Coming into a furnished room, Siddharth said gently,:'tum thora aram kar lo...tab tak main sara intezam kaise huya phir se ek bar check karke ata hun'...He turned back but then suddenly coming nearer shreya, whispered in her ear,:'jo bhi kaho...tumhara daya sir bohut hi mysterious aadmi hain...chhupa rustam nikla...'Shreya felt a horrible shudder passed throgh her spine and as Siddharth departed with loud chortle she felt relieved..but still the atmosphere was stifling for seemed as if every iota of oxygen had been sucked out making the air poisonous...With much difficulty she hobbled towards the back door which opened into the back lawn and garden...Opening the door, she tried to stand erect but her body denied. Looking far she saw the silhouettes of the trees against the evening sky and a dangerous twinge of pain as if gnawd her heart with a painful effect...She came out of the door, and trudged towards the grove of coconut trees..Mild breeze was fanning her face, and a distant sough was audible as the sea roaring just a little far...Shreya, looked at the indigo sky-some stars were just getting visible and fleecy clouds were drifting slowly from one part of the sky to another...Shreya gasped coming nearer a tree and for support she grasped the trunk of it and sobbed pathetically which was creeping inside her since so long...She murmured by herself,:'kkyu...kyu...itna dard ho raha hai mujhe?' the intensity of her sob had been appeased a little and she kept musing staring at the vast sky..."main to Siddharth se shaadi karne hi wali hun...to phir ...aaj...daya sir ka shaadi ki khabar se...aisa kyu lag raha hai...ke...ke mere andar jaise sab kuchh tut raha hai? aur ye andar ki tor for ko...rokne ka ...taqat...mere pas nahi hai...Daya sir...jo mera itna khayal rakha karta tha...aaj...kisi...kisi...dusre ka...khayal rakhenge...ye soch ke...itna dard kyu ho raha hai mujhe... ' her heart seemed to be squeezed as she kept musing,:' shawad is liye...ki...aaj...sara ummeed khatam ho gayaa...shawad is liye...ki aaj thik se mehsus ho raha hai...humara rahein...hamesha ke liye alag honewala hain...' her eyes protruded with a mixture of agony & fright and she muttered,:'nahi...ye nahi ho sakta hai...aisa nahi ho sakta hai...daya sir kisi aur ko...shaadi nahi kar sakte hain...aisa kabhi nahi ho sakta hain...ye koi bura sapna tha mera...haaa...' her make up smudged badly as tears suffused her face and her anchal slipped down without her consciousness...She looked like a bewildered unconscious woman who had been moseying along here and there searching for someone..In order to reduce the excruciating pain, she scratched her hand on the uneven ragged trunk and inescapbly blood started oozing from her palm..She kept gazing at her wounded palm and recalled how Daya had been tending her wound, way back in the jungle...She further received a stabbing pain recalling the moment and failed to restrain her sob forgetting about the consequences..Her body was shuddering violently with each of her painful sob...Time elapsed unconsciously and it was when someone tapped her behind, she jolted with a start-kkau...kkaun...daya sir? her tongue slipped in reflex but twirling back she found purvi and Tarika beside her...She snuggled up against Purvi and burst into a blubber...Purvi tried to soothe her but before they could react, Shreya herself jabbered,:'ttum ttum...llogo ko pata hai...pata hai...daya sir...shaadi...' she stopped and her face again distorted with agony... Tarika closed her eyes for a moment and then opening her eyes, she nodded,:'haa Shreya...pata hai...'

Shreya glanced at Tarika astonishingly and asked authoritatively,:'koi...baat huya tha...unse tumhara?'

Tarika's eyes turned hazy as she sunk into past,even if it was just one day old...

[Flashback]

After Slipping out of Shubham marriage hall, Abhijeet invited everyone to visit once at his residence and though some members were reluctant to go there, but no one disobeyed the humble request of a senior colleague...The whole team reached and gathered at the drawing room of Abhijeet and kept waiting to listen to him, as everyone had been conjecturing that there must be some reason behind this invitation though no one revealed their thoughts... Abhijeet with a beaming face, announced,:'tum log soch rahe ho...ki ye kya chakkar hai? itna achcha khana peena ke baad...Abhijeet sir hume kyu atak ke rakhna chahte hain? hai na?' his smile was broadened while Pankaj answered,:'nahi sir...main to jaldbazi me zada kha bhi na paya...yaha pe khane me mujhe koi problem nahi hoga(wink)...Abhijeet's face though turned grave but a twinkle of mischeif was glinting in his eyes...Nikhil goggled his eyes at Pankaj and then Abhijeet returned back further,:' nahi pankaj...main aaj tum logo ko nahi khilane wala hun...kyuki do din baad hi...ttum logo ko phir se aise majedar khana khana parega...'

pankaj: achcha?kis khushi me sir?

Abhijeet: aur ek shaadi ki khushi me...

Every one stunned and tried to guess what could be the matter but before that Abhijeet disclosed,:' 2nd ko Daya ka shaadi hai...hum sab ka bhabi anewali hai...aur uska khushi me main aaj tum logo ko chay peelaungaa...'

Fredricks was jolted with a start,:'kkya baat kar rahe ho Sir? Daya sir ka shaadi? magar kal tak to hume pata nahi thaaa...acchanak kaise tair ho gaya shaadi?'

Abhijeet with a gleaming face,:'arrey...tum sab ko kehne ke liye hi to bulaya freddy...daya sir ko to jante ho tum log...apna shaadi ka baat kehte huye sharmayega...

Tarika rushed before daya,with a raging face,:'ye sab kya hai daya?'

daya was a little flummoxed facing tarika's straight alleagation, in front of every junior...Tarika was adament,;'ye tum kaise kar sakte ho?' her eyes exuded fire, while Abhijeet interferred,:'ek minute Tarika...' He then ordered his housekeeper to make the arrangement of tea and snacks for everyone and brought both daya and tarika in a room, closing the door...

Abhijeet: haa abhi bolo Tarika, kya keh rahe the tum?

Tarika: main janta chahti hun ke daya aisa kaise kar sakta hai?

Abhijeet replied, without giving daya any chance to counter,:'kyu? kya nahi kar sakta hai Daya? aur kyu nahi kar sakta hai?'

Tarika felt a little embarrased but managing it, she came back, emphatically,:'Abhijeet tumhe sab pata hai...daya shreya ko pyar karta hai...

Abhijeet chimmed in brashly,:'woh to...shreya bhi karti thi...

Tarika shaking her head, asserted desperately,:'samajhne ki koshish karo Abhijeet...shawad...shawad...shreya ka ...koi...majboori ho...'

Abhijeet flashed a paintive smile, and then came back,: chahe majboori ho ya chahe na ho...shaadi to ho raha hai na? aur phir tumhe kaise pata hai ke daya ka koi majboori nahi hai?haa?'

Tarika scrabbling for a word in order to continue the battle and she returned back late,:'ye...ye zid me...charo zindegi...barbaad honewala hai Abhijeet...hhum...kkuchh kar sakte the...'

Abhijeet gritted his teeth in replying,:'sagai...ho chuka hai Tarika...abhi...abbhi...kuchh nahi ho sakta hai...aur phir...na hone ka...na hone ka...shawad wajah bhi hai Tarika...'

Tarika with a damn surprising face,:'Abhijeet tum ye sab kya bol rahe ho? mujhe kuchh samajh me nahi araha hai...kal tak...ttum...daya aur shreya ko...sath dekhna chahte the...aur aaj...'

Abhijeet resumed assertively, :'uske liye...Shreya ka mann bhi to...daya ke sath hona chaiye tha na? mera aur tumhara chahne se kya ho sakta hai Tarika?'

Tarika lost and looked like a defeated one, in front of logical words of Abhijeet and cringing at the floor, she spluttered,:'ab...shreya poochhe...to...main kya kahu?'

Abhijeet divulged, emphatically, angrily,:'keh dena...ki...pyar shor machake kehne ka cheez nahi hai...balki...mehsus karne ka cheez hai...' he was panting and drops of sweat spilling down from his hair..

Now daya interferred,:Abhijeet...please!...' Stark agony reflected through his crimson face as he added, wistfully,:'ttum log...please...jhagra na karo...' He reamined silent in order to bludgeon the pain that was disturbing him in his throat, and then composing himself, he came back looking at Tarika,:'Tarika...woh...poochhe...to tum...yehi kehna ke...' tear drops falling from his eyes,:' ke main usko...Siddharth ke sath...khush dekhna chahta hun...aur ye bhi kehna ke...uske sath...mera duyaein...hamesha rahega...' Tarika was befuddled and bereft of speech, listenting to daya's words...and before she could make any comment daya steamed out murmuring feebly,:"chalta hun Abhijeet...baad me milte hain...'

[Flashback ended]

Tarika startled as Shreya vigorously shook her hand, imploring worriedly,:'Tarika kkya baat huya tha daya sir se?haa...'

Tarika tried to cover the embarrassment printed over her face and with a fleeting smile, she answered,:'zada aa kuchh nahi Shreya...Abhijeet ...' she paused and after a long sigh continued,:'Abhijeet...sab ko...daya ka shaadi ke bare me...kaha...aur...aur...koi baatein na huya tha...'

Shreya stared vaguely at some unknown object for some seconds before lamenting,:'bebquf ki tarha...main...mmain...unke liye...intezar...karti rahi...ye soch ke...ki...ki...woh kabhi...mujhe...pyar ka izhar karega...magar...woh to...woh to kisi dusre ko pyar karke...use jeet bhi liya...' she was abruptly interrupted by Purvi, as she repudiated,:'aise na kaho Shreya...shawad hum ko...pata nahi...ki Daya sir...aisa faisla kyu kiya...'

:'kyu na kahu?' screamed shreya, with a painful expression over her drenched face,:'usne...khud...Siddharth ko kaha tha...ki...woh...apni dil ki mallika ko...' she choked, and spluttered the rest with dregs of energy,:' dil ki baat bata diyaa...iska matlab kya...ye nahi...ki...woh ladki...woh ladki...main nahi...' her face contorted as she couldn't restrain her emotions...

Purvi smiled dolorously muttering out,:' kisi ko na jaan ke...uske bare me aisa sochna sahi nahi hai Shreya...Siddharth ko woh...shawad tumhare liye jhut kaha ho..' her glance automatically flew to Tarika and Tarika stared at her meaningfully.

:'nahi Purvi...' answered Shreya with a plaintive voice,:'sach to ye hai ke woh mujhe kabhi pyar kiya hi nahi...agar kiya hota...to kya...' she stopped sinking into deep thought while Purvi asked,:'agar kiya hota to kya Shreya? sach kahu...to jab...jab tum...Siddharth ko shaadi kar hi rahi ho...tab...daya sir ko...tum se...ya tum ko...daya sir se...door rehna hi achchi baat hai...hai na?'

Shreya was jolted inside...Indeed she was getting married with someone else...Then what right she could have upon daya sir...to expect that he would be maintaining his bachelorhood unless his last breath? She lost her every right in that very moment when she hastened to say a "yes" to Siddharth..Why did she hasten? She could have revealed the truth to her mother, way before, when her parents had been thinking about arranging a meeting between two family? Did she decide to get married wth siddharth just for her parents...or had she wanted to teach daya sir a lesson as he failed to express his feelings formally? Whatever her brain tried to discern, but deep inside her heart she had known the truth that daya sir...loved her earnestly, selflessly...and it seemed now that she had a faith upon him, that whatever she would do, he would be there for her to rectify her fault...But...pathetically...the dim hope that was lying in her sub-consciousness, shattered as daya declared delightfully about his getting maried...She awakened as Purvi nudged her,:'apne aap ko samhal lo Shreya...kisi bhi waqt Siddharth asakta hai...aur...naturally...tumhe aise dekh ke...un ko..achcha nahi lagega...' Shreya endeavoured to compose herself, settling her attire in a proper way and as she wiped er tears off, she heard the silken voice of Siddharth,:'shreya...ttum thik to ho na? '

Shreya stammered,:'hha...I'm all right...'

Siddharth with an astounding glance,:'to phir yaha kyu ho? tumhare sare colleagues agaye hain...'

Shreya answered in a toneless voice,:'abhi arahi hun...'

Siddharth said suddenly,:'oh...haaa...Abhijeet nahi aya magar...unko to expect bhi nahi kar sakte hain hum...hai na? akher daya ka shaadi jo hai...us ka kaam me hi phans gaya hoga...' a faint smile hovered at his lips while purvi and tarika exchanged grim glances...Shreya turned back and with an artificial smile, she advanced towards Siddharth, trying to be chirpy,:'I'm so forgetful...lets go...' Siddharth kept staring a little sheepishly at Shreya for some seconds and then whispered,:'chalo...' They went towards the door like a happy couple, nuzzling with each other, while Tarika spluttered,:'pata nahi kyu...Purvi mujhe lag raha hai...kuchh bohut galat hone ja raha hai...' Purvi sighed with distress and then clipped,:'chalo andar...'