Part 10
~~ Within few minutes after picking up Sukriti from her Apartments Rahul's car reaches the wedding avenue and all of them get out the car to go inside where noise of celebration and chatter was coming from. With tea lights decorated at the front door and the canopy style decoration for the roofing, the place looked elegant and magnificent under the black night's skies.~~
Muskaan: Rahul itnay saray loog? (she asks nervously stopping herself from moving ahead with Suku who had already reached the door with one of her friends much ahead of Rahul and Muskaan)
Rahul: Muskaan shaadi hain loog toh hongay na…come on…
Muskaan: Nahi Rahul ajeeb sa lagay ga…
Rahul: Kya ajeeb sa lagay ga?
Muskaan: Rahul I hardly go to these kinds of events…Armaan kabhi mujhay apnay saath yun kahein la kay nahi jata tha…
Rahul: Per Armaan toh yahaan hain he nahi…. (he says abruptly not thinking at first but the second later he regretted saying that as Muskaan looked up at him surprised) I…I didn't mean that….
Muskaan: (faintly smiles looking at the obvious guilt in Rahul's eyes) Nahi…it' fine… Main bus yunhi…I should be the one saying sorry…kabhi kabhi bhool jati hoon kay voh abb meray saath nahi hain…
Rahul: Hey…no sadness…please…(he lifts up her chin a little and smiles at her)
Muskaan: (smiles back giving her upcoming tears a chance to stay back and away)
Rahul: Hmmm…that's more like it…bus abb apnay cehray se yeh muskaan kabhi nahi jaanaay dena…aur hosakay toh tohdi si aur wide smile kar lay na…you know if you like…
Muskaan: (laughs at his cute comment) Hmm theek hain…abb chalay warna Suku preshaan hojaye gee…soochay gee hum uskay chor kar waapis ghar chalay gaye…
Rahul: Nahi…ussay meray na honay ka ehsaas tub tak nahi hoga jub tak voh shaadi mein aaye sarey guests say achay say baat nahi kar layti aur unkay jaany kay baad usay ghar lay janay waaley koi nahi milta…(he says while moving ahead as Muskaan walked next to him.)
Muskaan: Rahul tum aur Suku kabhi nahi badlo gay….
Rahul: Shayad…voh hain he aisi kabhi na badalnay waali…
Muskaan: (laughs but as she is walking she trips over something on the road and Rahul rushes ahead and supports her by hold her hand and gripping her shoulder)
Rahul: Araam se Muskaan…(he worriedly looks at her)
Muskaan: (closes her eyes as she was sure she would land on the ground but hearing Rahul's voice and concern in it she opens her eyes slowly while supporting her weight on rahul who is looking at her)
Rahul: Are you okay?
Muskaan: (realizes his grip on her hand and shoulder, she tries to support herself on her own again) Umm…uh…voh…I am sorry…
Rahul: (letting go of her hand slowly) Nahi it's fine…Per kya tum theek hoon? Is the baby okay?
Muskaan: (realizes that it wasn't just her who she had to be careful for) Haan…voh…
Rahul: Muskaan please you have to be careful in these days…aur agar kabhi bhi balance loose karnay lagay toh I am next to you…mujhay support kay liye use karliya karo…
Muskaan: (looks a little flushed) Haan…voh bus… yeh shoes…mujhay heels nahi pehni chiyay thi…
Rahul: It's okay abb ander jaakay bus araam se beht jana okay…
~~They both enter the wedding as a lot of different people greet Rahul and Muskaan to the reception upon their entrance. They invite them inside and seat them at a table not far from the stage where the bride and groom were situated. Some people at the wedding look at Muskaan a little differently as they knew her as Mrs. Armaan Malik. She was never very social or formerly introduced by Armaan. As in every society there were some sharp eyes that questioned her appearance at the wedding with the respectable, successful, and a good-looking doctor Rahul of Sanjeevani. She politely smiled and tried to overlook the obvious mummers that women around were whispering. She was there for Rahul's sake as this was just for him and his generosity that he had shown towards him and it didn't matter to her what others were saying at the moment as Rahul and Suku were both delighted to have her as company.~~
Suku: Arey Muskaan, Rahul tum dono yahaan behtay hoon per kyun?
Rahul: Yeh Kaisa question hain…Shaadi hain enjoy kar rahay hain issi liye yahana per behtay hain….
Suku: Uff oh Rahul tum toh bahut boring hoon…
Rahul: Excuse mein atleast tumhari tarah kabhi idhar toh kabhi udhar nahi hoon puri shaadi mein…
Suku: Hmmph! Voh sub main nahi jaanti…chalo Muskaan tum meray saath chalo mein apnay fellow interns aur friends se tumhay introduce karati hoon… (she sayd taking Muski's hand)
Rahul: Aik minute…Aik minute….(he stops her)
Suku: Abb Kya hogaya…?
Rahul: Suku voh Muskaan ne abhi kahna nahi kahya hain…aur please iss condition mein tum ussay yun puri shaadi mein lay kar ghoomo gi…it's not safe… (Muskaan looks over at him as she is completely touched by the care in his tone)
Suku: Hmmm..yeh toh tum theek keh rahay hoon…acha abb main kay karo…?
Rahul: Tum apni friends ko yahaan lay aoo thodi der mein…Muskaan tab tak Kahna bhi kahlay gee aur tum tumhari friends se issay introduce bhi kara dena…theek hain…
Suku: (smiles and hugs Rahul) Wow tum smart hogaye ho meri company mein reh reh kar…Thanks for the idea…doctor Rahul…
Rahul: Oye! Theek se raho yahaan kissi intern ne dekh liya na toh phir kahay gay kay intern aur resident ki dosti ki wajah se main tumhara hospital mein favor karta hoon…
Suku: Oh haan..okay..(she stands up staright) Acha abb mein chalti hoon mujhay dulhan kay pass jana hai…kitni sunder lag rahi hain na…?
Rahul: Hmm jao…acha aik batao yeh avenue kaisa hain?
Suku: Kyun?
Rahul: Nahi maine soocha tumhari aur Karan ki shaadi kay liye yahi pe booking karaloon…(he winks at her while Muskaan just watches them shaking her head and smiling)
Suku: (blushes) Umm..yeh…avenue…
Rahul: Batao na kara do book?
Suku: Rahullllllll….mujhay kya pata Karan se he pooch loon…voh behta hain na Boston mein… (she runs away from there while Muskaan and Rahul both laugh at her shyness upon Karan's mention.)
Muskaan: Karan Suku ka?
Rahul: Finace hain…3 saal se…
Muskaan: wow…bahut pyaar kartey hain aik doosrey se…?
Rahul: Hmm….college days say…actually dono he bahut intense lovers hain…aik doosray kay bina aik pal nahi reh saktay thay…graduate kartay he dono kay parents ko pata chal gaya aur inn dono zidd pakar lee kay engagement kiye bina agay nahi pahray gay…phir parents ne finally engagement kardi aur Suku med school aur Karan masters kay liye Boston chala gaya…per pyaar waisa he raha….
Muskaan: Bahut kam hotey hain aisey loog jinka pyaar fasloon ka muhtaaj nahi hota…dur reh kar bhi dono aik doosray se kitna pyaar kartey hain yeh Suku ki ankhoon mein saaf jhalakta hain…
Rahul: Haan lakin pyaar kabhi bhi kissi bhi cheez ka muhtaaj nahi hota…pyaar sirf pyaar hota hain…agar saacha pyaar ho toh…
Muskaan: Tumhay kabhi kissi se pyaar nahi hua?
Rahul: (looks at her instantly with an unreadable emotion visible in his hazel eyes)
Muskaan: Kya hua?
Rahul: Nahi kuch nahi…bus tumharay sawaal ka jawab dhoond raha tha…
Muskaan: Dhoond rahay thay?
Rahul: Hmmm….
Muskaan: Iska Matlab kay pyaar hua hain…
Rahul: Haan shayad…
Muskaan: toh phir kuan hain voh…
Rahul: Hain aik… mujhsay bahut dur per dil kay utnay he kareeb…
Muskaan: Chalo dil kay kareeb hain toh phir theek hain…aur tumne abhi khud he toh kaha tha kay kay saacha pyaar kissi ka mujhtaaj nahi hota…
Rahul: (Smiles) Acha baatein bahut hogaye abb tum yahaan behto main tumharay liye kahna lay kay aati hoon…theek hain…
Muskaan: Main saath chalti hoon na…
Rahul: Nhai bilqual nahi…Yahi behto..please… aur I promise sara kahna lay kay aooga…
Muskaan: (smiles) Theek hain…mujhay aur baby dono ko bahut bhook lagi hain…
Rahul: Bus yun gaya aur yun aaya…(he says and leaves her sitting there looking around)
~~As Rahul disappears in the midst of the crowd at the wedding Muskaan is left alone looking around at the party and the guests in it. Seeing her alone and vulnerable the sharp and cunning women at the party make their way towards her table and form a circle near her so that the conversation that they are having could be clearly heard by Muskaan.~~
Women 1: Dekha na appnay Mrs. Shashi…Kaisey Mrs.Malik ajj Rahul Garewal haan vahi jo sanjeevani mein doctor hain…usskay saath shaadi mein aaye hain?
Mrs. Shashi: Really Mrs. Gupta? Kya keh rahi hain app…Mrs Armaan Malik ki baat kar rahi hain na app? (muskaan looks up at the name and feels uncomfortable upon the sharp and cunning comments that are stabbing her heart like a knife)
Mrs. Gupta: Hmmm vohi toh…Itnay achay aur well off businessmen ki wife iss tarah apnay app ko society mein represent karay gee kabhi soocha bhi nahi tha…(Muskaan feels her cheeks turning red with embarrassment and her tears reappearing in her deep eyes.)
Women 3: You know mine bahut baar logoon ko Mr.Malik kay temperament kay baarey mein baat kartey suna hain per jiski wife ka character he kahraab ho usko koi blame kaisey kar sakta hain…
Mrs.Gupta: I know you are absolutely right Mrs.Roshan…and to be honest Mr.Malik deserved so much better than that middle class dirt worth of girl… I mean just look at her play with the lives of not one but two men…poor Dr.Rahul doesn't even know what a nasty girl she is…
At this comment it was extremely hard for Muskaan to control any of her tears and she begin to cry terribly. Every single comment echoed in her mind and their evil looks only further her pain and suffering. She could take on her insults but insulting her friends and the pure relation she shared with Rahul was too much for her to endure. She got up from the table and rushed outside. Forgetting the place she was at and whom she had came with, she ran down the dark street alone for as long as she could in a condition like hers. Her tears fell freely from her eyes and soon she could feel her feet ache with pain, her heartbeat was growing faster at each step she took, her head begin to spin, and she was in the middle of the road alone this late at night.
Back at the party when Rahul returns with Muskaan's food in his hand and he is shocked to see that Muskaan is not where he had left her. He puts down the food thinking maybe she had to go to the restroom or something. But upon no sign of her return after good 10 minutes he gets worried and gets up to look for Suku to see if Muskaan's disappearance has anything to do with her. He finds her talking to some people and so he politely excuses her from them and takes her to a corner to ask about Muskaan's whereabouts.
Suku: Kya hua Rahul? Itne preshaan kyun ho?
Rahul: Suku voh…voh Muskaan…muskaan ko dekha hain tumne…? (he asks worriedly)
Suku: Nahi..kyun? kahan hain voh…tumharay saath he toh thi…
Rahul: Haan per main jub kahna lay kay vaapis aaya toh vahaan nahi thi…
Suku: its okay Rahul don't worry main restroom mein dekh kar aati hoon voh yahi kahein hogi… (she leaves and as rahul runs his hnd through his hair in tension he begins to look around for her but he can't seem to find her anywhere.)
~~ Back on the road Muskaan is having a terrible time as her head is spinning due to weakness and she is loosing her balance. She had already dropped her hand bag somewhere on the road that held her cell phone and wallet so she has no way to reach for help. Walking to a side she finds her self leaning against a tree for support. With no one around to give her a helping hand Muskaan falls against the tree in weakness as headlights from the far end of the road approach her.~
Precap: Is Muskaan Okay? Will Rahul Find her...?
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