Chapter 6

[MEMBERSONLY][NOCOPY]Part 6 updated on 29/03/21

"Are Karishma kya kar rahi ho yaar, marwaogi ham donon ko." Mohit said to Karishma as they peeped out of their room. "Agar gharwalon ne dekh liya na to hum dono ki khair nahi." Mohit's hands trembled as Karishma held the beer bottle close to her heart.

"Saari zindagi darte rahenge to jiyenge kab? I mean piyenge kab?" Karishma chuckled at her own joke as they tiptoed towards the balcony.

"... Arey main to bottle opener lana hi bhool gaya, main abhi jakar..."

"Main chaku lekar aayi hu na isse kaam ho jayega. Pakdo."

"Bahut chalu chee... Patralekha Vahini!!!"

"Kahan?" Karishma immediately hid the bottle behind her back.

Mohit ran and grabbed her waist in time.

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"Maine ek Jane maane psychiatrist Dr. Vineet ko bulaya hai kal. Pehli flight se wo yahan honge. Hopefully he will be able to do something about it."

"Aapne Pakhi Didi se baat ki?"

"Abhi nahi. Mujhe samajh hi nahi aa raha. Kya karu? Kaise baat karu? Use saaf saaf kaise poochh loon ki kya mere bhai ne use maarne ki koshish ki?"

"But ye zaroori hai na Virat Sir?"

"Dada"

They saw Mohit standing out of the room.

"Arey Mohit andar aao. What happened?"

"Wo Patralekha Vahini ko kuch ho gaya hai."

"Kya hua" both Sai and Virat stood up and were ready to go but Mohit raised his hand to stop them.

"Wo abhi apne kamre mein hain. She was about to fall off the balcony but I saved her in nick of time. She pretended that everything's alright. But I can sense it's not. Abhi unhe aaraam karne dijiye but aap please kal subah hote hi unse baat kar lijiyega... Aap unke dost hain. She might tell you" he looked guiltily at Sai but didn't find any anger on her face.

Virat nodded and Mohit left.

"Ab to unse baat karni padegi Virat sir."

"Tum theek keh rahi ho Sai. Kal subah Pakhi se baat karni hogi."

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Patralekha kept tossing and turning in her bed the whole night as Samrat's words kept haunting her.

It was early morning. Patralekha got up from her bed and walked up to the door.

She hesitated before opening it. But she gathered courage and tried to open the door. But it didn't open.

Before she could panic it opened and she found Virat and Sai standing at her door.

Patralekha looked at them with questioning eyes.

"Maine hi bahar se lock kiya tha." Sai showed her lock and key.

"So that you don't reach the balcony again"

Virat's statement made Patralekha widen her eyes.

"You need to speak Pakhi. If there's something you can tell only a woman, tell this to Sai." Virat told her as Sai nodded.

"And if you need a friend to confide in, to aap Virat Sir se baat kar lijiye" Sai said with concern, "but you need to speak up."

"Agar main Virat se baat karungi to tumhe bura nahi lagega? Tumhein mujhpe itna bharosa kab se hone laga Sai" Patralekha looked at her like she already knows the answer.

"Truth be told it doesn't matter whether I trust you or not Pakhi Didi, jis par hona chahiye us par hai" Saying this Sai left.

Patralekha kept looking at Sai's back as she walked away.

"Andar chalkar baat karein" Virat said and walked inside her room.

"Bolo Pakhi."

"Kya"

"Sach"

"Kaunsa sach, mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha." Patralekha looked away.

"Tumhari gardan ke un scratches ka sach jinhe tum apne balon ke peeche sabse chhupane ki koshish karti ho."

Patralekha's hands reached her neck.

"Wo..wo to.."

Virat pulled the collar of his shirt and showed her the scratches that had almost healed now but their marks were still there.

"Iska matlab wo mere saath saath tumse bhi badla lena chahta hai"

"Badla, kaisa badla?" Virat looked at her confused.

"Us dhokhe ka badla jo humne use diya tha." Patralekha cried and slumped in her bed. "Humne apne rishte ka such usse chhipaya tha...Use andhere mein rakha tha. Humne..."

Patralekha kept talking but the words were now lost on Virat.

AAAAAAAAAAA.... dhokha...nahi....dhokha...nahi

"Wo dhokha tha??.. Main to...bus... Samrat ki... Khushi...maine... Maine apne... Maine apne Jeeva ko...Dhokha diya. Wo...wo...dhokha tha" Virat's eyes welled up as realisation hit him.

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