Reminding u abt the last part: It eneded wid Ashna's talk wid Shekhar & her confusion over Adil. And yes, that day isnt over yet.😳😆
Part # 18
In the evening Adil gets back home to take Ashna to the doc's clinic. He was w8ing for her to get ready when Rashi comes to him.
Rashi: Pata hai AB, aapko iss waqt ghar me dekhna is like a wonder!!
Adil: Wo actually Ashna'.
Rashi: (cutting him) Haan haan, pata hai mujhe AB. Aap apni pyari biwi ke khatir daure daure ghar chale aye!! Waise Bhabhi seemed better, wo to pura din ghar me tehel hi rahi thi.
Adil: Wat?
Rashi: Hmm. Unhe na thik hone ki bari jaldi hai, she is really scared of doctors and all.
Adil: I knw that. But to avoid them, she shud have been more careful na. Ab chot ayi hai to doctor ke paas to jana hoga na!! Anyways, errm''Rishabh kahan hai?
Rashi: Mom ke room me!! Jab se Bhaiya aye hain Mom n Dadi kaafi excited hai, aur Bhaiya ke neend se uthte hi dono unhe apne sath le gaye, abhi to saalo ki bakbak kar rahe honge!! (looking beyond Adil) Lijiye, aapki biwi aa gayi AB.
Adil: (turns back) Jaldi chalo.
Ashna: How unthoughtful!! Jaldi kaise chalu? Chot ayi hai na mujhe!! And tum aisa kaise keh rahe the ki I shud have been more careful? Maine jaan bujh ke kiya kya aisa? Tumhe kya lagta hai, mujhe shauk hai khudko chot pohuchane ka? (and she was making faces at the thought that she had to see the doc now)
Adil: (comes closer to her and supports her to walk) Just relax. Its just a doctor and tumhe koi injection nahi dega ok?
Ashna: (looks at him unsurely) Tumpe bharosa kyun karu?
Adil: (he stiffens at the question and then speaks after a pause) Becoz I am talking sense!! Hum bas tumhare pair ki X-ray nikalne jaa rahe hai, isme injection ka koi kaam nahi hai. That's called common sense, u get that? Abhi pls thoda jaldi chalne ki koshish karo, kyunki mere phn karne ke bawjud tum adhe ghante me tayyar nahi ho saki and wasted enough tym!!
Ashna: Arre, normally adhe ghante me main tayyar ho jati, lekin chot lagi hai mujhe, isliye der ho gayi. Lekin tumhe kya, tumme aisi common sense kahan hai? Bas bakwas ki sense hai jisse tum common sense kehte rehte ho.
Adil: I got it Ashna!! Mujhme bilkul common sense nahi hai, khush? Abhi sambhalke chalo pls.
Now they reach the main door and there were stairs to climb down. Ashna just looks at Adil as to how can she climb down stairs!! Adil looks back at her and then goes to her right side. He slowly scoops her up in his arms and starts climbing down. Adil deliberately avoided looking at her while Ashna didn't say anything, coz she knew she cudnt manage on her own!!
Here Rashi, who was at the door watching her fav couple together, was soon joined by Rishabh!!
Rishabh: Hmm, they look nice together!!
Rashi: Ye aap keh rahe ho Bhaiya?
Rishabh: Stop giving me those looks. Main bas keh raha hu dono ek sath achhe lagte hai, that's it. But I still hate him.
Rashi: Uff, mere samne nahi Bhaiya!!
Rishabh: Yeah yeah alryt!!
Rashi: Waise aap to Bhabhi se mile nahi na?
Rishabh: Actually I did. Wo khud hi ayi thi mujhse milne. Kaafi sweet and friendly hai. Just opposite to him!!
Rashi: Wat do u mean? AB sweet and friendly nahi hai?
Rishabh: Hah, ur question itself sounds like a joke!!
Rashi: Isliye aapse zyada baat nahi karti main. Huh!! Jab dekho AB ki burayi karte ho!! (and she walks away)
Rishabh is just left wid a smirk while he watches Adil closing the car door for Ashna. Soon that smirk is wiped away and he leaves from there after one last look at Adil. Here Adil also turns back but finds none, so he just leaves!!
The visit to the doc went f9. At least on general basis it went f9, as the doc just did the X-ray, changed the bandage and told not to worry!! But for Ashna, it was not at all f9. She was sulking all throughout while Adil pretended that he didn't notice!!
As their car stopped in front of their mansion, Adil first stepped down from the car and helped her out!! Adil then bent down to tell the driver that he will leave in a while so he (the driver) shud w8 there.
Closing the car door, Adil turned towards Ashna and just by reflex, Ashna held up her right hand near his shoulder so that he cud easily pick her up in his arms and climb up the stairs!! But Adil just stared back at her, being quite stunned by her action. His surprised look made her realize what she just did and she suddenly felt conscious, both becoz of her reflexive action and his unblinking gaze!! She immediately dropped her eyes and in less than a second she felt his arms around her and then she was off the ground!!
Adil patiently carried her up the stairs and once again avoided looking at her, while she just tried hard to ignore the 'stupid' warm feeling inside her!!
Helping her till the room, Adil quickly rushes out for his meeting, but not before strictly instructing her bed-rest instead of roaming around the house!!
As Adil leaves the room, Ashna stares at his way. He was extremely caring towards her!! Whether it was for her to take tablets'
I am keeping these here. Take them and dare not do otherwise.
Or when she cut her finger'.
Maine kaha tha na main manage kar lunga'.but no'.u never try to understand what I say'.wat I mean'..
Yes, he was very very caring!! And now she has the hunch that he had followed her to that club back then, just to make sure she was f9. The driver had told that he stopped there for 'some' reason and talked wid sum strayed boys!! May be, she was that reason!! Or perhaps, she wants to be that reason!!
Thinking all this, Ashna gets a faint smile on her face. But suddenly she remembers her first meeting wid him.
Ek baat samajh lo Ashna'..tumhe ghar laut kar apne Papa se kehna hai'.ki tum iss shaadi k liye tayyar ho'.warna main sab kuch barbaad kar dunga'.I will destroy everything'.for u'.and ur father!! Wo chain se marr bhi nahi payenge Ashna'.
A shadow of frown replaces that smile on her face!!
"Why is it so confusing? Uss Adil me aur aaj ke Adil me itna fark kyun lagta hai mujhe? Kya sach me kisi wajah se wo badal sakta hai? (after a thought she seemed lil optimistic) Shayad haan. Shayad Shekhar ne sahi kaha. Shayad kuch wajah logo ko badal deti hai. Lekin kya hai wo wajah? Main kaise samjhu? Main kuch ghalat nahi karna chahti. Lekin sahi ka faisla kaise karu?"
One week passes by. Ashna hadn't gone to office during this while. Adil didn't ask her to join and she also wasn't very eager to work like a maniac. So despite being quite f9, she chose to stay at home and relax!!
In the evening, much contrasting to his usual self, Adil was back at home. Ashna, who was watching sum movie on TV, was rather startled to find him entering the room.
Ashna: Tum sach me ho? (and Adil just gives her a 'wat?' look) I mean, tum abhi ghar pe kya kar rahe ho? Iss waqt to normal log ghar lautte hai, tumhe kya hua?
Adil: (joins his eye-brows) Kuch nahi. Waise abhi to tumhara pair bilkul thik hai na?
Ashna: Haan. Wo to kabka thik...I mean...
Adil: Its ok. Mujhe pata hai tumhe office ana achha nahi lagta!! (and she makes a face at that comment) But its sumthing u have to do, whether u like it or not.
Ashna: Pata hai mujhe. Kal se aa jaungi main, huh!! (and she continues wid her movie)
Adil: Actually, I have sum other plans for you!! (Ashna pauses the movie and looks at him. Adil looks back at the TV and turns to her) Am hoping u have ample tym to hear me out.
Ashna: (switiches off the TV) Ab kaho. Wat "plans" do u have for me?
Adil: I was thinking that u shud handle ur father's company!! (Ashna raises an eye-brow at that) I mean, ur father's ex-company!! Usse ab bhi tumhare Papa ka naam jura hua hai, am sure tum sahi tarike se sambhalogi.
Ashna: Aur tum? I mean, ab tak to uss company ko bhi tum hi sambhal rahe the na?
Adil: Haan, aur ab tum sambhalogi. Tumhare papa ki construction sector me neutral rehna mere ya Shekhar ke liye thodi difficult ho jati hai, due to our long term association wid RGI. Lekin tumhare liye its gonna be f9. Wo tumhare Papa ki company thi, so am sure u r gonna be very gud wid ur acts. And again, from tomorrow onwards, u'll have no association wid RGI. Puri ki puri Sehgal Groups tum sambhalogi, so its gonna be much fair.
Ashna: Par main itna sab kuch akele kaise sambhalungi?
Adil: Tum kar sakti ho, ye sure hone ke baad hi main tumhe ye karne ko keh raha hu. Aur phir tumhe kuch bahut alag nahi karna hai. Construction business ki achhi samajh hai tumhe, so am sure Sehgal Construction ko tum bahut aage le jaogi. Aur rahi baat textile ki, to I can help u wid that initially. Kyunki usme neutrality ki koi baat hi nahi hai, ok?
Ashna: Lekin ye sab changes karne ki kya zarurat hai? Aur rahi baat neutrality ki to tum dono contruction sectors ko merge kar sakte ho, hai na?
Adil: Haa, kar to sakta hu lekin main karunga nahi. Coz that's how I decide it. Tum itna sab kuch mat socho. Mujhe tumhe jitna batana tha maine bata diya. Bas kal se tum RGI pe nahi kahin aur kaam karogi. Hope u wont let ur nostalgia cum in btwn ur work. Aur haan, I am giving u sum signing authorities, jisse ki u can decide for the tenders urself. Usme tumhe mere signature ki zarurat nahi hogi. (and Adil gets up to get changed but Ashna intervenes)
Ashna: Aur koi major decision lena hua to? Usme I need to consult you?
Adil: Yes, Of course.
Ashna: So I just get a partial authority and not the whole of it? Are u sure?
Adil: (confused at her questions) Wats there not to be sure abt Ashna? Main tumhe kuch partial authorities de raha hu becoz I don't want u knocking my door for slightest things!! But of course u cant think I will give it all to u. After all maine bahut mushkil se ye sab tumhare papa se haasil kiya hai, hai na? Why wud I give it away? (he looks at Ashna who still seemed thoughtful) I don't understand, tum itna kya soch rahi ho? Pls don't be nervous and take it easy. Its gonna be f9. (and he leaves)
"Did he just lie to me?"
Ashna was stunned for a while and once again nothing made sense to her. Frankly enough, since a while, nothing related to Adil made a sense to her!!
"Mujhe pura yakeen hai, maine uss file me yehi dekha tha ki mera sab kuch Adil ne wapas mere naam kiya hai. To aaj wo aisa kyun keh raha ki mujhe bas partial authority milegi? Maine to date bhi dekhi thi. It was a recent document. Kya iss ek hafte me usne apna mind change kar liya? Itne rapid decisions?? Wo bhi Adil? Nahi, jo insaan har baat ko lekar itna careful hai, jo chhoti se chhoti baat soch samajh ke kehta hai wo kaise itne hasty decisions le sakta hai?"
Ashna was literally at her wit's end. She just didn't understand wat Adil wanted to do. After her conversation wid Shekhar, Ashna thought Adil might have realized his mistake and he wanted to set things right to a certain extent by giving everything back to her!! But now, things don't seem that simple.
"Its not so simple Adil. Becoz u r not so simple!!"
In sheer frustration Ashna takes the glass nearby and breaks it hard on the floor. Hearing the sound, Adil rushes back to the room.
Adil: Kya hua Ashna? (looks at the broken glass) Ye tumne kiya?
Ashna: Haan. Dil kiya, isliye tod diya!! (she replies angrily)
Adil: (shakes his head & sighs) Its ok. Just relax!! Itna pareshan hone wali baat nahi hai ye. Zimmedariya waqt ke sath badhti rehti hai Ashna. One needs to deal wid it.
Ashna: Main uss wajah se pareshan nahi hu. Am not a naive kid jo zimmedariyon se darr jaye!!
Adil now gets a lil worried. He thought she was nervous abt the whole lot of responsibility. But here she is stressed wid sumthing else & he needed to knw what. Adil quickly cums forward and sits in front of her to have a gud look at her!!
Adil: To phir kya problem hai? (Ashna shifts her gaze on him) U can tell me Ashna.
Ashna: U knw wat Adil, ek problem se problem discuss nahi kiya jata, becoz the problem never tells u the solution. So why don't u just leave me alone and get lost sumwhere!! (she raises her voice a bit as her frustration cums out in the form of anger)
Suddenly realization strikes Adil. He was her problem!! Well of course, he always has been the problem, hasn't he?
Adil quietly leaves the room and sends sum1 to collect the broken glass pieces.
As Ashna looks at those broken pieces being collected, she realizes she shudnt have vented out her frustration by losing her cool like this.
"Uff, I shudn't have reacted this way. He was being nothing but nice. (after a thought) Nice? Yeah, that's my problem Adil. Why do u even need to act nice with me? Kyun Adil? Kyun tumhara har behaviour itna contrasting hai?"
Here Adil was stopped by Rishabh.
Rishabh: Oh u are home. Mom milna chah rahi thi tumse!! Unhone kaha tum aaj kal zyada milte nahi unse?
Adil turns back hearing Rishabh and faces him for the first tym. He had been avoiding him for the past week, which wasn't much difficult becoz of his late night arrivals and early morning leaving!! But today, he decided to get back home quickly. There wasn't much for him to do in the office, he was working more than necessary all throughout the week. He had to fall short of work!! And today his coming home early made him come face to face wid Rishabh!!
Adil realized Rishabh had grown taller than him, this wasn't the case when they were teens!!
Rishabh: Tum sunn bhi rahe ho? Maine kuch kaha tha tumse!! Mom tumse'.
Adil: Haan suna maine'..abhi chala jata hu. (he is abt to go)
Rishabh: (cutting his action) Ajeeb baat hai na Adil? Itne saalo me maine bas kuch hi din baat kii unse and she was ok wid it. Lekin tumse bas do-chaar din baat nahi hui unki aur wo aaj itni pareshan hai.
At this Adil looks at him, feeling a lil guilty that in sum way he did take his place. The sad smirk on Rishabh's face conveyed how hurt he has been all this while, just becoz of him (Adil).
For a moment, Adil wished to soothe his brother but he had to choose otherwise. He turned away from him. But Rishabh stopped him again.
Rishabh: Kyun bulaya hai mujhe Adil? Meri zarurat nahi hai yaha, dikhta nahi kya tumhe? (his voice was aggressive but still filled wid hurt)
Adil: Let me be the one to decide that Rishabh. U don't need to stress urself.
Saying this, Adil moves towards his mom's room. She was doing sum prayer, so he halted at the doorway. He watched her praying in front of the small idol in her room!! And he suddenly felt guilty for causing her so much trouble. He had already brought about much pain in her lyf and now he was being rude wid her, may be for her own good, but still he was hurting her. He seemed to cause pain to everyone, just everyone!!
Adil came back from his thoughts as GR (Gayatri Raichand) snapped her fingers in front of him and asked wat happened. He just shook his head saying nothing.
Adil: Am sorry ki do din se mila nahi aap se. Kuch cheezein sort out kar raha hu, isliye kaam thoda zyada tha.
Adil wasn't looking in her eyes while saying this, so she made him look at her and asked again wat happened.
Adil: Ek baat puchhu aapse? (and GR merely nodded her head. She was really worried as to wat had happened) Meri har ghalti ko hamesha maaf karogi na aap?
GR was utterly confused at his words. Adil was behaving a lil too strange for a while. One day he seemed to be shattered like never before, the next day he was curt wid his words which conveyed all the more abt his shattered self and today he seemed to gather himself together all over again.
GR had seen this Adil long back, when Mr. Raichand had passed away. He had been vulnerable back then. But in all these years, he had never been like this. He has always been composed or at least it seemed so. But now-a-days, he seemed to be bothered abt sumthing.
Here, seeing so many questions on his mother's face, Adil suddenly realized, he was worrying her wid such words. So he attempted to reform his words.
Adil: Actually, I was being rude to u for a while. May be I was being way too desperate, Mom. Maine bahut buri tarah se baat kii aap se. Am really sorry for that.
GR just shook her head to say that he shud not talk like this and the fact was he can never hurt her, not even unknowingly!!
Adil: I knw mom. You love too much to feel offended. Bas main hi ghalat kar jata hu sabke sath, khaas kar unke sath jinhe main bahut pyar karta hu. But pls Mom, aap hamesha yaad rakhna, aapka ye beta aapse bahut pyar karta hai.
GR touched his face wid her hand while he took her palm in his hand and kissed it. She had questions in her eyes but he just shook his head saying it was nothing.
Adil: Aaj sath me dinner karte hai, thik hai?
GR hardly nodded her head while Adil quickly left her room.
At abt dawn Ashna stirs in her sleep. She sleepily gets up to have sum water and turns sideways to find the bed empty. She makes a face thinking he might be in the balcony or in the study.
"Waise bhi, nocturnal hai"
But suddenly she notices that there was no crease on the other side of the bed at all. The bed sheet was too plain and cold. Ashna keeps the glass aside and after a second thought leaves the bed. She checks the balcony but it was empty. The study was also locked from outside. A few wrinkles appear on her forehead wondering where he must have gone.
Ashna looks outside. The sun had not risen yet. Ashna quickly checks the guest room but Adil wasnt there. Ashna now checks the main door, but it was locked from inside. It said he was sumwhere at home but still she wasn't sure. The main door wasn't the only way to get out.
"Ab mujhe kya pata iss ghar me kitne khufiya darwaze hai? Kahin se bhi kabhi bhi nikal sakta hai? Waise bhi he is too mysterious!! Gaya hoga apne kisi mysterious mission pe. Why am I bothering myself at this hour? Kuch hi ghante bache hai 7 bajne me. I shud get sum sleep. He is not a kid either."
And Ashna is abt to get back to her room, when she gradually stops in her track. She decides to take a look at the outskirts of the mansion, may be near the swing or the pool.
"Bas dekh leti hu. Mil gaya to thik hai, nahi mila to naa sahi. I am not desperate anyways!!"
So Ashna goes at the back of the house. It was a huge area but quite a secluded one. And at this hour, Ashna almost felt a chill down her body to be here alone. Just then she noticed the few pool chairs across the big swimming pool. She quickly went closer to find Adil on one of them, asleep!!
Ashna doesn't knw wat was the feeling that she felt when she found him there. It was as if sumthing struck in her chest all on a sudden and now it was soothing on its own. She went a lil closer and observed him well. He was curled up against the chilly wind and sumhow there was immense pain written on his face. Lines of distress were clearly drawn on his forehead.
Ashna suddenly felt extremely regretful for behaving so rudely wid him in the evening. He might have not been sweet to her, but in that very moment he wasn't at fault at all. It was she who was troubled wid her own questions and confusions!! She whispered a 'sorry' but he was asleep.
The sun was abt to rise and there was very dim light all around. Suddenly Ashna didn't knw wat to do. Shud she leave him here like this? Cud she do that? But then shud she w8? Or shud she wake him up to get back to his room? Wudnt that be too awkward on her part?
However, after much hesitation Ashna places her hand on his shoulder and shakes him a lil while calling out his name "Adil". After a stir, Adil gradually opens his eyes to find Ashna before him. It takes him a while to take in the surroundings but as soon as he does that he quickly sits up. His one hand instantly goes up to his forehead as he was feeling a lil heavy in the head.
Ashna: Tum thik ho?
Adil just looks at her. There was worry on her face and concern in her eyes. He stared at her for sum tym to assure himself that hatred or disgust wasn't the only thing she felt for him. But the assurance seemed too lame logically!! Why wud she feel concerned for sum1 who has always hurt her? And no, he didn't want her concern either. So he looks away.
Adil: Main thik hu. Bilkul thik!!
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Edited by Sumi_162710 - 14 years ago
Jhanak
Shiv Shakti
261