mjht revisited 2 - Page 2

Part 3

Nupur walked all over , found benji and dia trying to cheer uday up- suhaani and adhiraj getting ready to go to the police station for follow up. She didn't stop to speak to anyone and finally searching for mayank found him with samrat in a corridor , his arms around samrats shoulder . it looked like mayank was consoling samrat. She didn't feel like intruding and walked back thinking there really was no one who could understand what she was going through her now. She met the doctor on the way back and he said gunjan hadn't worsened though she still hadn't regained consciousness. thanking him, she walked back to her father and conveyed the news.

He nodded and added," tum kahan gayi thi?" a little anger in his tone

" mayank ko dhoondne gayi thi." She answered without thinking and then caught the change in his face.

It was irritating her. Bauji got irritated as well.

Nupur sat down beside her dad , her head filled with gunjans words about the gundas following her and her heart with the dread that she may never wake up again. She felt a chill at the thought. Her eyes filled up as she involuntarily remembered the time when gunjan had fallen down while playing and cried continuously . she had fought with the girls who had been playing with her and taken her to get a dressing done. She had bunked her school and stayed with her till she had been well getting a scolding from her bui for bunking. Unable to keep quiet, she turned to bauji again and asked him,

" bauji , woh tests ka results aagaya kya?"

He shook his head negatively.

"bauji, kya gunjan ko bhook lagrahi hogi? Kal raat se usne kuch nahin khaaya hai."

No answer.

"jab woh uthegi na, tab main us se jagd ne waali hoon, koi kisiko itnaa daraatha hai kya? "

Bauji shifted his position to a more comfortable one and still didn't answer.

"kitni bholi dikhthi hain bilkul ek gudiya ki tarah." She said peeping in and seeing gunjan . bauji came and stood next to her and watched gunjan.

"pata nahin kiski nazar laggayi isko." Nupur s eyes filled up.bauji put a hand on her shoulder affectionately.

"itna pareshaan mat ho nupur. Us se kuch nahin hoga."

She nodded and said," bauji agar aap aaj nahin hote tho main bohot akeli padjaathi." Bauji smiled a little.

Both sat quietly for a long time without realising it was already evening.

the others came in one by one asking if there was any improvement and after wishing bauji all stood discussing what was happening with adhiraj. bauji listened without involving. The police hadn't recorded his statement stating that it was a Sunday but adhiraj was suspicious. They had gone in search of the goondas and found the bikes but nothing further was done. Samrat was the only one who sat quietly a little away from nupur.

"tum log itna upset kyun horahe ho? Wait tho karo. Aaj Sunday hain tho shayad sach mein kuch kaam nahin hoga. Itna gussa dikhaane ka faayda kya hain? Kal adhiraaj jab statement dega, tab.."

"tab tak woh log bhaag gaye honge." Benji cut maynak short.

"woh baad ki baat hain. Abhi gunjan ko hosh aane do. Abhi police se fight karne ka kya use hain?"

"maybe mayank tum teek keh rahe ho. Par jis tarah woh inspector ne mujse baat ki ...kuch tho gadbad hain mayank." Adhiraj said, to which suhaani nodded

Mayank sighed," lets wait kal tak. Abhi hum bas gunjan ki chinta karenge."

The doctor came out and said that though there was not much improvement , the tests were all pretty okay, the goli removed and now they had wait for gunjan to regain consciousness within the next morning or so. Till then , one of them could wait with gunjan but the rest couldn't be inside the ward.

It wasn't much but then the fact that she hadn't worsened was enough for those waiting . Bauji s eyes moistened and nupurs hand involuntarily held his arm tightly, her eyes filling up as well. Bauji looked down at her, she looked scared inspite of all her tough talk, she looked like his small girl. He put his hand on hers and patted her reassuringly.

"kuch nahin hoga . tum itna darthi kyun ho? Doctor ne kaha na ki woh abhi teek hain. "

Nupur, with her head on his chest , started sobbing uncontrollably. Stroking her head softly, he let her cry while his eyes still remained moist .

The rest of them watched as nupur slowly stopped crying and wiping her eyes with her dupatta, moved a liitle back to say," bauji aap yahin rehna."

"haan. Ab tum sab log kuch khaane ke liye jao. Jab se main aaya hoon, tab se kisine kuch bhi nahin khaaya hain. Tum sab jao, main yahaan ruktha hoon. Uday ko bhi leke jao, itni dher tak woh bhookha nahin rehsaktha." Bauji told everyone and smiling slightly at uday patted his cheek. The smile reflected on the others faces and they all moved to go to the canteen.

"adhiraaj , tumhari chot kaisi hain ." bauji asked

"teek hain. Zyaada kuch nahin." He replied and pulling samrat up from the chair on which he was sitting he went out dragging an unwilling sam along.

Mayank waited for nupur to come along and as she joined him, he put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. Bauji stared at the lot and sat down. He picked his phone and spoke to his brother and sister filling them in and telling them there was no need to come hurriedly.

"nahin main yahaan akela nahin hoon. Yahaan sab..sab hain."

He peeped in to catch a glimpse of gunjan and swallowing a lump in his throat, sat again and closed his eyes. He was tired. He just hoped this ordeal would be over soon and his daughter would come back.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

this seems like a filler. the real thing i this was the sam- mayank conversation which please remember from the episode.