"How Shehnaaz recovered?" 

"Raghav never spoke about it. I tried to ask him indirectly as he had no clue that we knew about Shehnaaz had turn mentally unstable. Yet never in any conversation, he brought it up." Sara sounded troubled as this thing she always discussed with me that how come Raghav didn't speak about Shehnaaz condition. 

"Did you know why Shehnaaz had turned to India? Without informing anyone?" Preeti di inquired. "Parents nor Raghav knew about her coming to India from Canada." 

"Raghav told me that they planned the trip to cheer up Navya. She was broken after the rejection she had faced and the reason they ended up in India. Hiding it from everyone was because Shehnaaz's father would have never allowed them for the trip alone. They were born and brought up in Canada, coming to India would never be appreciated that too all alone." Preeti and Neetu di nod their head on listening to it. 

"Everything is so messed up, how to sort it out?" Neetu di was worried and gazed at me. 

"Why you want to sort it out?" They looked at me baffled, "the way things are going is great. We don't need to interrupt it." I gave them a warning look. 

"Are you serious, Sid? The way you are mad at Sara for hiding things up, Raghav will turn out the same. Sara had hidden the truth from you for probably five days but you had forced her to keep it hidden from her brother for almost two years now. And what do you think for how long can to keep it concealed? For two, five, six, eight years? But at some point in time the truth will be out, do you think Raghav will be able to forgive you, Sara or even us for hiding it up? You know how much he trusts us, will he ever appreciate that we kept him away from such the biggest reality of his life? Will he ever be able to forgive himself?" Preeti di was making me deal with the consequences I would have to face if I kept it hidden from Raghav. 

"Di I know he will never forgive me for it but he will get his contentment. He will get the person whom he had fallen for, just speaking up the truth will make him ravaged. I don't want to deprive him of his happiness. And what about Shehnaaz? she too had fallen for him, I can't be selfish, di. This was just one-sided feelings which deserve to burn inside me." I choked as I spoke the last statement, it hurt to realize that what I was feeling was just one-sided. She never had such feelings for me. 

Main Phir Bhi Tumko Chahunga 
Main Phi Bhi Tumko Chahunga

"But she has the full right to know about her ten days which she spent with you. The way she was behaving with you means she had forgotten about those days when she recovered. She might be asking herself that where was she during those ten days and you need to answer it out for her." Neetu di spoke, I knew this was going to happen. The reason I kept it hidden from both. They were going to persist me to speak the truth but I couldn't let it happen. 

"You both are overlooking the fact that I had taken an oath before sharing the past that it won't be out of this room. It would stay between us and I hope you keep up to your promise, now I need to sleep it's already late night." I didn't want them to urge me more about it. "Tomorrow is Mehendi and Raghav will love all of you getting ready for it with a beautiful smile on our faces. I don't want to spoil his wedding celebration." It was rather an instruction for which they gave a slight node getting up from their respective places. 

They moved out and I closed the door behind them. I laid on my bed, closing my eyes. My days had turned so meaningless without her beside me. I heard her melodious voice and jerked open my eyes. She was laying beside me, "Kullu you didn't talk to me today." She frowned, I knew I was hallucinating her. She was not there, it was my imagination. 

"Where you came? You were busy playing with Sara." I grumbled, turning my face away. 

"Kullu, don't be angry, I won't play with her. I will be just with you." She pinched her throat, again promising me. I peeped at her from the corner of my eyes, I expanded my hand and she came and laid on my chest. "Kullu I missed you so much." She pecked on my chest. 

"I missed you too baby, I miss you every second." As I was going to caress her hair, she faded away. Leaving me shattered behind. "I miss you, moti." I murmured, closing my eyes as a teardrop flow from the corner of my eye landing on the pillow. 

Is Chahat Mein Mar Jaaunga
Main Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahungaa...

//

The ray of sun entered into the room, making me awake. I slowly rubbed my eyes, opening it up. A thought occupied in my mind, why didn't the bright light enter my life? The way it entered into the room. Why was the darkness surrounding me? I closed my eyes once again, day gifted me with despair rather than hope. Each passing day, eradicating me. As the wedding day was arriving. 

I heard my cell ringing it was Guru, I didn't want to answer it but couldn't risk, him ending up here. I extended my hand and received the call. "Hello! Siddharth paji, how are you? I heard from Purab that you came twice. The ring broke twice, paji." He laughed, "I didn't know Purab is so worse or wouldn't have asked you to meet him." There were some whispers on the other side. "You keep quiet! Or why did it broke?" He chuckled, maybe he was teasing Purab. 

"Purab is not at fault, Guru. It was our carelessness so you don't trouble him up." I spoke sitting comfortably on the bed. 

"From the way Purab described the girl, I felt it was Sana. She came here twice and I missed the opportunity," he sounded unfortunate. "Never mind! I will be coming to Mehendi function as she invited Purab specially and I will get the opportunity to meet her. Didn't you inform her about me? Didn't she knew that Purab was my friend?" He was curious, how should I tell him that she doesn't remember me? 

"Guru the thing is, I am busy can I talk to you later?" I hesitated to speak the truth. She had called him for Mehendi ceremony which meant that if he attended the ceremony he would get to know that Sana is marrying someone else. I needed to inform him before he creates a blunder but at the same time, I needed an assurance that after I unfold the matter he won't disclose it to anyone else. I couldn't take the risk. 

"Paji, but I want to ask you something about Sana recovering..." He was going to speak further but I interrupted him. I had no answer to his question. I had no clue how she recovered, it was better to hang it up. 

"Guru someone is calling me, I will talk to you later." With that not paying any heed to what he was speaking I hanged the call. 

I kept the cell on the table and got up from the bed. Made my way towards the washroom. It was early morning but I felt uneasiness. I thought it was as I was going to attend one more function of Raghav's marriage. I needed some fresh air, to drift my mind away, took the cell in my hand, and locked the room. I was making my way downstairs when my sight went on the handkerchief laying on the floor. I glanced at it keenly, unknowingly my step moved towards the handkerchief. As I bend down to pick it up, I was stunned to find it out that it was of Sana. It had Sana embroidered in it.

I glanced at the surrounding, what was the handkerchief doing over here? It was outside the same room from which I had seen Navya departing that day. The way they were gesturing each other. That was the day, I knew Sana was lying to me. I glanced at the door, I grip the knob and pulled it open. I gave a knock, I had the least idea whose room it was, Navya's or Shehnaaz's? 

Slowly opened the room, it was dark. Even in the morning, the room seemed dark as all the curtain was drawn as if the person hates brightness, that was the same condition of mine. My eyes landed on the person laying on the bed, I was not able to see the person face clearly as the person back could be seen. I took a baby step towards the person and she was Shehnaaz who was sleeping on the bed. She still contains that innocence on her face but unlike I knew her that smile was missing.

Why was the smile missing? She should have been glad as she was marrying the love of his life. She was sleeping fully covering herself with a quit, the only face could be seen. I stood there staring at her, it might be the last time I was seeing her sleeping. After a few days someone else will have the right, that thought pierced my heart. I took a step to leave when the door opened and I was flabbergasted seeing the view in front of me. 

I was not able to believe my eyes, I rubbed it. Glanced once at the person laying on the bed and again on the person standing in front of me. "Shehnaaz...." One word came out from my tongue after receiving such a shock. 

Shehnaaz was standing on the door, wearing an orange colour lehenga. She had tied her hair in a bun and along with her Navya too was present, who was still not dressed was in her nightdress. Both of them were stunned after finding me in the room. 

"Siddharth... what are you doing over here?" She stammered,  gazed at the person on the bed. I was dazed to speak anything, just staring at the person on the bed. Was I hallucinating or it was two Shehnaaz in front of my eyes? 

"Siddharth they are twins," Navya erased answered my confusion.

"I will explain to you, everything but just come out. She doesn't like strangers meeting her." Shehnaaz was pleading me to get out. 

I was in my thought process, I was trying to understand was it for real or was my mind imagining things. I realized that her handkerchief was still in my hand, I raised it so they could have a look. "Was this handkerchief of hers?" A hope underlying in my voice, Shehnaaz gave me a slight node and I grinned. 

She was my moti! I gazed at her this time, how didn't I recognized it earlier? My moti! With that I rushed towards her, kneeling beside the bed. 

"Siddharth..." Shehnaaz was going to speak but soon shut her mouth. I didn't even glance why she did that, for me my priority was Moti. 

My eyes were brimming with tears and soon it rolled down my cheek. I didn't attempt to wipe it off, my hands slowly made it was towards her hair. She was in front of me after two years, I found her finally! I pressed a kiss on her forehead and in that process, my teardrop fell on her eyes. She blinked her eyes, and I beamed seeing it. 

As she opened her eyes, I called her out. "Moti" a whisper rolled down my tongue. A voice reached her ear, her eyes showed a hint of delight but soon she turned blank. I was baffled seeing her weird reaction. 

"Oh my! Moti! Your moti?" Navya was yelling in happiness, "so does that lucky one is Sana? Our Sana?" 

"What are you talking about? Who is Moti?" Shehnaaz sounded confused with the happening. 

"Naaz, he is Kullu. Our Sana's Kullu," Navya was giggling hard. 

"What? Kullu! The one name which Sana never had enough of, I can't believe Sana Kullu is in front of her." I glanced at Shehnaaz, her eyes were brimming in tears. 

"Yes, Shehnaaz he knew your sister from the past two years. That doubt was implanted in me when I heard Guru asking about Sana. I first thought it was just a mere coincident but with time it turned into confirmation. If it was Sana then why didn't he shared it with me as you looked exactly like her? The way he rushed out of the engagement function made me more suspicious, he was not able to see me getting engaged to you." Raghav was enraged and darted at me once and looked back at Shehnaaz. "And that's when having a conversation last night in the bedroom when Sana giggled which happens rarely on the mention of that ring in her hand. It got me suspicious, Sana liking the exact ring chosen for Moti. Everything couldn't just be a coincidence." 

"So, Raghav shared the same with me. I placed the handkerchief before leaving Sana's room and purposely left the door open," Navya added. 

"It's incredible, Kullu turns out to be Raghav's brother. So unbelievable," Shehnaaz looked bewildered. 

I glanced once again at Sana, who had turned her face and I could only see her hairs. I pouted seeing it, "don't you think we should leave the love birds alone?" Came Raghav's voice, that why I called him a buddy. I smiled at him but received a glare, "you have to answer many questions of mine. So save the smile for later." I infuriated him. With that, he took Shehnaaz and Navya out. 

Shehnaaz was protesting but he convinced her and dragged her out as she had no many question popping in her mind. I caressed her hair, there was no response from the other side. "Meri Jaan, won't you talk to me?" I choked, I was craving to hear her blabbers. I had enough of silence, I needed her. 

Still, no response heard, I stood up and sat on the bed, slowing taking her in my lap. She struggled to hide her face from me. She was wearing the same dress which I had gifted her. The same yellow dress which she had worn when I left her alone in the car. I brushed off the tears it was not the time to get emotional. I had got her back, she was in my arms. My grip on her tighten and I pressed a kiss on her forehead for a much longer time but promising myself that I won't ever let her go. She would be mine, for now, and forever. 

Tum Mere Ho Is Pal Mere Ho

With that I hugged her tightly, hiding my face in her hairs. I needed the solace which only she was able to give me. I had missed her so much in these two years, that what I realized at that particular moment. How much her mere presence affected me! How much peace I got having her in my arms! Was I even thinking of surviving without her? Was it even possible for me? 

My ears had been craving to hear that 'Kullu' from her melodious voice. Why was she not talking? What was wrong with her? I broke the hug and looked at her, she had bent her head. Her hairs covering her face, I brushed it off from her face. I held my index finger under her chin forcing her to look at me. I gazed at her face after two years. I noticed it that her face had lost its glow, that face which used to shine with happiness had turned into despair. Her eyes had a dark circle around it, her lip had turned pale. Her eyes lack emotion in it, I cupped her face. Her condition made me anxious. 

"Sweetheart, are you fine?" That distressed filled eyes were staring at her blank ones. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

How was the shock? I told u expect the unexpected from me. This time no one guessed it.

EDITED: SO, YOU MIGHT NOTICE SOME CHANGES MADE. I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE JOURNEY FROM A DIFFERENT ROUTE.