Time of the truth

CHAPTER 1

In the wee hours of the morning when the world was asleep, four people were awake. Three of them were driving while one was lost in her own thoughts.

All of them were very tired of the previous day's events and now, they just wanted to go and rest for a while. They were all returning to their home, their academy, after gaining victory over the evil.

"Monami?" A man whispered softly, but he got no response.

"Monami? Tum sun rahi ho?" After receiving no response, he slightly swerved the jeep a little which startled his woman out of her trance.

"Karan! Ye kya tha? Aise kon gadi chalata hai?" Monami, the woman Karan was talking to, shouted at him angrily. "Sumanji bhi hain na! Lag jati kisi ko toh?"

"Sorry." Karan replied, now looking sideways at Monami. "Par, kya karta? Tum sun hi nahi rahi thi! Toh mujhe jo theek laga maine kiya."

Monami frowned. "Mai sun nahi rahi thi toh tum accident karwaoge humara? Ye theek laga tumhe?!"

"Haan, tumhe toh humesha mai hi galat lagta hun na", Karan taunted.

"Karan tum kis baat ko kis baat se jod rahe ho? Abhi sumanji jag jati toh?"

"Mai-" as if on cue, a voice interrupted the couple's argument,"Kyun itna chilla rahe hain aap dono? Sumanji bohot thak gai hain. Please Sumanji ko sone do."

"Sorry Sumanji," both Karan and Monami replied.

"Mnhnmn," saying something incoherent, Sumanji slept back.

"Monami?" Karan asked again.

"Kya hai?" Monami too replied, albeit disinterestedly.

"Ek baat puchunga...toh bataogi?"

Hearing his genuine tone, Monami finally turned her whole body towards Karan on the passenger seat.

"Kya baat hai Karan?" She asked.

"Tumhe yaad hai Monami, jab maine tumse uss din kha tha ki mujhe darr hai ki Dr. Mahajan ke aane se mai tumhe Kho dunga?"

Monami inhaled sharply and replied,"Yes Karan."

"Mujhe aisa lag rha hai maine tumhe almost Kho diya hai," Karan told Monami, directly looking in her eyes.

Monami was shocked. Several thoughts raced through her mind. She remembered all the events which took place in the last 2-3 days. She shook her head to clear her mind of all the bad thoughts.

She then proceeded to take hold of Karan's hand which laid on the gear and held it close to herself. Karan looked at her once, then diverted his attention back on the road.

"Tum..aisa kyun bol rahe ho, Karan?" Monami finally asked.

"Hum teen din mai do baar lad chuke hain. Circumstances ki wajah se, hum baat bhi nahi kar paa rahe hain," Karan replied.

After a pause, he said the last line which pierced Monami's heart. "Mujhe bhi darr lagta hai Monami."

"Karan, teen baatein."

Karan slightly smiled.

"Pehli, tumne mujhe nahi khoya hai, na maine tumhe khoya hai.

Dusri, I know ki humare beech ankahi batein hain. Isme na toh tumhari galti hai, na meri. Galti hai toh bas ye ki jab humein time mila bhi tha toh humne aur ladai kar li and for that, I'm sorry for my part.

Teesri, it's 5 am right now and I think aadhe-paune ghante mei hum sab ek chai ki tapri pe rukenge, right?"

"Yes. Aadhe ghante mei, at a restaurant," Karan answered.