PART 20
"Come on hun it's just a pooja. U like going to these things." Priya was trying hard to convince kash to come with her at the pooja at Sujal's house. "Par main kaise jaaoon. Main to un logoon ko jaanti tak nahi." Said kash trying her best to avoid going with her.
Priya: jab tum un logoon se nahi mileage to kaise janegi.
Kash: par un logoon ne mujhe bulaya nahi na.
Priya: are yeh koi shaddi hain ki woh personally aake bulaye. Waise sujal ne mujhse kaha ki tumhe bhi lekar aane keliye. To problem kya hain.
Kash: usne tumse kaha hain na. Mujhse nahi.
Priya: to teek main use phone kar ke kehati hoon ki tumhe personally bulaye.
Kash: nahi nahi. Uski koi jaroot nahi hain.
Priya: to kya tum aaogi?
Kash: (finally giving up) fine I'll come. Par thoda late aaogi. Mujhe city jaana hain. I
need to buy something. I'll come only after that.
Priya: ok I'll give their address. Tum directly wahan ana. Ok.
Kash: ok baba. Ab khush.
Priya: oh u r soo sweet.
*********
"Omg, I'm already late. Priya will kill me today." Kash tried to walk faster thru the snow to the bus stand carrying loads of bags. She was supposed to meet Priya at 6.00 pm. Now it was 7.00 and add to the worry, she forgot to take her cell phone. 'Now Priya must be worried to hell' she thought. She increased her speed. It was freezing cold and her legs were frozen. Suddenly she felt something hit her legs and she slipped. The next thing she know she fell on the road hitting her head.
Kashish felt her head spinning when she tried to wake up. She couldn't exactly figure out where she was right now. That's when she noticed the bandage in her head and hand. The only thing she could remember was that something hit her and she fell down in the middle of the road. She tried her luck again by waking up but this time causing her head pain to double up. She let out a yell. "Dheere se". She heard a soft, unfamiliar sound and felt a cold hand that was holding her shoulder making her rest again. That's when Kashish realized that there was someone else in that room with her. She tilted her head to see a young girl abt 16 or 17 yrs old standing near the bed with a worried face. Kash was meeting this girl 4 the first time.
Kash: who r u? And where am I?
girl: plz aap pareshaan mat hojayae.
Kash relaxed a bit after understanding that the girl was more scared than her.
kash: mein yahan kaise aye?
Girl: woh...mein.. mein....layi ...aapko yahan.
Kash: kyun
girl: woh... i'm sooo.....sorry...woh.... aapka ......aapka...accident hua tha.. Meri ...car se.... plz..........don't report me to the.....Police.
Girl started crying real bad after stammering this much. Kash tried to console her but she wouldn't and just kept crying mumbling words like accident and sorry. Kash realized that the girl was really scared of what happened and she didn't do it in purpose. She tried every bit to make her stop crying. But kash got angry after a couple minutes coz she wouldn't just stop.
Kash: STOP CRYING.
The girl stopped crying at the minute she heard kash yelling and just stared at her like someone was going to kill her. Seeing her state kash cools down a bit.
Kash: i'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at u. what's ur name.
girl: kri....kripa. Kripa garewal.
Kash: kripa. Ok. Do u have a license.
Kripa: I just got mine. A month ago.
Kash: hmmm. And why were u driving in a such a bad weather.
Kripa: i...i...was coming bk 4m my friends house.
Kash: ok. Did u call ur family.
Kripa: no i...i'm scared, my mom will kill me.
Kash: don't u think they'll be worried. There isn't any1else u can call
Kripa: I can call my bhai.
Kash: ok then do that.
Kripa: r u gonna call the police when i leave.
Kash: no, i'm not calling any1. So don't worry.
Kripa: do u want me to call ur family.
Kash: no that's fine.
Kripa leave the room to call her brother while kash disappointedly looks at the bandage in her hand.
*************
"Kahan gayi yeh ladki. Beta tu zara uska a cell try karna." A woman around 45 yrs ld came from the pooja room holding a thali. It's Veena. She was talking to a young guy who was watching TV. He turns around hearing his mother's voice and it's Sujal.
Sujal: mom u r worrying 4 no reason. Kripa'll be back soon.
Veena: pareshan nahi karoongi to aur kya karu. Bahar ka mausam to dekho. Snow ke wajah se roads sab slippery hein. Is halat mein usne gaddi lekar gayi hain. Maine kaha tha use mat jaane ko. Lekin meri baat yahan sunata hi kaun hain. Aur yeh priya bhi abhi tak nahi aye.
Sujal: mom just chill ok. I'll call her.
Suddenly the doorbell rings. Sujal goes and opens the door. Its priya.
Sujal: thank god. U r here. Ma ne to mera dimmag kha chuka hain.
Priya: kyun kya hua. Zaroor tumne kuch kiya hoga.
Sujal: lo agayi mom ki chamchi. Maine kuch nahi kiya. Kripa didn't come yet .that's why.
Priya: to usse call karo na.
Sujal: wahi karne ja raha hoon.
Sujal cell rings then, he sees it and its kripa.
Suajl: krips. Where r u. u know mom is worried abt u.
Kripa(crying): bhai woh mein.aap jaldi yahan aajaye. Hospital mein.
Sujal: (in a worried voice) hospital mein. tum teek ho na.
Kripa: haan. Mein teek hoon. Par meri gaadi kissi se takarayi gayi.
Sujal: oh god yeh kya kiya tumne. Tumse kaha tha na dhyaan se chalne ko. Ab mein ko kya batao. Is that person ok.
Kripa: she's okay. Bus uski sir pe thoda sa chot hain.
Sujal: ok u stay there. I'm coming.
Kripa: what abt mom.
Sujal: I'll handle that. Ok.
Kripa: ok.
Priya: kya hua sujal. Kripa teek to hain na.
Sujal: she got into an accident. She's fine. But she hit someone.
Priya: Oh god. ab kya karu.
Sujal: we have 2 go to hospital.
Sujal and priya doesn't say anything abt the accident to veena. They told her that they've to meet a friend and will come back soon. They also lied abt kripa saying that she was staying at her friends house due to the bad weather and they'll pick her up on their way back. Sujal and priya reach the hospital. Kripa was waiting 4 them out side. She ran to Sujal as soon as she saw him and stared to cry. Sujal and Priya tried their best to console her. After a while she calmed down and showed them the way where kashish was.
Kashish was drifting to sleep due to the meds when she heard the door open. She saw kripa coming in with a man. She gussed that would be her brother. She then saw another woman behind him. She felt that the face was familiar, but she couldn't remember who it was. She heard that woman take her name worridely and coming near and asking her what happened. Kashish realized it was Priya. She tried to take her name but went unconscious. A worried Priya called the nurse. She came in and told them that Kash is resting and will wake up some time later.
Sujal: priya do u know her.
Priya: yahi Kashish hain Sujal. Meri roomate.
Sujal: lekin yeh to tumhari saath pooja mein ane walithi na.
Priya: haan. Lekin usne kaha tha ki use city jaana hein uske baad woh tumhare ghar directly aajyegi. I gave her ur address. I hope she is ok.
Sujal: should we call her family.
Priya: no they'll be so worried since they're in india.
Sujal: u go home with kripa. I'll stay here.
Priya: no sujal I'll stay here. She doesn't know any1else here.
Sujal: ok then I'll go see the Doc and ask if we can take her home. Krips u stay with Priya.
Kripa: ok bhaiyya.
Sujal goes to see the doc. He tells that kashish doesn't have any major injuries and they can take her home when she wakes up. He also gives him a list of medicines for kashish. Sujal then calls his mother tells her everything. Veena, being an understanding mother tells him to bring kashish to their home. After talking to his mother, he returns to kash's room. He didn't see any1 in the room, wondering where every1 went. He moved forward, suddenly the bathroom door opened and kash came out and bumped right into sujal. Sujal held her tighly from falling. Kashish was confused to see a stranger in her room. She didn't recognize him. On the other hand, Sujal was keep looking at her. He has never seen a natural beauty like this. She had just washed her face. Water was dripping from her nose and her hair, making her face to shine like an angel. He was having a sudden urge to wipe it off. He felt like he was in a different world. She was getting uncomfortable as Sujal was staring at her. She tried to move, but his grip was too tight. He didn't want to let go off her, so he held her more tightly unknowingly. She cried in pain as Sujal was holding her injured hand now. Sujal suddenly realized this and let go of her hand.
Sujal: umm….ermmm…I'm sorry. I didn't see any1 here…. So…
Kashish: who r u. what do u doing in my room.
Sujal: me????
He thout kash recognized him. Priya and kripa comes bk by that time. Priya gets angry on kash 4 waking up 4rm her bed. She then introduces her to Sujal and tells her that kripa is his sister.
Kashish: (in her mind) to yeh hain the infamous Sujal Garewal.
Priya: kash can I ask u a favor.
Kash: yeh kya priya tum to mujhse kuch bhi maang sakti hoon.
Priya: If u could, can u not report this to the police. Dekho na kripa ko abhi abhi license mili hain.
Kashish: (looks at kripa) don't worry abt that. I won't report it. Mujhe pata hain is mein iski koyi galati nahi hain.
Kripa gets really happy abt this. Sujal too feels relieved. He didn't know how to thank her. She had took a big burden 4m him coz he could never see his sister in trouble.
Sujal: thank u so much kashish. U don't know how relived I'm. We owe u.
Kash: its ok.
Sujal: aur hain maine maa ko sab kuch bata diya. She told me to bring u to our house if u don't mind. It won't be good 4 u to go to hostel now. We can do at least this much 4 u.
Priya: aww that would be a good idea.
Kash didn't like this idea at all. She didn't wanted to stay at someone house, whom she just met. So she said no. Priya also tried to make her agree that she would also be staying there with her and its only 4 one day. But nothing could change her decision. Sujal felt so disappointed, he didn't know why. He thot she would say yes.
Kripa: its only 4 a day. Plz maan jaaye. Waise bhi maa would be waiting 4 us at home. She would feel bad if u won't come.
Kash looked into sujal eyes and felt that he would break down if she wouldn't go with him. She saw a different emotion in his eyes. He had so much hope and a pleading look in his eyes. Even though he didn't say anything, she felt like his eyes were begging to her to come with him. She had heard a lot abt his 'reputation'. She had a different picture of his in her mind. But that's not what she was seeing right now. She didn't want to see him disappointed 4 some reason.
Kash: (hesitantly) teek hain. I'll come.
Sujal felt on the top of the world when he heard her say yes. He thanked her with her eyes. She just gave him a slight smile. Everyone left the hospital and headed to Sujal's house. Veena was waiting 4 them. She scolded Kripa 4 not being careful and apologized to kash 4 her carelessness.
Kash: auntiji plz aap aisa mat kahiye. Ismein iski koi galti nahi hain.
Veena was really impressed with Kash behavior. She seemed like a nice girl unlike all the other girls that Sujal hang out with. She invited her to the house and made her feel at home. Kash's initial nervousness was gone as she blended with the family very well. It was a typical Indian family. However, all the time Sujal was keeping quite. Everyone asked him what happened, but he said he didn't wanted to be a part of boring girls talk. But kash sensed something else was the reason. She could feel him stealing glances at her all the time while others weren't looking. She couldn't exactly figure out why he was behaving like that. After dinner, Veena showed her the room, which was opposite to Sujal's. Kash went to sleep thinking abt Sujal. 'Why was he looking at me all the time? What does he want from me? What ever it is why should I care? It would be better if I just stay from him. I don't want anything to do with him.' Thinking this she went to sleep. On the other hand, sujal was constantly thinking abt kashish too. 'Kashish. Beautiful like her name. I've seen so many girls in my life. But none like her. There's definitively something abt her. Mostly her eyes. There is a glow in it at the same time emptiness too. But why do I care. She's even not my type. Oh god what's happening to me. I think I should find out more abt her from Priya.' He too slept thinking abt her with a sweet smile on his face.
Here's another part. its quite boring i know. but i hope u like it. i'll try to writ the next part soon and make it more interesting. till then tk care 😛 😃
Ishaani
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