AS MORNING ALARM RINGED...HE WAS ABOUT TO OFF IT WHEN THE BEEPING STOPPED ITSELF...HE FROWNED IN SLEEP...HE OPENED HIS EYES TO FIND ARYAN STANDING JUST IN FRONT OF HIM WITH A RATHER ANGRY AND GLARING EXPRESSION...

AS: YEH HAMARI DIN KI SHURUWAT TUM HORROR FILM KI STARTING KI TARAH KYUN KAR RAHE HO ? ( RUBBING HIS EYES AND SITTING UP )

AR : KAHA THA KAL RAAT ? KITNE BAJE WAPIS AAYA HAIN TU ? ( IN A DEMANDING VOICE )

AS : PATA HAIN HUME SHAADI KARNE KI JARURAT KABHI FEEL HI NAHI HUI...TUM HO NA...HUME DHARAM PATNI WALI FEELS DILANE KE LIYE...KAHA THE ? KYA KAR RAHE THE ? KITNE BAJE AAYE ? KITNE BAJE GAYE ? 

AR: DON'T CHANGE THE TOPIC...PHELI BAAT...MUJHE NA YEH BIWI WALA TAG TOH DENA HI MAT...MERE PAAS DIL HAIN...JO KAAM KARTA HAIN...TERI TARAH EXPIRE NAHI HO GAYA...I WILL HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL LIFE...AUR DUSRI BAAT...PATNI WALE FEELS DETA HU MAIN TUJHE? BHAI...TERI TARAH EK INSAAN HU MAIN...LADKA...

AS : ( ROLLED HIS EYES ) ARYAN HAATO SAMNE SE...DER HO RAHI HAIN WESE BHI...NICHE BREAKFAST KARNE JANA HAIN...

AR: TU BAITH BHAI...AUR YEH BATA MUJHE? ( SHOWING HIM THE LIPSTICK-STAINED HANDKERCHIEF ) TERI HI HAIN NA...?

AS : YEH...WOH...HAA...NAHI...EK MINUTE...( FUMBLING )

AR : ( TOOK IN A BREATH ) DEKH...TU NA MUJHE CHICHORO  WALI FEELING DE RAHA HAIN...KYA HAIN YEH SAB? 

AS: AREE ARYAN...WOH HUM KAL RAAT KO JAB NIGHT WALK PAR GAYE THE TOH  HUME HASEENA JI...

AR : ( RAISED HIS EYEBROW ) HASEENA JI?

AS : AA...MISS MALLIK MILLI THI...TOH HUM DONO CHAI PI RAHE THE...CHAI KAAFI GARAM THI TOH UNKI JIBH JAL GAYI THI ISILIYE HUMNE UNHE HAMARA RUMAL OFFER KIYA AUR KUCH NAHI...

AR: CONVENIENT...THIK HAIN...LAA MAIN DHONE WALE KAPDO MEIN DAAL DU...

AS : ( CLUCTCHING THE HANKERCHEIF ) TUM KYU TAKLEEF LOGE ? HUM HAIN NA...HUM DAAL DENGE...TUM JAAO TAIYYAR HO...BREAKFAST KE LIYE JANA HAIN NA...

ARYAN NODDED AND LEFT...AS SIGHED IN RELIEF...THEY BOTH INSTANTLY GOT READY AND HEADED TOWARDS THE HOTEL HALL WHEN ARYAN'S PHONE RINGED...HE GESTURED AS TO GO AND MEET THEIR ONLY...AS WAS WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS WHEN HE RECOGNIZED HM FROM BACK...

HE SWIFTLY WALKED TOWARDS HER WHEN HE NOTICED ANOTHER MAN STANDING THERE...SHE WAS TALKING TO HIM...HE SILENTLY STOOD BEHIND...THE MAN KEPT HIS HAND ON ONE OF HER LITTLE EXPOSED SHOULDERS...HE COULD SEE THE UNCOMFORTABLE EXPRESSION OF HM...

HE PACED TOWARDS HER AND REMOVED THE MAN'S HAND FROM HER BODY...SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND TOOK A DEEP BREATH...THE MAN CONFUSINGLY SMILED...

MN: AAP KAUN HAIN?

AS: HUM INDIA SE AAYE HAIN...POLICE DEPARTMENT KI TARAF SE ISS PROJECT KE HEAD AUR REPRESENTATIVE...( CONFIDENT SMILE )

MN : OHH...NICE TO MEET YOU...AAIYE...NICHE BREAKFAST HALL MEIN MILTE HAIN...( WALKED DOWNSTAIRS )

HM : ( LOOKED AT AS AND SMILED ) THANK YOU SO MUCH...

AS : ISME SHUKRIYA KARNE KI KYA AVAKSHYAKATA HAIN ? KISI BHI LADKI YA AURAT KE SAATH DURVYAHAVAR BIKUL BHI  BARDASH KI SHRENI MEIN NAHI AATA...AGAR AAPKE SAATH YA KISI KE SAATH BHI KOI GALAT TARAH SE BARTAV KAR RAHA HAIN TOH UNHE ROKNA AUR SAMJHNA HAR EK INSAAN KI DUTY HAIN...DUTY KE LIYE KOI DHYANYAWAD THODI KARTA HAIN...AUR AAPKE SAATH TOH HUME AISA DURVYAHAVAR BILKUL BARDASH NAHI HUA...

HM : ( WITH TWINKLED EYES ) BAHUT ACCHE VICHAR HAIN AAPKE...AAPNE TOH HUME APNI VICHARDHARA KA PRASHANSAK BANA DIYA...( LAUGHED ) WESE HAMARE SAATH BILKUL BHI BARDASH KYU NAHI KAR PAAYE AAP?

AS : ( REALISING WHAT HE SAID ) AA...WOH...HAMARA MTLB HAIN KI ( HM NODDED ) AAPKO TOH HUM PHIR BHI JAANTE HAIN...KISI AISE KE SAATH JISKO AAP JANTE PEHCHANTE HAIN UNKE KHILAF TOH WESE BHI LOGO KO GALAT CHIZ BARDASH  NAHI HOTI...

HM : ( NODDED ) HMM...WESE AB AAPNE STEP LE HI LIYA HAIN TOH...HUME AAPKI JARURAT PADEGI...( AS LOOKED AT HER WITH CONFUSED EXPRESSION ) AAIYE...BREAKFAST KE LIYE LATE HO RAHA HAIN...

SHE WALKED AHEAD WHILE AS FOLLOWED HER...THEY ENTERED THE HALL AREA AND WERE SERVING THEIR PLATES WHEN THE MAN AGAIN ARRIVED AND GAVE A SMILE TO HM...SHE INSTANTLY HELD AS HAND AND SMILED BACK...THE MAN SAW THIS AND WALKED AWAY...

THE MOMENT HM HAD HELD AS HAND...HE SEEMED TO BE ELECTRIFIED BY HER TOUCH...HE COULD FEEL THE BUTTERFLIES IN HIS STOMACH WHILE HIS FACE WAS SHY...

AS : ( SLOWLY WHISPERED ) MISS MALLIK...HAMARA HAATH...AAPNE...

HM : HAAN...JAANTE HAIN...HUMNE JAAN BHUJHKAR PAKDA HAIN...AAPKE SAATH HUME SECURE FEEL HUA NA ISILIYE...JAB WOH INSAAN HUME AISE AAPKE SAATH DEKHEGA TOH KUCH NAHI KAREGA...USKI HIMMAT NAHI HOGI...

HE WAS SILENTLY LISTENING TO HER...AFTER SHE FINISHED SAYING...HE GENTLY WITHDREW HIS HAND FROM HER GRIP...SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND STEPPED BACK...

AS : AGAR AISI BAAT HAIN TOH HUME KSHAMA KIJIYE...HUM AAPKA SAATH NAHI DE PAYENGE...AAP EK SAMMANIT IB OFFICER HOKAR YEH BAAT BOL RAHI HAIN ? EK AURAT ISS TARAH KE BAHANE KYU DHUNDTI HAIN APNE AAP KO INN SAB SE DUR RAKHNE KE LIYE ? KYU WOH APNE AAP KO HI DOSHI MAAN LETI HAIN ? AAP JAYENGI AUR SAMNE BOLENGI KI AAPKO YEH VYAHAVAR PASAND NAHI HAIN...BAS...YEH UNHE AAPKO HI BATANA PADEGA KI " NO MEANS NO "...

HM WAS INTENTLY LISTENING TO HIM...SHE FOR A MOMENT DID ADORE HIM THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION...HIS WORDS FILLED HER WITH CONFIDENCE AND A SMILE APPEARED ON HER FACE...WITH ADMIRING EYES...

HM : ( NODDED ) AAPNE BILKUL SAHI KAHA...ISS TARAH SE PARDE KE PICHE CHUPNE SE KUCH NAHI HOTA...APNA STAND HUME KHUD LENA PADTA HAIN...EK BAAR PHIRSE HUME YEH SAMJHANE KE LIYE THANK YOU...( SMILED )

HM WAS SITTING AND HAVING THE FOOD WHEN THE MAN AGAIN ARRIVED AND SAT BESIDE HER...AS WAS WATCHING ALL THIS FROM A DISTANCE...HE AGAIN TRIED MISBEHAVING WHEN HM TOOK A STAND...HE PROUDLY SMILED WHILE THE MAN LOOKED AT AS WITH RAGE-FILLED EYES...

MN: AA...HEY? ( TO ANUBHAV )

AS : ( LOOKED AT HIM WITH CREASED EXPRESSION ) JI?

MN : AAP WAHI HAIN NA JINHONE SUBAH HASEENA KO...AUR USSE SAMJHAYA KI SHE SHOULD TAKE A STAND? 

AS: JI...SAHI PEHCHANA AAPNE...KOI TAKLEEF?

MN : AREE ISMAIN TAKLEEF KYA ? BALKI MAIN TOH AAPKA SHUKRIYA KARNE AAYA HU...AAPNE MERI AANKHE KHOL DI...EK ITNA BADA RESPECTED BUSSIUNESS MAN HONE KE BAWAJOOD MAIN AISI NICH HARKATE KARTA THA...AAJ AAPKI WAJAH SE MUJHE SAHI GALAT SAMJH AAYA...THANKS A LOT...

AS : ( SMILED ) HUME KHUSHI HAIN AAPKO SMAJH AAYA...AAIYE...SAATH MEIN BREAKFAST KARTE HAIN...( WALKED AHEAD )

MN : ( HALF SMILE ) BAHUT BADI GALTI KARDI TUMNE...MERI EGO HURT KARDI...AB DEKHNA...KAISE MAIN TUMHARI AUR HASEENA KI ZINDAGI DESTROY KARTA HUN...JUST WAIT AND WATCH MAN...( FOLLOWED AS )

HM WAS CARRYING A GLASS OF JUICE AND WALKING TOWARDS THE EMPTY TABLE WHEN THE STRINGS OF HER BLOUSE TANGLED WITH THE FLOWER DECORATIONS THEIR...SHE TRIED UNTANGLING BUT IN VAIN...

AS: HUM AAPKI SAHETA KARDE ? ( HM NODDED )

HE GENTLY UNTANGLED THE STRINGS...AND STOOD IN FRONT OF HM...HIDING HER FROM THE REST CROWD...HM LOOKED AND HIM AND QUICKLY RE-TIED HER BLOUSE STRINGS...

AS: HASEENA JI? ( GIVING HER WAY )

HM : HASEENA JI ?...PHELI BAAR HUME KISI NE HASEENA JI KAHA HAIN...AMMI  HASEENA BOLTI HAIN AUR STAFF MISS MALLIK...AAPKE...

AS: AA...NAHI...HUME MAAF KAR DIJIYE...AAPKO ACCHA NAHI LAGA TOH...

HM : ( NODDED IN A NO ) NAHI...ACCHA LAGA...( FUMBLING )

SHE SHYLY SMILED AND WALKED TOWARDS THE TABLE WHILE AS STOOD THERE...HER WORDS REVOLVING AND A SMILE RISING HIS LIPS AND TINT ON CHEEKS...

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