"Pooja, aap andar ja kar dekhiye….", Pooja was quiet….
"Bro, andar se koi aawaz bhi to nahin aa raha, kahin who kuch…."
"Oye kuchbhi mat bol….apni Phoolan hai w o h!", Huda appeared at the scene….his eyes red with anger,"Panjaaban, jaa naa dekh na, kya kar rahi hai!"
Pooja slowly moved towards the door, she tapped it slowly & said,
"Naina…."
No reply….
She walked back to the boys….
"Lagta hai apna fon hi off kar ke baithi hai….mujhe lagta hai usse thodi der akela chod dena chahiye…."
"Kya keh rahin hai? Abhi abhi to Aalekhbhai unhe apni bikhri se zindagi se yahaan le aaye….", Ali clentched his wrist, "Hum unhe fir se toot ne nahin de sakte!"
Pooja's eyes filled with tears….
"Oye jat, meri himmat nahin padti…..main nahin jaa sakti uske paas…..", she broke down….
"By the way, yeh Rajveer Sir yahaan kar kya rahe hai? Don't tell me tumne unhe invite kiya hai….."
"Hum bevkoof ho sakte hain Yudibhai, magar kameene nahin…..Nain aur Colonel ko saath main yahaan jaanbooj ke bulayenge….????"
"To kar kya raha hai ye fatichhar yahan par?"
"…..w o h usdin General Singh ka Abba ke liye phone tha….Abba ne haan keh di….aur hum kuch nahin kar paaye….waise who ek mission pe hain…."
"….mission…..kopi mission nahin….har baar mission ka mukhauta le kar aate hai……pichli baar bhi…..aur phir….naina ko…agar usse pyaar nahin karte, to uski zindagi ko badtar banane ke liye kyun aajate hain?"
Yudi looks concerned…."Dude, mujhe lagta hai ab kaafi der se andar se koi aawaz nahin aa rahi….jaa ke dekhna chahiye…."
Huda looks thunderstruck…..as if he feared something….
……CRASH………
It was like a glass breaking. Everyone jumped….Huda, frightened rushed to the door….
"Oye phoolan,", he knocked the door, "tu theek to hai na….? ….phoolan…..??"
No reply….
Teary eyed and red in face Huda turned towards his friends….
His voice cracking,"Kya kar rahi hai Naina? O Panjaban, w o theek to hogi na….?"
Yudi stared at him…..Yudi, who was evidently Huda's best friend now…..was staring at him…wide eyed….he recognized him…..first time after so many years…the Huda whoda who laughed, made all around him smile, who faught, who yelled his heart out….who hived life king size….the brave, smart, overconfident, sharp-tongued, envious, shrewd and temperamental jat…..