It was a dark room as a man stood near a window, facing his back to few men.
"Who is this Sujal Garewal?" the man asked.
One of the men from the group answered.
"He is said to be the rising star of our world. All the assignments that we use to get is gone to him. He is really good at his work, finishes all the work which he takes in his hand. He can be a threat to your position Bhai " the man replied to his Boss, who was not much pleased by this piece of information.
"Rising star?" Shyam Shergill, the Boss of Delhi mafia mocked and let out a menacing laugh.
"Where can we find this rising star?" Shyam Shergill asked his men.
"There's a garage in Laxmi Nagar, our sources say that we can find him there in the evening. Do you want us to do something, Bhai? " one of the man asked.
"No! I will personally look into this matter! I will take down this rising star on my own" Shyam said and took out his gun. Looking at the gun he turned to look out of the window, planning on his move
...
"Sujal Bhai, you know that Shyam Shergill? He is after you! please go from here. He knows about this place." Vivek said to his Bhai, who came huffing and puffing into the garage.
"Let him come! I can handle him!" Sujal replied least bothered by the information.
"Bhai, you can't take him lightly. Please listen to me. Just for today go somewhere else. He knows about this place. please" Vivek pleaded.
Sujal eyed Vivek and without uttering another word he got up from his chair and exited the garage.
Vivek saw the retreating figure of his Bhai and sighed in relief.
...
Khushi was placing the plate on the Dining table. Placing the plate on their rightful place, she was about to again enter the kitchen when her hand hit the dining table and a plate came crashing down and shattered into pieces. She saw the plates shattered in pieces with a new restlessness griping his heart. She bent down to pick the pieces, her heart growing with unknown fear, she tried to push away this feeling and concentrated on the task in front of her.
...
Sujal was wandering aimlessly on the abandoned road. As he was turning around a corner, he felt a bullet zoom pass his shoulder but not before gazing his shoulder. His hand instantly went to his shoulder, blood instantly oozing out of his shoulder.
...
A piece of glass pierced Khushi's finger. Her head jerked up. her heart thudding loudly inside her rib cage. She stood up. her hands trembling due to the unknown fear. She looked outside her door, and her legs on her own record took her towards the door.
...
His head jerked to look back and he looked at the man standing at a far distance. Turning again forward, he hides himself behind a wall.
Controlling his irregular breathing, he took out the gun. Peeking from his hidden place, he aimed his gun at the man in front of him, but the man too went behind a wall. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he again covered himself.
Sujal waited for sometime before coming out. It's now or never. It's either him or he.
Shyam peeked out of his place and saw there stood his prey, openly challenging him.
Shyam too came out from his place and instantly aimed the gun at Sujal and without waiting for a second, he strikes a bullet at Sujal, which gazed his other shoulder, making his sleeves wet with blood in no time.
...
"Sujal"
Khushi let out a whisper, her breathing irregular. She was about to exit the door but something stopped her. she saw behind her, her Amma was holding her hand.
"Khushi where are you going? It's so dark outside. You are afraid of dark, Bitiya." Garima looked at her daughter, confused.
"Amma ...Amma...let me go ...please...Please let me go...he ...he needs me there" Khushi pleaded, her eyes filled with tear.
"Who? Who needs you Khushi? You are not going anywhere! " Garima chided, she had noticed Khushi's weird behavior from last few days and she really can't allow her to go somewhere at this odd hour.
"I will have to go, Amma! Please, leave me!" Khushi jerked her Amma's hand from her and bolted outside.
"Khushi, please! Listen to me Bitiya! Please, don't go. Please!!!" Garima Gupta shouted at the running Khushi.
"Amma, I am sorry. I will have to go!! I am sorry, Amma" Khushi shouted back.
Garima slumped against the door
...
Khushi ran aimlessly on the empty roads.
"Sujal!!"
"Sujal!!!"
"Sujal!!!!"
Sujal's ears caught the familiar voice. Khushi!
Khushi ran in the road till she found the object of her restlessness. Letting out a sigh of relief she ran towards him but stopped when she saw the other man standing in front of her.
Sujal saw Khushi standing in front of him.
"Khushi!!! Go back to your home!!!" Sujal Shouted, wreck with fear, fear of losing his precious thing.
Khushi looked at Sujal and shook her head, tears flowing freely.
Shyam looked at love birds in front of him.He let out a sickening laugh.
"Oh! Toh yaha ishq ladaya ja raha hai! Is shaitan ki jaan..." Shyam pointed towards Sujal "...Is tote main basi hai!" Shyam completed while pointing at Khushi.
"Oh! I am sorry. Ye tota nahi ye toh maina hai!!" and there again came his sickening laugh. But soon masking the serious look he changed his target, now the gun was aimed at Khushi.
Sujal's breath hitched, seeing the scene in front of him.
"Shyam!!! You want me!! Leave her, she has nothing to do with all this. I am here in front of me! Do whatever you want with me, please leave her." Sujal said, helplessly.
But Shyam stood in the middle of the road, not paying any attention to Sujal's word.
"Oh! So the rising star has a love story! I can see a beautiful lover here! But you know what, Sujal? I hate love stories!!! But you know I love the shaitan and tota's story! Have you heard that story, Sujal? Kill the Tota and the Shaitan will die eventually. So what say, ha? " Shyam said with a smile on his face .
"SHYAM!!! YOU bas***d!!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE CALLING FOR BY DOING THIS!!!!!" Sujal's voice thundered in the empty road.
But Shyam , not paying a heed, he pulled the trigger.
And then the sound of two bullets being shot, echoed in the surrounding.
Sujal dropped the gun on the road, all the strength being vanished from his body. He stared in front of him. Instantly everything went quite like dead. He saw Khushi! Her kameez drenched with blood. Shaking his head in no, he bolted towards Khushi. He caught her as she was about to hit the hard road.
"No...Khushi...Khushi...Please!!!" Sujal begged taking Khushi head on his lap, as he sat on the road.
Khushi looked at Sujal, smiling. No regret on her face.
"Khushi!!!! who asked you to come here?!!!! Answer me!!! See what you have done!!! Let me take you to hospital!!!" Sujal tried to pick her up but Khushi protested.
"Please...I ...I don't want to go anywhere ...I just want to be with you..." came Khushi's voice in rasp.
"Khushi...let me take you to Hospital, jaan..I...Please...Please" Sujal pleaded, tears flowing down his cheek.
Khushi raised her hand and wiped the tears off Sujal's face.
"Hume hospital nahi jaana,please...aap ko hamari kasam"
Sujal looked at Khushi, his tears falling on Khushi's face.
"You know what Sujal? When ...when someone commits some sin...you know...you know how Devi Maiya punishes them?..." Khushi asked smiling through her pain.
Sujal shook his head, unable to think of anything. What's worse than seeing your beloved dying in front of you?
"She...She is very impartial...I will tell you what she does...She punishes you by taking away...taking away your precious thing..." Khushi let out a small giggle..
"Am I...am I...I your precious thing?" Khushi' asked, a big lump forming in her throat.
Sujal shook his head, vigorously.
"No!!!! No...you are not my precious thing...you are not my precious thing...tell...tell your Devi Maiya that you are not my precious thing...please ...please don't leave me...I can't live without you...I have no one Khushi...only...only you...I need you...i want you... " Sujal poured, in the trembling voice. A pain like never before, pierced his heart.
"Sujal? ...you...you remember ...you remember the night we fought and we didn't meet for few days? ...That...That...night...I ...I prayed to Devi Maiya...I told her to take anything but in return ...in return make you a nice person...and...and now,...now I think that she wants...she wants me ...she wants me in exchange...it's nice na?...we both can sit and discuss how to change you..." Khushi smiled followed by a sudden pain in her abdomen.
"No!!! No!!!...please!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...God!!!! Please!!!!!!!! Don't leave me...Don't leave me!!!! I will do whatever you want me to do...I promise...I ...I...swear on you Khushi...bas Mujhe Chhod ke mat jaoo!!!!! Please ...what was the need to come here, you idiot?!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!" Sujal shouted on the top of his voice.
Khushi smiled at Sujal.
"I can't wish the fire of hell on you, Sujal...it's better to burn in the pain on regret...Atleast it will ...it will make you a better person...You have to promise me, Sujal...that...that...you will change...promise me... I love you..." Khushi raised her hand.
Sujal looked at the raised hand, he immediately placed his hand in her's.
"Promise..I promise...Khushi...Now you will not leave me, right? I will become a nice person...than you can introduce me to your Amma...I promise I promise...Khushi...Khushi?" Sujal patted her cheek, he saw her hand become limp and drop to her side. A sharp pain shot at his heart.
"Khushi...Khushi...Khushi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No...No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I said come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a sinner!!!!!!!! Why are you punishing her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please, give her back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sujal shouted at the heaven.
Sujal hugged Khushi's limp body. Tears like hot lava descending his cheek. Hugging his body close, he cried on his loss. Loud sobs wrecking his body.
"I LOVE YOU!! I Love you , Khushi!! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will become a nice person...I promise you...I will become a nice parson and will join you soon...wait for me, ok? I will fulfill my promise and will follow you soon...." Sujal sobbed embracing his beloved's body close to his heart.
Sins need to be burnt, either with the pain of regret in this world or with the fire of hell in the hereafter.
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