"Allah....kya kar rahe the...kaise gir gaye..." Mehek asked placing pillows beneath his right leg....it had swollen badly.

"Pata nahi....." Rehaan moaned in pain

"Pata nahin?"

"Arre bechara dard me hai...bhul gaya hoga" Nadia scolded Mehek for grilling the innocent boy when he was groaning in pain.

"Ambulance call karein..." Rehaan screamed in pain

The next day Rehaan had captured Mehek's bed with a plastered right leg.

Nadia had asked Mehek to cancel her tickets .... and also called Mehek's cousin to Pune to help him out.

Mehek had submitted both their leaves which had been accepted.. Mehek's was just for a week .

"Tumhare ghar par bata dein?" Mehek asked Rehaan who was having juice.."Rehne dein..unhe koi fark nahi padne wala"

"Tum aisa kyun sochte ho......wo tumhari family hai"

"Family" Rehaan's sarcastic smile made Mehek frown

"Mujhe toh yahi samajh me nahin aata jab bache sambhaal nahin sakte toh paida hi kyun karte hain....mom dad ko kabhi business ke alawa kuch nahin dikha.......mom ko toh phir bhi kabhi kabhi yaad aa bhi jaati thi..."

"Thi?" Mehek frowned

"She is no more......." Rehaan said without any expression

"Toh woh..."

"She was my stepmother aur wo unke bache the...unhi ke jaise " Rehaan grimaced

Mehek was shocked after learning the truth......even after such an atmosphere at home, he always used to wear a pleasant smile in the college. She could see the child behind the man who was craving for love and affection. And out of nowhere, she hugged him......

"Arre aap bahut emotional hain" Rehaan laughed and Mehek could make out how hollow that laugh was.

----------

"Mai bore ho jata hun yahaan pade pade...." Rehaan pouted making Mehek smile "Yeh lo diary......kuch likha karo...dimaag chalta rahega"

"Aur mere haath pair bhi dard kar rahe hain" his next complaint made Mehek sit next to him

"Hmm...lao daba dun..."

"Arre nahin" Rehaan was hesitant

"Arre ... arre thode shauhar ki sewa kar hi leti hun" Mehek joked and started massaging his left foot.

Rehaan just kept looking at her face which was full of care for him. Never had he seen such care and affection for himself in anybody's eyes.....and who didn't want affection.

Rehaan and Mehek got really comfortable in the coming days....now he would often place his head in her lap and demand for a massage like a kid.

The diary pages were getting filled with his cravings....with his wants...with his greed ..for LOVE which he had got a whiff of and now he didn't want to part with it....Ever.

-----------------

Rehaan had got fine and returned to his flat and so had Nadia.

"Acha suno...khane ki chinta mat karna...mai le aaungi....zyada der tak khade mat raho" Mehek was whisking eggs while talking to Rehaan early in the morning....."Haan bas thodi jaldi aa jana......"

"Haan haan theek hai" Mehek smiled at his demand of laddoos.

Rehaan reached office 15 minutes early and saw Mehek arranging her things on the table.

"Good morning" Rehaan went up to her and sat on a chair next to hers.

"Good morning......" Mehek smiled and took out a box..."Ye lo..jaldi khatma karo"

Rehaan's eyes twinkled at the egg cheese sandwiches....

"Mmmm.....maza aa gaya" Rehaan moaned taking a bite ...... "Aapne kha liye" he asked taking one more bite.

"Haan......"

"Lunch me kya laayin hain?" Rehaan asked after gulping down the last bite.

"Aaloo paratha...."

"Waah....hum dono akele me lunch karenge...mujhe share nahin karna" Rehaan pouted making Mehek pull his cheek "Why are you so cute?"

"Kya aap mujhe hamesha bachon ki tarah cute bolti rehti hain...am I not handsome" Rehaan asked pushing his hair behind

"Oh..my handsome boy"

Rehaan scowled "I am your handsone man"

Both of then were not even aware of their words and kept pulling each other's leg.

Just then Zaid entered the hall and smiled seeing the duo......but next second hesitated to even go infront of Rehaan who was laughing with Mehek.

"Aaah goodmorning guys"

"Good morning " Mehek and Rehaan reciprocated with a smile.

"Sorry Rehaan.....I..." even before Zaid could apologise, Rehaan hugged him..."It's okay...it was my fault too....let's forget that"

"Arre waah....Rehaan miyaan back to the camp" Haneef whistled

"Yes Sir" Rehaan mock saluted making Mehek shake her head.

-------------

"Zaid bhai ki girlfriend thi wo kisi zamane me" Rehaan laughed out loud revealing a secret

A little time was left for the lunch break to get over, so Rehaan was chatting with his colleagues.

"What rubbish Rehaan" Zaid felt really uncomfortable at the mention of another girl infront of Mehek who didn't react.

"Haan abhi toh rubbish lagega hi..."

"Kuch bhi..maine hardly usse......." Zaid's phone started ringing and the conversation halted...

"Haan Ravi.............umm...puchna padega...acha tujhe phone karta hun thode der me"

"Ravi called ... bol raha hain is weekend kuch plan banate hain..what say............acha Rehaan zara mera phone dekhiyo..baar baar off ho raha hai ...." Zaid threw his phone at Rehaan who was an expert in these things.

"Mai toh free hun....Mehek tum" Haneef asked

"Mera bhi waisa kuch plan nahi hai" Mehek shrugged....

"Count me in too....." Rehaan smiled.

"Haan aap to jaan hain group ki...aapko koi kaise chhod sakta hai" Haneef patted Rehaan's shoulder.

After chatting for some more time, everybody was returning to their systems when Zaid saw something in Rehaan's hands...."Kya hai tere haath mein"

"Kya hai..kuch nahin..." Rehaan shrugged and fastened his steps

Zaid too followed the suit and caught him..."Dikha......"

"Mere hain....." Rehaan opposed

"Laddoo......chupke chupke parathe me ghusa ke khaa raha tha..." Zaid was shocked at how secretive Rehaan could be.

"I love it...and I don't share what I love..." Rehaan shrugged taking in the last laddoo which he had kept for the evening.

"Itna khata hai...jaata kahaan hai" Zaid frowned...."aur Mehek tumhe kab se isse itna pyaar ho gaya "

"Wo toh pehle se hi tha...he has always been my cutie....you know that" Mehek chirped taking the empty box from Rehaan's hands.

"Huh.. I know cutest thing on the planet" Zaid twitched his lips making Haneef laugh......

-------------

"Arre Rehaan ... teri bike kahaan gayi..." Haneef asked seeing Rehaan sitting behind Mehek on her scooty...

"Madam ne kuch dinon ke liye chalane ke liye mana kiya tha" Rehaan smiled pointing at Mehek.

"Pair ab theek hai na tumhara.....?"

"Haan yaar......Mehek ko kuch kaam hai MG Road par...mujhe drop karte hue nikal jayengi..."

"Rehaan theek se baitho...kal chit chat kar lena" Mehek said taking on the accelerator...

"Ok bye..." Rehaan smiled at Haneef and dropped his head on Mehek's shoulder....

"Kya hua......phir head ache ho raha hai...?" Mehek got concerned

"Hmm..halka halka"

Rehaan opened his eyes feeling the scooty stop....."Ghar itna jaldi aa gaya?"

"Wo dekho tumhare sar dard ki dawa...." Mehek pointed at a cafe..."yahaan ka dosa bahut famous hai...chalo kha lo .. phir dawa le lena.........ghar ja kar toh pata nahi tum kya karoge?"

Taking a corner table at the cafe, both ordered for onion masala dosa .....

"Aur aapne kya socha hai Zaid bhai ke baare me...waise I think he deserves another chance?" Rehaan said pouring water in a glass

"Tum hamesha uski side le te ho.."

"Nahi Mehek...aap sochein family agar dukhi hai toh koi kaise use chhod kar aa sakta hai............family is family.....mai utha lucky nahin hua...bat aap dono ki families aap par jaan chhidak ti hain....."
Rehaan took a sip of water and then continued..."Waise unki bhabhi ko hua kya tha..?"

"Pata nahin....achanak tabiyat kharab ho gayi thi"

"Shukar hai Allah ka....mujhe toh pata hi nahin chalta..instagram par itne pictures daalti hain uski bhabhi ki unka state kya hai pata hi nahin chalta..." Rehaan laughed and shifted behind a little seeing the dosa getting served

"Kitne dinon ke baad kha raha hun" Rehaan smiled

"Arre .. pehle batana tha..Ammi makes excellent dosas.." Mehek said taking a bite

"What...I am gonna kidnap Ammi now....you are so lucky man.....aisi Ammi ko toh mai har jagah apne sath rakhta.....aap to chhod bhi kaise deti hain unhe" Rehaan moaned taking another bite....

There was a silence for sometime but again Rehaan started commenting non chalantly on what cuisines he liked and what big records he had made when it came to eating.

Ye Rehaan kiski side hai..re baba...🤔🤔