Sirat (purses her lips and tries again)- Kartik-

Kartik (shakes his head)- Sirat, please abhi nahi. Itna bada hadsa- (sighs) Khair, mujhe tumse kuchh aur bhi baat karni thi par jab tumhein kuchh batana hi nahi hai to fir poochhne ka to koi matlab hi nahi hai. 

He stormed off the room with that, passing by Swarna on the corridor moving to call him and Sirat. However, Kartik chose to skip the meal while Sirat remained frozen with the tea cup in her hand. It wasn't until Swarna knocked on to the room that she realised it and kept it down. 

Sirat (plastering a smile)- Haan, maan?

Swarna (turns to look at Sirat from the corridor)- Vo khana- Ab tumhein kya ho gaya hai?

Sirat (hums)- Mhare ko ke hoga? Main to badhiya hoon.

Swarna (nods with a frown)- Achchha thik hai, main tumhein khane ke liye bulane aayi thi.

***

Sitting on the bench by the porch Kartik sighed. As the night breeze calmed his temper his concerns changed.

Kartik (frowning)- Kya Kartik? Aisa karte hain kya? Vo pehle hi disturbed thi aur uske upar maine use daant diya. (defensive) To disturb to hogi hai na, agar aisi cheezon se akeli deal karegi to pareshan nahi hogi to aur kya hoga? Aap hi us ladki ko kuchh sadbuddhi deejiye Krishna ji.

Naira (sitting beside him hums)- Jab uski itni chinta hai to bahar kyon baithe ho?

Kartik (turns to her)- Kyonki mujhe ab bhi Sirat par gussa aa raha hai.

Naira (looks into his eyes)- Aur tum nahi chahte ki ye gussa us par utre.

Kartik (glances away)- Us par chillane se to kuchh nahi hoga. Ye sab to uski galati hai jo Sirat ki jaan lena chahta hai. Usne to jo samajh mein aaya vo kiya. Dhyan rakha ki ghar ka koi bhi insaan unsafe na ho.

Naira- Tab to usse aise baat karna ka koi logic nahi hai.

Kartik (looks back at Naira)- Arre, logic kaise nahi hai? (focus behind her shoulder) Sabka dhyan rakha par apna dhyan rakhna bhool gayi. (gaze flits between Naira and to a side) Kitna stress hua hoga use is baat ka, par chuchap bina kuchh kahe aise hi behave karti rahi jaise kuchh hua hi na ho. Maine bhi dhyan nahi diya, mujhe laga agar vo jaakar practice karegi to use productive feel hoga, gharwalon ke beech use ajeeb lag raha hoga... Par nahi, I made her even more unsafe. Mujhe usse pooja par hi jaane nahi dena chahiye tha.

Naira (her hand ghosts over his shoulder)- Tumhein khud ko un baaton ko doshi nahi therana chahiye jinmein tumhari koyi galati nahi hai.

Kartik (makes eye contact)- Main bas ab use bhi nahi kho sakta, Naira. Tum to jaanti ho kitni mushkil se cheezen behtar hui hain, Chauhan sa jail mein hai... Ab agar Sirat ko kuchh ho gaya to. Aur apnon ko khone ki himmat nahi hai mujhmein.

Naira (removing her hand, her head ghosted over his shoulder)- Sab thik ho jaayega Kartik, bas thodi himmat aur.

Kartik (hums)- Ek baar bas vo insaan pakda jaaye, fir sab thik ho jaayega.  

Aware Naira was correct Kartik attempted to gather his composure back. It wasn't as if he could spend the night outside. He needed to return to his room, as well as, have a sober conversation with Sirat keeping his temper in check. Until the knowledge of the attack wasn't at forefront of his mind every moment he remained seated. In his thoughts, he missed Manish coming out, finding him on the porch and fisting his fingers in an attempt to control his emotions. 

Manish- Pata nahi ye ladki mere bete ko aur kitna satayegi.

About to reach out to him, then he thought better of it. Instead turning around and seeking the culprit behind Kartik's despondent mood. As he thought, she was in Kartik's room after dinner pacing before the bed. Manish knocked on the door. Something akin to hope swirled in her eyes before she registered it was him. 

Sirat (apprehensive)- Uncle ji?

Manish (looking behind her)- Mujhe tumse baat karne ka koi shauk nahi hai lekin aaj tumhari wajah se mera beta apne hi kamare se bahar hai. Bhale hi mujhe uska karan pata na ho main ye baat achchhi tarah se janta hoon ki tum jabse hum sabki life mein aayi ho hamari saari problems ki jad tum ho, iske peechhe bhi tumhara hi haath hoga. Mujhe to ye samajh nahi aa raha ki tum kaisi insaan ho, jisne tumhare liye apne pariwar tak ki parwah nahi ki tumhein is ghar mein jagah dilwayi tum use itna dukh kaise de sakti ho. Aage ke liye meri tumse sirf yahi guzarish hai mere bete ko aur taqleef mat do. Mere pariwar ko tumhari chinta hai, at least, unka maan rakho aur mere liye tumhein yahan accept karna asaan kar do.

After Manish left, Sirat lost sense of passing time if not for Akshu's shrill cries, she wouldn't have realized her blurry vision.

***

Kartik returned a while later, to find Sirat asleep by Akshu's crib. He shook his head before reaching out to shake her. Her slumping shoulders changed his mind, making him carry her to the bed. After covering her with the blanket, he was about to move away but a gentle hold stopped her. Behind her Sirat was still fast asleep but now her hand was tugging him back, a serene expression on her face. The grip was loose enough for Kartik to pull himself free, something akin to regret flashed in his eyes at the frown on Sirat's face, however. He remained standing by the bed till she turned away to the other side, shaking him out of his stupor.

Kartik (laying down on sofa sighs)- Kartik, tu ye kya kar raha hai? (closing his eyes) Sirat se baat karni padegi, agar usne fir se aisa kuchh kiya to...

He woke up to a loud gurgle to his right, turning his body, he opened his eyes squinting against the light. Akshu was being fed by Sirat in her track-suit, a small smile on her face. Once, the last of formula in the bowl ended she reached down to bop her nose. Though, once her phone buzzed she reached down to check it and her expression changed abruptly. Smiling once more she turned to Akshu.

Sirat (whispering)- Akshu, ab na manne jaana hoga. Sarang bhi pahunch hi gaya hoga. Vaise to main maan ji ko bata ke jaaongi par tab tak dhyan rakhna apni kisi shaitani se Kartik ko na utha dena, kal bahut der raat laute honge kamare mein. 

For first time in a while, Sirat reached the club on time for two consecutive days. It wasn't as if Sirat could not do so. She wasn't sure how staying back and running into an awake Kartik would go. He was angry with her, and rightfully so. If anyone put her family- if she had a family, and anyone did so Sirat would have reacted same. It's his kindness, even after all this he was concerned about her safety. The anguish within her channelled into well executed punches, that at least meant unlike the day before Sirat didn't need to be thrashed by her coach. 

Sirat (sitting by her locker stared at her phone)- Agar aape mhare se gussa na hote to aapko batati ki aaj ke saare practice matches kitne achchhe gaye, par abhi to isi baat se tasalli karni pade hai ki coach sir ka gusaa kuchh kam hua hai mhare pe varna kal to...

It was as Sirat was knocked out for third time in the row that her coach shook his head, and called her outside the ring changing letting someone else join her practice partner in the ring. Near the lockers but not too far away from people, so that there voices wouldn't completely be lost to rest of her peers.

Coach- Tum first half aur second half ko milakar kitne matches khel chuki ho?

Sirat (looking away)- Paanch.

Coach (hums)- Aur unmein se kitne matches haari ho?

Sirat- Chaar.

Coach- Teen matches mein to tum das minute ke andar knock out ho gayi. Sirat, main tumhari problems samjhata hoon, but tum ring ke andar apne life ke problems nahi le jaa sakti. Nationals ke kisi bhi opponent ko fark nahi padega ki tum kyon practice nahi kar paayi! Aur agar tum qualify bhi karna chahti ho aur Rajasthan ka netrativ karna chahti ho, (slwoly) tumhein apna ravaiyya badlna padega.

Sirat (nods)- Ji coach sir.

Coach- Mujhe maloom hai abhi-bhi tumhari shaadi huyi hai, lekin agar tumhein apna man sasural mein lagana hai nationals bhool jao. 10 minute ka break lo fir Neelam ke against fight.

With that he was off, after sufficiently fueling Sirat's turmoil.

Coach- Sirat! (as she glances up) Panch aur minute fir Seema ki jagah tum le rahi ho. 

Nodding, she took another sip of her energy drink before standing up to warm up. The next few days, she formed a routine to avoid Kartik. In the morning she left early, and at night returned late enough that she could freshen up and leave to help out at the kitchen. At times, she wondered whether Kartik was also avoiding her, staying late in his office onto the night. Her conversations with Kairav remained her only link of getting to know about Kartik's whereabouts for the next week, as they remained stern on not facing each other. So much so, few days into it Gayu di and Maan separately approached her to talk about the trouble in paradise. There was no paradise, as such nothing to let them know. Sirat simply managed to disappoint Kartik.

Not wanting to push Sirat anymore than he already did, Kartik pulled back. He could read the signals. Sirat was avoiding him. After his behaviour, he could at least let her have that. And maybe, he was struggling to let the fact go that Sirat didn't bother to share she almost died while completing a pooja Kartik could care less about. As such, he relied on her security intel to let him know what was happening. It came as a surprise then, when he returned home from a meeting to find Sarang sipping tea in the main hall.

***

Precap

Kartik (frowns)- Sarang, tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?

Sarang (standing up)- Vo aaj Sirat ma'am practice se jaldi aa gayi.