[Five days later]

Shreya was coiled herself up on her soft bed, staring vacantly at the floor...A dangerous glumness printed over her face and even in daylight she preferred to be in a dark corner of her room, avoiding every acquainted ones...In the past days she chose not to visit Daya in hospital and surprisingly getting victimized by a horrible apathy, she didn't care to go to office and even denied responding when anyone called from CID bureau... A dim realization hitting her brain made her aware that a bad depression was slowly seizing her...A depression which was guiding her towards a dark tunnel which perhaps had no end...

Suddenly it seemed that everything around her turned insipid and she found everything meaningless which appealed her in the past...

She swung her legs slowly out of the bed and shuffled towards the glass window which was covered by heavy curtain...Reaching at the window, she curled her lips out of pity for herself and kept aside the curtain and startled with squinted eyes as sunlight flooded her face...Before she could keep her glance over the swaying trees and blooming flowers in their garden, she heard loud tap on her door...She once looked back at the door and then ignored with a irksome face...Since the last five day she ignored everyone's plead to come out and though she regretted for her rudeness but still she couldn't pacified enough to behave properly

with everyone...The tap continued and getting louder making her though restive but dangerously stubborn..She turned her hardened face away and gazed at the garden aimlessly...After about a minute she heard the sound of unlocking her door and she twirled finding Siddharth infront of her,while a key was hanging from his finger...

She tried to behave normally, concealing the flaming anger inside her,:'ttum? aiseee...' but she was interrupted as in a rush of rage Siddharth clasped her so tightly that her arms was aching badly...Shreya looked into his eyes being a little scared and hesitant muttering out,:'aise kaise...andar aya ttum?'

Siddharth bellowed with impatience,:'kyu aise bartab kar rahi ho tum? aise kaun si wajah hai ke khud ko panch din se is ghar me band karke rakhna para?"

Shreya tried to force a smile,saying,:'wwoh...tabiyat...thik...thik nahi tha...' she stammered as Siddharth's grip was tightened,:'bo...bohhut...stress tha...llast case me...' Siddharth shook her vigorously with a vicious smile,:'tumhara jhut se...main bohut pareshan ho raha hun Shreya...abhi bhi waqt hai...sach bataooo...'

Shreya unable to gaze at the enraged face of Siddharth turned her stern face away and rasped in a whisper,:'chhoro mujhe...dard ho raha hai...'

Siddharth's glowering eyes kept wandering at the russet face of Shreya for a little and then he disengaged himself from Shreya pushing her away...Shreya was profoundly shocked and was not in a state to utter anything, until Siddharth stated gnawing his teeth though in a hushed

tone of voice,:'Shreyaa...aur kitni din tum mujhe aise dhoka dogi? kitni din? '

Shreya with a slight treble in voice replied,:'mmain...mmain...kisi ko...dhoka...nahi...de rahi hun...Siddharth...mmain...koshish kar rahi hun...sach ka samna karne kaa...'

Siddharth rasped further,:'kya ye sach nahi...ki ttum Daya ka accident ki wajah se...upset ho? Kya ye sach nahi ki Daya ke sath tumhara chemistry kuchh alag hai aur tum Daya se bohut kuchh ummeed kar rahi ho...abhi bhi...jab ke woh shaadi kar chuke hain? agar ye sab jhut hai...to mere akho me akhe dal ke kaho...kaho Shreya aaj tumhe kehna parega...'

Shreya stood riveted there with mute astonishment and instead of replying back, she occupied herself in analysing whether these allegations of Siddharth were true and if (she afraid it was true) it was true then how could she manage to form a plausible reply...Her mind kept mocking her cruelly, saying, :'kyu Shreya? chup rehne se kab tak sach ko taal sakti hai tu? aur phir sach baat to ye hai ki baat ko taal hi kyu rahi hai tu? kya jaroorat hai abhi baat ko talne ka?' she was jolted as Siddharth yelled further,:'kya main tumhe poochha nahi tha? kya main koi jabardosti kiya tha is shaadi me raazi hone ke liye? jawab do...Mera jajbat ke sath aisa khilbar kyu kiya tumne?' Shreya ventured to be normal further with a nervous titter saying,:'aisi baat nahi hai Siddharth...Sach me hi meri tabiyat thik nahi tha...aur phir...' before she coould continue Siddharth grasped her hand further with a scowling face making Shreya so much scared that she felt as if teetering on the brink of an abyss...Siddharth checked himself back and then suggested,:'ainda...kisi ke sath itna bura na karna ttum...jitna bura tumne mere sath kiya hai...'

Shreya losing her patience this time, stormed in anger,:'kya bura kiya main tumhare sath? agar shaadi nahi karna chahte ho to its fine...magar mujh pe illzam kyu laga rahe ho?'

Siddharth turned towards her and with a sardonical smile,answered back,:"tum to mujhe ek dost ka jagah bhi nahi diya hai...jeevan sathi to door ka baat ...'

Shreya couldn't protest this time...She stood in silence with a culpable face while Siddharth continued,:'agar mujhe ek dost samajhti...to sach kam se kam mujhe keh sakti thi...' he paused as his face turned gloomy,:'ki tumhe Daya se pyar hai...aur mujh ko tum kabhi bhi woh jagah de nahi paaogi...'

Shreya startled looking at his glistening eyes and she could only jabber out lamely,:'yye...yye...ttumhe kaise pata chala?'

A smirk came in Siddharth's face as he answered back,:'tumhara har action se...aur tumhara colleagues ka expression se...Bhala hi...ttum kitna bhi koshish karo ye sab chhupane ki...magar...chhupa nahi payi Shreya...' his voice was softened and a despair descended upon him as he kept clarifying,:'pati patni ka rishte se agar bharosa vishwas hi gayab rahe shuruyat se...to phir aise rishta ka kya faida?'

Shreya fought back with a pleading voice,:'ttumhe to pata hai Siddharth...mom ka heart disease hai...aur woh...chahti thi..ke...' her words were interrupted in vehemence,:'ye baat tum mujhe kyu chhupaya Shreya...ki...tumhara koi majboori se mera shaadi honewala hai...tum se nahi?'

Shreya found herself speechless and indeed it seemed as if she was tottering in her memory cells to bring a presentable reply but she failed miserably as Siddharth's justified questions were pricking her heart and mind compelling her to realise that she made irretrievable mistake...

but her drowning self perhaps ventured for the last time saying,:'mmagr ...Siddharth...Daya ssir...mujhe...pyar nahi karte hain...aur...woh...kabhi mujhe...propose bhi...nahi kiya hai...'

Siddharth with a flippant smile,stated now in a much more calm manner,:"tumhara sab se bada galti idhar huya Shreya...tumhe ye soch ke faisla lena chaiye tha ...ki tumhara dil kya chahti hai...aj Daya tumse pyar ka izhar kar nahi paya to tum mere sath sagai kar liya...kal Daya agar ake izhar kar deta to pal me tum mere dil torke chali jati...zara soch ke dekho Shreya...is ka koi jaroorat tha?'

:'to main karti to kya karti?' Shreya tried to be domineering,:'mere pas kya option tha Siddharth? Daya sir ye jan bujh ke bhi khamosh rahe ki mere sath tumhara rishta judne wala hai...To mere pas aur kaun sa rasta tha ye sab kuchh avoid karne ka?'

Siddharth further grasped both shoulders of her and emphasized,:'mujhe haa kehne me tumhe itna kya jaldi tha? dost samajh ke kam se kam mujhe keh sakti thi ki tumhare dil me kya hai...To phir aaj na to tumhe ye din dekhna parta aur na mujhe...' he stopped leaving shreya and shrugged in extreme despair...Shreya remained silent and unconsciously crimson colour of resentment seeped through her face...

Siddharth resurrected back,:'socha tha...ye baat itni jaldi nahi kahunga main...kyuki...bhala hi...mera dimag mujhe keh raha tha...ki main ...tumhara aur daya ke bare me jo bhi samjha hai...woh sahi hai...magar...mmagr...dil...dil...man na nahi chahta tha...' his voice trembled once,:'aur phir...mera dimag ka bhi ...tum se...itna ummeed tha...ki...mera shaq agar sahi hoga...to woh baat...tum khud kisi din mujh ko kahogi...' His vacant gaze upon the garden through the windown elongated as he added,plaintively,:'magar...woh din...aya nahi Shreya...Mera sara ummeed me...pani pher gaya...jab...pichhle panch din se...main tumhare ghar ake...laut gaya...bar bar uncleji se yehi baat sun ke...ki...tum itna beemar ho ke...un logo se bhi baat nahi kar rahi ho...' he stopped and maintained a stifling silence of a minute...Shreya though broke it cringing her head,:ssorry Siddharth...agar...agar...mere karan...tumhe...itna chot pauche hain...actually...mujhe...mujhe kuchh...thik se samajh me ane se pehle hi...' she was scrabbling for many words but she had to stop getting the touch of Siddharth as he cupped her chin now softly,:'Shreya,' he temporized with a rueful smile,:'I know...Actually...ttum...is mamle me...abhi bhi immature hi ho...ek chhoti si bachchi jaisi...' he gave her an affectionate look and then divulged,:'main tumhe is waqt...humare rishte se...mukt kar raha hun Shreya...'

Shreya was startled and her already ashen face turned a shade paler listening to him...She tried to utter something being flummoxed,:'mmagr...Siddharth...'

Siddharth spluttered,stoutly,:'main chahta hun Shreya...ki...tum...tab hi shaadi ka faisla karo...jab tumhe...kisi se sachcha pyar ho jaye...chahe mujh se...ya aur kisi se...' a faint smile pasted over his lips as he continued,:"kyuki mujhe lagta hai ki...Daya ko bhi...tumne...bas pasand kiya tha...' he sighed and said,:'pyar nahi...'

anger reflected through the glistening eyes of Shreya and she disagreed vehemently,:"ye kaise keh sakte ho tum? tumhe kya pata hai ki...Daya ssir...' she stopped and lost into many collages of her life with Daya...

Siddharth was abnormally calm as he cupped her chin again to deliver,:'agar use pyar kiya hota...to phir uske liye intezar kar leti tum Shreya...isi ummeed se...ki woh aj nahi to kal tumhe apna dil ka baat kahega...' Shreya in a staggered state of mind, pushed Siddharth away as if in a fear to believe his words while Siddharth continued,:'aj...tum hi ne mujhe sikhaya Shreya...ki pyar ka ...dusra naam intezar bhi hota hai..'he paused a little and then,:'tum ko pyar karke...mujhe aaj tumhare liye zindegi bhar intezar karne me bhi...koi pareshani nahi hai...magar Shreya...main chahta hun...jo ehsas aaj mujhe ho raha hai...kal tumhe bhi ho...kisi ke liye...Koi aisa tumhe mile...jis ke liye jeevan bhar intezar bhi kam lage...' Tears brimmed over her eyes and a disbelief still shining within her teary eyes...Her face suffused with tears as she kept retracting back from Siddharth and reached the door of her room...