Rani: kaa hua dactor saab, aapke shakal pe aese baara kaahe baje hai?
She asked trying to hold her grin.
Veer: nahi...aesa kuch nahi hai...wo--
Rani: Dactor saab, agr aap Kajri ki baat sunke paresan hai to ooki baat chhoriye, hum aapko samjhate hai ki kaa hua hai pr pehle wada kijiye ki aap humka daantenge naahi... kijiye wada!
Veer: ha...wada...
Rani: Umm...oo aaj hum gau ghumne gaye thhe na to humne subah panipuri khayi thhi, phir ektho dost k ghar gaye thhe aur vnaha humne samose khaye...uske baad humri mulaqat ek kaki se hui or oo humko jabardasti aapne ghar le gayi aur mithai khilai...
Veer: Waah! Waise itna sara khana rakhti knaha hai aap?
Rani: tana kaahe mar rahe hai app...Puri baat sunenge ki naahi?
Veer: haa haa sunaiye...
Rani: ab aapke saath rehte rehte to humko oo phal phul khane ki adaat hogayi hai, isiliye shayd ee sab khaa k humko oo thoda in-indigesan hogaya...aur ussi k karan pet mai darad bhi horha thha...kachu khane ka bhi man nahi kr rha thha...
She paused to glance at Veer who already had a frown on his face.
Rani: Thoda kuch khane ki kosis kiye to jo bhi khaya thha oo sab kuch bahar aagaya... uske baad to hum sogaye thhe... Jab jaage to bohut bhuk lgi thhi... Hum rasoi mai gaye to samne bas oo achar ka dibba mila... Par shayad Kajri aur dadiamma ko laga hum khatta khaa rahe hai...
Veer: phir...
Rani: Phir kaa hona thha... Kuch naa khane ki wajah se humka chakkar aagaya aur---
Although Rani expected that Veer would scold her, his reply came in a very calm tone.
Veer: apko ye sb mujhe pehle batana chahiye thha na... Agr subah hi aap dawai le leti to aapki tabiyat itni nahi bigadti na? Mai aapko ek dusri dawai bata dunga, aap wo khalijiyega, thik hai?
Rani: jii...
Veer: um...Rani aap sure to hai na aesa hi huya hai?
Rani: sau takka sure, dactor saab. Hum dactor to naahi hai pr itna to apne tabiyat k baare mai samajh hi skte hai.
Veer: hmm...(murmuring) Kajri bhi na...unki baat sunke to mai ghabra hi gaya thha..
Rani: Kajri ki baat sunke itna kaahe nervousiya gye aap dactor saab?😂
Veer: Rani, aap ek engineering ki student hai. Abhi aap aese responsibilities k lie ready nahi hai bas issi wajah se...aur abhi abhi to humari shaadi hui hai...umm... anyways aap gharwalo ko bhi ye baat batadijiye varna bekr misunderstanding hojayegi...
Rani: ji hum bata denge...
_______
Rajawat House,,
The Rajawats were curiously staring at Vikram, waiting for him to reveal the news.
Vikram: Vikram Singh Rajawat, yani maine shaadi karna chahta hoo
Nandini: Vikram, bas itni si baat thhi😒 par wo badnaseeb hai kaun?
Rajmata: Nandini! (To Vikram) Vikram, kya aapko koi pasand hai?
Vikram: jii..Dadisa..☺️..Actually wo ladki aur koi nhi..
Kiara hai.
_________
Veer took a deep breath.
He'd stressed himself for no reason.
Finally all the confusion was clear and now he decided to change the topic.
Veer: Rani mai keh raha thha k---
Rani: bacche kitne pyaare hote hai na dactor saab...
Veer: Rani aap bhi kya baccho k topic ko lekr baith gayi....
Rani: pure ghar mai unki kilkariya gunjti hai, kaise mummy-mummy, papa-papa kehke eeha waha fudak fudak k ghumte hai, khelte hai...
Veer: Rani!
Rani: kaa hua?🙄
Veer: mujhe lagta hai aapko rest ki zarurat hai. Aap sojaiye...ok? Good night.
Rani: naahi dactor saab! rest west naahi, abhi to humme aapse batiyana hai...ee tabiyat k chakkar mai thik se baat naahi kr paaye hum aapse. Waise bhi ee kauno tem hai sone kaa?
Veer: seedhe seedhe boliye na aaoko mujhse baat kiye bina neend nahi aati...😉
Rani: ab pata hi hai to kaahe pareshan kr rhe hai humme---
Rani tugged a flick of her hair behind her ear which made Veer notice the bandage wrapped around her finger.
Veer: Rani wo aapke dayne haath mai kya hai?
Rani: Ku..kuch bhi naahi Dacter saab..
Veer: nahi maine dekha🧐..kuch bandage jaisa thha.
Rani: hum keh rahe hai na kuch bhi naahi hai...
Veer: mai aapse dur hoo iska matlab ye nahi ki aapka jhuth nahi pakad paunga. Haath dikhaiye!
Rani reluctantly showed him her finger.
Veer: (slapping his forehead) ughhh...Rani!🤦♂️
Rani: Sarry Dacter saab!!
She said making a puppy face.
_______
————
Around 5p.m the surgery finally got over.
It was a complicated heart surgery and was carried out by a team of expert heart surgeons, Veer being one of them.
The doctors came out with smiling faces and informed the family of the patient that surgery was successful and the patient is fine now.
"Aapke sath kam karke bohut accha laga Doctor Veer. Thankyou for coming here", said Dr.Mishra shaking hands with Veer.
Veer: My pleasure Dr.Mishra. Mujhe bhi aaplogo k saath kam krke boht accha laga.
Mishra: To aap kab tak ruke hai ynha?
Veer: Jii mai aaj raat ko hi nikl mai wala hoo....
Mishra: Ohh alright.
Veer excused himself and walked away.
While passing through the corridor of the first floor, he heard an outcry and henceforth stopped a wardboy to ask about the matter.
Wardboy: Vo sir kal raat ek patient ki maut hogayi, accha aadmi thha sir, bada karobar bhi hai, pohuch boht upr tak thhi, ussi k chele aake ye shor sharaba kar rahe hai. Par wo insaan accha thha...
Veer: par aese shor sharaba krke kya fayda?
Wardboy: Wahi to sir. Unka kehna hai ki hospital waalon ki laparwahi k wajah se patient ki maut hui par aesa kuch bhi nhi hai... Ab ye log marpit pe na utar aaye bas....
The wardboy went from there.
Veer started to walk away from the noise but suddenly there was a scream that made him rush towards that direction.
"Ye kya kar rahe hai aaplog...chhoriye inhe", said Veer trying to separate the man who was beating one of the hospital staff.
"Tu kaun hai be...janta bhi hai kisse baat kr rha hai", said a fierce looking man turning towards Veer.
Veer: nahi, mai nahi janta ki aaplog kaun hai par itna zaroor janta hoo ki jo bhi aap kar rahe hai vo galat hai.
Man: to ab tu humme sahi or galat ka paat parhayega... Hai kaun tu huh? Pehle to kabhi nahi dekha ynaha.
Veer: mai kaun hoo ye janna aapke liye important nhi hai... mai bs yehi kehna chahta hoo ki ye sb krke aaplogo ko koi fayda nahi hoga--
Man: accha? To tu kya chahta hai ki hum chup rahe? Inki wajah se jo humare Dada ki maut hui uska kya?
Veer: Iss bare mai aapko hospital k staffs se baat krni chahiye, pata lagana chahiye ki akhir aapke dada ko hua kya...aese hungama karke aaplog kya haasil krlenge?
The man was about to speak against Veer but another of his teammates, stopped him.
"Rehne dijiye bhai, inko hum kal dekhlenge...abhi bohut kaam karna hai humme... Chaliye ynaha se"
The men left the spot.
Veer too hurried away.
He just wanted to go back to Ballia as soon as possible. Nothing else mattered.
_________
Rani: Humari payal! Humari payal kahan gayi?😧
Said Rani to herself after noticing that the payal of her right foot was missing.
Rani: kahan jaa sakti hai bhala...
She moved her books from one side to the other but didn't find it.
Rani began to search for her payal in the entire room, but in vain.
Rani: ye humme dactor saab ne di thi, hum isse kho kaise sakte hain...🥺
"Ye dhoond rahi hai aap"
A voice came from behind her and she immediately turned back.
Rani: dactor saab...
She murmured seeing Veer standing in front of her, holding the payal in between his fingers.
Rani wasn't bothered about the Payal anymore.
She quickly ran towards Veer and hugged him.
Rani: (breaking the hug) aapne itni der kaahe ki dactor saab, hum subah se aapki raah dekh rahe thhe... Aapne ektho baar humme phone bhi naahi kia... Humme kitni yaad arahai thhi aapko pata hai...
She hugged him again but he didn't reciprocate it.
"Bahan chhoro humme"
Wait, why was he calling her Bahan?
Rani immediately jumped away from Veer.
Rani: Aap humme bahan--- Kajri?? Tu ynaha kaise? Dactor saab knaha gaye?
Kajri: Tere dactor saab ee ha kaise aayenge? Hum hi to khare hai kab se aur tu pata naahi ka bar bar kiye jaa rahi hai. Teri chikh sunke dekhne agaye, ee pakad teri payal, kamre k bahar giri pari thhi...
Rani took the payal from her hand and flashed an awkward smile at her.
Kajri: Ee dono pati patni ko bas hum hi milte hai🤷♀️
She murmured while leaving the room.
Rani quick wore her payal back and took her phone in her hands. She unlocked the phone and the screensaver displayed Veer's picture.
Rani: aapki itni yaad arahi hai dactor saab ki Kajri ko hi aap samajh baithe... Itne biji hai kaa aap ki humse baat hi naahi ki ekbr bhi... Thik hai, aapko humari yaad naahi arahi to kaa hua, hum bhi krlenge aapko phone.
She chuckled at her own words and sat down in her place.
______
"Pata lagaya wo aadmi kaun thha?", said the man who is revealed to be the same man with whom Veer had an argument.
"Ha bhai... Uska naam Veer Singh Rajawat hai, Jaipur se aaya hai, haspatal mai wo jo meeting aur surgery hui na...uske liye", said the man who'd earlier stopped the argument between Veer and the other man, "Jaise aap dono baat kr rahe thhe na Bhai, mujhe to laga kahi aap galti se kuch bol na do"
The two men were presently in the parking lot of the hospital.
"Yehi na ki dada k maut k peeche hospital walo ka nahi, humara haath hai", the man led out a wicked laugh, "Ye raaz kabhi bahar nahi aana chahiye re Chandan, kabhi nahi".
"Vahi to bhai"
"Mai bhi isiliye ruk gaya. Dekh, humme ye hungama krte rehna hoga ta ki logo ko vishwas ho ki dada ki maut hospital walo ki laparwahi k wajah se hi hui hai. Humpe shaq na ho!"
Hardly had the man completed his sentence, when they heard a ringing of a phone.
Both of them raised themselves a little from their positions to check who it was.
Veer it was!
"Bhai...ye to wahi hai...kahi isne humari saari baatein sun to nahi li? Dekhiye kaise jaldi jaldi mai jaa raha hai. Isne kisiko kuch bata diya to? Hum kya karenge?"
"Ye to humare peeche hi par gaya hai. Uhhh! Chandan, ek kaam kar iske peeche jaa. Banduk to hai na tere paas, agar isne kisiko kuch batane ki koshish ki to wahi pe thok dena. Mai Ravi ko bhejta hoo".
"Par bhai--"
"Jaisa keh raha hoo waisa kar!"
Chandan reluctantly followed Veer inside.
*************