Sirat keeping the tray on the table in balcony, frowned. Sitting down, picked a cup, moved as if to take a sip but placed it down again. Phone display only deepened the wrinkle between her brows.

Sirat- Kathey reh gaye Kartik? Roz to mhari chai banne se pehle darwaza peetne lagte hain. Aaj... (opens callbook) Call karun? Achchha message karke hi poochh leti hoon. (types messages, sighs and hits her head) Tu bhi na Sirat, unke paas thare alawa kaam na ho sake hain ke? Unko jab aana ho aayein, na aana ho na aayein, thare ko bawli hone ki ke zaroorat hai? Dost mante hai, itni bhag daud karte hain thare vaaste aur. (moves to delete the message, hits send)

Sirat- Tu bhi na, ek kaam dhang se na hove hai thare se Sirat... Delete kar detin hoon? (ticks turn blue before that)

Sighing, she stared at the phone screen hoping for a reply.

Sirat (restless, keeps the phone down to pick up her cup)- Ab dekh liya hai, to jawab bhi de dete. Jab tak pata nahi chal jata, shanti thodi milne wali hai mhare ko.

Lawyer's Cabin

The lady on the other side of the table, heard Kartik attentively before replying.

Lawyer- Maine aapse pehle bhi kaha hai Mr Goenka, jab tak hum us report babanane wale doctor se baat nahi kar lete humara defense itna hi weak rahega. Our best chance is him accepting there was a mistake in his diagnosis. But aap jo ke rahe hain vo bhi ek possibility ho sakti hai, and even for that hamara unse ek baar bat hona zaroori hai, unka court mein haazir hona zaroori hai.

Kartik (worried)- Tab tak hum kya kuchh nahi kar sakte?

Lawyer- I am sorry, Mr Goenka lekin hum jo kuchh bhi Sirat ke liye kar sakte the, kar rahe hain. Sirat ki hearing ki agli date aane wali hai, agar vo court mein strong rahegi to hamari isse bahut madad hogi. Meanwhile, aapne jo kaha main us par gaur karungi par sabse achchha yahi hoga ki hamari us doctor se baat ho jaaye.

Kartik (nods)- Bilkul, main poori koshish karunga iske liye apni jaan laga doonga bas Sirat par se ye ilzaam hat jaye, to vo bhi vapas boxing karne lagegi aur ghar par bhi sab thik ho jayega. Thank you for listening to me.

Walking to the car, he decided his next destination. He, however, messaged an apology to Sirat in response to the text he received inside. Then turned the vehicle towards the hospital. His enquiries regarding the doctor to the hospital, just like his apprehensions to the lawyer remained futile.

Receptionist (apologetic)- Dekhiye, doctor abhi leave par hain, aur jab tak vo laut kar nahi aa jate aapko unse baat karne ke liye wait karna hoga.

Kartik (frantic)- Aap mujhe unka koi aur number de dijiye, ya fir aap unhein hamare baare mein call karke bata dijiye, unse poochh lijiye vo kab tak vapas aa jayenge? Mera unse baat karna bahut zaroori hai, Ranveer Chauhan ka unke under treatment chal raha tha aur unhone mujhse khud kaha tha ki unki jaan ko khatra blood-poisoning se hai, raat bhar uski wife aur main uske saath baithe rahe aur uski death ke baad bhi unhone sirf humse maafi maangi thi ki vo Ranveer ke liye aur nahi kar paye. Fir unki reports mein ye kaise aa gaya ki...

Receptionist- Mr Goenka, I am sorry lekin is baare mein aapko kuchh bhi dcotor hi bata payenge. Zyada se zyada main sirf aapki itni help kar sakti hoon ki jab vo vapas aayein to aapko inform kar doon.

He shared the number, and walked over to his car at the last corner of parking. Returning empty-handed he tried opening the door with a jerk, pulling his muscle. A wince escaped his lips, calming him down enough to rest his head against the locked door. As he took out his key, his mind wandered to Dadi's medicine.

Kartik (turns to face hospital)- Unhone kaha to tha unki dawai khatam ho gayi hai, par mujhe nahi pata vo kaunsi hain. (frowns) Ek kaam karta hoon Dadi ko call krke prescription ki photo hi mangwa leta hoon. Mera kaam nahi hua, yahan tak aaya hoon to unhi kaho jaaye.

He dialed Dadi's number walking across the parking lot, passing the bench with furrowed brows due to smoking of compounders on break. Initially, he stopped to move near wall so that another vehicle could pass through the narrow area. But he couldn't move away as their words floated over to him.

Man1- ...madad karne ke chakkar mein phans gaya na ab. Arre vo ladki, uska sasural, uska pati isko beech mein padne ki kya zaroorat.

Man2- Ye? Isi ka to affair tha na us boxer ke saath, jiske pati ke doctor ko dhoondhta fir raha hai, inhi donon ne to jaan li thi uski?

Man1- Na re. Main to tha na vahan par jab uske sasur aur doctor ki baat hui.

Man2- Matlab?

Man1- Matlab ye ki... (puffs) Sun, tu apna muh bilkul band rakhna agar kisi ko pata chal gaya main vahan par tha to ho sakta hai agla apna number lag jaaye upar pahunchne mein. 

Man2- Tere kehne ka matlab kya hai?

Man1- (puffs) Vo boxer ka jo sasur hai na usko bilkul pasand nahi karta, jail pahunchana chahta hai usko. Doctors se asli reports kharid ke nakli banwane ka kaam usi ne to karwaya hai, maine apni aankhon se dekha us boxer ke pati ki asli reports doctor ne Chauhan ko di. (puffs) Ab bolna mat maine batayi ye cheez, ho sakta hai chal raha ho inka affair.

Before the next man could reply, his phone rang.

Man2- Abe fir se phone aane laga iska, apan logon ko chalna padega.

Man1- Kya yaar, ye to aadhi bhi nahi bujhi... Achchha chal.

He was about to follow the men moving from front of his eyes when Dadi's voice boomed through the phone.

Dadi (concerned)- Kittu beta!? Kittu?

Kartik (clears his throat)- Haan dadi.

Dadi- Hum kitne der se tumhein awaz de rhe hain aur tum ab jawab de rhe ho? 

Kartik (tracing the path he saw compounders move to)- Haan, Dadi vo mera dhyan kisi aur taraf chala gaya tha. (increases his pace)

Dadi- Koi baat nhi, ye batao humein phone kyon kiya tha?

Kartik (almost stumbles into someone at the entrance)- Asal mein main yahan Ranveer ke doctor ke baare mein pata karne ke liye hospital aaya tha.

Dadi- Doctor mile kya?

Kartik- Nahi, vo to abhi nahi mile.

Dadi- Tum bilkul himmat mat haro Kittu beta, ishwar jab jo bhi karte hain kisi na kisi wajah se karte hain. Abhi nahi mile to kya hua, tum koshish karte raho unke baare mein kuchh na kuchh to humein zaroor pata chalega.

Kartik (looks around the corridor)- Pata to chal gaya, ab bas vo aadmi kahan hai mil jaaye ek baar. Please Krishna ji, aapne itni madad ki hai Sirat ki sachchai saabit karne ke liye aap ye mauka dekar cheeniye mat.

Dadi- Kittu beta? 

Kartik- Haan dadi, vo maine aapki dawai ke prescription ke liye call kiya tha. Khatam ho gayi hon, to main abhi hospital mein hi hoon aap prescription bhej dijiye main le loonga.

Dadi- Arre vo to kal hi aa gayi thi, tum bematlab hi pareshan hue.

Kartik (eyes fall to a corner, his shoulders sagging in relief)- Bematlab to nahi, bhale vo jo mujhe karna tha main nahi kar paya, lekin jo Krishna ji ko karna tha unhone vo kar diya.

Dadi- Ye tum kya bole ja rahe ho?

Kartik (walking over to the compounder)- Dadi, main aapko baad mein call krta hoon. Mujhe abhi ek zaroori kaam hai.

Dadi- Thik hai, hum prarthna karenge tumhara jo bhi kaam hai achchhe se poora jo jaaye.

Kartik- Thank you Dadi, ismein mujhe aapke aashirvad ki bahut zyada zaroorat hai.

Goneka House

Sirat (stirring pan, eyes towards main door)- Unhone kaha to tha, khana banne tak aa jayenge par mhare ko samajh naa aya aisa ke kaam aa gaya unko jo itni der ho gayi.

Empty check-up room

Suhas (Man1)- Main aapke aage hath jodta hoon, apan se ye gawahi dena sab nahi hoga. Kyon mere bachchon ko anath karwana chahte hain aap? Aap bade log hain, hum chhote aadmi. Agar Chauhan ko bhanak bhi lag gayi to kab gayab ho jaayegein bharosa nahi.

Kartik (holds his hand)- Mere bhi bachche hain, main aapki chinta samajh sakta hoon. Mr Chauhan jaise ghatiya aadmi se ladna kya hota hai, main aap se behtar janta hoon. Aap hi bas hamari ek matra ummed ho, agar doctor aur Mr Chauhan mile huye hain to humein ab asli reports shayad kabhi na mile. 

Suhas- Aapki gayab reports ke chakkar mein aap apan ko hi gayab karwana chahte ho sahib.

Kartik (shakes his head)- Aisa bilkul nahi hoga, aap haan keh do, hum aapke aur aapke parivar ka poora dhyan rakhenge. Jab tak Mr Chauhan ko jail nahi ho jaati aapke protection ki zimmedari meri rahegi. Aap par ek aanch bhi nahi aane doonga main.

Suhas (snatches his hands)- Mere ko maaf karo sahib, apan se ye sab nahi hoga. 

Kartik (sighs)- Main aapki chinta samajhta hoon, lekin aapke is kaam se Sirat ki life, uska career bach jayega. Hum jeevanbhar aapke abhari rahenge. (continued silence) Achchha, aap ye mera card rakhiye, yahan par Kartik Goenka, agar aapka man badalta hai to mujhe please call kariyega.

Leaving the hospital, he dialed lawyer's number.

Goenka House

At the sound of knock, Sirat jumped from sofa ready to interrogate Kartik. 

Except he wasn't alone.

***

Precap

Sirat turned to Kartik at the threshold, before facing back again.