Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

THE PARTY

“#Kitna mazaa aayega, na?” Chitra said, squealing happily. “Hum sab #dance karenge.”

‘Wahan ice cream hogi’, Monami thought dreamily. She took a bite of her buttered toast. ‘Junk food mein kya hoga? Noodles? Manchurian? Pasta? Sab kuchh?’

“Monami, tu kya pehnegi?” Suman ji asked. “Agar tere paas kuchh nahi hai, toh Suman ji ke paas ek bahut sundar saree hai jo tujhpar bahut achhi lagegi.”

She shook her head. “K-Kabhi aur. M-Mere p-paas ek d-dress hai.”

“Monami, tum pakka party mein aaogi, na?” Koel asked. “Aise hi bahaane banaakar mat nikal jaana, please.”

‘Jahan ice cream hoti hai, wahan toh main tapak hi jaati hoon’, Monami thought. She smiled, nodding. She glanced at the toast, holding in a sigh. ‘Abhi ke liye yeh rukha sukha toast hi sahi.’

“I can’t #wait”, Chitra said excitedly. She giggled. “Sab ladke bhi #hot bankar aayenge. I #wonder Karan Sir kya pehenge? Already itne dashing hain woh toh.”

“Chitra!” Koel and Suman ji protested.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Sid stared at his phone. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He nodded, dialing the number.

It rang. And rang. And rang.

He disconnected the call, throwing the phone on his bed. His hands clenched. It was all for naught? He was just talking? He didn’t mean it, did he?

The phone rang, and he quickly fumbled for it. Daddy ji. His heart pounded in his chest, and he swiped to accept it swiftly. “Hello?”

“Sid! Kaisa hai tu? Training kaisi chal rahi hai teri?”

“Theek hoon main. Training bhi achhi chal rahi hai. Aap… aap kahan the? Aapne phone kyun nahi uthaaya?”

“Main doosre kamre mein tha.” Sid suppressed a sigh of relief. He didn’t forget him for business. “Tune pichhle Sunday phone nahi kiya waapas?”

“Woh kuchh kaam aa gaya tha. Sorry.”

“Koi baat nahi. Main tujhe call karne hi waala tha abhi. Breakfast kar liya tune?”

He hummed. “Haan, yahan par jaldi ho jaata hai breakfast. Hum subah uthkar drills karte hain, phir nahaakar breakfast karte hain.”

“Monami kaisi hai? Tere saath hai kya?”

“Nahi. Woh apne kamre mein hai. Theek hai. Baat karni hai?”

“Main use bhi thodi der mein call kar leta hoon. Tune naye dost toh banaaye hi honge. Mujhe unke baare mein bataayega nahi?”

Sid smiled. “Bahut saare banaaye hain. Yahan par sab cadets, na, subgroups mein divided hain. Mere subgroup mein 7 cadets hain, including me. And everyone’s so nice! Monu bhi, thankfully, mere subgroup mein hi hai. I’ll tell you about everyone! My roommate, Bala...”

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

“Koel, tu Nanu ko keh de”, Nikhil warned, as soon as Koel picked the call up. “Mujhe unse baat nahi karni.”

“Koel, tu apne mendhak ko keh de”, her father’s voice said. “Mujhe bhi nahi baat karni isse.”

“Arey, hua kya hai? Koel asked. “Kyun jhagad rahe ho?”

“Mujhe cartoon dekhna tha”, Nikhil said. “Inhone dekhne hi nahi diya.”

“News zyaada important hai. Ise woh dekhni chahiye thi.”

“Ek second”, Koel said. “Papa, aap chahte the ki Nikhil news dekhe. Nikhil chahta tha woh cartoon dekhe. End mein jeeta kaun? Nikhil ne dekha kya?”

There was a pause. “Movie”, they said together.

“Yeh kaunsa option hai? Movie kiski pasand ki?”

Her father gasped. “Teri maa ki pasand ki.”

“Nani! Aapne achha nahi kiya.”

“Koel, main tujhe das minute mein call karta hoon”, her father said. “Teri maa ki khabar lene de mujhe. Hum dono ko side karke khud tv dekh liya.”

“Aap loge unki khabar, yaa woh aapki? Papa, aap daantne jaoge, khud daant khaakar aa jaaoge. Rehne do.”

“Aise kaise? Ruk tu. Main abhi thodi der mein call karta hoon tujhe.”

Koel laughed. “Theek hai.” She shook her head, chuckling.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Monami took a deep breath, staring at herself in the mirror. She smoothed her dress out, turning to Koel wordlessly.

She looked her up and down. “One thing”, she said. She held up a pair of earrings. She smiled slightly. “Yeh mujhe mere husband ne diye the.” She held it out. “Yeh iske saath bahut achhe lagenge.”

“M-Main k-kaise le s-sakti hoon? Yeh toh t-tumhe t-tumhaare h-husband ne d-diye the.”

“Rakhne ke liye de bhi nahi rahi hoon”, she said. “Mujhe party ke baad waapas chahiye, okay?”

She nodded. She wore the earrings, looking at her again. She smiled, giving her a thumbs up.

“Arey, jaldi karo”, Suman ji said, poking her head in. “Suman ji ko late nahi hona hai.”

“You look so #hot, Monami”, Chitra said.

“Aur main?” Koel asked, crossing her arms again. “Main nahi lag rahi hot?”

Chitra fanned herself. “Thermometer todh dogi tum toh.”

“Ab chalein?” Suman ji asked.

Monami’s hands rubbed her wrists nervously. She looked down at them. “Aa-Aap ch-chalo”, she said. “M-Main apna b-bracelet k-kamre mein bh-bhool g-gayi. Main p-pehen kar aayi.”

“Monami, tum bhaag mat jaana”, Koel warned. “Agar tum 15 minute mein nahi aayi, toh dekh lena.”

She shook her head. “M-Main b-bas b-bracelet pehenkar aayi.”

“We’ll #see you there”, Chitra said.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

“Kya stupid si party hai”, Karan muttered, rolling his eyes. “Isse achha main ghar par hota. Bhaiya, Bhabhi aur Baby ke saath, aur relax karta. Pichhla Sunday cameras ke chakkar mein kharaab ho gaya, yeh waala party mein.”

“Arey, Janaab, party hai”, Faizi said. “Thoda khush raho. Enjoy karo.”

He rolled his eyes. “Tu kar enjoy. Main shakal dikhaane aaya hoon, phir nikal lunga main.”

“Khud ko buddhu banaa rahe ho ya hume? Batra ma’am jaane denge tumhe?” Karan sighed. Faizi laughed. “Janaab, aap bas ek cheez par dhyaan dijiye.”

“Kispar?”

He leaned closer. “Thodi der mein pretty, sundar kanya aa jaayegi. Uspar dhyaan dena. Bilkul bore nahi hoge.”

He rolled his eyes. “Tu har cheez mein Monami ko beech mein kaise le aata hai?”

“Humne toh Monami ka naam hi nahi liya. Tumne liya. Humne kab kaha ki Monami ki baat kar rahe hain?”

“Jaise main toh kal mila hoon, na, tujhse? Jaanta hi nahi hoon tu kya bakwaas rehta hai. Hai, na?”

Faizi chuckled. “Par itna toh tum bhi admit karoge ki woh pretty toh zaroor hai.”

“Uniform mein sab same lagte hain”, he said.

“Par aaj usne uniform nahi pehni hogi.”

Karan glanced at the entrance. “Tu meri chodh, apni soch. Kisi aur ne bhi uniform nahi pehni hai, aur main Monami ki baat definitely nahi kar raha.” He grabbed his shoulders, turning him around.

Faizi’s jaw dropped. He blinked a couple of times, shaking his head slightly. “Yeh humaara sapna hai kya, Janaab? Itna sundar koi asal zindagi mein lag sakta hai?”

“Makkhi ghus jaayegi. Muh band kar.”

His jaw closed. “Hum… Hum baat karke aate hain.”

“Jaldi dafaa ho”, Karan said.

“Hi, ladies”, Faizi said, smiling at the three cadets.

“#Looking good, Sir”, Chitra said.

“Thank you.”

Suman ji tugged on Chitra’s room. “Aa jaa, Chitra. Suman ji tujhe ek cheez bataati hai.” She smiled at Faizi before dragging Chitra away.

“Hi”, Koel said.

“Waise toh aap hamesha hi achhi lagti hain, mahutarma”, Faizi said. “Par aaj? Kuchh zyaada hi achhi lag rahi hain.”

She smiled a little. “Usually, aap okay okay toh lagte hi hain. Aaj…” She looked him up and down. “I suppose, theek hi lag rahe hain.”

He chuckled in surprise. “Bas theek? Aise dil mat todho humaara.”

“Chalo, aapka dil rakhne ke liye, main keh hi deti hoon ki aap achhe lag rahe hain”, she said.

“Humaare dil ki bahut fikar hai aapko”, Faizi said, keeping a hand on his chest. “Hume achha laga.”

Koel chuckled. “In all honesty, aap achhe lag rahe hain.”

“Thank you. Humaari saari mehnat safal hui yeh sunkar.”

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Sanju fiddled with the sleeves of her jacket. She leaned against the counter, looking around the room that was bustling with people. She sighed for the umpteenth time, tapping her fingers against the counter.

‘Hum aisi cheezon mein kaise phas jaato hain?’ She thought. She glanced around the room again. ‘Aur yeh Siddharth kahan hogo? Abhi tak aayo naa?’

“Hello there”, Siddharth’s voice said.

She looked up, a small smile spreading on her face. “Tu kidhar tha? Party ka time toh pehle ka tha.”

He grinned. “Aapne mujhe miss kara?”

She crossed her arms. “Hum kaahe ke laane tujhe miss karenge?”

“Fair enough”, he said, shrugging. “Waise… aap yahan akeli side par kyun khadi hain? Party toh wahan chal rahi hai.”

“Hume yeh sab naa pasand.”

“Phir aap poori raat mere saath reh lo”, Siddharth offered. “I promise main aapko bore nahi hone dunga.”

“Achha? Kaise?”

He grinned. “Aap mujhpar doubt mat kijiye. I can be very entertaining.”

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Karan stifled a yawn, glancing at his watch. It was broken. It showed only 30 minutes had passed since he had come. He had been there for hours.

‘Faizi Koel ke saath busy hai’, he thought. ‘Mujhe yahan akela chodh diya.’ He sighed. He glanced around the room. ‘Sanju kahan hai? Woh bhi bore ho rahi hogi mere jaise.’ His eyebrows raised. She was happily talking to Siddharth. ‘Yeh kab hua? Yeh dono dost hain?’ He blinked. ‘Meri observation skills kitni buri ho gayi hain.’

The lights dimmed suddenly. A single light flickered on at the entrance, probably from the inverter switching on. Torches of phones were switched on, flashing around.

The door opened.

Karan’s breath caught in his chest, as Monami walked in. She was fiddling with her bracelet, her bright eyes dancing around the dark room. The light from the bulb showered down on her, and his chest tightened more as she faltered a little. She looked like a queen.

The room lit up again, breaking his trance. He looked away, taking a deep breath. He shook his head slightly, turning away. He hit himself mentally, shaking himself out. ‘Get a grip, Karan Shergill’, he thought. ‘Aise kaise dekh raha tha tu use? Usne dekh liya hota, toh kitna uncomfortable feel karti. Get a grip, you idiot.’

Monami smoothed her dress over nervously, fiddling with her hands. “Monu”, Sid said, slinging an arm over her shoulders. He smiled. “Hot lag rahi hai.”

She glanced over her shoulder, finding Sanju hover a little distance away. “Sanju ma’am tera wait kar rahe hain”, she muttered.

“Main unhe bolkar aaya”, he said.

“Nahi, nahi, tu jaa. Unke saath reh.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Bro, tu akeli reh legi?”

“Of course, bro.”

“Monu… are you sure? Tu aise hi toh nahi keh rahi, na?”

“Agar mujhe darr lagega, toh main aa jaaungi tere paas. Promise.”

He nodded. “Theek hai, par aa jaana.” He kissed her forehead. He nodded to the side. “Maine wahan par chocolate ice cream bhi dekhi thi.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?” She sighed happily. “Main khaane ko dekhkar aayi. Okay?” Sid chuckled.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

“Hume toh laga tha aap aayengi nahi”, Faizi said.

Monami looked up from her plate, licking her lips. She shrugged. “Kh-Khaana aur i-ice c-cream tha. A-Academy ke b-boring kh-khaane se ch-change mil r-raha hai, so…”

Faizi laughed. “Aap aur hum zyaada alag nahi hain. Hume bhi khaane ka bahut shauk hai.”

She grinned. She hesitated for a couple of seconds, before holding her fist out. He smiled, bumping his fist with hers gently. “C-Cake ya ice c-cream?”

He hummed in thought. “Hume dono bahut pasand hai, par agar ek choose karna hoga, toh… cake.” She made a face. Faizi chuckled. “Tum ice cream party mein ho?” She nodded her head enthusiastically. “Humaari Ammi ko bhi ice cream bahut pasand hai. Humne unke liye kulfi banaani seekhi thi. Kisi din hum tumhe banaakar khilaayenge.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?” She asked. “M-Mujhe c-cake banana aa-aata hai. M-Main aapke l-liye z-zaroor banaugi.”

“Tumhe cake banana aata hai? Hume toh bas ek cheez aati hai- Kulfi. Baaki hum se kuchh banta hi nahi hai. Humne bahut koshish kari thi, par kabhi utna waqt hi nahi mila.”

“M-Main, M-Mumma aur S-Sid banaate the. B-Bahut saare. Itna s-saare ki h-hum toh kh-khaa bhi n-nahi p-paate the. Phir h-hum s-sab neighbors ko de d-dete the.”

“Kaash hum tumhaare neighbor hote.” Faizi heaved a dramatic sigh, shaking his head. Monami chuckled.

“Faizi, chalo”, Mrs. Batra said, appearing over his shoulder. “Monami, tum bhi chalo. Sab dance kar rahe hain, tum bhi aao.”

She shook her head. “M-Mujhe nahi p-pasand.”

Faizi stood up. “Ma’am, aap aaiye, na? Hume aapke saath dance kare bahut samay ho gaya.”

Mrs. Batra smiled at him. “Abhi aayi. Monami, chalo. Aao.”

She looked at Faizi. He shrugged helplessly. She sighed, standing up. “Ek kaam karo, tum aur Karan dance kar lo”, he said. “Aa jaao.”

“Kya?” She muttered in surprise, just as she was pulled along by Faizi.

“Karan”, Faizi said. “Batra ma’am ka order hai. Tum dono ko dance karna hai.”

“Faizi”, Karan hissed. Faizi lightly pushed Monami towards Karan. He grinned at him behind her back, waving. Karan glared at him, sighing. “Mujhe dance karna nahi pasand”, he said to Monami.

“S-Same p-pinch”, she said, lightly pinching his hand.

He looked down at it. “Did you just pinch me?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Aapko k-kya l-lagta hai? S-Same p-pinch ka m-matlab k-kya h-hota hai? And z-zor se th-thodi naa k-kara hai.” He rolled his eyes. She glanced around. She held out her hand in offer, shrugging.

He heaved a sigh, looking over her shoulder at someone. “Batra Ma’am ke chakkar mein kya kya karna padh jaata hai”, he muttered. He placed his hand over hers. His hand slid over her waist, hers clutching his shoulder. Monami tensed slightly, taking a deep breath as they swayed lightly.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

“Sid, aa jaa”, Koel said, pulling him to the juice bar. “Tu humaari ek argument settle karwaa.”

“Kya hua?” He asked.

“Prem ji ko lagta hai ki woh yeh juice ka glass sabse pehle khatam kar sakte hain, aur Bala aur Chitra ko bhi yeh hi lagta hai. Tujhe kya lagta hai?”

He shrugged. “Simple hai”, he said, grabbing one. “Sab ek ek uthao and…” He grinned. “Chugging competition.”

Suman ji and Koel grabbed a glass too. “One, two, three”, Koel counted, and the six all immediately started drinking, gulping down the liquid.

Sid coughed when he drained the glass, the liquid burning. “Yeh kya tha?” He asked, coughing. “Daaru hai kya yeh?”

“#No way”, Chitra said, coughing. “Karan Sir ne bahut #strict orders diye the not to have alcohol.”

“Bhai ji, itni jaldi piya isliye shayad lag raha hoga”, Bala said.

“Jeeta kaun?” Prem ji asked.

The six looked at each other. “Dobara karna hai?” Koel asked, grabbing another glass.

Sid shrugged, grabbing one as well. “Chalo.”

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Monami choked on the pasta, gulping down the orange juice quickly.

“Careful”, she heard a voice. She turned her head, feeling a rush of lightheadedness. She blinked a couple of times, before focusing on the man. She frowned. She has not seen him before. He sat down in the seat opposite her, offering her a smile. “Hello.”

She smiled politely. “Hi”, she muttered.

“Main usually itna straightforward nahi hota, par tumhaare jitni khoobsurat ladki ko dekhkar mujhse control nahi hua”, he said.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “K-Kya h-hume mile h-hue hain?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I am Abhi. Special Agent. Kabhi tumhe pehle dekha nahi. I assume tum ek cadet ho?” She nodded. “C-Can I g-get you a-another d-drink?” He asked, gesturing to her now empty glass.

“No, th-thank you.”

“I insist.”

She shook her head. “E-Excuse me. I n-need to g-go to the b-bathroom.” She stood up, smoothening her dress up with her hands. She quickly moved out of the room, shaking her head in disbelief.

‘Shouldn’t Special Agents be good at taking hints?’ She thought, shaking her head. The world swayed a little and she stumbled on her feet. She lifted a hand to her aching head, shaking herself a little. ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai?’

She opened the door to the bathroom, quickly doing her business. ‘Itna juice nahi peena chahiye tha. Pet dukh raha hai. Zyaada bhar gaya. Bahut saara khaana kha liya’, she thought idly as she washed her hands. She smiled a little. ‘Par achha tha. I liked it.’ She dried her hands, before pushing the door open.

She gasped in surprise, stumbling back when she came face to face with the special agent. What was his name again? She frowned. “Aap yahan kya kar rahe ho?” She asked. “Aap mera peechha kar rahe ho?”

He blinked a couple of times. “Are you drunk?”

“Paagal ho gaye ho kya? I don’t drink. Aur waise bhi, yahan par alcohol thodi naa hai”, she said. She jabbed a finger in his chest, stumbling slightly. “Don’t change the topic. Aap mera peechha kar rahe ho?”

“Of course not”, he said. He eyed her. “Tum theek ho?”

She nodded. “Haan.”

He gestured to her head. “Tumhe yeh chot kaise lagi?”

Her hand flew to her temple, touching the medical tape lightly. “Main gir gayi thi”, she muttered. “Thode din pehle.” She held up a hand. “Aap mujhse door raho. I don’t want to talk to you, please.” She tilted her head. “I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just wanna…” She stumbled slightly. “I just wanna… uh…” What did she want again? “Haan, stay alone.”

“Are you sure tum akele reh logi? Main tumhe tumhaare kamre tak chodh aata hoon. Or I can find a friend?”

She scowled. “No”, she said. “No. Main akele reh logi. Jao, na?” She whined. She stomped her feet childishly. “Go!”

“Okay, okay”, he said, holding up a hand. “I’ll go.” He hesitantly went back to the party.

Monami sighed happily. “Ab khaana toh bahut saara khaa liya. Ab party mein waapas jaakar kya faida? Main yahin reh leti hoon.”

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

“Sir ji, aur kitna waqt rukna padego?” Sanju asked.

Faizi chuckled. “Jab tak Siddharth ke saath thi, tab tak toh koi complaint nahi thi.” He flicked his eyebrows up. “Dosti ho gayi?”

She shrugged, nodding. “Boranta hai, par bura naa hogo.”

“Orange juice?” He asked, grabbing a glass and holding it out to her. She sighed, accepting it. He took another glass, taking a sip. He paused, looking into the drink. He glanced at Sanju, who was staring at her drink too, as if it had offended her.

“Sir ji… hume aise lag raho hai is mein daaru hai.”

Faizi took another sip, holding the liquid in his mouth for a couple of seconds. He swallowed it. “Hume bhi yeh hi lag raha hai.” He glanced around the room for Karan, gaze pausing at their cadets. “Ya Allah. Cadets toh gaye.”

“Karan Sir ji ne band bajaa deni hai”, Sanju muttered. “Hum inn jhingooron ko sambhaalto hain, Sir ji, aap Karan Sir ji ya Batra Sir ji ko jaakar bata dijiye.”

He glanced around the room again, stalking towards Karan when he spotted him. He was leaning against a wall, attention fixed on his phone.

“Karan”, he called, walking closer. The other male looked up, slipping his phone back in his pocket. “Karan, is mein alcohol hai”, Faizi said, holding the glass out.

“Kya?” Karan said, taking the glass. “Maine specially mana kara tha, na?” He took a sip. His jaw clenched. “Saare cadets ko door rakh inse.”

“Too late”, he said. He nodded to the cadets. Karan followed his gaze, eyes widening. Siddharth had climbed up on a chair, swaying to the music.

“What the hell?” He gritted out. “Party over, Faizi. Tu inhe control kar. Main Batra Sir aur ma’am se baat karke aaya. Main yeh tolerate nahi karunga.”

Faizi walked closer to the cadets. He suppressed a sigh, seeing their drunken haze. “Cadets”, he shouted over the music. They looked at him, stumbling into straighter positions.

“Faizi Sir ji”, Bala whined. “Aaj toh party hai. Aap Karan Sir ji ki tarah daant kyun rahe hain?”

“Tum logon ne daaru kyun pi hai?” He snapped. “Tum logon ko pata nahi chalta kisi cheez mein itni saari daaru hai?”

The cadets blinked, staring at him dumbly for a few seconds. Suman ji burst into giggles, and the rest followed. “Faizi Sir ji, humne nahi, lagta hai aapne daaru pi hai.” She pointed to herself. “Suman ji daaru nahi peeti. Suman ji ne aaj tak daaru ko haath bhi nahi lagaaya hai.”

The music stopped. “Everyone”, Colonel Batra’s voice boomed through the microphone. “Party is over. Special Agents, jo… jo sober hain, sab baakiyon ko safely unke rooms mein guide karein.” His voice was low, almost gritty and Faizi almost winced in sympathy. It was hard to anger or offend Colonel Batra but it wasn’t pretty once you’ve done it. Good luck to the caterers.

“Party itni jaldi kyun khatam ho gayi?” Siddharth slurred. “Abhi toh party shuru hui thi. I wanted to dance. Maine toh abhi tak Monu ko dance karne ke liye bhi nahi convince kiya.”

The rest burst out laughing, giggling and snickering. “Monami aur #dance?” Chitra said. “Woh bhi #just you and her? Woh toh #Batra ma’am ke bolne par bhi, sirf khadi ho gayi. Karan Sir bhi! Phir bhi #hot couple. Woh saath mein khade hue bhi #hot lagte hain.” She fanned herself.

‘Yeh Monami kahan hai?’ Faizi thought, looking around. ‘Yeh kahin uss spy ka kaam toh nahi?’ His eyes widened, and he looked around the room.

“Faizi, ensure kar sab cadets room mein sahi salaamat pahunch jaaye”, Karan said, appearing over his shoulder. “Sanju bhi baaki sab ko rooms tak chodh kar aa rahi hai.”

“Chodh kar aa rahe hain, ya patak kar?” Prem ji said, laughing again.

“Karan, Monami kahan hai?” Faizi muttered lowly. “Hume kahin nahi dikh rahi woh.”

His eyes flicked around the room. “Cadets, Monami kahan hai?”

“Woh washroom gayi thi shayad”, Koel said, pointing to the door. “Maine bahar jaate dekha tha use. Aur phir waapas hi nahi aayi.” She giggled. “I think woh washroom nahi gayi. I think woh bhaag gayi.”

“#Cinderella. Party khatam hone se pehle #bhaag gayi”, she said, giggling. “Par #Prince Charming kaun hai?”

“I’ll go and check”, Siddharth said.

“Rajkumaar dhoond rahe ho Monu Madam ke liye?” Bala asked.

Siddharth facepalmed. “Nahi, Bala G bro. Rajkumaar nahi, Monu! Monu ko dhoondna hai. Main hi gadha hoon. I should have kept an eye on her. Woh darr jaati hai aise public mein.”

“Tum sab jaao aur so jao”, Karan said. “Main Monami ko dhoondkar uske room tak use chodh aaunga, Siddharth.”

“Yes, sir”, he slurred. He held up a finger. “One request? Please uska dhyaan rakhna. Woh shayad darr gayi public mein. She gets really sad. Main usko sad nahi dekhna chahta.” He smiled a little, clutching his chest. “She’s very close to my heart. Nahi, nahi, woh mere heart mein hi rehti hai. She’s my best friend.”

“Aww”, Chitra cooed. “#Friendship goals.”

“Faizi, help kar inki. Main Monami ko dekhta hoon”, Karan said.

‘I just hope woh theek ho’, Karan thought, wandering towards her room. His steps halted. She was sitting on the floor in the middle of the corridor. He sighed slightly. “Monami.”

She looked up, twisting her body to turn towards him. She offered him a toothy grin. He sighed again. She was drunk too. “Hi”, she said, waving enthusiastically.

“Yahan kyun baithi ho?” He asked. “Utho.”

“Iss tile mein kitne spots hain”, she said, “woh count kar rahi hoon.” She patted the spot next to her on the floor. “Aao. Aap bhi count karo.”

“Monami, utho.” He gestured her up. “Up. Monami, I said up!”

She made a disappointed noise, pushing herself up to her feet. She stumbled slightly. Karan clutched her arm instinctively. She shot him a bright smile.

“Chalo apne kamre mein.”

Her smile dropped. “Nahi”, she said, stomping her foot. “Mujhe nahi jaana!”

“Monami”, he said sternly.

“Main nahi jaungi. No!” She whined.

Karan heaved a sigh. He bent down, picking her up. She gasped in surprise, before bursting into a fit of giggles. She looked at her feet, before smiling and kicking them up and down in the air. Karan sighed, shaking his head as he carried her back.

“I like this”, she said. “Aapne mujhe aise doosri baar uthaaya hai. Second time. Pehle, jab aapne mujhe rope par se girne se bachaaya tha. Aur doosri, ab.”

“Doosri nahi, teesri”, he corrected. “Jab tumhe locker room mein chot lagi thi, toh bhi main hi utha kar lekar gaya tha.”

“I like being carried”, she said, relaxing in his arms. “Aapko pata hai? Mujhe logon ko hug karna, unke paas rehna, kitna zyaada pasand tha?” Her smile dropped. “I… I miss that. Bina dare kisi ko zor se hug karna. I miss that. Main sirf… sirf Sid ke saath karti hoon ab woh.”

“Aisa kya hua ki tum itna darti ho?” He asked. He pushed the door of her room open with his back, hitting the light switch on with his elbow. He gently placed Monami down on her bed. “Bolo?”

“Mere saath… kuchh hua”, she whispered. “Maine kuchh… kuchh dekha.” She hugged her knees closer to herself. Her eyes welled up with tears. “Bahut saal pehle. Par jo hua, jo… jo dekha, jo mehsoos kiya, use… use bhool nahi paa rahi.” She looked at him. “I want to forget. I… I want freedom. Iss darr se, inn… inn memories se j-jo mujhe h-hamesha haunt karti hain, iss… iss weakness se. I don’t want to be weak anymore. I want to be free.”

His chest tightened. Her tears dripped down, as if they were raindrops racing down on a car’s window. Her wide eyes stared into his, horror shining in them. He reached forward, his thumbs hovering over her cheeks. He hesitated. She sniffled, wiping her tears and he let his hands fall back down.

“Ek sherni rehti hai aapke andar, Rani Sahiba. And ek sherni bahut kuchh hoti hai, par weak nahi. Sherni ki ek dahaad se sher bhi darr jaata hai. Aap apne andar ki sherni ko chhupa kar rakhti hain, apne paas, logon se door. Jis din aankhein uthaakar, nazre milaakar, apna jazbaa dikha diya, na, achhe acchhon ki aankhein neeche ho jaayengi.”

Her gaze lifted. Her wet eyes closed in a long blink. She opened them. “You really think so?”

“I know so. And I know, ek din log tumhe salute karenge aur dushman tumhaare saamne apni aankhein jhukaayenge.” He lifted his chin. “Yeh mera vaada hai tumse. Main tumhe utna confident banaunga, utna kaabil banaunga. I promise.”