28th September, Shubham Marriage Hall

Shreya was sitting like a statue in a room,engulfed by Purvi Tarika and some of her cousin sisters and her parents & relatives were busy to receive the guests and preparing everything, before the priest called the bridal couple for the rituals...

cousin sis 1: kis khayal me khoyi huyi hai Shreya? arrey jeejaji ki khayal me khoye rehne ke liye to tere pas puri zindegi para hai...abhi to thori humare surat bhi dekh le...

cousin sis 2: haa shreya...jab se tere shaadi fix huya hai...tu to bohut hi ghamandi ho rahi hai ha? kyu re? humare jeejaji handsome hai is liye? ya phir woh successful hai is liye?

shreya looked at them and gave them a faint smile trying to be shy enough...

cousin sis 3: are nahi nahi...jeejaji handsome hai to kya humari shreya kuchh kam hai? woh bhi to pari hai pariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...

cousin sis 1: waiseeeeee...kya shaadi ke baad bhi tu...aise rough and tough cop ban ke CID ka naukri karte rahegi? hmmmm?(dancing her eyebrows sardonically)

cousin sis 4: kyu nahi? jab jeejaji khud permission diya hai tab kyu chhoregi woh naukri?

cousin sis 2: haaye...kitna khushnaseeb hai Shreya...mere naseeb me aisa laddu kab phootega?

Purvi and Tarika enchanged glances with grim faces while Shreya spluttered in low voice,:'Tarika...' Tarika stooped down from standing position,:'haa shreya...'

shreya was hesitant and then asked,mustering every bit of courage,:'Abhijeet ssir...agaye kya?'

A weary smile touched Tarika's lips as she answered,:'nahi Shreya...abhi tak to...aya nahi...'

shreya almost implored,:'jaa ke...dekho na please...' Tarika was about to say something but before that Kaven along with Dushmyant Ishika Vikram Mayukh and Divya entered into the room..

Dushmyant said with smiling face,:' congratulation Shreya...hum log agaye hain...tum chinta na karo...aram se sagai ke rasme pura karo...' the male members departed soon while Ishika and Divya stayed there with delightful faces...Ishika said coming nearer Shreya,:' maam...aap bohut sundar lag rahi hain...'

shreya with a grateful smile replied,:'thanks Ishika...ttum log khare kyu ho? baitho naa...'

divya stated gently,:'aap chinta na kijiye maam...we are all right...'

shreya flashed a mild smile at them and they retired into another room...

Shreya clenched Tarika's palm tightly and now Tarika sat beside her,placing her ghoonghat at right place while shreya whispered,:' Tarika...Freddy ssir...nikhil...' she was panting and beads of sweat stood over her forehead...' Tarika smiled dolefully saying,:' pata nahi Shreya...shawad woh sab log mandap ke pas honge...thik hai...main dekh ke ati hun...' but before Tarika could leap onto her feet, Shreya's mother came in a rush,:' girls...Shreya ko leke aao...punditji bula rahe hain...aao Shreya...'

Tarika looked at Shreya and noticed shreya's moistened eyes and beseeching glance and she averted her glance quickly saying, :'chalo Shreya...der ho raha hai...'

Shreya came out of the room and advanced towards the mandap slowly...Daya's smiling face was flickering before her blurry eyes...She tried to compose herself and then coming nearer the mandap she looked around...in a way as if she was searching for someone desperately...but her trance was broken as Siddharth's sister grasped her hand and ushered her the way to show where she would have to sit...

Siddharth was sitting already there while the priest was waiting for shreya to start the rituals...Shreya sat obediently and just at that moment she saw that Daya along with Abhijeet entering into the hall...He wore a simple off white punjabi and white pajama...His glance stuck at the mandap and as he reached there, shreya 's gaze flew into him and their gazes locked instantly...Siddharth looked at Shreya fervently and noticed shreya's stare at elsewhere while Daya showed Siddharth a thumb with smiling face and receeded back into another room...Siddharth glanced at Shreya a little beadily, angrily before shreya could settle herself in concentrating on the rituals..A wave of pain flowed through her body though she kept tittering at Siddharth every now and then and looking at the people who gathered around them...

[In the room]

Daya took a glass of pinapple juice from the tray and sat in a recluse corner and Abhijeet too came beside him with a glass of mango juice...As Abhijeet kept his hand upon Daya's shoulder, Daya turned towards him and flashed him an uneasy chuckle and muttered then,:'it's okay Abhijeet...main...mmain thik hun...'

Abhijeet smirked at his words and then asked,:'kis ko bol rahe ho ye baat? main to poochha hi nahi...'

Daya,with a flippant smile, with much discomfort, answered,:'mmujhee...pata hai Abhijeet...ke...ttumm...tum...mere liye chinta kar rahe ho...'

Abhijeet now with a beaming smile commented,:'nahi kar raha hun dayaa...mera mann keh raha hai ...ki...tum bohut khush rehnewale ho...aur ek dost ka soch...kabhi galat nahi ho sakta hai...'

Daya chuckled again to see Abhijeet's spirit soaring high; he remained silent though unknowingly once his eyes brimmed with tears but he managed to conceal it from Abhijeet and kept praying with every bit of energy inside him about the happy and prosperous life for the couple...

Sachin and Nikhil abruptly appeared and hastened looking at Abhjeet,:'ssir...aap...' he stopped and their glances fell upon Daya's lugubrious face and both Sachin and Nikhil sighed with despair...

Abhijeet ventured,:'kkya Sachin? kuchh kehna tha?'

Nikhil: ssir...woh...

Abhijeet: kkya? kkya huya hai?

Sachin:(whisper) ssir...Shreya ka papaji...kisi bhi haal me chhor nahi rahe hain...woh keh rahe hain...ki bina khana kha ke...hum yaha se ja nahi sakte hain...

Abhijeet:(whisper) haa to kha ke hi jayenge na...chalo ...

nikhil and sachin exchanged a little surprising glances and then sachin ventured,:'ssir...daya ssir ko...'

abhijeet with a complacent smile, stated stoutly:'daya ko itna kamzor na samjho Sachin...jab woh yaha pe aa saka...to khana bhi kha payega...' his jaws tightened; moistened eyes glowed abnormally with a belief and after a pause he said in an authoritative voice,:'ttum log khane jaao...main Daya ko leke ata hun...'

sachin and nikhil disappeared while Abhijeet coming slowly beside daya said,:'daya mujhe to bohut bhukh lag raha hai...chalo kuchh kha lete hai...'

daya was baffled initially and then trying to cover the cyclonic turmoil inside his heart, he flashed a woebegone smile and clipped,laconically,:'chalo...'

Abhijeet stared at him piteously, murmuring beneath his breath,:'sorry dost...mujhe pata hai...tumhe bhukh nahi...pyas nahi...khana ko gale se utar na bhi is waqt mushkil hai...mmagar...tum ko khana parega...hasna bhi parega...ye udasi tumhare liye nahi hai dayaa...ttum bohut sara khushi ka haqdaar ho...aur...shawad...' his line of thought was terminated listening to the voice of daya,:'kya huya yaar? kaha na bhukh laga hai?'

Abhijeet giggled and clasping daya's hand, he said,:'chalo...'

The place of food & beverages was crammed with people as every one perhaps wanted to have it as early as possible...Daya whispered in Abhijeet's ear,:'yaar...main chalu...itna bheer laga huya hai...' abhijeet goggled his eyes in reprimanding his friend and advanced clenching his hand tightly...On the way, they almost collided with Shreya's father and as he glanced at Abhijeet, his head lowered by reflex and he jabbered uneasily,:' bete ttum log...ttum log...thik se...khana kha lena...' Abhijeet smirked involuntarily and then replied,:'jaroor uncle ji...jaroor...aap fikr na kijiye...' Shreya's father escaped quickly while abhijeet and daya settled beside a table. Abhijeet went to fetch the food while daya sat alone in a chair, feeling inexplicably lonely, within the inferno of the hall...The adorned face of Shreya was flickering before his eyes and a twinge of pain was disturbing him,in a way which he couldn't gulp back neither he could spout out...But within a minute a steadfasness descended upon him scolding him in stringent manner,:' kyu dukhi ho Daya? tumhara jeevan bhi abhi kisi ke sath bandhnewala hai...us ladki ki socho...jo tumhare bare me soch ke shawad khush ho rahi hai...jo...kal ko...tumhari jeevan sathi bannewali hai...jise tumhara mamta aur pyar pane ka pura haq hai...jo na paya ...uske liye dukhi hone se behtar hai...ki...jo paya...uska kadr karo...samman karo...' His face turned thoughtful as he gazed at the top of the table with vacuous expression...

Abhijeet returned back with two plates, and sitting there he said,:'lo yaar kha lo...pata nahi aur kya kya khana tha...bheer samhal ke main la nahi saka...' he forced a smile trying to maintain a normal gesture which could emollient the intensified pain of daya...Daya slowly finished his plate almost within a trance...Abhijeet was nattering about a lot of thing...but his words were not being audible and perceivable to him...His daze was broken as Tarika approached to them unexpectedly with a flummoxed face and though abhijeet cued her not to tell daya anything...but she muttered finally,:'daaya...woh...' she paused and both could read utter perplexity writter over her face...Daya asked maintaining poise,:'kya baat hai Tarika? sab...ho gaya?'

Tarika answered with a stern face,:'haa Dayaa...behtar hota ...tum...tum ekbar...Shreya se mil lete to...'

Daya's brows puckered together and he snapped a little brusquely,:'kyu?'

Tarika now stammered for a reasonable reply and at last she presented one,:' woh...subah se...Shreya...tumhare...I mean...tum dono ke bare me...poochh rahi thi...'

now Abhijeet interferred laconically,:'use tum keh dena...ki hum dono...khana khaya hain...bohut enjoy kiya hain...aur...hume...hhumme koi...pareshani...na huya hhai...' his voice choked which he tried to manage while Tarika almost shrieked with shock,:'Abhijeeeet! please...'

Abhijeet gulped back a lump and asked;:'aur...ssab log...kkaha haai?'

Tarika replied,;'CID ka sabhi log...aabhi udhar hain...bas tum dono hi...'

Abhijeet exclaimed,:'achcha?' his glance then flew to daya who with a weary smile suggested,:'to hum bhi chalte hain waha ...kyu Abhijeet?'

abhijeet agreed with a grim face,:'chalo...'

As the rituals had been completed, the couple was now sitting in a big room engulfed by the team members of CID...Shreya was blushing oddly with a faint smile pasting over her face while Siddharth was talking to every one personally with gleaming face...As Daya and Abhijeet entered, a morbid silence fell upon which made siddharth a little shocked and astounded...Daya with a feigned grin shook hand with Siddharth saying,:'badhai ho Siddharth...aise hi...hanste rehna...hamesha...'

siddharth a little scornfully replied back,:' mere hansna to ab ...aap logo ke colleague ki upar dependant hai...agar mujhe khush dekhna hai...to use hi keh dena...'

Shreya's face darkened while everyone started exchanging tensed glances, but at the right moment abhijeet countered, with a chortle,:' woooooh to kaha nahi ja sakta hai Siddharth...kyuki humara zindegi to dishoom dishoom se bhara hai...hai na? kyu Sachin?'

Sachin flashed a fatuous smile agreeing with Abhijeet,:'haaa haaa ssir...'

Siddharth sneered lightly and then came back,:'jis baat ke liye...main...aap logo ko yaha pe atak ke rakha hun...woh abhi kehna hai...'

Everyone was astonished at the words of him including Shreya herself and with a frightened glance she kept staring at his would be husband's face...Siddharth continued,with modesty,:'dekhiye...aaj...itni bheer me...aap logo se thik se pehchan tak na huyaa...main bilkul attention na de paya...Is liye main kal ek chhoti si party diya hai...jaha pe sirf aap log honge...aur hum honge...' he looked at Shreya tenderly and then again at her colleagues...Shreya was stupefied, though with much effort she tried to be calm...Abhijeet expressed himself though with a smile,:'iis ka...kya jaroorat hai Siddharth? ttum ...ttum...kisi bhi waqt...bureau me aao...mil lo hum se...jaan pehchan bhi...ho jayega...aur...' he lingered the sycophantic smile just to please a man who could be the cause of happiness of Shreya...

:'jaroorat hai..' Siddharth returned with assertiveness,:'I mean...Shreya ka bhi to jee karta hai na...ki...woh personally...aap sab logo ka khatirdari kare...' his smile came back over his lips,:'kyu Shreya?' he put it in before shreya looking at her again with tenderness...

Shreya, trying to screen the bafflement stammered,;'hha...haaa...kyu nahi?'

Siddharth now uttered again seeming to be gentle,:'to kal raat 9 baje...pipli bunglow me...aap sab ayenge phir se...please...'

There was an uncanny silence and an air of embarrassment made the atmosphere stifling...Abhijeet though took up the responsibility to rescue every one,:'thik hai Siddharth...hum...hum..jaroor ajayenge...agar...sab thik rahe...I mean...I mean...' he smiled again sheepishly and then..:'agar...koi jaroori case na ajaye to...Abhi...hum ko chalna hoga Siddharth...'

siddharth: jee...kal phir aaiyega...

Sachin:(with a smile) koshish karenge...

Siddharth: koshish nahi...ana parega sab ko...

Dushmyant: take care shreya...take care Siddharth...

Pankaj: jaroor aaunga jeejaji...don't mind...khane ko kuchh milega na? (wink)

every one was coming out of the room and daya too followed them but once he looked back and saw painful confusion within the eyes of Shreya...He wished to ask her as he always used to do,:'shreya...kis baat se itna pareshan ho tum? main koi madad kar sakta hun kya?' but he smiled ruefully and turned back to be vanished out of her sight..Shreya on the other hand kept gazing vacantly, even after all left her except Siddharth and startled as he twined her making her nestled again his chest saying smilingly,:'kyu? thora to hans do...sagai ho chuka hai humara...' Shreya, trying to dismiss every bit of pain, astonishment and shock, flashed a fleeting smile at him with uneasiness, though her forlorn eyes reflected a deep fright and insecurity...