CHAPTER 3

Daya was waiting outside as Doctors took Shreya inside for treatment.

Within a few minutes the doctor came outside and approached Daya.

"Is everything alright doctor?" Daya asked.

"Yes!" The doctor said, "don't worry. The cut was not so deep to hurt any vein or artery. Itne mamuli cut se to koi behosh bhi nahi hota. Humne dressing kar di hai. You can take her home. She is absolutely fine." He said and moved.

"But wo to behosh ho gayi thi." Daya wondered and moved in the ward.

She was sitting on the bed lost in her thoughts. When she saw Daya coming towards her she became nervous.

"How are you?" Daya asked in concern.

"I am alright!" Shreya said looking at him.

"Sirf 2-3 minute late hua tha main aur tumne hath kaat liya? Saaf saaf bolo chakkar kya hai? Suicide hi karna tha to mujhe call kyun kiya ki aakar mujhe bachao? Aur tum wakai suicide karna chahti thi ya nahi. Aise hath katne se koi marta hai kya? Jehar kha liya hota. Ya building se jump kar leti. Train ke aage jakar let jati. Hajaro raste hain suicide karne ke." Daya said taunting her.

Shreya was silently staring at him.

Daya realized he was being curt. He took a deep breath. "Age kya hai tumhari?"

Shreya looked at him unbelievably.

"22-23 ya aur kam?" Daya said, "abhi theek se jeena bhi nahi sikha aur marne chali thi?"

Shreya lowered her eyes.

"Kyun marna chahti ho khud ko? Aisi bhi kya problems hain tumhari life me?" Daya said taking a stool near the bed.

Shreya immediately looked at him. She had already prepared her answers. "Depression!" She said. "Mere boyfriend ne mujhe cheat kiya."

Daya was like 'what the hell'. "Boyfriend ne cheat kiya? Ye reason hai suicide karne ka?"

Shreya bit her tongue. "Nahi aur bhi bahut sare reasons hain. Actually I am an orphan. Mere mom dad ki death ho chuki hai." She said. "Sorry mom dad!" She said in her mind. "Na meri koi family hai na friends. Bachpan se akeli hu main. Jab mere boyfriend ne bhi mujhe chod diya to main khud ko sambhal nahi payi. I was shattered. I felt so unwanted in this world. Mere hone ya na hone se kisi ko koi fark nahi padta. Nobody loves me. Aisi zindagi ka kya karu main? Jeena bhi chahu to kiske liye?" She looked at Daya to check if he is convinced. She started crying.

Daya felt bad for her. "It's ok its ok. Please don't cry!" He stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder to pacify her.

Shreya felt his hand and stopped crying. "Main suicide karne ko lekar confuse thi." She stared at him, "kya pata kal zindagi me kisi bahut pyare insaan se mulakat ho jaye!" She said and looked down trying not to blush. "Lekin meri aisi kismat kaha ki mujhe ek achha dost mile. Koi apna sa. Jo mujhse pyar kare, meri parwaah kare. Isilye maine aapko call kiya. Agar aap 30 minutes ke andar mujhe bachane ke liye aa jate to main ye soch kar marna cancel kar deti ki at least kisi ko to meri fikar hai. Aur aap nahi aate to mujhe lagta ki wakai is duniya me meri parwaah kisi ko nahi hai to main suicide kar leti."

Daya was not able to understand her. He was just listening to her.

"Aap ka intejar karte karte jab 30 minutes ke upar ho gaya to main bahut upset ho gayi. Maine jaise hi apna hath kata aap aa gaye the. Itne kharab mausam me koi daud bhag kar meri jaan bachane aaya tha. You don't know you made me feel so special. I can't describe that feeling. Pehli baar mujhe laga ki mere hone ka bhi koi matlab hai." Shreya was speaking fixing her eyes on Daya.

"Ahem ahem" Daya coughed. "It was my duty. You are the public and I am a public servant. Aur phir maine sirf wahi kiya jo maine promise kiya tha." Daya said.

Shreya shook her head. "Ye to samajh hi nahi raha main kya kehna chah rahi hu." She gave him a smile. "Thank you so much. Aap ne mujhe phir se zindagi jeene ki ek ummeed di hai."

Daya smiled back at her. "Matlab ab tum kabhi dobara aisi harkat nahi karogi? Achhi baat hai. Doctor ne kaha hai ki tum ekdum theek ho. Main kuch formalities hain wo puri karke aata hu phir main tumhe tumhare ghar chod dunga." He said and moved.

Shreya stared at him with an affectionate smile.

Daya was filling a form when he heard two girls inquiring about Shreya. He moved to them.

Charu and Naina were scared seeing Daya.

"Aao log jante hain Shreya ko?" Daya asked.

Naina was going to deny but before that Charu nodded her head. "Han. Hum uske dost hain."

Daya was confounded. "Lekin Shreya ne to kaha ki uska koi dost nahi hai. Anyway, aap log use samjhate kyun nahi? Uske boyfriend ne use cheat kiya to aap logo ko use sambhalna chahiye tha. Use depression se nikalne me uski help karni chahiye thi."

Charu and Naina looked at each other. "Boyfriend? Depression? Ye aap kya bol rahe hain? Shreya ka koi boyfriend nahi hai aur sir wo depression me bhi nahi hai. Wo to ekdum mast maula kism ki ladki hai." Charu who was a little outspoken kept blabbering. "Aur wo suicide nahi kar rahi thi. Wo to bas ek prank tha."

Before Naina could stop her the truth had been spoken.

"What?" Daya exclaimed in shock. "Prank tha matlab? Main kuch samjha nahi."

Naina explained everything to Daya. He was bewildered.

"I can't believe it. Matlab Shreya ne abhi abhi mujhe andar jo kuch bhi kaha wo sab jhooth hai natak hai. Wo aisa kyun kar rahi hai?"

Naina looked at him. "Jab usne aapko darwaje par theek 30 minutes ke baad khade dekha to use bahut afsos hua ki uske stupid prank ki wajeh se aapko pareshan hona pada. Use laga ki aap sach jaan kar bahut naraj honge isilye wo ye suicide ka natak sach karne ki koshish kar rahi hai."

"Oh god!" Daya sighed holding his head, "aisa karne ki kya jarurat thi? Han mujhe bura lagta. Uspe gussa aata but main use kha to nahi jata." He shook his head. "I'll talk to her." He turned to go but suddenly stopped thinking something and looked at Charu and Naina. "Do me a favor. Aap log Shreya ko ye mat batana ki mujhe sach pata hai."

Charu and Naina agreed. Daya thanked them. "Aap log abhi rukiye. Main jara usse mil kar aata hu." He said and moved back to Shreya.

Shreya was sitting on the bed lost in Daya's thoughts and weaving some more fake stories. She sat straight as she found Daya coming inside.

"Formalities ho gayi?" She asked.

Daya just stared at her. How innocent she looks. Who knows she is such a big drama queen. He was staring her direct into eyes. Shreya was speaking something but he was not listening to her just staring at her.

Shreya waved her hand. "Hello...inspector Daya. Aise kya dekh rahe hain aap? Maine pucha sari formalities ho gayi?"

Daya came out of his thoughts and smiled. "Abhi nahi. Suicide case hai na. Thoda time lagta hai."

"Oh!" Shreya exclaimed. She looked at him. "Main aapse ek baat kahu?"

Daya looked into her eyes. "Bilkul!"

"Aap baate bahut achhi karte hain." Shreya said.

"Achha!" Daya said smiling.

"Aapko to pata hi hai mera koi dost nahi koi apna nahi. Ye akelapan mujhe bahut pareshan karta hai. Isilye to ulte seedhe khayal aate hain mere dimag me. Aur main depression me chali jati hu." Shreya said and looked into his eyes. "Agar aap bura na maane to kya main aapko call kar sakti hu? Aap mujhse thodi der baate kar sakte hain? Mujhe achha lagega."

Daya looked at her how flawless she was in acting. He smiled.

"Of course!" He moved and took her hands in his. "Jab bhi tumhe akelapan mehsus ho tum mujhe call kar sakti ho. Tum jitni der chahogi hum utni der baate karenge."

Shreya looked at him holding her hands. She smiled broadly. "Thank you so much. Main aapko jyada pareshan nahi karungi"

Daya looked at her. She looked prettier when she smiled. "Tumhe pata hai Shreya tumhari smile bahut pyari hai. Tum bas logo ko dekh kar smile kar diya karo log khud hi tumhare dost ban jayenge."

Shreya felt herself going red. He was still holding her hands.

"Aur han aaj se main tumhara dost hu. Apne aap ko akela mat samjhana." Daya said. "Aur ab hum dost hain to no formalities. You can call me Daya. Now you are not just the public. Ab tum meri dost ho. Main duniya ke liye inspector Daya hu, tumhare liye sirf Daya."

Shreya just looked at him. She forgot to blink when their eyes nere. Both stared at each other. Daya was first to broke the eyelock. "Main abhi aata hu."

He went and Shreya felt like dancing but she was in hospital so she somehow got a grip on herself and sat quietly.

Daya went outside and hid himself. He signalled Charu and Naina to move inside.

Shreya was shocked seeing them.

"Tum dono yaha kya kar rahe ho? Please jao yaha se. Daya ne dekh liya to problem ho jayegi."

"Kyun problem kyun ho jayegi?" Naina said.

"Are kyunki maine Daya ko bola ki mera koi dost nahi hai. To tum dono bhi abhi jao isse pehle Daya dekh le." Shreya said in a panicky voice.

"Ek minute... Ek minute..." Naina said, "wo officer inspector Daya se sirf Daya kab se ho gaya?"

Shreya smiled going red. "Ab hum dost hain na."

"Achha!" Naina said, "aur tumne sach much apna hath kyun kaat liya? Kuch ho jata to?"

"Mujhe kuch aur samajh me hi nahi aaya. Agar use pata chalta ki ye ek prank tha to use kitna bura lagta na. Isilye mujhe ye karna pada." Shreya said.

Daya was listening everything from outside and smiling.

"Use bura lagega sirf isilye tumne sach me apni kalai kaat li?" Charu said, "baat to kuch aur hai. Sach sach batao kya chakkar hai?"

Shreya shook her head, "Koi chakkar nahi hai yaar. Tum dono mujhe aise kyun dekh rahe ho?"

"Dekh rahe hain tera chehra red kyun ho raha hai?" Naina said.

Shreya felt uneasy. "Actually Naina, you know wo bahut sweet hai. Jab wo sirf public samajh kar mere liye itna pareshan ho sakta hai to uske kisi apne ke liye kitna pareshan hota hoga. Jab wo apni duty se itna pyar karta hai to...jara socho... Us ladki se kitna pyar karega jo uske liye bani hogi." She said dreamily.

"Hmm...wakai wo ladki bahut lucky hogi!" Naina said.

"Aur tum wo ladki banna chahti ho, right?" Charu said.

Shreya blushed and nodded. "Hmm!"

"Is it love at first sight?" Charu said.

Shreya again nodded. Charu and Naina hugged her.

Here Daya was also smiling. "Love at first sight! Damn it!" He shook his head and moved from there.

Charu and Naina looked at each other and smiled because they knew Daya was also going through the same feelings for Shreya otherwise he shouldn't have kept quiet after knowing the truth.

.

.

...to be continued