Lying on the bed, Daya kept thinking still about the words of Anila's diary..Some pages of her diary had been torn by her sister-in-law and sent to him in evidence of Anila's love for him...where she had written with frank confession-mere mathe ki sindoor...mere gale ki mangalsutra...main aaj bhi rakh diyaa Dayaa...kyuki us pe tumhara hi naam likha hai...chahe mujhe bhaiya bhabi...kitna bhi zabardosti kare...main aur kisi se...shaadi nahi kar sakti hun...chahe khel khel me hi sahi...saat phera main tum hi se liya tha...sindoor tumahre hatho se hi pehna tha...chahe woh tumhare liye bas kaam ka hissa tha...magar...mere liye woh kal bhi sach tha...aaj bhi hai...age bhi rahega...Main ek bohut aam ladki hun Dayaa...tumhara quabil nahi hun...tumhara mann mujh ko ek bar yaad kare...itna bhi quabeeliyat hai nahi mujhe...tumhare saamne jane ka himmat kabhi bhi nahi hoga mujhe...magar...is sach ko...nakar ke...main dusra jeevan ke bare me soch nahi sakti hun...ke...meri mann ...bas tum ko hi...premi mana hai...bas tum ko hi pati mana hai...

is duniya ke liye main bebquf hun...is samaj ke nazro se chahe main kitni bhi chhoti ban ke jiyu...magar is sach ko nakar ke...main tumhara diya huya sindoor aur mangalsutra ka aapman nahi kar sakti hun...chahe tumhare liye...us ka koi kadr na rahe...magar woh mere liye utna hi pavitra hai..jo ki ek shadishuda aurat ke pas aapni sindoor aur mangalsutra hota hai..

Daya fidgeted with restlessness and simultaneously some words were drumming on the back of his mind,:'yaar Dayaa...Siddharth ko aisa lagta hai ki...tumhare karan...' Daya jolted with a scare...Indeed if the relationship between Shreya and siddharth suffered for him...how would he be able to forgive himself? Anila? Why so abruptly, he got to know about her? Isn't it indicating something else? Isn't it giving him the way what he should pick and what should not? Daya's brows drew together in an absurd thought...The thought that sent a shudder down his spine and he startled with a fright..."nahi nahi...ye main kya soch raha hun...aisa kaise ho sakta hai?...chahe kuchh bhi ho...magar shreya..." his thought disrupted as another self chimmed in brashly," kyu daya? aise soch se itna pareshan kyu ho rahe ho tum? akher shreya ki shaadi honewala hai...uske pas siddharth hain...dheere dheere woh sab bhul ke phir se nayi zindegi ka shuruyat kar sakti hain...magar...magar... Anila? uski pas kya hai? woh kya leke jiye?' Daya fidgeted again with sheer restiveness as he repudiated vehemently," mmagar Anila ki halat ke liye main kaha zimmedar hun? woh to headquarters ka plan tha...aur mujhe to...bas apna duty nibhana para tha...hha...mujhe pata hai...ki duty asan nahi tha...kyuki sab kuchh karna asan hota hai...magar kisi ke sath...pyar ka acting karna...sab se kathin kam hota hai...aur ye sab me...agar Anila itni affected ho gayi...to...to phir...? His line of thought had been stopped as his another self abrasively interrupted,:' wah daya...wah...bohut achcha excuse hai tumhara...kisi ko barbaadi ki taraf dhakel ke abhi keh rahe ho...ki...is me tumhara koi bhi zimmedari nahi! haaa...sach baat hai..ki...ek officer ban ke Anila ki prati tumhara koi duty nahi rahe...kyuki...ye ek plan hi tha...magar kya senior Inspector Daya ka pehchan sirf senior Inspector hi hai? us se bad ke kuchh nahi? kya tumhara andar ka insaan mar gaya? woh insan ki baat suno Dayaa...jo ek aam insaan hai...kyuki wohi tum ko sahi rah dikha sakta hai..." The battle continued as daya objected weakly,:'mmagar...mmain...mmain to bas...Shreya ko hi...pyar kiya hai...Akh band karne se...bas...usi ki...usi ki...chehra dekhne ko milta hai...aur...kya...ye...Anila ke prati bhi...anyay nahi hoga...agar...ye jan bujh ke...main...us ke sath zindegi ko jodu ke...main...kabhi bhi...kabhi bhi...use...' tears coursed down his cheeks,:'use...woh sab kuchh na de sakunga...jo...woh mangne ki haqdar hogi?' daya staring at the blurred mirror of the shabby hotel room, reached at the paroxysm of the astonishment seeing his reflection smirking at him, saying,:'kya shreya ke liye bhi ye jaroori nahi ki tum aur kisi ke sath involved raho? Siddharth ka mann me ye shaq ghus gaya hai...ki...tumhare sath Shreya ka kuchh to unusual baat hai...jo ki... ek senior junior relationship se alag hai...tumhara single bane rehna...uska woh shaq to barate rahega Dayaa...jab ki...shaadi karke...tum ek pal me...uska mann ka woh shaq mita sakte ho...aur ...woh shaq na rahe...to woh shreya ka bhi achcha khayal rakh payega...' daya with a stupefied gesture, remonstrated further,:'mmagar...mmagr ye kya Anila ke sath justice hoga? nahi nahi...agar use kabhi ye pata chale ke...siddharth ka mann ka shaq mitane ke liye ...main uski jeevan se khud ko jora...agar use kabhi ye pata chale ke...ke...Shreya ko...khush dekhne ke liye...maine ye...shaadi kiya...aur use...bas...ek mohra banaya? chhee chhee...main itna neech kaam Anila ki sath kar nahi paunga...nahi...kabhi nahi...' The reflection sneered again with a self complacent smile as if he knew every bit of future of the foursome involved in this whole incident and then suggested,:'tumhe chhor ke...Anila kisi ko kabhi shaadi nahi karegi...na hi kabhi kisi ke taraf dekhegi...kya tumhe ye nahi lagta hai...ki ye Anila ke prati tumhara karuna nahi...balki...uska pyar ko sahi maryada dena hai? tumhara ek hi kadam sab ka zindegi sudhar sakta hai dayaaa...tumhara ek kadam se...shreya bhi aur Anila bhi khush reh sakte hain...jab ki tumhara koi kadam na uthane se...koi bhi sukhi nahi reh payenge..." daya's moistened eyes wandered through many different obejct groping for something to clutch and he jabbered feebly,:'mmaagar ...Shreyaa...' The reflection countered back stoutly,:'Shreya faisla kar chuki hai dayaa...abhi uska faisla badal nahi sakta hai...Agar us ki zindegi Siddharth ke sath hi jodna hai...to tum apne mann se ye ummeed ko mita do...ki...ki...kabhi...shreya se ...tum mil sakte ho...behtar ye hoga...ki tumhara koshish ye rahe...ki kaise woh achcha rahe? kaise woh apne pati ki sath khush reh paye...' daya gaped at the floor quite vacantly, conjecturing that he would be walking beside Anila as her husband and...' he trembled with a start as his reflection stirred him further with persisting vehemence,:' do aurat ki zindegi tum sabr sakte ho dayaa...ek woh...jis ko tumne pyar kiya...aur dusra woh...jo tumhe pyar kiya...soch ke dekho dayaa...kya ye chhoti si kadam utha ke...tum sab ka bhala karne ka sochoge ya zindegi bhar...sab tumhare karan...ansu bahate rahenge? kya chahte ho tum?' there had been such a dangerous assertiveness in the words of his reflection that it was impossible to ignore. With a modest submission he replied back then,:'mmain...sab ka ...bhala chahta hun...'..The reflection flashed a wry smile at him before suggesting him,:' to phir der kis baat ki? har shubh kaam jaldi hi hona chaiye...'

:'magar...' daya tried to launch a weak protest but before that his reflection vanished into thin air...

Now what should he do? Now how would he be able to free himself from the cage of turmoil? He tried to dismiss every thought those were swirling inside him but all his efforts were in vein as a bitter headache was disturbing him...Quite forcefully he pillowed his head on a cushion and reaching at the brink of consciousness and sleep, he kept feeling that a perpetual battle was still on between Anila and Shreya, making his every nerve tensed...When finally the kip was broken, he felt that the dawn approached..The larks of the birds were getting audible and rounded red sun just appeared at the horizon refracting its orange hue...Daya pushed his quilt away and swung his feet onto the floor very slowly and advanced towards the window...There, standing riveted, he experienced such a beatific scenery that it seemed to him as if just to cherish the beauty of this nature, one could bear anything and everything...His headache vanished magically while he felt much more fresh seeing, the dew bathed, verdant green valley...The copses of trees were swaying and moaning with the cool morning breeze..Daya sniffed the breeze into his lungs and it definitely scour out every burning discomfort of last night...His shining blissful eyes were wandering through every portion of the valley until the sun rose above spreading its warmth. Keeping an eye over his wrist watch, he grunted, :'oh...it's seven...' He turned round and decided to bundle his clothes into his bag...but from somewhere there sprang an unknown force which tried to dissuade him to leave Kundai on that very day..He was perplexed once more and in order to end the affliction of being confused he hastened in dialing the number of Mrs. Mathur, the sister in law of Anila.

'hello' she received it promptly without giving him another chance to reconsider his action..

:'oh...hhe heello...Mrs Mathur...good morning...' he jabbered quite sheepishly..

:'good morning...who is speaking?' she was still in dark about the caller and thus quite uncomfortable...

Daya listened to his own heart beats as he spluttered, indecisively,:' main...Inspector Daya, ...bhabiji...'

Now was in full comfort to answer,:'Oh...aap...jee ha kahiye...Anila ko...phone dun?'

"nnahi...nahi nahi...' daya was quick to reply and then added,:'darasal...main Anila se milna chahta hun...'

Mrs. Mathur's silken voice was heard,:' aaj subah 9 baje phir aap humare ghar me chale aaiye...Anila rahegi ghar me...'

Daya with an uneasy titter exchanged greetings with her and cut the line...A queer steadfastness descended upon him as he kept making himself prepared to face Anila further...Bludgeoning millions of queries those crowded his mind, he was getting ready to face the inevitable incidents of his life...