Part 7
They keep looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and Kaajjal realizes she has to go, before her heart gets out of control.
"Thank you," she says softly, "ab main chalti hoon," and turns around but takes a few steps and turns back to him, "and thanks for meeting me without an appointment. I know you are too busy a man to meet anyone like me." She says and starts walking away from him. And Dev's heart once again shouts, her words echoing in his mind, 'I know you are too busy a man to meet anyone like me. How can you say that Kaajjal? You know I am never busy for you. Tum tu meri zindagi ho, aur tum nay kitni asaani say yeh keh diya. Kuin day rahi ho mujhay itni takleef. Kuin??' Kaajjal is walking away from him, and he wants to stop her; he wants to hold her; he wants to take her some place far away. He is about to run after her when the architect comes back to him and starts talking about something. Dev looks at Kaajjal's walking away from him, and back to the architect, and shifts his focus to him. For work needed to be done as well.
He is finally free after two long hours of intense work.
"Ok Mr. Mehta, work on these things, and then call me later tonight if you have any questions. Else I will see you tomorrow." He says while moving towards his car. Dev is just about to open his car door, when he sees Kaajjal sitting on a cement wall. He is surprised to see her there. She is looking at the road, frustration evident from her face.
"Kaajjal," he almost scares her. "What are you doing here?" he asks with concern,
"That stupid taxi wala, I told him to wait but he was gone when I came back." Kaajjal looks at him and then away, "I am waiting for a taxi. All those that come here have passengers who want to go back and so they refuse to take new passengers." She tells everything with frown on her face, and Dev's heart once again goes out to her. How can he leave his princess here? He just cannot.
"chalo main tumhain drop kar daita hoon." He looks at her, almost ordering her.
"na .. nahi, its ok … koee taxi aa jayay gi," Kaajjal says reluctantly. 'I can't go with him. I cannot control my self when he is around. My heart and my mind stops functioning. I can't let him get close to me.' Her mind warns her, although she knows going with him is the best option.
"zid na karo Kaajjal, do ghantay ho gayay hain, and you haven't found any taxi." He gives her another authoritative look, "come on, Let's go. I'll drop you."
"lekin," she tries one more time, but Dev's eyes tells her 'don't even try, I am not leaving you here.' She can clearly read his eyes, and as if she knows every unsaid word of those eyes, she silently gets up mesmerized, and starts walking with him. 'It feels so safe while walking with him. As if he will never let me fall.' Her senses are already loosing control. 'Shut up Kaajjal,' she scolds her own self.
She is walking with him, lost in her thought, and almost misses a bump in the road. Her ankle twists and she almost cries with the fear of falling. Instantly Dev turns and grabs her by her shoulder, protecting her. As soon as his hands touched her shoulder, she forgets her fear of falling, and flows in the current of his touch down her spine. They are standing side by side, with Dev's hands on her shoulders, his head turned towards her, and her's towards him. Their eyes lock, and she sees the same sensation in his eyes she had been waiting to see ever since she saw him bent on that architectural plan. 'why am I loving this look? why am I longing for this touch? What is wrong with me?' her mind shouts, and she jerks it,
"Thank you," she says in a dreamy tone, "aap nay aik baar phir mujhay sambhal liya," she says in a meaningful tone, indirectly thanking him for the cliff night as well, when she had just run away from him, without any word. Dev gives her a thoughtful look, thinking she has been behaving soo strangely these days that he just doesn't know what to say and what not. Sometimes he finds the same girl in her eyes that he had loved and worshipped, and sometimes he feels a stranger in her, whom he does not recognize.
"main tumhain kabhi girnay nahi doon ga Kaajjal," he says in the most sincere and feeling full tone, "aaj kay baad kabhi bhi nahi." As if he is promising to himself that whatever he has done to Kaajjal after NT died, he will never ever do anything like that again. He shall forever love and trust her. And Kaajjal feels as if her heart just skipped another beat. This tone, this voice, this promise, 'what does this man want? And why am I following him like he is my lifeline?' her heart is sooo restless, that she doesn't know how to control it, how to give it serenity, but she does know that one look at Dev gives her peace. 'WHY?' this question still stands.
She is immersed in her the thoughts of her haywire heart when they reach the car. Dev open the door for her, and she looks at him. Their eyes meet one more time, and Kaajjal's heart goes out to this stranger. She can easily feel her heart slipping out of her hands. 'If I keep meeting him, I will fall in love with him. LOVE????? O God, what am I thinking? Stop it Kaajjal,' she scolds herself again and steps in the car.
Dev is driving the car, but is acutely aware of Kaajjal's presence next to him. Flashes of those times start crossing his mind when at different moments she was in his car. That lonavala night, that rainy day when he told Kaajjal he was dev and not Raju, that valentine-day night when she opened her hair for him, that night when she saved him from the truck, and many other times she was with him – belonging to him and only him. However, today distances have increased, times have changed, and her eyes are empty and silent. The eyes that used to speak volumes are quiet and afraid. 'Where is that love Kaajjal. Please say you love you, just once Kaajjal, just once. Please.' His heart whispers, but he holds his tongue.
Kaajjal is restless in his presence. He is just a touch away and she is breathless at the thought of lifting her hands and touching him. 'What in the world is wrong with me? Why am I thinking about touching him? uffff, Gannu Bhaiyya what is going on?' She practically holds her head at this and Dev immediately turns his gaze at her.
"Kaajjal kya baat hai, are you ok?" Dev looks at her, his voice full of concern. He is sooo lost in Kaajjal that he forgets the road for a second - and the Missouri roads full of twists and turns, play their play.
All of a sudden, he sees a truck coming from front and he presses the breaks. The car screeches, twists on the road twice, and dissembles from the road. It gets out of control and despite constant efforts installed by Dev to regain control; the car follows through the rugged, twisty, jungle tracks and goes deep down in the valley. Kaajjal holds the dashboard with full strength, but her head bangs on it and starts bleeding.
After a long fall in the valley, the car finally comes to a halt. Dev's head hits hard on the steering, and Kaajjal is already bleeding because of hard blow from the dashboard. The concussion is too strong and Kaajjal looses consciousness. Dev looks at her with hazy eyes,
"Kaajjal," he bends forward and holds her face in his hands, "Kaajjal? Are you ok? Kaajjal?" but no reply. His head is aching as well due to the hard blow, and he goes unconscious as well.
It's late in evening when Dev gets his cognizant back. He opens his eyes and finds Kaajjal in his arms, still unconscious. The blood stream that was flowing from her forehead has now wedged into a thick blood clot.
"Kaajjal?" he once again holds her face in his hands, and calls her, "Kaajjal, tum theek ho na?" he is impatient and worried, "Kaajjal please kuch kaho, hosh main aao Kaajjal" he shrugs her, "Kaajjal?" and Kaajjal opens her eyes, only to find herself in Dev's arms, safe and secure, and his loving gaze fixed on her. Their eyes meet and instantly Kaajjal drops her eyes trying to free herself from Dev's embrace. He loosens his arms and let her go.
"Kaajjal, are you ok?" he asks with concern, while sitting himself back up.
"Yes, I am fine" she says in a meek tone. And then she looks at him, "app theek hain na?" she is not even aware how full of love and concern her voice sounded, and Dev comes to a sudden halt at the magic of her voice. Oh, for the first time he felt this love in her voice ever since he saw her again in Missouri.
He doesn't say a word and keep looking at her,
"De…….. De…. Dev ….. aap theek hain na?"O my, this is the first time he is hearing his name from her lips after such a longtime. He closes his eyes at this familiar sound and breathes a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Kaajjal is mesmerized by the effect of this name on her senses. Dev opens his eyes and sees the blood clotted on her forehead.
"Kaajjal, we need to get out of the car and take care of this wound." He points towards her forehead and gets out of the car. Kaajjal's side of the door is blocked by a big tree. Dev bends down and gives his hand to Kaajjal,
"aao," he says. His hand is spread in front of her and she had no other option but to take it, and he pulls her out of the car from his side as well. He makes her stand but her knees are hurting. Looks like the dashboard hit hard on her knees as well. She tries to stand straight but struggles, Dev instantly holds her and she grabs his shoulders for support. Their faces inches apart, and their breath touching each other's cheeks and neck. Kaajjal moves her face a little back, for this closeness is driving her crazy. Even in this state, this man had the power of melting her like jelly. She drops her eyes; tries to move away, but her knees are not permitting. She has no option but to leave herself at the mercy of this stranger who is more close to her heart today than anyone else. Dev feels her struggle,
"Kaajjal, kya hua hai." he asks with concern.
"wo, dard ho raha hai." Kaajjal says helplessly, "I can't walk." And before she could say another word, he lifts her up in his arms.
Episode Ends …
Edited by thesaint148 - 18 years ago
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