the sound of manyata weeping softly beside the bed tortured him... though he did nt stir, did nt speak a word,and pretended to be asleep, he was far frm being so... his heart ached at her soft whimpering.. he understood that she was nt crying loudly in case he wakes up, bt this was intolerable for him. he slowly pushed away his blanket and sat up on his bed... there she was, crounching at the corner of the bed,on the floor,knees tightly clasped to her chest and her face buried in them.. he cud make out clearly frm her shivers that she was crying..only that she was doing it silently..which was soo unlike her...
uday clered his throat noisily.. manyata did nt move... he licked his dry lips and tried to smile.. bt it only resulted in a nasty twist of his mouth and nothing else.. he felt terrible... unable to hold it any longer he called out to her- princess...!!
the whimpering stopped...
uday called out agen- princess..!! soyi nhi aabtak?
manyata turned her head towards him slowly.. uday was shocked to see her face... it was swollen.. red.. and she looked ghastly...
he quickly got down and walked round the bed to be by her side... she turned away frm him and wiped her tears- tu bhi to soya nhi...
uday- nhi... hum so gaye the... par... he lied..
manyata- oh... sorry yar... wo kuch nhi...bas... maa ki yaad aa rahi thi...
uday- komal aunty ki?
manyata- hm..
uday- tum humse jhut bol rahi ho princess? tume komal aunty ki nhi.. kisi aur ki yaad aa rahi hain.. hain na?
manyata- kya adhi raat ko bakwas kar raha hain...? ek to main itni pareshan hu.. aur tu...
uday- dekho princess agar tum is wajese pareshan ho ki tumhe ghar se nikal diya gaya hain... aur tumhare pass rehne ki koi jagah nhi hain.. to woh prblm to humne alredy solve kar diya hain.. tum jitne din chahe yahan reh sakti ho...koi tumse kuch nhi kahega yahan... par princess.. hume tumhari aankhon mein ansu bardasht nhi hoti... he wiped away her tears and made her look into his eyes... manyta stared at him for a while and then smiled- its okay yar... aab so soja... ja.. jakar soja...mujhe kch der ke liye akela chod de ...
uday sighed bt did nt get up...
manyata- kya hua? tu ja na...
uday- nhi... hum tumhare pass hi rahenge princess...
manyata- abey..plzz.udayveer mere dimag ki dahi mat kar... ja tu yahan se... she startedto push him...- tu jana.. yar plzzz.. mujhe aur pareshan mat kar.. main thak chuki hu... a cry escaped her lips and immediately uday put his arms around her and pulled her towards him... without saying a single word, she clasped him tightly,hid her face in his chest and poured out all her frustrations,emotions, pains and everything in his arms... uday felt as if his own heart will burst with her outburst bt he kept really still and cntinued to stroke her hair...
he thot in his mind- manyata hume maaf kar do...hum zimedaar hain tumhare iss halat ke liye... agr humse kuch bhi ho sakta tha.. to tumhari muskurahat ko wapas lane ke liye hum woh sab karte...lekin... hume maaf kar do... hum akash ko wapas nhi la sakte... uski maut ke sath sath humne tumhe bhi mar dala hain manyata.. hume maaf kar do...
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