niyati was surprised and asked with displeasure,:'meri baat sun ke aap ko hansi araha hai?' daya stated with poise,:'I wouldn't deny it, ...' he paused and resurrected,:'kyuki sach ko nakar ke ya na dekh ke rehne me koi bahaduri hai nahi...haaa...I admit...ki gunde badmasho ke ghinona harqat dekh dekh ke hum woh nahi rehte hain...jo ake police force join kiya tha...mmagr...magar aap hi bataiye...kya aap aap ki school days jaisi innocent hai? kya koi bhi insan reh sakta hai utna innocent, jitna woh paanch saal me huya karta tha?' he sighed with despair and added later,:'chahkar bhi koi reh nahi pata hai ...Jo face karna hai woh bas face karna hai...haa magar...ek baat...' for a little moment he became irresolute and then said again,:'ke...har officer ...inhumane nahi hota hai...aur...marna peetna ...sab ko...achcha bhi nahi lagta hai...'an uneasiness printed over his face and with a smile he ended the topic saying,:'khair...aap baithiye...main ja ke kuchh khana bana lun...'

:'is andhera me?' mocked niyati, involuntarily, though daya's words were almost impelling her to think it from a different angle..

:'kya kare?' daya answered with a frank smile

niyati,playing with the paper-weight,asked him,with a disparaging glance,:'agar...main na hoti...aur aap akela rehte ...to kya karte aap?'

daya felt as if he was catapulted into a world of discomfort and this was such a question which he wouldn't be able to parry..:'wwoh...' trying to keep aside the reluctance he finally managed,:'akela hota tab bhi khane ka jaroorat parta..bana leta kuchh...'he finished with an demure smile while niyati smirked again indicating that she perceived more than what should be perceived by his words...and then resumed,:'mujhe to laga tha...aap...khana na kha ke...bas smoke karke hi...rat guzar dete tab...' her remark sent daya into a flummoxed state..With heaps of astonishment he asked, puckering his brows together,:'smoke?' niyati nodded self complacently as if to be able to show that she could deduct the conclusion from any evidence...

daya added, still remaining in a puzzled state of mind,:'mmagr main to smoke karta hi nahi...' niyati flashed a haughty smile this time saying very much confidently,:'jhut bol ke koi faida nahi ...aap smoke karte hain iska saboot hai mere pas...aur bhala hi main ek doctor hun...magar analyse and conclude karna mujhe bhi ata hai...' Daya answered with a quizzical smile this time,:'magar ...mujhe jhut bolne ka jaroorat hi kya hai? jo main karta nahi hun...us ko main kaise kahu ki karta hun?'

now niyati brought the lighter from the back portion of the couch and stated with a proud smile,:'agar smoke nahi karte hain..to ye kaha se aya aap ke pas?'

daya's disconcerted face converted into an amusing one as he said, repressing smile,:' ...is bar bhi aap fail ho gaye hain...'

:'what? ' fumed niyati,:'aisa ho hi nahi sakta hai..aap jhut bol rahe hain...'

daya couldn't repress the smile anymore and explained it,:'yaha pe frequently power chala jata hai..ab match box dhoondne se better hai ki lighter ko pas hi rakh dun...isiliye khareeda tha ye lighter...'he paused and within the flickering flame of the candle saw the annoyed yet staggered face of niyati...after about some seconds he resumed though, with a humorous smile,:'waise...aap ka analysis achcha tha...woh to mere jaise kuchh insan rahe...to sahi analysis bhi ulta pulta ho jata hai...' niyati sharply glanced at him and instantly felt a frisson of excitement watching the smile of the man-the smile which seemed to be ...so innocent...that could send the most practical and headstrong woman into a world of heightened about five second she couldn't react and felt numb until daya rising from the couch moved towards the table...Niyati grasped the side of the couch with force trying to squirt her despair for not being able to be unaffected with the surging emotion...Daya came back with a tiny transistor and handed it to niyati,saying,:'aap ye sun lijiye...tab tak main ...' interrupted him,hoarsing,:'jaroorat nahi hai ...mujhe itna bhukh nahi hai...aur waise hi...' her face had an expression which was a mixture of pain,annoyance,despair and puzzle,:'mere karan aap bohut taqleef utha rahe hain...main aap ko aur pareshan karna nahi chahti hun,' she pressed her lips in finishing her words trying to put on a semblance of seemed to her as if her heart was burning like a charcoal getting failed to conclude correctly but at the same time, she couldn't show it overtly as this man would be more happy making her riled...Daya went into the kitchen ignoring the words of niyati and though niyati was having anger to see the disobedience of daya but she checked it back for her own as she was scared enough to burst with unnecessary emotion if continue longer conversation with this mysterious man...She switched the radio on and instantly heard the song "Mere naseeb me tu hai ke nahi...tere naseeb me main hun ke nahi...' though it was a remix version but she felt uncomfortable and changed the station...now it was playing,'Raatkali ek khwab me ayi...aur gale ka haar huyi...' she further changed the station with a distorted face and now it was playing " dekhi hai teri akho me pyar pyar beshumar...' niyati further changed now with fumed anger and it was,' piya tose naina lage re...naina lage reeeeeee...' niyati switched off the radio roughly and snapped,:'aap ki radio aap ke pas hi rahe...' daya asked her with a smile from the kitchen,:'kyu? radio bhi aap ko gussa dila diya kya?' Niyati trying to alleviate her anger, now said,:'bas soapy songs ke elaba kuchh nahi baja sakta hai ye log...' daya came back with two mugs of tea with a plate of crunchy snacks and said with a grinning face,:'soapy songs? woh kya hota hai?' niyati sensing that daya had been smiling, kept her glance elsewhere and rapped out,:' ye sab sun ke aisa lagta hai...jaise ki...jaise ki...is duniya me koi kam nahi hai...bas...pyar mohabbat karne se hi...desh chal jayega...' she paused and murmured again,:'rubbish'. Daya gave a throaty laugh and then said,:' agar sab aise sochta tab sach me hi asani se desh chal jata ...' niyati was getting sweated as she was floundering within the sea of unknown emotions,:'kkya matlab?' asked she with crinkled nose and puckered brows...daya answered with candour,:' matlab ye...ki sab ke mann me dusro ke liye pyar rehta to itna mar pitai itna khoon zakhm aur apradh nahi hota aur desh bhi asani se chal jata...' niyati sighed having the knowledge that this man saw everything in his own line of business and thus the mention of such an embarrassing subject too forced him to think how crime would be reduced in number if love existed in everyone's hearts...but she startled again when daya commented, comically,:'waisee...kuch ajeeb si creature ke liye aisa possible nahi hota hai ...jin logo ko...pyar ka gana sun ke gussa ajata hai...' niyati accidentally looked at him only to see him smiling again, which very inconveniently disturbing her...Unknowingly crimson colour stole into her cheeks and a wave of anger fermented inside her which she couldn't control at that very moment,:' Mr. Dayaaa... you are...' she raised her one finger perhaps to rail against him, but daya's perplexed face prevented her and she lowered her finger, but whammed the mug of tea in such a way that some tea spilling out of the mug fell upon the palm of daya... :'ou...' grunted daya in reflex but managed it later with an uneasy titter,:'it's...all right...'