Congratulations dazzler...

It was the day of the finals of NDC. The stakes were high, so were the spirit and the enthusiasm of the team. After all, not everybody is given a second chance at NDC, and all thanks to their efforts and Taani's excellent debating and convincing skills.

But they were facing with another problem, and that was with Rey. Ever since the canteen fiasco, Rey was totally broken. He did not realise that his action would cause permanent damage to both him and Taani. He tried talking to her and make her believe that whatever he did, was just to make her strong, independent and self-reliant. In reply, she simply told him to stay away from him. He was so not able to digest this fact. This resulted in him losing all his focus and concentration from NDC. To make matters worse, he had not reached the official venue of the finals.

The whole team was worried. Since he was the main dancer of the group, he being totally deviated from the rehearsals was a reason of concern, but not being present on the day of the performance was like adding fuel to the already raging fire. The whole team began to feel a little scared and they began to lose their confidence. But Swayam and Sharon assured them that he will reach.

Even Taani was slowly starting to get worried on not knowing his whereabouts. It was true that she only told him to stay away from her, as she was already fragile at heart after getting to know the truth. She neither had the courage nor the strength to tolerate another heartbreak. In front of him, she acted strong, but the truth was she was missing him badly. His smile, his teasing and his love was heavenly. She badly wanted to be with him, but she convinced herself to send him away from her for her own good.She came out of her thoughts when she heard Sharon speak

Sharon: Humare college ka naam kisi bhi moment announce ho sakta hai, pata nahi Rey kahan par hai.

Nil: Maine uska phone bhi try kiya, par vo utha nahi raha hai.

Everyone got worried. There was hardly any time left for them to perform, and Rey was nowhere to be seen. At that moment, the host announced their college's name. They all looked at each other. Now there was nothing any of them could do. Fortunately, Swayam had observed Rey's change of behaviour from the very beginning of rehearsals, so a back up was prepared. It was decided that if by any chance Rey could not perform, then Swayam would improvise on his portion. After a quick pep talk from Swayam and a group hug, they went to perform.

Thanks to the meticulous planning, their performance went superb. It was so good that the crowd went ballistic when they performed and also they received a standing ovation from the judges. One of the judges even agreed to dance with them. With that, they won NDC on a high note. But they were not that ecstatic, coz their best friend cum group's lead dancer was not there.

After the performance got over, they returned to the green room with mixed feelings, happy that they had finally won NDC, but sad as Rey was not present there for their performance. They all sat down to take some rest when Swayam's phone began to ring. Swayam answered the call, but the network was very bad, so he went out of the greenroom. The rest of the gang began to talk amongst them.

Swayam slowly walked into the green room with a shocked expression on his face. Then Sharon spoke

Sharon: Kya hua Swayam? Itne ghabraye hue kyun ho?

But Swayam was in no condition to speak. Sharon went to him and shook him by the shoulder, asking again what the matter was

Swayam (In a hollow voice): Rey ka accident ho gaya hai.

As soon as he said these words, the whole gang shouted "WHAT?" . At the same time, he heard a file being dropped on the floor. All of them turned around and saw Taani rooted to her place. She had a shocked look on her face, tears brimming in her eyes. She just rushed towards Swayam.

Taani: Ye aap kya bol rahe hai bhai? Rey ka accident?

Swayam: Haan! Phone Rey ke number se tha, lekin policeman ka tha, ye bolte hue ki ye jiska number hai uska accident ho gaya hai, aur kaafi zyaada injured hai.

The whole gang looked at each other with shocked expressions. Then Sharon spoke

Sharon: Kaunse hospital mein admitted hai vo?

Swayam: City Hospital

Without another word, Taani rushed out of the greenroom, a worried look on her face and tears streaming down her eyes. Sharon then spoke to the team

Sharon: Guys, Swayam aur main Taani ke saath jaate hain, tum log sab saath pahunch jaana.

Everyone agreed. Taani sat in the car with Swayam at the wheel. He drove as fast as he could, with Sharon sitting at the back consoling Taani. They made it to the hospital in 15 minutes, thanks to Swayam's fast driving. The rest of the gang also reached shortly.

They went to the reception and enquired about Rey.

Swayam: Excuse me, Mr Reyaansh Singhania kaunse room mein hai?

Receptionist: Jinka accident hua hai?

Swayam: Haan vohi.

Receptionist: Room no 204. Straight through this corridor, first door on the left.

The whole gang rushed there. As soon as they reached the place, Taani peeked inside the room. What she saw made her heart stop. The right side of his face was totally covered in blood. His crisp white shirt had bloodstains all over and he was unconscious. Fresh tears made way out of Taani's eyes. The doctor then came out and spoke to the gang.

Doctor: The accident was pretty severe. The patient has a major injury on his head and a fracture in his left leg. Due to the head injury, he had lost quite a lot of blood and will need a blood transfusion immediately.

Taani: Unka blood group kya hai?

Doctor: O-ve. Quite a rare one.

Taani: Mera blood group O-ve hai. Aap mera khoon lijiye, par unhe bacha lijiye.

Doctor: Thike, aap mere saath andar chaliye.

Taani followed him and lied down on the bed adjacent to Rey's. The nurse inserted a needle in her vein and started the transfusion. Taani was continuously looking at him with tears in her eyes and filled with a feeling of guilt and regret. She then went into a thought process

Taani (thinking): Hey Krishna Ji! Ye kya kiya aapne? Aap mere kiye ki sazaa Rey ko kyun de rahe hain? Vo to sirf mujhe sahi raasta dikhaana chahte the. Haan maana ki unka tarika galat tha, par iraada (intention) to nek (noble)tha! Agar unhe kuch ho gaya, to main apne aap ko kabhi maaf nahi kar paungi. Please unhe bach lijiye! Main unke bina adhuri (incomplete) hun.

Once the transfusion was complete, the nurse called Swayam and told him to support Taani. Also that she had just donated blood; she should have something to eat, otherwise she would become weak. Taani then came out of the room and sat on the bench outside the room. Swayam then told Sharon to take care of Taani while he would go to the cafeteria and get something to eat.

Taani was so much affected by the ongoing events that she just stared blankly. It seemed as if everything just ended. Never had she felt so lonely and empty. This was worse than everything she has ever faced. Worse than being rejected by Rey the first time, worse than being mocked in front of the whole college, worse than her abilities and capabilities being questioned, and the last: Worse than being near yet very far from him.

"REY" was the shriek uttered by Taani and got up startled. She looked here and there, trying to recognize the place. Swayam went to her

Swayam: Hey!! Lie down. Tumhe rest ki zarurat hai.

But she did not lie down. Instead she became panicky and started bombarding Swayam with questions.

Taani: Bhai, Rey kaise hain? Doctor ne kya kaha? Vo thik to ho jaayenge na?

Swayam held her by her shoulders and spoke to her in a loving manner

Swayam: Taani, Rey is fine!! Relax!! Look to your right.

Taani looked to her right. She saw Rey sleeping peacefully. Seeing him like that, she heaved a sigh of relief. But due to the sudden movement, she felt dizzy and swayed a little. Swayam tightened his grip on her shoulders and made her lie down.

Swayam: Now you take rest.

Saying so, he was about to leave when Taani held his hand and spoke in a small voice

Taani: Please aap yahin rahiye. Mujhe dar lag raha hai.

Swayam smiled and sat by her side. He held her hand and caressed her head. Slowly she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

After sometime, Taani woke up feeling better and stronger. The doctor checked her and then spoke.

Doctor: How are you feeling now?

Taani: Much better.

Doctor: Well that's good. And also I want to tell you that your friend Reyaansh is out of danger. Vo jaldi thik ho jaayenge. Maine aapke bhai ko bula liya hai. Aap ghar ja sakti hai.

Taani smiled and nodded. She was about to get down when the doctor spoke again

Doctor: If you do not mind, kya main aapse ek baat bol sakta hun?

Taani: Haan boliye.

Doctor: Lagta hai aapka Reyaansh ke saath koi alag hi relation hai. He was calling your name in his sleep. Lagta hai vo aapse bahut pyaar karte hai.

Taani smiled on hearing this and was about to reply when Swayam came. Taani took his support and they both left the hospital. As soon as they reached home, Swayam took her to her room and made her sit on the bed. He then spoke to her

Swayam: Tum kal Rey se milne aaogi.

Taani: Nahi bhai. Main agar aaungi to kamzor pad jaungi.

Swayam: Taani mujhe nahi pata ki tum dono kya chahte ho. Par main itna jaanta hun ki he loves you a lot. Haan maana ki uska samjhaane ka tarika shayad thik nahi tha, par iske piche intention to dekho. Main bas itna kahunga ki jo karogi, soch samajh ke karna.

Taani smiled and nodded a yes. Swayam hugged her and left for the hospital. After 15 days, Rey pretty much recovered, though his left foot was still bandaged. Though physically he was healing fast, but emotionally and mentally he was in the same state of mind. He wanted Taani back in his life. He already had his heart broken before, and he did not want to lose her as she was always there for him whenever he needed someone to talk to, not as a friend but as a person who was more than a friend.

He went to her house and was about to ring the doorbell when he stopped himself. He thought that if he entered through the door, she will definitely not speak to him. He then decided to use his old way. He went to the pipe nearby her room's window and started climbing. Since his foot was still in a bandage, it began to hurt him, but he ignored the pain and continued climbing till he reached the window.

He looked inside the room, but could not find Taani anywhere. He was about to step inside when he heard a door being unlocked. He hid himself behind the curtain and slowly peeked. He saw Taani entering her room with a red bag in her hand. She went to her cupboard and opened it. Rey was just looking at her when he saw her empty the contents of the bag and putting them in the cupboard. Only when he removed the curtain from his face properly did he realise that she was arranging his photographs in that corner. After Taani arranged it she spoke to herself

Taani: Inki smile kitni pyaari hai. Jab bhi vo smile karte hain to mere saare dukh - dard gaayab ho jaate hain. Unka mujhe tease karna, mujhe hasaana aur mere liye ladna, kaise bhul sakti hun un haseen lamhon ko. Sach bolun to main aapke bina adhuri hun Rey. Sach ye hai, ki main aapse bahut pyaar karti hun. Itna, ki main khud nahi jaanti.

As soon as she said these words, she heard a loud thud and a scream. She turned around to see who screamed and saw Rey near the window, nursing his leg and wincing in pain. She rushed towards him and helped him get up, but as soon as Rey stood, he sat down again due to the pain. Taani could not see him in this state and had tears in her eyes. She put his arm around her shoulders and her arm around his waist and made him stand again. With her support, he limped towards the bed and sat there. She then rushed to get the first aid box.

She then sat near the bed and held his injured foot. While tending to the wound, she scolded him loudly

Taani: Kya zarurat thi aapko khidki se aane ki? Abhi aapki injury thik hui nahi ki bandaron vali harkaten shuru kar diya. Kya samajhte ho aap apne aap ko? Superman? Spiderman? Aap ek common man ho, aur common man jaise behave kijiye. Agar aapko kuch ho jaata to? Aapne ek baar bhi mere baare mein soch ki nahi?

As soon as she uttered the last line, she bit her tongue while Rey looked at her smiling. She then shook her hear, and was about to leave when he held her by her hand. She turned slowly to face him. He pulled her towards him and she fell on his lap, with her hair falling on his face. He pinned her hair back to the ears...she looked at him...she wondered how his gaze turned to a seductive and intense one in fraction of seconds...but as usual got lost in them as her cheeks started their work...they became more red as time passed.

But she came back to her senses and she tried to get up, but found herself locked in his embrace. The more she struggled, the tighter his embrace got and the closer she went to his face. The Rey whispered huskily into her ear, his hot breathe sending shivers down her spine.

Rey: Har baar tumhare baare mein hi sochta hun sweetheart...

As soon as she heard this, she felt tears flowing down her cheeks. Seeing her cry, Rey raised his hand and wiped it away gently. As soon he did that, she started hitting Rey on his chest and spoke tearfully

Taani: Mere bhalai ke liye aapne itna bada step liya. Aapne mujhe hurt kiya. Magar use bhi zyaada aapne apne aap ko aur hurt kiya. Aap mujhse itna pyaar kaise kar sakte ho Rey?

Rey then stood up, cupped her face and gently wiped away her tears. He then spoke to her.

Rey: Kyunki tum mere liye bahut precious ho Taani. Aur shayad agar main tumse baat karta to tum mere baat ko seriously nahi leti. Mujhe laga ki tumhe ek jhatke ki zarurat thi, so maine kiya. Main nahi chahta tha ki tum apne talent ko waste karo.

They then hugged each other. They both wept in each other's arms for quite a long time. They looked into each other's eyes and found themselves and their love embedded there. They might be not speaking verbally, but their eyes did the talking. Then finally Taani spoke

Taani: Promise me Rey, ki aap kabhi mujhse door nahi jaayenge.

Rey: You are my life Taani. I will never ever think about going away from you.

She smiled and hugged him. Finally she found peace and relief. Rey kissed her on her hair and held her tight, promising that he will never let go off her. At that moment, someone cleared his throat very loudly. They turned towards the door and saw Swayam and Sharon at the door. Swayam looked as if he was going to hit someone very hard. This scared both of them and they broke the embrace, but still held each other's hand. Swayam then walked towards Rey and stood in front of him.

Rey (stammering a bit): Swayam, um... listen bro I...

But Swayam just raised his palm as an indication to stop talking. Swayam then turned towards Taani and looked at her hard. Rey just looked way too scared, not for himself but for her.

Taani was also way too scared to see her bhai in this avatar. But a reassuring look from Rey calmed her. She took a deep breath and then spoke to Swayam.

Taani: Bhai, actually I have decided to give this relationship another chance. I love Rey a lot.

Swayam did not say anything but continued to stare at her. Taani sighed and gave up explaining him. Swayam then turned to Rey and spoke

Swayam: Khidki se aane ki kya zarurat thi. Door se bhi to aa sakte the...

Rey at first was shocked to hear it, but then realised what he said. All of them looked at each other and then started laughing hard. Then Rey replied in mock anger

Rey: Saale, agli baar darne ke liye mujhe horror movie dekhne ki zarurat nahi hai. Seedhe tere paas aa jaunga.

Swayam: Bilkul jijaji, main khushi khushi aa jaunga.

Sharon and Taani looked at them in shock, to which Rey replied

Rey: Arre isme shock hone vali kaunsi baat hai. Swayam mera saala hua aur main uska jijaa. Kyun saale saab?

Swayam: Haan bilkul jijaaji.

They both laughed. Then Taani hugged Sharon and spoke excitedly

Taani: Ab to main aapko bhabhi bulaungi...

Sharon: No ways Taani

Taani (in mock puzzlement): Kyun, agar bhai Rey ko jijaji bula sakte hain, to main bhi aapko bhabhi bula sakti hun.

Then Sharon turned to Swayam and spoke to him

Sharon: I am not gonna spare you for this Swayam.

Swayam: Kitne bhi tu kar le sitam, has haske sahenge hum

Sharon: Yeh pyaar na hoga kam

Swaron: sanam teri kasam

All: Ho, sanam teri kasam, sanam teri kasam