Near the doctor's cabin, the CC Hospital, NY.
Sharon and Swayam came out of the doctor's cabin where the latter had serious conversation during the fifteen minutes inside regarding the health of his old man. Surprisingly to him, Sharon too had involved herself in getting to know how serious his dad's condition was and all the possible treatment that they could adopt for his betterment.
As Sharon walked in front of him, feeling reluctance in having to look at his face because of having shown an intense care for him and his family back inside. On the contrary he felt a heaviness from his chest having lifted off. He was starting to feel the same emotions he had felt years before. Hope. Probably unknown to her, she was capable of bringing that change in him.
"Sharon..." He whispered her name hardly audible to anyone but she stopped and turned as if she was also waiting for his cue.
"...thanks. Thanks Sharon..." He said pursing his lips in anticipation of her response.
"Kyun?" She asked even though she had an idea what he would say. They started walking to the exit, outside where there was a nearly made grass lawn with benches to sit on.
"Thanks Sharon for coming here..." He completed his sentence.
"Oh... Woh kya hein ki Mom ne boli ki koi hospital mein admit hein toh..." She sat on the bench.
"Oh! ...aur boli nahi hogi kaun..." He breathed out while joining her leaving a little space in between them.
As she observed his frown, she felt guilty for giving the picture as of she wouldn't have come if she had known it was him. "Aisa nahi hein.... Even if I'd known... I would have come..."
There was a pause, a comfortable company but an uncomfortable silence. "Sharon... I wanted to apologise for what I did..."
"Swayam..." She took his name, as she searched for a perfect sentence to stop him from feeling guilty.
"I've hurt you..." he said but out of sudden her hand cupped his mouth, stopping him from saying further. His eyes that looked down connected instantly to hers due to this move. He felt her cold fingers caressing his lips, that had its own mind opening partially. Her eyes slowly went down to his lips, and an involuntary mimicking caused her lips to do the same. And just like hers, his eyes to went to her lips, and as if time stopped ticking and the particles around now disobeyed the laws of nature. They felt the heat that formed between, that remained gap less. He felt her touch on his thigh while she mesmerized in the feeling of his passionate eyes on her.
Beep. Beep.
Swayam's phone went off receiving a message. And that was enough to revert the moment and for them to quickly move away from the closeness of each other as a reflex. He stood up, grabbing his phone and then turned to Sharon to say what it was about. "Papa is awake. Chale?" He held out his hand for her, making way for the blossoming of the same feeling of hope in her. And hope was all that they needed right then.
Meanwhile in Mumbai.
Rey's house.
Rey was busy making plans for the future of his team D3 in his laptop at his desk in the bedroom.
"Oh! Meine baaki kisi ko bataaya bhi nahi Swayam ke baare mein..." Rey said to Kria, while turning from his chair.
"Mujhe lagta hein Visakha, Bharat aur Amar ko pata hi hoga..."
"Haan... Woh teeno toh uske saath hi humesha hua kartha tha... Hmmm.... As I think about that, Kria, you remember that street dance?"
"Haan! SW waala right?"
"Right! Wahaan humesha Visakha, Bharat Aur Amar dikhthe the, par Swayam nahi..."
"Hmmm... Rey aap kya wahi soch rahe ho jo mein soch rahi hun?" She glanced at him.
It was midnight and still no one in Nil's house had their eyes closed. Bharat was narrating intensely about the tales of Swayam's crazy love story. The time they spent in garage, the fun they had at college and most importantly the never ending dreams he had shared with the macho guy.
Amar and Rinni were the least interested in Bharat's enthusiasm while Vicky and Nil encouraged him to say further. While Neha was busy eating popcorn and thinking of how to improve her English further maybe Simmi was trying to keep her cool, for Bharat's narration also included demeaning her friends and her too. Visakha was on the alert whether Bharat would blurt out something they shouldn't know.
"Arre bantaaye apun ko pata hein asli mein dimaag ka waat lagna kya hota hein. Yeh banda madam jee se ithna daant khaake bhi apun ke paas aake uski aankhon ki taareef karne lagtha hein."
"Haan aur bolo...." said Vicky excitedly.
"Wait a second, toh second gift usne bracelet diya..." Nil interrupted.
"Eh chup be woh third gift tha... Second gift locket tha... Hein na Bharat?"
"Oh come on Vicky grow up!!" Simmi said.
Beep. Beep.
"Arre Rey ka message hein!" Vicky said reading the message from his phone, "...Swayam ka Dad hospital mein hein?" Vicky said.
"OMG! Shouldn't we call him?" Simmi asked.
"Nahi dude... He's alright... Woh abhi take humein isliye call nahi kiye because it's not that serious." Visakha said seriously.
"Arre Visakha! Tum aise kaise keh sakthi ho?" Neha asked.
"Because I know the family Neha! Rishi uncle hamesha kuch na kuch baad mein karne ke liye hi aisa hungaama machaathe hein!"
"Haan bantaaye! Swayam ne woh apne papa ke baare mein kya kaha tha yaad hein!?" Bharat clapped his palms earning Visakha's glare.
"Kya kaha tha?" Nil asked curiously.
"Woh dono ke beech ladaayi jo huyi thi uske baad!" Bharat continued.
"Kya hua tha Bharat?" Vicky asked.
7 years ago...
Shekhawat Mansion NYC
Swayam had shut himself away from everyone for the past six months. He went to school but spoke to none, came home to lock himself in a room. Everyone in the household worried for him as he refused to speak. He avoided family dinners, stayed away from his home during weekends and never spent a minute in front of his Ma or sister. His dad was never home to answer him or to support him. His justification being away was to take care of the mess his son had created. His mother could do nothing than worry for his condition. Taani knew better to wait for her brother to come around rather than to push herself on him.
"Taani beta... Swayam chala gaya?"
"Haan Ma..."
"Naashta karke hi gaya na?"
"Haan Ma..." She continued, "Ma, mujhe unke kamre se yeh khat mili hein..." She held out the letter for her Ma to see.
And it said, "Ma, mujhe nahi lagtha ki yahaan kabhi mera mann lagega bhi... Please mujhe Mumbai akela bhej deejiye..."