Hi All. Hope all are doing fine. I am fine and by God's grace all is well with me. Thanks to all my beloved readers who checked upon me through private messages.

Sorry to all readers of Kati Patang for this long long waiting. The never ending exams and also the uncertainities of career didn't let me write in right frame of mind. Hoping all will understand and continue reading and loving this story like always.

Do read the update and let me know your thoughts. Happy Reading.

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"Finally! Uff..Pahunch hi gaye." Preeti let a relieved gasp. The ordeals of changing metros, rushing to airport terminals and all those ordeals until the plane really took off and landed at Delhi, had made Preeti feel suffocated. There have not been many times she had been to Delhi. It was only once or twice and the schedules were really for shortest durations.

"Madam ji! Saman gaadi mein rakh lun?" The cab driver asked the obvious.

"Nahin! Sar pe rakh lo mere." Preeti whined and dashed away to open the door of the cab.

"Preeti! Ab hotel chalein kya?"

"Kyun sahar ghumne jana hai tumhe? Obviously hotel hi chalna hai." Preeti asked in her mock tone, while trying to fit in her large suitcase inside the cab. Pandit nodded, more in contention of the appealing idea."Mein wohi soch raha tha. Gaadi bhi hai, mahol bhi hai and saath mein khubsurat colleague bhi."

Preeti rolled her eyes, smacking Pandit for his flirty attitude even in tense situations.

The sprawled chain of cafes and street vendors soon felt suffocating for her. There was an unsettling turbulent breath, slowly forming knots in her. She didn't realise when she had abandoned the plate she was savouring minutes before.

" Preeti! E Sipahi ki behen! Chaat to kitna mast hai.Ekdum apna Law Garden jaisa." Pandit chatted away in excitement of a kid, relishing on the palatable assortments in his plate. His gaze returned back to Preeti , when her silence lingered.

The questioning glance in Pandit's eyes were loud. "Pata nahin Pandit. Ek ajeeb si becchaini ho rahi. " She replied "Jaise kuch bahut galat ho raha..aur mujhe wahan hona chahiye."

"Bhaag daud se tabiyat bigad gayi hai shayad. Phir kabhi ghumne aayenge. Ab to teen hafte rehne hein yahan." Pandit jumped off the narrow cemented slab they were sitting on and held out his hand for Preeti. Soon they were in cab, moving across the traffic and dust of the roads.

Preeti looked pensive, almost like a wilted flower. He knew it was not from exhaustion, it was more from an unplaced anxiety. "Soch raha tha yahan kisi chaat wale ki beti ko pata leta hun. Phir to aish hi aish." Pandit started, earning a look of attention and confusion from Preeti. He just wanted that. To distract her.

"Patana kyun hai? Shaadi kyun nahin?" Preeti asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeh shaadi badi pange wali chiz hai. Apun apna mast hai."

It was not like she was amused to hear it coming from Pandit, she was more surprised with the intensity of voice. It was almost a murmur."Aisa koun hai jo dil tod diya apna PT sahab ka?" She enquired, hoping that she didn't reignite any bad memory.

"Kahaani lamba hai."

"Aur hotel tak rashta bhi." Preeti said, assurance in tone that she would hear it all.

"Jamnagar mein Chachaji ke koi rishtedaar the. Mumbai wali Rishta aur ladki ki photo dekh; Maa Bapu shaadi pakka hi samajh liye the. Mujhe bhi koi khaas aitraaz na tha. Baat aisi thi ki Mumbai aake sab kuch final karke Ahmedabad sandesh bhejna tha. Sab kuch track pe tha."

The reminiscence of past days tasted like sour pineapples. As much as he hated to remember those few incidents of life, they jumped back with double the magnitude. It was in a way better to just let go by sharing."Jab Mumbai aaya toh ek hi nazar mein wo saare Kumar Sanu,Udit Narayan ke gaane kaanon mein gunzne lage. Wo bholi si surat, ankhon mein masti aur uski wo dur khadi sharmana."

"Aur phir dono ka nazar milna.." Preeti chuckled. "Aur uski nazar mujhse na milna." Pandit shrugged.

"Wo Society ki kisi dusre ladke se pyaar karti thi. Aur dono no court marriage tak kar liya tha. Main aise mein shaadi ke liye kaise haan karleta? Uski baatein sun ne ke baad maine rishte ke liye inkaar kar liya." He confessed after a long sigh. "Uski Bhaiya bada gussa dikhhaya, Maa, Bapu, Chachaji sab mujhse naraz the. Lekin mein khush tha. Shayad pehli baar zindagi mein koi mere wajah se khush tha."

" Bas phir tabse kaam pe dhyan chala gaya hai. Aur waise hi ho gayi apna chota sa love story ka the end." Pandit laughs, a slight ache in heart drowned by good times and good company. Preeti squeezed his hand, and both of them knew everything will just fall into right place at right time.

                                                                                     ~~~~*****~~~~~

"Bela! Kya hua hai? Aise andhere mein kyun baithi ho?" Chachaji pushes open the slightly ajar door. Switching on the lights he found a sombre looking Chachiji, lost in her world. Chachaji puts his hand over her shoulder, cautiously from back. "Bhagwan jhooth na bulaye! Aap ne toh mujhe dara diya Preeti ke Papa." Chachiji exclaims.

"Dara toh tumne mujhe diya. Yeh bhutiya haweli jaise mahol kyun bana hua hai?"

Chachiji sighs, before getting up to move into the kitchen. "Wo to Bhabhiji ko lage ki main so gayi hun isliye aisi baati bujha di thi.Pata nahin kya ho gaya hai unko ki shaam se mere Preeti aur Naina ko koshe jaa rahe." After nearly gritting her teeth to control her resentment , she adds "Jaise inka Pralay dudh ka dhula hua hai."

"Acha acha. Bhabhiji ko tum toh jaanti ho.Unki baatein chodo aur tum ab apne liye bhi khana laga lo." Chachaji chuckles at the daily drama that ensues in his house.Though they have all ties nearly severed from Taiji's family but the taunts, attacks and counter verbal attacks never actually cease.

"Bhagwan jhooth na bulaye! Aaj Naina aur Nisha se baatein karne ka bada mann ho raha tha. Phone bhi lagayi thi.Lekin phone ki ghanti der tak bajkar band ho gaya." Chachiji frets, walking like a sad, lost person , to the other side of table. She longingly cast a hopeful look at the landphone. The poor object disappointed her again, like it had done several hours ago.

"So gaye honge. Sameer se baat hui thi meri. India aa gaye hein wapas." Chachaji assures, helping himself with the serving. With a cold shrug of shoulders, Chachiji protests ," Lekin Naina itni jaldi soti kahan hai? Raat ke 8 hi bajein hein.Main kya keh rahi thi, aap thoda apna mobile se Damaad ji ko phone karlijiyega. Sabse baat ho jaaye, chain aayegi mujhe." She put her chin in her hands, but her head was so heavy with unsettling thoughts, that it sank on the tabletop.

"Thik hai. Lekin pehle tum khana kha lo." Chachaji prods, hoping his assumptions to be right, and that he has nothing to worry for.

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The sparsely populated neighbourhood rises in middle of night, to be alarmed by ambulance sirens. The night was chilly yet there was good fragrance of fresh lime in the hill station air. However, the bloodied bodies, carefully being rolled inside the ambulance, made everyone flinch. Nirupama leaned onto Raunak; holding Nisha at her hip,tears sparkly in the moonlight. There was a numbness on face of Nisha,while waves of emotions rolled inside Niru's heart. Everything just seemed to be happening slowly, abruptly ending and making no sense.

It was not until some hours post midnight, Nirupama had her epiphany. Nisha's stomach was rumbling and the poor kid was napping for now. The family perhaps had no luck with dinner, she painfully assumes. She quietly rummages through her tote bag, finally finding a half opened packet of biscuit.

"Nisha! Uth jaa beta.'' Nirupama fondly caresses Nisha's forehead. Nisha squints her eyes open, rubbing sleep off her pillowy eyes. "Mumma?" She asks, nothing different from how she asks Niru after an afternoon nap in her house. Nirupama quickly put a biscuit piece in Nisha's tiny mouth. Nisha silently munched on.

It was not until five minutes have quietly passed, Niru heard a gasp. Nisha looked like caught in a headlight. The biscuit pieces were over, but perhaps not the ordeals of Niru. "Mumma? Papa?" Nisha asked. Niru's silence perhaps lingered a little more, because soon Nisha broke into sobs which grew into loud screams. Crying, screaming , hitting; it was really becoming a hard task to pacify the kid. "Nisha! Kuch nahin hua Mumma ko. Shhshh." Nirupama went on like a broken recorder.

"Papa? Bad men? Papa chahiye..MUMMA.."

The desperate cries ceased gradually. Nisha curled up, tired from all the screams and wails, into a silently sobbing ball in Nirupama's lap,her warmth being a temporary calming spell.

The Operation Theatre looked an enigma to Raunak. Anything could go wrong even after hundreds of right steps. At around wee hours of morning, the door finally opened.

"Aap please police mein complaint likhwaiye and arrange for air ambulance. I am sorry to inform you that post- operative intensive care facility yahan available nahin hai. It's better to shift him to AIIMS, Delhi. Aap thodi der mein cabin mein miliye mujhe." The surgeon hurried away while Raunak stood fixed. He followed the stretcher carrying Sameer to the ICU and the saw the glass door shut on his face. Sameer looked like a giant piece of chicken, cut and stitched at several places. The ordeals were tougher and new, so also the rising morning sun in distant hills.

Raunak and Nirupama shifted in their chairs as they waited for the doctor's round to get over. Nisha was still sleeping on Nirupama , one thing that Nirupama was thankful since last night. "It's sheer luck that he is young and has better energy to recover. But it might also get fatal if there is intra abdominal sepsis.'' The doctor informed as they finally sat to discuss. The medical terms surely made no sense to the couple. They only understood, the worse can happen and everything could just get complicated.

The ever active world came to a standstill for Nirupama when Naina's reports were handed over. " In medical term we call it Syncope fainting. Extreme mental shock and exhaustion ki wajah se blood pressure low ho gaya hai and isliye body cope karne ke liye has fallen into unconsciousness. Well she is pregnant and the stress became too much for her. Take good care of her and set her up for consultation." The doctor had thus departed , checking the vitals.

"Mummy! Moti aise chup kyun baithi hai?" Rishav's question made Niru flinch. She still could not get over the conversation with the doctors. Sameer is almost on fulcrum of life and death while Naina was 3 weeks pregnant. Could life and destiny play a more cruel joke?

"Itni badi badi ankhein karke dekh rahi mujhe.I am her bestfriend. I not like it." Rishav whined while trying to distract his mother from reading whatever the damn report it was. Nirupama sighed as she kept away the report and saw fat tears rolling down Rishav's eyes. Nisha sat on a table top, eyes wide and lost, with tiny lips on straw of fruit drink.

"Beta! Nisha thoda darr gayi hai. Isliye usse kuch mat pucho. Bas uske saath hi rehna.Thik hai? Bestfriend aisa bhi karte hein.Sirf khelte ya baatein nahin karte. Samjhe?" Niru said, trying to keep the sobs at bay. Nisha had gotten quiet, occasionally asking for food and water only. It was no surprise for Nirupama when Nisha didn't right away run to hug Rishav. "Okay Mummy. Rishav is Best bestfriend." Rishav's chatter in half correct English was only relief to Nirupama in the bleak world of life, death, loss and pain.

"Rishav is Mummy's best boy also". A tight hug later, Rishav stood like knight –in-shining-armour for his best friend. With determination to be ' best best friend' for Nisha, he moved behind her like a shadow. Even to the extent of being pulled out by his father for entering the ladies toilet behind Nisha.

                                                                      **************************

Naina squinted her eyes only to find the world spinning. Everything was hazy like the fog over lake in winter mornings. She closed her eyes, fighting off the nausea. Trying, even through a monster headache that's grounding into her temples, to remember why she was there in the disinfectants smelling familiar place she had been months before. She rested her head in her hands and began to rub the temples, trying to massage away the headache. She should be okay and she should be doing fine. It wasn't until few minutes on clock, when her head shot back at realization- Sameer? Nisha? Where is everyone? She looked at her hands , trying to see if any red blots still lasted on them.

"NAINA! Finally!" Nirupama squealed , rushing over to the bed side. "Ab kaisa lag raha?" She asked as she saw Naina squinting her eyes repeatedly, perhaps to keep off some pounding headache. "Niru! Nisha kahan hai? Aur Sameer?'' Naina tried to read Niru's expression, her anxiety taking a toll over her.

"Naina! Shh! Nisha bahar baithi hai Raunak ke saath aur Sameer ji under care. Ruko mein doctor ko bulake laati hun." Nirupama almost fled to the hospital hallway. Naina's eyes drooped hard, a needling pain breaking throughout her body. She laid herself back on the bed, closing her eyes, hoping the headache and pains to recede away quickly. The medications did their job well, drifting her again into a dreamless sleep.

Naina woke up completely, what seemed to be an hour or more. She had enough energy to sit back on the bed, upright. She looked at the scene infront of her. Nirupama's eyes closed while she petted Nisha fondly. "Niru!" Naina called, her voice turned hoarse.

"MUMMA!" Nisha woke up with a start, and leaped onto Naina. Naina peppered kisses on Nisha, sinking in herself the feeling.. her child was safe. It all still looked some ugly nightmare, which would break at crack of dawn and they would be the happy family again, having fun over breakfast. But this was reality.

Hard one, bitter one.

Nisha cuddled with Naina, feeling warm, safe and definitely protected , once again. Naina had a thought of Nisha crying but the kid was so much terrified that she just held her tight."Wo bad men phir nahin aayenge na?" Nisha asked in muffled voices, fear and hatred clear and vivid.

For Naina, life was always beautiful in one way or other. Even after all the hardships that life had thrown at her, she was hopeful of better tomorrows. Nisha's question however sent her imagining the horrors that the next day would entail. She put her lips on the top of Nisha's head and muttered "Pata nahin".

                                                             *************************

" Yeh worst case scenario hai. Right?" Naina asked Nirupama ,scanning her eyes over Sameer . Sameer still lay motionless with numerous pipes riding all over his face and limbs. The nurse in charge was kind enough to allow Naina and Nirupama only. Naina reached out and brushed some of his hair back gently. "Ek dum se chup ho gaya hai. Mera Sameer aisa nahin tha Niru."

Nirupama pinches her lips together, not knowing what to reply. She wants to insist that everything would be fine. Will it be if Sameer gets that sepsis or as the doctor had predicted the worst ..slip into coma?

The door slides open and the kind nurse steps in. Nirupama squeezed Naina's arms. The time was up. Naina reluctantly stood up from the chair. The nurse checked the IVs , made few notes on the chart and checked for possible leakages. All the while Naina held her breath. May be the nurse will say something. Something that could give her hope, or may be break her a little more.

"Everything looks good." The nurse finally informed. Naina finally felt herself breathe. "Let him rest" She said and Naina nodded. Naina bent forward and adjusted his head back against the pillow. Soon, she rushed out of the room. The familiar sickness coiling back into her insides again.

Nirupama holds Naina as she empties the hospital food in the washroom basin. She slumps on Nirupama , trying to bear the dull ache both in body and head. "Naina! Saans lo dheere se. Easy. Easy." Nirupama presses, her tone low yet soft. " Sab thik hoga. Hum sab hein na saath mein?" Niru softly caresses Naina's forehead and soon brought her out to the cabin.

Nisha stirs awake from th cabin bed , blinking tiredly as she stretches her legs, kicking the hospital sheets off in the process. She sits up with a groan, her hair sticking up in every direction and lips formed in a pout. Naina cards her fingers in Nisha's soft hair gently. Nisha snuggled into her mother for warmth and affection. Naina patted Nisha while instinctively her other hand rounded against her stomach. In a whirl of moment, it felt like she was lone fighter protecting her both children from the impending storms.

She wonders how Sameer would have reacted to the news. Must have rushed all way to Almora from Delhi, throwing party at Airport itself perhaps. Or would have lifted Naina and made her swirl till she protested to be put down. Perhaps would have ordered lots of Aloo Parathas and Ice creams for Nisha, only to tease Naina more. Or...

Or... When will he know even that he has fathered a child other than Nisha?

Naina sighs as she comes back from the imaginary celebrations and happy times that could have been reality and not mere daydreams.

How Soon, How late..How long the wait will be?

Nirupama comes inside the cabin. Food, water and strip of tablet; all ready. "Kaisi ho Niru?" Naina asks as Nirupama expertly arranged the food for both Nisha and Naina. "Main?" She furrowed her eyes, expression still fond . " Suffer tum log kar rahe ho Naina. Main nahin."

"Isliye toh puch rahi. Sab humare baare mein puch rahe, lekin koi tumhe na puch raha. Humse jyada suffer toh tum kar rahi ho." Naina sighs shakily , taking the food to feed Nisha. If Nirupama hated anything it was seeing a sick Rishav. But at the moment , if she hated seeing anything ..it was seeing Naina looking pale, sad, uncertain and bit broken. She wishes if she could take it all away. She wished if those magical, fairy tales and god mothers could actually become reality and make everything okay and happy like before.

But this won't happen and she can't take away anything and it's one of worst feelings in the whole universe.

"Naina! Ek kaam karogi?" Nirupama asked, her eyes expectant. Naina nods eagerly.Whatever Nirupama would ask hopefully it's the least she could actually manage to do. "Apna khayal rakhogi please. Thoda strong banogi. Mere liye?"

Naina put away the food tray. She extends her one arm and Nirupama leans forward into the hug, sandwiching Nisha between her and Naina.

"I'll be strong. I'll take care." Naina says softly ,still wrapped in the hug.

(To be continued)