Started on 6.11.2019

*****

"Yahi sahi mauka hai. Main... main nahi ja rahi  ghumne",

Kashish talks to herself, determind.

"Arey Kashish. Beta tum taiyar nahi hui? Humein nikalna hai. ",

says Veena, smiling.

Kashish turns to look towards Veena.

"Ahmm... Aunty wo actually....",

says Kashish, playing with her fingers nervously.

"Kya hua Kashish beta? Tum pareshan lag rahi ho.",

says a concerned Veena, placing her right hand on Kashish's upper arm lightly.

Mehak reaches them too and asks,

"Di, kuch problem hai kya?"

Kashish smiles nervously, looking towards Mehak and tries to assure her,

"Ah... nahi Mehak. Problem... problem kaisi. Koi... koi problem nahi hai."

"To aap yahan khadi kyun hain? Chaliye na.",

says Mehak.

"Ahmm... wo...",

Kashish looks towards Veena again, who is looking at Kashish, wondering what is the matter.

"Dekho Kashish, beti mana hai maine tumhe. Jis tarah se main Sujal ke chehre ko parh kar bata deti hun ke uske dil mein kya chupa hai; kya chal raha hai, waise main tumhare chehre ko bhi parhna seekh chuki hun iss ek saal mein.",

says Veena, showing her concern and dominance on Kashish as a mother.

Mehak and Kashish smile politely at her.

"Kuch baat hai kya? Kuch hua hai?",

asks Veena, concerned.

Mehak too stares Kashish, desperate to know the matter.

"Ahmmm... Aunty wo... mujhe... mujhe jane ka bilkul mann nahi kar raha.",

says Kashish, keeping her eyes lowered out of hesitation.

She looks back towards Veena, placing a hand on Veena's wrist Kashish seeks her permission, politely,

"Kya main... kya main yahin ruk jaun please?"

Mehak stares Kashish. Kashish stares Veena hoping for her consent.

"Kya hua Mumma? Aap sub yahan kyun khade hain gaye nahi?",

asks Sujal, joining them, looking towards his watch.

All turn to focus on Sujal.

"Kya hua? Koi problem?",

asks Sujal, looking towards the three ladies who are dear to him.

"Bus Bhaiya abhi jane hi wale the. Wo Kashish Di....",

says Mehak, then looks towards Kashish.

Sujal knits his brows on hearing her name and turns to look towards Kashish,

"Kya? Kashish kya?",

he asks, concerned.

"Kya hua Kashish? Tumhari... tumhari tabiyat to theek hai na?",

asks Sujal, eagerly, concerned.

"Ahmm... haan... haan Sujal... main... main theek hun...",

replies Kashish, a bit nervously.

"To phir?",

Sujal asks, then turns to look towards Kashish.

"Sujal, Kashish jana nahi chahti. Yahin rehna chahti hai.",

says Veena.

Sujal who was looking towards Veena while she was telling him all that turns to look towards Kashish, knitting his brows and asks, concerned,

"Kyun Kashish?"

"Ahmm... Wo Sujal... thodi thakawat si lag rahi hai. Ahmm... abhi abhi office join kiya hai na to shayad isliye...",

says Kashish, keeping her eyes lowered as usual, unable to meet Sujal's eyes when she lying about her tiredness.

Sujal keeps staring her, knitting his brows lightly. Then turning to look towards his mother, he says,

"Ahmm... theek hai Mumma, aap log jaiye warna der ho jayegi aap logon ko."

"Theek hai beta. Tum apna aur Kashish ka khyal rakhna.",

says Veena, patting Sujal's face lovingly, smiling.

Sujal smiles too, and assures his mother,

"Ji Mumma."

Kashish's heart skips a beat on hearing Veena's words. She widens her eyes out of shock and looks towards Veena and Sujal, who are busy looking towards each other, smiling.

"Ahmm... kyun? Sujal nahi ja raha aap logo ke saath?",

asks a shocked and nervous Kashish.

Sujal and Veena turn to look towards Kashish. Where on one hand Veena's smile remains intact on her face, Sujal's smile vanishes as he realizes how this fact must be disturbing Kashish.

"Wo... darasal Kashish ek client ke saath online meeting hai. Mehra Project ko discuss karna hai. Isliye ja nahi paunga.",

says Sujal, almost like feeling guilty.

Guilty that it is because of him that Kashish must be feeling awkward at the moment.

"Oh haan, tum CG Uncle se keh rahe the ke wo meeting important hai aur wo delay hoti ja rahi hai.",

remembers Kashish.

Sujal feels relaxed to some extent, thanking heavens that she heard him and hence won't misunderstand him for staying back purposely.

"Mujhe koi problem nahi hai. Balki... acha hai agar tum saath rahoge to.... mujhe company bhi mil jayegi.",

smiles Kashish.

Sujal's happiness knows no bounds. Veena smiles wide too understanding Sujal's happiness.

She lovingly rotates her hand on Kashish's head, smiling. Kashish smiles lovingly looking towards Veena.

"Veena... arey bhai jaldi chalo.",

says CG, reaching them.

All turn to look towards CG.

"Haan bus abhi ayi.",

says Veena.

CG walks to them, smiling.

"Kashish beta, acha laga that you are back to home.",

smiles CG.

Sujal's heart flutters hearing that. He smiles, keeping his eyes lowered. Veena and Mehak smile too.

"Hmm... ghar to wapas aa gayi hai apne. Par humare saath ja nahi rahi.",

Veena fakes her complain.

"Kyun?",

asks CG, looking towards Veena, knitting his brows.

"Apni beti se hi puchiye.",

says Veena, faking her anger again, smiling.

"Kyu beta? Come na we all are going to have fun.",

smiles CG.

"Ahmm.... Uncle bilkul mann nahi hai. Bohot thaki-thaki feel kar rahi hun. Soch rahi hun aaj aram kar lun thoda.",

says Kashish, smiling.

"To apka matlab kya hai Bhabhiji hum kya apse bohot kaam karate hain?",

asks Hrishi, joining them, holding his father's upper arm from behind, bending down a little, looking towards Kashish.

Kashish ignores to reply Hrishi. Mehak sighs too, irritated.

"Main abhi ayi.",

saying so Mehak leaves.

Hrishi turns to stare a retreating Mehak for sometime then focuses back on his family and Kashish.

"Kiddo!",

scolds Sujal, widening his eyes at Hrishi.

"Kya Big B? Mazak kar raha tha main. Afterall Bhabhi hai meri. Hain na Bhabhiji. Apne devar ko maaf nahi karengi kya mazak karne ke liye?",

teases Hrishi, keeping his sarcastic tone up, looking towards Kashish, smiling viciously.

Sujal looks towards Kashish, nervously.

Plastering a smile on her face, Kashish walks to Hrishi, and says, almost like warning him,

"Ji nahi Devarji, apki koi bhi galti main maaf nahi karungi."

Hrishi keeps his smile intact on his face as he stares Kashish.

"Balki... apka kaan pakad kar kheechungi.",

says Kashish, pulling his ear lightly for his family's eyes but hard for Hrishi to endure.

"Apke dil mein apne pyaare devar ke liye itnaaa pyaar... such kahun to mere ankhon mein to khushi ke ansun aa gaye.",

Hrishi wipes fake tears.

Kashish endures his over acting and looks away, sighing.

"Main to soch raha hun ek perfect happy family ki ek photo kheench hi lun.",

saying so, Hrishi quickly brings out his mobile and asks his parents,

"Ayiye na Mom-Dad."

He embraces Kashish from her shoulders. That shocks Kashish and she removes his hand immediately. None of the others notice. Hrishi laughs silently, sarcastically. Kashish glares Hrishi.

"Arey Big B aap wahan kyun khade hain? Aap hi to humare perfect family ke picture ko complete karenge. Aaiye na.",

calls out Hrishi, smiling.

Sujal lowers his eyes, smiling, his heart fluttering with joy and love on seeing his favourites happy and smiling.

Hrishi looks towards his left where his parents are standing with him and plastering a frown expression on his face, says,

"Ohhoo... yahan to jagah nahi hai."

Then turning to look towards Kashish's side, Hrishi says,

"Big B aap Kashish Bhabhiji ke saath khade ho jaiye. Mere Bhaiya-Bhabhi ek saath khade honge.",

he smiles, using the words 

'Bhaiya-Bhabhi' together purposely.

This skips Sujal's and Kashish's heartbeats and they stare Hrishi, shocked. Then turns to look towards each other, awkwardly and soon lower their eyes out of hesitation.

"Ahmm... I... I mean.... Piyush Bhaiya ki wife - meri Bhabhi... aur Sujal Bhaiya - mere Big B!",

rectifies Hrishi, showing his fake shock.

Kashish and Sujal feel extremely uncomfortable. Veena and CG too look towards Sujal and Kashish, shocked.

Sujal takes a deep breath and stands next to Kashish. Kashish sets her strand of hair behind her ear, nervously, shyly. Sujal looks towards a shy and awkward Kashish.

Hrishi clicks a selfie.

"Chalo chalo, we don't wanna get late.",

says CG, hurrying them up.

The three of them leave, leaving behind Sujal and Kashish.

"Ayiye Dad main aap subko bahar tak chor aata hun."

,says Sujal, helping them with the luggage.

"Sujal Bhaiya aap rehne dijiye main le jata hun.",

offers Varun, entering through the main door, smiling.

"Varun tumne baki saaman rakhwa diya hai na bus mein?",

asks Sujal, all serious.

"Ji Bhaiya aap bilkul fikr mat kijiye. Aap ja to nahi rahe fir bhi aap aise tension le rahe hain jaisi puri responsibility trip ki aap par hi ho. Kuch cheezein hum chotey bhaiyon par bhi chor diya kijiye Bhaiya.",

smiles Varun.

All others smile too.

"Haan Bhaiya. Aur kuch hai to wo bhi humein bata dijiye, hum wo bhi kar denge.",

offers Aman, panting after laoding the luggage into the bus.

Sujal looks towards his brothers with pride. Kashish and Sujal's parents smile wide, their hearts swelling with pride.

Sujal walks to his brothers and pats on each's face lovingly,

"Tum logo ke rehte mujhe kisi cheez ki fikr karne ki zarurat nahi hai main janta hun. Par kya karun apne parivar ko lekar thoda juzzbaati aur protective ho jata hun. Mujhe acha lagta hai tum teeno ka, Sanjana ka khyal rakhna. Sub kuch mere hisab se ho; meri dekh rekh mein ho to tassali rehti hai iss baat ki ke tum logo ko koi pareshani nahi hogi. Tum logo ko tension lene ki zarurat nahi parhegi."

All of them stare towards their Sujal, lovingly.

Kashish turns away from them, smiling, playing with her chain encircled around her neck. Her eyes somewhere on the floor.

(Kashish's revolt tune begins)

'Haan Sujal, tumhe shuru se yahi pasand hai, ke jaisa tum chahte ho bilkul waisa hi ho.'

She turns her head a little towards left, though not turning completely towards them.

'Aur jab aisa nahi hota, to ye thaan lete ho ke har situation ko, har insaan ko apne hisab se ya to tum mould karoge ya....',

her eyes well up,

'Ya unhe apni zindagi se humesha humesha ke liye nikal bahar fekoge.'

Looking heavenwards, controlling her tears, she thinks,

'Mere... mere Piyush ko bhi tum apne gande iradon ke hisab se mould nahi kar paye. Nahi badal paye unke ache soch ko apni ghatiya soch mein. To... to unhe bhi tumne....'

Kashish bows her head, resting her fingers on her forehead, her brows knit tight.

She turns her head again towards her left and with full determination, she thinks,

'Lekin tum lakh koshish karlo Sujal, tum mujhe, Mrs. Kashish Piyush Raheja ko, apne chaalon se jeet nahi sakte. Balki main tumhe haraungi! Qadam qadam par haar ka samna karaungi tumhe Mr. Sujal Garewal. Just wait and watch!'

"Chalo ab hum chalte hain.",

saying so CG looks towards Veena, smiling, a gesture to ask her to come along.

As they leave. Hrishi, Aman and Varun bid their byes too to Sujal and Kashish.

"Main tum logo ko bahar chor kar aata hun.",

offers Sujal, to give Kashish time to adjust to the fact that they are to share this house for around a week now, all alone.

As they leave Kashish turns, nervous and angry on her circumstances.

(Kashish's revolt tune begins)

She plays with her locket nervously, looking somewhere at the ground, her brows knit together, her rate of heartbeat increased.

'Maine... maine Sujal ke ghar mein rehte hue, yahan rehna accept to kar liya. Par ab kya? Kaise dhundhungi wo sabut jo Sujal ke gunehgar hone ke taraf ishara karte ho?',

thinks a nervous Kashish, resting her fingers on her creased forehead.

She looks towards Piyush's photo frame and talks to him silently, her eyes welling up.

"Mujhe taqat dijiyega Piyush ke main Sujal ke presence ko tolerate kar paun. Aur mujhe sahi raasta dikhaiyega. Kya karun ab main? Kahan se shuru karun? Kya sabut dhundhun ya Sujal se indirectly puchun?",

talks Kashish to Piyush's photo frame.

"Kaise bahar niklun iss pareshani se?",

says Kashish, closing her eyes, resting the fingers of her right hand on her forehead and her left arm resting under her right elbow.

*****

"Rooh ko raahat, aur dil ko sukoon....",

comes Sujal's voice, skipping Kashish's heartbeat.

She opens her eyes, but doesn't turn to look towards Sujal, all alert.

"Dene ke liye ek garma garam coffee ki zarurat hoti hai.",

completes Sujal, smiling a little.

(Kashish's revolt tune begins - ni sa ni re sa, ni sa ni re ni sa. re ga re ma ga, re ga re ma re ga re ga sa om....)

Kashish raises her head but still doesn't turn.

"Ahmm... main... main abhi bana kar lati hun.",

says Kashish,still not turning to look towards Sujal. 

Taking her preparing coffee for him a way of escape from Sujal.

"Kashish!",

calls out Sujal from behind.

She stops abruptly, a little nervously, waiting for him to speak further.

Sujal slowly walks towards Kashish from behind, looking towards her throughout.

(Thodasa pyar hua hai starting flute tune begins)

"Tum ruko main bana deta hun.",

offers Sujal and walks past Kashish.

"Kyun? Kya ab bhi meri banayi hui coffee pasand nahi?",

asks Kashish, without turning to look towards Sujal.

(Sujal-Kashish happy tune begins)

A smile stretches on Sujal's lips as he remembers...

*Flashback*

"Kashish ko ek cup coffee laney ke liye kaha tha. Pata nahi ye kahan reh gayi.",

murmurs Sujal, working on his laptop, in his cabin.

Suddenly his eyes fall on Kashish and Piyush who are standing outside Sujal's cabin, just in front of Sujal's cabin's side glass. The strips of the blind makes it easy for Sujal to keep himself hidden from their eyes, not that he did it intentionally. Intentionally he would never do anything hiding behind anything or any person. He would rather face them bravely, whether they take him wrong or right. Friend or foe! Family or intruder!

Anger surges through Sujal's veins. His face go stiff out of anger, staring them without blinking.

After ending the chat, smiling, bidding bye, Kashish enters Sujal's cabin, all refreshed, smiling.

"Sir apki coffee.",

smiles Kashish as her eyes rest on Sujal. 

His mere presence around herself brightens her mood; flutters her heart.Sujal stares Kashish, all serious, almost like glaring her.

"Rakh do!",

he orders more than say.

Kashish doesn't realize the shift in his mood and smiles putting the coffee mug on the table adjacent to Sujal's seat. In the process, Kashish's duppatta's one side rests on Sujal's lap. Sujal looks towards her duppatta. Merely the feeling that it is Kashish's duppatta, her fragrance engulfing it, flutters Sujal's heart with joy but he keeps his emotions under check, especially in the presence of Kashish in the cabin.

His eyes then fall on Piyush who is crossing his cabin. Sujal's relaxed mood changes upside down. He shoves her duppatta with full force, showing his anger through his gesture. That skips Kashish's heartbeat and she turns to look towards Sujal. As a result of his shoving her duppatta and her sudden turning, it becomes difficult for Kashish to balance her duppatta and it leaves her body falling on the floor. Kashish widens her eyes out of shock, staring the duppatta. Sujal's heart skips a beat too and he too widens his eyes staring the duppatta. He didn't mean to do that. Kashish quickly covers herself with her arms and hands.

Sujal quickly picks up the duppatta and forwards it to Kashish, keeping his eyes lowered. Kashish out of anger pulls the duppatta with a jerk and covers herself up with it. That angers Sujal - her impolite gesture. He of course didn't do it purposely so why is it that she has to show her anger to him every now and then? - he wonders.

Out of anger he picks up the coffee tumbler and tastes the coffee. He gives expression of disappointment.

"Kya hai ye?",

he asks her, out of anger.

That skips Kashish's heartbeat. 

"Tumne banayi hai ye?",

he asks, glaring Kashish.

Kashish looks towards his cup of coffee, nervously, then looking towards Sujal, she says,

"Ji... Ji Sir."

"Wohi main sochun ye office ki coffee itni bekar kabse hone lagi?",

says Sujal, showing his complete rejection of the coffee, distate in her prepared coffee.That hurts Kashish.

"Na cheeni barabar hai na doodh.",

complains Sujal, looking towards Kashish.Kashish knits her brows and stares him, clearly hurt.

"Sahi kaha apne maine cheeni kam di thi. Ye soch kar ke shayad aap health conscious honge. Par main ye bhool gayi thi ke jiske ander itni kadwahat ho, usse jitni zyada cheeni de dun utni kam hai!",

says Kashish, raising her voice.

That certainly pinches Sujal, hurts his ego.

Glaring Kashish, knitting his brows tighter, he warns her,

"Mind your language Kashish!"

"Aap mujhe ye sikha rahe hain ke mujhe apni language kaisi rakhni chahiye?",

asks Kashish, knitting her brows tighter.Sujal keeps glaring her.

"Aap jo har waqt mujhse aise baat karte hain, wo tareeka sahi hai apka?",

she asks him.

"Haan! Tumhe kyun meri baatein pasand ayengi?",

asks Sujal, grinding his teeth in anger.

Kashish gets confused.

"Tumhe to sirf Piyush ki baatein achi lagti hain na?",

taunts Sujal.

That comes as a shock for Kashish.

"I am sure ye coffee bhi tumne Piyush ke taste ko dhyan mein rakh kar hi banayi hogi. Hai na? Afterall, aj kal itne coffee dates par jo jane lag gaye ho tum dono. Taste to achi tarah jaan hi chuki hogi tum Piyush ki? Coffee ki bhi aur....",

he stares almost like glares Kashish from head to toe and completes,

"Ladkiyon ki bhi?"

His words shock Kashish. She goes numb! She keeps staring Sujal, tears roll down her cheeks.

"Pata hai meri majburi kya hai?"

,she asks Sujal.

Sujal keeps staring her, knitting his brows out of anger.

"Main apko maar bhi nahi sakti!",

says Kashish, tears flowing unstopped.

Fresh anger surges through Sujal on hearing that.

"Oh! To Miss Kashish, tum mujhe marna chahti ho?",

asks Sujal, challenging her, glaring her.

Kashish keeps staring him sadly.

Knock at the door disturbs them. Kashish immediately turns and wipes off her tears. The knock frustrates Sujal. Turning he walks to open the door, but makes sure to keep it ajar than opening it completely, hiding Kashish from the view of others. Not wanting others to look at her crying. Protecting her from getting humiliated by the world. Meanwhile Kashish wipes off her tears, steading herself as much as possible for her.

As the person whom Sujal was talking to leaves, Kashish realizes that there is no point at talking to Sujal. Hence, she walks forth to leave, but Sujal holds her back, holding her from her upper arm,

"Humari baat abhi tak khatam nahi hui hai!",

he warns her, reminds her in a strict tone.

"Mujhe apse koi baat nahi karni. Agar apko coffee pasand nahi to fek dijiye. Aur kisi aur ko keh dijiyega ke wo coffee bana laye apke liye bilkul apke taste ki.",

says Kashish, out of anger, not caring to look towards him.

Sujal pulls her to himself, Kashish still doesn't turn to look towards Sujal. Reaching her ear he whispers,

"Mujhe marna hai na tumhe?"

Kashish tries to free her hand from his hold.

"To maro!",

says Sujal, all serious.

That skips Kashish's heartbeat as a result of which she stops forcing herself to get out of his hold and turns to look towards Sujal. 

The look that she discovers in his eyes on her turning, clenches Kashish's heart. It is nothing that could be termed as anger, hatred or anything negative.

He walks closer to Kashish.

Kashish, lowers her eyes out of hesitation. Her rate of heartbeat starts increasing. She starts taking backward steps as Sujal starts walking closer to her.

Soon her back hits the wall of his cabin that makes Kashish realize that she is stuck. Glaring her throughout, Sujal hovers her, placing his right hand on the wall, above her head. The rise and fall of Kashish's chest in quick succession, doesn't go unnoticed by Sujal. Kashish goes numb out of fear.

"Maro Kashish!",

repeats Sujal, his voice deep; his brows knit together; his eyes transfixed on Kashish.

Kashish looks away out of hesitation and fear of his anger. She clenches her duppatta out of fear, trying to control her throbbing nerves.

Sujal waits for her reply.

"Mera... mera itna haq nahi ke main apko marun.",

says Kashish, keeping her face turned, her voice low.

Sujal keeps staring her, saying nothing for a brief moment.

"Or is it ke kuch zyada hi haq manti ho tum apna mujh par ke tum mujhe dard nahi de sakti?",

asks Sujal, his each word hits Kashish hard.

Kashish turns to look towards Sujal, staring him, speechless. Her eyes soft on him as her feelings for him develops manifolds.

*Flashback ends*

Sujal slowly looks towards Kashish.

"Nahi.... nahi aisi... aisi koi baat nahi hai.",

he says, his eyes reflect his sincerity.

Smiling, Kashish says,

"Main abhi bana kar lati hun."

Sujal smiles. Kashish leaves for the kitchen.

At the kitchen, Kashish begins to prepare coffee. She feels frustrated about the fact that Sujal will prove to be an obstacle in her motive to search for evidence in his room that would prove him guilty of the crime he committed by murdering Piyush.

'Kaise dhundhun main saboot? Sujal... wo to apne room se niklega bhi nahi abhi.',

thinks a frustrated Kashish.

It happened all of a sudden, while she was busy in thinking of a way to search for the evidences, she felt someone patting her shoulder. 

Her heart skips a beat and immediately she turns to acknowledge the one who dared to touch her without her permission. In that brief moment her mind gets filled with curses that she would shout on Sujal the moment she turns and acknowledge him for his daring nature.

"How dare.....",

her words get cut short by the absence of Sujal behind her. In fact there is presence of no one but of herself.

She could feel the whole world swivel in front of her eyes and every nerve ending standing erect as soon as she realizes that he is not there. 

But she really did feel someone's presence, didn't she?

She goes numb trying to figure out the possibility of Sujal's presence there.

As her mind begins to rethink of whatever happened and whatever she felt, Kashish gets surprised on realizing that the touch wasn't that of Sujal's! She knows what Sujal's touch feels like, probably better than Piyush's touch and this wasn't Sujal she can vouch on that. Did she hallucinate? She surely must have! She is giving attention to Sujal probably way too much, hence she ended up taking it to be Sujal, despite the fact that deep down in her heart she knew this wasn't Sujal's touch.

The coffee boils and escapes the container before Kashish quickly extinguishes the gas.

The moment she extinguishes the gas, the electricity chooses to fail!

The darkness engulfs Kashish.

"Sujal!",

she couldn't help herself from calling out her ultimate savior.

Her rate of heartbeat increases as it becomes difficult for her to see through the darkness. 

Sweat beads begin to get collected on her neck gradually, as the eerie silence numbs her nerves and the sound of her increased rate of heartbeat blocks her ears. She fails to dismiss the possibility of someone's presence there around herself.

Suddenly the determined Kashish who could go to any extent to hurt Sujal turns all timid and in desperate need of Sujal around herself. No, the need isn't for fighting with the thief, if any, has dared to enter their home; rather because she somehow understands that this isn't a normal situation; it is more than what meets the eyes and she alone won't be able to deal with it. She needs him because deep down she knows that whatever might be the circumstances between the two, he would never leave her side in times of need. Selfish, she might be tagged, but at the moment all she cares is for feeling his presence by her side. Only that could make her feel secured!

She could feel the breath of someone around her neck. She clenches the helm of her duppatta as the fear begins to churn inside her slowly.

"Ko... kon hai?",

she utters, despite knowing deep down that she is being stupid.

Sujal by then reaches her in the kitchen as the moment the electricity went off his concern for Kashish filled his heart and he couldn't help himself from walking to her, knowing it perfectly that she has a tendency to get scared in dark.

He ignites his lighter in order to put his eyes on Kashish and get assured that she is alright.

The light drags Kashish's attention and immediately she turns in horror to look towards the light; her heart beating at a tremendous speed.

"Kashish!",

calls out Sujal, tensed, knitting his brows.

"Sujal!",

she sighs in relief, looking towards her savior.

She runs to him and was almost about to hug him out of fear that she gets reminded of the equation they share. She surely cannot hug him. This thought, after what feels like eternity, hurts her; frustrates her. She stares him, knitting her brows. In her eyes, Sujal after a long time witnesses regret. But this regret surprisingly doesn't hurt Sujal. This regret rather kind of makes him to feel relieved. She is regretting the fact that they no more share the bond where she can hug him without caring about the world, which at the moment she is in desperate need of. She needs to feel secured in his arms. Their hug that had always been a silent one; yet it was full of deep emotions. The emotions that they failed to put into words. This is a similar kind of situation, if not same. Even today Kashish has gone speechless after getting encountered with an entity whom she fails to witness with her eyes.

Sujal doesn't fail to read the desperate want of hugging him in her eyes. That suffocates Sujal as much as it suffocates Kashish. He knits his brows tighter, anger surging through him. 

"Kya hua Kashish? Tum theek ho?",

asks Sujal, in desperation, pushing his earlier thoughts out of his mind.

Kashish stares him all scared. 

"Sujal.... Sujal yahan... yahan koi hai...",

she finally puts her fear into words, her voice low out of extreme fear.

The clouds decide to begin their tug of war right at that moment, growling loud!

Kashish shivers and shouts in terror. She immediately holds Sujal by his left upper arm, staring towards the sky through the window of the kitchen.

Her holding him suddenly churns Sujal's insides. His mind goes numb for a few moments. His cheeks turn warm as he feels her familiar touch. This touch he realizes has no coldness attached to it; rather it has only the warmth of her love for him. Sujal realizes that he has no time to focus on the feelings that her touch is evoking inside him. He rather focuses on helping her in vanishing all her fear.

Sujal looks around and it gets so easy to reply to her,

"Koi nahi hai Kashish humare alawa.",

when in front of his eyes he witnesses no one.

"Hai Sujal! Hai!",

Kashish raises her voice, in desperation, staring all around with her eyes wide opened.

"Relax Kashish. Main... main dekhta hun.",

says Sujal, and tries to get out of her hold, knowing that once she realizes that she is touching him, she would regret it. And that is something he doesn't want.

But Kashish chooses to surprise him unconsciously when she tightens her hold on him when he tries to get out of her hold for her own sake instead of his.

"Nahi....",

she shakes her head in negative in desperation, when she realizes that he is trying to escape from her hold.

That yet again surprises Sujal. He stares her speechless. 

"Theek hai... dekhte hain chalo.",

says Sujal, realizing that she is terrified.

Sujal walks forth checking around. Kashish too looks around, her senses working probably more than Sujal's at her state of terror.

Kashish hears the laughter of a girl and shivers, holding Sujal.

"Suna.... suna....!",

she exclaims in her state of terror, her voice turned low out of fear.

Sujal turns to look towards Kashish, confused, as he could hear nothing.

"Kya Kashish?",

asks Sujal, knitting his brows in confusion.

"Wo awaz....",

says Kashish in a hushed voice.

"Awaz?",

asks Sujal, confused, and aloud in his desperation to unravel the mystery.

Kashish immediately covers his mouth with her hand, asking him to hush his voice,

"Shhh.... dheere.... yahan.... yahan koi hai Sujal..."

Now it starts getting on Sujal's nerve.

"Koi nahi hai Kashish. Kon hoga yahan humare alawa?",

he scolds Kashish, raising his voice, losing his patience.

Kashish looks towards Sujal, timidly.

"Chilao mat.... chilao mat please Sujal...",

she says, scared, looking around.

Shutting his eyes, taking a deep breath, Sujal holds Kashish by both of her upper arms and forces her to look towards himself, after igniting a candle and placing it on the kitchen slab.

"Meri taraf dekho Kashish.",

he commands her.

But in her fear she doesn't submit to his demand immediately, rather holds him tightly by his upper arm, just to make him aware that she did hear him but is unable to comply.

"Kashish koi nahi hai humare alawa yahan. Trust me.",

says Sujal.

The howling wind shuts one of the windows of Kashish's room loud enough to reach Sujal and Kashish and they shiver as it succeeds to drag their minds from the current situation.

"Kashish tum yahin ruko main jakar dekhta hun.",

says Sujal, looking towards Kashish.

Kashish, despite feeling terrified, doesn't stop him from going, trying to not rely on him much.

"Jaun?",

he asks her, staring her sternly, gauging her reaction. He surely doesn't want to leave her alone, but he doesn't want her to get into trouble if anything life threatening is waiting for them there.

Kashish stares him, with her eyes filled with fear and want for him to stay with her. But her head nods in affirmative. Sujal reads both of her reactions without fail. Taking a deep breath, he assures her,

"Main yahin hun Kashish tumhare saath. Abhi aa jaunga, tumhare paas!"

Giving her a last look, Sujal walks towards the room to check the widow and the damage if caused any.

Entering the room, Sujal fights with the wind as he tries to close the window against its wish. His lighter extinguishes immediately upon reaching the room by the force of the wind.

Standing alone in the kitchen, Kashish fights with the demons inside her that now and again give her the feeling of the presence of some entity around herself.

The wind extinguishes her candle as well. She fishes for the matchbox in desperation, breathing heavily. But before she could ignite the matchstick, she again feels the presence of someone there around herself. 

"Kashish!"

The voice that was most endearing to Kashish, suddenly horrifies her!

For those brief moment, she feels like she is hallucinating.

"Piyushhh...!",

she breathes as soon as her mind completes with registering the voice of her dear husband.

Her chest expands and contracts in quick succession. Her throat dries up. She never imagined that the one she misses every day; the one she is today enduring Sujal's presence; the one whom she considers to be her ultimate love of life - her husband Piyush, his presence that she had been craving for since the moment he decided to leave Kashish alone in the path of her so called love, will become a reason for her trouble. Will become a reason for her ultimate nightmare.

She turns in desperation to witness Piyush in front of herself. 

But to her utter surprise, despite having a desperate want to witness Piyush; to feel the love of her life once again, the feel of terror and fear, don't cease to leave her. Suddenly she doesn't want to witness him in front of her eyes. Suddenly she is hell scared of her Piyush.

"Piyushhh....",

she whispers. but for the first time there is no emotion of love in her uttering his name.

For the first time fear gets attached to the name of Piyush, when Kashish chooses to utter it.

She looks here and there in quick succession, fear engulfing Kashish. Her throat turns dry.

A vessel filled with milk, kept at the kitchen slab falls on the floor and the milk spills all over the floor. The loud thud of the falling of the vessel, skips Kashish's heartbeat and sets her pace of heartbeat a notch higher. 

Kashish stares at the spilled milk in horror.

After the last sound of the vessel everything again goes calm. She slowly bends down to pick up the vessel. But she doesn't realize that behind her, outside the window stands a man who is staring her in frustration. Someone whom she even after turning to look towards him, won't be able to see! He is none other than her beloved husband - Piyush! 

On the other hand in the room, while Sujal gets busy in the process of shutting the window, he suddenly feels that someone has walked past behind him. Sujal turns his face to look behind him, his arms still stretched to close the window. Sujal knits his brows immediately, confident that he did feel presence of someone behind him and also confident that it wasn't Kashish.

Sujal focuses back on closing the window quickly, but it took him time to pull it because of the force of the wind. As the window gets closed and the sound of the ferocious air dies a little, Sujal hears a voice, voice of a lady - laughing!

Sujal rotates his eyes to the right, still doesn't turn to look towards the source of the voice. His each nerve ending stands erect. He will surely turn, he knows, but he wants to take the intruder by surprise, hence he would give the intruder time to relax and anticipate his move, he wants to take the intruder off guard, hence he chooses to set his pace slow. He turns suddenly with an intention to catch the intruder. But instead of the intruder, he himself becomes the victim of an unpleasant surprise. There stands no one behind him! 

This feeling; this sudden shiver that is rolling down his nerves slowly, Sujal is feeling for the first time in his life. Not that he has ridiculed this feeling the moment he felt it this evening. Despite having not felt it ever in life before tonight, he has never completely dismissed the idea of spirits; aatmayein; rooh!

"Kashish?",

calls out Sujal, just to make sure that it wasn't Kashish whom he heard, despite being confident that indeed it wasn't Kashish.

Some truths we realize the moment we get encountered by the situation. Some people we understand the moment we meet. Their intentions, despite realizing that those are wrong, we take a leap of faith and trust and faith we put in them still, giving them benefit of doubt! But most of the time we tend to get hurt, realizing that our first judgement about the situation; about the person was right! Such is the case with Sujal at the moment. Deep down he knew it isn't Kashish. Why won't he? After all he knows his Kashish in and out! To realize her presence around himself, he doesn't have to turn and look towards her. And this presence around himself; the vibes and feel it gave, is nothing even close to what Kashish's presence makes Sujal to feel.

But if not Kashish then who else could it be? 

Presence of someone other than theirs - Kashish's and Sujal's in the home is impossible.

He walks out of the room, doubtful, knitting his brows.

The vessel in the kitchen chooses to fall at that very moment that succeeds in raising Sujal's doubt and getting him tensed further.

*****

Kashish picks up the vessel and stares the spilled milk in horror. No, the milk isn't causing horror, rather her mind is too occupied with the voice she heard moments ago of her husband Piyush, that keeps ringing in her ears. She shivers as she remembers. 

Holding the vessel in her right hand and placing her left palm on her chest, Kashish tries to calm herself down by saying,

"Nahi... nahi ye... ye mera weham hai. Piyush.... aap... aap yahan nahi ho saktein."

"Kashish!",

exclaims Sujal in horror, reaching back to the kitchen, staring Kashish.

Kashish's heart skips another beat on hearing Sujal and she looks towards him immediately; relieved on finding him there.

"Sujal....!!!",

she whispers in relief, a smile of satisfaction stretches on her lips.

The darkness makes it difficult for Kashish to see Sujal clearly.

In her desperation, Kashish walks to Sujal and holds him by his left upper arm.

"Sujal.... Sujal.... Piyush....",

she indicates behind her with her index finger, turning to look behind herself.

"Kya Kashish?",

asks the man she is holding by his upper arm.

Kashish, never before this night knew that she could survive such a situation where horror would not cease to leave her for a moment! She could feel her head turning heavy with so much information about her surrounding. She realizes that she has never been so much alert about her surrounding as she is being tonight. And despite her over alertness, she is getting surprised again and again. Just that the surprise isn't a pleasant one rather it is horrific!

It takes Kashish time to accept what she heard just now! Slowly she leaves the man she hugged so tightly. She doesn't want to look towards him, because she doesn't have courage to face him. She doesn't have courage to face the one whose ardhangini is Kashish; the eternal love of Kashish Raheja - Piyush Raheja! 

But she is stuck; she will have to face him to make Sujal believe that she indeed has seen Piyush. She needs to witness what he would do next so that she could transfer the information to Sujal. She has to stay calm to gauge each of Piyush's reaction so that she might help Sujal in fighting with Piyush when her savior decides to reach her to save her from the intruder - Piyush.

"Ye... ye such nahi ho sakta!",

says Kashish, staring Piyush in horror.

"Aap... aap yahan nahi ho sakte!",

she adds in horror.

"Main yahin hun Kashish, tumhare paas. Tumne hi to bulaya tha mujhe.",

smiles Piyush, staring Kashish calmly.

Kashish sweats profusely out of fear.

She shakes her head into negative, staring him in shock.

"Kya hua Kashish? Aao mere paas!",

Piyush smiles and extends his hand towards Kashish.

Kashish stares towards his hand, shaking her head into negative.

Immediately she could remember the feel of his touch on her skin.

"Nahi!",

she cries out of fear and hatred.

She could feel a sudden tension on her upper arms as if Piyush is trying to touch her without her permission, whereas in reality he is standing away from her.

"Ghabrao mat Kashish... main... main tumhara Piyush hun.",

smiles Piyush, trying to encourage her.

"Mere... mere paas mat ana aap.",

warns Kashish, pointing her index finger towards Piyush when he finally begins to walk towards her.

"Kyun Kashish? Gussa ho mujhse?",

asks Piyush, innocently.

Kashish keeps shaking her head at a slow pace, staring him in utter disbelief.

Her heart expands and contracts in quick succession out of fear.

Piyush keeps taking forward steps towards Kashish, encouraging her throughout, calming her down. 

Kashish could feel the tension building around her shoulders. She goes speechless out of fear.

As he reaches further towards her, close to her, Kashish turns her face to the left, putting her arms vertically in front of her face in order to save herself from Piyush and shouts loud in desperation,

"Sujaaaaallllll...!!!!"

*****

Sujal, who had reached the kitchen by then, gets shocked on hearing the shout and looking at a terrified Kashish. His eyes remain opened wide out of shock. He then looks towards the spilled milk on the floor.

"Kashish! Kya hua?",

asks Sujal, looking towards her in horror.

Kashish looks towards Sujal in horror. Sujal waits for her to reply, holding his breath.

"Sujal... Sujal yahan Piyush....",

she begins to say that suddenly she remembers the whole incident that took place moments ago.

She again turns to look towards Sujal in horror. 

Is he here for real? Or is it her hallucination? - Kashish falls in a dilemma. She continues breathing heavily, staring Sujal throughout.

Sujal gets hurt all over again. She must be thinking about Piyush. He feels guilty for interrupting their moment! He cascades his eyes apologetically.

Staring her again, blushing out of guilt, though not smiling, Sujal says,

"Piyush.... Piyush nahi hai yahan Ka...shish!",

how much of pain he had to endure to utter these few words only he knows.

Kashish looks towards Sujal, knitting her brows as if she could feel his pain and hurt that he felt while uttering those words. For that brief moment suddenly Kashish is no more afraid of her surrounding; her mind gets zeroed to Sujal and the feel of awkwardness that Kashish made him to feel.

"Ahmm.... mera... mera weham hoga.",

she says, self consciously, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I.. I am sorry main... main abhi bana deti hun coffee. Bus ek baar ye saaf kar dun.",

says Kashish, feeling awkward.

Sujal understands that she is nervous.

"Kashish...",

he calls her out, politely.

Kashish looks towards him. The politeness in his voice; the love and concern that his voice reflects, makes Kashish emotional and her eyes well up.

That comes as a surprise for Sujal. He knits his brows lightly, too shocked to utter anything. He keeps staring her, speechless.

"Kya baat hai?",

he asks, tensed.

Kashish looks away, holding her emotions and shakes her head into negative.

"Chalo mere saath...",

orders Sujal, extending his hand towards Kashish, tensed about her.

Kashish shakes her head into negative, controlling her emotions.

"Nahi pehle ye....",

she gets cut short by Sujal's scold,

"Jo kaha hai wo karo chup chap Kashish. Chalo mere saath!"

Kashish's heart skips a beat and throbs on witnessing her boss Sujal Garewal in this Sujal that she knows today, after such a long time.

Kashish submits to his order and walks towards him. She slips on the spilled milk.

"Sujaaallll...",

instead of uttering the usual 'aa...' she doesn't understand why she rather calls out her savior - Sujal's name!

"Kashish....!!!",

Sujal gets worried and immediately covers the little distance between them to hold her before she hits the floor. He succeeds in holding her before she could fall. Kashish bends backward, resting on his left arm which is holding her firmly by her waist; while her right arm garlands around his neck, tightly and her left hand fists his shirt pulling him towards herself to support her body weight. They stare each other. Their this stare they feel they are giving to each other after what feels like eternity. The warmth; the pull towards each other without any hesitation, they both could feel aptly.

Sujal realizes that she is nervous, hence he tries to calm her down by teasing her, his voice hushed, 

"Tumne ab tak chalna nahi seekha Kashish!",

he smiles teasingly.

Immediately Kashish's mind drifts towards their first meeting when she fell down and she blushes, smiles remembering that. Their stare turns intimate. Kashish knits her brows, her eyes turn teary and an overwhelmed Kashish says,

"Jab tak tum mere saath ho to mujhe girne se darr nahi. Bharosa hai ke tum humesha hoge mujhe sambhalne ke liye. Girne nahi dogey mujhe."

Sujal stares Kashish in surprise. He didn't expect this from Kashish. His cheeks turn warm, unable to understand how to react to her words.

Sujal slowly stands her up. Kashish cascades her eyes out of shyness, but doesn't smile.

"Ahmmm... main ye saaf kar deta hun Kashish.",

says Sujal and begins to clean the spilled milk.

"Sujal... main theek hun. Main abhi coffee bana deti hun.",

says Kashish, trying to avoid having a conversation with Sujal at the moment, as her mind is too occupied with thoughts of Piyush and what just happened to her with Sujal.

She gets busy in preparing the coffee.

But she fails to keep the thought of Piyush's presence around them out of her mind.

"Ahmm... Kashish kya kuch khane ke liye hoga? Mujhe bhookh bhi lagi hai actually.",

says Sujal, smiling shyly, after having cleaned the spilled milk.

Kashish smiles and nods her head.

"Main abhi kuch bana deti hun.",

she says.

"Okay! Main bahar hun.",

smiles Sujal and leaves.

*****

Where on one hand Kashish gets busy in preparing something for Sujal and herself, Sujal ignites few candles and sets them on the dining table and also all around the room, giving their main room a warm feeling. As he heads towards one of the candles to ignite it with the help of the lighter that he carries, he realizes that the fluid in the lighter has got finished and he needs another lighter or matchbox. He takes his hand towards the side table, without turning his head, his eyes transfixed on the flame of a candle, he suddenly jerks his hand as he feels that he touched a human's hand. That comes a shock for Sujal, he turns to look towards the sofa but fails to see anyone in the darkness. He knits his brows and quickly takes the lighter, igniting it he looks towards the table again to see who it was whom he touched. But to his utter shock he discovers no one! 

But he felt someone, he is sure about it. It wasn't a familiar touch! It was someone unknown, he is very sure about it. He was cold! Cold like an ice! 

This thought disturbs Sujal. How can someone  be that cold? One turns cold only when.....!!! No, that is rubbish. Sujal Garewal won't think rubbish. What is it about this night that his mind is pulling him towards this eerie feeling? He is a practical man; despite being emotional about his dear ones. So how can his practical mind let him feel all this rubbish? He needs to dismiss this idea right away, before.... before Kashish approaches him and gauges his reactions and reads him aptly.

Shaking his head, taking a deep breath he dismisses the idea and focuses back on igniting the candles.

"Piyush.... kya tum yahan ho?",

Sujal murmurs, whilst igniting one of the candles.

He waits for receiving any kind of reaction from the other world where Piyush is!

But nothing happens. He turns to look around in order to make sure that there is indeed no one. No, he wasn't afraid. He actually wanted to know of Piyush's presence there.

Kashish enters the main hall carrying a tray with all the necessary eatables and gets pleasantly surprised upon witnessing the transformation of the room. 

"Sujal... ye sub....",

Kashish trails off, mesmerized by what she is witnessing.

Smile ceases to leave her face.

Sujal turns to look towards Kashish and smiles a bit hesitantly, wondering has he offended her by any means?

"Ahmm.. wo.... light nahi thi to maine socha..",

Kashish's words cut short him,

"Bohot acha lag raha hai."

Sujal's heart throbs hearing that and witnessing the glow on her face.

(La la la.... Sujal's background tune)

Blushing, smiling, staring Kashish, Sujal gestures her to take her seat and helps her by removing  some of the load from the tray.

Smiling back, Kashish walks and places the tray she had been carrying, at the center table, then occupies her seat.

(Guitar tune of Sujal's background tune)

Kashish places his plate in front of him and hers in front of hers. Followed by the tea cups. While Sujal arranges the other bowls that he placed earlier on the table, properly, making space for other stuffs.

Sujal stares her lovingly, smiling throughout.

Shivers run down Kashish's spine, when she feels someone blew her right side's tendril of hair.

She immediately holds her hair and turns to look behind her out of shock.

Her heart throbs inside her chest out of fear.

The tea cup filled with tea and the saucer that she was forwarding to Sujal begins to crackle as her hand shakes out of fear. That gets Sujal tensed.

Knitting his brows, he quickly accepts the cup from her hand, whilst asking in concern and anxiousness,

"Kashish? Kya hua?"

Sujal's voice skips Kashish's heartbeat again and she turns to look towards Sujal,

"Haan?"

Sujal stares him in shock.

"Nahi.... nahi kuch nahi....",

she gulps her saliva out of extreme nervousness and fear.

Sujal places the cup on the table and orders her politely,

"Meri taraf dekho."

Kashish's ears almost go deaf out of fear.

"Kashish!",

repeats Sujal.

Kashish turns to look towards Sujal.

Sujal stares her, knitting his brows.

"Su....ja...l.... mujhe.... mujhe aisa laga....",

Kashish begins to explain, but pauses every now and then out of fear, trying to focus on her surrounding.

Here Sujal gets anxious to know what did she feel which made her to react that way.

"Kya laga?",

prompts Sujal.

"Laga koi hai! Kisi ne... Kisi ne mere baal...",

Kashish trails off, unable to get the correct words in her state of shock.

Sujal realizes that he ought to check what is causing her the trouble.

Getting up he walks around - checking behind Kashish; behind the curtains.

Kashish gets up too. 

"Kahan hai? Kon hai?",

he asks Kashish, frustrated not on her but at the whole situation.

He keeps checking every place.

Kashish walks with Sujal, wrapping her arms around his upper arm, nervously, possessively, looking around.

"Koi nahi hai Kashish.",

Sujal tries to assure her.

Kashish nods her head, cascading her eyes.

"Chalein ab?",

asks Sujal, looking towards Kashish, knitting his brows out of concern, asking her to walk towards the dining table again.

Kashish nods her head again.

They walk together towards the table. Kashish keeps checking around for the presence of anyone around them. 

She doesn't realize when she gets collided with a vase made up of glass and it thrashes on the ground, creating a loud noise in otherwise quiet room.

Already in a state of horror, the noise skips the heartbeats of both Kashish and Sujal.

They look towards the broken pieces of the vase in horror.

"Koi baat nahi. Tum... tum bus dhyan se chalna. Idhar se aao.",

Sujal pulls her further towards himself and makes sure that she doesn't get hurt because of the broken pieces of glass, as they walk towards the dining table.

Kashish gets collided against his chest, they stare each other. Their breaths turn shallow, as their stare turns intimate. Kashish's eyes slowly wander towards Sujal's lips, and suddenly she gets an urge to feel them on her lips. She feels frustrated by her own thought. Even in such a state of chaos she wonders how Sujal manages to evade all of her fear merely by staring her into her eyes? She looks away in order to calm down her nerves; her rate of heartbeat. Sujal understands that he too is staring her and feels extremely guilty and shy about it hence he cascades his eyes.

He slowly gets away from Kashish, still holds her by her upper arm to guide her towards the dining table.

Walking to the dining table, Kashish was about to pull the chair to occupy it, when Sujal calls her out,

"Kashish!"

Kashish looks towards Sujal to know what made him to call her.

Staring Kashish for a moment, nervously, Sujal walks towards her chair and in a gentleman style, asks her,

"Allow me....!"

Kashish's heart skips a beat hearing that. She blushes profusely, though she doesn't smile out of awkwardness and hesitation. She adjusts her tendril of hair nervously.

Sujal slowly pulls the chair for her. Staring her throughout, he waits for Kashish to occupy the chair. Kashish shyly occupies it and turns to look up towards Sujal. Sujal stares back. None say anything, they rather feel the moment and enjoy what they are making each other to feel.

Sujal walks to the other side of the table and occupies his seat. Kashish keeps an eye on his each move. Her heart clenches out of fresh love for Sujal.

Sujal looks towards Kashish and asks her,

"Aise kya dekh rahi ho?"

"Dekh rahi hun ke kya cheez maine apne haathon se kho di thi!",

Kashish doesn't realize when these words escape her mouth involuntarily.

Sujal cascades his eyes, out of guilt and self pity.

"Tumne kuch bhi nahi khoya tha Kashish. Bus haath barhane mein der kar di.",

says Sujal, smiling politely at her.

They stare each other. Where on one hand Sujal smiles, there on the other Kashish stares him all serious.

"Ahmm... tumhe bhookh lagi thi Sujal!",

reminds Kashish, cascading her eyes, self consciously.

"Haan aur mujhse bhookh bardasht nahi hoti.",

smiles and blushes Sujal.

Smiling, Kashish says,

"Main janti hun."

Sujal stares her intimately and asks her,

"Aur kya kya janti ho mere barey mein tum?"

Smile stretches on Kashish's lips by the idea of revealing in front of Sujal about how much she knows him as she serves the sandwich and the samosa with a spoon of sauce - everything that she had prepared earlier this day. Sujal smiles back infectiously, staring her challengingly.

"Bataun?",

asks Kashish.

Sujal nods his head in slow pace and dips the samosa into the sauce, staring Kashish throughout and takes a bite.

"Tumhara pyar!...",

begins Kashish, staring him.

That skips Sujal's heartbeat and his heart throbs and sets a higher pace, waiting for her to continue. He takes another bite of his samosa.

"Waise kisi se aasani se baat nahi karte. Pyar to durr ki baat hai....",

continues Kashish, smiling, sketching Sujal's character sketch in her mind.

Sujal smiles and blushes hearing that, eager to hear further.

"Magar jab pyar kar lete ho....",

she pause to control her rate of heartbeat.

Sujal's smile dies a little too, as his stare turns all the more intimate.

"To tumhara wo pyar uske rooh ko tak chchu jaye, aisa hai tumhara pyar!",

completes Kashish.

Both of them take time to control their emotions for each other, staring each other throughout. Sujal seems to be impressed by her words.

"Usse tadpane mein koi kasar nahi chorte tum!",

says Kashish, narrowing her eyes on Sujal, smiling infectiously.

Arching a brow, Sujal asks in amusement,

"Main tadpata hun?"

Kashish sips her coffee, placing the cup back on the table,

"Bohot!",

she says, her voice turns seductive.

Her voice succeeds in vibrating the strings of Sujal's heart.

She takes a bite from her sandwich, staring him throughout.

"Acha? Kaise tadpaya maine zara batana?",

asks Sujal, teasing her and takes a bite of his sandwich.

Kashish turns serious, a bit emotional and says,

"Khudko dard dekar!"

Sujal stops abruptly in taking another bite of his sandwich.

He stares her dumbstruck. He couldn't believe that he is getting those words from Kashish! His Kashish!

Sujal takes another bite and places the sandwich on his plate, cascading his eyes, smiling shyly.

"Mujhe nahi lagta ke mere dard ki kisi ko fikar hai.",

he smiles sadly, keeping his eyes cascaded, then slowly looks towards Kashish.

The waves of sadness on Kashish's face that he witnesses clenches Sujal's heart.

"Ek baat puchun?",

asks Kashish, nervously, tracing the corner of her sandwich nervously.

"Pucho!",

says Sujal, and gets alert, picking up the samosa this time.

Kashish cascades her eyes, taking her time to understand how to begin with this conversation.

She takes a bite of her sandwich, thinking, mustering courage.

Sujal waits patiently, sipping his coffee.

"Jab tum... Piyush ko...",

Kashish hesitates and looks away.

Sujal gets alert and eager, knitting his brows.

"Piyush ko barbaad kar dena chahte the, kya kabhi bhi...",

she pauses again, staring him.

Sujal stays quiet, holding his breath and waits for her to continue.

"Ek pal ke liye bhi, guilty feel kiya?",

completes Kashish, and ignores to look towards Sujal.

Sujal stays quiet for a few moments, staring a self conscious Kashish.

"Ye tum batao Kashish! Kya tumhe aisa lagta hai ke mujhe wo sub karke khushi mil rahi thi?",

asks Sujal, hurt as he remembers everything that he went through.

Kashish stares him sadly.

"Mere samne bhale hi Mrs. Kashish Piyush Raheja thi, magar uske ander chupi Kashish ko main dekh pata tha Kashish!",

he says, confidently, staring Kashish.

Kashish stares him dumbstruck.

He chooses to elaborate, to make her understand.

"Tab jab tumhara pati Piyush mujhe kuch kehta tha, tumhari ankhon ke gusse ke peeche mere liye dard, takleef aur apnapan.... mehsus kar pata tha main Kashish. Taqat thi wo meri!",

says Sujal, seriously, confidently.

"Tumhara mere liye pyar jab nafrat bann kar mere samne aata tha, tab uss nafrat se bhi mohobbat ho jati thi mujhe.",

adds Sujal.

Kashish knits her brows tighter, hearing that.

Smirking sadly, cascading his eyes, Sujal says,

"Tum humesha mujhe ye jatane ki koshish karti thi ke tum ab Piyush se bandh chuki ho. Magar tum ye nahi samjhti thi, tumhari ye baat mujhe prove karne ki zid....",

he looks towards Kashish, smiling infectiously, he adds,

"...wo bhi tumhare pyar ko mere samne rakhne ka tumhara ek andaaz tha!"

Kashish feels guilty as if caught red handed. Her cheeks turn red hot.

Looking away, Kashish says,

"Main... main sirf Piyush se pyar karti thi."

Sujal smiles at her innocence and declares confidently,

"Tum sirf aur sirf mujhse pyar karti thi! Ye baat main janta hi nahi; balki mehsus bhi karta tha!"

They stare each other. Kashish go speechless by witnessing his amount of confidence.

Sujal slowly takes a bite of his sandwich, staring her throughout.

"Ek aur baat puchun?",

asks Kashish, staring Sujal.

Sujal stares her whilst taking a bite of his samosa, staring her. His stare tells Kashish that he is giving her his permission to ask.

"Tumne sandwich aur samosa ek saath khane ka art kahan se seekha?",

asks Kashish, keeping her serious face intact.

Sujal's heart skips a beat and he widens his eyes. He forgets chewing the amount of the combo of samosa and sandwich in his mouth.

Kashish bursts into a fit of laughter on gauging Sujal's expression of surprise and shock.

"Hahaha!!!",

she throws her head back, laughing out loud.

Sujal quickly finishes what's there in his mouth, whilst doing so he says,

"Kashish.... tum....",

his voice sounds funny because of the stuffed samosa and sandwich in his mouth.

That makes Kashish to laugh further, unable to control herself.

Sujal blushes profusely, smiling, cascading his eyes in shyness whilst finishing the samosa and sandwich in his mouth.

"Rukko tum.... main abhi batata hun...",

he says, embarrassed, whilst chewing.

His excitement results in choking the amount of samosa and sandwich in his mouth which he tries gulping quickly. As a result of it Sujal coughs profusely.

Kashish immediately gets worried and concerned, the prior laughter dies and she turns serious out of concern.

"Sujallll....",

she stands up, walking to him she rotates her hand on his back to calm him down.

Sujal coughs a little more and whilst coughing, he tries to indicate Kashish with his hand that he is fine.

Kashish still continues with it, as she doesn't get assured that he indeed is fine.

Her mind remains occupied with Sujal's thoughts, his well being, concern for him when Kashish suddenly feels someone placing his hand on hers that is resting on Sujal's back. She immediately withdraws her hand out of horror! Staring behind Sujal out of shock and horror, Kashish rubs the portion of her hand being touched by this unknown entity.

Sujal stares Kashish all serious and finds her looking behind him.

He turns to look behind him but finds no one. He then turns back towards Kashish and calls her out in concern,

"Kashish?"

Kashish looks towards Sujal out of shock.

"Kya hua Kashish?",

asks Sujal, knitting his brows.

"Nahi... nahi kuch nahi...",

says Kashish, not wanting to disturb Sujal further.

Sujal realizes that there is indeed something that she is hiding from him.

But before he could ask, Kashish says,

"Main... main abhi ayi...",

and walks to bathroom to wash her face in order to relax herself. 

"Candle le jao Kashish.",

suggests Sujal.

Kashish turns, keeping her brows knit.

Sujal forwards her a plate placing two candles on it, knowing that she is scared and would need two candles rather than one.

Kashish accepts the plate, glad that Sujal remembered and cared to remind her.

Taking it she walks towards the room, tensed, slowly, staying alert that no one is lingering around her. She keeps looking here and there. And in her lost state she competely forgets about caring to stay away from the broken pieces of the vase. She walks on one of the broken pieces unconsciously and shouts in pain,

"Aaa..."

Sujal gets nervous and shocked and turns to look towards Kashish, calling her out,

"Kashish!!!"

Kashish winces in pain, trying to endure it.

Sujal runs to her and sits down on his feet to check her foot that is bleeding.

"Kashishhhh!!",

he exclaims again looking up towards Kashish, feeling her pain.

"Idhar aao pehle dawayi laga dun.",

says Sujal, though not understanding how to handle this situation when he knows she won't be able to walk.

"Main.. main chal nahi paungi Sujal. Bohot dard ho raha hai.",

cries Kashish.

Sujal stares her in concern. Hurt visible in his eyes.

(Female thodasa pyar hua hai tune in aakar begins)

Sujal, without giving it a second thought, carries her into his arms.

Kashish immediately wraps her arms around his neck, holding the plate of candles firmly.

Sujal stares her, the candle light helping him to make Kashish visible, he stands holding her firmly in his hands. Kashish slowly looks towards him, her heart throbbing inside her chest. The heat that the faces of both the people emit, gives tough competition to the heat emitted by the ignited candles. When Sujal doesn't stop staring, Kashish hides her face on his chest, inhaling his perfume deeply, tightening her hold around his neck, shyly.

Sujal's rate of heartbeat gives tough competition to Kashish's.

"Kya hua?",

he asks, in a hushed voice.

Still in the same position, not looking towards Sujal, Kashish replies,

"Darr lag raha hai."

"Kis baat ka?",

asks Sujal, in a hushed voice too.

"Kahin ye raat koi aur chont na de de, jisse ubharna mushkil ho jaye.",

replies Kashish, still not looking towards Sujal.

"Raat gehri zarur hai Kashish, lekin tumhe kis baat ka darr jab tumhari roshani tumhare saath hai?",

says Sujal, staring her.

Kashish's heart skips a beat hearing that and she looks towards Sujal, knitting her brows out of emotions for him.

"Uss roshani ke saath aag bhi hai Sujal. Darr hai ke kahin roshani ko pane ki khushi mein uss aag se jal na jaun!",

says Kashish, cascading her eyes.

"Wo jisse tum sirf aag samjh rahi ho Kashish....",

he pauses, staring her intimately, then continues,

"...wo pyar ki aag hai!"

Kashish tightens looks towards Sujal, her cheeks warming up further.

Staring her throughout, Sujal says,

"Aur pyar ki aag sirf roshni dena janti hai; do (2) logon ko kareeb lana janti hai. Jalana to seekha hi nahi usne."

Kashish gives Sujal an intimate and warm stare. Sujal reciprocates the gesture.

Slowly he walks forth, staring Kashish throughout.

Kashish slowly looks towards Sujal, staring him nervously yet intimately.

He climbs the stairs. They don't realize when in front their eyes flash the moment when Piyush had carried her that way after their marriage. Kashish's embrace around his neck tightens possessively and nervously upon remembering Piyush as if Sujal has taken Piyush's place in her life! There is no regret of doing so in Kashish's eyes just a feeling of discomfort.

Sujal pushes the door of his room with his elbow, staring Kashish throughout.

Entering the room he sets her slowly on to his bed. In the process he gets forced to bend down into her. Kashish's rate of heartbeat picks up pace upon finding him this close to herself, the fact that she is in bed, that too his, heightens her emotions and turns her cheeks warmer than before. She could smell him in his bed. This feeling, she finds new and heart throbbing.

Her lips get puffed up as if expecting him to kiss her! Sujal doesn't fail to notice the sudden blood rush in her lips. Her head gets inclined up towards him, as if giving him permission to do whatever he wishes to do to her. As if she is a submissive and he a dominant! Their heartbeats race against each other. She feels suffocated when he delays the meet of their lips. In her desperation she holds him tightly by his upper arms; knitting her brows tight. But Sujal, the control freak, who always manages to keep his feelings under control, stares Kashish and shakes his head into negative, denying her of her desires. Kashish gets shocked upon receiving a refusal from Sujal. She didn't expect this coming from a person who has always submitted to her demands. Getting a 'no' from Sujal turns out to be unacceptable to Kashish. Her feelings for him raises further on receiving the denial. She is desperate to feel him. Her body is giving her all signs that she wants it. Sujal of course could read her body signs very well, rather way earlier than she herself has acknowledged them, but he remembers to stay in his limits.

Sujal tries to get away from Kashish, realizing that if he doesn't give her space their mind will remain messed up. But may be Kashish's thoughts differ from him, hence she holds both of his collars and pulls him towards herself, her cheeks blush up by realizing her own bold step, but there is no smile on her face.

F - Dhadkane barh rahi hain,

hosh ye kho raha hai.

Tere yun paas aane se,

jane kya ho raha hai.

Pighla pighla dil mera,

teri iss ek chuan se.

Tut ke bikhar na jaun,

dil ki iss kasak se.

Lamha ye fir na aye,

ho...

jaan na meri le jaye,

kyun hai ab bhi ye duri.

Thodasa pyar hua hai,

thoda hai baki.

Sujal leaves her and heads towards the side table, holding the candle in his hand. He brings out first aid box from pulling the drawer open. Walking back to her, Sujal sits on the bed and cleans the blood; applies the medicine. Kashish goes numb on witnessing his gesture of care and concern towards herself. Having cleaned the wound and applied the medicine, Sujal walks back to the cupboard, putting the first aid box at its place. 

Reaching back to her, he occupies the same place where he was sitting earlier. He smiles looking towards Kashish then he looks towards her wound. As he was about to say something, looking towards Kashish, staring deep into his eyes, Kashish asks him in a hushed voice,

"Magar tum jaley ho! tadpe ho! humesha... mere liye.... meri wajah se."

Sujal keeps staring her innocently, his cheeks turn warm.

"Raahat!...",

he takes a deep breath the continues,

"Raahat mil gayi hai Kashish, aaj, ye jaankar ke tumhe ehsaas hai!"

Kashish keeps staring him sadly, her heart throbbing with emotions for Sujal.

Sujal sits on the edge of the bed, Kashish tightens her hold on his collars.

"Aur mujhe shayad raahat tab milegi jab mujhe tum iss baat ki saza doge. Meri galti ki saza.",

says Kashish, maintaining her low voice.

Sujal knits his brows tighter as his heart fills with all the more emotions for Kashish.

After a moment of silent, staring her throughout, Sujal, in his deep voice warns her,

"Tum nahi janti Kashish ke tum kya maang rahi ho."

"Main naa hi ye janti hun ke main kya maang rahi hun, balki ye bhi janti hun ke tum mujhe ye doge bhi.",

says Kashish, staring Sujal in desperation.

Sujal's heart skips a beat hearing that.

"Pehle hum majboor the Sujal, ek jhijhakh thi humare rishte mein pehle.",

Kashish begins to explain Sujal, her eyes turn to the verge of having tears.

"Aur ek yakeen tha ke ek din ye intezaar ki ghadi khatam hogi. Ek din humare beech ke sarey deewar jo iss samaajh ki wajah se hain, wo gir jayenge.",

tears roll down Kashish's cheek as she speaks further,

"Magar shayad kismat ko kuch aur hi manzoor tha!"

The door of the room chooses to slam with a loud thud at that very moment.

Shivers run down the spines of both Sujal and Kashish. Kashish slithers under Sujal out of fear. They both immediately turn to look towards the door.

They don't take it as something weird rather takes it as a signal from the universe to head forward in their relation.

Sujal turns to look towards Kashish. Kashish too looks towards Sujal upon realizing his eyes on her. They stare each other.

Sujal slowly places a soft kiss on her forehead. Kashish closes her eyes, feeling it. He then heads towards her puffed up lips. Kashish stares his lips, waiting for them to make love to her lips. Sujal could again feel the blood rush in Kashish's lips. He this time chooses to give relief to her lips by heightening the temperature of her lips by pasting his lips on hers.

He slowly aims at her lower lip which he finds most demanding. Kashish immediately moans as Sujal clenches her lower lip lightly between his teeth. Meanwhile Kashish focuses on his upper lip, sucking it slowly. She knits her brows tighter, feeling his lip; tasting it. She slowly traces his upper lip with her tongue. Sujal remains gentle to her lower lip. Sucking it slowly, giving her time to get accustomed to the feel of his lips on hers.

Whilst doing so, Sujal climbs up Kashish, slowly. 

He realizes that tension has started to brew inside Kashish, but still she is keeping her emotions under control. This is something he doesn't want. He understands that there is a lot that she is holding in her heart - her frustration; her anger; her sorrows; her fear;...... her love! He knows that this is the only way he could help her in releasing her pent up emotions. She is holding herself tight, and he wants her all loose.

Whilst kissing her lovingly, Sujal takes his right hand towards her left breast and softly rotates his hand on it. Kashish tightens up further beneath him out of anxiousness and tension. She immediately shoves his hand away. On receiving such a reaction from Kashish, Sujal tilts his head to his left, aiming more into her mouth, as if punishing her for denying him. Kashish immediately realizes the reason of change in his pace. She gets tensed further, but somehow she enjoys the tension, hence she moans slowly.

Sujal again aims towards her breast, circling his thumb around her mounted point. This increases Kashish's tension and anxiety as she stays alert of his assault on the main point. The fact that he is delaying it; and she is clueless as to when will he decide to touch her there, heightens up her emotions. Her chest expands and contracts in quick succession beneath him. The fabric becomes the obstacle from feeling it properly.

"Ek baat puchun Kashish?",

he asks her, continuing with what he is doing to her, torturing her by keeping his pace slow on her breast.

Kashish nods her head a little, nervous, staring Sujal.

"Kya kabhi tumne humare barey mein aise socha tha, tab jab hum saath the?",

Sujal surprises Kashish by his question, teasing her, smiling infectiously.

Kashish stares him in utter shock intially. Sujal stares back.

She slowly cascades her eyes, unable to reply to that question of his.

"Hmm...?",

provokes Sujal.

Kashish still stays quiet out of shyness, keeping her eyes cascaded.

Sujal upon receiving no answer from her, puts pressure there, which makes Kashish to whimper, knitting her brows, staring Sujal.

Sujal smiles and says,

"Mujhe jawab nahi diya tumne ab tak Kashish."

Kashish still doesn't say anything and looks away out of hesitation.

Sitting straight, whilst pulling her up, Sujal says,

"Koi baat nahi, ab dogi!"

His gesture and words succeed in making her every nerve ending stand erect! She widens her eyes; her pace of heartbeat increases and she could feel her whole body emitting heat at a high degree.

Kashish's breath hitches and immediately she embraces Sujal by both of her hands, though not hugs him. She stares him in utter shock as the pull turns out to be a surprise for her.

Sujal pulls her hair lightly, but his doing so comes as a surprise for Kashish, hence she shouts a little, though not too loud.

Without giving her time to adjust to the pull, Sujal aims at her neck, sucking it, tracing her neck bones with his tongue. This frustrates Kashish further as her mind fails to focus on the pull completely before shifting her focus to what he is doing to her at the moment. 

She moans further as a result of it and as soon as Sujal realizes that her moan is coming to an end, Sujal again begins kneading her right breast, churning it to his desire.

Kashish lets the feeling to linger and reach her rooh! 

As much as it frustrates Kashish, it satisfies her by undoing the numerous knots that got tied till date inside her, each time she had looked towards Sujal, since the moment she had started falling for Sujal; for his love!

His each gesture makes her to feel blood rushing to her breasts, making them to throb; trying to seek Sujal's attention. He then gives his attention to her other breast. Staring her throughout, Sujal gauges her each reaction - how she gets stiffen in his hold the moment he touches her. How his slow circles make her to breath heavily. He continues with the torture for further few moments and the moment when he gets assured that she is at her verge, he suddenly stops, taking her by surprise. This frustrates Kashish. She opens her eyes, staring him in frustration. They stare each other. The further blood rush to her mounds makes it difficult for Kashish to control the up and down movement of her mounds in quick succession. She could feel her points throbbing and desiring for his touch. She stares him with pleading eyes.

Sujal smiles infectiously, staring her throughout, letting her desire and frustration rise further to that extent when refusing him would not remain an option for her! He wants her to feel frustrated for his touch so that once he chooses to move further, she rather encourages him than discourage. 

He aims at her duppatta that is still engulfing her neck and he unfurls it in a single go, pulling it with full strength, wanting her heart to skip a beat out of fear. Wanting her heart to throb further. As a result of the pull, Kashish falls on him, hugging him. Sujal saves themselves from a sudden fall on the bed, holding her with his manly strength, his left arm holding her tight by her waist.

Kashish slowly looks towards him. Sujal lovingly shoves the hair aside from her face, smiling at her lovingly.

"Mujhe darr lag raha hai aur tum hans rahe ho?",

asks Kashish, accusing him mildly.

"Mujhe nahi lagta ke mere hote hue tumhe darne ki zarurat hai Kashish.",

says Sujal, adjusting her hair lovingly.

Kashish falls in a dilemma at one hand she wants to go further in their relationship; and on the other she wants to run away from him. She gets anxious. 

As Sujal tries to get closer to her again, Kashish pushes him lightly, all tensed. Sujal halts and stares Kashish to check is it only hesitation or does she really not want this to happen. Kashish keeps her eyes cascaded out of shyness and fear. Sujal smiles realizing that it is only her shyness and nervousness. He pulls her, holding her legs. That skips Kashish's heartbeat. He places her on the bed such that her upper body is resting on the bed and her lower body is floating in the air, with her feet resting on the floor. Kashish stares him with her eyes wide opened, completely clueless about what is his plan. Her heart throbs as she finds her position weird. Why would he do that? - she wonders.

"Ye tum chahti thi Kashish!",

Sujal reminds her.

Shivers run down her spine as she realizes that she made a mistake by stepping forward in their relationship. Sujal isn't someone who misses any of Kashish's gesture. She gulps her saliva in nervousness. She keeps an eyes on his each gesture, nervously. 

Sujal slowly, staring her throughout, pushes her kurti up exposing her stomach. Kashish pulls her tummy in, shrinking it out of nervousness. She fails to understand how to stop Sujal from moving forth. She doesn't realize when unconsciously she starts comparing Sujal and Piyush! This is wrong! This is unethical! This is dirty of her to compare. But isn't it quite natural to some extent? And she realizes that what Sujal is making her to feel by his dominating, bold and slow actions; those feelings have the power to wash away even the minute memory of Piyush that she has with her! She feels suffocated, she surely doesn't want to forget Piyush, but this man - Sujal Garewal always gets his way to her heart, blocking her mind! All that get left in her mind is always he himself! As much as she hates this fact, she loves it too! Her chest expands and contracts in quick succession, giving Sujal full access to the view of mouth watering breasts.

Bending into her Sujal puts his tongue into her navel, making to take rounds inside her. The nerves from her navel reaches straight to her insides down there between her thighs. It makes it to throb in want of Sujal's entrance into it. She turns her head to her left in frustration, knitting her brows tight. The initial few strokes remain slow, giving her time to adjust to the feeling. Her rate of heartbeat picks up pace and her breath hitches when Sujal's desire develops for her and he increases the pace, making it difficult for her to focus on his first assault before focusing on the next. All this frustrates her, she cries in frustration. She tries to take her hand to push him away. But Sujal upon realizing her move holds her wrists, arresting them above her head. He increases the pace of what he is doing to her. 

Kashish tries to stop him by uttering every now and then to stop and at times to slow down. But Sujal gives heed to none of her pleas! Her position in bed makes it all the more frustrating. Her back aches by the position he has put her in, but she fails to complain about the same as her mind remains clouded with whatever he is doing to her. Sujal picks up pace the moment he feels that she is trying to relax herself - such a tease he turns into suddenly. What provokes Sujal to continue with it is the sound of hitching of her breath at unequal intervals.

He takes his left hand under her kurti and fondles her nipples shoving her inner aside to get access to her part. The slow circles around her point and his ferocious speed inside her navel with his tongue build desires inside her which she fails to control. She realizes that she is at her verge of getting released. It doesn't take Sujal time to realize that she is about to free herself, and the moment he realizes it, he stops all of a sudden, making her to frustrate and moan. She stares him with accusing eyes. Her mind reels with so many pleasures and feelings that he is giving to her; making her to feel them all. Sujal pulls her a little towards himself. Kashish's breath hitches and she gets desperate for him to enter her as her throbbing insides make it impossible for her to endure this sweet torture further, she wants to feel him inside herself. Her throbbing insides; her aching insides can get relief only when he inflicts a little more pain into her by entering into her. The mere thought of how will it feel to feel him inside her makes Kashish to breath heavily. Undressing himself quickly, Sujal sets his part on her, staring Kashish darkly with all passion. She cries in desperation and pleads Sujal to make it quick,

"Sujal....!"

Bending down Sujal kisses her down there slowly. Kashish clenches her insides as it becomes too much for her to endure. Sujal finally removes his lowers and sets himself on her and giving her a moment to get ready, he enters her roughly! Despite the warning wait, Kashish cries out as he enters her. Sujal, who had already anticipated her reaction, covers her mouth with his left hand. The sudden prohibition from crying out loud comes as a surprise for Kashish, as a result of it her eyes widens and tears of frustration and pain roll down her cheeks. She stares him and continues crying silently as she tries to adjust to the pain. She could feel her inside throbbing around his entrant! Sujal could feel her lips trembling against his palm. He smiles sweetly staring Kashish and shakes his head in slow pace to calm her down. His two contrasting nature - one rough and one sweet, getting both at the same time frustrate Kashish and heightens up her emotions for him, as if submitting to him all the more.

When Sujal realizes that she has got accustomed to the ache that he caused to her, Sujal removes his hand slowly and begins to exit her slowly, letting her feel that something is releasing itself from her inside. Kashish moans in frustration - at one end she wants him to get out of her and on the other she craves for him to stay there! Fresh tears roll down her cheeks, staring Sujal throughout. Sujal smiles at her sweetly again. 

"Ek baar firse!",

he whispers, alerting her.

His words tighten her insides out of fear of feeling the same sensation again. There is this mixed emotion of fear and want that her heart gets filled with. 

Sujal suddenly pulls her, her breath hitches again. Before she could understand what is his plan, he removes her kurti and her inner and tosses them aside on the floor. He slowly pushes her back on the bed. As her mind gets filled with so many actions, she doesn't realize or get embarrassed about her nakedness in front of Sujal.

"Lose yourself Kashish!",

he commands.

Kashish shakes her head into negative, her chest expanding and contracting in anxiety.

"Dard hoga warna!",

warns Sujal,  mildly, softly.

That gets Kashish tensed and she immediately does as Sujal asks!

Upon feeling her getting lose, Sujal smiles as he realizes his words have alert her and got her nervous hence she followed his command so easily. When Kashish's mind gets filled with thought about how will it feel again; she goes nervous, Sujal chooses to surprise her by entering her again with equal force. Kashish hisses in pain under him. Sujal finally sets a pace when he gets assured that she has gotten accustomed to the feeling. He changes his pace gradually, speeding up. Kashish holds him tightly by his upper arms.

As he picks up pace, her lower back gets rubbed against the corner of the bed. Her moans turn all the more frantic. She keeps pleading him to slow down; at times to stop. She lets him know that it is becoming unbearable for her. But Sujal chooses to listen to none of her pleas! She holds him tight by his upper arms. She wants to tell him how her back against the edge of the bed is causing friction too; which too is becoming unbearable. Getting hurt in two ways numbs her mind. But at the same time, deep down she feels satisfied not only for what he is doing to her but also because she is being able to give him something she had wanted to give him when they were together. This pain in a weird way is calming her down, helping her to untie the knots that she has inside her - the knots of frustration, anger, helplessness, sorrow. She keeps her moans as low as possible. Sujal kisses her lips sweetly. Fresh tears of satisfaction rolls down Kashish's cheeks. She cups his face and deepens the kiss while Sujal increases his pace. Kashish shuts her eyes, enduring all that he is giving to her without complain. Sujal stops suddenly and focuses in kissing her on her lips, he still stays inside her. His sudden stopping and staying inside her still come as a surprise for Kashish and both of his actions along with the kiss become the reason of her release! She shuts her eyes tight, letting the tears of satisfaction roll down her cheek.

Releasing her lips, Sujal hugs her tightly. Kashish cries further as she feels overwhelmed. Sujal rubs her back lovingly. Kashish hisses in pain as his hand touches the point where she has gotten hurt. Sujal gets tensed feeling the roughness in that portion of her skin and leaves her to face her, he asks her in urgency,

"Tumhe ye abhi laga?"

Kashish smiles awkwardly, in hesitation and nods her head into negative, avoiding to look towards him.

"Kashish!",

Sujal gives her a warning look, not wanting her to lie.

"Theek ho jayega.",

she smiles to assure him that she is fine.

"Agar lag rahi thi to bataya kyun nahi?",

asks Sujal in frustration.

Kashish cups his face both of her hands, smiling she says,

"Agar bata deti to jo khushi tumhare chehre par abhi main dekh rahi hun kya wo dekh pati?"

Sujal shakes his head in slow pace staring Kashish in utter disbelief.

"Kyun dard saha mere liye Kashish?",

asks Sujal, rotating his hand lovingly on her left cheek.

"Kya ye bhi batana parhega Sujal?",

she asks him, knitting her brows, her throat chokes out of emotions for Sujal.

Sujal hugs her tightly again, knitting his brows.

Kashish smiles hugging him back, silently enduring the pain.

Sujal slowly gets out of her, which makes Kashish to take a deep breath.

"I love you Kashish!",

Sujal finally words his feeling without any hesitation.

Fresh tears roll down her cheeks again and she hugs him back tightly, declaring her feelings for him,

"I love you too Sujal!"

Kashish shivers out of fear on hearing the sound of a breaking of a glass. She opens her eyes and asks, still hugging Sujal, but her eyes focused on the door of the room, her brows knit together,

"Ye awaz kaisi Sujal?"

Sujal opens his eyes and focuses on the sound Kashish is pointing towards. He knits his brows too upon realizing, and leaving Kashish he turns to look towards the door.

Getting out of the bed, dressed, Sujal walks towards the door.

Kashish gets out of the bed too, dressed and warns Sujal,

"Sambhal kar Sujal."

She knits her brows and follows Sujal, ignoring the pain that her hurt foot makes her to feel. Getting out of the room, Sujal finds the main hall in complete mess.

"Sujal.... ye... ye sub kisne...",

Kashish trails off in utter shock and fear.

Sujal stays quiet, keeping his brows knit, wondering how to get out of the situation.

Sujal gets away from Kashish, walking ahead carefully, looking around.

"Kashish....!"

Kashish turns around immediately upon hearing a faint voice of someone. She knits her brows, staring towards the locked room in front of her. She tilts her head a little towards the right to know who it is.

"Kashish....!"

Her heart skips another beat as she hears her name being called for the second time.

"Kon?",

she asks, knitting her brows, staring ahead from where the sound was approaching her.

Her every nerve ending stands erect when she hears someone whispering into her left ear,

"Apne pati ke marte hi apne ashiq ke paas chali gayi?"

Kashish shivers, standing at her place. Her mind swivels as she realizes that this voice is unknown to her! The presence of an intruder in her home, Kashish finds it nerve numbing! Her chest expands and contracts in quick succession as the fear engulfs her further.

She slowly begins to start sweating, shivering in fear.

"Ye tak janne ki koshish nahi ki ke....",

he adds, maintaining the same tone and voice, he shouts only when he adds the further words,

"TERE PATI KO TUJHSE DURR KARNE WALA HAI KAUN??!!!"

Fear today seems is in no mood to leave Kashish.

She shivers profusely, crying in fear.

As her mind drifts from her fear a little, she realizes that she is unable to feel the presence behind her that she had been feeling this long. She shuts her eyes and cries audibly, wiping off her tears.

The moonlight that was reaching her through the windows suddenly gets blocked. That catches Kashish's attention. With a throbbing heart she slowly turns to know what caused the blockage, she begins sweating profusely.

Through her peripheral vision she feels someone has passed through the corridor above that joins Piyush's parents' room to Sujal's parents' room. Kashish immediately turns to look up at the place, holding the candle up.

"Nahi.... mera.... mera weham hoga. Koi nahi hai wahan.... koi nahi hai.",

Kashish tries to calm herself down.

She again looks towards the same place, holding the candle tightly. Her ear throbs with the eerie silence around herself. Her eyes stay transfixed to Piyush's parents' room in horror. Her chest expands and contracts in quick succession despite her trying hard to calm herself down.

She knits her brows tighter as she falls in dilemma. She doesn't realize when out of her fear, she begins to take slow steps, as a result of which she begins to put more strain on her hurt foot, but surprisingly she feels no pain, as her mind remains clouded with fear. She wants to go and check whom did she see but her fear becomes an obstacle. She turns in frustration to know where has Sujal gone! She again turns to look towards the room but gets terrified when she discovers a man climbing up the flight of stairs, slowly. 

Kashish walks forth in desperation to know who it is as the unavailability of sufficient light makes it impossible for her to get a glimpse of the person properly. Her steps remain slow out of fear. Behind her she leaves traces of her bleeding foot. Neither does she remain aware of the imprints of her hurt foot nor does she realize how her each impression of foot turns black from red! She is being followed by someone - someone who is dark by nature! Someone around whom is only darkness, darkness of hatred; darkness of evil and everything negative.

Her heart beating at a tremendous speed. Reaching outside the room, Kashish takes one silent deep breath, trying to calm herself down and slowly pushes the door open of the room. The creaking noise of the door as it opens scares Kashish further. Her heart pounds inside her chest, she holds the candle tightly. Her every sense turns hyperactive.

Upon opening the door, Kashish audibly sighs in relief upon discovering nothing spooky inside the room. She encourages herself silently to walk forth into the room, eager to end this fear of hers with her bold steps. She slowly enters the room and looks around, the candle light guiding her. Fear doesn't cease to leave her for a single moment. As she looks around the room her eyes get transfixed on the wall right in front of her, to the adjacent of the window of the room and she knits her brows in surprise. The cracks on the wall, she realizes she hadn't seen earlier than today. Knitting her brows in surprise, she walks forth, her earlier fear suddenly elopes as her mind gets occupied by the surprise she meets. 

She stands in front of the wall gauging the wall, keeping her brows knit. The candle light forms her shadow on the wall. Suddenly the amount of light increases by its own. Taking Kashish by shock isn't the sudden increase in light but her mind goes numb out of shock as she discovers the shadow of hers to be different! It is not her shadow, she is sure about that. The shadow, Kashish notices is wearing a long skirt, while Kashish, she is in her salwar-kameez! The outline of the hair too doesn't match to Kashish's.

Out of extreme shock and fear, Kashish begins to take slow backward steps, her heels creaks against the marble floor, creating noise. 

"Ko...n... kon ho tum?",

she asks in a shaky voice, sweating profusely.

The shadow now starts exiting the wall but the tilted head of the shadow stays the same.

"Mere... mere paas mat aana.",

warns Kashish, trying to axe her fear with her bold words.

*****

On the other hand, Sujal walks to the main hall, he looks around at the messed up state of the place.

"Piyush! Kya tum mujhse kuch bolna chahte ho?",

asks Sujal, slowly, alert.

He waits looking around for any indication from Piyush.

In front of him Sujal suddenly discovers a smoky outline of a human figure! 

Sujal widens his eyes a little. His rate of heartbeat accelerates. It doesn't take him time to realize that it is the outline of Piyush's body.

"Pi...yush...!",

his eyes turn teary upon realizing that it is Piyush standing in front of him.

His throat chokes out of emotions for his friend and frustration that he cannot touch him; hug him.

His eyes stay transfixed on the outlined figure. The figure walks forth. Sujal witnesses it flying in the air like a smoke. It takes its seat on the sofa. Sujal waits for it to react. The eerie silence now begins to get on Sujal's nerves.

Gradually the white outline fades. This happening sets Sujal's rate of heartbeat at different pace.

"Piyush!",

he calls out in desperation, but all he meets is with the darkness.

"Pi....yush.... mere dost... please ek baar mere samne aa ja...!",

pleads Sujal, his eyes turn moist out of love for his best friend.

But no satisfactory result Sujal recieves.

"Ek... ek baar tujhe galey lagane de Piyush!",

cries Sujal in desperation.

His heart beating at a tremendous speed.

In the very next moment Sujal hears Piyush crying. He gets tensed and desperate.

"Pi...Piyush! Kya hua? Tu.... tu ro kyun raha hai?"

"Main yahan khush nahi hun Sujal!",

he says, without turning to look towards Sujal.

Shivers run down Sujal's spine hearing that.

"Kyun? Kya.... kya hua hai tujhe?",

he asks, unable to understand what else to say.

"Main takleef mein hun!",

says Piyush.

Sujal knits his brows in helplessness.

"Main... main teri kaise madad kar sakta hun Piyush? Bata. Tu... tu jo kahega wo karunga main.",

says Sujal, his eyes turn teary in helplessness.

"Tu bus... tu bus Kashish ko khush rakh Sujal. Meri amanat ko tere paas chor kar ja raha hun. Bohot mushkil se kuch lamhe mange hain maine Kashish se milne ke liye. Aaj usse khush dekh kar acha laga.",

says Piyush.

Sujal goes dumbstruck, unable to understand what to say. He suddenly feels guilty of what he shared with Kashish moments ago.

"Nahi rehne denge ye log mujhe chain se. Bilkul nahi!",

says Piyush.

Sujal shivers a little as he wonders who is Piyush talking about.

"Kon nahi rehne denge tujhe chain se Piyush?",

asks Sujal, extending his hands to touch Piyush in desperation.

He feels frustrated when he fails to touch Piyush. He groans in anger, closing his eyes.

Piyush shakes his head into negative, sadly, staring Sujal.

"Jab main tujhe galey lagana chahta tha to teri nafrat humare saalon ki dosti ke beech aa rahi thi.",

says Piyush, sadly.

Sujal's eyes turn tear, he shakes his head into negative in slow pace, staring Piyush helplessly, realizing what is he about too utter further.

"Aur jab aaj tu ne haath barhaya to humare beech zindagi aur maut fasla banke khadi ho gayi hai!",

says Piyush, feeling suffocated.

*****

While all this was going on, all others were enjoying their time in a hotel, walking around the pool area, chilling out. Sujal's mother stays occupied with a certain thought and remains tensed.

Hrishi happens to pass by Veena shouting at Aman, laughing,

"Ruk Aman main bhi aa raha hun.",

 when Veena stops him, holding his wrist,

"Hrishi sunn!"

"Ji Mumma.",

he stops abruptly and turns to look towards Veena.

"Samne ek mandir hai na, le chalega mujhe wahan tu?",

asks Veena.

"Mumma main Aman ke saath zara....",

he points towards girls, having a naughty smile on his face.

"Mera... mera matlab...",

he smiles further, naughtily.

Aman rolls his eyes, holding his waist from either sides. 

Veena understands the unsaid and cascades her eyes feeling uneasy,

"Tu ja yahan se!"

Hrishi smiles further naughtily staring Veena.

"I love you Mumma!",

he kisses Veena quickly, smiling, he runs away patting Aman's back.

Veena shakes her head.

Vasu who happens to hear the conversation, walks to Veena and asks,

"Kya hua Veena? Tumhe mandir jana hai kya?"

Veena turns to look towards Vasu and gets surprised by her sudden sweet words.

"Haan... haan Vasu main bus.... aise hi...",

Veena replies hesitantly.

"Haan to chalo na. Main chalti hun tumhare saath.",

smiles Vasu.

"Nahi Vasu it's okay main... main chali jaungi.",

says Veena, hesitantly.

"Ohooo.... Veena ab iss mein hesitate karne ki kya baat hai. Chalo main chalti hun.",

says Vasu, genuinely wanting to accompany Veena.

Veena looks towards Vasu, knitting her brows, wondering should she disclose the reason of her visiting the temple in front of Vasu or not. She shakes her head slowly, cascading her eyes, deciding to keep it secret as far as possible.

"Varun.... Varun nahi.... dekho...",

Mehak laughs whilst escaping from Varun.

"Ab to main tumhe pakad kar rahunga Mehak.",

teases Varun.

Mehak laughs whilst running away from Varun.

Reaching Veena, Mehak holds Veena by her shoulders, trying to hide behind her and teases Varun by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Aao... aao pakdo....",

teases Mehak, laughing.

Vasu rolls her eyes and taunts,

"Mehak ye Roshan ke khelne kudne ke din hai, tumhare nahi."

All of her three listeners turn serious on hearing that and looks towards Vasu.

Hrishi too happens to cross by that place and stops abruptly on discovering the four of them there. His smile vanishes as he notices all the four standing serious.

'Ab inhe kya hua?',

wonders Hrishi.

'God! Ek mauka nahi chorte ye log drama karne ka!',

he shakes his head.

'Keh diya hoga zarur poojniya Sasuma ne kuch Mehak ko. Aur Mumma aur Varun aa gaye honge Mehak ki dhaal bann kar. Usse bachane.'

He looks towards Veena, shaking his head, smiling sarcastically at her innocence.

Throwing the ball that he is carrying in his hands up in the air, catching it back, Hrishi looks towards them one last time, when he gets called by Aman,

"Hrishi!"

"Aya!",

saying so he runs away to Aman.

"Ahmm.... I am sorry Mumma, maine dhyan nahi diya.",

apologizes Mehak.

"Wohi to problem hai Mehak, tumhara dhyan humesha idhar udhar hi rehta hai.",

taunts Vasu.

Mehak cascades her eyes in guilt and awkwardness.

"Vasu!",

scolds Veena.

Veena rolls her eyes.

"Aapne theek kaha Mumma. Mehak ka dhyan humesha idhar-udhar hi rehta hai.",

Varun comes at Mehak's rescue but chooses his words carefully.

Mehak looks towards Varun in utter disbelief. Varun doesn't turn to look towards Mehak, and continues with staring towards Vasu. He then adds further,

"Kabhi uska dhyan apne pati ka khyal rakhne mein lag jata hai to kabhi apne pati ke parivaar walon ki chinta karte hue uska din guzar jata  hai, apart from Roshan ka dhyan rakhne se. Jo wo bakhubi rakhti hai."

Vasu shakes her head a little, as if shrugging Varun's words, finding them rubbish.

"Chalo Veena mujhe ab kisi se aur kuch nahi kehna.",

says Vasu, showing her anger to the duo in front of her through her words.

Mehak knits her brows hearing that and focuses on Veena.

"Aunty aap kahin ja rahi hain?",

she asks in concern.

Varun too shows concern.

Veena turns a bit nervous as her bond has always been like a mother-daughter bond with both Kashish and Mehak other than Sanjana of course. Hiding the reason of her visit to the place she is heading towards, Veena somehow feels uncomfortable.

Cascading her eyes Veena says,

"Haan beta. Samne mandir hai. Socha... socha wahan ho aun zara."

Mehak stares Veena skeptically as if she knows that there is more than what meets the eyes!

Veena smiles hesitantly, still not looking towards Mehak.

Mehak holds Veena's hand, but doesn't ask or say anything. She just stares Veena, knitting her brows lightly.

Veena realizes that she needs to look towards Mehak to assure her that she is fine. Hence she looks and smiles at Mehak.

"Aunty aap mujhe bol detin main le chalta.",

offers Varun.

Mehak turns to look towards Varun and her heart flutters on seeing his concern for Veena. She smiles and falls in love with Varun all over again.

At this Vasu chooses to intervene,

"Kyun? Kya hum dono itne budhey ho gaye hain ke hum akele mandir nahi ja sakte?",

Vasu narrows her eyes on Varun, hiding her amusement.

"Nahi Mom aisi baat nahi hai.",

says Varun, getting nervous.

Mehak too gets nervous, feeling that Varun must have disappointed his mother.

"Mumma, Varun ka wo matlab nahi tha.",

Mehak comes at Varun's immediate rescue.

Vasu rolls her eyes and laughs, then says,

"Arey baba mazak kar rahi thi main."

Varun and Mehak sigh in relief and smiles wide looking towards Vasu.

Veena too smiles wide.

"Mom aapne to humein dara hi diya.",

says Varun, laughing, shaking his head.

"Arey main koi bhoot thodi hun jo daraungi tumhe.",

scolds Vasu, mildly.

All of her three listeners laugh a little at this.

****

CG and Lalit who were heading towards the games area to play pool and billiard, over hears the conversation and smile in contentment.

"Kitne waqt baad maine Vasundhara ko subke saath yun khushi khushi baat karte hue dekha hai CG!",

smiles Lalit, looking towards the four of his family members in front of his eyes.

"Haan Lalit. Piyush bete ke janey ke baad to jaise humare ghar se humari khushi hi chali gayi.",

says CG, sadly, remembering Piyush.

Lalit too gets emotional but somehow keeps hold on his emotions.

Placing a hand on CG's shoulder, smiling, looking towards him, Lalit consoles CG,

"Kahin nahi gaya hai humara Piyush. Ghar mein hi hai humare. Humare saath."

CG turns to look towards Lalit, sadly.

Thinking, his eyes transfixed somewhere at the ground, Lalit says,

"Jante ho CG aaj bhi office se nikalte waqt aisa lagta hai ke Piyush ne peeche se pukara mujhe ke Papa chaliye main bhi apke saath apki gadi mein chalta hun."

CG looks towards Lalit sadly.

"To kabhi jab office ke liye late hota hun to lagta hai abhi akar Piyush mujhe dantega ke Papa mujhe humesha punctual hone ko kehte kehte, aaj aap khud late ho gayein?",

smiles Lalit, sadly.

"Har baat par uski yaad aati hai.",

says Lalit, getting emotional.

"Control yourself Lalit.",

CG tries to console Lalit.

"Kehte hain ke kisey ke shareer tyag dene ke baad, usse zyada yaad nahi karna chahiye, pukarna nahi chahiye, isse usse apni agey ki yatra puri karne mein problems aati hain.",

says CG.

"Frankly I don't believe in all this. Spirits! Aatma! Rooh! Ye sub insaano ka weham hai. Unke khud ke dimag ki upaj.",

says CG, completely dismissing the idea of all these supernatural stuffs.

Lalit turns to look towards CG in utter disbelief!

"Tum ye kaise keh sakte ho CG?",

he asks CG, shocked.

CG turns to look towards Lalit and says,

"Sahi keh raha hun main. And I cannot believe ke tumhe inn sub baaton par bharosa hai."

Lalit stares him and says,

"Agar aisa hai, to tum kyun nahi batate humein ke saat saal pehle kya hua tha aisa ke tumne humare uss Mall Road wale ghar mein jane se humein mana kar diya tha?"

Shivers run down CG's spine on hearing that. He stares Lalit in utter shock!

CG remembers and says,

"Kuch baatein agar dil mein hi rakhi jayein, to hi acha hai Lalit."

Lalit knits his brows staring CG.

"Dekho CG maine humesha tumhare faislo ki respect ki hai. Tum nahi batana chahte the, isliye maine fir kabhi iska zikr nahi kiya. Magar main janna chahta hun. Batao aisa kya hua tha? Kya baat thi aisi jo.... jo aaj tak tum apne dil mein daba kar rakha hai?",

Lalit provokes CG.

CG looks towards Lalit, considering revealing the truth. 

Lalit stares back, giving CG time to consider and react.

Looking back towards his front, CG begins to walk, drowning into the pool of memories.

Lalit too begins to walk with him.

"Lalit tum mere aur Sujal ke rishte ke barey mein to jante hi ho. Sujal humesha.... humesha mujhse dur-dur; kata-kata sa rehta hai. Tab bhi sub kuch aisa hi tha. Magar iss baat ne humare beech ki kadwahat ko thoda kam kar diya. Magar waqt ke saath saath wo kadwahat; wo durri fir se dikhne lagi humare beech.",

says CG, feeling melonchaly.

Lalit looks towards CG, his eagerness rises with each passing moment.

"Tum log jab Paris gaye Sujal, Veena aur mujhe humesha ghar mein tum logo ki kami khalti thi. Tab maine decide kiya ke hum humare uss Mall Road wale ghar mein rahenge."

"Pehla din theek gaya. Sub kuch normal tha. Magar raat ko na jane kyun mujhe wahan neend nahi aa rahi thi. Main jag kar yunhi idhar-udhar tehlne laga."

CG turns all the more serious upon remembering the incident.

"Lalit.... pata nahi tum... tum yakeen karoge ya nahi..... magar maine wahan apne alawa kisi aur ki presence ko mehsus kiya tha!",

says CG, knitting his brows tighter as the feeling of horror enters him afresh.

Lalit stares him in utter shock!

"What???!!!",

exclaims Lalit.

CG remains lost in his thought.

"Ek sudden change feel karta tha kabhi kabhi apne aas paas ke mahaul mein.",

CG shares with Lalit.

"Kaisa badlaw CG?",

asks Lalit, his curiosity rising.

"Ek ghutan si mehsus hoti thi! Main... maine Veena ko ye baat nahi batayi. Laga ke ye mera weham hoga aur bekar mein meri wajah se Veena bhi pareshan ho jayegi. Lekin ek raat....",

CG drowns more into the memory.

"Ek raat Veena jag gayi achanak aur mujhe jaga kar kehne lagi ke humare kamre ka darwaza koi khatkhata raha hai.",

CG goes quiet for a brief moment, as he drowns into the feeling again.

"Par... Par Lalit trust me...",

CG turns to look towards Lalit in horror and continues,

"Koi darwaza nahi khatkhata raha tha!"

Chills run down Lalit's spine hearing that. He stares CG in horror.

"Ye... ye tum kya keh rahe ho CG?",

asks Lalit, feeling uncomfortable merely by the thought of the situation.

"I knew tum bharosa nahi karoge. Isiliye tumhe kabhi nahi bataya.",

sighs CG, intertwining his fingers.

Lalit feels guilty and quickly adds,

"Nahi... Nahi CG aisi... aisi koi baat nahi hai. Main... main bharosa karta hun tum par, par....",

he trails off, staring CG, knitting his brows.

CG stares him back, understanding his state.

"Bharosa karne ka mann nahi kar raha!",

completes Lalit.

CG shakes his head into negative, understanding Lalit's situation.

"I can understand Lalit. Kuch baatein aisi hoti hain jin par bharosa karna mushkil hota hai. Tab tak jab tak ki wo baat aapne khud mehsus na ki ho!",

adds CG.

Lalit nods his head, thinking, cascading his eyes, thankful that CG understood what he was trying to convey to him.

"Fir kya hua CG?",

asks Lalit, eager to learn the further story.

"Maine samjhaya Veena ko ke maine na koi awaz sunni na hi sunn pa raha hun.",

continues CG.

"Magar Veena zid karne lagi ke main ja kar dekhun. Uski zid ke agey mujhe jhukna parha aur maine jakar room ka darwaza khola."

Lalit holds his heartbeat to know the result.

"Wahan koi nahi tha!",

exclaims CG in horror.

Lalit stares him speechless.

"Hoga bhi kaise? Raat ke teen bajey kon ayega? Aur agar awaz hoti to kya main nahi sunta?",

asks CG, knitting his brows.

"Magar koi awaz hui hi nahi thi.",

says CG, confidently.

"Fir Bhabhi ne kya kaha?",

asks Lalit, anxious to know Veena's reaction.

"Wo kya kehti? Wo to manne ko taiyaar hi nahi ho rahi thi ke koi nahi tha. Jaise taise karke sulaya usse.",

says CG.

"Uss raat ko to aur kuch nahi hua. Magar agli raat...",

CG's rate of heartbeat picks up pace as he remembers.

Lalit too turns all the more anxious.

"Kya hua agli raat CG?",

asks Lalit.

"Karwat badlne par mehsus hua ke Veena nahi hai mere saath. Meri ankhein khul gayi. Shayad kahin na kahin pichli raat ki baat mere dil-o-dimag mein ghar kar gayi thi!",

CG continues with describing the incident.

"Idhar-udhar dekha to Veena ko khidki ke paas khada hua paya. Wo kuch dekh rahi thi bahar.",

CG remembers how he felt weird that night on discovering Veena standing there.

"Maine usse pukara. Magar uska koi jawab nahi aya."

"Main fir uske paas gaya, usse jab chua, to usne kuch react nahi kiya. Jaise usse mere presence ka pata hi nahi laga ho."

Lalit gets tensed.

"Maine uski taraf dekh kar usse pucha ke kya hua hai. Pehle to kuch der wo khamosh rahi. Mujhe tab bhi aisa hi lag raha tha as if she didn't hear me. Magar jab main firse puchne laga to achanak usne bola 'Wo mujhe sone nahi de rahi!' "

Shivers run down the spine of Lalit, hearing that.

"Ko..n... Kon sone nahi de rahi thi Bhabhi ko CG?",

asks Lalit, tensed.

Shaking his head, CG says,

"Main.... Main nahi janta!"

That comes as a surprise for Lalit.

"Nahi jante?",

asks Lalit, knitting his brows tighter.

"Veena ne ishara kiya khidki se bahar neeche ground ki taraf. Maine dekha to wahan koi nahi tha. Ek pal ke liye laga ke shayad Veena abhi bhi neend mein hai. Maine usse hilakar jagane ki koshish ki. Magar koi asar nahi hua. Wo firse wohin dekhne lagi. Uske chehre par ek ajeeb si udaasi thi. Jaise koi usse pareshan kar raha ho.",

says CG.

"Maine firse usse bulaya. Aur achanak wo meri taraf murhi aur pucha - 'kya hua aap soye nahi?'"

"Aisa laga jaise usse kuch yaad na ho ke abhi thodi der pehle kya hua tha.",

says CG and shakes his head, closing his eyes, as if trying to forget the incident.

Lalit pats him on his shoulder in understanding.

*****

Before Sujal could say anything further to Piyush, Kashish's shout drags Sujal's attention and he turns to look towards Kashish in anxiousness.

"Sujallll.....!",

Kashish comes running down towards Sujal, climbing down the stairs.

Her foot rings in pain but she cares less to give heed to it.

"Kashish!",

murmurs Sujal, in anxiousness, looking towards her.

Kashish runs to him and holds him from his upper arm. Crying, she says in desperation,

"Sujal... Sujal upar.... upar koi hai. Wo... wo mere peeche hai."

Sujal knits his brows, confused and frustrated, staring Kashish. Sujal cups her face with his hands and tries to calm her down by saying,

"Relax! Relax Kashish!"

"Ye log mere saath hi aye hain Sujal!",

declares Piyush.

Anger surges through Sujal hearing that. He turns to look towards Piyush, glaring him.

Sujal hugs Kashish, staring Piyush throughout.

"Magar ab ye shayad yahan se jana nahi chahte!",

says Piyush, feeling sorry.

"What do you....",

Sujal trails off remembering Kashish's presence. 

He looks towards Kashish. Her fear escapes her from paying attention to what Sujal said.

Assured that she hadn't heard, Sujal turns to look towards Piyush again, glaring him further.

"Main to bus Kashish ko dekhna chahta tha Sujal, jo maine dekh liya. Magar ye log kya chahte hain. Wo main bhi nahi janta.",

says Piyush, sadly.

Sujal glares Piyush further.

He turns to look towards Kashish and calls her out lovingly,

"Kashish!"

"Koi... koi hai jo... jo mujhe nuksaan pohnchana chahta hai Sujal. Magar kyun? Kya kiya hai maine?",

asks Kashish, crying, looking towards Sujal.

Sujal gives Kashish a side hug, holding her tight.

"Mere rehte hue tumhe koi nuksaan nahi pohncha sakta Kashish.",

assures Sujal, and falls into a deep thought.

"Wahan... wahan uss kamre mein... koi hai.",

Kashish points towards the room.

Sujal looks towards the room and glares.

Leaving Kashish, he begins to walk towards the room, glaring it.

"Mat jao.",

says Kashish, terrified.

But he doesn't care to listen to her. He heads towards the room, Kashish pointed towards.

Reaching the room, where Kashish had been moments ago, Sujal tries to unlock it but it remains locked even after two attempts. The third attempt he makes pushing the door open with his full strength. The door opens with a loud thud as it gets banged against the wall.

He turns rigid out of shock and horror on discovering Kashish suddenly turning towards him, crying she says,

"Acha hua Sujal tum aa gaye. Main itni darr gayi thi!"

Sujal could feel his heart thumping inside his chest.

"Ka...shish... tum... tum yahan?",

he asks in horror, widening his eyes.

"Haan Sujal. Kyun? Kya hua?",

asks Kashish, confused.

Sujal slowly turns to look towards the Kashish he had been with moments ago.

Kashish too follows his eyes.

Before they could realize what is happening, a wooden chair gets thrown towards Sujal. Fortunately Sujal stays alert and saves himself from the attack. Kashish does the same. She then shouts looking towards Sujal standing at the opposite side,

"Sujallll...."

The spirit walks towards Kashish to possess her. But Kashish upon realizing her motive, runs away towards Sujal. The spirit turns to glare Kashish. Sujal hugs Kashish and asks the spirit,

"Kya chahiye tumhe?"

The spirit glares Sujal. Then glaring Kashish, she says,

"Iska shareer! Isko mujhe apna ghar banana hai."

Kashish turns timid in Sujal's embrace.

"Kyun? Kya bigada hai maine tumhara?",

asks Kashish, her voice raised out of anxiousness.

"Mujhe ek zindagi chahiye! Ek shareer chahiye taki main har bhavna ko mehsus kar sakun",

says the spirit, frustrated and desperate.

Sujal and Kashish stare her in utter shock.

"Aur agar mujhe ye nahi mila to....",

she suddenly turns invisible and throws random things here and there, making their heart to skip a beat.

Kashish hugs Sujal tightly, scared to the core.

Sujal rotates his hand on Kashish's head, staring the spirit throughout.

"To?",

provokes Sujal, to continue.

The spirit looks towarsd Sujal and declares,

"To main issi ghar mein reh kar tumhare ghar ke har sadasya ka jeevan barbad kar dungi."

Kashish widens her eyes and says,

"Nahi... Nahi tum aisa kuch nahi karogi!"

The spirit glares Kashish and says confidently,

"Main aisa hi karungi!"

"Main marna nahi chahti thi.... main marna nahi chahti thi.",

says the spirit,  getting emotional.

"Main tumhe mere parivaar ko nuksaan pohnchane nahi dungi.",

says Kashish, crying.

Sujal tries to calm her down.

The conversation ends here. The spirit goes away sudden. Why and where no one understands, it just goes away. Should they be happy about it? - they fail to understand. Sujal and Kashish look towards each other in confusion.

*****

Sujal takes Kashish out at the lawn attached to their house after a lot of convincing.

Kashish stays quiet as she walks next to Sujal.

Sujal every now and then look towards Kashish, assuring that she is fine. The street lights helping Sujal to read her expressions.

"Kashish!",

he calls her out, slowly.

"Wo humara peecha itni aasani se nahi chorenge!",

says Kashish, without blinking her eyes, her eyes glued to the path ahead of her.

Sujal sighs, having nothing to say to that.

"Aur... aur ye sub kuch....",

Kashish takes a deep breath as the realization dawns on her,

"Ye sub kuch Piyush ki wajah se hua hai!"

Sujal turns to look towards Kashish in disbelief.

"Kashish ye tum...",

Sujal tries to make her understand but Kashish's turning and giving him a warning look that he should not try explaining her anything, makes Sujal to go quiet and he sighs in helplessness.

Looking ahead, walking forward, Kashish says,

"Agar Piyush yahan nahi aatein to shayad... shayad aaj humein humare hi ghar ke ander rehne mein ghutan nahi hoti. Shayad aaj iss khuli hawa mein saans lena bhi humein bojh nahi lagta.",

Kashish adds the last lines looking up in the sky.

"Piyush ko shayad humari zarurat hai Kashish.",

says Sujal, as he remembers how Piyush was sad and desperate to stay with them, only that he couldn't word his feelings properly. But Sujal understood, he understood it all!

Kashish turns to look towards Sujal suddenly, knitting her brows, glaring Sujal as if hurt and angry by his words.

"Kaise madad kar sakte hain hum Piyush ki Sujal? Haan? Tum batao hai koi raasta tumhare paas?",

asks Kashish, almost like scolding him for being insane.

Sujal looks towards Kashish, dumbstruck.

"Agar tum bhool gaye ho ke unki wajah se humne kya face kiya abhi kuch der pehle, to jao....",

Kashish indicates towards their home with her left hand, her face turned towards Sujal, frustrated on Sujal more than angry, her voice raised up out of frustration.

"Jao jakar dekho kya haalat ho gayi hai humare ghar ki. Sub kuch waisa ka waisa hi hai Sujal. Jao jakar dekho!",

Kashish releases her frustration through her words.

"Kashish tum mujhe galat samjh rahi ho!",

says Sujal, turning all the more soft, apologetical.

Kashish's throat chokes out of emotions for Sujal.

She cups his face and says, with teary eyes,

"Galat to main aaj tak tumhe samjhti thi Sujal. Sahi to ab samjhna shuru kiya hai!"

They stare each other, both the pair of eyes turned teary out of emotions for each other.

Determind, Kashish says, rubbing her right thumb on his left cheek, keeping his face cupped, Kashish adds,

"Aur ab jo main tumhe samjh rahi hun Sujal, main tumhe khona nahi chahti. Main ye bardasht nahi kar paungi!",

Kashish shakes her head once, slowly, staring Sujal, getting all the more emotional.

They hug each other in desperation.

Ending the hug, Sujal cups Kashish's face and says,

"Kashish, jitna pyar main tumse karta hun.... utna na sahi magar ye baat bhi hum jhutla nahi sakte ke Piyush bhi tumse pyar karta tha.",

Sujal all though hates himself for uttering those words, but he cannot lookaway from the truth.

His own words pierce his heart, but he accepts it all without complain.

Kashish looks away, frustrated.

"Nahi karte Piyush mujhse pyar!",

shouts Kashish, in anger, leaving Sujal.

"Kashish....",

Sujal tries to explain her but he gets cut short by her words,

"Agar hota unhe mujhse pyar; agar hoti unhe meri fikr, to wo ye sub rokte na ki unhe apne saath meri bachi-kuchi khushiyan cheenne aa jate!"

Sujal turns away from her, unable to understand how to make her understand.

Sujal's phone chooses to ring at that particular moment taking Sujal and Kashish by surprise.

"Mumma!",

he announces, serious.

Kashish controls her emotions, her eyes turn teary though.

"Mumma!",

address Sujal upon receiving the call.

"Sujal beta tu... tu theek to hai na?",

asks Veena in desperation.

Sujal could feel that Veena is in tension hence he gets tensed too and replies,

"Haan Mumma, main to theek hun. Kya hua?"

Veena sighs in relief hearing that and says,

"Nahi beta kuch nahi... bus aise hi mann ghabra raha tha to socha... socha tujhse ek baar baat kar lun."

"Wo isliye kyunki aap meri kuch zarurat se zyada hi fikar karti hain.",

smiles Sujal.

"Kya karun Ma hun na teri. Mere dil ka ek ahm hissa.",

says Veena, her eyes turning teary.

"Tu aa jata humare saath yahan to main chinta karti hi nahi.",

Veena, lovingly scolds him, smiling.

Sujal smiles back.

"Agar aa jata to ye parwah dekhne ko kahan milti?",

teases Sujal, smiling.

"Chup badmaash!",

says Veena, smiling.

"Acha ye bata Kashish kahan hai? Wo hai abhi tere saath?",

asks Veena.

Sujal gets serious and turns to look towards Kashish.

"Haan Mumma yahin hai Kashish.",

says Sujal, staring Kashish, loud enough to drag her out of her thoughts and make her prepared for the phone call.

Kashish relaxes herself and accepts the phone from Sujal.

"Hello Aunty.",

she greats her politely.

"Kaisi ho Kashish?",

asks Veena, smiling.

"Ahmm.... main... main theek hun.",

says Kashish, trying to sound normal.

Veena could feel that Kashish is sounding low, hence she asks,

"Kya hua Kashish? Sub theek hai na?"

Kashish's heart skips a beat hearing that. Quickly she replies,

"Haan.... haan Aunty, sub... sub theek hai.",

she shuts her eyes whilst uttering those words, apologizing secretly.

"Aap... Aap theek hain?",

she asks, trying to shift the focus from herself.

"Haan main theek hun.",

says Veena before turning serious.

"Darasal.... darasal Kashish maine tumse hi baat karne ke liye phone kiya tha.",

says Veena.

Kashish turns serious, alert and says,

"Haan Aunty bataiye."

"Kashish darasal... ek bechaini si ho rahi thi.",

Veena begins to share her feeling with Kashish, hesitantly.

Kashish feels concerned hearing that.

"Bechaini? Kyun Aunty?",

she asks, eager.

"Beta darasal... maine yahan... panditji ko Sujal ki kundali dikhayi.",

says Veena, hesitantly.

Kashish knits her brows tighter.

"Wo keh rahe the ke....Sujal par sankat hai. Uske jaan ko khatra hai.",

declares Veena, getting a bit emotional.

Kashish's rate of heartbeat picks up pace hearing that.

"Aunty ye aap...",

Kashish trails off, too shocked to react.

"Aur... aur ye ke...",

Veena hesitates and keeps her eyes cascaded.

"ke iski wajah ek... ek ladki hai.",

adds Veena, hesitantly.

Kashish immediately understands that Veena is trying to indicate towards her.

"Aunty... agar aisa hai to... main.... main Sujal se... Sujal se durr rahungi!",

says Kashish, her heart throbbing inside her chest as she knows how Sujal must be reacting at the moment hearing her.

Just as she thought, Sujal glares Kashish, knitting his brows tight.

Immediately he pulls the phone out of her hand, glaring her throughout and talks to his mother, glaring Kashish throughout and says,

"Mumma mujhe nahi pata apne abhi abhi Kashish se kya kaha. Magar main bus itna kehna chahta hun aap 'dono' se....",

he emphasizing on 'dono', glaring Kashish further then continues,

"Ke Sujal ke zinda rehne ke liye uski saanson se zyada uski Mumma aur Kashish ka uski zindagi mein shamil rehna zaruri hai!"

Veena's heart skips a beat hearing that.

Kashish's reaction remains the same and she looks towards Sujal, knitting her brows.

"Isliye apke dil mein jo bhi darr hai, usse apne dil se nikal dijiye Mumma.",

says Sujal, calmly.

His mother knits her brows in  frustration and dilemma.

"Theek hai beta. Tum... tum apna aur... aur Kashish ka dhyan rakhna."

"Ji Mumma. Aap apna aur baki subka dhyan rakhna.",

says Sujal.

"Bye beta.",

says Veena.

"Bye Mumma.",

says Sujal and ends the call.

Ending the call, Sujal turns to look towards Kashish. They stare each other. Kashish keeps her brows knit and slowly cascades her eyes. 

The electricity fails all over again, making street lights to shut too. 

This frustrates Sujal but Kashish, surprisingly Kashish stays unaffected!

"Kashish, chalo main watchman se puchta hun ke kya hua hai light ko.",

says Sujal.

"Mujhe nahi jana Sujal, tum jao.",

says Kashish, staring towards the terrace.

Sujal looks towards Kashish helplessly.

"Kahin mat jana jab tak main na lautun. Yahin rehna.",

warns Sujal, indicating his index finger towards her.

Kashish doesn't react and keeps staring towards the terrace.

As Sujal leaves, the figure of the man whom Kashish was staring, stares back towards Kashish.

'Bohot soch liya maine Piyush! Bohot darr liya! Ab main nahi darne wali. Ab main nahi haarne wali.',

thinks Kashish.

Without giving it a second thought, Kashish walks towards the house with a new determination to face Piyush. She understands that doing this is dangerous, but she cares less to give heed to the danger. She is tired of staying in horror; she wants to end this horror, turning fearless. As she enters, she could feel the sudden change in the environment. Her breath turns abnormal, but it has nothing to do with her fear. She ain't fearful anymore. As she enters and walks forth, she discovers in the candle light, a figure, whose face remains hidden from her due to darkness. Her breath hitches, as fear grabs her afresh. But she takes a deep breath in order to clear her mind. Her steps slow down, but her determination stays high. She takes quiet steps ahead. Picking up the candle, she stares towards the figure in shock, that remains hidden in the darkness but visible enough for Kashish to know of its presence.

She chooses to ignore the figure and walk to the terrace. As she climbs the flight of stairs, her steps slow, Kashish's rate of heartbeat remains accelerated. She gradually turns sweaty more out of fear and less out of the energy she spends in climbing the flight of stairs.

Reaching back, Sujal discovers the absence of Kashish! 

He exclaims in tension,

"Kashish!"

He runs into the house.

"Kashish!",

he shouts again in anxiousness.

"Ka...",

he stops abruptly on his third call when reflection of faint candle light from a room hits the marble floor, reflecting it and hence making it all the more visible to Sujal.

Sujal turns all the more cautious. He walks slowly towards the source of light, looking here and there.

Reaching the room which he knows remains locked always for no particular reason, just that no one uses it, Sujal knits his brows tighter on discovering it opened. He slowly pushes the door open, letting it to create a little creaking noise as it opens.

He discovers a lady sitting at the study table and writing something on a notepad.

Standing at his own place, Sujal stares her skeptically and asks her,

"Ka...un.... ho tum?"

The lady seems to have not heard him at all. 

Sujal repeats his question,

"Kaun ho tum?"

Still the situation stays intact.

The lady gets up and brings out a book from the book shelf, but doesn't acknowledge Sujal.

The fact that in his home he is discovering an unknown personality succeeds in sending shivers running down Sujal's spine. An entity whom he is unable to take in his control.

Slowly, boldly, Sujal walks to the lady with a motive to unveil her identity. His eyes shift towards what she is scrabbling in the diary and he gets shocked to read Kashish's name and a cross strike on it. He nervously places his hand on her shoulder to reveal the person who dared to do that. As soon as he turns the lady, Sujal stumbles back out of shock on discovering an unknown lady. The sarcastic smile on her face makes Sujal to crease his brows tighter. 

While Sujal stares her without blinking his eyes, the lady gets up and walks forth and passes by the side of Sujal, as if she didn't notice his presence there at all. She didn't hurt him. Forget about hurt, she didn't even acknowledge his presence there. Sujal stares her in utter shock to know what is she going to do next. The lady walks to a corner and lights up a candle. Holding the candle in her left hand and the book in her right, the lady walks to and fro in the room, engrossed in reading. Sujal keeps an eye on her each gesture. He begins sweating gradually out of fear.

As he continues with staring her, and his mind gets out of the fact that in front of him is an entity he is not much aware about, he now begins to focus on her features! No there is no romantic string attached to his focusing her features, he rather wants to learn about her to get rid of her.

He notices the marks on her face. Clearly they are burn marks! Sujal stares her in horror  further.

He decides to leave the place in search of few answers.

*****

Reaching the entrance of the terrace Kashish stares Piyush who is standing at the terrace.

The darkness there and the fact that she will remain inaudible to the people at the groundfloor, suffocates Kashish and terrifies her. She sudenly turns skeptical. Has she made the right decision by coming here? Should she return back?

The howling of the wind adds into her fear. But she decides to walk forth and face the situation.

With a new determination, Kashish reaches behind Piyush, standing at a good distance from him and glares him. Her heart fills with not only fear but anger too.

"Rokiye isse Piyush!",

she commands him.

"I said stop all this right away!",

she shouts at Piyush.

Piyush takes his time to turn, but when he does, Kashish gets scared. His face, his face is hell messed! The burnt marks on his face make him look ugly. The darkness on the terrace makes the whole scenario all the more horrible. Kashish shouts out loud, covering her face with both of her hands.

"Chaley.... chaley jaiye mere nazron ke samne se Piyush!",

shouts Kashish, still not ready to look towards Piyush.

Her hatred for Piyush increases further.

Kashish suddenly feels the presence of someone around herself. Her heartbeat increases further. She sweats out of fear. 

"Yahi meri suchchai hai Kashish. Jahan main hun, wahan... wahan ye sub mujhe pareshan karte hain. Torture karte hain mujh par.",

says Piyush, sad and helpless.

"Main... main kuch nahi sunna chahti. Kuch nahi janti. Aap... Aap humein humare haal par chor dijiye Piyush.",

pleads Kashish, avoiding to look towards Piyush, her face still turned to her left.

"Please chaley jaiye!",

cries Kashish.

"Kashish, tum to mujhse pyar karti thi na?",

asks Piyush, in desperation.

"Fir kyun? Kyun aaj tum mujhse nazrein pher rahi ho?",

adds Piyush.

Kashish tries to control her accelerated rate of heartbeat, accelerating out of fear and says,

"Main... main ye bardasht nahi kar pa rahi Piyush....!!"

"Mera tumse durr jana tumse bardasht nahi hua isliye tum mere qatil ko saza dilane mein apna har pal samarpit kar chuki ho Kashish. To kyun jab wo insaan tumhe apni aapbeeti suna raha hai to tum usse apni nazrein pher rahi ho?",

asks Piyush, knitting his brows, frustrated, his tone still remains polite.

"Mere paas zyada waqt nahi hai Kashish!",

requests Piyush.

Kashish turns to look towards Piyush.For those brief moments Kashish Raheja inside Kashish gets awaken. They stare each other.

"Tumse bus ek baat kehni thi.",

says Piyush.

Kashish stares him, knitting her brows.

"Jisey tum mera gunehgar samjhne ki bhool kar chuki ho, wo... wo mera gunehgar nahi hai!",

declares Piyush.

Shivers run down Kashish's spine, she stares Piyush in utter shock.

"Sujal is innocent Kashish. Wo to mujhe bachana chahta tha!",

declares Piyush.

Kashish could feel her whole body shivering upon listening those words of Piyush.

"Ye.... ye aap... kya keh rahe hain Piyush...??",

tears of frustration and guilt roll down Kashish's cheek.

Kashish extends her hands to clench his collars out of frustration, wanting to jerk him.

But the fact that he isn't a human being but a rooh, becomes an obstacle. It frustrates Kashish further.

Kashish cries non stop and shouts at Piyush,

"Maine dekhe hain sabut. Sujal.... Sujal hi apka gunehgar hai Piyusshhhh!!!"

Her throat chokes out of anger and frustration on herself.

She wipes off her tears leaving him. 

"Main... main janti hun... Main janti hun aap aisa kyun kar rahe hain!",

says Kashish, determined, nodding her head vigrously.

She shoots a glare at him and accuses him,

"Aap... aap ye sub isliye keh rahe hain na kyunki aap mujhe dukhi nahi dekh sakte?"

Piyush shakes his head in frustration, staring Kashish throughout, knitting his brows.

"Aap chahte hain ke main Sujal ko apni zindagi mein apki jagah de dun. Wo... wo haq jo apka tha... ab main Sujal ko de dun! Hai na?",

asks Kashish, shouting at him.

"Kashish.... mujhe samjhne ki koshish karo...",

Piyush tries to explain.

But Kashish cuts him short and says,

"Magar main apse ek baat keh dena chahti hun Piyush.... ke meri zindagi mein apki jagah kabhi koi nahi le sakta."

Piyush stares Kashish sadly. Her words pierce his heart.

Suddenly her tone changes,

"Aisa main sochti thi Piyush! Magar aaj... aaj jo apne mere saath kiya. Mere.... mere juzbaaton ke saath khela....",

she trails off.

"Kya zarurat thi Piyush? Kya zarurat thi apko mere paas aney ki? Apki wajah se dekhiye kya ho gaya hai. Kaise niklun main iss situation se Piyush? Kya kahungi main gharwalon se jab wo ayenge? Kaise samjhaungi main Mumma ko ke jo kuch bhi hua hai apki wajah se hua hai?".

asks Kashish, scolding Piyush.

"Maine socha tha tum mujhse mil kar khush hogi!",

says Piyush, innocently.

Kashish looksaway frustrated.

"Hoti main khush Piyush, bohot khush hoti.",

says Kashish, turning to look towards him. Her throat chokes and her eyes turn teary.

Piyush knits his brows, feeling sad.

"Magar agar ye baat sirf yahan tak rehti ke aap mujhse milne aye hain!",

says Kashish.

Piyush turns his hands into fists out of frustration.

"Kaise rokun jo ho raha hai neeche?",

asks Kashish, scolding Piyush.

"Bataiye?",

adds Kashish.

"Jiske rooh ko kabhi chua tha maine....",

Kashish's stare on Piyush turns intimate as she utters those words,

"...kyun aaj uske rooh se mujhe itna darr lag raha hai Piyush?",

she asks, calmly, yet frustrated.

Piyush stares her, dumbstruck.

Kashish cascades her eyes and says,

"Sujal... wo pagal to apki madad karna chahta hai.",

smiles Kashish, remembering Sujal.

"Wo to mere akhri lamho mein bhi meri madad karna chahta tha!",

says Piyush, remembering Sujal fondly.

Kashish glares Piyush and asks,

"Aur fir bhi aap aa gaye apne ussi dost ki khushi usse firse cheenne ke liye Piyush?"

"Main kya kisi se uski khushi cheenunga Kashish?",

asks Piyush, sadly.

"Jab ke main dar-dar bhatak raha hun shanti paney ke liye!",

says Piyush.

Before Kashish could say anything, her hair blows whereas there is no air at the terrace. She holds her hair and turns around in utter fear.

Kashish could feel the presence of some other entity there. She gets scared.

"Ko...n.... hai..?",

she asks, opening her eyes wide.

She could feel someone in front of her by the sudden change in atmosphere around herself.

She starts taking backwards steps towards the exit, whilst warning, extending her hand, indicating her index finger, widening her eyes,

"Mere... mere paas mat ana!"

She quickly turns and runs out of the terrace. She begins to climb down the flight of stairs. Due to sudden darkness in the area, she stumbles and rolls down a few stairs. But something comes at her rescue, as she holds it to save herself from rolling down further. It is rigid and helped her a great deal by stopping her stumbling down further. She somehow manages to get back her equilibrium, and focuses on what she is holding still to support her body weight. What she discovers, shocks her. It is not any stone but a human figure, aparantly a female figure, who is sitting at the adjoining area of two flights of stairs. Her knees are popped up; her arms are wrapped around her knees and her face is covered by her lap.

After the initial shock, Kashish gets away from her and stares her in horror, standing against the front wall.

"Ko....n... Kon ho tum?",

she asks, her heart throbbing inside her chest.

As she ends up asking the question, she hears her crying. That terrifies Kashish further. She could feel the whole world swiveling in front of her eyes.

"Maine pucha kon ho tum? Kya chahiye tumhe mujhse? Kyun kar rahi ho mujhe pareshan?",

she puts her anger, frustration and fear in front of the entity.

It doesn't harm Kashish at all. It smiles at her. But nothing about her smile makes Kashish to feel happy. Slowly the spirit turns to climb down the stairs. Kashish, out of anger tries to pull the spirit towards herself, aiming at the chain that the spirit has garlanded around her neck. The spirit turns in horror and fights with Kashish, trying to free her chain from her hold.

"Nahi....!! Nahi, tum ye nahi kar sakti!",

shouts the spirit, staring Kashish in shock, whilst trying to save the chain from getting into Kashish's hands.

But Kashish stays determined. 

After a few try, Kashish finally succeeds in pulling the chain out of her possession.

Holding the chain tight in her right fist, Kashish stares the spirit in horror, her rate of heartbeat increased. She tries to gauge the change that she might discover after pulling the chain from her. But to her utter surprise no evident change Kashish discovers in the spirit. She wonders why then was she stopping Kashish?

The spirit vanishes in thin air, leaving behind a wondering Kashish.

Kashish looks here and there in horror to make sure that she indeed has gone. Kashish begins to sweat out of fear; her heart throbs inside her chest for two facts - firstly because of wrestle she performed moments ago with the spirit; second because deep down she knows that she didn't make a wise decision by pulling the chain out of her possession!

*****

Kashish quickly gets up and wipes her sweat. She climbs down the stairs in search of Sujal.

They collide each other in front of Kashish's bedroom.

Sujal cups Kashish's face in desperation.

Kashish bursts into tears and hugs Sujal in desperation. She cries further.

"Kashish! Kashish tum theek ho?",

asks Sujal, shocked and desperate.

Kashish cries further, tightening her hold on to him.

"Mujhe... mujhe laga ab main tumse kabhi nahi mil paungi Sujal!",

she puts her feelings; her fear in front of Sujal.

Sujal takes a deep breath and tightens his hold on her.

"Main yahin hun Kashish. Kahin nahi ja raha tumhe chor kar. Aur na hi kisi ko tumhe mujhse durr karne dunga ab main!",

says Sujal, sincerely and confidently.

Leaving him, Kashish fills with yet another desperation to tell him everything.

"Sujal... Sujal ye log yahan se nahi jane wale itni aasani se.",

says Kashish, quickly, staring him.

Sujal cups her face and whilst wiping her tears says,

"Ye log yahan nahi rehne wale. Main inke samne haar nahi manne wala itni aasani se."

Kashish smiles a little, despite extremly terrified, but his words succeed in giving her confidence and assurance.

*****

Sitting for coffee and tea Lalit asks CG,

"Fir tumne kya kiya CG?"

"Agle din maine Veena se iss barey mein kuch baat nahi ki ye soch kar ke zarur wo neend mein rahi hogi uss waqt jab ye sub hua.",

says CG.

"Magar main Veena ki har harkat par nazar rakhne laga."

"To kya tumhe kuch ajeeb laga?",

asks Lalit in desperation.

CG shakes his head into negative.

"Nahi Lalit. Kuch bhi nahi. Wo ekdum normal behave kar rahi thi. Jaise ke kuch hua hi na ho.",

says CG, thinking.

Lalit knits his brows.

"Uss raat Veena fir jagi. Mere jagne par jab maine usse pucha ke kya hua hai, usne koi jawab nahi diya.",

says CG, sadly.

"Kisi ne khidki par knock kiya, mujhe laga!"

Veena's words startle CG and Lalit.

They turn to look towards her in shock!

"Veena...!",

exclaims CG in horror.

"Bhabhi hum to bus...",

Lalit begins to explain.

"Chaye!",

Veena puts the tray of tea and snacks in front of them on the table, ignoring to listen to Lalit, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

"Aap log to games room ja rahe the na?",

asks Veena, trying to keep the conversation normal.

"Haan magar fir yahin baith gaye baat karte karte.",

smiles Lalit.

Veena takes her seat with them and says,

"Maine khidki ke paas jakar dekha. Darr darr kar hi sahi, magar main gayi."

They listen to her, holding their breaths.

"Wahan khade hokar mujhe wo awaz firse ayi, ekdum wohi awaz!",

says Veena, drowning into the feeling all over again.

"Magar mujhe to wo awaz bilkul saaf-saaf sunai deni chahiye thi na? Kyunki main khidki ke paas khadi thi?",

asks Veena, looking towards Lalit.

Lalit nods his head into affirmative, holding his breath.

"Magar mujhe thodi der baad ehsaas hua ke wo awaz khidki se nahi...."

The heartbeats increase of her listeners,

"Humare room ke mirror se aa rahi thi!"

"Aaa......!!!!",

shouts Vasu, cupping her cheeks out of horror, upon over hearing the last parts of the converstation.

This time the heartbeats of the trio - CG, Lalit and Veena, skip and they turn to find Vasu standing there, staring them in horror!

"Ye tum.... tum kya keh rahi ho Veena?",

asks Vasu in horror, walking towards them and occupying a vacant seat.

"Tumhare kamre ke sheeshe se???",

asks Vasu in horror.

"Vasu... Vasu calm down.",

says Lalit.

Vasu turns to look towards Lalit and asks him in shock,

"How can you expect me to calm down Lalith?"

Lalit slaps his forehead lightly.

"Ye... ye tumhare saath kahan hua Veena?",

asks Vasu in desperation, turning to look towards Veena.

"Humare ghar mein.",

Veena tells her slowly.

"What???!!!",

exclaims Vasu, loudly.

That skips the heartbeat of the trio again.

They look around to make sure that no one heard her.

"Vasu... Vasu dheere bolo. Bachey sunn lenge.",

says Lalit, in desperation.

Vasu turns to look towards Lalit, finding him sounding ridiculous,

"Ohhooo Lalith, hum konsa koi personal baat kar rahe hain ke bachon ko nahi sunna chahiye. Aur agar personal baat ho bhi to humare bachein bhi ab badey ho gaye hain for god's sake!",

Vasu rolls her eyes.

CG and Veena cascade their eyes, having nothing to say to that.

Lalit, shakes his head, cascading his eyes too.

Vasu then turns towards Veena and asks her,

"Veena tum mujhe batao. Kya hua tha?",

and waits for her to reply, holding her heartbeat.

Veena turns to look towards CG.

CG nods his head, giving her signal to continue.

Taking a deep breath, Veena turns to look towards Vasu and Lalit and continues with her story.

"Aur aisa nahi hai ke ek baar hi knock kiya aur main jag gayi.",

Veena continues with the story.

"Pehle knock ko maine ignore kiya ye soch kar ke shayad main koi sapna dekh rahi hun."

They stare her, their rates of heartbeats pick up pace, gradually.

"Magar mere na jagne par jaise ke wo jo koi bhi tha gussa ho gaya tha.",

says Veena, her own rate of heartbeat increasing slowly as she drowns into the feeling afresh after so many years.

"Ab wo awaz aur barhi. Itni ke wo tolerate nahi ki ja rahi thi mujhse. Maine ankhein khol li!"

"Fir?",

asks Vasu, desperate.

"Ankhein kholne par achanak sub kuch shant ho gaya. Ekdum shant. Mujhe apne dhadkano ke alawa kuch nahi sunai de raha tha."

Horror starts creeping under Veena's skin.

"Maine ankhein kholi rakhi; ceiling ki tarah dekhti rahi, aur ye dekhne ki koshish ki ke kya wo awaz firse aa rahi hai?"

"Kya wo awaz firse ayi?",

asks Lalit, his throat turning dry out of horror.

"Ayi! Firse ayi!",

exclaims Veena, taking her listeners by surprise.

"Magar abki baar wo knock dheere ho gaya jaise ki wo jo koi bhi ho usse pata chal gaya ke maine ankhein khol li hain!",

says Veena.

"Darr ke marey mujhse utha bhi nahi ja raha tha. Maine apni ankhein ek baar dain to ek baar bain taraf ghumayi, ye dekhne ke liye ke wahan koi nahi hai."

Vasu takes a deep breath as the fear engulfs her.

"Main uthi aur dheere dheere khidki ki taraf gayi. Wahan pohnch kar maine intezaar kiya uss awaz ke fir ane ka."

All of them hold their heartbeats.

"Kuch der bilkul shanti rahi. Fir wo awaz firse ayi!"

"Main darr gayi! Kyunki kabhi kabhi zyada ek baat par dhyan dene se bhi koi apko dara sakta hai. Kuch waisa hi hua mere saath!",

says Veena.

"Darr se jab thoda dimag hataya to maine dhyan diya ke wo awaz mere peeche se aa rahi thi!",

declares Veena, taking all by shock.

They realize that their heart is beating at a tremendous speed.

"Mera darr tab aur barha jab bina murhe hi main samjh gayi ke ye awaz kahan se aa rahi hai...",

says Veena.

"Kahan se aa rahi thi?",

asks Vasu, her heart pounding.

Veena turns to look towards Vasu and stares her without blinking her eyes, for a brief moment and slowly declares,

"Humare kamre ke sheeshe se!"

Shivers run down the spines of her listeners.

"Sheeshe se???!!!",

exclaims Lalit in horror.

"Haan Bhai Sahab!",

says Veena turning to look towards Lalit.

"Magar Veena how can this be possible?",

asks Vasu, knitting her brows, shocked.

"Yahi baat maine bhi sochi thi Vasu.",

says Veena, calmly, looking towards Vasu.

"Socho tum log meri baat sunn kar at least iss bhram mein reh kar khush to reh sakte ho ke ye mera weham hai. Main to iss bhram mein bhi nahi reh sakti! Kyunki main janti hun wo ke wo mera weham nahi tha. Wo hua tha! Such mein hua tha! Aur ye baat ke main kisi ko iss baat ke liye convince nahi kar sakti ke main jo keh rahi hun wo such hai, socho mujhe dil hi dil mein kitna kachotta hoga!",

says Veena, out of desperation, her eyes turn teary.

"Oh Veena!",

exclaims Vasu, knitting her brows, resting her hand on her hand as she could feel her pain.

Veena cries out of helplessness.

"Bhabhi... humein aap par pura bharosa hai.",

assures Lalit.

Vasu nods in affirmative.

*****

"Uss raat main so nahi payi. Agli subah maine inse kaha ke main ghar mein puja rakhwana chahti hun.",

says Veena.

"Ye maan gaye."

"Magar kuch na kuch rukawat aati hi ja rahi thi! Jaise koi na chahta ho ke main ye puja karwaun.",

says Veena.

They stare her shocked.

"Pehle Bahadur ko paise dene ke liye jab main purse dhundhne lagi to mujhe mera purse hi kahin nahi mil raha tha, jabki mujhe ache se yaad tha ke maine purse cupboard ke pehle shelf mein rakhi thi.",

says Veena.

Lalit rotates his engagement ring nervously, hearing Veena.

"Magar Veena fir hua kya jab tumhe ye ehsaas hua ke....",

Vasu holds her breath out of fear and says further,

"Ke awaz tumhare room ke mirror se aa rahi hai?"

Her query displays her anxiousness to know about that part in front of her listeners.

Veena once more drowns into the thought and continues,

"Meri dhadkanein barh gayin!"

"Main... main uss sheeshe ko dekhti rahi. Intezaar kiya ke koi harkat hogi.",

says Veena, her rate of heartbeat picking up pace.

"Harkat hui!",

exclaims Veena, taking all of them in shock.

"Magar sheeshe ke ander se nahi. Balki bahar bed ke paas. Koi tha...!!",

reveals Veena.

Shivers run down the spines of her listeners, including her husband.

Veena asks Vasu,

"Agar bed ke paas koi khada ho to mujhe uski parchayi sheeshe mein dikhni chahiye na Vasu?"

Vasu in her state of horror, her eyes wide opened, nods her head into affirmative in slow pace, staring Veena throughout.

"Magar ajeeb baat ye thi ke mujhe.... mujhe bus apni parchayi nazar aa rahi thi sheeshe mein! Bus apni!",

reveals Veena, staring Vasu in surprise.

Her listeners shiver in shock.

"Stop! Stop please!",

exclaims Vasu.

Veena stops immediately.

The trio looks towards her.

"I... I need break please.",

saying so Vasu gets up and leave to calm herself down after hearing something she hadn't imagined before today.

She stops suddenly as an idea strikes her. Turning she asks them suddenly,

"Ye agar koi aatma thi, matlab.... kisi ki aatma ko apne paas bulana is possible na?"

Her listeners knit their brows out of shock hearing that, wondering where is Vasu going with this conversation?

After thinking for a while, she asks,

"Matlab... matlab agar main chahun to...",

her throat chokes and her eyes turn teary as she completes,

"...apne bete Piyush se ek baar firse... ek akhri baar mil sakti hun na????!!!"

That comes as a shock for her listeners.

Vasu bursts into tears uttering those words.

"Vasu...!!!",

exclaims Lalit, feeling pity on Vasu, understanding her emotions.

Lalit gets up, walking to Vasu he hugs her, while Vasu continues crying.

CG and Veena cascade their eyes helplessly.

*****

Sujal suddenly knits his brows staring Kashish as he feels that they are being watched.

He turns his head to his right, still cupping Kashish's face. Kashish knits her brows wondering what caused him to turn. Sujal slowly removes his hands from her face.

She too turns to know what is he looking towards, in desperation.

Standing in front of them is their watchman Bahadur.

"Bahadur, tum yahan?",

asks Sujal.

Bahadur's heart skips a beat, he turns self conscious.

The clouds growl outside and starts raining ferociously.

"Maaf.... Maaf kijiye sahab. Maine... maine apki aur Madam ki baatein sunn li.",

apologizes Bahadur, keeping his eyes cascaded out of guilt.

Sujal and Kashish look towards each other. Sujal blinks his eyes to assure Kashish that it's fine.

Turning back to look towards Bahadur, Sujal says,

"Koi baat nahi Bahadurji. Boliye, kuch kaam tha."

"Sujal baba, aap... aap Kashish bitiya ki baat par bharosa kar lijiye!",

Bahadur shocks Sujal and Kashish, by his words.

Kashish's rate of heartbeat stays higher than Sujal's although both of their heartbeats' accelerate hearing Bahadur.

"Kya matlab?",

asks Sujal, knitting his brows tighter, his hands shoved into his trousers' pockets, his full attention lies on Bahadur.

"Iss ghar mein roohon ka vaas hai!",

says Bahadur.

Sujal and Kashish stare Bahadur seriously.

"Ye... ye aap itne yakeen ke saath kaise keh sakte hain?",

asks Sujal, knitting his brows tighter.

Bahadur drowns into the pools of memories, staring at a distant point, never blinking his eyes.

"Main janta hun.... kyunki.... kyunki uss roz bhi aisa hi hua tha!!",

exclaims Bahadur in horror.

"Uss roz?",

ask Sujal and Kashish in unison, alert and shocked, staring Bahadur.

"Haan.... haan uss roz! Jab aap log yahan nahi the. Bus CG Sir aur Veena Memsahab the yahan.",

says Bahadur, in horror.

"Ajeeb-o-gareeb baatein ho rahi theen uss din subah se!",

says Bahadur.

"Kya ho raha tha?",

asks Sujal, knitting his brows.

Kashish too gets shocked hearing him.

"Maali paudhon ko pani dene gaya tha to usse sarey phool murjhaye miley. Jabki har roz unn paudhon ko pani diya jata tha!",

states Bahadur.

"Sarey phool sookhey; murjhaye hue the jaise barso se unhe pani na mila ho.",

adds Bahadur.

Sujal and Kashish stare him in shock.

"Uss din puja rakhwayi thi Veena Memsahab ne magar ek bhi phool humare bageeche se nahi liya gaya kyunki sarey phool murjha chukey the jaise unhe pata chal gaya ho ke abhi unhe koi unke paudhon se churane aney wala hai aur unhone apna deh (aatma) tyag dia ho!",

says an exasperated Bahadur.

That comes as yet another shock for his listeners.

"Tab main khud bahar se phool laya tha.",

Bahadur tells them.

"Veena Memsahab ne mana kiya tha ke iska zikr kisi se n kiya jaye, khaaskar ke apse.",

says Bahadur, cascading his eyes out of guilt.

"Fir kya hua?",

asks Kashish, desperate to learn the further story.

"Hawan ki samagri bhi ikaththa karne mein Veena Memsahab ko bohot waqt laga. Iski wajah ye nahi thi ke kuch mil nahi raha tha. Balki wajah ye thi ke jo tha wo sub kuch kharab hote ja rahe the pata nahi kaise!",

reveals Bahadur.

"Kharab?",

asks Sujal, wanting him to elaborate.

"Ji. Chaawal jo puja ke liye alag rahe the na jane kaise kaaley parh gaye!"

Shivers run down the spines of Sujal and Kashish.

"Balki jab mujhe bahar se kuch samagri firse laney ko kaha gaya tab Veena Memsahab ko apna purse hi nahi mil raha tha. Unhone puri almari chaan mari thi. Jabki unhe ache se pata tha ke unhone kahan rakhi thi purse magar unhe wo wahan mila hi nahi. Puri almari dhundhne par bhi kahin nahi mila unhe. Haar kar fir unhone apke Pitaji se paise mangke mujhe paise diye.",

says Bahadur.

"Raaste mein mera ek chota sa accident bhi ho gaya.",

he reveals.

Sujal and Kashish get slapped by shock after shock.

"Ye... ye nishaan mere mathey par, ussi accident ki wajah se hai. Jo aaj tak nahi gaya.",

says Bahadur, sadly.

Sujal and Kashish stare towards the mark, sadly and in utter shock.

"Kehte hain insano se pehle ek rooh ko ye prakriti pehchanti hai. Aaj bhi aap dekh lijiye phool murjhate ja rahe hain!"

Sujal and Kashish don't understand how should they react to that.

"Isse bachne ka koi to upaye hoga?",

asks Sujal.

"Subse aasan tareeka hai ye jaanlena ke uss rooh ko kya chahiye apse. Agar aap wo aasani se de sakte hain, to usse unhe dekar unse chutkara pa sakte hain.",

he says.

"Magar unhe chahiye kya aapse?",

asks Bahadur, wondering.

Sujal and Kashish look towards each other.

"Wo bus yahan rehna chahte hain.",

says Kashish.

"Nahi! Ye mat hone dena.",

warns Bahadur.

"Haan ye to kabhi nahi hone denge.",

asks Sujal.

"Kyunki agar ek baar apne unhe anumati de di ya unse haar gaye to wo har mumkin koshish karenge apko ya to iss ghar se bahar nikalne ki ya apko apne vash mein karne ki, humesha humesha ke liye!",

adds Bahadur, widening his eyes in horror. 

"Jaise taise pandit ko bulakar puja karwayi gayi. Puja to sampann ho gayi. Wo pret aatma jiski bhi thi wo chali bhi gayi magar...",

Bahadur stops suddenly, sad.

"Magar kya?",

asks Sujal, eager to know further.

"Magar uss pandit ki jaan bhi saath le gayi wo!",

reveals Bahadur.

Shocked, Kashish clenches Sujal's upper arm and hides her face in his chest, kniting her brows tight. Sujal slowly rotates his hand on her head to calm her down.

"Magar... Magar mujhe ek baat samjh nahi aa rahi. Ye pret-aatma jiski bhi hai, wo yahan tak pohnchi kaise? Ayi kyun yahan?",

wonders Bahadur, knitting his brows.

Anger surges through Kashish. She knits her brows tighter out of hatred for Piyush.

"Ye sub....",

she begins to utter in her frustration and anger, when Sujal holds her wrist, stopping her.

Kashish looks towards Sujal and he gives her a stare that warns Kashish to stay quiet. 

Kashish looks away frustrated. Taking a deep breath, she looks back towards Bahadur and alters her words, turning calmer,

"Ye kiski rooh hai aur yahan kyun ayi hai usse mujhe koi lena-dena nahi hai. Main bus itna chahti hun ke wo rooh humare ghar ko chor kar chali jaye!"

Sujal stares Kashish out of love and concern, his face expression stays serious.

"Ji, magar isse chutkara paney ka koi to zariya hoga?",

says Bahadur, concerned.

Sujal and Kashish turn to look towards their home.

"Wohi to samjh nahi aa raha Bahadur!",

says Sujal, keeping his face turned towards their home.

"Sahab maine suna hai ki ek rooh ko kisi bhi ghar mein ghusne se pehle kisi cheez ko zariya banana parhta hai.",

says Bahadur, widening his eyes in excitement, his expression serious.

"Zariya? Matlab?",

asks Kashish, confused, turning to look towards Bahadur.

"Matlab ya to kisi ne unhe ijjazat di ho ander aney ki ya... ya ghar ke kisi cheez ko zariya banaya ho unhone. Kis cheez ko ya kisi sadasya ko.",

says Bahadur.

"Sadasya ko zariya banana to mushkil hai, warna hum mein se koi uske vash mein hota. Zarur koi cheez hai jis mein usne apni puri shakti dali hui hai!",

says Bahadur.

Sujal and Kashish get tensed and a bit terrified hearing that and turn to look towards their home. Kashish discovers no one on terrace this time as her eyes automatically goes to the terrace. She sighs inaudibally.

*****

In her room, Veena walks to and fro, knitting her brows, tensed and remembers her conversation with the Panditji in the temple.

*Flashback*

"Panditji ye... ye mere bete ki kundali hai.",

Veena forwards the kundali to the saint.

Vasu keeps an eye on the kundali and the Panditji too.

Folding her hands in front of him, Veena says,

"Main uski shadi ko lekar pareshan hun. Kya aap bata sakte hain ke.... kab tak hogi uski shadi?"

Vasu smirks and shakes her head to her right.

Panditji nods his head and reads Sujal's kundali.

"Kafi samajhdar balak hai apka.",

he begins, smiling.

Veena smiles out of pride.

Vasu rolls her eyes.

"Sehnsheel!",

he says next.

"Haan Panditji. Kafi sehnsheel hai.",

says Veena, sadly, cascading her eyes.

'Haan Veena tumhe to bus apne bete ki sehnsheelta hi nazar ayegi. Aur hum jo tumhare bete ki kartootein sehn kar rahe hain, usko tum kahan dekh pati ho?',

thinks Vasu.

(Vasu's background music)

"Dukh, dard, takleef dil mein chupa kar rakhna janta hai. Kisi ko aasani se apni pareshaniyan nahi batata.",

he reads.

'My! My! My! Aaj kalke ye dhongi Baba bhi paison ke liye kuch bhi bolte jatey hain. Sujal ko takleef lena nahi sirf aur sirf takleef dena aata hai.',

thinks Vasu.

"Uski ankhon ko; uske mann ko parhna parhta hai mujhe.",

says Veena, her heart clenches.

'Haan itna acha khiladi jo hai tumhara beta. Natak karna to koi usse seekhe.',

thinks Vasu.

The saint nods his head in affirmative.

"Iski zindagi mein koi hai jisse ye chahta hai.",

he knits his brows as he reads.

This takes all of Vasu's attention.

'Haan kisi ko.... kisi aur ki patni ko; kisi aur ki vidhwa ko!'

Veena gauges his each reaction.

He seems to be disturbed about something.

"Kya hua Panditji?",

asks Veena, concerned, her rate of heartbeat picks up pace.

Vasu gets alert, knitting her brows.

"Ajeeb rishta hai inka....",

he says.

'Panditji usse 'ajeeb' nahi 'extra marital affair' kehte hain.',

Vasu rolls her eyes.

'Waise haan Kashish ka har kisi ke saath hi 'ajeeb' sa rishta bann jata hai. Na jane kya jadu kar deti hai wo sub par. Bus mujh par hi nahi kar paayi.',

Vasu smirks proudly.

"Ma..matlab?",

asks Veena, anxious.

Taking a deep breath, he reveals,

"Inka rishta iss janam ka nahi hai. Balki pichle teen janmon se ye saath hain!"

That comes as a surprise for Veena. She knits her brows tighter.

Rolling her eyes, Vasu thinks,

'Oh god! Yahan ek janam Kashish ko jhelna mushkil ho raha hai mere liye; aur ye Sujal.... Sujal ka ye teesra janm hai jab wo usse jhel raha hai. I hate to say this Sujal but I feel pity on you!'

"Magar... dono hi janmon mein yein mil nahi paye. Magar inke beech ka prem wo humesha raha hai. Suchcha hai inka rishta.",

says he, still tensed.

'Zarur Kashish ki tab bhi kisi aur se shadi ho gayi hogi.',

Vasu shakes her head taking a deep breath.

"Theek se samjh nahi pa raha. Agar iss ladki ki bhi kundali mil jati to shayad samjh pata.",

says he, a bit disturbed.

Veena regrets that she didn't bring Kashish's kundali too.

"Koi sankat hai!",

says he.

That skips Veena's heartbeat.

Vasu arches her right eyebrow hearing that, finding it interesting.

"Sankat?!",

asks Veena, shocked.

"Kaisi sankat?",

she asks, desperated and tensed.

"Koi museebat jo... jiska kaaran ye ladki banegi!",

he says.

Veena stares him in utter shock.

Vasu sighs in relief inaudibly, hearing that. She smirks, giving Veena a - 'I knew it already' look. While Veena stares the Panditji in shock.

"Kya???!!!",

exclaims Veena.

"Ye... ye aap kya keh rahe hain Panditji?",

asks Veena, unable to believe.

He reads properly and nods his head in affirmative, his eyes focused in the Kundali.

"Hmmm.... iss ladki ki wajah se uss par sheeghra hi koi museebat ane wali hai!",

says the Pandit, confidently.

Veena covers her mouth with both of her hands in utter shock.

Pointing his index finger towards Veena and staring her sternly, he adds,

"Magar yahi ladki usse iss museebat se bachayegi bhi!"

That comes as yet another shock for Veena.

"Ye acha natak hai Kashish ka - pehle khud museebat mein dalo, fir bachane ka dhong karo!",

says Vasu, spitting venom through her words.

"Vasu please!",

says Veena, tensed and not in mood to hear Vasu.

Vasu rolls her eyes.

*Flashback ends*

Veena sighs in disappointment, knitting her brows.

*****

Bahadur gets a call from Sujal on his cell.

"Sujal Sahab ka call hai.",

says Bahadur in front of Kashish.

Kashish gets alert as she is dying to see Sujal around herself again.

"Hanji Sahab.",

says Bahadur upon receiving the call.

"Ji... Ji.",

saying so he ends the call.

Kashish stares him in eagerness and asks,

"Kya kaha Sujal ne?"

"Sujal sahab apko ander bula rahe hain.",

he informs Kashish.

Kashish knits her brows in desperation and murmurs,

"Ander!"

She immediately leaves to enter the house in search of Sujal.

"Kya zarurat thi tumhe ander jane ki firse Sujal? Kyun nahi samjh rahe tum ke inse larhna humare bus ki baat nahi. Humare bus ki baat nahi!",

says Kashish, tensed, staring towards her home which for the first time looks to her as a haunted house.

*****

"Sujaaalllll....!!!",

shouts out Kashish, and continues crying.

Sujal stops abruptly, returning back to his room. 

He gets alert and shocked on hearing Kashish taking his name and crying out loud.

He runs towards the place from where the voice was approaching him.

"Kashish...!!!",

shouts Sujal, in desperation, to search her.

He stops abruptly on discovering a lady whose back is turned towards him. He can hear her weeping, covering her face with both of her hands.

He turns skeptical. He falls into dilemma. Deep down he gets vibes that it is not Kashish but also he wonders what if she is Kashish as her attire and figure match Kashish's.

"Ka...shish?",

he addresses her staring her with critical eyes.

"Tujhe yahan nahi aana chahiye tha Sujal!",

utters the one standing in front of Sujal in voice which is not even inhuman let alone Kashish's!

"Kon ho tum?",

asks Sujal, alert, staring the figure throughout.

The figure laughs horribly and slowly turns to reveal its horrible face in front of Sujal. Her facial skin bears marks of scratching of nails, scratched mercilessly. A few scratches are stuffed with freezed blood. That makes the scenario all the more horrible. 

Sujal's heart skips a beat and he stares the figure in utter shock.

"Mujhe yahan se nikalne ke liye aya hai tu?",

asks the entity in her horrible and weird voice.

Sujal's chest expands and contracts in quick succession.

She laughs horribly and turns away from Sujal. She begins to walk towards the stairs that leads to the first floor. The darkness makes the scenario look all the more horrible.

Whilst climbing up the flight of stairs the spirit dictates her story to Sujal,

"Mujhe shuru se hi aise hi ek aalishaan ghar ki khwahish thi."

Her hair left lose, touching her waist. Her messed up hair tells Sujal how she hasn't combed her hair for days or may be months or could be years too.

"Aur ab jab mujhe mere rehne ka thikana mil gaya hai to tu mujhe yahan se nikalna chahta hai?",

shouts the spirit at Sujal.

Sujal stays quiet, keeping an eye on her each gesture.

Kashish reaches Sujal at that very moment and gets shocked to discover the spirit.

"Sujaallll....!!!",

shouts Kashish.

Sujal's heart skips a beat and he turns to look towards Kashish, shocked.

"Kashish??!!",

exclaims Sujal, shocked.

Kashish runs to Sujal, staring the spirit throughout in horror and embraces Sujal from his right side.

The spirit turns and laughs horribly.

Hoding the railing of the staircase, her back turned towards them still, she says,

"Wahan jahan hum rehte hain... dum ghut-ta hai mera wahan."

Kashish clenches Sujal's shirt out of fear and terror.

"Uss Piyush ki wajah se mujhe aaj ek naya thikana mil gaya.",

she walks forth, laughing a little.

Her words increases Kashish's fear.

"Tumhe yahan rehne ki ijjazat... main kabhi nahi dunga!",

says Sujal, loud and clear, glaring her.

This angers the spirit.

"Main nahi jaungi yahan se! Main nahi jaungi yahan se! Tum log mujhe yahan se nahi nikal sakte!",

the spirit begins to murmur.

"Maine... maine unhe kaha tha ke mujhe rehne ka thikana milega. Main rahungi... main yahin rahungi.",

she begins to murmur, as if she is lost in her own world and is completely oblivious to the presence of Sujal and Kashish there.

Sujal and Kashish knit their brows, gauging her reaction.

"Tumne kaha tha ke ye rehne denge.",

she murmurs to someone, turning to look to her right. Her tone reflects her disappointment.

She begins to climb the stairs, slowly, murmuring throughout.

Suddenly reaching the top stair, she picks up a rod from a corner and begins to break anything and everything she finds around herself, creating a lot of shattering noise.

"Aaahhhh...!!!",

shouts Kashish and covers her face on Sujal's chest.

Sujal hugs her tightly, glaring the spirit.

Leaving her, he walks forth shouting at her,

"Ruk jao... meri... meri... baat sunno ek minute...",

he gestures with his hand to stop.

The spirit turns and glares Sujal, her eyes turned red out of anger.

She extends her right hand and with her evil power twists Sujal's extended arm.

"Aaahhh...!!!",

shouts Sujal, as his arm gets twisted and he turns to adjust to the pain the spirit is inflicting into him.

"Sujallll....",

shouts Kashish.

She runs to him.

"Nahi Kashish yahan mat aana....!!!",

even in his chaotic state, Sujal tries to save Kashish.

But Kashish doesn't listen in her desperation to reach Sujal and save him.

As she almost reaches him, the spirit with its power twists her leg which results in her rolling down the flight of stairs.

"Aahh....!!!",

cries out Kashish in shock and pain.

"Kashishhhh....!!!",

shouts out Sujal in horror.

He uses all of his strength to get out of the spirit's captivation and somehow he succeeds in it.

Running down the flight of stairs, Sujal holds Kashish, while Kashish sits there crying in pain.

"Main... Main theek hun Sujal. Tum... tum jakar Bahadur ko bulao I am sure wo... wo humari madad kar sakta hai.",

says Kashish, although she doesn't understand what made her to suggest that.

"Main tumhe chor kar kahin nahi ja raha Kashish.",

says Sujal.

"Sujal... maine kaha na. Main... Main theek hun. Tum jao. Jakar Bahadur ko bula lao.",

shouts Kashish in desperation.

Despite not wanting to leave Kashish there, Sujal gets forced to reach for Bahadur.

Meanwhile the spirit appears in front of Kashish. The spirit's eyes filled with rage. Kashish slowly looks towards her, terrified.

"Nahi... nahi please... please mujhe jane do...",

requests Kashish, as she starts crawling away from the spirit in fear.

The spirit picks up a vase kept at a corner and throws it on Kashish out of anger.

Kashish shouts in fear and rolls away to save herself. She cries and pleads the spirit to leave her.

The spirit throws a show piece on Kashish's right leg. Kashish cries out loud in pain, holding her right knee, as her knee begins to bleed.

She shouts for help, but her voice hit deaf ears.

The spirit clenches her hair into her fist and pulls it backward. Kashish cries in pain, shouting out loud.

She suddenly leaves her hair and in her rage she searches for something to kill Kashish with. 

Kashish gets the opportunity to escape but her bruised knee makes it impossible for her to even walk let alone walk quickly. Hence, she crawls somehow, trying to be quick, hissing in pain, crying throughout and hides herself behind the staircase.

The clouds growl out loud at that very moment. Darkness surrounds the insides of the house.

Kashish covers her mouth with her hand in order to not get audible. She sobs! Her eyes turned wide as she tries to locate the spirit. She manages to get the glimpse of the spirit and follows it through her eyes. She crawls further in order to escape and soon reaches behind the sofa. Resting her head on the ground Kashish looks towards the spirit through the gap between the sofa and the floor. She cries non-stop inaudibly. Her heart skips a beat; almost get a mini heart attack when across the other side of the sofa, sitting in same position as Kashish herself is, the spirit glares Kashish. 

Kashish shouts out loud when the spirit with its power tosses the sofa.

She shouts again and crawls away quickly in desperation.

"Bohot shauk hai na tujhe yahan rehne ka? To aa reh mere saath!",

says the spirit suddenly appearing in front of Kashish.

Kashish looks up towards the spirit and shakes her head, pleading for mercy.

On the other hand when Sujal reaches for Bahadur he finds him nowhere. He shouts his name but gets no reply from the other se. Sujal cries in helplessness.

Sujal without wasting further time runs back for Kashish.

He gets collided with Bahadur.

Sujal holds Bahadur from both of his upper arms in desperation.

"Bahadur... Bahadur chalo... wahan... wahan Kashish ki jaan khatre mein hai. Tum batao kya karna hai... chalo jaldi chalo.",

Sujal pulls him with himself.

Bahadur doesn't move and keeps staring someone ahead.

Sujal, upon realizing that his eyes are transfixed somewhere, turns to know what is Bahadur looking at. To Sujal's utter shock he finds no one whom Bahadur could be looking at. Sujal again turns to look towards Bahadur, himself drenched in sweat.

"Bahadur...!!",

calls out Sujal, staring him skeptically, knitting his brows tight.

Suddenly Bahadur strangles himself to death in front of Sujal.

Sujal stares him in shock, leaving him suddenly.

"Bahadur! Bahadur!!!",

shouts Sujal.

He goes numb when Bahadur drops dead on the floor in front of Sujal in no time!

Rain drops ferociously.

Sujal gets drenched in rain.

"Bahadur! Bahadurrr!!!",

shouts out Sujal, holding Bahadur's lifeless body, jerking it in desperation.

Sujal looks here and there in helplessness.

The growling of the clouds and the ferocious rain irritate Sujal.

He gets drenched in rain completely.

The spirit was about to clench Kashish's hair but Kashish crawls away, crying, her rate of heartbeat accelerated. She sweats profusely out of fear. She hides herself behind a pillar. In the darkness the spirit fails to locate her. Kashish tries to keep her rate of heartbeat under control and the noise of her breathing mute, but she fails to do that. She covers her mouth with her hand, crying further. Her tears and sweat get mixed!

For the next few moments everything goes quiet inside as if there is no one there.

Sujal reaches there, and calls out Kashish, using his mobile's torch to search Kashish.

"Kashish!",

he calls out loud and clear, in desperation.

Kashish's heart skips a beat hearing that. She turns to look towards Sujal's way, covering her mouth, crying all the more as she realizes that her savior has reached her!

The charge of Sujal's mobile drains and it switches off.

He tries to switch it on in desperation, but in vain.

Even in the darkness he could make his way to a side table where he knows is resting a lantern. He of course doesn't need light to reach the place as he is well familiar with the interior of his house. He uses his this knowledge and calculates his steps to reach the side table. Upon reaching it, he quickly lightens the lantern. Holding it, he turns in desperation.

Whilst walking forth guided by the light, he looks here and there in search of Kashish and keeps calling her very now and then,

"Kashish... Kashish....!!!"

A chair falls on Sujal and hits the corner of his forehead, it bleeds.

"Aa!",

cries Sujal in pain, but ignores it.

Kashish's heart clenches on seeing him in pain and she peeps out to look towards Sujal to make him know of her presence there in front of him. But Sujal fails to notice her in the darkness.

In the absolute silence even Sujal's heavy breathing could be heard, such was the level of his fear and concern for Kashish. He straightens and picks up his mobile again.

The creaking sound of sudden pulling of a door slowly, drags the attention of Sujal and he turns to know who it is. He discovers no one behind himself. He looks around and finds the area in front of himself empty. That heightens up his pace of breathing and heartbeat.

"Kashish tumhe nahi milegi Sujal...!!",

whispers a lady and laughs out loud.

Sujal begins to sweat profusely and turns immediately to look at the one who whispered but finds no one there. A rod comes flying his way from the left and hits him around the left corner of his mouth. It bleeds too.

"Aur main Kashish ko liye bina yahan se nahi jaunga!",

challenges Sujal glaring behind himself.

The lady laughs standing in front of him. Her evil laughter irks Sujal.

A rocking chair begins to rock at a corner on its own accord.

Sujal turns to look towards the craddling chair to his right, knitting his brows.

To his utter shock he finds no one sitting on the chair but it craddles in a rhythym as if someone is cradling it in perfect intervals.

Sujal feels droplets dropping on his hand. He knits his brows and slowly turns up to know from where the liquid was dropping on his hand. He shouts in horror upon witnessing a horrible lady whose eyes are popped out and it shouts out in her shrieky voice! Sujal covers his ears to save himself from the loud noise. He falls on the ground out of fear, rolling to his left to save himself from getting crushed under the lifeless body.

Sujal stares the body in utter shock, breathing heavily.

"Sujal...!",

Kashish runs to him and hugs Sujal tightly, crying profusely.

Sujal rotates his free hand on her head, staring in front of him to keep an eye on anything unwanted coming their way.

Kashish's cry dies gradually as Sujal keeps rotating his hand on her head, soothing her.

When his mind remains engrossed in locating any spirit around themselves, he gets biggest shock of his life when Kashish whispers into his ear, in a voice that shall stay the most horrible voice and nightmare for Sujal, forever...,

"Kya hoga agar isse jisse tu itna pyar karta hai usse main apne sath le jaun to?"

Every nerve ending of Sujal's stands erect hearing that. His eyes widen and his hold loosens on Kashish.

Kashish laughs in a weird way as she realizes that his hold has loosened on her.

Leaving her, Sujal looks towards Kashish in horror!

"Kashish!!",

he exclaims in disbelief.

The darkness makes the situation all the more nerve numbing.

Kashish begins to cry or rather the spirit inside Kashish acts to be crying. 

Extending her right hand in front of scared Sujal, Kashish asks him to reach her,

"Tum wahan kyun khade ho Sujal? Yahan aao!"

"Nahi.... tum.... tum Kashish nahi!",

says Sujal, widening his eyes and shaking his head in horror.

"Main tumhari Kashish hun Sujal, mere paas aao!",

says Kashish, smiling infectiously, staring Sujal, extending her hand towards him.

Sujal shakes his head into negative, staring Kashish in utter shock.

Her hair messes up, but she doesn't care to put it properly. The way she stares Sujal, gives Sujal all negative vibes. 

"Aao mere paas Sujal!",

she repeats in a voice unknown to Sujal that succeeds in sending shivers to run down his spine.

"Sujalll....",

she whispers, that to Sujal sounds horrible.

Something about Kashish makes Sujal to take backward steps from her. 

When Kashish realizes that Sujal has started taking backward steps Kashish begins to take forward steps towards Sujal. Because of her bruised knee she falls on the ground on her knees. She glares Sujal, her hands resting on the floor. Sujal stares her in shock. In no time, Kashish turns and twists her body in such a manner that she begins to walk on her feet and hands, as if she is some creature who walks with four legs, her head turns upside down, her hair left loose, she looks all the more horrible. Her eyes roll upside. She walks towards Sujal, taking him by horror! 

She pushes Sujal with all of her force, Sujal gets thrown away to a corner, his back hurts.

She focuses on Sujal and picking up a glass frame she throws it on him. Sujal covers his face with both of his arms but still gets hurt and his forehead bleeds. His cheek too gets a cut by the glass. He falls back.

He takes backward steps staring Kashish in horror.

"Kashish stop it!!!!",

shouts Sujal.

Kashish picks up a chair and throws it towards Sujal.

Sujal falls down to save himself from the assault but his left upper arm gets hit by the chair and it begins to bleed too.

Kashish glares Sujal.

In the process of throwing the chair, the chain she had of the spirit gets thrown away too.

Sujal quickly picks up the chain. He stares the chain, knitting his brows and realizes that he hasn't seen the chain earlier than today with Kashish.

This scares the spirit inside Kashish. And for a brief moment Kashish's soul overcomes the spirit, and she guides Sujal in desperation,

"Jala do isse Sujal! Destroy it!"

In moments the spirit overcomes Kashish's spirit and glares Sujal.

She runs to possess the chain but Sujal rolls away to save the chain.

This heightens up the spirit's anger and it runs for the chain again.

Sujal wrestles with Kashish, to save the chain. 

The spirit slaps Sujal, but Sujal doesn't give away the chain.

In the process a lot of showpieces fall down and break into pieces.

Sujal pushes Kashish aside with full force, but taking care that he doesn't hurt his Kashish in the process.

The spirit again runs for Sujal when Sujal brings out the lighter and burns the chain.

The spirit pulls Sujal by his right leg which makes Sujal to fall and hurt his knee. His forehead too gets hurt.

The spirit stares the chain in utter shock. It shouts to stop but nothing could stop it from burning. With it burns the soul that captivated Kashish's soul. Kashish falls on the floor unconscious. Sujal quickly crawls to Kashish and holds her, shouting her name in desperation, patting her face,

"Kashish! Kashish!"

Kashish slowly opens her eyes and looks towards Sujal. Tears roll down Sujal's cheeks.

Sujal smiles whilst crying. He hugs her desperately. Electricity returns and in front of them stands Piyush, smiling at them.

"Piyush!",

they murmur in unison, knitting their brows.

He smiles looking towards them, saying nothing to them, he just waves a final goodbye to them.

Sujal and Kashish get emotional staring Piyush leave.

And he leaves, Sujal looks towards Kashish again.

"Tum theek ho?",

he asks her, cupping her face with both of his hands.

Kashish nods her head in affirmative, her eyes welling up again.

They hug each other again.

****

They walk out together both of them hurt but Sujal gets hurt way more than Kashish. Kashish shouts out upon discovering Bahadur's body and hugs Sujal tightly, crying. 

"Shhh.... It's okay! It's okay!",

Sujal consoles Kashish.

Kashish continues crying, hugging him tightly.

They stay that way for sometime, hugging each other.

"Kashish, ander chalein?",

asks Sujal, slowly, after giving her time to adjust to whatever happened.

"Nahi... nahi mujhe.... mujhe ander nahi jana.",

says Kashish, terrified, shaking her head in negative.

"Wo humara ghar hai Kashish.",

says Sujal, polietly, trying to give her strength.

"Aur ab sub theek hai.",

says Sujal, holding his back as he endures the pain.

Kashish finds it difficult to endure witnessing Sujal in pain.

"Sujal...",

she murmurs, looking towards Sujal in concern, tears roll down her cheek.

Staring Kashish, Sujal shakes his head into negative and wipes her tears.

"Meri wajah se aaj ye sub tumhare saath...",

Kashish trails off, feeling extremely guilty.

"Kashish!!!",

exclaims Sujal, closing his eyes.

Kashish stares him in guilt.

A stone comes flying towards Sujal and hits him on his forehead. Sujal drops unconcious on the floor.

Kashish shouts in shock,

"Sujalll..!!!"

She looks towards the point from where the stone hit him and discovers a shadowy spirit which vanishes into thin air.

"Sujal utho. Sujal please utho.",

cries Kashish in desperation.

She somehow manages to wrap his arm around her neck and pulls him along herself.

As soon as she reaches into the house, the lights get turned on. Kashish, closing the door behind them, head towards Sujal's room. 

Placing him in the bed, Kashish rubs his left hand in between her hands.

"Sujal... Sujal please utho. Please kuch bolo Sujal.",

pleads Kashish.

Leaving him she fishes for the first aid box.

She cleans his wounds and medicates him, ignoring to medicate herself.

She cries non stop. after medicating him, Kashish hugs him, sitting by his side and falls asleep on his chest.

*****

Next morning Sujal stirs in his sleep and wakes up upon realizing Kashish's presence on his chest. Kashish too wakes up upon realizing that he stirred.

Quickly she looks towards him and exclaims,

"Sujal!"

Sujal stares her without blinking.

"Kaise ho?",

she asks softly, after staring him for sometime.

"Theek hun.",

he says, softly.

Kashish cries again.

"Ab dard ho raha hai!",

says Sujal, knitting his brows.

He wipes off her tears.

Pulling her to himself, Sujal kisses her forehead.

Kashish hugs him again.

*****

Together they have their breakfast at the dining table, prepared by Sujal.

Sujal notices how Kashish is looking upset and avoiding having conversation with him.

"Kashish!",

he prompts, holding her hand which is resting on the dining table.

Kashish gets out of her reverie and turns to look towards Sujal.

Sujal shakes his head in slow pace, staring her all seriously.

"Jitna sochogi utna hi unn buri yaadon mein uljhi rahogi.",

suggests Sujal.

Kashish stares him and asks slowly,

"Kaise bhool jaun Sujal? Wo sari baatein....",

she trails off, frustrated. 

"Jo baatein siwaye dard, takleef ke kuch na dein, unhe sochkar hum sirf apna waqt zaya karte hain. Aur saath hi saath apna mental peace bhi khote hain.",

says Sujal.

Kashish knits her brows tighter.

"Agey barho Kashish. Zindagi kal ke uss pal mein ruki nahi hai.",

reminds Sujal.

"Aaj naya din hai; nayi subah....",

says Sujal and gets intervened by Kashish,

"Aur nayi zindagi?"

Sujal looks towards Kashish with a new perspective.

"Kya aaj humari nayi zindagi ki bhi shuruat hai Sujal?",

asks Kashish, staring at him expectantly.

Sujal understands what she is pointing towards. He stares her back for a brief moment then says,

"Meri zindagi ka rukh humesha tumne taye kiya hai Kashish!"

Kashish's heart flutters hearing that, blush creeps her cheeks, but she stays serious and continues staring Sujal.

"To tum batao, kya mujhe 'meri' zindagi ki nayi shuruat karne dogi tum?",

asks Sujal, staring her innocently, completely at her mercy.

Kashish shivers by the thought of the fact that the whole situation is in her control. Whatever she'll decide. Sujal would submit to her decision without asking her any question, what so ever! Kashish keeps staring him for further few moments in utter shock. Sujal keeps his stare intact on her, giving her time to adjust to his words and decide.

Sujal smiles sarcastically, cascading his eyes.

Kashish knits her brows tighter as his smile hurts her and she wonders what made him to smile that way?

Slowly, he looks towards her again, with all affection and asks her politely, smiling,

"Kyun Kashish? Kyun tum uss Kashish ko humesha apne ander dabane ki koshish karti ho jisne khud mere samne apne pyar ka izhar kiya tha?"

His words hit Kashish hard! She cascades her eyes as if feeling ashamed of having done that or rather feeling ashamed of the drastic change in her today!

"Wo... wo mera bachpana tha...",

Kashish tries to reason, ignoring to look towards Sujal while saying so.

Sujal stares her for further few moments, then says very calmly,

"Aur ussi bachpane ne mujhe tumhari taraf aur kheencha!"

Kashish looks towards him, her rate of heartbeat picks up pace.

"Jo baat main tumhe nahi keh paya; tumne kitni aasani se keh di thi Kashish!",

says Sujal.

His words frustrate Kashish.

"Tumne mujhe ehsaas dilaya tha ke apne dil ki baat kisi apne ke saamne rakhne se kabhi darna nahi chahiye. Fir aaj... fir aaj tum kyun darr rhi ho?",

asks Sujal, desperate.

"Tab mein aur ab mein fark hai Sujal!",

says Kashish, keeping her eyes lowered.

"Haalaat badle honge Kashish, magar humare juzzbaatt, wo to wohi hain na?",

asks Sujal.

Kashish looks towards Sujal and asks,

"Ye tum bata rahe ho ya puch rahe ho?"

"Bata raha hun! Kyunki mujhe tumse tumhare dil ki baat puchne ki zarurat nahi Kashish. Tumhe tumse achi tarah janta hun main.",

says Sujal, confidently.

Kashish's cheeks warm up further hearing that.

Sujal looks away frustrated and takes a deep breath. Getting up he says,

"Anyways I think humein kuch der ek dusre se dur rehna chahiye to think clearly."

He walks past her for his room when Kashish holds his hand suddenly, taking him by surprise.

Sujal stops abruptly and realizes that she indeed has stopped him.

He turns to look towards Kashish.

"Tum jante ho Sujal, Piyush se meri shadi hone ke baad bhi jab tumhari ankhon mein iss baat ka yakeen dekhti thi ke main ab bhi tumse pyar karti hun, mujhe bohot gussa aata tha.... bohot!! Magar isliye nahi ke tum wo bol rahe ho jo such nahi hai; balki iss baat ka gussa ke chah kar bhi main kabhi tumse kuch chupa nahi paati thi!",

confesses Kashish.

Sujal's heart flutters hearing that. Blush creeps his cheeks. He knits his brows tighter as his emotion heightens for her.

Kashish looks up towards Sujal and says,

"Wo Kashish jisne tumhare samne apne pyar ka izhaar kiya... bina kisi hichkichahat ke....",

Kashish cascades her eyes again, shaking her head she says,

"Usse to main tumhe lauta nahi sakti!"

She gets up, holding his hand still and faces him,

"Magar humare rishte ki wo maasumiyat....",

she nods her head into affirmative, staring him throughout and says,

"Wo zarur lautane ki koshish karungi."

Sujal smiles wide hearing that. His heart fills with all the emotions for Kashish.

Holding his right hand in between them, with both of her hands, Kashish, staring him lovingly, her eyes turned teary, says,

"Chalo Sujal.... janti hun ke ye aasan nahi; shayad bewakufi hai...",

she laughs a little, then continues, getting serious again,

"Magar chalo wohin se shuru karte hain jahan se humare rishte ki shuruat hui thi!"

Sujal's excitement and love could be seen in his eyes.

Leaving him, crying throughout, as she fails to hold her emotions for long, Kashish repeats her words from the moment when she had proposed Sujal, but this time her reason for the crying is slightly different from that moment, as today unlike that day, Sujal knows the reason of those tears in her eyes. And that reason is making him to fall in love with Kashish all over again!

Unable to see Kashish in such a situation, Sujal begins to says,

"Kashish....",

but Kashish covers his mouth with her palm, staring him possessively.

Sujal's rate of heartbeat picks up pace further. He keeps staring Kashish.

"Pyar karti hun tumse Sujal.... Bohot pyar karti hun tumse!",

she confesses, her throat chokes out of emotions.

Sujal converts his hands into fists hearing that, his emotions and situation mirror Kashish's.

"Ek pal ke liye nahi; ek din ke liye nahi; abki baar.... humesha humesha ke liye!!!",

confesses Kashish.

Tears roll down the cheeks of both Sujal's and Kashish's!

"Kashish Sinha....",

she chooses to take this name of hers and waits to let Sujal feel it, then continues,

"...loves Sujal Garewal!"

Sujal smiles wide whilst crying in joy.

"To ye baat kehne mein itni der kyun laga di?",

asks Sujal, knitting his brows lightly.

Kashish laughs a little, whilst crying.

Wiping off her tears in the similar way as he did earlier, 

"Galti to mujhse bhi hui hai Kashish! Kyunki main bhi tumse pyar karta hun.... aur bohot pyar karta hun!",

confesses Sujal, initially smiling then turning all serious as his emotions heightens up.

Sujal and Kashish embrace each other into a tight and warm hug in desperation. Kashish tightens her hold on him, crying in joy.

"I love you Sujal!",

confesses Kashish, hugging him tightly, crying throughout.

"I love you too Kashish!",

confesses Sujal, closing his eyes, feeling her.

Ending the hug, Sujal kisses Kashish softly on her forehead. Kashish closes her eyes feeling the warmth of his kiss and tightens her hold on his upper arms, desperate to feel him to ensure herself that he indeed is there with her, and it is not a dream that might come to an end any moment.

-THE END-

(19.10.2020)