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Part 11
Aahil quickly unlatched the door and threw it open. Two police officers stepped in.
"Inspector? Any problem?" Aahil asked the first one he saw.
"Kyun re hero, aisa kya kar rahe thay ke darwaza kol ne main itni der ho gayi?" he asked glancing at Aahil's half unbuttoned shirt and then at Sanam who was still wearing Aahil's coat.
"Excuse me?" Aahil was taken aback. He saw the officer ogling at Sanam and he instantly stepped sideways to block her out of view.
"Tumne iss jaga ko lodge samaj ke raka hai?" the officer asked.
"Dekiye inspector, aap ab batameezi pe uttare hain, " Aahil spoke through his teeth. He didn't like where this was headed but he had a feeling about what he was going to be asked next so he braced himself. He reached behind him to grab a hold of Sanam's right hand and gently but quickly took off the ring she wore on her index finger and put it on her ring finger. Then he gently squeezed her hand to reassure her that he'll take care of everything.
Luckily for him, Sanam did not protest. She didn't even utter a single word as she was too distracted, angered by the absurd way the inspector was questioning them, and was thinking of the best response she could give him.
"Ye larkhi kya lagti hai tere?" asked the second officer wagging a finger at Sanam, as the first one smirked mockingly.
Aahil grabbed Sanam's hand and exchanged a glance that screamed "trust me" and said," Ye meri mangetar hai."
"Pata hai ke jab ek larka aur larki aisi sunsan jaga pe pakre jate hain to woh yahi kehte hain. Kya saboot hai tumhare paas ke ye teri mangetar hai?"
Aahil put Sanam's hand forward and showed them the ring. "Ye angooti jo maine Sanam ko apni mangni pe pehnayi thi," he fibbed.
"Achcha. Waise aapki mangetar badi sundar hai," the second officer winked at Aahil. Aahil's grip on Sanam's hand tightened and Sanam shifted uncomfortably behind him.
"Dekiye inspector hum yahan raat bar baarish main paas gaye thay tho..." Aahil started, but was cut off.
"Paas ne wale to ab ho tum dono.." the first officer announced.
"Ye kya bakwas kar rahe hain aap? Itni der se aisi behuda sawal kar rahe hain. Aur apni yahan aane ki waja bi nahin bata rahe. Problem kya hai?" Aahil seethed with anger.
Sanam jumped at his sudden tone.
"Kya ho raha hain yahan par?" a third voice made all of them turn around. It was the police commissioner.
"Kuch nahin sahab. Ye dono humme yahan band darwaze ke peeche mile hain," the first officer replied.
Aahil took a step forward in anger, ready to break the officer's face. Sanam pulled him back.
"Commissioner sahab hum yahan raat bar paas gaye thay. Humari gari bi out of gas thi tho humme raat yahan guzarni pardhi. Kya aap humari koi madat karsakte hain?" Aahil asked.
"Aisa hai ke humme pata chala hai ke ye jagah drug smuggling ke liye use ho rahi hai. Yahan raat bar smugglers ruk thay hain aur yaheen say apne orders bhijwate hain. Humme yahan ki talashi leni hogi," said the commissioner.
"Aap yahan ki talashi zaroor kar saktain hain lekin hum log isme involved nahin hain," Aahil responded.
"Woh to talashi ke baad pata chalega," the commissioner replied curtly and then ordered the officers to search the barn.
They checked every nook and cranny as Aahil and Sanam stood waiting next to the commissioner.
"Kuch nahin mila," the officers returned to the commissioner's side.
"Bahar dekho," the commissioner suggested.
One of the officers knocked over a barrel that stood just outside the barn. A bunch of rocks fell out of it and then a few white packets followed. Sanam gasped, covering her mouth.
"Ye lo," pointed the first officer. "Saboot mil gaya. Ab humme tum logon ki bi talashi leni hogi."
Aahil let go of Sanam's hand and stood straight with his arms outstretched as the second officer checked him. The first walked towards Sanam,who stepped back, frightened of his gaze.
"Ek minute," Aahil moved towards Sanam. "Sanam ko koi nahin chue ga." He looked at the commissioner.
"Sorry, humme larki ki talashi leni hogi," he spoke firmly.
"Toh main aapki jagah kar dehta hoon," Aahil offered. He couldn't let anyone touch Sanam; be it a police officer.
He looked at Sanam giving her an expression that asked for permission.
Sanam blinked and nodded a small yes.
She closed her eyes as Aahil touched her gingerly and did a quick search.
"Theek hai officer?" he stepped back from Sanam. "Ab kya aap humari madat kar sakte hain?"
"Tum log ek crime scene pe mile ho to police station tho chalna ho ga," said the commissioner.
"Kya?" exclaimed a startled Aahil. "Commissioner sahab maine aapse kaha ke humara iss sab se koi lena dena nahin hai. Hum police station nahin jayenge. Agar aap humari madat kar sakte hain to theek hai warna humme please jaane dijiye. Humare ghar wale pareshan honge."
"Police station tho jana hoga."
"Commissioner sahab aap jaante hain ke main kon hoon? Main Aahil Raza Ibrahim hoon aur ye meri mangetar Sanam hai," Aahil stated.
"Aahil Raza Ibrahim? Madlab Bhopal ke chote Nawab?" the commissioner asked in shock.
"Ji."
"Maaf karna meri yahan abhi posting hui hai aur maine aap ko paichana nahin," the commissioner apologized. "Raju zara chote nawab ki gari fix karwaado aur inhe ghar bhijwado," he told officer one.
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In the next half hour, Aahil and Sanam were in the car, driving home. They were both quiet as neither knew what to say.
Sanam was fingering her ring which surprisingly was still on her ring finger where Aahil had put it a little while back. Aahil noticed her playing with it and decided to break the silence first.
"Woh abhi jo kuch bi hua thori der pehle uske liye I'm sorry. Maine majboori main woh tume search kia kyun ke main nahin cha raha tha ke woh officer..." he trailed off. Sanam was touched by his words and that gesture was appreciable as Aahil saved her from being touched by a stranger and that too a male.That officer seemed really fishy, and he made her uncomfortable. She was glad that Aahil had jumped in.
Aahil continued,"Aur agar main tumme apni mangetar nahin bolata toh tum to dekh hi raheen theen ke woh kya kya baatein bana rahe thay. Agar main aisa nahin kehta tho hum uske liye bi jail jate."
Sanam understood this as well.
"Aapko maafi mangni ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Balke mujhe aap se maafi mangni chahiye. Jo hua woh meri galti ki waja se hua. Aur ye aapka bara pun tha ke aap mujhe doondne nikle aur mera itna kayal rakha. Maine kal raat jo bi kaha uske liye main bohut sharminda hoon. Hosake toh aap please mujhe maaf kardiga."
"It's okay Sanam," was Aahil's short reply to her. Sanam looked out the window and hugged herself. She suddenly remembered that she hadn't changed yet and her clothes were lying on the back seat.
"Sunye mujhe ghar jaane se pehle change be karna hai. Agar koi stop area nazar aaye to please rokiye ga."
"Okay."
About fifteen minutes later there was a stop area right before the highway. Aahil pulled over and Sanam got out of the car. Aahil followed her to the bathroom as there were too many stragglers around and he didn't want them to bother her.
"Tum jao, main wait kar raha hoon," Aahil told her and she quickly disappeared.
When she came out she had washed her face and fixed her hair, the neat freak that she was. She was holding his coat which was neatly folded in half and lying across her arm. As she came down the stairs, she missed one and Aahil reached forward to catch her before she hurt herself.
"Ouch," she exclaimed as she landed in his arms.
"Sanam tum theek ho?"
"Nahin," she winced. "Lagta hai ke paon me moch aagayi."
Aahil carried her to the car, opened the door and placed her in the passenger side. Then he bent down to take a look at her foot and as he reached for it, she moved it back.
"Ya Allah, aap kyun chuenge mera paon. Aap rehne den. Main dekh loon gi." She blushed.
Aahil noticed how beautiful she looked when she blushed. He tried again but she batted away his hand.
"Please aap chordijiye."
"Sanam mujhe dekne to do please. Warna swelling ho jaye gi."
"Koi baat nahin. Main phir bi sab kaam samhaloon gi."
"Sanam ye kaam ke bare main nahin hai. Ye tumhare bare main hai. Tumme takleef hogi to mujse bardaasht nahin ho ga."
Aahil suddenly realized what he'd just said as Sanam's gaze captivated him into a trance. But he broke out of it before her and twisted her ankle hard.
"Ow," she winced again and squeezed his shoulder hard in pain.
"Ab theek hain?" Aahil asked.
"Haan. Ab theek ho gaya," she answered, wiggling her toes. "Shukriya," she added and then blushed again thinking about what he'd said. His words were really starting to melt her heart. This was a bad thing, she knew. Because he was engaged to be married in two days, but she couldn't help it.
The rest of the ride, was long and quiet as neither had anything to say to the other. So much had been said and done in the past night. They were still so tired from the night before with their on and off sleep pattern that sleep is all they wanted.
By the time they reached the house, it was already 9 a.m.
As Aahil halted to a stop, both Sanam and him exchanged a glance.
"Agar begum sahiba poochengi ke hum saari raat kahan thay tho hum kya khehenge?" she asked, suddenly worried.
"Don't worry, main samhaloonga," he reassured her as they stepped out of the car.
Aahil unlocked the front door and pushed it open just as someone threw themselves at him and almost knocked him off balance.
"Aahil baby tum kahan thay?" screeched Nida.
Aahil rolled his eyes out of frustration and pushed her off.
Nida pouted, "Main puri raat tumhare intezar main sohi nahin," she chirped; although it was evident from the look of her eyes that she had a pretty nice rest last night.
"Aahil beta tum kahan thay puri raat?" a worried Begum Sahiba quickly made her way to him, with the help of Lateef.
"Woh Ammi humari gari out of gas ho gayi thi to humme wahan raat guzarni pardi," he answered coolly.
"What? Tum dono ne ek saath raat guzari?" Nida cried.
"Shut up Nida," Aahil snapped. "Aisi koi badi baat nahin thi jo tum samaj rahi ho."
"What nonsense? Tumne is naukrani ke saat poori raat guzari aur tum chahthay ho ke main chup rahoon?"
Aahil ignored her and turned to his Ammi.
"Ammi main theek se soya nahin raat bhar tho main sone ja raha hoon."
"Theek hai," she replied sweetly as Aahil walked off to his room with Nida trailing behind him.
Sanam walked behind them as her room was in the same direction.
"Aahil ruko," Nida wailed; but Aahil walked into his room and slammed the door in her face.
"How rude!" she stomped her foot and turned on her heels to leave for her room.
Sanam waited for her to enter her room, then knocked on Aahil's door.
"Nida please leave me alone!" he threw open the doors impatiently and expected to see Nida when Sanam came into view.
"Oh. Tum ho. Come in," he stood aside to let Sanam in.
"Woh main ye aapko lautane aayi thi. Ek bhar phir aapko shukriya kehna chahoongi." Aahil half smiled as she put his coat down on his bed and left the room.
He stared at her retreating back.
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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