Tsunami

|"Humari Adhuri Kahani.."|

"Kyuki adhoore hokar bhi,

Hum Yun poore the

Ki ek dusre ke karreb na hoke bhi,

hum ek dusre ke hi the"

-Author

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"Paas aaye

Dooriyaan phir bhi kam naa hui

Ek adhuri sihamari kahani rahi

"Where is this Janab sneaking off to, in the middle of the training session, I wonder? Wasn't he supposed to help Sumanji with her training, today, hmm?" Faizi murmured to himself, as he saw his best friend, sneaking silently off from the practice area, to god knows where, blending in the shadows, all the while, to avoid everyone's watchful gaze.

"What? Did you say something, Faizi?" Koel, the unfortunate recruit, who had acquired the rare opportunity to get trained under said distracted soul, for the day, piped up from her spot, by the treadmill.

"Huh, Vo Karan Kahan Jaa- wait, you know what, Koel, the thing is that I-I need to be somewhere, like, right now, so, if you don't mind can you continue, on your own, for some time, hmm? Hum bahut jaldi aa jaenge hain, I promise! Thank You!" He replied absently, his feet moving towards the exit door

"Wait, what? No! Where are you going? Special Agent Faizuddin Siddiqui, stop! Don't even think of moving even one step forward, from there, you get that? Halt, at this instant!" She shouted as her thin thread of patience snapped into two, at the repeated distractions in her training, causing him to freeze in his tracks, immediately, like a deer caught in headlights.

"Since, the time we have begun our session, for the day, your mind seems to be on, everything, other than the task at hand. I mean, I know, Faizi, you are concerned about your best friend, worried by almost everybody's mental condition, but you need to quit acting like a complete mother hen, hovering over Karan's head, each minute of the day, it's not the way forward! You need to give him time and space, to sort through his thoughts, to maybe process things better! Are you understanding where I am coming from, huh?"

"I-I am not a mother hen, Koel. And even, if I had been, I don't think there is any harm in being that, so there! And, anyway, I don't smother my best friend. I-I am just worried for him, and-" He began to ramble, hurt by her sudden onslaught of words

 "I understand you care, Faizi! I, really, do, and I appreciate it too! So, does Karan, I am sure! But, you need to focus on your duties too, okay? What Karan is experiencing, how Sid is feeling, they have to make sense of it themselves. Each of us needs to fight our own battles, for that matter! And you- you also need to work for yourself, got that?" 

"Hmm..." He muttered reluctantly, not convinced by her words, but rather, realizing that he did not possess the courage to prolong this confrontation with her.

Judging by the frown on her forehead, she must have reached the same conclusion, for she replied rather sternly, her hands on her waist, "Right! Now, let's move back to our corner, and continue there, alright? And, don't even think of budging from there, till the time, we manage to complete this part of our training, am I clear? Or else, god knows what I will do! And, don't think, even for a minute, that I am joking, okay? Cause, Cadet Koel does not make false threats or promises!"