"Even as the sun with purple-colour'd face
Had ta'en his last leave of the weeping morn,
Rose-cheek'd Adonis tried him to the chase;
Hunting he lov'd, but love he laugh'd to scorn;"
Bani did her best try to show Veer but Veer's mother turned out to be an amazing actor. She could just flip into characters.
"Mujhe pata hai ki wahi Markaat hai, Vanshika." Bani told her.
"Bani, listen. If it is Markaat then we can't jump into things without knowing anything." Vanshika commented. "Dushman ko jaane bina kisi bhi attack mein utrna is going to be stupid."
"Chalo ek baar ke liye maan bhi le ki meri maa Markaat hai but it doesn't explain why she was tied down in the basement. Agar who Markaat hoti toh it should be one easy task for her to escape." Veer pointed out.
"Yeh sabh mujhe nahi pata, Veer. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha. Mujhe bas itna hi pata hai ki who aurat Markaat hai jo mujhe marna chahti hai. I don't know ki tume kaise yakin dilaun." Bani said.
"Bani, I'm not saying that you're lying to me or anything but if this is what it is, then there are several questions that arise. How is it possible that she's Markaat kyuki jis gufa mein Markaat rehta hai, wahan toh saalon se Markaat reh raha hai. Kayi saare cheelon ne use baat bhi ki hai." Veer explained. "Agar woh Markaat hai then how come dad ne use kaid karke rakha hai? Dad is not that powerful to be able to subdue Markaat."
"Koi toh hog ana jise yeh sabh ke baare mein pata hoga? Bholenath for sure doesn't plan to make us play detective-detective and find out everything about Markaat on our own." Vanshika added.
"We can only try to find ways, Vanshika. Possibly Guru maa could know something. Ek baar puchte hai unse." Bani offered. She looked at Veer. He was having own dilemma.
He can't digest that his mother is Markaat. It just couldn't be. He has lived with her for so long. Not even once did he feel that she was anything that kind of god who fed off death and destruction. Veer knew well how Markaat thrived on destruction, blood and death. That is all the Cheels did when he was the ultimate god of the cheels. Markaat demanded that kind of servitude. Its is a life long servitude once you enter his service. He himself had never been someone who would offer his complete surrender. Neither as Aakesh nor as Veeranshu. He wasn't someone who offered complete surrender to someone like Markaat who never gave him any godly aura. Markaat's aura was rather that of intense destruction.
Veer remembered his own birth mother. Ishana Singhania. Her birth mother was herself a cheel. He didn't remember much but enough to know his mother was one who instilled him into not surrendering to Markaat. Aakesh never had any specific attachment to Markaat but as Veer that feeling on intensified and made rock solid by his mother's beliefs. Veer knew he got his calm and cool from his mother.
Chandrakala Singhania was his own mother's closest confidant. They used to be close and that's why after her death, she had entrusted him and his brothers in her care. Just for people outside, she had that last name but Balwant never accepted anyone as his wife. She had cared for him like his own mother. He had laughed with her, cried when he missed his mother with her, played with her and learnt so many things with her. Yet, to have Bani go on and on about Chandrakala being Markaat was something he couldn't digest. He had known her since he was born.
"Alright... tum dono jaao and try to see if you can get some information." Vanshika commented. "I'll keep an eye on her from here."
Bani and Veer nodded. They drove towards the hill temple which was majorly abandoned. Last time Veer was here, it was in daylight and he almost thought he lost his powers. Bani got off the bike. He just stood where he stopped the bike.
"Wahan kyu khade ho?" Bani asked.
"You know, I always wondered, why this place gave such feelings like I'd want to stay here forever. I realize it is because this is the exactly place where I encountered you for the first time. The last day of my life. Kya qayamat thi, sweetheart. Tumhe dekha bhi toh kab. Apne zindagi ke aakhri din. Bas ek hi baat acchi nahi lagi ki tumhe jana bhi toh kab, zindagi ke aakhri din. Kaash thode pehle mujhe mili hoti tum." Veer said with look in his eyes. "Tum jaao. Jo bhi karna hai, woh karo. Main yahin ruk ke wait kar lunga."
Veer could almost see that moment playing in his eyes. The first time he had come across her. A memory that was forever etched in his mind. Veer felt the exact same feeling when he saw Bani. Back then he couldn't explain how it just took a moment for him to fall for her. Standing there and looking at Bani, he realized that it had never been gone. His feelings for her had always been there waiting to come out. 10,000 divine years of waiting. All of that felt fruitful in that one moment when he saw her. That feeling which emerged out of his heart. It was like feeling his own heartbeat for the first time. Veer had ones read Venus and Adonis. He wondered if Venus felt the same way that he did when she saw Adonis. He had never been one for poetry but she seemed exactly like that. Something like that of an angelic poetry.
There was something about her that drew him to her so intensely. Balwant would keep asking what pulled him to her so madly that he didn't care for his own life. Veer has no answered to that. For some reason she seemed like an answer to everything that he questioned. It was the soul that poured in her eyes. Bani hid herself behind those thousand walls she built for herself but he had seen her soul. Untouched. Loving her felt like flying through the air. An unusual freedom he had never felt. Birds flew through the world without boundaries and freely but always returned one place to build themselves a temporary home and build their family. To love her felt like finally being freed from an imaginary cage. She could give him poison saying it was a drink and he'll drink it without a doubt. He just couldn't doubt on her.
Now, she claimed that his mother was Markaat. He didn't know what to believe more strongly. She couldn't be Markaat. Markaat can never be affectionate. Affection word has no existence for Markaat.
Bani walked ahead into the temple. She bowed down to the Shivling first and offered her prayers.
"Adi-Naagin, aap yahan?" The panditayin asked.
"Mujhe kuch cheezein janni hai." Bani said.
"Hume maaf kariye, Adi-Naagin, par hum aapko kuch nahi bata sakte." The sapera came in between. Bani felt really agitated. They were the gurus of Naagvansh and they themselves refused to help with anything. "Yeh ladai aapko khud hi ladni hogi."
"Aap nahi bataenge toh kisse puchun? Aapne humesha hi Naag-Naagino ko kitni cheezein sikhai hai. Main aapse apna bhavish toh nahi puch rahi hun. Sirf kuch sawaal hai jinke jawaab jaanna hai." Bani questioned.
"Hum kon hai kuch bhi batane waale? Sabh toh wahi hai. Shiv hi satya hai, Shiv hi bhoot, bhavisya." He pointed out. Bani bit down her retort and angry shout. After all he was Naagvansh's helpers. "Theek hai par yaha jo library hai uski kitaabein toh dekh sakti hun na?"
They nodded. Bani walked into the library and tried to find books. If the creature had existed since Satyug as she claimed, then she must be mentioned in these books or scrolls. Bani finally found the scroll which showed her the drawing of the creature she had fought.
"Yahi hai woh." Bani exclaimed. She looked through several more books but she could find nothing. It was almost zero. She saw the scroll. It gave her information on what the creature was.
Saalon saal tapasya karke, isne shiv ji ko prasann kiya. Vardaan mein ek saath insaan, cheel aur naagin hone ka vardaan maang liya tha. Shivji ne tapasya ke phal mein de diya. Pure sansaar mein sirf yahi ek jeev hai aur aakash, prithvi aur paani mein ek samaan reh sakta hai. Iske laksya mein sabse shaktishaali banna hai. Aaj tak ise haarene waala koi nahi raha hai.
There were several symbols present in the scroll identifying to the creature. The patterns on the snake skin, the kind of feathers she had. Bani tried to remember it as much as she could but there no information further regarding what could she use against her. Her strengths, weaknesses and other things. Bani had to know something about her before she got into a fight with her.
Bani kneeled down and did a prayer before the Shivling.
"Bholenath, aap to meri help kijiye. Ab kisse puchu kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai. Sabh kuch galat lag raha hai. Bas mujhe help karna ki main jo bhi karu sahi karun." Bani prayered. She thought if it was right go back to shamshaan. Desperate times, desperate measures. A flower which was placed on the top of the shivling fell down on her hands. Bani smiled. "Samajh gayi. Bas mujhe shakti dena ki main ise puri kar sakun."
She then exited the temple. She found Veer standing by the edge of the cliff. Exactly where she saw Aakesh for the first. He was staring off at the sunset. "Veeranshu." She called out and he turned.
"Haan, you found anything worthwhile?" He asked.
"Mujhe thodi se basic information mili hai. She has got the ability to be human, bird and snake together." Bani told him.
"Bani, this frankly is against nature. Each creature has to be vulnerable against one force of nature. That is how nature balances itself. Jaise cheel paani mein almost useless hote hai. They're not allowed to enter rivers. Even in the sea, there's a limit to how much we can handle ourselves. In sea, the prey birds on enter enough to catch prey and not become completely drenched. Snakes are almost just as useless in the air. They have no support and any balance in the air. General law of nature has to make them vulnerable to one certain force of nature." Veer pointed out.
"I know. But use toh Shiv ji ne khud vardaan diya hai." Bani pointed.
"Bani, chalo ek baar ke liya maan liya ki maa markaat which frankly is impossible because markaat is fixed in a place. He's stoned. Markaat apni gufa se nikal nahi sakta. Chalo, in case if we consider ki she is markaat then very naturally there is some element of nature that she's vulnerable against. Jaise fire. No creature is immune to fire and heat unless they're gifted with special powers to be able to resist heat." Veer pointed out.
"About that, there is nothing I could find and they can't help me." Bani explained.
"Quite a waste for you to even come here then. How come they are still your 'kul-guru' then? Aren't they supposed to lead you to reach success? Here they're not even willing speak. Wonderful." Veer taunted. Bani glared at him. "Kya? Jo sach hai, woh sach hai, sweetheart."
"Do you think ki us aghori baba ko kuch pata hoga?" Bani asked.
"I'm sure he knows, bani. He has always been someone who has knows a lot." Veer nodded.
The two sat on the bike. Bani was dreading it but they still went back to the shamshaan. He got off when they were done parking the bike. Veer held Bani. He looked serious now.
"Sweetheart, main seriously keh raha hu. You don't have to necessarily do this. I'll get this done really easily." Veer tried to tell her.
"Nahi. I have to do this, Veer. Even they said the same thing. This is my fight. I have to do this on my own." Bani said. Veer chuckled.
"I know that snakes are born independent and like to be solitary and do everything on their own but you're also half human, Bani. Hunting alone doesn't always end in victory but hunting in a group makes the chances of success even higher. People live in groups because they're better in group and cover each other's weaknesses. We're both entirely different, isiliye ek dusre ko better complete karte hai. I know you don't trust me the way you trust that loser, dhabewala but yahan tumhare saath woh dhabewala hai nahi so you've got to trust me."
"Aisa nahi hai ki mujhe lagta hai ki tum nahi karoge but there are so many things that's bothering me."
"Acha, okay. Fine. Come."
He felt her hand holding his sleeve tightly. He put his arm around to let her know that he was going to cover her. The vultures tried to provoke her but Bani tried to keep herself calm. She looked at Veer and he smiled at her. He led her ahead. Veer looked around for the newest pile of burnt ashes. Veer was about touch to check if it was recently burnt but Bani stopped him.
"Kya kar rahe ho. Don't." Bani told him. Veer gave her a 'hands up' signal.
"Ashes don't hurt anyone, Bani. One doesn't have to be scared of dead. It is the living that can cause more damage. Yeh toh bas akhri nishaani hai ki kuch exist bhi karta tha. Proof of existence. Anyway, tumhe acha nahi lagta then I won't do it." Veer told her. Bani just looked at him in surprise. The last person she expected to have such thoughts was Veeranshu Singhania. Oddly enough, he sounded like something that a devotee of Shiva would. Only a devotee of Shiva could survive shamshaan and its merciless existence.
"It is just scary to me that they're real human's ashes." Bani explained.
"Ashes are ashes, Bani. They don't differentiate. Anyway, chalo." He took her ahead. Everywhere there were piles just waiting for another dead body to be set on them. The idea of that was scary.
"Wapas chali aayi?" The aghori asked once they found him. He was sitting near a burning pile and meditating. The strong smell of alcohol reeked from him. Even Veer drinks but it never reeked of that 'desi daru'. She would've run away from here if it wasn't so important to her. Veer simply sat down.
"Kon mara hai?" Veer asked like it was so casual.
"Veeranshu..." Bani shut him up.
"Bachpan se yeh aisa hai. Abhi chup ho jaayega phir se wahi sawaal puchega. Jab tak use jawab na do, iski aadat nahi hai peecha chodne ki. Tum pucho jo tumhe puchna hai." The aghori said. Veer took a sip from his flask.
Why was all this so normal? She knew he was crazy but why was he so crazy?
"Mujhe ek tamsic shakti feel hui thi. Markaat. Woh kaafi takatwar hai. Mujhe uske baare mein jaanna hai."
"Adi-Naagin, tumhe Bholenath ne sabse pehle icchadhari hone ka vardaan diya hai aur tum har shakti ko asaani se pehchaan logi. Markaat bhi tamsic shaktiyon ka swami hai." Aghori said.
"Bani ko lagta hai ki meri maa Markaat hai. Aapko Markaat ke baare mein pata hai."
"Kya jaante ho tum markaat ke baare mein, Veeranshu?" He asked with a chuckle.
"Markaat. Giddh aur cheel. In dono shakti se janm liya hai. Arun dev, jo suraj ka rath chalate hai, unke vansh se tha Markaat. Use takatwar banna tha. Isiliye takat paane ke liye unhone Shiv ji ki tapasya ki. Shiv ji ne unhe shaktiyan di. Takat ka bhoot sawar ho gaya. Aghoriyon ke saath rehkar maut aur zindagi ke baare mein seekh rahe the. Tab unhe Naagmani ke baare mein pata chala jismein bohot si shaktiyan thi. Apni shaktiyon ke confidence mein jaake Naagraj Vasuki se Naagmani maang li. Apne aap ko Arun dev ke vansh se bata kar naagon ko Daraya tha. But Naagmani dene se mana kar diya Naagraj ne. Naaglok se Garud ke liye offerings jaati thi. Un offerings ko chur aliya aur aise bataya ki Naaglok mein sabhko lagta hai woh sabh apne aap ko Garud se upar samajhte hai. Cheelon aur Giddho ne Naaglok mein attack kiya tha. Bohot saare naag-naagin us mein mare the. Jab Arun dev ko yeh pata chala ki sach mein kya hua, tab unhone shraap diya ki din mein jo shaktiyan Shiv ji ne unhe di hai woh kamzor pad jaayenge. Markaat aur uske saare cheelon aur giddhon ko Naaglok aur Naag mandir bina ijazat ken ahi jaa sakte hai. Further unke vansh ke saare cheel aur giddh roshni mein kamzoor ho jaayenge." Veer answered.
Bani was surprised to know Markaat's history. She was only told that Markaat a dangerous god. Her kul guru used to tell her that he was a shaitaani god. To know that Markaat was involved in such a long story was surprising to her.
"Phir bhi use kuch log poojte hai?" Bani asked in confusion.
"Most of the cheels now don't but some do. Jo bohot takatvar banna chahte hai." Veer answered. Veer and Bani were trying to have a conversation with the aghori but the vultures kept trying to disturb. Veer pushed them away but it didn't seem enough. He stood up. Irritation marred on his face. Bani held his sleeve. He just nodded at her and held her face.
"Sweetheart, I'm right here. I won't be going far away at all. You turn around and I'll be in your sight. Just that these vultures are making a bit much of mess. I'll just deal with them. You continue with your talk. Ek baar 'Veer' kehke awaaz dogi toh main aa jaaunga. Don't worry." He assured her and walked away. He threw one of the vultures out of the way and it tumbled and fell on the ground.
"Jis mrityu ke devta ki tum baat kar rahe ho, Veeranshu, woh Markaat alag hai aur jiske baare mein Adi-Naagin baat kar rahi hun woh alag hai. Jiske baare mein Adi-Naagin baat kar rahi hai woh Markaat nahi hai." Aghori said. "Markaat. Jis mrityu ko cheel kabhi poojte the, woh Markaat mrityu ka devta hai. Shamshaan mein uski shaktiyan sabse zyada shaktishali ho jaati hai jahan use koi nahi hara sakta. Isiliye markaat ki gufa mein kabhi cheel bali chadhate the. Aakesh. Markaat ka sabse takatwar sipahi tha." He said looked at Veer.
"Mujhe yeh toh pata chala hai ki woh cheel, insaan aur naagin kaise bani but uske baare aur kuch pata nahi hai. Aap mujhe kuch toh bataiye uske baare mein." Bani requested.
"Jis cheez se roshni takrati hai, uski parchaayi banti hai. Woh parchaayi uska aakar bata deti hai. Kuch aisa hi hota hai. Pure sansaar mein har cheez se bachna kisi ke liye bhi sambhav nahi hai. Kitne hi rakshas the jinhe laga ki saare tattvo par mahrat haasil karke woh puri duniya ki takat ko jeet chuke hai but phir bhi sabko maar diya gaya hai. Koi na koi kamzoori sabki hoti hai. Jo var ban jaata hai, wahi kamzori bhi ban jaata hai. Sarp hai toh sarp ki kamzoori hogi. Cheel hai toh cheel ki kamzori hogi."
"Saare cheel bhi danger mein hai? Kya who Veeranshu ko bhi kuch kar degi?" Bani got worried.
" Par kon aisa reh paaya hai jisne apni shakti ka galat istemaal kiya hai? Ravan bhi sabse zyaada takatvar. Use maarne ke liye Hari ne khud dharti pe janam liya tha. Tumhe khud mushkil uthani padegi, Adi-Naagin. Aagah kar raha hun. Itna asaan nahi hoga. Woh bohot hi chatur hai. Tamsic shakti ko haraana itna aasaan nahi hoga. Tum khud ko hi nahi samajhi ho toh kisi aur ko kaise samjhogi? Khud ki shaktiyon ko nahi jaanti toh kisi aur ki shaktiyon ko kaise samjhogi. "
"Main Adi-Naagin hun. Khud ko acche se jaanti hun."
He laughed. It was a bone chilling laughter. Almost ran goosebumps on her spine.
"Adi-Naagin. Sheshnaag ke vansh mein janam lene wali Adi-Naagin jise sabse pehle icchadhari hone ka vardaan mila hai. Bas yahi hai tumhari sacchai?" The way he said, it sounded so taunting. It was as if doubted her very existence and pride. "Kya kiya hai tumne in shaktiyon ka? Sheshnaag ko bhi Adi Sheshnaag ya Anant Sheshnaag kehte hai. Sansaar ke saare Naag-Naagin apni kechuli badalte hain but Sheshnaag nahi. Narayan ka bhar uthate hai. Kehte hai ki humari dharti unke fan par rakhi gayi hai. Jabhi Narayan dharti pe janam lete hai, Sheshnaag unke saath avatar lete hai. Naagraj Vasuki, pure naaglok ki raksha karte hai. Amrit manthan ke liye apne aap ko rassi ki tarah istemaale hone diya. Tum Adi-Naagin ho. Tumne kya kiya hai jiske liye yeh taaj tumhare naam karke? Taaj pehena asaan hai par uske laayak hona alag hai. Apni takat pehchaano, Adi-Naagin. Apne aap ko nahi pehchaan pa rahi, Dushman kon hai aur dost kaun hai samajh nahi paa rahi. Tumhara naam kyu likha ho un saare Naagon ke saath?"
"Mujhe pata hai ki Cheelon be beech hi hai koi jo mujhe bhi aur cheelon ko bhi dhoka de raha hai. Mujhe pata hai ki Jay ke case mein mujhse galati hui hai par who Adi-Naag hai. Kaise bharosa nahi karti us pe. Janam Janam ka saathi hai mera. Mera joda hai. Kaise soch leti ki Jay mujhe dhoka deta? Kaise soch leti ki who mujhe marne ki koshish karge ja mujhse daga karega? Aur aisa kyu lagta hai aapko ki main Adi-Naagin banne ke laayak nahi hun?"
"Mehsoos karte hai kuch cheezien. Adi-Naagin. Pyaar aur nafrat dono mehsoon ki jaa sakti hai. Jisse pyaar karte hai, uska har sitam bhi Khushi Khushi seh lete hai. Aur jisse nafrat karte hai unki acchi baatein bhi khatakti hai. Kabhi gaur se dekhne, Adi-Naagin. Tumhe aise dikh jaayenge jinke paas bohot takat aur shaktiyan hai par us takat ke hone ki bhanak tak nahi lagne dete hai. Cheelon mein se sabse zyada takatvar hai Veeranshu. Jaise pura asmaan bhi uske cheel ke saamne jhukta hai. Zameen par apni takat haasil ki hai. Baat hi kuch aur hai Veeranshu ki."
Bani turned to look at Veer. What was about him that this aghori praised Veer so much but he assumed she wasn't worthy of calling herself Adi-Naagin. Veer's love was to an extreme. An extreme that Bani had never understood. She had seen the same extreme-ness in Aakesh's eyes. Veer was something that rattled her soul. Why was he so attracted to her? Why is it that Veer's love was to an extreme that scared her senseless?
Just as deep as Veer's love was for her, Bani's hatred for him was deep. So, why did it fall short? Why did it seem so small before his love?
"Pyaar mein kuch baat hi aisi hai jo nafrat ko chhota kar deti hai. 10,000 divya varsh apne ander nafrat paal kar tume apni duniya mein andhera kar diya. 10,000 divya varsh ka pyaar apne andar bhar kar, usne apne zindagi mein ujala kar liya. Pyaar nafrat se zyada takatwar hoti hai. Chahe kitna bhi nafrat karlo, Adi-Naagin, pyaar ke saamn haar hi jata hai. Pyaar mein sar jhukta hai. Jahan sar jhukta hai waha Bhagwaan khud use uncha kar dete hai. Tumhare haath se maut bhi mile tabhi use koi gila nahi hai. Use dhoka nahi lagega kyuki tumne hamesha sach kaha hai par jab uska apna jisse who apni dhaal samajhta hai woh chura maare toh dard hota hai. Pyaar karte hai yeh kehke dhoka de toh uska dard hota hai."
"Kya aap keh rahe hai ki woh Veer ko maar degi?"
"Zaroorat pade toh zaroor karegi." He drank a bit more of his alcohol. Bani tried to control herself and not run away with the smell. "Uska beta hai Veer... phir bhi zaroorat padegi toh maar degi. Par uski shaktiyon ko andekha nahi karti."
"Veer ko toh usne janam nahi diya. Phir kaise woh uski maa hai?" Bani asked. It was totally riling up her mind. How could someone have two mothers?
"Apni chaal chalne mein kaafi shatir hai. Par yeh baat use pucho jise iske baare mein zyaada pata hai. Balwant Singhania." He added. "Aur ek baat, Adi-Naagin. Aghorinath ko yaad karke saari zindagi humari kat jaati hai. Bohot saare takatwar logo ko dekha hai in aankhon ne. Kabhi Veeranshu jaisa nahi dekha. Cheelon mein se sabse zyada takatwar hai. Jab tak tumhare saath hai, tabh tak tumhare paas rasta hai."
Could she make the mistake of trusting Aakesh again? She had done that once and she got cursed for 10,000 years. She gave him benefit of the doubt and turned out to be the most errous judgement she had ever made. Everyone suggested her against it but still for some reason, she listened against them and let him enter. The result was the death of so many Naag-Naagin in that temple. Hriday was killed by Aakesh. She killed Aakesh and then herself.
Then she thought of Jay betraying her. She tried to kill her. Her own soulmate tried to kill her. The one for who she was willing to accept 10,000 years of a curse. For the one who she was willing die. That very person betrayed her. She never loved Jay like she had loved Hriday. That much even Bani would admit. Yet, she trusted Jay blindly only to find out that everything about him was a show.
"Bani meri dushman nahi hai. Yeh Jay dushman hai. Mera bhi aur kisi aur ka bhi."
"Uski do takke ke dhabewale ka plan hai."
"Haan theek hai, tum uspe bharosa karo, mujhpe mat karo. Woh sahi hai, main galat. Theek hai. Fair enough."
Bani though of all the times Veer had tried to tell her that Jay was not to be trusted. Still, Bani kept saying that he was lying and trying to manipulate her. All the while he tried to warn her about Jay. Tears lined up in her eyes. Bani didn't know what to say. She looked at him.
The aghori looked at Veer too. A smile came to his face when he noticed the way Bani looked at Veer. He saw that hope and that fear in her. No wonder that she was said to be Veer's light. She was two things that Veer didn't have. He didn't hope because he thinks he has everything he wants. Veer was fearless.
"Tum abhi apne purane waqt mein jee rahi ho. Isiliye aankhen khul nahi rahi hai. Jaanti kya ho Aakesh ke baare mein? Woh Aakash ke bhi eesh hai. Isiliye use Aakesh naam diya that. Jo suraj ko aasamaan mein panah de, woh Aakesh. Baaj aur Cheel ki aankhon se shikaar nahi bachta hai. Jaanti ho kyu? Dono aankhon ka istemaal karte hai. Ek aankh se shikaar ko dekhte hai aur dusri se use aas paas ke jagah ko. Aasmaan mein cheel ka koi muqabla nahi hota. Jo saanp ko asmaan mein le jaaye toh uski shamat hoti hai. Apne dushman aur saathi ko acche se pehchaan lete hai."
"Mujhe pata hai ki mere dushman kon hai."
"Lagta hai ki dushman hi sanam ban chuka hai."
"Mujhe Veer se pyaar nahi hai." Bani stood up. It was offending to her.
"Isiliye woh aaj bhi jeeta hai aur tum aaj bhi haar rahi ho. Sach ko swikaar karna sabki bas ki baat nahi hai. Tum us sach se aaj bhi bhaag rahi ho, Nageshwari, jo Aakesh ne ek nazar mein swikaar kar li thi." He commented. She turned around.
"Sahi toh hai. Phirse ek baar dhoka kha chuki hun. Nageshwari se Bani banke bhi kuch seekh nahi paayi. Pehle Aakesh se dhoka kha chuki thi aur abh Jay se. Ek baar dhoka mile toh who dhoka hota hai. Dobara wahi dhoka mile toh yeh bewakoofi hoti hai." Bani answered dryly laughing.
Veer turned around and saw her. Bani took off running. It was overwhelming in that moment. Veer followed her. She stopped before his bike. She sat down next to the bike and tears fell down her eyes. Veer instantly went up to her.
"Sweetheart..." He kneeled before her. She held her head.
"Bani... chup.. chup... tum ro nahi sakti." Bani tried to shut herself up. She didn't want to cry. No, she wasn't going to let herself be weak like that. She had to be strong. "Bani, chup ho jaa..." She scolded herself. The more she was trying to keep herself silent, the more tears were falling. Veer tried to hold her but she started fighting him, pushing him away. "No... I don't need to be comforted. I am not crying."
"Bani, even the strongest person breaks down into tears when it comes to the matter of their heart." Veer told her. She kept trying to fight him but he held her face. "Look at me, Bani, look at me. To make yourself vulnerable to someone means that you have truly let someone inside your heart and nothing could be braver than that. It is easy to build up guards and keep everyone away but to open all the doors and windows letting in someone and let yourself be vulnerable to them take courage. You've been brave. Don't choke yourself over it."
"You don't know. You can't ever understand. To trust someone that much and to know that they have betrayed you. You don't know that." She shouted angrily. Tears falling through her eyes. Veer sat down before her. He took her hand and put it on his chest before his heart.
"You feel that? Every single moment, I have lived it is to see you. I have this stubbornness to make you mine, yes. Why shouldn't I want to make you mine? I am already yours. Every time you've felt fear, I have felt it. Every time you have cried, I have felt the heartbreak. Every time you broke down, I felt hurt. Every time you take anger about me on yourself, I've felt the pain. Bani, I don't know how to explain to you how much I love you. Mujhe fark nahi pada ki tume mujh par yakeen nahi hai par phir bhi meri zidd hai ki main tumhare saath rahu. I know you don't trust me but I still can't do anything but love and trust you. You know why I feel so relaxed around you because main jitna tumhara hun, use zyada kisi ka hona possible hi nahi. Main khud ka utna nahi hun jitna main tumhara hun. So, I don't care what you wish to do with my life. Ab jo bhi hoga, theek hoga because I know it is going to come from you." He told her.