Every Second❤️

Part 18

(Hello my dear readers, really sorry for the delay. Hope you all will like this part and if you don't then please forgive me. I will surely give my best in the next part.)

Scene starts on the picnic spot,
Kartik came to the swing and sat down relaxed because he just finished preparing food for everyone and there was 1 hour left for lunch time.
Kartik switched on his phone after a longgg time. As he never gave his phone number to anyone outside his company workers and his close ones.

Just then someone sat down beside Kartik. She was revealed to be Priya.
Priya: Kab se hain tu yaha par?
Kartik: 1 mahina hone ko aaya hain par ab tak....(sighing)....Maa.....
Priya(keeping hand on Kartik's shoulder): Maa mil jaaegi Kartik. Tu ne jee jaan laga diya hain. Dekhna Maa zaroor mil jaaegi.
Kartik: Par kab milegi yaar? Itne saare surag mile infact pata bhi chal gaya ki kisne Maa ko kaed kar rakha hain lekin unhone Maa ko kaha chupa rakha hain....kuch samajh nahi aa raha hain. Tujhe pata hain...hum na police station bhi gaye the lekin jinhone Maa aur Tamannah aunty ka case suljhaya tha vo retire ho gaye aur humein mile hi nahi.
Priya: Main teri kuch maddat kar sakti ho?
Kartik: Filhaal toh nahi. Maine Shreya ko bola hain ki unke baare mein pata lagaye. Dekhte hain kya hota hain. Bas Kanha jii saath de de.....fir I swear....hamesha ke liye laut jaana hain Darjeeling.
Priya(keeping her head on Kartik's shoulder): Don't worry....sab theek ho jaaega.
Kartik: Hope so.....
Kartik and Priya didn't knew that someone heard everything and the floor slipped beneath the person's feet. He was none other than Virendra.
Virendra came to Kartik and Kartik stood up.
Kartik: Kuch chahiye tha sir aapko?
Virendra: Mere saath chal....
Kartik: Par sir.....
Without any more words Virendra dragged Kartik to a corner.
Virendra: Tu ne jo kuch bhi kaha Priya se....kya vo sach tha?
Kartik was shocked to hear this.
Kartik: S..sir aap kya bol rahe hain mujhe...samajh....
Virendra: Mujhse jhooth bolne ki kosish mat karna kyunki tujhe jhooth bolna nahi aata. Ab sach sach bata ki....Shalu ko yaha tu dhoondne aaya hain...iss baat ka kya matlab hain? Kaha hain Shalu?
Kartik: Sir vo.....main agar aapko bataunga aur aap sabko bataenge toh sabko lagega ki Maa natak kar rahi hain.
Virendra: I promise you beta main kisi ko bhi nahi bataunga. Shalu meri beti jaisi hain......please.
Kartik: Sir....Maa.....
Kartik narrated everything to Virendra about Shalu's disappearance.
Virendra: Itna sab ho gaya aur tum teeno ne hum sabko batana zaroori nahi samjha?

"Bharosa nahi hua sir."said Sameer coming to Virendra.
Sameer: Bharosa nahi hua sir ki agar hum aap sabko batanege toh aap sab humein yeh keh kar nahi nikal denge ki "Maa manhoos hain aur unke saath aisa hi hona chahiye tha." Aur dusri baat.....humein laga ki agar aap sabko bata bhi diya toh bhi kisi ko koi farak nahi parega toh isiliye hum teeno ne yeh baat apne tak hi rakhi. Humara Mumbai aane ka sirf yahi ek maqsad tha ki hum Maa ko dhoond le aur....
Kartik: Aur waapis Darjeeling chale jaaye hamesha ke liye. Sir....(joining his hands)...main aapse request karta hoon....please iske baare mein kisi se kuch bhi mat kahiye. Hum Maa ke bohot paas pohoch gaye hain....bas ab bohot jald Maa humein mil jaaegi and hum waada karte hain ki hum chale jaaenge yaha se hamesha ke liye uske bad.
Virendra put down Kartik's hand and cupped his face.
Virendra: Tu chinta mat kar....main kisi se bhi yeh baat nahi bolunga ki tere yaha par aane ka maqsad kya tha.
Virendra(placing hand on Sameer's shoulder): Shalu bohot jald mil jaaegi......aur agar meri koi bhi maddat chahiye toh batana. Main bhi tum teeno ke saath hoon.
Kartik and Sameer smiled and hugged Virendra. Virendra reciprocated the hug.

Scene shifts inside the farmhouse,
Ahaan came inside and saw Rhea sitting totally numb, her eyes red.
Ahaan sat down beside Rhea.
Ahaan: Rhea....kya hua? Tu theek toh hain na?
Rhea: Nahi bhai.....main theek nahi hoon. Jab tak main Kartik ko khoon ke ansoon nahi rulati...main theek nahi ho sakti.
Ahaan: Uss Kartik se nafrat toh mujhe bhi hain lekin......
Rhea: Lekin vekin kuch nahi bhai. Mujhe usse bas badla lena hain....kaise bhi karke. Uski wajah se....(teary eyed)...sirf aur sirf uski wajah se mere dad mujhse pichle 20 saalon se nahi mile. Agar uss din vo Shalu aunty ke saath nahi gaye hote toh na hi vo missing hote aur na hi kabhi mera bachpan akela kat ta. Main Kartik ko khush nahi rehne doongi.....(gnashing in anger)...kisi bhi halat mein nahi.
Ahaan: Usse nafrat mujhe bhi hain aur badla mujhe bhi lena hain usse lekin kaise? Aaj tak maine vo sab kiya tu ne mujhse kaha tha. Apna gussa shaant rakha....uss Kartik se acche se pesh aaya.....aur toh aur jise dekh kar hi maar daalne ka mann karta hain uske saath trip par bhi chala aaya. Ab kya karegi tu?
Rhea(teary eyed)(smirking): Ab jo bhi karungi main karungi bhai. Aap aaj raat ko ek surprise plan kijiye aur maine plan kar liya hain ki main kya karungi.
Ahaan: Tu karne kya waali hain?
Rhea: Main......
Rhea narrated her plan to Ahaan and with each passing second Ahaan's eyes widened hearing it.
Ahaan: Rhea tu pagal ho gayi hain? Mujhe yeh plan sahi nahi lag raha hain.
Rhea: Thoda sa risk toh lena hi parega bhai apne dushman ko dard dene ke liye. Aap bas wahi kijiye jo main kehti hoon.
Ahaan: Okayy fine.....par sambhal kar.
Rhea nodded and left.