Aastha is Ragini's best friend in London.After her parents death in an accident Ragini's parents took great care of her.Aastha lived in Ragini's neighbourhood and sometimes, she and Ragini used to stay together at her house or Aastha used to come for a night stay at Ragini's place!
Ragini reached London at early morning
"Aastha" came to receive her..
Aastha:Hey Ragini..kaisi hai??
Ragini: Main bilkul theek hun yaar...dad kaise hain..mujhse unse milna hai abhi ke abhi..
Aastha: Theek hai..hum hospital chalte hain seedha...but plz unke samne rona matt...he's alright now.
Ragini nodded..but still couldn't control her tears..she wanted to see him now!
Soon they were on their way..Aastha kept consoling hwr and sighed...
"No use telling her not to cry...may be talking to her dad would help her"
HOSPITAL
As soon as she reached the room and saw her Dad sleeping on the bed, she began to sob.."Shalini" her Mom, who was sleeping on the chair after a long ordeal, had dozed off for a few minutes, woke up immediately..she looked at the door horrified at the sight of her daughter crying..
Shalini: Gini..she said slowly..walking out and holding her daughter in her arms..Kuch nahi hua beta...Papa thik hai..chup ho ja.kuch nahi hua..
she said hugging her carssing her hairs.She had tears in her eyes as well..
She slowly took Ragini to the nearby chair and made her sit..
Ragini kept sobbing..and Shalini kept assuring her that her dad was alright and would be fine very soonAfter a few minutesRagini got up and looked at Shalini.Shalini wiped her tears.and pinned her hairs back!
Shalini : Gini ..Papa bilkul thik hai...samjhi...doctor ne kaha hai ki thode din bedrest ke liye kaha hai aur physio therapy se sab thik ho jayega...par woh ek do din Papa ko hospital mein hi rakhenge, observation mein..phir hum Papa ko ghar lekar ja sakte hain
Ragini: Tum sach keh rahi ho na ma? She asked with tears in her eyes...
Shalini: Pagli.tujh se jhooth kyun bolungi..Tu Papa se mil le aur phir Aastha ke sath ghar jaa...kitni thaki hui lag rahi hai...thoda aaram kar le ghar jakar..waise mein ne kaha tha Astha se ki tujhe pehle ghar le jaye aur arram karne ko kahe..par pata hai, tune hi zidd ki hogi...hai na, she said shaking her head and wiping Ragini's face with her pallu..Kaisi halat bana li hai apni..she scolded her slowly...papa dekhenge to aur pareshan ho jayenge...chal mere sath ...thoda hath muh dho le...she said taking Ragini's arm...Ragini went with her and washed her face...Shalini took out her hair brush and brushed her hairs..and once satisfied, they walked back to the room..chal Papa se mil..she said with an encouraging smile..Ragini nodded slowly and went in...she looked at her dad, tears again forming in her ears..a tear fell on Prakash's face and he opened his eyes..
Prakash: Gini..he said with a slow smile..aa gayi beta.
Ragini: Papa.she whispered..wiping her tears...
Prakash: Mein thik hun beta..tu ro kyun rahi hai..bas ek do din mein ghar aa jaunga..kaisi rahi sanaya ki wedding?.
Ragini: Bahaut maza aaya Papa..she said looking away.
Prakash: Pagli kahin ki... tu ghar ja...Aur agli baar aayi na to zara badi si smile bhi sath leke aana...aur thode sweets..he said with a little smile..
Ragini laughed through her tears..and nodded..
Prakash: Haan ab acha lag raha hai..he said smiling.
Ragini then slowly went out with Aastha..
They were soon on their way and she kept crying silently wiping her tears...
Aastha decided to stay with Ragini till the time her parents don't come back
Once home, Ragini & Aastha fell asleep..after a while she got up and went to the kitchen and quickly prepared evening dinner, she packed it in a basket..She woke Aastha up and they both went to hospital and had there dinner together with Prakash & Shalini ..
And soon they left in her bedroom she switched on her cell phone..she could see that there were atleast 25 missed calls...she knew, who it must have been from...She wanted to call when she got back in the morning...but she was so dead,tired and miserable...she was not in the position to call any one..
"Kya soch raha hoga mere bare mein"..she thought sadly...
but then images of her father in pain also kept haunting her.She could see that her mom was also stressed out...they both hid it well, but they missed the point that she was not 12 but 21 now...she looked at the missed calls...2 from Shobhit...3 from Sanaya...2 from Mohit and all the others were from Jay..she sighed...She went and looked for Aastha..she was reading a novel.She first called Sanaya and told her about her safe arrival.
She was about to call Jay ..when Aastha came in...
She kept the phone down...and looked at Aastha...
Ragini: Ho gaya tera book padhna?he nodded with a grin and jumped on the bed..
Aastha: Haan..achha chal apne photos dikha na...
Ragini: Thik hai...tu ruk, main LAPPY on karti hun..Waise bhi mujhe thodi aur pics daalni hai...
She took out her Laptop and switched it on...she then showed her all the wedding photos...she intentionally hided her pics with Jay so that Aastha doesn't start teasing her or ask any questions related to him.
After some time..Aastha went to sleep in the other room..
Ragini closed the door of her room..changed into her nighty and then sat on the bed with a sigh...she took the phone and dialed Jay's no. But he was not responding..she tried again..but nothing...she sighed..
Ragini: Naraaz hoga mujhse..kyun na ho...subah se meine phone karke, pahunchne ki khabar bhi nahi di...Waise abhi tak wo Mumbai Pahunch gaya hoga..he said he'll get to Mumbai.
She then decided to call Shobhit to ask about Jay..
Shobhit: Are Ragini...pohunch gayi thik thak?.
Ragini: Han shobhit..pahunch gayi..
Shobhit:kafi lamba safar tha na?
Ragini: han safar lamba toh tha..achha woh Jay kahan hai?
Shobhit: Pata ni mujhe kluchh bataya nahi usne..I guess he has gone back to Mumbai..wo apna samaan pack raha tha tujhe airport se milke aane ke baad..tu ye bata Papa kaise hain?
Ragini: Hospital mein hain...thik hai..kuch din rukna hoga hospital mein.She said blowing her nose.Achha chal main badmein phone karti hun...she wanted to tell him, to ask Jay to call her..but was too shy to say so...
Shobhit: Thik hai Ragz...tum apna dhyan rakhna...aur Uncle ke bare mein phone karke batana badmein
Ragini: Okay...
She closed her eyes and remembered her time with Jay...her eyes filled with tears...She waited for a long time for Jay's call...and eventually fell asleep with the phone in her hand!
She got up in the morning, when her alarm went off..she looked at the phone for any missed calls..but there were none..she looked at the cell phone with a sad sigh and got up..She went to wake Aastha and got ready.She & Aastha quickly prepared breakfast and also made some lunch for everyone..Affter that they went to the hospital...within an hour they reached there.
HOSPITAL
Prakash: Aagayi beta...Neend aayi raat ko ya nahi?
Ragini: Haan papa..aap kaise ho?
Prakash: Mein ek dum thik hun...jaldi breakfast do bahut bhook lagi hai...he said smiling
Shalini: Gini, tumne aur Aastha ne khaya?
Gini didn't say anything..but aastha replied..
Aastha: nahi aunty..isne nahi khaya
Shalini: Chup chap baith aur humare sath kha..she said angrily...apna dhyan nahi rakhegi, to humara kaise rakhegi..Saara burden humein asstha ke sarr nahi dalna..wo humara aur tera khayal akele thodi na rakh payegi.
Prakash: Beta, itna tension kyun le rahi ho...sab thik ho jayega..chalo khaa lo..
Ragini sighed and ate slowly...how could she tell them, that she was not only tensed about her dad, but also for Jay..
Ragini: Maa...tum abb ghar jao...aur aaram karo...mein aaj din mein papa ke sath rehti hun...Aap Shaam ko aa jana..
Shalini:Nahi..main ni jaa rahi..
Aastha:Nahi aunty..aapne apni halat dekhi hai..u need rest..waise bhi hum aapko akela nahi chhod rahe..chalo main chalti hun aapke sath.
Prakash: Haan Shalini...tum jao...mein meri beti ke sath kuch waqt bitana chahta hun...waise bhi kitne dinon ke baad ayi hai...he said smiling.
Shalini: Thik hai..tu ruk jaa..chal Aastha..par promise kar tu humesha ki tarah gadi tez nahi chalayegi..
Ragini & Prakash laughed..
Aastha : han aunty promise karti hun..ab chalo..and she held Shalini's hand.
It was 7pm in the evening...Shalini & Aastha were back in the hospital & now they told ragini to get back home!
She was dead tired..she just wanted to go and hit the bed for some time.She drove home carefully...thinking about her dad and then about Jay.she then remembered, that her cell phone was off..she was near the house.but as soon as she came near..she saw someone sitting on the steps.It was still a little dark, and she got frightened, she could not see who it was clearly...Though their neighborhood was safe, no one would ever guarantee.She started taking out her phone from the purse, switched it on to call 911, with shaky hands.When she was near, she looked at the person and was shocked to see Jay there.
She threw her cell phone on the side seat..parked the car and opened the car door and ran out.Jay was standing just outside her house.
Ragini: Jay?? she whispered..Jay nodded with a smile and Ragini immediately ran to him and hugged him tightly..tears pouring down her cheeks..
Jay: Kaisi ho..? He asked..
Ragini just shook her head and kept crying..
Jay: Chalo andar chalein..bahar thand mein kulfi jum gayi hain...2 ghante se wait kar raha hun..aur tumhara cell phone bhi nahi lag raha tha..Howz ur Dad? he asked carssing her hair...
Ragini: Sorry...she said wiping her tears...woh cell phone nahi karte hospital mein..
Jay: Koi baat nahi..andar chalo..itni thaki hui lag rahi ho lag raha hai abhi gir jaogi..
Ragini: Tum yahan...abhi? she asked looking up..
Jay:Humesha tumhara sath nibhane ka vada kiya hai...aise waqt mein akele kaise chodta..
Ragini broke in sobs and hugged him tightly..
Jay also hugged her closing his eyes..these 24 hours were so frustrating and tiring..he could not talk to her...did not know how she was.
Ragini slowly wiped her tears and stood back..Jay's hands were still on her shoulder..
Ragini: Chalo..andar chalo...main mera purse aur phone le ati hun car se...she said with a small smile..
Jay: Mein front door par rukta hun...mera saman sabh wahin hai..
Ragini: Nahi ye lo keys..open the door and keep all ur stuff inside.
Jay took the keys and opened the door.
He got inside and kept all his stuff at a corner.
Ragini by that time locked her car & came inside..She closed the door from inside!
TO BE CONTINUED..
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