"Doctor....doctor woh woh Pagal....", nurse came running in the OPD.

"What happened? Why are you shouting?", Dr. Ojha asked the panting nurse while being engrossed in some file.

"Doctor woh pagal jise hum ne do hafte pehle Electric Shock dia tha....woh apne Ward me nahi h", the scared nurse told the doctor.

Hearing the name, he looked up at her. "You mean that patient from Psychiatric Ward? What do you mean he isn't there? Did you even check properly?"

"Doctor hum ne sb jagah dekha. Pr woh kahin nahi h. Lagta h woh bhaag gya"

Dr. Ojha stood up from his chair. "Itni security hone ke baad woh kaise bhaag skta h? Tum log ek kaam theek se nahi kr skte? Tumhe koi andaaza h tumhari ek laaparvaahi ki wajah se main kitni badi problem me fans gya hu?", he gave her a death look. The nurse looked down in fear.

"What are you staring at my face now?Go search him everywhere. I want him! Do you understand? Agar woh nhi mila, to tum sb ko fire kr dunga. GET LOST!", Dr. Ojha barked threatening the nurse.

"Jii Doctor", the shivering nurse left the OPD in fear of losing her job.

Dr. Sunil Ojha, the Dean of the Asylum, took out a handkerchief from his pocket & wiped the sweat from his forhead. He sat on his chair and tried to think. Then picked up the phone from the table and dialled a number.

"Sir, woh Hospital se bhaag gaya!"

~~~~~~~~~~

The camp fire was lit & they were made to stand around it facing their partners. Vatsal-Ishita too were playing while Sid had opted out this time. Instead he was handling the music system.

"Are you ready baby doll?", stepping on the paper Ayaan asked for Zoya's hand who was gonna be his dancing partner for the night.

"Chaliye yeh bhi kr lete h", she stepped forward taking his hand.

Aditya who got his pairing with Ishita, his eyes were watching her all the time. He saw Ayaan saying something in her ears to which she laughed.

"They are school best friends - Zoya, Sid & Ayaan. Teeno ki school se pakki yaari h, khaas kr hi Zoya aur Ayaan ki", Ishita told him pointing at Ayaan & Zoya who were placed not far from them.

"I can see that", he replied not removing his eyes from them as Zoya laughed on another joke cracked my her bestie.

The music started and so did the game. Soon couples started losing the balance  & got out of the game. But Aditya's eyes were only on Ayaan's hand around Zoya. Though they were friends yet he did not like the physical closeness between the two & the way he was holding his wife. But at the same time, he didn't want to hurt Zoya. So he kept dancing quietly.

The game reached last round as couples got eliminated after each round. Ishita-Vatsal turned out to be the winners and like they never failed to show their love for each other openly, both of them did not mind kissing each other in front of others. Hooting and clapping followed.

After game got over & everyone went to sleep, Zoya was making way to her tent too. She didn't see after the game & was wondering why he left without waiting for her when someone called her from behind.

"Oye"

She turned to look. "Janab hume follow kyun kr rahe h?"

"Bas aisi hi", Ayaan replied.

"Kyun Janab ki koi girlfriend nhi jo yun humare peeche ghoom rahe h?"

Aditya who was awake waiting for Zoya heard her voice right outside his tent. He smiled as he knew she'd definitely come. But his smile faded after hearing the next voice.

"Ummmm thi actually", Ayaan told her thinking.

"Fir?"

"Woh bechari tere jitni sundar nahi thi naa. Issliye chod dia usse"

"Achcha? To fir aajkl to aap free honge. Girlfriends ke nakhre nhi uthane padte honge", Zoya pulled his leg.

"Actually aajkl main aur bhi zyada busy hu. Ab main shaadishuda ladkiyon se flirt krta hu"

Aditya's nerves were boiling as he heard him flirt with her. Zoya laughed on his stupid jokes. Then he heard her bidding night to him. Ayaan began flirting more. Aditya has had enough, so he pulled the blanket over his face & pretended to be slept. That's how Zoya found him when she entered the tent.

~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't easy escaping from the cell he was locked in. He got his chance when Compounder after giving him the drugs left the door unlocked thinking he was still unconscious. He grabbed his only chance & slipped under Asylum's tight security. He was running barefoot like a mad man.

He didn't have any idea how much time passed since he was in there. Memories of past few weeks was faint in his mind. But there was one thing which was still fresh in his mind. It was the day he had lost his everything. The day he lost last of his faith in humanity. And now there is only one thing he seeks - REVENGE!

He needed to go his home first. He had to check upon his mother before seeing anyone else. He felt weak physically as he ran for his life. The cold night wasn't helping him though but darkness were. Sahir stopped as he reached outside his house. He panted bending on his knees. His lifted his leg & pulled the thorn out from his feet. He groaned in pain as the blood stained his finger. He pulled open the door of the small house and limped forward.

"Kis se milna h? Yahan pr koi nhi rehta", a female voice came from the next door.

The old lady from the neighbour house was giving him strange looks, standing near the common wall of the 2 houses.

"Yeh mera ghar h. Yahan meri Amm...."

"Yahan jo aurat rehti thi usska do hafte pehle intekaal ho gaya", she told eyeing him up & down.

He felt like somebody was choking him."Mtlb kya h aapka?", he walked near her and asked in a rather weak voice.

"Kisi ne khabar di thi usska beta ab iss duniya me nahi raha. Bechari yeh dukh seh nahi payi"

As if the ground slipped under his feet, his legs shook and he held the door to save from falling.

"Ammi...."

The lady gave a last look of pity and left him alone to confront. With the support of wall, he walked inside the house. His knees had given up, so did his strength.

The house was lifeless without her, the life of his house, Ammi. He switched on the lights. It was dangerously silent. His eyes fell on a portrait on the table. Like a lifeless body, he moved near the table and picked the frame. His body gave up all strength as he stared at the smiling face of his mother.

He fell to the floor. "Ammi...mujhe maaf kr dijiye Ammi", his eyes and words had become too heavy by the weight of tears. He allowed them to flow freely from his eyes until they started wetting his face. His pain had crossed all limits that day.

"Aap bhi mujhe chod ke chli gyi Ammi", hugging the frame to his chest, he cried his heart out to the emptiness of house. He was never felt so helpless in his life, not even when he was caged in the dark cell where they were sucking his sanity little by little each day.

He looked around the empty house that once used to be his home. That used to be the place where his Allah, his Ammi used to reside. His only family too was taken away. He was the loneliest man in the world.

Suddenly he felt scared to be inside his own house. The silence was screaming at him from various angles. He brought his knees closer in a defensive position. As if something was trying to hurt him. He shut his ears by his hand and closed his eyes tight.

  ~~~~~~~~~~

Next morning was the coldest of all the days they had spent in the mountains of Shimla. He turned in sleep to other side while his ears fell prey to voices coming from outside. He woke from his sleep & looked to his side. He was alone there in the tent. He go out and was awestruck at the scene. The ground was covered with thick layer of ice. It was snowing.

Though it was early morning, everyone had already waken up to make up most of their last morning of the trip. Aditya heard familiar laugh among the people who were playing with snow. He looked around and found Zoya laughing as she ran. He followed her eyes & spotted Sid running behind her holding snow in his hand.

"Zoya ruko ruko..."

"Siddharth, no please please", Zoya said pleading. He threw the snowballs at her that she dodged & teased him showing her tongue. A smile formed on Aditya's lips seeing her jolly side. He picked the ice from the ground and moved towards her.

"Caught you"

And she got drenched in the pool of ice. Zoya hadn't realized whom she collided with as her eyes were on Sid. Aditya's face fell seeing Ayaan right next to her.

"Ha ha ha tum mujhse se nahi bach skti bachhu", Ayaan laughed at her.

Zoya picked snowballs in both hands & threw at his face. "Haa haa haa aap zara pehle hum se bach ke dikhayen Janab", she started throwing ice at him. He too shot back to back at her. After fighting, both laughed looking at each other and rolled in the ice.

Zoya saw Aditya standing there. She got up from the snow and smiled at him. As she started torwards him, he turned his back at her & walked away from there.

**********

Happy Makar Sankranti peeps! Thanks so much for all the love you have given to the Chapter 1 of 'Entangled'.

I am happy you guys are liking & taking interest in the concept of the story. And please be a lil' patient, you'll get all your answers regarding the story. As of now, I can't reveal much.

Will see you soon!

Stay tuned ;)