Sana came back to her home and saw Aditya sitting on the sofa. He glared at Sana angrily but Sana ignored it and took off her eyes.

"Kaha gayi thi?" Aditya asked.

Sana kept her handbag on the sofa, went to the kitchen and started drinking water.

"You didn't answer my question." Aditya said.

"Aap aaj zaldi aa gaye?" Sana asked him instead of giving answer.

"Haan agaya, aur isliye paata chala ki tum bahar gayi thi. Warna aaj kaal toh tum kuch baatati nahi ho. Baatao kaha thi."

"Aaj toh aap dinner ghar pe hi karenge sayad. Kya pakau dinner mein?"

Now Aditya could not tolerate her behaviour anymore. He banged on the table and shouted, "Main kuch puch raha hoon tumhe!"

"Kyu puch rahe hai? Kis haq se puch rahe hai?" Sana asked calmly.

Aditya became puzzled. "Kis haq se matlab? Husband hoon main tumhara. Tum kab kaha jaati ho yeh jaan ne ka haq hai mujhe." He said

"Sayad aap bhul rahe hai. Aap hi ne kaha tha hum eksaath ek chaat ke neeche rahenge zaroor, lekin hum ek dusre ke personal matter pe interfere nahi karenge. Thik jaise main apse nahi puchti ki aap kab kaha jaate hai, aap bhi mujhse mat puchiyega ki main kab kaha jaati hoon. Yeh meri request hai apse." Sana said and went to her room.

Aditya could not even believe that Sana talked to him like this.

"Ho kya gaya hai isko? Mujhe laga tha ki yeh try karegi mujhe maanane ki, mujhse binti karegi taa ki main isse maaf kar doon. Lekin yeh toh ulta mujhe hi suna ke chali gayi. Akhir yeh chal kya raha hai?" Aditya said in his mind.

Sana was going towards her room, suddenly Isha stopped her.

"Bhabi!" She called.

Sana turned and said, "Haan bol."

"Maine apki aur Bhaiya ki saari baatein sun li. Accha hua apne unhe kuch nahi baataya. Woh bhi kaunsa apko kuch baatate hai? Lekin aap at least mujhe toh baata hi sakti hai aap kaha gayi thi. Agar aap chaho toh."

"Zaroor baataungi. Aaj tak maine apni behen se kuch chupaya hai jo ab chupaungi? Actually Isha, aaj main ek NGO mein gayi thi. Waha mujhe as a dance teacher appoint kiya gaya hai. Main kaal se waaha join kar rahi hoon."

Isha became very happy.

"Congratulations! Finally aap apne liye kuch rahi ho. I'm so happy for you. Lekin aap yeh baat Bhaiya se chupa kyu rahi ho?"

"Kyu ki main unhe baatana zaroori nahi samajhti. Main unki life mein matter hi nahi karti. Phir main unhe apne life ke baare mein kuch bhi kyu baatau?"

"Fair enough. Okay phir main bhi unhe kuch nahi baataungi. Accha, Mummy ko toh baata sakti hoon nah?"

Sana nodded.

"Thik hai. Accha apse ek baat puchu? Apne yeh job dhundna, yeh sab kuch akele manage kaise kiya?"

Sana smiled and said, "Akeli hoti toh sayad yeh sab manage nahi kar paati. Mere saath koi hai. Jo har kadam pe mera saath de raha hai. Uske hote hue mujhe kisi baat ki fikar karne ki koi zaroorat hi nahi hai."

"Kiski baat kar rahe ho aap?" Isha asked.

Sana told her about Sidharth. How he helped her in finding job, how he grew up her confidence and supported her, Sana told Isha everything.

"Jitna usne mere liye kiya hai, aaj kaal koi kisi ke liye utna nahi karta. He is a very kind-hearted person." Sana said and became lost.

"Accha hua apko koi toh mila jo apko samajhta hai. Maine dekha tha Bhaiya ke boss ko party mein. Dekh kar hi paata chal raha tha woh kitne acche insaan hai. Aap nah ek din unhe dinner pe zaroor bulana. Aap ki itni madad jo ki hai unhone."

"Hmm. Bulaungi ek din." Sana said.
_______________________________________

Next Day...

Sidharth was going to pick up Sana from the NGO. He was in a hurry.

"Oh God! Kitna late hogaya. Office ka kaam khatam hi nahi hota. Ab tak toh Sana ke dance classes khatam ho gaye honge. Aaj pehla din hai, aur aaj hi itna late? Kahi impatient ho kar woh akele ghar toh nahi chali gayi? No no, woh aisa nahi karegi. I think mujhe zaldi karni chahiye." Sidharth said in his mind.

Suddenly he stopped near Aditya's cabin.

"Haan Dipti, main Sana ko divorce dene wala tha." Aditya said.

Sidharth stopped hearing that. He became confused and tried to hear the full conversation.

"Toh phir kyu nahi diya tumne, haan? Baat toh bohut badi badi kar rahe the ki bas ab aur nahi, main Sana ko divorce de dunga, woh mere layak nahi hai and all. Suddenly kya hua?" Dipti said.

"Try to understand Dipti. Hum court mein jaa hi rahe the ki suddenly Mummy ko heart attack aa gaya. Uss waqt unhe aur zyada stress nahi de sakta tha main."

"What rubbish! Sirf iss wajah se tum Sana ke saath rehne ke liye maan gaye? How could you?"

"Dipti trust me. Hum sirf saath reh rahe hai. Humare bich kuch bhi normal nahi hai, naa kabhi hoga. I only love you."

Sidharth became shocked hearing that.

"I love you too." Dipti said and hugged Aditya.

Sidharth couldn't tolerate more and left from there. He got into the car thinking about the incident.

"What the fuck is happening? Aditya Dipti se pyaar karta hai? Then what is he doing with Sana? Aur unka divorce hone wala tha? Isliye Sana mere paas aayi thi job mangne. Lekin jab maine uss se pucha ki sab kuch thik hai yaa nahi, usne mujhe kuch bhi nahi baataya. Sana ke life mein itna kuch ho gaya aur mujhe khabar tak nahi?" Sidharth said in his mind and banged on the steering.

On the other hand, Sana finished her dance classes and was ready to leave.

"Mrs. Arora, apne pehle din hi bohut acche se bacchon ko dancing lessons diye. I'm really impressed. And I think bacche bhi kaafi khush hai. Kyu bacchon, aap logo ko kaisa laga Shehnaaz Mam se dance sikh ke?" Ms. D'Souza said.

"Bohut accha!" The children said.

"Waise yeh log bhi bohut talented hai. First day hi inhone bohut kuch bohut zaldi sikh liya. I think aage jaa ke yeh log aur bhi accha karenge." Sana said.

Then she bid goodbye to the children and came outside the NGO. She was waiting for Sidharth. Sana called Sidharth but he didn't pick up. She called her again and again but he was not picking up. Sana became tensed.

"Kya hogaya Sidharth ko? Woh aisa toh kabhi nahi karta. Sab kuch thik toh hai nah?" Sana said in her mind.

After sometime Sidharth came. Sana was relieved.

"Itni der kaise lag gayi? Paata hai main kab se wait kar rahi hoon? Aur tum mera phone kyu nahi utha rahe the? I was so tensed." Sana said while getting into the car.

Sidharth didn't say a single word.

"Accha woh sab chhoro. Tumne pucha nahi mera first day kaisa raha? Main nah bekar mein hi darr rahi thi. Itne saalon baad bhi mujhe bacchon ko dance sikhane mein koi problem nahi hui. Upar se Ms. D'Souza ne meri tarif bhi ki. All thanks to you." Sana said.

She kept talking while Sidharth kept quiet. All time Sidharth was thinking about Aditya's words.

After a while Sana noticed that and said, "Kya hua Sidharth? Main kabse bole jaa rahi hoon aur tum baat bhi nahi kar rahe. Kuch hua hai kya?"

Sidharth didn't reply.

"Sidharth tum kuch bol kyu nahi rahe? Naraz ho? Koi galti hui hai mujhse? Kuch toh bolo."

"Kuch nahi hua." Sidharth said without looking at her.

Sana became restless. "Kuch toh zaroor hua hai. Tum meri taraf dekh bhi nahi rahe. Kabse ignore kiye jaa rahe ho. Please mere saath aisa mat karo. Tum toh mere dost ho, agar tumne bhi mujhe ignore karna start kar diya toh..."

Sidharth cut in between and asked, "Tumhara divorce hone wala tha?"

"Haan?"

"Maine pucha, kya tumhara aur Aditya ka divorce hone wala tha?"

Sana looked down.

"Woh... asal mein...." Sana could not find words to say.

"Isliye tumne yeh NGO join kiya?"

Sana nodded.

"Aur yeh baat tum mujhe kab baatane wali thi?"

"Actually main tumhe baatana nahi chahti thi ki...." Sana could not say further and looked down.

Sidharth couldn't handle it anymore. It was hurting him that Sana didn't share her problems with him. He was feeling that Sana didn't trust him enough. He suddenly stopped the car and came out of the car angrily.

Sana also came out of the car saying, "Sidharth please meri baat suno. I'm really sorry...."

"Kya sunu main? Itni badi baat hogayi aur tumne baatana zaroori tak nahi samjha. Kya aisa hai humara rishta ki tum mujhse apni problems share tak na kar sako?" Sidharth said angrily. There was a pain in his voice.

"Aisa nahi hai. Main apne problems ke baare mein baata kar tumhe worried nahi karna chahti thi. That's it."

"Aur isliye mere lakh puchne ke bawajood tumne mujhse itni badi baat chupayi? Kyu Sana kyu? Dost kehti ho nah mujhe? Kya yehi thi humari dosti? Tum mujhe minimum trust tak nahi karti...."

"No Sidharth." Sana went near him. She cupped his face and said, "Mera rab jaanta hai ki iss duniya mein main agar sabse zyada trust kisi ko karti hoon toh woh tum ho."

Sidharth removed her hands and said, "Inn sab baaton ka kya fayda Sana? Mujhe abhi tumse koi baat nahi karni. Please mujhe akela chhor do."

"Baat nahi karni matlab?" Sana grabbed his hand tightly and said, "Don't say this Sidharth. Main sab kuch seh sakti hoon lekin tumhara ignorance nahi. It hurts. Tum naraz ho nah mujhse? Then ok. Tum mere upar gussa karo, chillao, lekin mujhse baat karo."

"Sana mera haath chhoro. Maine kaha nah mujhe tumse baat nahi karni." Sidharth said while trying to free his hand.

Sana started trying. "Nahi main nahi chhorungi. Phir baki logo ki tarah tum bhi mujhe chhor ke chale jaoge. Woh main nahi hone dungi." Sana said while crying.

Sidharth didn't expect that she would start crying.

"Sana tum pagal ho gayi ho? Ro kyu rahi ho?" Sidharth said being concerned. He couldn't see her crying.

He pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

"Sana calm down!" Sidharth said.

"Waada karo tum mujhe chhor ke nahi jaoge." Sana said.

"Nahi main kahi nahi jaa raha. Main bas gussa tha aur kuch nahi. Ab chup ho jao."

They both kept standing there like that. Sana was crying and Sidharth was consoling her. After sometime she became normal. They both got into the car. Sidharth started driving. There was an unnatural silence in the car.

After sometime Sidharth said, "Waise jab main gussa tha, tum kaafi pareshaan ho gayi thi."

Sana felt a little bit embarrassed.

"Haan woh actually jab tum mujhse baat nahi kar rahe the, mujhe ignore kar rahe the, mujhe bilkool accha nahi lag raha tha. Main darr gayi thi. Sorry if I overreacted." Sana said.

"No, it's ok. Waise tumhe accha nahi lagta nah jab koi tumhe ignore karta hai?"

"Accha kisi ko nahi lagta. Lekin mujhe toh adat ho jaana chahiye tha. Aaj tak sab mujhe sirf ignore hi karte aaye hai. But paata nahi kyu jab tumne mujhe ignore kiya, mujhe itna ganda kyu feel ho raha tha. Main woh handle nahi kar paa rahi thi ki tum mujhe ignore kar rahe the, mujhse baat nahi karna chah rahe the. That's why I became emotional."

Sidharth smiled after hearing those words from her mouth.

"Sidharth, mujhse ek waada karoge? Aage kabhi bhi agar tum mujhse gussa ho jao toh mujhe muh par bologe. Aise khamosh nahi rahoge." Sana said.

"Promise. Lekin tum bhi aage se mujhse kuch nahi chupaogi. Promise?"

Sana smiled and said, "Promise. Toh tumne mujhe maaf kar diya?"

Sidharth nodded.

Suddenly Aditya and Dipti's matter came to his mind.

"Sana woh main tumhe Aditya ke baare mein kuch baatana chahta tha...."

Sana didn't let him finish and said, "Please Sidharth! Mujhe unke baare mein kuch nahi jaan na. Hum dono ke raste alag hai. Aur woh apni life mein kya kar rahe hai mujhe uss se koi fark nahi padhta."

Sidharth didn't say anything.

"Sayad tumhare liye yehi sahi rahega ki main tumhe kuch na baatau. Tum pehle se hi bohut hurt ho. Yeh sunake main tumhe aur hurt nahi kar sakta. Thode time ke baad Aditya automatically tumhare dil se chala jayega. Phir main tumhe yeh sach baataunga." Sidharth said in his mind.
_______________________________________

Will Sidharth tell Sana about the truth of Aditya and Dipti's relationship?

Stay tuned...

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