Farhan sits with Tanvi on a bench in the spacious courtyard between the various apartment blocks within the gated community that's the officers residences. Tears from eyes strain her jeans. She fists her hands in the fabric of her shirt as she speaks,

"Do salon main kuchh nahin kar saki uske liye. Aur shayad kabhi kuch nahi kar paungi... Itne samay mein uske andar ki guilt aur dard ki gehrayi samajh nahi pai main... Ya shayad usey iss tarah kabhi bayan nahin kiya usne."

"It is good in a way, yaar. He has to let it out."

"Does he want to die? Isliye uske health ke sath khilvad kar raha? Mujhe samajh mein nahi aa raha, Farhan. Main jo bhi karun usse koi fark nahin aane wala na? Hum jo bhi karen uske soch ko badal nahi payenge!"

"Tanvi, we can't give up yaar!" Farhan shakes his head. Tanvi looks at him with a frown.

"Par hum kya kare, Farhan?"

"Hume koshish jari rakhni chahiye, yaar. You can't give up on him. I can't either. Waise, he will be fine. I still believe he is strong. Warna itna kuch nahi seh pata. He just needs more time."

Tanvi sighs and nods, though she can't keep her tears at bay. "You're right. I hope he calms his head now."

"He will. Fauji hai woh... Hum sab fauji hai. Chalo ab itne keemti aasun aur na bahao.... He'll be fine. Woh marega nahi as you see he plans to live and repent... So don't worry about Sam, okay? And don't think negatively."

Farhan wipes Tanvi's tears gently. Tanvi smiles a little, comforted by the gesture. The anguish in her heart is less intense. They stare at the trees swaying and the other officers in civilian clothes moving about for a while. Tanvi breaks the comfortable silence.

"Seriously to complicate this situation, mujhe ussey pyar bhi hona tha... Why did my heart choose him? And why now? Iss pyar ka kya karungi main? Tumne dekha na uska self-hatred. Aise mein main use kaise bataun that I..."

Tanvi trails off and Farhan pats her head.

"Love happens."

"Yeah. It was a shock when I realised my feelings. It was quite sudden you know and very recent. I was really confused and troubled! I mean, it was pleasant before I realised our reality. Isliye, I avoided him for a while to process my situation. Just doh din avoid kiye! Is beech hi usey shak ho gaya that I might feel something for him..."

"That guy is smart! Double agent bana hua, pata hai na! Uske instincts se bachna na mumkin."

"Yeah. I have to be more careful. Usey pata nahi chalna chahiye that I love him. My feelings will only hurt him further... Ek taraf mera mann keh raha ussey bataaun, aur ek taraf... Main kya karu, Farhan?"

"Bas tum ab zyada na socho," Farhan says and they lapse into silence. The best thing you could do is to not think. What's meant to you will come to you. Farhan and Tanvi know this; they also know it's not simple to apply this phenomenon in real life.

***

Leaving Tanvi to join others and have some fun, Farhan returns to his shared apartment. To his relief and surprise, Samrat is all freshened up and dressed in cool clothes — chequered shirt and jeans, hair nicely gelled back.

"Kaise ho dost? That was a quick turn around...."

Samrat chuckles at Farhan's usual quirky statements. "Thik hu. Farhan, yaar, I'm sorry!"

Farhan sighs, sitting on his bed. Samrat plops on his own, both men facing each other as their beds are.

"Sam, tujhe yeh pagalpan ka dohra kyon pad jata hai achanak? Marne ki baat kyun karta hai tu! Mujhe pata tu itni kamzor nahi hai! Waise hum fauji marne se nahi darte, lekin this is too much, yaar! Tu zara bhi koshish nahin karega toh zindagi mein aage kaise badhega? You have to get out of this mess, man! Can you not forget what happened? It's been two years, yaar!"

"Farhan! Yeh pagalpan nahi meri zindagi ki sacchayi hai. Jise tum mujhe bhulane ke liye keh rahe ho, woh meri zindagi ka ek hissa nahin, puri zindagi hai.... Tu tension na le. Itni aasani se nahi marunga main. Mujhe apne gunahon ki saza kaatni hai."

"Saza toh tu kaat chuka hai. Har din tu apne aap ko itna kosta hai, wahi badi saza hai. Kash Sam tere self hatred ka main kuch kar pata.... What do I do to get my best friend to love and accept himself? Tell me, Sam!"

"Iska shayad koi solution na hai, Farhan." Samrat says with a smile. "But thanks! Mera sath dene ke liye."

"Kaise na deta! Yaar mana hai maine tujhe! Pakka wala!"

With a bright smile, Farhan sits next to Samrat and drapes his arm around his shoulders. Samrat chuckles.

"Maine tujhe dhoka diya uske baad bhi, Farhan?"

"Tu sahi rasta pe aaya, uske baad se. Shayad usse pehle bhi... Yaad hai tujhe! Humne kitni masti ki ek sath! Aur jab Abhi ne wo khulasa kiya meeting mei, uske baad tu gaddar sabit hua tujhe maine kitna maara... inhi haathon se tujhe maara tha! Apne dost ko maara, jo galat raste par jaa raha tha. Aur ab, inhi haathon se main tumhari madad karunga. Tu mera yaar hai, humesha! Agar tujhe kabhi bhi meri zarurat ho aur tu akela mehsoos kare, main chahta hu tu mujhe dhunde! Main, Tanvi, Sameera, Isha, Abhi, hum sab. Jaise Tanz boli, tujhe apne aap ko takleef na de aur. We're here for you!"

Samrat smiles at Farhan, moved by the words. Tears sting his eyes but he keeps them away and nods.

"Khair, Sam, tu aaram karle. Apna dimag thanda karle. Main walk karke aata hu. I'll give you the space you need, then I'll come back. Waise apni gang ko maine bol diya aaj main unhe join nahi karunga. Tanvi ko bhi Abhi, Sam ke sath bhej dia."

Samrat nods, as Farhan goes to the doors, he too rises from the bed.

"Farhan! Main bhi chalta hu! Room mei baith ke kya karunga..."

Farhan is glad with the quick change in Samrat's overall demeanour again. Maybe all hope is not lost then? He smiles.

"Hum dono chale ya team ke sath?"

"Hum dono chalte hai..."

"Perfect!" Farhan laughs in his usual exaggerated manner which gets a laugh out of Samrat. Samrat claps Farhan on the back and they strop out of the apartment.

They walk around the grounds attached to the officers quarters. After a while passes, Samrat asks the question he'd been meaning to ask for a long while.

"Tanvi... kaisi hai wo?"

"Thik hai... Lekin bahut asun bahaye usne. Kabhi rote hue na dekha tha usko... Tere wajese royi."

Samrat isn't thrilled to hear the last details. It's unacceptable that he's the reason for her tears. He swallows his emotions. Farhan speaks first.

"Waise yeh to hona hi tha! Tune waisi baatei karli ki woh bahut upset ho gayi bichari..."

Samrat falls silent and speaks only after they sit on a bench. The same bench he doesn't know that Tanvi and Farhan sat on before.

"Tanvi ko pata hona chahiye. Usne mujh jaise gunehgar ke dosti karne ki bhool ki. Pyar karne ki bhul na kare."

Samrat's words stun Farhan. He stares at the other guy in disbelief.

"Uh, Sam. Tujhe yeh nahi pata ki woh tujhse pyar karti hai ya nahi! Aur tu kise gunehgar keh raha hai? Tu sahi raste par aaya, aur sahi waqt par. Tera gunehgar koi aur hai."

Samrat shakes his head. "Zara soch, Farhan. Abbu agar mujhe paraayaa nahi karte toh kya main badalta! Waisa hi rehta na! Aur waise, maine woh sari baten janbujhkar nahi ki Tanvi se! Usko hurt karne ka koi irada nahi tha mera."

"I know... Agar tere abbu tujhe paraya nahi karta, shayad tu koi aur rasta dhundhta? Dekh, Sam! Tu achcha Insan isliye ban paya kyunki tere andar achhayi hai! Waise yaar yeh serious baatein bahut ho gayi! Thoda relax karte hum dono. Ab kal se fir se kaam pe lag jana hoga! Valentine's is a day away aur kitni garmi hai already. It's only Feb! Uff!"

"Haha, woh isliye kyunki humara base registan mein hai!"

Farhan whines. Samrat chuckles at his antics. After a moment he asks, with a bit of hesitancy —

"Tanvi... sach mei thik hai na... Woh Abhi, Sameera ke sath gayi hai ya fir upset hokar baithi kahi par?"

"Wah! kitni fikr hai tum dono ko ek dusre ki! Tanvi theek hai... lekin itne mote aansu bahaye usne. Tujhe usey manane mei zameen aasmaan ek karna hoga."

Farhan claps his hands and lays the truth jovially. Samrat nods solemnly staring into the distance.

"Kar dunga. Waise uske dost banne ka bhi layak nahi... par... ab dosti ki hai toh nibhana padega na?"

"Hmmm..." Farhan nods in an exaggerated way, though he also stares at the scenery and not at his companion. "Layak ho ya nahi... Kis layak ho yeh waqt hi batayega."

Samrat doesn't hear Farhan's quiet whisper. They sit staring at the foliage in the distance soaking in the sounds around them.

***

🌀TBC 🌀

***

💬❣️ AN: I decided I'd keep track of the chapter word counts from now on. Word count: 1470 🌝🌝🌈

💬 Up next: ✨❣️ Samrat tries to talk to Tanvi? Will she be mad? How will he persuade her? Valentines' is approaching, and some trouble brews with the new air craft project. We'll see some air force kinda action soon <3 Stay tuned!😎

Please V & C! If you have read this far, tysm for reading this crazy little story of mine. I hope you can stick further cos  there's a lot in store :D <3