? Tum thik toh ho?" he asked.
I just want to know who she is. I want to know what did he find so attractive in her. I want to know what it is about me that makes me so undesirable to him. Are you stupid? There is nothing undesirable about you! He just fell in love with another girl that's all! Don't plague your mind with such thoughts...
She got up. She could hear him asking her something. He sounded worried. But none of that mattered. She didn't hear any of his words and neither did she care. All she wanted was to go home and lie down a bit. She had reached the door when she felt his hand on her wrist.
"Ho kya gaya hai tumhe? Are you alright?" he asked.
"Mujhe bas ghar jaana hai" she said in a hollow voice.
Daya stared at her for a minute and then said, "I am sorry. Tumhe bura laga na? Theek hai ruko mere paas photo hai uska."
"Nahi dekhna mujhe" she said rather aggressively.
"Nahi dekhna? Abhi abhi to tum keh tahi thi ki tumhe sab kuch jaana hai uske baare me" said Daya.
"Par ab nahi jaana" she snapped.
"Mujhe lag raha hai ki tum jealous ho rahi ho" he said.
"Jealous?" Shreya gave a fake high pitched laugh. "Main kyu jealous feel karungi? Main thodi na aapse pyar karti hu?"
Daya smiled hearing her words. "Toh dekh kyun nahi leti uska photo?"
"Main kya karu wo photo dekh kar? Mujhe kisi ke private life me koi interest nahi hai. Aapki girlfriend hai na? Toh aap hi dekte rahiye uska photo" she said angrily.
"Main tumhe aaj photo dekhe bina yaha se jaane nahi dunga" he said smirking broadly.
"Ye kya majak hai! Main jaa rahi hu-"
"Chalo mere saath" he said. Holding her by waist he began to lead her to his bedroom.
"Daya sir chodiye mujhe!" Shreya struggled in his firm grip.
Daya made her stand in front of his bedroom wall where he had hung photos of CID team.
"Third photo dekh rahi ho? Usme hai wo ladki" he said.
She looked at the photograph in which she, Daya and Sachin were enjoying milkshakes in a restaurant.
"Isme koi bhi ladki nahi hai! Sirf Sachin sir aap aur -" She looked over her shoulder at Daya who was smiling at her.
"Tumhe kya laga mujhe tumhari dare ke baare me pata nahi chalega?"
"Kya?! Aapko dare ke baare me pata tha? Par kaise-"
"Tum, Purvi aur Tarika almost ek hafte se plan kar rahe the sab. Main sab kuch sunn liya tha tumhare plan ke baare me cafeteria me." said Daya.
"Iska matlab koi ladki nahi hai?" Shreya asked, her heart fluttering wildly.
"Jab tum jaise khoobsurat ladki mere saamne ho toh main aur kisiki taraf dekh bhi kaise sakta hoon?" he said.
"Par - par wo lipstick?" Shreya asked, going red in face.
"Tum logon ki baatein sunkar maine bhi ek plan banaya" he said. He rummanaged in his pocket and withdrew a round lips stamp.
Shreya looked at the object in his hand, too stunned to speak.
"Movie khatam hone se pehle ye stamp maine mere gaal pe laga liya aur uske baad toh tum sab jaanti ho" he said laughing.
"Oh my god... how dare you! Aur mujhe laga ki-"
"Tumhe laga ki meri koi girlfriend hai" said Daya.
"Haan..." said Shreya.
"Bohot jalan ho rahi thi na?" he asked.
"Jee nahi!" Shreya said not quite meeting his eye.
"Maine socha ki ye natak karne se shayad tum apne dil ki baat bol dogi" he said.
"Bohot batameez hai aap Daya!" Shreya said.
Putting his arms around her waist, he drew her close. "Ab toh yakeen ho gaya na tumhe ki main tumse kitna pyar karta hoon"
"Haan. I love you too Daya." she said, her arms entwined around his neck.
And then to his surprise, she leaned in and kissed him on his cheek.
This time her lipstick didn't leave its mark on his skin, no mark of their kiss to show the world.
But it didn't matter. She liked it better.
*** THE END ***
A/N - Originals143 & SilvermistRuhi you guys guessed right :D Others, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter as much as the last one. Please leave a review! Though I am not active on FF as much as I used to be, I will try to post oneshots on DaReya in future. Signing off, for now ;)