A car with red light on its top and shrill siren comes to halt infront of the IRC's main building. Sidharth's boss runs towards the car even before the door was opened. The heavy built body guard with the height of 6'4" gets down from the front door, inspects the place and then opens the back door. An old man in his late 50s dressed in white khaadi kurta gets down. The press and media personnel run towards the car clicking pictures and recording videos.

"Minister ji waapis aate waqt media ko address karenge. Abhi filhaal unhe andar jaane de.", Says his personal assistant.

Sidharth's boss puts a flower garland into the minister's neck and welcomes him with a huge smile. The minister folds his hands at media and walks inside the institute while Sidharth's boss escorts him walking ahead and the guard walks on his side observing all the direction.

At the lab door, Sidharth and Keshov stood to welcome the minister. Minister gives a disgusted look upon seeing Sidharth's face. The real smile on Sidharth's face vanishes due to insult. He pestered a false smile to control.

"Sir, yeh humare scientists hai Sidharth Adhikari, jo Flora pe research kar rahe hai. Yeh unka assistant, Keshov", introduces the boss.

"Good Afternoon Sir.", greeted Sidharth.

The minister nods without looking at his face and goes inside the lab. Sidharth feels dejected but he brushes off the feelings as that's what he had been getting all these years. The treatment by other humans towards him won't change with the kind of position, age or status they hold. It's just their mentality which needs to change which was different from what they tried to show outside. He shook is head in disappointment as he held high amount of respect towards the minister as he had seen in news of the him being very humble, polite and helpful. He was so wrong he thought.

Sidharth follows him and explains him about Flora. About her eating habits, friendliness, shyness in general. The minister looks at her amused like a little kid who looks at candy kept for display in the candy shop.

"Duniya ka aatva ajooba hai yeh toh. Jannat ki hoor lag rahi hai.", The minister said.

The possessive self in Sidharth was finding it difficult to tolerate the way the minister ogled at her. He looked at Flora who had her eyes only reserved for him.

"Suno..", the minister said pulling Sidharth to the side. The minister looked at his right face and made a disgusted face yet again.

"Mmhhuummm.. show me the left side of your face only.", The minister said in an irritated tone as the burnt scars was towards the right side of Sidharth's face. Sidharth gulped the saliva of insult and went to his right side lending his left ears to the minister to speak.

"Yeh jo Flora hai, uska woh kidhar hai?", The minister asked.

"Huh? Matlab?", Asked Sidharth in puzzled tone.

"Arey, uska upar ke do saib (apples) toh dikh rahe hai.. par nichle hissey mein jo hota hai, woh kaha hai?", Asked the minister.

Sidharth glared at him which the minister mistook as confusion.

"Arey uski Sex ki baat kar rahe hai hum.", The minister said it clearly.

Sidharth found his anger raising. His hands form a fist which wanted to break his bones and distort his face. He holds his urge as he knew the consequences. He didn't wanted to go away from Flora at any cost.

"Abhi research kar rahe hai Sir. Pata lagte hi bata denge.", Sidharth speaks in anger suppressed tone.

"Kya khaak research kar rahe ho phir? Kabhi usko hughte peshab karte nahi dekha?", The minister asks annoyed.

Sidharth closed his eyes to control his anger which was at the verge of irruption like a suppressed volcano.

"Nahi sir, woh bahut shy mermaid hai. Usmein hum insaano se jyada laaj sharam hai. Aur insaaniyat bhi.", Says Sidharth sarcastically which went over the dumb brain of the minister.

"Karo karo research ache se karo.. hum phir aayenge Flora ko dekhne.. fursat se dekhenge aur jo tum na dekh paaye ek hafton se, wo hum khudh dekh lenege.", Said the minister with a smutty smirk.

Sidharth unknowingly gripped the glass beaker kept on the table beside, breaking it into pieces.

"Arey arey sambhal ke. Dekho isse first aid do..", Said the Minister asking Keshov to look at it and went out of the lab while gawking at Flora with his lust filled eyes.

Flora looked at Sidharth's hand with concern which was bleeding.

"Kullu.. kullu.. kullu..", She swam up and called him. Sidharth looked at her with painful eyes. Since she couldn't see him properly from above, she swam down again to look through the glass. There was restlessness in her eyes to see him in pain. The pain which wasn't due to external wound but the internal heartache which he got due to his inability to protect her from those dirty and filthy eyes.

Keshov held his hand to do the first aid. Sidharth pulled his hand from his grip and punched the backrest of the chair breaking it in anger.

"Kya hua Sir? Aap itna gussa kyu ho?", Asked Keshov.

"Ghatiyaan aadmi. He wanted to know where was her genital. Tharki budha.", He says with his clenched jaws.

"Itna gira hua inson hai", says Keshov who was equally hurt as he considered Flora as his little sister.

"Mann toh kar raha tha uska galaa ghot doon par isse woh mujhe yaha nahi rehne denge. Issiliye main chupp raha ", said Sidharth angrily.

"Shant ho jao Sir. He is jost one person, bhi will have many more soch visitors in futore.", Said Keshov.

Sidharth's thought was more disturbed. The weekend incident of the maintenance guys trying to molest her and now the old minister's lewd comments were irking him. Keshov was stating the fact that Flora may have to face many such atrocities knowingly or unknowingly and everytime she won't be lucky to be saved.

He looked at Flora who wouldn't for once take her eyes off him. She was so much disturbed to see him hurt. He didn't speak to her the whole day as his mood was totally off and he was lost thinking on how to help her. He skipped his lunch and sat quietly in the lab so did Flora who didn't eat her food.

At the end of the day, Keshov shook Sidharth and told him it was log off time. Sidharth nodded his head and asked Keshov to leave.

Sidharth looked at Flora who was sad and depressed due to him not communicating with her the whole day. He went up the ladder and sat there in silence. She swam up and looked at him helplessly.

She then approached closer to him and held his hand which had white bandage on it. A drop of tear rolled down from her eyes. He realised that she might have cried silently in the water that day or may be earlier as well but her tears may have gone invisible and unnoticed all this time.

He cupped her face with both his hands and attached his forehead with hers. He sulked silently for sometime.

"Kullu..", she said in her meek voice.

"Hmmm..", he hummed.

"Kullu..", she said again.

"Haan Shehnaaz..", he said.

"Kullu..", she said once more.

He detached his forehead from hers and looked up at her.

"Haan Shehnaaz", he said looking into her eyes.

"Kullu..", she said again.

He smiled and she smiled with him.

"Ek baat bolu Shehnaaz? Bura toh nahi maanogi?", He asked.

"Kullu..", she said.

"Teri aur meri duniya alag hai Shehnaaz.", He said with heavy voice.

She looked at him in dismay.

"Kullu..", she said again in a very very feeble voice. He cups her face again.

"Duniya alag hai par pyaar toh yeh sab dekh ke nahi hota na? Pyaar bas ho jata hai.. aur mujhe tumse bahut pyaar ho gaya hai.. aisa pyaar jaisa kabhi kisi se nahi hua..", he says looking into her eyes.

"Pyaar..", she says

"Haan.. pyaar.. (points his hand at his chest) Jis word ka tumhe shayad meaning na pata ho par woh mujhe tumhaari aankho mein bhi dikhti hai.. mere liye.. tumhaara pyaar tumhare kullu ke liye.. ", he says.

"Kullu.. Pyaar..", she says placing her hand on his chest and he smiles.

She pulls out the sunglasses that he had tucked on his coat pocket and wears it as she remembered how he wore it in the morning earlier.

"Celebrity..", she says remembering his words.

He pulls out the sunglasses and throws it down on the floor.

"Nahi ho tum celebrity Shehnaaz. Tum celebrity nahi ho. Tum yaha pe bas ek khaidi ho. Jaanwaron ko bhi zoo mein rakha jaata hai dusre jaanwaron ke saath, uske jodidaar ke saath par tum lab mein khaid ho. Jaha mujh jaise log tumhe observe karenege. Kaise khaati ho, kaise soti ho, kaise tairti ho, kaise hasti ho, kaise roti ho... Aur aur kaise hugti ho aur kaise peshab karti ho..", he said frowning remembering the minister's words.

She gets scared and looks at him in fear.

"Aur jab humara dekhke khatam nahi hota tab uss neech aur ghatiyaan minister ke jaise log aake dekhenege. Jab dekhne se mann nahi bharta toh haat lagayenge aur noch noch ke khaa bhi lenge.", He said. She kept looking at him. She tried to cool him by batting her eyelashes but he didn't stop.

"Tumhaari duniya ka mujhe pata nahi hai Shehnaaz, par meri duniya bahut buri hai.. jaha mere jaise badsoorat dikhne waalon ko dekh ke ganda muh banate hai aur tumhaari jaise khubsoorat dikhne waali ko dekh ke hawas ke nigah se laal tapkaate hai. 14 saal pehle, mujhe dekh ke bhi logon ke muh se laal tapakti thi.. Laal tapaakti thi Janvi, jo mujhse pyaar karne ka daawa karti thi. Aur jiska pyaar pal mein hawaa ho gaya uss haadse ke baad.", He spoke hurt. Tear drops falling from his eyes into the pool.

Shehnaaz wiped his tears with her hands feeling emotional herself. She found it painful herself to find him in pain. He was her solace in this unknown world. She would forget her own world whenever she was with him. Now, none of his words made sense to her but her heart was connected to his heart and when his heart cried, her heart cried along.

"Ghin aati hai mujhe meri duniya se Shehnaaz aur mein tumhe iss ghinouni duniya mein rehne nahi dunga. Main tumhe waapis tumhaare duniya pahuchaunga.. waada karta hoon main tumse..", he said holding her hand and placing his palm on hers.

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To be continued.. ❤️❤️

Sorry for an emotional chapter.