Sunrays fell on Agastya's face and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked and realised that he was lying on the hospital bed. He tried to sit up but felt unbearable pain on his body. He gave up and sighed.

"Arrey arrey kya rahe hai? Pure do din baad hosh aaya hai aap ko. Abhi body par itna stress mat di jiye. If you need anything then tell me." Said the nurse while giving him injection.

"When....will I.... get discharged?" He asked with difficulty.

"Jab aap thode fit ho jayenge tab. Waise discharged hone ki bohut zaldi hai aap ko? You must be missing your family so I'm calling your family member inside. You'll feel good after meeting her."

Agastya frowned hearing that and asked, "Family member?"

"Yeah she is waiting outside. Aap rukiye, main bhejti hoon unko."

Saying that the nurse went outside. Agastya became puzzled thinking of what the nurse said. He didn't have any family. Then whom the nurse was talking about?

The nurse went outside and said to Sukoon, "Patient ko hosh aa gaya. Aap andar jaa ke unse mil sakti hai."

Sukoon smiled hearing that. She looked upwards and said, "Thank you Babaji. Aap ne meri sun li."

Then she asked the nurse, "Abhi jaau?"

"Yeah sure." Replied the nurse.

Sukoon went inside and saw Agastya lying. There were several plasters on his body. Sukoon felt bad seeing him like this.

She sat near his bed and asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah but.... Who are you?" He asked looking at her.

Sukoon frowned and said, "Aap ki yaadast toh badi kamzor hai. Do do baar mil liye phir bhi yaad nahi rehta."

Agastya tried to remember and finally he recognised her.

"Sukoon!" He uttered making her smile.

Flashback...

Agastya was devastated after Rumi left him. He couldn't focus on his work anymore. He cancelled all his shows. His situation was totally messed up. All the day he used keep himself engaged in consuming alcohol. He thought like this he would be able to get over Rumi but everything went in vein. He burnt everything which belonged to her but it didn't work either. The house where he was staying had a lot memories of Rumi which were haunting him. So at last he decided to leave the house.

One day he was packing his bag and his friends, Rishabh and Farah, were trying to stop him.

"Bhai tu kya kar raha hai? Since when you became so coward? You are running way from your problems? Like seriously?" Said Rishabh.

Agastya gave a sarcastic smile and said, "You can call me whatever you want. Lekin agar main yaaha ruka, toh Rumi ki yaadein mujhe jeene nahi dengi. Iss takleef ko jitna ho sake kam karne ke liye, mujhe yaaha se jaana hoga."

"Agar tujhe lagta hai bhag jaane se teri takleef kam ho jayegi, toh tu iss duniya ka sabse bada gadha hai. You want to get over her, right? Then come with me. I'll arrange dates for you. Nayi ladkiyon se milega, thoda enjoy karega, toh tu usse apne aap bhul jayega. And you are handsome, talented, one of the top theatre directors in India, you'll get anyone yaar."

"Oo really? Then why didn't I get Rumi? Hai koi jawab tere paas?"

Rishabh became quiet.

"Tere liye yeh sab kehna asan hai. Because you never fell in love. I did. And this shi*ty thing has ruined my life. Now I'm broken beyond repair. Yeh jakham jo mere andar hai, yeh kabhi bhar nahi sakta. Bas isse thoda kam karne ke liye main jaa raha hoon. In your words, I'm running away."

Teardrops fell from Agastya's eyes while saying. Rishabh could feel his pain but he knew what Agastya was doing will destroy him eventually.

Suddenly Farah came there and said, "Isse jaane de Rishabh. It's necessary for him."

"Farah what are you say....."

"I'm saying the correct thing."

Farah went near Agastya and said, "Tu jaa. Yeh journey teri hai, isse complete tujhe hi karna hoga. Jis situation mein tu fasa hai, uss se bahar nikaal ne ka raasta tujhe khud dhund na hoga. Tune khud kho diya hai Agastya. Take how much you need. Lekin waada kar iss journey ke end mein humein woh khoya hua Agastya wapas milega. You will find your own self. Waada kar."

Farah forwarded her hand. Agastya looked at her with teary eyes and kept his hand on hers and promised her. Then the trio hugged.

"Call us whenever you think you need us." Said Farah to which Agastya nodded.

Then he left for an uncertain journey.

He ride his bike on the endless road. He started roaming from cities to cities and states to states. In the way he had only one companion, that was alcohol.

One night he was drinking sitting with some gypsies. Suddenly he got a notification on phone and saw Rumi and Ishaan's wedding posts. This broke his poor heart into pieces. He started gulping the alcohol fast.

"After giving me so much pain, finally my Rumi is happy. She married her dream man, Ishaan Rana. But what was my fault? Jab usse mujhse pyaar tha hi nahi, woh aayi kyu meri zindagi mein? Koshish kar raha hoon usse bhulne ki par nahi hota. Yeh pyaar hi aisa hai. Yeh har roz humein maarta hai magar puri tarah se khatam nahi karta. I just hate it. Ab bas uss pal ka intezar hai jab sach mein maut aayegi aur mujhe humesha ke liye iss dard se mukt kar ke apne saath le jaayegi. Normal life mein toh ab kabhi wapas nahi jaa paaunga, behtar hai ki marr hi jaau. Death, I'm waiting for you." He said in his mind.

He threw away his phone in anger and again started drinking. After drinking too much he dozed off.

Next day, he again started riding his bike. He didn't have any destination. He was going wherever his destiny was taking him to. Like this he couldn't realise when he reached Delhi.

But in Delhi, he met with a new trouble. At night some thieves snatched his purse and took his bike away. Agastya tried to stop them but failed as he was drunk. Now he had nothing with him. So he took shelter in a Gurdwara. Day and night he used to pray for his own death.

"Aur kitni takleef likhi hai meri kismat mein? Ab sach mein aur nahi hota. Kuch nahi hai mere paas. Na paisa, na ghar, na hi koi apna. What I only have is, a big zero. Din raat nashe mein dhund rehta hoon, kya kar raha hoon, kaha jaa raha hoon kuch paata nahi rehta. Aur kitne din jeena hoga mujhe aise? Thak chuka hoon main. Kabhi socha nahi tha mohabbat ki itni badi sazah mil jayegi mujhe. Par ab khatam kar do iss sazah ko, khatam kar do mujhe. I don't want this life anymore. I just don't want it." He prayed while crying silently.

At that very moment, two feet were stepped inside the gurdwara. It was none other than Sukoon. She bent down, touched the ground to take blessings and then stood up with a smile.

"Babaji, aap ki Sukoon phir se aa gayi aap se milne. Abhi ab puchoge, 'Baki sab thik?', main bolungi, 'Bas chal raha hai.'. Phir aap kahoge, 'Chehre pe koi udaasi nahi dikh rahi hai, phir mere paas aayi kis liye?'. Offo, kya sirf dukh aur dard mein hi aap ko yaad kiya jaata hai? Main toh har waqt aap ko yaad karti hoon. Emotional attachment jo hai aap se."

Saying that Sukoon entered the prayer hall. After completing her prayer, she was going to take the prasad when she noticed Agastya sitting on the ground.

"Arrey yeh admi itna jaana pehchana kyu lag raha hai? Kahi toh dekha hai inhe....."

Suddenly she remembered the day when they first met and said, "Oo teri! Yeh toh woh hi hai jinhone Mumbai mein mera phone phenk diya tha. Pure 2000 kharcha hue the phone thik karane ke liye. Aaj chhorungi nahi main inko. Ek ek paisa vasool karungi."

Sukoon went near Agastya and said tapping his shoulder, "Hello! Oh Hello! Main aap se baat kar rahi hoon."

Agastya looked at her blankly.

"Kya socha tha? Uss din mera naya Phone tod ke aap asani se bach jaayenge? 2000 rupaye lage hai repairing ke liye. Yeh koi kam amount nahi hote. Upar se uss hi din phone ki warranty khatam hui thi. Abhi aap paise di jiye warna case kar dungi aap......"

She suddenly stopped when she noticed tears in Agastya's eyes. She felt guilty and said softly, "Aap ro kyu rahe hai? Maine zyada bol diya kya? Asal mein mera gussa thoda kharab hai. I'm sorry."

Agastya didn't say anything and kept looking at her with teary eyes. He was not understanding what she was saying. He was lost in his own thoughts.

"Accha aap roiye mat. Mujhe logo ke aakhon mein aansu acche nahi lagte." Saying that she gently wiped his tears with her dupatta.

Agastya was startled by the sudden care and affection she was showing.

"What are you doing?" He asked loudly pushing her away.

"Aanshu poch rahi thi aap ke. Babaji ke ghar mein aa ke aanshu bahana bilkool acchi baat nahi hai. Agar aap ki koi mannat puri nahi ho rahi hai toh aap dil se unse maango na, woh kabhi aap ko khali haath wapas nahi bhejenge."

"Meri mannat woh kabhi puri nahi karenge." Said Agastya sadly.

"Kya mannat hai aap ki?" Asked Sukoon curiously.

"Maut. Maut chahiye mujhe."

Sukoon smiled and said, "Yeh mannat toh woh waqt se pehle kabhi puri nahi karenge. Koi aur mannat hoti toh woh zaroor aap ki baat sunte."

"Really? Sukoon maanga tha maine unse. Woh bhi toh nahi diya. Isliye itne dard mein jeena padh raha hai."

Sukoon paused for a while and then said excitedly, "What? Aap ne mujhe maanga tha? I'm so lucky. Mujhe nahi paata tha main itni famous hoon."

Agastya made a confused face.

Sukoon forwarded her hand and said smiling, "Sukoon Saxena."

Agastya didn't forward his hand. He looked at another direction and said sternly, "Agastya Rao."

She made a face and said, "Aise kaun introduction deta hai? Itna sadu ban ke?"

She thought for a while and suddenly got an idea. She took out her phone, opened her camera and said, "Idhar dekhiye."

Agastya looked at her.

"Say cheese!"

Saying that she clicked their selfie.

"Yeh sab kya hai?" He asked.

"Paata hai, researches ke according koi bhi insaan kitna bhi sadu kyu na ho, camera dekhte hi smile kar deta hai. Par aap ne toh unn researches ko bhi wrong prove kar diya." She said making a sad pout.

"Tumhe koi aur kaam nahi hai? Jo yaaha baith ke mujhe paka rahi ho?" Asked Agastya getting irritated.

"Sahi hai aap ne. Kaam zyada hai nahi mere paas. Par tussi bhi toh velle hi ho? Thodi bakwas sun lo? Kya paata aage jaa ke kaam aa jaaye."

Agastya gave her a death glare.

Sukoon made a scared face and said, "Ok baba I'm going. Waise bhi aap bohut dangerous admi ho. Pichli baar phone toda tha. Kya paata iss baar mujhe hi tod do? Nahi nahi main chali jaati hoon."

She stood up and started leaving. Agastya gave a sigh of relief.

Suddenly Sukoon stopped and said, "Accha suno."

Agastya looked at her.

"Sukoon sab ke andar hi hota hai. Bas koi dhund nahi paata. Aise mein lambi lambi saansein lo aur jitna ho sake muskurao. Relaxed feel karoge. Andar ka bojh utar jayega. Aur ek baar bojh utar gaya na, sukoon bhi bohut zaldi mil jayega."

Agastya didn't reply and took off his eyes.

Sukoon smiled and thought, "Babaji, ek chhoti si request hai. Yeh aap se maut maang rahe hai magar aap bilkool mat dena. Balki inko aap bohut saari zindagi dena. Aur ho sake toh inki zindagi mein kisi aise ko bhej dena jo inka sahara ban sake. Kyu ki yeh utne bure bhi nahi hai jitna maine socha tha. Dil ke acche hai. Aur acche logo ke saath humesha accha hi hona chahiye. Hai na?"

Saying that she left from there and destiny started playing its own game with these two.

Flashback Ends...
______________________________________

Has Agastya and Sukoon's story started?

What has destiny stored for them?

Stay tuned...

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