CHAPTER 3

Daya was getting nervous on the mere thought of facing Aastha's parents. It was something that was demanding his good luck most. He was in an urgent need of shreya's company but he had no idea how to talk to shreya about this and convince her to accompany him. He knew that telling her about Aastha is like breaking her heart and then asking her help to make him and aastha one is like breaking her heart all over again. After thinking a lot finally he called shreya.

"Hello, Shreya, kya hum mil sakte hain?"

Shreya sensed the tension in his voice, "of course, lekin aap kuch pareshan lag rahe hain, anything serious?"

"Han, serious to hai. Phone pe nahi bata sakta, milkar baat karte hain." Daya said and told her the place for the meeting.

o-o-o

"Ha to boliye, kya baat hai?" Shreya asked sitting opposite daya in a coffee shop.

Daya stopped stirring the coffee and kept his hands on the table intertwining his fingers together.

"Shreya, tum janti ho na ki tum mere liye kitni special ho?" He asked looking directly into her eyes.

Shreya smiled shyly. Daya found her blushing and let out a sigh.

"Shreya tum puchogi nahi ki main aisa kyun kehta hu? Tum mere liye sabse jyada khas kyun ho?" Daya asked.

Shreya looked up at him with expectations. "Kyun? Kyun khas hu main aapke liye?"

"You won't believe it but shreya...

And daya told her the fact.

Shreya started laughing as daya finished.

"Sir, ye kya keh rahe hain aap? Aisa bhi hota hai kya? Wo sare incidents sirf coincidence honge. Main bhala kaise..

Daya cut her in mid of her sentence, "ye sirf coincidence nahi hai shreya, meri life ka bahut bada sach hai. Tum nahi janti tum kis had tak meri life ko control karti ho. You don't have an idea how much I need you in my life?"

Shreya stopped laughing and stared at him with pure love, "ok, I understood. Aapko lagta hai ki mera sath aapko har terah ki musibat se door rakhta hai to...main aap ke sath hi to hu aur humesha rahugi" she said holding his hand in her.

Daya looked at her and gently freed his hand from her grip, "thanks shreya, lekin maine sirf ye batane ke liye tumhe yaha nahi bulaya tha, kuch aur bhi kehna hai ya kaho batana hai tumko"

Shreya felt butterflies in her stomach just by making a guess what he might say.

"Aur kya kehna hai aapko?" She asked suppressing her excitement.

"Shreya, main...wo meri life me koi... I mean.. wo main..

Seeing him stammering shreya kept her hand on his, "Relax, aap itna kyun ghabra rahe hain. Meri aankho me dekhiye aur jo kehna chahte hain keh deejiye."

Daya paused for a minute then looked into her eyes, "Shreya, Main kisi se pyar karta hu. There's someone in my life."

Shreya smiled while going red in her cheeks. "Kaun hai wo?" She asked looking down.

Daya stared at her and said, "uska naam Aastha hai."

Shreya's smile faded away slowly. She looked up at him in disbelief, "what?"

"Main pichle mahine hi mila tha usse. Don't know how but we both fell in love with each other. Kal usne mujhe ghar bulaya hai apne parents se milwane ke liye." Daya said without having an eye contact with her.

Shreya's face was blank but her eyes started watering with every next word coming out of daya's mouth.

Daya looked at her, "Shreya mujhe dar lag raha hai pata nahi uske parents mujhe accept karenge ya nahi. Isliye main chahta hu ki kal Aastha ke ghar tum bhi mere sath chalo. I am sure, agar tum mere sath rahogi to sab kuch apne aap achha hoga. Please shreya mana mat Karna. Main har haal me Aastha ko pana chahta hu. Please help me!"

Daya found shreya staring at him like a statue. She was not blinking her eyes. Daya had a doubt whether she is even breathing or not.

"Shreya?' He called her loudly.

Shreya shuddered and came out of the fatal shock. She looked away and tried her best to not let her tears come out of her eyes in front of him.

"Shreya kuch bolo na? Tum aaogi na mere sath?" Daya shot another arrow piercing her already broken heart.

Shreya composed herself somehow. "Excuse me sir, mujhe washroom Jana hai. Just coming" she said without glancing at him and immediately left from there.

Daya captured her teary eyes but just let her go.

Shreya entered the washroom, closed the door and just broke down in front of mirror. She wanted to cry out loudly because the pain she was going through was unbearable. But it was a public washroom and she was in no mood to make a scene and entertain the strangers. She covered her mouth with her hands and cried silently. After some minutes she took a break and rested her head on the wall behind with her eyes closed. She revised each and every word said by daya. Accepting the harsh reality she opened her eyes. Her eyes were turned red. Tears were continued to trickle down her cheeks. She washed her face thoroughly. Wiped it and then took out her eyeliner from her purse. She applied the eyeliner trying her best to cover her crying eyes with it. She gave a light touch up to her face giving it a normal look. She brushed her hair and after ensuring that she is looking normal inhaled a deep breath. She didn't want to express her heartbreak to daya. She came out of the washroom and returned to the table where daya was waiting for her.

Daya saw her coming and sat straight.

"Shreya...

Shreya cut him instantly, "sir main aapke sath jaroor chalungi. Kal aap aakar mujhe pick kar leejiyega. Abhi mujhe jana hai kuch jaroori kaam hai, see you!" She said and covering her eyes with black sunglass even in the evening left from there without waiting to hear daya.

Daya watched her going and banged his fist on the table for hurting her.

That night he couldn't sleep. He was not concerned about Aastha and her parents but it was shreya's teary eyes that didn't allow him to sleep peacefully. Same was with shreya. She too didn't sleep because both tears and sleep can not reside simultaneously in one's eyes.

o-o-o

Next day in evening, daya reached at shreya's house. Hearing the sound of his car shreya came outside.

"Hi" she said with her usual smile trying to behave normal. "Chale?"

Daya looked at her and felt a pinch in his heart. "Shreya, main ye keh raha tha ki, mujhe ye bilkul achha nahi lag raha hai. Tum rehne do, mat aao mere sath, jo bhi hoga main handle kar lunga"

Shreya stared at him, "matlab? Kyun bura kyun lag raha hai aapko?"

"Shreya mujhe achhi terah se pata hai ki tum mujhse pyar...

Shreya cut him, "sir please! Stop it, aisi baate mat keejiye jinka koi matlab hi nahi hai. It's not your fault. Main aapse pyar karti hu iska ye matlab bilkul nahi ki badle me aap bhi mujhse pyar kare. Wo ladki bahut khushnaseeb hai jisse aap pyar karte hain. Kuch to baat hogi usme jo aur kisi me nahi. Aur waise bhi ultimately main aapko sirf khush dekhna chahti hu. Mera kya hai, agar meri kismat me kisi ka pyar pana likha hoga to wo mujhe milega. Philhal main ye sochkar khush hu ki aapko bahut jald aapka pyar milne wala hai. Kam se kam dost to mante hain na aap mujhe, to bas phir se sorry mat boliyega. Main aapke liye bahut khush hu."

Daya didn't find anything to say except staring at her with apologies in his eyes.

o-o-o

Daya and Shreya reached at Aastha's home. She opened the door and put her arms around daya without noticing shreya.

"Oh daya, tum aa gaye!" Then she noticed shreya. "Ye kaun hai?"

Daya looked at shreya, "Aastha, this is shreya. Meri dost hai."

Shreya looked at Aastha smiling but in return she received a fiery glare.

"Come on daya, tumhari dost ka yaha kya kaam? Ise kyun lekar aaye ho?" Aastha said making faces.

Shreya felt insulted and glanced at daya. Daya looked at Aastha.

"Aastha, ye kya keh rahi ho? Tumhe meri dost ka welcome Karna chahiye aur tum..

Aastha put her hands up, "leave it, tumhari dost se baad me baat karugi, abhi andar aao. Mom dad wait kar rahe hain."

Daya didn't like Aastha's behavior. They entered and met Aastha's parents. Aastha introduced daya.

"Ye ladki kaun hai?" Aastha's mom asked pointing at shreya.

"Auntie ye shreya hai, meri colleague aur dost." Daya said.

"Hmm..ha to shreya, tum daya ke sath kaam karti ho aur uski dost bhi ho, chalo tum hi batao, daya me aisa kya hai ki hum use apni beti ka hath de?" Aastha's mom asked.

Shreya and daya looked at each other. Shreya turned to aastha's mom, "kyunki wo aapki beti se bahut pyar karte hain. I think it's enough. Kyunki sachha pyar sabke naseeb me nahi hota."

Daya looked at shreya and felt a kind of pain in his heart.

Aastha's parents interviewed daya for about half an hour. Shreya supported daya all the while.

"Ok to daya, abhi mujhe ek jaroori kaam hai. Hum baad me baat karenge. Hume thoda time chahiye sochne ke liye. Hum apna jawab jald hi bata denge tumhe. I must say, you are really impressive" Aastha's dad said shaking his hand with daya.

Daya smiled. He asked their permission to leave and left with shreya.

"Aastha ke mom dad mujhse impress to ho gaye. Mujhe pura vishwas hai unka jawab han hi hoga. Aakhir tum mere sath jo thi. Kuch galat ho hi nahi sakta" daya said looking at shreya, "Thanks shreya!"

Shreya welcomed him with a smile.

o-o-o

Daya was impatiently waiting to know their reply on the other hand shreya was miserably failed to control her emotions now. She was dying every minute knowing that she has lost her first love. Soon he will be someone else's.

She decided to take a break for herself. She decided to go away from him for sometime. Because she knew that she won't be able to see him with someone else. She needed to remove his thoughts from her mind.

The same day she requested acp sir to grant her leave for some days as she has a family emergency. She got leave and without informing anyone left the city. She went to her hometown where her whole family was there to help her to come out of the pool of the sorrows.

She had a big joint family. A house filled with aunties, uncles, cousins, her grandparents, was turning out to be a perfect place for her to erase all those memories. It was being 3-4 days she had come back to her family and she was happy because she never got a chance to shed tears.

Daya was calling her everyday but she didn't take his calls. She knew that why he was calling. He would tell about his marriage date, then would thank her, would apologize and all that would only be for refreshing her all those scars and wounds that were healing slowly.

Shreya was in kitchen with her sister-in-law when her cousin sister came calling out her name.

"Shreya di, jaldi chaliye, koi aapse milne aaya hai, Mumbai se!"

Shreya was puzzled, she washed her hands and came out to see who's there.

As she came into the drawing room, her feet stopped right there seeing the person. Daya was sitting there surrounded by her family members. A bandage was applied on his forehead and he had some scars on his face.

"Are shreya dekho, daya aaya hai." Shreya's grandfather said. Daya looked at her.

Shreya rushed to him, "sir, aap yaha kaise? Ye bandage, ye chote kaise lagi aapko? Are you ok?"

Daya kept staring at her without bothering to reply.

"Batao na beta, ye chot kaise lagi tumhe?" Shreya's grandma asked daya.

Daya removed his gaze away from shreya and looked at her family, "aap log wakai Janna chahte hain ye kaise hua? To suniye, ye sab aapki beti ki wajeh se hua. She is responsible for all this." Daya said pointing his index finger at shreya.

Shreya was shocked, "sir? Ye kya keh rahe hain aap? Maine kya kiya?"

Daya smirked, "kya kiya? Huhh...tumhe pata tha na ki tum mera lucky charm ho. You are my good luck. Tumhare mujhse door jane se mere sath sab kuch gadbad hone lagta hai. Phir bhi bina mujhe inform kiye mujhe akela chod kar yaha aakar baithi ho?"

Shreya was looking at him flabbergasted just like her family.

Daya continued, "jis din tum Mumbai se yaha aayi, usi din mera accident ho gaya. Helmet pehna tha maine lekin phir bhi chot lagi to sirf sar pe, ye bad luck nahi to aur kya hai?"

Shreya looked away.

"Ye kya bol rahe ho beta, hume kuch samajh me nahi aa raha?" Shreya's mom said.

"Auntie...you know...

And daya told the whole story.

"Ab aap hi log decide kariye, ye sab jante huye bhi kya shreya ko mujhe chod kar aana chahiye tha?" Daya asked staring at shreya.

Shreya gave him a look.

"Bilkul nahi aana chahiye tha. Shreya beta tumne aisa kyun kiya?" Shreya's dad asked and daya chuckled.

Shreya looked at her father, "Papa aap kya keh rahe hain? Isme meri kya galti?"

"Galti? Can't you see mera accident ho gaya hai. Tumse door rehna kitna dangerous hai mere liye. Main kuch sunna nahi chahta, main tumhe apne sath wapas Mumbai le jane aaya hu suna tumne?" Daya said loudly.

"Oh really, aap jo chahenge wahi hoga kya? Jab meri chutti khatam hogi main tabhi Mumbai wapas aaungi." Shreya replied .

Daya faked a laugh, "achha? Aur tab tak main kya karunga? Abhi to sirf sar phuta hai, kis baat ka wait kar rahi ho, mere truck ke neeche aane ka?"

"Sir!" Shreya yelled at him.

All were watching them silently.

"Shreya beta I think tumhe daya ke sath wapas chale Jana chahiye. Kahi uske sath kuch aur bura na ho jaye!" Shreya's grandpa said.

She glanced at daya, "dadaji pehle inse puchiye kya ye apni girlfriend se permission lekar aaye hain mujhse milne? inki girlfriend ko mera face pasand nahi. Us din usne mere sath kaisa sulook kiya tha, bhooli nahi hu main. Kab tak inke sath rahungi main. Kaha tak inka sath de paungi. Phir se Aastha mujhe inke sath dekhegi aur phir se meri insult karegi. Main nahi bardasht kar sakti ye sab."

"Kaun Aastha? Koi aastha waastha nahi hai meri life me." Daya roared, "tumne janne ki koshish bhi ki, ki uske parents ne kya jawab diya tha? Unhe ye rishta manjoor nahi tha kyunki unhe already ek karodpati damad mil gaya tha apni beti ke liye. Aur Aastha, wo bhi kaise ek karodpati ladke ko chodkar mere paas aa jati. To chali gayi wo ek jhatke me sab khatam karke. Tumhe pata bhi hai us din kya beet rahi thi mujhpe. Socha tumhe hug karke rounga lekin tum bina bataye yaha chali aayi" daya shouted.

Shreya was staring at him shockingly.

Daya looked at shreya's grandparents, "kya main shreya ko hug kar sakta hu, agar aap logo ko koi aitraj na ho to?" He asked very politely.

Shreya was shocked. Shreya's grandparents and all smiled.

"Kar lo beta" her grandfather said.

"Thank you" daya said and before that shreya could say something she had been pulled by him in an embrace.

Daya placed his head on her shoulder. "Shreya, please mujhe maaf kar do. Tumhari aankh se nikle har aansu ke liye maafi mangta hu main."

Shreya said nothing but just closed her eyes. Daya separated, "main bahut selfish hu na shreya. Ab main agar ye kahu ki main tumhe isliye apne sath le jane aaya hu kyunki main tumse pyar karne laga hu to tum nahi manogi. To theek hai I admit main selfish hu aur bahut ziddi bhi. Main tumhe khud se door nahi jane dunga chahe tum kitna bhi chaho. I want you to be with me forever. I can't imagine my life without you."

Shreya rubbed her tears and looked at him, "aap selfish hain wo to main janti hu. Wo kahiye jo main nahi janti. Main yakeen kar lungi."

Daya looked straight into her eyes, "I love you ...and I am not bluffing"

Shreya smiled and all her family members too.

"Beta pyar to Karna hi padega, galti se bhi shreya ko naraj kiya aur wo tumhe chodkar chali gayi to uska anzaam to tum achhe se jante hi ho" shreya's uncle said and all burst out in a huge laughter.

"Nahi uncle please, main kabhi use naraj nahi karunga, I promise, main bahut pyar karunga shreya se, please send her with me" daya said joining his hands.

Shreya smiled and started moving inside.

"Are shreya, tum kaha ja rahi ho?" Daya asked seeing her leaving.

She turned and looked at him, "apna samaan pack karne"

Daya smiled and both shared an eyelock.

o-o-o

Daya and shreya were returning to Mumbai like a beautiful happy couple. They were in flight. Daya was sitting resting his head on her shoulder and holding her hand.

Shreya asked a question.

"Daya, mere dimag ne ek sawal hai, agar main sach me aap ke liye lucky hu to aapka aur aastha ka rishta tutna nahi chahiye tha. Main aapke sath thi to aapke sath to achha hona chahiye tha na"

Daya looked at her, "achha hi to hua. agar tum mere sath na jati to jaroor humara rishta ho jata. Lekin kya wo sahi hota? Jo ladki paiso ke liye mujhe chodkar kisi aur ke paas ja sakti hai wo bhala kaha tak sath deti mera? Tum mere sath thi isliye main ek galat rishte me phasne se bach gaya. Isse achha aur kya ho sakta hai?"

Shreya smiled, "aur aapko kab realize hua ki aap...mujhse pyar karte hain?"

Daya laughed, "wo actually jab Aastha ne mujhe phone karke bataya ki uske parents ne mujhe reject kar diya hai aur wo bhi mere sath koi rishta nahi rakhna chahti to, pata nahi kaise mere muh se 'thank you' nikal gaya. I realized sad hone ki bajay main bahut khush hua tha ye baat sunkar. Aisa laga jaise mere gale me koi phasi ka phanda padne wala tha aur main usse aazad ho gaya. Aur mujhe realize hua ki main tumse pyar karne laga hu."

They looked into each other's eyes and got lost.

.

.

o-o-o The End o-o-o