CHAPTER 3
Shreya was miserably failed to fall asleep. Daya's thoughts were not leaving her mind. Half an hour later she got up and went to the window. She slightly opened the window and peeped outside. Something pinched her heart seeing Daya still standing there rubbing his palms together feeling cold. Shreya shut the window.
"Oh no, Daya sir! Kya kar rahe hain aap? Ye kya stupidity hai? Kaise samjhaun?" She held her head then something clicked her mind and she called Abhijeet.
Meanwhile Shreya heard the sound of opening of the main door. She again went to the window and peeped outside. She found her mother standing there holding a blanket for Daya. Shreya closed the window furiously.
"Mummy bhi na, batati hu!" She moved downstairs.
"Beta ye blanket le lo. Bahut thand hai. Phir tum chahe sari raat khade raho, I don't mind! Shreya waise bhi nahi manne wali." Shreya's mother requested to Daya.
Daya couldn't refuse her. "Thank you auntie!" He said accepting the blanket.
As soon he took the blanket and draped himself Shreya reached there.
"Ye kya ho raha hai? Mummy aap kya kar rahi hain yaha? Aapko inhe samjhana chahiye ki ye zid chodkar ghar jaye, lekin ulta aap inhe blanket dekar aur encourage kar rahi hain." She scolded her mother for helping Daya.
She turned to daya, "Aur aap? Laiye blanket wapas kariye!" She said forwarding her hand. Daya was not much surprised but Shreya's mother was shocked with her behavior.
"Shreya, this is inhumanity. Kya tumhare andar insaniyat bhi nahi bachi?"
Shreya turned to her mother, "Kya insaniyat? This is simply idiotic. Inhe samajh me nahi aata ye sab karne se main apna faisla badalne wali nahi hu."
Daya put the blanket in her hands. "Ye lo. You are not that Shreya. Tum itna badal jaogi maine kabhi nahi socha tha!"
Shreya took the blanket from him. Shreya's dad came there.
"Shreya beta you are being rude. Aisa mat karo, tumhe sach pata nahi hai. Aisa nahi hai ki Daya ne tumse apne dil ki baat kehne ki koshish nahi ki thi. Usne ek letter likha tha aur Abhijeet ko diya tha tumhe dene ke liye. Abhijeet aaya bhi tha tumhe wo letter dene ke liye, lekin maine use rok diya tha. Daya ki koi galti nahi hai."
"Koi galti nahi hai?" Shreya said with a smirk, "Ok, maan leti hu wo mujhse direct confess karne me uncomfortable the to unhone ek letter likha, good! At least wo letter dene to khud aa sakte the, but nahi Abhijeet sir ko bheja, still good! Aur Papa aapne wo letter mujh tak pahuchne nahi diya, very good! But Daya sir aapne janne ki koshish ki, ki wo letter mujhe mila ya nahi? Nahi mila to kyun nahi mila? No! Again you became silent and carefree. You didn't even care to know the reason ki mujhe wo letter kyun nahi diya gaya. Overall, you, Abhijeet sir and Papa, you all the three men screwed up my life. And it's enough now. Now I'll never ever allow any man to interfere in my life. Ab meri life ke sare decisions sirf main lungi. Got it!" Shreya finished looking at Daya and her Dad.
Meanwhile Abhijeet reached there.
"Daya ye sab kya ho raha hai? Kya kar rahe ho tum?"
"Thank God! Abhijeet sir aap aa gaye. Dekhiye, samjhaiye inhe aur le jaiye yaha se please!" Shreya said to abhijeet.
Abhijeet gave a look to Shreya then turned to Daya, "Chalo daya mere sath chup chap yaha se. Ye kya pagalpan hai?"
Daya looked at Abhijeet, "Abhijeet just ask her. What does she want me to do? Kya karu main uske liye? Tell me Shreya what do you want me to do to tell you that I am sorry and I love you!" Daya shouted.
Shreya remained silent and looked away.
"Daya chalo yaha se!" Abhijeet caught his arm and dragged him to the car.
Abhijeet left taking Daya with him.
Shreya's mother looked at Shreya, "This is getting too much Shreya. Stop it now!"
Shreya said nothing and rushed to her room. She shut the door and drew the curtains. She didn't want her parents to hear her sobs.
Next day, bureau.
Daya was sitting on his desk with his head down on the desk. His eyes were red and swollen clearly indicating the lack of sleep.
Shreya entered the bureau and started working like nothing has happened but her eyes were also red indicating how she spent the last night, sleepless and crying.
Daya stared at Shreya but she didn't look at him even once.
Sachin entered talking to someone on his cellphone. He finished the call and threw his cellphone carelessly on his desk, which fell on the floor.
Daya pocked him, "Sachin kya kar rahe ho? Aram se, cellphone toot jayega!"
Sachin nodded his head, "Koi baat nahi sir, isme kaun se mere paise lage hain. Toot jane deejiye, actually ise maine ek contest me jeeta tha, free ka hai. koi fark nahi padta."
Daya said nothing. Shreya smiled painfully and bent down to pick up the cellphone. She picked up the cellphone and gave it to sachin.
"Sahi kaha sir aapne, jo cheej free me bina kisi effort ke asani se mil jati hai na uski koi value nahi hoti. Agar aapke paise lage hote isme to aap iski care karte, ise sambhal kar rakhte. Ispe ek scratch bhi aa jata na to aapko tension ho jati but aapko iski koi parwaah nahi agar ye toot bhi jaye to. It's a fact, insaan value usi cheej ko deta hai jise usne bahut mushkil se hasil kiya ho, phir chahe wo cellphone ho ya pyar!" She said glancing at Daya through corner of her eyes.
Sachin took the cellphone silently in his hand and glanced at Daya. Shreya walked out from there giving both of them a point to think.
o-o-o
Shreya and Nikhil were returning from the central jail after inspecting some criminals arrested in the case of murder.
"Aise khatarnak criminals ko direct fasi pe kyun nahi latka dete? Inhe trial ka chance hi kyun dete hain?" Nikhil said in discontent.
"Kyunki criminals bhi insaan hote hain. Galti insano se hi hoti hai. Unhe sudhara bhi to ja sakta hai. Maut ki saza kisi ko nahi milni chahiye. Everyone should get a second chance for atonement. Dusra mauka har kisi ko milna hi chahiye!" Shreya said thoughtfully.
Nikhil looked at her, "You are absolutely right Shreya, dusra chance har kisi ko milna chahiye, even ek murderer ko bhi. Lekin... Daya sir ko nahi, hai na?"
Shreya became speechless. Nikhil smiled tauntingly at her and moved ahead.
Shreya remained there watching nikhil going and thinking over his comment.
o-o-o
Daya was trying hard to focus on his work but his mind was not calm. Abhijeet found him upset and moved to him.
"Daya, ek baat kahu?"
Daya looked at him.
"Tum kabhi dhobighat gaye ho?" Abhijeet asked.
"Han, kyun?" Daya said.
"Tumne dekha hai dhobi kapde kaise dhote hain patak patak kar?" Abhijeet said.
"Han to?" Daya said.
"To ye ki Shreya is doing exactly the same with you."
"What do you mean?" Daya exclaimed.
"Matlab wo dho rahi hai tumhe. Han wo alag baat hai ki usse kapde ka hi fayda hota hai, kapda ekdum saaf ho jata hai" Abhijeet said laughing.
Daya glared at him, "Abhijeet iss situation me bhi tum majak kar sakte ho? It's not funny!"
"Sorry sorry!" Abhijeet said quickly, "Lekin daya ab bahut ho gaya. Shreya overreact kar rahi hai and I think ab tumhe uska khayal chod dena chahiye. Tumne galti ki, phir maafi mangi, but Shreya tumhe maaf hi nahi Karna chahti to rehne do. Agar uske dil me ab tumhare liye feelings hi nahi reh gayi hain to usko manana bekar hai. Aur agar wo abhi bhi tumse pyar karti hai to apna ye drama band karke wo khud tumhe maaf kar degi."
"Yaar wo drama nahi kar rahi. I know she is serious. I don't want to loose her abhijeet, that's all." Daya said looking down sadly.
Meanwhile Shreya came there. She looked at Daya but quickly turned her face. She started doing something on her computer.
Abhijeet took a glance at Shreya then turned to daya.
"Are Daya ye tumhari shirt pe itna lamba baal, kisi ladki ka lagta hai!" Abhijeet said enacting to hold a hair strand between his fingers.
Shreya instantly turned and looked at Daya in shock.
Daya looked at abhijeet totally confused. Abhijeet started laughing.
"Ha ha ha, sorry bas majak kar raha tha!"
Shreya gritted her teeth. Abhijeet turned to Shreya.
"Are Shreya tum kyun idhar dekhne lagi? Daya ki shirt pe kisi ladki ka baal hone se tumhe kya fark padta hai. Tumne hi to kaha tha na dusra hath dhundh lo." Abhijeet said taunting her.
Shreya struggled to speak, "No.. Mujhe koi fark nahi padta. I don't care." She said looking at Daya and turned her face.
Daya looked at Abhijeet scolding him by his eyes for his antics.
Abhijeet whispered into daya's ears, "chalo ek baat to clear hai ki use fark padta hai. Phir itni asani se kaise keh diya ki dusra hath dhundh lo?"
Daya said nothing but stared at shreya.
Shreya received a call from her mother. "Mummy, I am busy, baad me ...kya? Aapko mujhse baat nahi karni... Daya... Daya sir se baat karni hai?" Shreya said confusingly, "Okay!" She said and moved to Daya.
"Mummy aapse kuch baat Karna chahti hain!" She said forwarding her cellphone to him.
Daya looked at her and took the cellphone from her hand. He greeted her mother and started the conversation. Shreya's mother said something that made Daya puzzled.
Abhijeet and Shreya both were looking at him questioningly.
"Kya hua?" Abhijeet asked.
Daya looked at Shreya and then at Abhijeet, "Shreya ki maa ne aaj raat dinner pe invite kiya hai!"
Abhijeet and Shreya got a shock.
"Sirf mujhe nahi, puri team ko!" Daya added.
"To soch kya rahe ho tum? Han bolo, hum sab chalenge! Shreya ki maa humari maa, unhe kaise mana kar sakte hain!" Abhijeet said glancing at Shreya who was looking annoyed and helpless.
o-o-o
Shreya's home
All were sitting on the dining table. Shreya's mother sent shreya into kitchen to fetch something. As Shreya went she turned to the team.
"Tum sab ko pata hai na maine tum logo ko sirf dinner ke liye nahi bulaya hai balki Daya aur Shreya ke bare me baat karne ke liye bulaya hai. Tum sab un dono ke dost ho isliye tum log Shreya ko samjhaoge aur jaise bhi ho ye jhagda aaj hi khatam karwaoge bas!" Shreya's mother said in a low audible voice. Everyone nodded.
Meanwhile Shreya returned from the kitchen. She glanced at her mother suspiciously. She knew her mother was cooking something else with her friends.
After dinner everyone was enjoying the deserts. Suddenly Daya started coughing.
"Are Shreya pani do Daya ko!" Shreya's mom said.
Shreya took the glass of water and deliberately gave it to Pankaj to pass it on to Daya. This enraged abhijeet.
"Ye kya hai Shreya, kis baat ki saza de rahi ho tum daya ko? Tum use pani bhi nahi pila sakti? Aakhir aisa kya kiya hai usne? Bas yahi na ki tumhe propose karne me der kar di? To isme Daya ki hi sari galti kaise hui? Tum bhi to initiative le sakti thi. Ye kaha likha hai ki humesha ladke hi propose kare? Tum bhi to chup rahi? Galti tumhari bhi utni hi nahi hai? Phir Daya ko hi saza kyun?"
As abhijeet finished everyone including Daya turned to Shreya to see her response.
.
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...To be continued