Chapter 10

Thenight passed by like a storm….that destroyed many hearts…..killed manyshould….. 

Nextmorning…. 

"Kyabakwaas hai!", he stormed into her room fuming….

Hestood still by the door, staring at her, as she stood wearing a stunning lightyellow Lehnga. Glamorous! 

…..buthis brows arched in a frown….he didn't smile….didn't nod….he didn't like itwhen she dressed up so gorgeously…..his wrists in a tightening knot….

 "Kya?Tum khush nahin ho?"

Somethingin her tone and expression made him hit the wall, and suddenly rush up to herand hold her elbows tightly…..his fingers and her elbow turning pale inpressure…..

"Tujaanti hai….", but before he could complete…..

………shestared back at him…..with fire filled intensity in her innocent burning redeyes…..

"Haan!" 

…….hestared back at her trying to catch her gaze, which she decidedly fixed on thenearby window…….. 

Hwsighed and shook her free with a violent push, as she was thrown behindcolliding with the dresser…….

Heshot that last gaze at her……….murderous, disapproving, angry,interrogating……pleading…….

………andstormed out of her room…..

Shewas expecting this…..but bearing it was different……but she was too bruised tofeel any more pain…..she stood there……like a statue…..gazing at the door thatbanged shut…… 

'CR A S H!'………..somewhere, in the house…….a glassware had broken………orsomeone broke it!  

Theafternoon was scheduled for the Poojas, and the happenings of the previousnight had reached all the friends. The happy gang that took over the entiremansion yesterday, was quiet…..confined to their rooms…..

Nainadressed her friend for the ceremony, choosing between various shades of make-upand different designs of jewelry….that was her wedding gift for the two….theirtrousseau….she had gotten it specially designed.

"Naina" 

Shewent on choosing her bangles….

"Naina….tuyeh….", Pooja was sitting in her blue Lehenga, looking at a stunning Naina, whostood behind dressing her…..

"……jhumkepehnegi….yah yeh crystals achhe hain?", she asked holding up two pieces ofjewelry…..clearly indicating that she didn't want to answer. 

Butshe knew that approach didn't work with her friends. 

"Yehmazak nahin hai…..", a tear shone in her eye. 

Nainaquickly put Pooja's tikka on her forehead, and avoiding her gaze turned to goaway…..Asshe reached the door, she halted for a second, and gave out a distorted hollowlaugh without looking at Pooja. 

"Yehmazak nahin hai", she gave a painful smile, "…..aur na hi meri zindagee……"

Poojafor the first time went on silent mode….she really didn't have anything toanswer to that…..she was in her bridal attire, speechless……in pain…… 

TheGanesh Pooja was in full swing. As usual Meethi was running around the house inher violet chudidaar, and a long braid. Everyone glancing at a descendingNaina, who was not aware of the attention. Her three friends looking away,quietly. 

Aalekhdeciededly looking at a nearby candle, and then walked away…… 

Yudiscurried away with Meethi……. 

Shewalked up to Huda and stood next to him, smiling at him sweetly…… 

"Nai….."

"Sawalmat poochna Huda", she replied quite emotionlessly, "…..mere paas jawab nahinhai!"

Atear sparkled in those gay eyes. He wanted to go out to some deserted place andscream his heart out. It had taken him five years, and tremendous courage toface her….face her again….. 

Hehad never objected her love for Rajveer…..he could be happy as long as shesmiled……

….butthese five years were as difficult for his as they had been for Naina……she coremore than he could…….his pain….his heartache…..and everytime he heard her voice….hesaw her ……her failing courage….her dying spirits…….his courage failed him…… 

……..Butthis was…..he was not ready for this…..he would never be….he couldn't…..

….hecouldn't witness his heart breaking every minute….he couldn't stand her fallingapart every second….. 

…….thethought threw him into the trauma he managed to survive five years back…..itthreatened him to erupt the violent fight he fought and lost all these years…….

…………..MarryingNaina……was impossible…..for Captain Amardeep Huda!

************************************************************ *

ThePooja had just started. 

Whenshe came in with flowers. She saw him standing in the varandah alone. Someunknown glum eclipsing his already serious face. He was staring at the sun. Directly.She wondered whether his eyes ever hurt. 

Shepassed him with two baskets of flowers, balancing them. He involuntarily helpedher with one of them.

"Mainapna kaam khud karti hoon, Major", she smiled at him, hoping to have hergesture reciprocated. 

Hesilently picked up the basket and was about to walk into the hall, when shesuddenly bent her knew and lowered her head indicating him to put it on herhead. 

Heshock his head a little and mounted the cane basket on her head, his handslightly brushing her silky curls.

Shestruggled and finally balanced one basked on her head, and another beside herwaist, and walked in. 

Somethingabout her stupidly childish arrogance and sparkling eyes, made his lips arch ina little grin.

*********************************************

 "HayeRaam, main to sochya…." 

"Kiwho….vadda officer iska pati hai, hai na?"

"……..paryeh to…..", gossips went on…. 

Meethigrinned hopelessly..she had hardly spoken to Naina, but she felt an unknownbond, to the woman, her brother loved…..immensely……maybe more than she couldever imagine……. 

….butsomething in those gossips made her hopping feet halt abruptly……. 

"……..iskito abhi shaadi hi…."

"Aachha,kisse?" 

"Wo h wahan……wahan….jiske saath khadi hai…." 

"Wo h bhi to army officer hai!" 

"Haanbhai, aajkal di kudiyon nu yahi sab pasand hai….", said one, and the othersgiggled.

"Waisekehna padega, munda bada sona hai…..ekdam gabhru jawan……jat hai suna hai…." 

"Haan…..Amritsarse….." 

Restof the conversation went unheard, as her eyes darted towards Naina…….shestood…..with her little honest smile……..something missing about her persona……asif she lost something a little too precious overnight……… 

…..shestood with…..with…..no….Huda…..

************************************************

 FourHours Back :: 400hrs.

"It'sa COMPROMISE…." 

"Samajhmain aaya…..yah karna hai….." 

"Pyaar?Huh!……Pyaar to door ku baat hai……..dum ghut ta hai mera…….ghin aatihai……..tumse!" 

"AyeLadki, yeh le……..", a photograph was thrust into her hand…… 

"Aapne……..mere…………bhaiyya………..ko……",a pair of blood shot eyes glared at her. 

Dr.RituSingh Shekhawat was in love……… honestly ……….. truthfully……. 

Hermarriage ….. she had realized ……. that night ….. was a terrible mistake …….mistake ………… 

…………..she had married him merely to satisfy her hurt ego …… to win a lost battle …….he was the first and the sole man who hadn't fallen to her charms …..to whomher glamour failed to woo …. 

……andthat over smart girl ….. Naveen's sister ………. took him away ………. Naveen ……… Huh……. his eyes were always interrogating…… even in love …… and in the jail ………..his eyes always asked questions ……… his love intact in them ………. making herfeel like  a …. a …. a smelly vermin …..a bloody ……. bloody traitor! 

…….Traitor …..yes …….that's what she was .. she didn't know, when she started cheating herself …….when did she turn a traitor …….. to her heart …….her soul……….. 

…………she thought she had won him …….taken him from her ….forever …………..Naina had lost…………. 

……….today,5years from that fated day …….she felt she had always lost…….every second……every moment…..of the marriage….she had lost…to Naina..……..she had lost…..lost to Naina….for whom, both Rajveer and Naveen……..killed themselves….their own happiness……

……..and lost Naveen……….who always loved her…………so much that……..no hatred ever appeared in his honest eye ………..after what she did to him …………

 ……..losther dignity…….her pride ………….to a man who could've been a wonderful friend…………. 

………..shethought that Naina would disappear from her….their lives……….she never did………Ritu never saw her……..but she was there…..she felt her……….whenever she saw him…………she had missed…… 

………..she had missed that their love……………..had made her a part of his existence………..she had always been there…………..she had never left…………. 

……and now she had lost the man…….she dearly loved…………..the man who now detested her……….hated her………. 

HondaCity DL3984, rushed at a speed of 110kms on the ghats somewhere outside Kapoorthala, at dawn….. 

……….screeching…….taking sharp scary hairpin turns………….overtaking……….going into one ways……… 

……..eyesred shot…….tears never ceased flowing………….he had yelled at her……….he spoke thetruth……………the first time………..in five long years………..because of her……….. 

……….shecould see everything very clearly………she could see through herself…………….

…………..shewas a compromise….    scrrrrrreeechhh………………. 

shewas not a friend……whoooshh…

she was not a sister….not a wife……….a violent turn……….

…she was never loved….never….by anyone…… 

……………she was a TRAITOR……

S---C---R---E---E---E---E---E---C---H!!!!

The car toppled down the valley………she knew……..it was over…………

……..she closed her eyes……….and two faces flickered before her eyes………..arching her lipsin a smile……

………..she closed her eyes………… 

……..as Colonel Rajveer Singh Shekhawat's car burst into violent flamed…………. 

**************************************************