daya: ye to sachin ka awaz hai...( he then glanced at shreya with a little huff and clasping her hand helped her to go outside the well...
shreya came out as well as daya and found sachin and purvi there with aweful stupefaction.
sachin: sir...!
daya: tum log? yaha?
Purvi: sir... barren moor ka akhri seema ka paharh ko cross karke hume ye jungle mila...
sachin: thank God sir... aap log thik ho...humne to sacha ke yaaha pe shreya ka ane ka chance bohut kam hai...
shreya: sorry sir...magar gublu ke liye main...she couldn't finish while daya stepped ahead taking gublu in his lap,:' main hotel ja ke gublu ko uska parents tak paucha dun...tum log resort chale jaao..'
sachin & purvi( a little suspiciously surprised) jee sir... while shreya stared at moving daya, suppresing a stifle pain, until sachin came back,:' haaa to shreya...kaise agayi tum yaha pe?'
shreya lowered her head and answered with a very low and sad voice,:' sir...us din rat...jab purvi mujhe dinner ke liye bula rahi thi...tab mujhe laga...ki... shayaad un gundo ne gublu ko is jungle me kahi chhupa diyaa...aur...aur mujhe laga ki...' his voice dried away while purvi gave her a bottle of drinking water and after drinking some water shreya started speaking again,:' laga ki... agar daya sir ka guess sahi ho...to gublu is murder ka eye witness hoga...aur phir subah tak woh log use mar bhi dal sakte hain...Is liye main ek torch leke nikal pari...ye soch ke ki agar main gublu tak pauch saku to sab ko inform kar dungi...magar...' he paused watching that daya went far ahead of them without caring to listen to her words...Crimson colour of profound pain rushed to her cheeks...Purvi sensed it noticing the direction of shreya's glance and she said sympathetically,:'sir shreya thaki huyi hai...resort me wapas ja ke sab baat sunenge...'
sachin: nahi purvi...abhi sun na jaroori hai...ha phir kya huya?
shreya came back with a jolt and continued,:' phir...phir... sir...main jungle me ghus gayi...bohut andhera tha...torch ki roshni se jitna ho raha tha utna hi dekh pa rahi thi...achanak mujhe char panch gundo ne pakr liyaa...main...main...' she gulped back a clod of pain and guilt and then ,:' sir...bohut koshish kiya ...magar woh log charo taraf se mujhe gher liya tha...aur sir...sar ki pichhe se mujhe mar ke behosh kar diyaa...'
sachin:(with a bitter expression) ohh no...tumhe kam se kam do aur officer ko leke jana chaiye tha...phir kya huya?
shreya: phir jab meri hosh aya...tab main dekha ki mujhe gublu ke sath bandh ke rakha hai...waha pe do gunde the...main kuchh tricks karke mushkil se gublu ko leke waha se bhagi...magar un gundo ne pichhe tak ate raha...phir mujhe woh kuya dekha aur main us kuya me utar ke cover laaga diya taqi sab ko lage ke ye ek bandh kuya hai...tab se main aur gublu waha pe hi baithe the...kareeb saat aat ghanta tak...kaise bahr niklu kuchh pata nahi chal raha tha...tab achanak...aise lagaa...jaise ki...
warm tears streaked down her cheeks as she jabbered out,:'daya sir ki...awaz...Main...patthar ka tukra leke upar tak throw kiya...jo kuya ka dhakkan me lag ke awaz kiya...aur daya sir ko...' her voice ebbed away and she very suddenly burst into tears embracing purvi tight...Purvi tried to allay shreya's pain with all possible effort while sachin said,:' relax Shreya...achcha matlab un gundo ne isi jungle me hain abhi?'
shreya:(with bitter sobs) ho sakte hain sir...main...main un logo ko...pakr na payi sir...sorry...
sachin: are shreya...tumne bohut achcha kam kiya...gublu ka jaan bachana sab se zada important tha...haa us gundo ka bhi pata to chal jayegaa... hum police ki madad lenge aur pura jungle ko chhan marenge...
purvi held shreya tight and helped her to step ahead...
sachin: gublu mil jane ki baad tum hume inform kyu na kiya?
shreya: sir... meri battery down ho gaya tha aur phir signal bhi na mil raaha tha mujhe...
The sun had beamed down when they returned to the resort...Purvi fetched tea for everyone after being fresh...Nikhil and Pankaj were praising shreya for her deed and at the same time teasing her with friendly humour...but with all her consciousness shreya knew that her whole heart was craving to see daya at a glance...because after their returning into the resort she hadn't seen him once though two full hour had been passed...her forlorn face was enough for her colleagues to sense why she hadn't been able to participate in adda and despite of doing such a brave work why she had been stooping down like a dried flower...she slowly leaped onto her feet while sachin said with authoritative voice,:' shreya abhi bahar na jaao...kam se kam aj rest kar lo...' Sobs lurched within her throat and she rushed into her room only to weep her heart out burying her face into a pillow. she was completely unaware when purvi entered into the room and locked the door...coming beside her when purvi touched her arm to console, she couldn't help it but divulge, in between sobs,:'sir...naraz ho gaye...ab...main khud ko...kaise maaf karungi Purvi...main...main...'
purvi flashed a tender smile at her and said slowly,:' tujhe bas daya sir ka narazgi hi nazar me aya...pata hai...kal rat se leke is waqt tak...woh kuchh na khaya...kuchh bhi naa...' shreya listened and stared at some unknown object with fervour until burying her blushing face into the arms of purvi when she whispered in her ear,:' pagli...jis ko itna pyar karti hai...uska narazgi se itna darr? unka sara narazgi chutki me door ho jayega...jis waqt tu unke kareeb jayegi...' her lips were pressed into a mischievous smile which made shreya more shy shy & shy...