both have been sitting NeXT to each other. after hemant's topic was discussed naina came out in balcony where sujal joined her later. sujal is busy in his laptop when naina chips in.

'Sujal.'

'Hmm.'

'Salve has highlighted my marriage to you.'

'Hmm. That must be her trick to shift attention. Personal attack is always beneficial move.'

'Tumhe nahi lagta ki is se tumhare business par kuch asar padega? Like people will question you for being related to a traitor.'

Sujal puts his laptop down.

'Paise se jyada kuch saaf aur sahi nahi he. Naina. And I am not in service to be questioned for my morals and ethics. I am in business. My integrity and honesty values the most here. I dont have to prove that.'

'Phir bhi..'

'Naina. Apne dimag par jor mat dalo. Focus on your case.'

She keeps quite for a second and then speaks..

'Do you think after Col. Mehta' death hamare pas koi immediate help hogi? Only he could tell me what was in that case. Unka laptop ya kahi bhi...I got nothing. You know...Next week hearing he. MG Tyagi is trying her best lekin Dr. Fernandez ke statement se kuch nahi ho rha. Salve has refused to put her weapons down. Usne to sidhe se bol diya..may be they tried to suicide. Murder ko suicide prove karna chahti he wo. She is asking question in manner ki in the end murder par kisi ka dhyaan hi nahi jata.

You know..The officer who arrested Naveen..Salve asked him about My brother' state. He said ki Naveen was not stable. Salve ne deduction nikala ki he was ashamed of his actions.

She is playing dirty. Jab tak hume wo file nahi milegi I dont think ki uska muh band hoga....'

Naina stands up and sits on same bench he has been keeping his legs. now face to face..she has access to his eyes now.

'Col. Mehta could have helped us more. He could have given this case a new turn. Aur isiliye unhe maar diya. Salve ne unki death ko bhi highlight kar diya. She has no low. Its all too dirty.

I had checked few details myself. Dr. Is telling that a minister is involved. Agar Case aur aage badta he to I dont think We will get justice. These people will make things worse and use the loopholes to escape.'

'So what are you planning to do?'

'I dont know. Everything is messed up. Nothing is so plain. Everything is complicated. In the end we have no one to blame. Aise me MG Tyagi will one day herself leave this case. She has told me..'

'Naina. Take a deep breath. You know you can do it.'

'Kar hi to rahi hu. Sujal. But I dont know what I should do now. We have no lead. Police ki help lene ka matlab he evidence confiscation. Khud se jaake hi sab check karti hu. MG tyagi had been with me lately. Aur....She is busy with Dr. Narco test karwaya he Dr ka. But he is taking name of State minister. Achanak se naam aya to...Sujal he must be having an idea that uska naam ayega. Dr. Ko bhi marwa sakte he ye log. Phir kya hoga! We'll be left empty handed.' 

she ducks her head to avoid sujal's scrutinizing eyes. god. he will see through her and the misery...it will be so open. and then he will ask her to let in which is the last thing she wants to do. yes! sujal is very good partner but this is not a daily problem. this can be an issue of life and death and she a loner has nothing to bait on except her life. while sujal has a family to take care of....but she doesnt...

she is too observed in her sorrow when sujal suddenly jerks her.

'MG bhagat. Unka phone aaya tha kuch dino pahle. Tumhe kisi red box ka koi idea he?'

Naina is staring at Sujal with astonishment.

'Lekin Col. Chandra to bol rahe the ki Red box has been destroyed. Last time Naveen bhaiya hi gaye the uske piche...and...we all know what happened.'

'He has pinpointed me somethings. He has mentioned Some people. Major Vijay. Do you know him?'

'I know him. He is my batchmate from IMA. But how is this possible?'

'Red box was confiscated. Kuch proofs idhar ke udhar kiye gaye the. You see Naina..koi bhi bamda saare proofs ek dam se bilkul khatm nahi karta. There always is back up. So the one who was given task of removing all details made one or two copies. And recently in North East there has been few incidents of breaching. Kahi na kahi motive same he to...You know what I want to say..'

'But Why Vijay? Usne to mujhe kuch nahi bataya....'

but her mind rewinding the last talk they had. the unusual mention of naveen...which they never did before.

''But...he called me. He told me to meet MG Tyagi. Wo bat alag he ki Main unse mil chuki thi. I haven't told him about my case but...He himself mentioned about Bhaiya'case. Usko kaise pata ki Case re open huya he. If not that but still...

ya to someone leaked this to him or.....usko sab kuch exact pata tha.

Yes. It can be. He must be dealing with same breach as Naveen Bhaiya was dealing with.'

Sujal sips her coffee..meanwhile.

'I know where he is right now. He is in West bengal. Somewhere. I can get his location. Next week hearing he. After 6 days....I am going to him.'

Sujal puts the cup down at once.

'Ok. Then We'll be going via flight and then local transport. Ek local cab ya van hire kar lenge.'

Naina stands up abruptly..

'Its I not we. Main jaa rahi hu...Tum nahi.'

'I know.'

'Sujal. Its dangerous. You will not come.'

'Hold that thought for five more minutes.'

'Damn it! Sujal. Koi majak chal rha he kya? Picnic par nahi ja rahi hu main. You can land in danger. Wo log tumhe maar bhi sakte he..'

'Tumhe chhod denge? Just because you are an army personnel you'll be getting some special privileges.

Wo log tumko bhi maar denge. Those people are dangerous.'

'Exactly my point. Those people are dangerous. Why are you betting your life? I am going and will be back before Wednesday. MG Tyagi kl bol deti hu main ki mujhe kuch jaruri kam he to mujhe kahi bahar jana he.'

'Amd everyone with brain will at once know where your going. Sabko pata chal jayega ki kis kaam se aur kaha jaa rahi ho.

Take me with you. I'll be a good cover.'

'Tumhare sath bhi sabko samajh aa jana he..ki We are in West Bengal for something related with Naveen'case. Sab pagal nahi he.'

'We'll not be taking straight flight to Kolkata. Yaha se Mumbai. And then Puri and then Kolkata. Some excuse of meeting and important stuff..'

'And what about I am tagging along with you!'

'Biwi ko sath le jana majboori thi. you know na..biwiya kaisi hoti he! jealous type.. Aur may be.....You want help from those influenced people. Come on. Think.'

'I....I dont want you to go. Simple.'

Sujal smiles and looks at his laptop.

'Try to locate Vijay. I have booked our flight. Teen din me do jagah. We'll be in Kolkata on third night.'

Naina looks at Sujal. Wondering why he is so adamant on going with her. Keeping her safe. Everything he is doing is not what he is supposed to do.

His efforts are not pliable in this relation. The relation it doesn't exist. They are merely....two people who has been living together for some mutual benefits.

But....In past eight or nine months after she had married Sujal there has been nothing monotonous. Sujal is coming out different, harmonious. His tunes changing time to time. Making it hard for her to grasp a particular one and holding on...

She goes to bedroom for doing some packing.

Thats what she had desired right! To feel protected and loved. Out of blue she had asked for something impossible that night.

But....that gesture...that Heavyweight champion lookalike Hemant and this flight tonight....they for sure make her feel protected. Like...Her existence matters to people. She matters.

And that too to Sujal...

Bizarre...but needed and sought. She knows in her heart deep down..that She had desired same protection from same person. And..to her surprise she is getting it.

Perhaps that night a star was falling in her palms...and she had held that star...asked him for granting her one childish wish for in this life time...She feels she has missed her childhood somewhere. and that part of her insisted on having a second chance. but Those twinkles of star had shone wrinkles in her fate and she had dejectedly let that star go....And that star had been lost somewhere just after moments. leaving her where she was...alone and old...

But it looks like that he the star had lost himself for lighting her dark life. Momentary but bright.

Bright with care of Sujal. for right now it feels she has gotten her youth back. that ecstasy is back somewhere. a little touch of his fountain lips...she will rejuvenate once more...