A/N: My dears friends who have spared
me for so long, I must confess to you
all that it took a long to finish this
story...In the mid way even once I
decided to discontinue...but some of
you nudging me time to time, really
inspired me to finish this one...I had
some very serious personal problems
which still continues,so I couldn't
update regularly in the past and
inspite of that you all always have
given me encouraging feedback to go
ahead...I must be grateful to all of
you who have praised and criticised my
writings...
I know perhaps I have disappointed
Shreya-fans and a huge number of
Dareya fans by this story...and some
perhaps would alleage me that I havn't
done justice to the character of
Shreya...but as a writer I felt it was
my duty to reveal the true colour of
love before everything else...I dont
know how much justice I have done or
how much successful I have been in my
mission but I tried this earnestly...
But this story doesn't mean that I
wouldn't pair Daya-Shreya since
now...Whenever I will feel much needed
spark between them,I will try to come
back with a story pairing them...
A mere 'thanks' wouldn't be a justice
to all of you...Hope you will be with
me and my story in future too...
Regards
Shreya was panting heard,as she
reached at the threshold of Daya's
bunglow..She had stormed out of her
residence like an insane,defying
everyone's worried plead in almost no
time to hail a cab and when the cab
was speeding fast, the words of
Siddharth kept reiterating on the back
of her mind...She would have to ask
Daya a lot of thing before stepping a
foot ahead in her life...She would
have to snatch a reply from Daya
whether he had been thinking the same
about her or not...She had the right
to know then why in the past days she
had been suffering so miserably and
why she would have to bear the prying
eyes of the society as her engagement
with Siddharth would be soon called
off...Waves of something strong was
rushing into her blood and she had
been perceiving
it,distinctly...Anger,agony,anxiety of
remaining in tenterhook-perhaps
blending these all a mixed feeling was
making her restive...
She came into the lawn of the bunglow
with hurried steps but slowed her pace
as a piece of tattered conversation
floated to her...It was Daya's
voice,:'Anila...ttum bhi...Itna bhi
zada kuchh nahi huya mujhe ki...mera
itna khayal rakha jaaye...' he was
sounding blissful...Anila too was
speaking something but Shreya couldn't
hear it clearly..She thought a little
before shifting herself in such a
place from where the couple was
getting visible..
Anila was preparing a big tiffin
carrier with a face adorned with her
natural bashfulness and this time her
words were clear to Shreya,:'abhi do
din aye ke nahi...bureau jana hai aap
ko...duniya ki kisi bhi patni ko
poochkar dekhiye...koi nahi chhorenge
is waqt aapne patiyo ko...aur
phir...' in the mid way Daya came
closer of his wife and rumpling her
hair with care he chimmed in with
banter,:'aisa ho hi nahi sakta
hai...poochho kyu?'
Anila didn't ask but flashed him a shy
smile while Daya himself answered
back,:'kyuki...is duniya me aap se
achchi patni to aur koi ho hi nahi
sakti hain...'
Anila returned him a skittish smile
but soon after that with a sigh she
lost into deep thought, saying,:'aisa
na kahiye Dayaa...shaadi ke baad se
main aap ke liye kuchh kar pau...aisa
mauka bhi to na mile...Itni
jaldi...mujh pe ...aisa bharosa
bhi na kijiye...'
Daya was listening to her words with
rapturous eyes and the trance was
broken only when Anila lowered her
eyes and he said gently,:'achcha? aur
shaadi ka pehle? Jab tum bina shabd se
kisi se kuchh na keh ke mera patni ban
ke reh rahi thi tab?'
Anila answered back with her natural
tenderness,:"tab to...aap...har pal
yaad ate the...' she lost into
reverie with dreaming eyes,:' har
chhoti chhoti baat pe...aap ka yaad
ata rehta tha...aur jitna yaad ata
tha...utna hi main khud ko...kaam me
duba deti thi...bas ek hi baat soch
ke...ki mujhe ...mujhe hanste
rehna hai...' she stopped and
remained silent perhaps perceiving
that she had revealed a lot in a rush
of emotion...Daya,looking at her with
infinite tenderness patted her hair
gently and pressed his lips to form a
sated smile until he dawdled to
ask,:'hans paati thi na?'
Anila as if startled once inside her
and raised her glance to lock her eyes
with his for some seconds and then she
averted her glance in a perplexity to
reveal something that would perhaps
hurt him...Daya kept waiting for her
reply as the smile of his face ebbed
away slowly spreading a lugubrious
expression...
:'hhha...kyu nahi...'Anila stammered
with a forced smile and suddenly
looking at the sombre face of Daya she
discerned that it was not easy to
conceal the truth from him and thus
she was quick in her effort to recoil
from him but Daya objected touching
her both shoulder with his strong arms
...Anila tried evading his eyes but
Daya murmured fervently,:'sochta hun
Anila...' he paused as a cyclone
inside him almost seized his breath...
Anila was feeling unbridled heave
inside his heart and her tongue
slipped getting restive,:'kkya?'
Daya's forlorn smile failed to hide
the surging emotion that had been
engulfing him slowly...He completed
his sentence, tried to maintain
poise,:'sochta hun
ki...bhabi...mujhe ye sab na
kehte...to phir...' he stopped as
Anila,trying to be ebullient answered
back,:'to kya? ye to main aksar sochti
thi...ke aap ke sath...mujhe kab aur
kaha mulaqat hoga...ya phir...'
her voice wavered ,:'is janam
me...mulaqat...hoga bhi...ya
nahi...'
Daya felt his quickened breath and it
seemed as if an unbearable pressure
was creating excruciating pain in the
middle of his chest...
Anila continued,sinking into the
past,:'phir...sochti thi...ke kabhi
aisa ho jaaye...ki...main umar ki bojh
se chal nahi pa rahi
hun...aur...saamne koi ake mere hath
pakr ke...kaha ke..."auntyji...main
rasta cross karva dun?" main mere
thaki huyi nazar uske taraf
uthayi...to...chauk gaayi...'
tears unconsciously streaked down her
cheeks though she was unravelling the
pent up story feverishly,:'woh...aap
ka hi parchaiyan hain...aise laga
jaise ke...aap ka umru kam ho ke bees
saal ka ho gaye hain aap...' she
paused making Daya curious and
covetous simultaneously...
:'woh aap ka beta tha Dayaa...aap
jaise hi...shant...aur dayalu...Aap
jaise hi soumya aur...'her voice
choked as Daya whispered in an
urgency,:'Anilaaa...' as if he
wouldn't bear more and that his
restrain was getting scattered...
Gulping many lumps in his throat when
he was able to face her,cupping her
tear-suffused cheeks then both
standing in each other's arms bereft
of speech...Their teary eyes kept
scrutnising each other's every tiny
emotion until Daya very gently pecked
on her forehead and then on her
quivering lips making her shivered in
submission...Anila clinging to his
arm,spurt out every repressed sobs
those were almost strangling her
breath while Daya kept nuzzling up
against her dishevelled hair,tried to
assuage the heightened fervour...
Shreya was awakened feeling the salty
taste of her tears...She was the sole
witness of the poignant conversation
between Daya and Anila... Her eyes
were getting brimmed incessantly
but...she could distinctly feel that
these tears were neither of bitter
resentment nor of vicious
jealousy...Those tears were neither of
her yearn nor of her misery...but
something different was nudging inside
her...Her head bowed unconsciously
for the picture she just saw in front
of her eyes where no one won...no one
lost...but if anything won...that was
the devotion...The devotion that
couldn't be compared with kind of
romantic affair which she fancied in
her dreams from her childhood...She
felt as if she was a learner kneeled
before a tutorial class...Vehement
sobs choking her though she put every
effort to be silent to see more...
Daya touching her chin,raised her face
to look into her eyes when she was a
little pacified and then murmured
trying to bring an impish chuckle in
his lips,:'mera burhapan me bhi
main...kisi ka...hath pakrna...chahta
hun...pata hai kaun hai woh?' he
gently wiped her tears off while Anila
asked with tremble voice,trying to
check her sobs back,:'kaun hoga woh?'
Daya's face broadened with
light,:'chhoti Anila...meri Anila ki
beti...'
Anila once looking at him with
fervour,lowered her glance and crimson
shyness pervaded her face...
Shreya felt that pure bliss bubbling
inside her, watching their gleeful
union...and an unfeigned smile came
over her lips as she peered ahead
ardently to experience more...
Both snuggled up against each other
once more,but this time with sated
hearts and then Anila disengaging
herself from him,asked with a
quizzical smile,:"achcha? abhi aap ko
der nahi ho raha hai haa? tab to keh
rahe the ki bohut der ho gaya bureau
jane me...' Daya with a shocked
gesture,hurried back,:'are haa...Oh
God...pata nahi ACP sir kitna datenge
aaj mujhe...aur galti se DCP Chitrole
agaye to ho gaya...naukri gaya
mera...'there was subtle amusement
within his words as he was speaking
all these with smiling face...
Shreya was awakened further, as she
recalled that she had come here to
confront with Daya sir...But...the
dangerous flame of anger that had
impelled her to bring herself down
here,dissipated now...She felt simply
no need to pose any questions before
Daya sir; She got the reply in the
past moments she spent here and in an
addition, she felt as if an
inexplicable serenity cloaked her
alleviating her every ache and
dispelling the darkness she had been
experiencing in the past long days..
She chuckled to herself as she
understood why she,seeing the bond
between Daya & Anila in the hospital
cabin, felt a silent reverence towards
them and more precisely towards the
love-pure and sanctified that
existed between them...She decided to
be unobtrusive till Daya left for
bureau...
Daya came outside finally and after an
affectionate tap over Anila's hair, he
moved towards his bike and left his
bunglow within a minute...
Shreya, with much reluctance raised
her hand towards the bell after Anila
locked the door...
:'Shreyaa...ttum?' an uneasy titter
hovered at Anila's lips as she opened
the door getting the bell. Shreya's
lips were adorned though with a
tranquil smile...Anila ushered her the
way inside but Shreya objected
clenching her palm,:'aaj rehne do
Anilaa...' she spluttered with a faint
smile...Anila was totally nonplused
and she jabbered out trying to be
normal,:'woh...Daya to...' she was
interrupted as Shreya informed,:'mujhe
pata hai Anila...' she temporized and
then added,:'aaj main tum se milne ayi
hun Anila...aur...aur...tum
ko...thanks bolne ayi hun...' A
gratefullness was seeping through her
serene face making Anila
flummoxed...She gave Shreya an
endearing smile before asking,:'kis
baat ki thanks Shreya? main to...'
Shreya this time too intruded though
with much poise,:'tumhe pata nahi hai
Anila...main tum se...aur daya sir se
aaj kya paya...' her words trailing
into impassioned murmur,:'aur main
chahungi...ki...ye ehsas mere sath
zindegi bhar rahe...'
Anila with a gentle smile, replied,:'
shayad Daya se hum dono hi...bohut
kuchh sikhe hain...magar...'
astonishment still imprinted over her
face while Shreya with a smile,
interposed,with urgency,:'tumne mujhe
ye sikhaya ke...pyar ka dusra naam
puja hota hai...aur...khamoshi me
bhi pyar ka maujudgi mehsus hota rehta
hai...' Anila was studying her face
being astounded while Shreya continued
almost holding her breath back,:'tumne
ye sabeet kar diya Anila ke...tum
Daya sir ke jeevan sathi ban ne ka
kitni quabeel ho...shayad Daya sir
se door rehke tum jo keemat samajh
payi...pas rehke...main na samajh
payi thi...aur...' her vacant
gaze darting over the floor aimlessly
while Anila cupped her cheeks
affectionately,:'Shreya...agar tum
chahti ho to...' her words once
again interrupted as Shreya breathed
clinging to Anila,:'main tum dono
ko...aise hi khush dekhna chahti hun
Anilaa...jitna khushi aaj main tum
dono ke akho me dekhaa...' Anila felt
her eyes getting moistened further as
Shreya now looked into her eyes and
divulged with a sated smile over her
lips,:'Mera dil ka sara andhera abhi
door ho gaya Ani...' she paused and
now with a witty smile she teased
her,:'bhabi ji...' Shreya's candour
reached at Anila's heart and she with
a disarming grin hugged her back
saying,:'andar ake baitho na
Shreya...hum bohut sara baatein
kare..'
Shreya touching her
cheeks,murmured,:'aaj rehne do
bhabi...aur kisi din...'She came out
of the bunglow with a sated
heart,muttering beneath her
breath,:'aapne sahi kaha tha Daya
sir...aap ke sikhaya huya rah se ab
main chalti rahungi...aur sukh dukh
jo bhi aye...uska saamna karke zindegi
me age barhungi...'
Cool onshore breeze blowing around her
fanned her satiated face...
[The End]