(EPISODE 74 on Pg 146)Do Dil Ek Jaan ..ek baar phir - Page 53

Episode 37

Days past like it was not going to end ever, round and round in one loop!! Sun rose everyday spreading her rays to the earth, after the day finished, the moon and starry night brightened the sky, again another new days starts with new hope.

But for antara, there was nothing without darkness. She literally lost her wish to live after that day when she saw her angel's lifeless body. He had left her, alone to face the whole world. Why?!! Why did he do so?!! Why?!! Just because she couldn't recognize him at first?!! Just for that he was giving her that much punishment?!!

Her momma, mummy, noor appa, all were hell worried for him on those days. It felt like they were watching a lifeless doll rather than their bubbly antara, a doll that only moved when was keyed on. The rose from her chicks and pink color of her lips were gone and there was only swollen dead paleness. She had gone thinner and weaker. She didn't talk much with people or mixed up. Just did her regular needy daily works and most of the time she was found in her balcony looking towards the veranda terrace of naik sadan. Her gloomy eyes with silent tears observed the empty cot, the punching bag and other gym accessories, his belongings and his clothes hooked on the rope and waving slowly in the wind. The wind touched his clothes and waved them madly in the wind and that wind rushed towards her ruffling her hairs. Antara closed her eyes as the wind brought his scent to her. He was not there anymore. He would never irritate him with his teases and bad jokes, whenever she would come at balcony he would never look at her with his huge innocent grin, scratching his hairs cutely and with those gleaming baby brown eyes, whenever she would be in danger he wouldn't come to save her like always, when she would be shattered and devastated fighting with the cruel merciless world and cry alone in a dark corner of basti, he wouldn't come and take her in his warm embrace saying that it's all fine, he would make everything right. He was gone, with all his presence. That was really hard and painful to believe for her.

Antara never knew that the guy with whom she was so irritated from at first would acquire so much important place in her heart. She never thought that she would cry for raghu some day! Raghu!!.. That ruffian, rude, harsh guy from outlooks with a soft, tender, golden heart inside was really her angel. His angel was near her for all those days, protecting her all that time but she was such a stupid that she didn't get the indication.And when she recognized him, the demon of that cruel world killed him!! he was killed, just for her!! She could never forget that. The guilt was burning her inside slowly. Fine!! Let her fie alone!! Even it was not the appropriate punishment for her.

So many days had been passed after raghu's death. In a tiery evening antara was lying on her bed closing her eyes. she was not sleeping, just avoiding her families worried face for her. They were worried because she literally stopped talking with everyone. She was not even eating properly for some days. She was really not feeling like eating. The foods were not going down her dried throat. She didn't took a single byte of food yesterday. Even in the lunch, she threw her foods secretly. She didn't want to make her family worried for her. She was lying like a lifeless doll on the bed, hairs ruffled all over arround her pale face and shoulder, lips were almost dry and frozen, tears were still welding down under her closed eyelids.

"Oye Miss Kaul!!!" just like his manly voice the wind whispered in her ear. Antara's whole feature jerked up like she got an electric shock. She pooped out her eyes and jumped on the bed. Her gloomy eyes moved everywhere in the empty room just in some vague hope that she could found him in some corner standing in his usual posture, folding his hand near his chest, leaning his body on the wall and looking towards him with his mischievous frown and smirk.

But alas, no one was there. It was just her mere hallucination.

"Raghu!!!..." her painful voice screamed with all her remaining life. But no one answered she quickly slid down from her bed and was about to run towards the balcony, but her weakness made her dizzy and she collapsed on the floor.

Fresh tears rolled down her swollen chicks taking away the remaining color from her face. Raghu was not there!! how could he be?!! she saw his dead body with her own eyes. tears ran down her chicks and the drops fell on the floor. He told her that he didn't like to see her in tears, then why wasn't he coming and shedding her tears like usual?!

:"nahin!! Aisa nahin ho sakta... woo mujhe aise chorke nahin jaa sakta... kabhi nahin...!!" antara said in feeble voice and collecting her remaining little strength. She hold a table and tried to wake up. But her hand stroke a glass made flower vase and it fell down directly on the floor. The vase broke apart in several pieces just like she was shattered. A glass piece pinched on her leg badly and blood oozed out from the wound. Antara didn't even scream or made a little painful sound. That little wound was nothing to compare with the scratch she was containing in her heart. She was already bleeding inwardly and she didn't even care about any blood lost. Antara greeted her teeth and stood up. Her wounded feet pained in process but she ignored. Let raghu see how much pain he was causing her. She would hurt herself more and more until he came and wiped her tears. Her dupatta was fallen on the floor. with wonded feet, ruffled hair, just like a maniac, she rushed towards the balcony imprinting the blood strain on the floor. she stood there and again looked towards his balcony which was covered with darkness. He stood there motionless for a while searching him in darkness over again.

"Raghu!!..." her voice chocked in tears, "bahut maza aa raha hain naa tumhe mujhe iss halat meein dekh kar?!!.. badla le rahe hoo naa mujhse...kyun ki main pahechan nahin payi ki tum hi mere angel ho!!" her conceited voice float in the air but no one answered her back. she broke down at the point.

"wapass aa jao naa raghu!!... dekho naa... tumhari miss kaul ro rahi hain.. tum too mujhe rote huye nahin dekh sakte hoo naa.. too abb kyun nahin aa rahe hoo?!..." she said like a innocent child convincing his miffed friend.

"Tum too humesha mujhe awaz dete the naa... jab bhi main yahan balcony mein aa ke khari raheti thi aur akele rona chahti thi Kashmir ki dino ko yaad karke... tum humesha wahan se mujhe awaz dete the... gussa aa jata tha mujhe... yee larka mujhe akela kyun nahin chorta?!!... aur aaj jab tum se baat kar na chahta hoon.. tum mujhe chor ke chale gaye?!! Kyun raghu?!!!" her heart wrenching cry was enough to even melt a stone. But it seemed like he was far away from her that heer voice couldn't reach him!!"

"achaaa!! Nahin ayoge?!! Nahin baat karige mujhse... fine!! tum nahin aao ge too kya huya... main khud chali jaongi tumhare pass..." antara shived away her tears suddenly and rushed inside the room and get down the stairs. Noor appa rushed towards her as she saw antara running like that. she quickly hold antara's hand, "antara kahan jaa rahi hain tu?!! Aise pagalon ki tarah kyun bartab kar rahi hain?!!" noor appa asked in frustrated voice. antara jerked her wrist to get it free from noor appa's grip.

"Appa mujhe jane doo... woo bula raha hain mujhe... mujhe uske pass jana hain!!!" antara said with crazy eyes.

"Antara shant ho... jaa... kaun bula raha hain tujhe?!!...koi nahin hain samhal apne aap ko.. yee kya... itna sara khoon?!!! Antara tere pair mein to chot lagi hain!!!!" noor appa's breath chocked as she saw the deep cut on her feet. But antara didn't listen to anyone. Jerking out her hand from knoor appa's grip, she rushed outside the house and came on the street. At that moment a huge light fell on her face almost blinding her. with wide hooror stuck face she saw a taxi heading towards her with full speed. Antara rooted to the spot. she couldn't even run and save herself. She just stood there covering her face waiting that car to crash her each and every bone.

The car quickly applied her break and stopped just some inches away from antara. After a long pause and deadly silence, someone opened the back seat of the car and came out. His eyes widened looking at the girl on the street.

"Antara!!!..." the worried fammilier voice seemed like the ray of hope in darkness. Antara felt like her all worry was gone. She opened her eyes and saw Dr Kaul standing near the door of taxi.

"PAPPAA!!!" antara screamed out of her breath, but it was full of joy. With teary eyes and stumbled quick steps, she rushed towards him and hugged him tightly. She broke out and poured her all tears hiding her face on his papa's chest.

"beta beta!!! Be quite... now I am here... everything will be fine antara!!! your pappa is here.." dr kaul hug her back and consoled her.

"pappaa!!.." antara sobbed in feeble voice. her whole feature was jerking up due to outburst, "papaa!! They killed him!! They killed my angel!!!" she said.

"Killed your angel?!! What are you talking about beta?!!" dr kaul asked in confusion.

"pappa!! Raghu!!... They killed him... I know daya naik and satya killed him!!" antara burst out.

"what?!!! DAYA NAIK!!!" Dr kaul's breath chocked when he heard daya mai's name.

"Yes pappa!! He told me... daya naik!!... she also killed raghu's mother and now she wanted to kill her too." Antara lifted her swollen face and said.

"Shhh!! Not here antara... someone will hear our talks... first let's go inside... then I will listen to ur every words..." dr kaul assured her, antara nooded and both of them went inside.

Rohan's house...

The house was perfect place for raghu;s hideout as no one would suspect a reputed doctor like him. So raghu was living at rohan's place without any difficulties.

On the evening rohan was switching the channels and raghu was standing near the window looking towards the dark sky. The stars were twinkling brightly, just like her twinkling hazels. The curved shaped moon was shinning, just like she smiled back to him whenever she met him.

A deep breath escaped from raghu's tightened chest and he closed his eyes to bear the immense pain he was having after getting separated from antara for so long time. He didn't get a single glance of her miss kaul for those days. He badly wanted to go and stood at her front. Burt he couldn't!! Not for himself, but for her safety. He damn cared if satya or daya naik came to know about his survival but his single wrong step would also endanger antara's life too. So he suppressed his ardent wish and living the pain not to see her.

But it was not that he didn't get informations about her. each and every day he called pakiya or chotu to know about antara's whereabouts. They told him that antara was really not well. Her family was so much worried about her. She had literally became mentally drained because she was felling herself guilty for his death. It pained him lot!! So much!!! He couldn't even express how much!! All those days he resisted so many times to call antara because police could get to him tracing his calls. He wanted to ease her each and every pain but he himself was the reason for his pain. How long he had to bear the burden?!!

"ee raghu dekh... aaaj bhi TV pet era khabar aa raha hain... lagta hain policewale aur daya mai bahut miss kar rahe hain tujhe!!" rohan said teasing.

"hmmm!!.." raghu just buzzed. Rohan looked towards him and find him standing near the window.

"oye!! Kya hi gaya hain tujhe... tujhe too party karna chahiye yaar.. uss daya naik aur satya ko thenga dikha kar nikal ayya tu... un sab ko pata bhi nahin tu zinda hain.. par yahan an eke baad se dekh raha hoon tu gumsum, udass baitha huya hain... ho kya gaya tujhe yaar?!" rohan asked in confusion.

"woo roo rahi hain!!" he just uttered a single sentence in low voice.

"kaun?!!" rohan asked in more confusion.

"Antara!!..." he took her name so tenderly and lovingly as if it came out of his soul.

"Antara?!! Ye antara kaaun hain?!!" rohan scratched his head. A small smile crept on raaghu's face.

"haain ek larki... Bahut masum si... Sab samajh mein atti hain ussey par aise dikhati hain jaise kuch samajhti hi nahin... Akeli si, gumsum si.. Mere sath woo hasne lagi thi... aur uski hassi se main fir jeena laga hoon..." he said all those words with so much tender voice, closing her eyes but again his gface saddened, "par apun ne fir ussey ruka diya yaar... bahut dard hota hain... bahut chubta hain jab uski bari bari akhon se woo asoon girte hain.. S**a aisa lagta hain ki dil mein kissi ne cchura maar di hoo..." raghu said gripping his feast.

"Hmmm... aur yee antara hain kahan?!!" rohan asked.

"abhi too apun logon ki basti mein hain..." raghu said.

"kamal hain!! woo wahan basti mein hain.. aur tujhe yahan se pata chal gaya ki woo roo rahi hain.." rohan laughed. Raghu just smiled.

"chor tujhe samajh nahin ayega... tu to bas apne uss chir faar pe man laga..." raghu teased.

"ussey cir far nahin.. surgery kahete hain mere baap... aur waisey bhi inn ajibb si emotional wali batein naa mere dimag ke upar se chal jata hain..." rohan huffed, "par ek baat bata... Yee antara ro kyun rahi hain?!!" he asked.

"S**a... apun ki wajah se..." raghu punchedon the wall, "ussey lagta hain ki uski wajah se apun ki jaan gayi.. halat dekh apni... ussey bata bhi nahin sakta ki apun zinda hain..." his eyes became furious.

"too ussey plan ke barein mein bata dena chahiye tha naa... tab too itni problem nahin hoti..." rohan said.

"Yahin too yaar... woo agar jaan ti too apun ko ye sab kaabhi kaarne nahin deti... dar jati woo.. ussey takleef nahin dena chahta tha.. par dekh akhir mein fir ussey ruka diya..." he said with a big sigh.

"Yaar dekh!! Tujhe pata hain sentimental cheez mujhe samajh nahin ati... par jitna atta hain ussey itna too bata sakta hoon ki uskey liye yahin acha hoga kit u jald se jald ussey bata dey ki tuu zinda hain... yee uske liye bhi acha rahega aur tere liye bhi..." rohan said.

"bata dega... bahut jald bata dega... bas ek mauka mil jayein... ek mauka..." he mumbled looking towards the dark sky.

At basti,

While dr kaul was bandaging antara's feet antara narrated the whole story to him. after listening to everything dr kaul's eyes widened.

"ab aap hi batao pappa.. main apne aap ko kaise maaf lar do...meri wajah se uska khoon ho gaya pappa.. aur main kuch nahin kar sakti..." antara said with chocked voice.

"nahin beta bi bhi kuch nahin bigra hain... uss daya naik aur satya jaise insaan ko hum log aise nahin chor sakte..." dr kaul said with hardened face.

"par hum kya kar sakte hain pappa.?! Woo log bahut powerfull hain!!" antara said worriedly.

"and I think it's time to reveal the trum card..." dtr kaul said.

"trum card?!!" antara asked with a confused frown.

"just wait here antara... now I think it's tome to reveal the secret.. the very secret of cornel singh which I was hiding for so long..." dr kaul said and moved outside of the room. Antara looked towards him with wide eyes. Pappa was hiding something from them? But what... and why???

ps: written by yashvi and editededitting team.