3 hours ago

Lawyer (furrowing her brows)- Mr Goenka, agar is interaction ka koi witness hai to vo is case ko crucially badal sakta hai. Par hamara problem ab bhi wahi hai, jo pehle tha, in fact, ab to ye aur bhi zyada mushkil ho gaya hai kyonki agar vo sach bol raha hai then most plausibly, hamari madad kar sakne wala iklauta saboot mita diya gaya hai.

Kartik (frantic)- Hamare paas kya koi aur option nahi hai?

Lawyer- Agar vo aadmi hamara witness banne ke liye taiyar ho jaata hai, to hum is case ko shayad apni taraf jhuka paayein lekin ek saboot ki ahmiyat ek gawah se kahin zyada hoti hai. Unke paas kai saboot hain, aur poora ka poora narrative hai.

Kartik- Pleaser, agar kuchh bhi hai. Pehle to sirf andaza tha, lekin ab to ye pakka ho gaya hai ye sab Mr Chauhan karwa rahe hain, Sirat se bahut nafrat karte hain vo agar unki sachchai saamne nahi aayi to barbad kar denge vo Sirat ko. Please, agar kuchh bhi ho sakta hai...

Lawyer- Ek kaam ho sakta hai Mr Goenka...

Now

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

Sirat (open mouthed)- Nidhi? (teary eyed) Amma? (turns to Kartik again) Ye log...

Kartik (blinks with smile)- Tumse maafi mangna chahte hain.

Amma- Haan beta, thare sath ke hua humein sab pata chal gaya hai.

Nidhi (reaches out to take her hand)- Humein please maaf kar do bhabhi.

Sirat (staring between them and Kartik simultaneously)-  Par Kartik kaise?

Kartik- Saari baatein darwaze par hi karogi?

Sirat (shakes her head, taking her hands from Nidhi guieds them inside)- Andar aaiye na.

After everyone settled in the living room, and Sirat offered them tea which was rejected. They moved towards their sudden appearance at her doorstep. 

Amma- Hum to itni badi galti kar hi chuke the, par fir aaj sham ko Kartik aaya.

1.5 hours  ago

A car stopped in front of Chauhan mansion, Kartik stepped out of it to storm inside the mansion. The guards tried to stop him, he resisted their physical restraints. Ruckus finally caught attention of the Chauhan family, bringing them to their threshold.

Narendranath (angry, getting out)- Ye kya shor hai!? (registers Kartik) Is chhore ne bheetar ghusne kaise diya tum logon ne, is baat ke paise khate ho? Bahar nikal ise!

Kartik (shrugs off their hands)- Khabardar, jo mujhe chhoone ki bhi koshish kari. Yahan par abhi to sirf baat karne aaya hoon, shukra manaiye police lekar nahi.

Narendranath (takes out his phone)- Chhore ek case se badnam hoke man na bhara tera, jo fir police-kachahari ke chakkar mein padna chahe hai? Agar thari yahi khwahish hai to humein poori karne mein koi taqleef na hogi, abhi phone mila ke bula lete hain. Hawalat ki hawa khayega na to ye jo mhare hi ghar mein ghuskar manne dhamaki dene ki akad hai na, barabar ho jayegi.

Kartik (nods)- Bilkul phone milaiye, aur sath hi sath apne us doctor ko bhi call karke bata dijiye, taaki vo aapse case ladne ke liye aur paise maang sake. (dumbfounds Mr Chauhan) Arre nahi samajhe, vahi doctor jisse aapne Ranveer ki jhoothi reports court mein submit karwayi thi. Taaki aap Sirat ko jail bhijwa saken. 

Narendranath- Ye ke bakwas kar raha hai chhore!

Kartik (smiles, takes out a pendrive in his hand, shows it to everyone around)- Dekh rahe hain na aap, ise pendrive kehte hai. Bahut chhoti si cheez hai, par apne andar badi-badi files store kar leti hai, isi ke bheetar ek aisi file hai jismein aapke jhooth ka saboot hai, Ranveer ke doctor ke computer se uski asli reports mili hain aur jab ye court mein submit hogi tab to aap donon ke liye police lagegi hi, isiliye yahi behtar hai aap abhi se unhein call kariye aur sab intezaam kar lijiye. Agar kuchh len-den bacha ho to vo bhi poora kar lijiye.

Narendranath- Thare paas uske computer ki file kaise aa sakti hai?

Kartik (flips drive in air and catches it again)- Kyon aspataal walon ko apni taraf karna sirf aapko hi aata hai, Mr Chauhan?

Narendranath (takes a step forward)- Itne keemti saboot ke saath mhare yahan aakar galti kar di tanne chhore. (looks at his men) Usse vo pendrive lekar tod do.

The men following Narendrnath's instruction, caught  Kartik again. This time Kartik struggled to get out of their grasp, as half his attention remained on keeping his fist closed. A man twisted his hand, while other kneed him. Pain actively loosened his fist, he breathed from his mouth trying to snatch back the pendrive but failed to move from his place.

Narendranath (taking the pendrive from his man, walked in front of Kartik to crush it with his foot)- Bahut itra raha tha na, ye le. Thari Sirat ki begunaahi ka aakhiri saboot bhi gaya. Ab to use koi na bacha paeyga, na tu, na thara khadan. Aur ek baar us ladki ne jail pahunchne do, thare khadan ko barbad na kar diya to mhara naam bhi Narendranath Chauhan na. Abhi tak to sirf thara naam jodkar Sirat se thodi badnami karwayi thi na manne, par mhare khilaaf jo kiya hai na tanne kabhi na bhoolonga.

Kartik (looks up from the broken pendrive)- Sirat se dushmani kya hai aapki? Uski jaan Sirat ki wajah se nahi gayi, aap ye baat achchhi tarah se jaante hain fir bhi aapne us doctor ko paise dekar usse jhooti reports taiyar karwayi? Itna kaise gir sakte hain, itni nafrat kaise kar sakte hain Sirat se?

Narendranath (holds his collar)- Us ladki ka naam mat lo mhare saamne. Bhale Ranveer ki jaan shareer mein goli ka zeher felne se gayi, vo goli kisi ki wajah se lagi mhare bete ne? Tu na samjhega, apna jawan beta kho diya manne us ladki ke peechhe. Jitni nafrat Ranveer ke man mein mhare liye bhari thi na usse, usse kahin zyada nafrat hai mhare man mein uske liye. Aur ab thare liye, chhodunga na tanne main.

Kartik (breaks into a smile)- Aapko kya lagta hai Mr Chauhan, main itna bewakoof hoon ki mujhe aapke khilaaf koi saboot milega aur use court mein submit karne ki bajaay main yahan aakar aapse baatein karoonga. (shrugs off everyone, turns to the main gate) Ab to sach pata chal gaya na aap logon ko, Sirat begunaah hai use is aadmi ne aur us doctor ne milkar fansaya hai.

Police moved first to arrest Narendranath and his men, the reporters next. They first followed the police as they walked to their jeep, when their vehicle left they turned to the remaining people. Kartik was about to walk back to his car when his eyes fell on the reporters cornering Nidhi and her mother, both the ladies on verge of tears. He intervened, warding off the reporters.

Now

Nidhi- Meri aur Amma ki to aapke saamne aane ki bilkul himmat nahi thi Bhabhi, par Dada ne kaha aap humein maaf kar doge. Jo dekha-suna maan liya, ye bhi nahi socha ki aap jaisa itna achchha insaan aisa kuchh kaise kar sakta hai.

Amma (joins her palms)- Sirat, bind, manne maaf kar do. Apne ladesar ne gam mein buddhi na chali mhari, thare ko itna sab suna diya, ghar se nikal diya. Sirat manne maaf kar de.

Sirat (reaches out to hold her hands, teary eyed)- Na Amma, ismei aapki aur Nidhi ki koi galti na hai. Ab jo aapke saamne the aap bhi usi par bharosa karoge na, jab manne khud samajh na aaya mhare saath ke hua to kisi aur ne ke pata chalta kitni badi chaal khel gaye Chauhan sa.

Amma- Kitna saaf dil hai thara? Socha bhi kaise manne? Ranveer ki baat yaad hoti na to thare par kabhi shak na kiya hota.

Sirat- Ab to sach pata chal gaya na sabne, zaroori ye hai.

Kartik- Haan Amma, aur isliye aap sab bhi rona band kar do. (focuses on Sirat) Khaastaur par Sirat tum, rone ki nahi tumhare liye to ye mithayiaan baante ka din hai.

Sirat (wipes her tears, pauses to frown at Kartik)- Aapne kaise pata aaj manne Kairav ke vaaste besan ke laddu banaye hain.

Kartik (smiles)- Dekha, khushkhabari baad mein aayi tumhara meetha banane ka man pehle kar gaya. Achchha batao laddoo kahan hain, main hi lekar aa jata hoon.

Sirat (half-standing, eyes Nidhi and Amma, settles again)- Kitchen mein ek steel ka dibba saamne rakha hai.

With Kartik's disappearance towards inside, the mood turned somber again.

Amma- Bind manne maloom hai, tab manne jo kaha thare ko bahut chubha hoga. Par mhare ko bahut shamrindagi hai, aur ab chahhon ki apni galati ne sudhaar loon. (Sirat frowns) Mhare sang vapas chal?

Sirat (shakes her head)- Amma...

Nidhi- Matlab Bhabhi aap ab bhi hamse naraz ho.

Sirat (sighs)- Amma, Nidhi, aisi koi baat na hai. Aapki baaton ne to aapke maafi maangte hi dil se nikal diya manne. Par jahan aap le jana chahte ho, vahan Ranveer ni aur meri yaadein hain. Aur Ranveer ke jaane ke baad jo hua... Main bhool gayi par agar vahin rahungi, to mhare dimag mein baar-baar purani baatein mandrati rahengi. Manne bina sindoor aur mangalsootra dekh aapke bhi zakham hare hote rahenge.

Amma (takes her hand)- Par Sirat aise akeli na pad jaayegi? Thari mauri bhi na hai thari chinta karne ko.

Sirat (takes her hands back)- Amma aap pareshan mat ho, vaise bhi maane lagta hai Udaipur mein hi tikne ka koi matlab na bacha mhara. Jitni khushi di hai is jagah ne, usse kahin zyada dukh diya hai. Aur ab akelapan.

Kartik- Laddoo!

Sirat (stands up, turning around to sigh)- Aapne laddoo dhoondhne mein kitna waqt laga diya. Dibba saamne to rakha tha.

Kartik (makes a face)- Kitchen mein rakha tha? Dining table par tha ye dibba aur itni der se main paglon ke jaise ise kitchen mein dhhondh raha tha.

Sirat (remembers putting it on dining table while waiting for Kartik)- Sorry, sorry. Aapne chakhe?

Kartik (shakes his head)- Abhi nahi.

He moved to present the tiffin in front of Amma, then Nidhi and Sirat before taking one for himself.

Kartik (bites on laddu, eyes shine)- Bahut tasty hain, Kairav ko bahut pasand aayenge. Aur jab ye khuskhabari baaki gharwalon ko pata chalegi to- (frowns) Unhein to main is baare mein batana hi bhool gaya.

He went on to take out his phone to find its battery dead. 

Sirat- Ke hua?

Kartik (flips the phone to show them screen)- Battery down hai, isiliye switch off ho gaya varna ab tak to mujhe itne phone aa chuke hote.

Sirat- Aap mhara phone istemaal kar lo?

Kartik (shakes his head)- Nahi ab unhein ye khushkhabari aamne-saamne hi doonga. Thanks for those. (moves tiffin) 

Amma (nods to Nidhi, before turning to Kartik)- Beta hum bhi ab nikalte hain.

Kartik (nods)- Thik hai main aap logon ko drop kar doonga.

Nidhi- Nahi Dada, uski zaroorat nahi hai hum log chale jaayenge.

Kartik (frowns)- Zaroorat nahi hai matlab? Hum donon ko to ek hi taraf jana hai na, fir aap logon ko jab mein yahan laa sakta hoon to vapas ghar bhi pahuncha sakta hoon.

Sirat- Haan Amma, aap bhi Kartik ke saath hi chale jao.

Amma and Nidhi bent before their insistence, taking a return lift from Kartik. They were halfway towards Chahuhan mansion when Kartik broke silence.

Kartik- Amma, kya hua? Aap jaate samay pareshan the vo to main samjha sakta hoon par aap ab bhi itne dukhi ho.

Amma (sighs)- Bas soch rahi thi manne Sirat ke sath-sath thare ko bhi apne Ranveer ka kaatil samjha. Ke kuchh na socha aur ke kuchh na kaha, fir bhi tanne aur Sirat ne kabhi mhari kam izzat na kari. Aur aaj bhi mhare ko Sirat se milwane le gaya, vapas ghar chhod raha hai. Bahut galat kiya manne.

Kartik- Bina sach jaane to koi kuchh bhi soch sakta hai na? Par aapko jaise hi sach ka pata chala, aapne mujhse aur Sirat donon se maafi maang li. Ab aapko is baare mein aur sochne ki zaroorat nahi hai.

Amma- Shayad thik keh rahe ho, par dukh to hota hai na sabne. Manne kehne ka, thare ko mhare baare mein aisi yaadein hone ka. 

Kartik parked the car near back entrance, dropping them off he turned to Goenka mansion wholly unprepared for what was about to come.

***

Precap

Kartik arrived at Goenka mansion to find silence all around. He looked around wanting to catch glimpse of Kairav, or any one. Frowning, he entered his room to find a gift placed on the bed. A card above it instructed him to open the package, and get ready before coming down.

This time as he came out, darkness covered the hall.