The two absolutely sleepless nights left the whole team tired and exhausted. But there was one person among these people who was more tired mentally than physically.
Daya's injuries forced him to spend at least a day on hospital bed after a strict order from Acp sir. The whole team was with daya in the earlier day except abhijeet who pretended to have some work and had left the place without even an eye contact with daya. This made daya suspicious but the pain and the weakness from extreme blood loss pulled him under darkness within seconds.
Daya opened his eyes and really irritated after seeing his surroundings which were nothing but clear white. He tried to reach to drips and remove them but at that time freddy entered the room with juice in his hands. And seeing daya doing that freddy hurriedly crossed the remaining steps.
Freddy- arre daya sir yeh aap kya kar rahein hain?
Daya- kya freddy tum log sachmein mujhe yahan le aaye? Yaar mein theek hun, upper se yeh drips.
Freddy was smiling continuously smiling. Daya looked at him and said in irritation.
Daya- kya hai? Abh muskura kyun rahe ho tum? Main kya koi joker hun, haan?
Freddy listening this started to laugh, daya glared at him and he stopped instantly with finger on his lips and offered daya the glass of juice.
Daya looked at freddy and then took the glass and taking a sip, he started to cough badly, later he placed the glass on table and asked freddy in between his coughs…
"yeh kya hai freddy?"
Freddy(innocently)- sir, juice.
Daya(in irritation)- who toh mujhe bhi malum hai, kiss cheez ka?
Freddy - sir lauki aur kerele ka mixed juice ha, acha hai na?
Daya(in same irritated tone)- haan bahot.
Freddy(smiling with naughtiness)- toh phir sir aur pijiye na? (forwarding the glass)
Daya looked at freddy angrily and at that time as if with the intention to save freddy Doctor Atul entered inside with a smile on his face.
Atul- kaisa lag raha hai daya?
Daya(with a smile)- bahot acha sir.
Atul- good then, phir hum tumhe ek do din mein discharge kar denge. (he said smiling, very well acquainted with his dear friend pradyuman's officers now)
Daya(in irritation again)- kya sir, main bilkul theek hoon abh
Atul(still with a calm smile)- maine thodi na mana kiya hai daya, lekin tumhare shoulder ko bhi toh theek ho hai na.
Daya(in same tone)- sir who bhi theek hai.
Atul ignored daya knowing full well that this conversation will have no end as this time Acp clearly instructed him to not to leave daya. Atul's eyes fell on the glass of juice so he said…
"arre wah juice, good good, daya pura finish karna theek hai? (daya made some faces so atul asked freddy)
Atul- waise kiss cheez ka juice hai?
Freddy- sir lauki aur kerele ka, mix.
Atul shocked and really trying hard to control his smile at the moment so just said to daya… "arre wah yeh toh bahot acha hai freddy, hai na daya?"
Daya said nothing.
Atul smiled and shook his head. He moved to freddy and whispered in his ear smilingly, "kuch acha pilla do isse, main toh uss samaye Mazak kar raha tha"
Freddy nodded in smile and atul left the room with… "aur daya bhaagne ki koshish bhi nahi"
Daya still sat there silent when after some moments freddy presented to him another glass, daya first irritated but then after taking in the sweet smell of orange he grabbed the glass. He took a sip and then remember something so ask freddy…
"freddy, abhijeet aaya kya?"
Freddy- nahi sir, woh ho sakta hai abhijeet sir kissi kaam mein phas gaye hon.
Daya doubted it but still it may be the truth. He had seen abhijeet behaving oddly, he was not in his usual self, too much silent and not scolding.
Daya just nodded. Freddy and daya chatted for some hours as not the evening rising and daya easily sensed that freddy must also be tired so ask him leave as…
"arre freddy tum bhi thak gaye hoge na, tum ghar jaao abh main bilkul theek hun yaar."
Freddy- arre nahi sir aisa kuch nahi hai.
Daya(thinking something and then say)- acha freddy abhijeet ko phone toh karo, itni der kahan lag rahi hai isse, ek bhi baar nahi milne aaya.
Freddy silently placed a call to abhijeet, somewhere doubtful that abhijeet is intentionally avoiding a meeting with daya. Abhijeet picked up the call after few ringers and said in a dry tone…
"haan freddy"
Freddy- sir woh daya sir puch rahe the ki aap kahan hain?
There was a long pause before abhijeet replied…
Abhijeet- freddy usse kaho main kissi kaam mein phans gaya hun, kal milta hun usse.
Freddy- jee sir.
Abhijeet(hesitantly)- aur haan freddy, tum…tum wahan se chale jana, main dekhta hun.
Freddy- sir lekin? (he thought of something and said), jee sir.
The call ended, freddy turned to daya and said… "maine kaha tha na sir, abhijeet sir kissi kaam mein atak gaye honge, who busy hain sir, keh rahe the kal aajayenge…"
Daya looked at freddy and nodded in yes feeling somewhat unusual.
Abhijeet's home.
Abhijeet quietly slumped down on the couch feeling tired. He had been avoiding daya the whole time just to make himself calm enough to face daya without opening anything to him. He feared if daya got to know all that how he will react? Abhijeet had decided that he had to hide it all from daya as it was not much of a big deal. But this time abhijeet was hurt with it. He tried to keep it all out of his head, forget everything, but how many times can he?
He just shook his head, made his way towards the kitchen and poured himself a glass of cold water.
But he think he had to. Whatever it is, how much badly or harshly they behave with him, he need them. They are the only ones he have, he had himself crushed his past down and now he felt his present crushing him just because of his past.
"ahhhh…" The pain in his head was so much. He needed a sound sleep, but he knew he can't get that.
Did they needed him or was he just a mere burden to them? Yes, he thought he was. Can he leave them, forever? No, he can't he need to stay for daya….for himself, because what he has in this world, he don't want to lose it again. Let it be a burden, it will work for him, at least he can just keep quiet and work. They will not notice or say anything, he'll be able to live with them yet not as a burden as he was till now. He will not disturb them when he will die, will not ask for anything.
All this just made the headache grow and the tiredness increase. He jerked his head and checking for his car keys he left for hospital assuming that daya would be asleep by now.
In Hospital
Daya had started to feel some pain in his shoulder so Atul had given him some sedatives so that he can take some sleep and rest.
Here freddy was still there, reading a magazine when abhijeet entered inside the room. Freddy stood up after seeing abhijeet and asked him…
Freddy- sir, aap yahan?
Abhijeet(smiling)- haan freddy main yahan, kyun nahi aana chahiye tha?
Freddy(looking at that smile)- nahi sir aisa kuch nahi hai…(he smiled too)
Abhijeet- toh phir freddy tum ghar chale jaao..main hun yahan.
Freddy(hesitant)- sir aap bhi bahot thake hua lag rahen hain , aap ghar jaake araam karle, main yahi hun, waise bhi abh toh daya sir bhi so gaye hain.
Abhijeet- main bilkul theek hun freddy, aur yeh janab so kaise gaye…
Freddy- sir who doctor ne sedatives deke sulaya hai, daya sir ke shoulder me thoda pain tha na issiliye…
Abhijeet- chalo acha hai, isse thoda rest toh milega, tum niklo abh freddy main hun yahan..
Freddy- sir lekin…
Abhijeet- Freddy…
Freddy(leaving the issue)- good night sir
Abhijeet(smiling)- good night freddy. Sambhal ke jana, theek hai?
Freddy- jee sir..
Abhijeet just smiled and freddy left the place in silence…
Abhijeet looked at daya and a sad smile came on his face, he made his way towards the chair beside daya's bed, sat on it and whispered to daya…
"I am sorry yaar, mujhe bas kuch waqt chahiye tha taaki main apne aap ko tayaar kar sakun. Yaar daya, yeh baat tujhe batani ki nahi hai yaar, patanahi tu kaise react karega issiliye behtar yahi hai ki tujhe iss bare mein kuch nahi pata chale. Aur rahi baat merit toh(with a sad smile longing for trust) mujhe toh abh aadat ho gayi hai yaar…par phir bhi har baar pehle se jyada takleef hoti hai…pata nahi kyun?"
Abhijeet took a deep breath and got up from his seat and went over to the couch present in the room for the patient's relatives to relax. He sat on it knowing full well that like other nights this night too will either haunt him with that nightmare or would be sleepless again.
A/N
So finally guys i decided to continue this one also.
I wrote this chapter some time back but was just reluctant to continue. But i decided to continue now.
The next chapter is filled with some shocks and surprises for all of you, but for that you need to review.
Thank you for all the lovely reviews and encouragements guys.
kkklovu