Whole night my mind was wandering about the possibility the next day held. Shehbaaz had decided to move when rest would be busy sleeping, and we also planned it: we would wear tracksuits. If we end up late, we could excuse about the morning walk. The Raghav mastermind was at play, my hope was lying on the person who we were going to meet. The girl was in contact with Shehbaaz. She might provide us with some glimpse of Sana's past. 

"Did she stay here?" Raghav inquired, and I glanced at the house in front of us. 

"Hmm... she does," Shehbaaz sounded sceptical. "It's been years, I met her during school times. Ek baar phone kar ke confirm karte hai..." he was on the verge of dialling her number, but at the exact moment, she walked out of the house. "There she is," getting excited. 

With that, we got out of the car. The girl stared at us amazed, but on glimpsing Shehbaaz she passed a smile. "Shehbaaz tum yaha? Sana bhi aayi hai kya?" Showing eagerness to meet her. 

"Ha aayi hai, resort mein hai. Tum kaisi ho?" 

"Mera chod, Sana ka bata..." Her eyes turning most, "abhi kaisi hai uski halat?" Her eyes were showing the concern she holds regarding Sana. 

"Usko kya hona hai? Waise ki waisi hai," Shehbaaz turned sad. "Woh sab chod Ishika, hume tujhse kuch help chahiye. Teri behan Sana ki bestie thi na, toh tu uske past ke bare mein kuch bata sakti hai?" 

She diverted her gaze, "main kuch nahi bata sakti. Meri behan dost thi... mai nahi." 

"Toh tumhari behan kidhar hai? Hum usse hi baat kar lenge." Raghav jumped in between in desperation. 

"Woh nahi rahi..." She glanced at Raghav with despair. 

"Sorry, hum he pata nahi tha." I apologised on Raghav behalf. 

"I can't help..." she was on the verge to leave. 

"Ishika, Sana ki zindagi ka sawal hai. Mujhe pata hai you care for her, phir uska past kyu chupa rahi ho?" I directly questioned her as I could guess she lied. 

"Mai... mujhe nahi pata." She stammered and my doubt on her confirmed. 

"Ishika are you hiding something? Sana ke past ke bare mein janti hai na tu?" Shehbaaz questioned her. 

"But meko promise karo sach jane ke baad koi meri behan ko galat nahi samjhega. Woh bus Sana ki help karna chahti thi." 

"Woh hum sach jane ke baad decide karege." Raghav sapped out, while I glared him. Ishika was already getting nervous and he was adding more to it. 

"Hum nahi bolge tumhari behan ko kuch, but please hume batavo hua kya tha?" I tried to assure her so she could speak up. 

"Ap sab ghar ke andhar aaye phele," with that she turned inside and we followed her. 

She made us sit on the couch, and went inside. We were staring at each other with a quizzing look. And she returned a few minutes back with some pages in her hand, "your answers are hidden behind these pages, the entire Sana's past." She handed the pages to us, on a glance I knew those pages were torn from Sana's diary. 

"You tore this pages?" I inquired she bowed her head in shame. 

"Mere paas koi aur option nahi tha. Mai nahi chahti thi ki uske marne ke baad koi uspar blame lageye, usne apni jan tak dedi Sana ko bachane ke liye. Sach mein, woh sirf Sana ka acha chahti thi." She was speaking holding her tears back and soon left us with those torn pages. 

My hands were shivering as the past of Sana was before me. Was I brave enough to read it? As I knew I was the crucial element of her past. Every dot was connected to me, but building up courage I hold the page in my hand and started reading it. 

Iss chahat mein marr jaaunga
Main phir bhi tumko chahunga

Diary.... 

He came like a prince to rescue his princess, I knew I had turned insane. I was amazed at my growing attraction towards the guy. My friend list often had more boys than girls, it was weird but it was me. I rarely got along with girls, through I was good with everyone but my bestie was mostly boys except Shefali. She was my soul sister, we had grown up together and I had compelled her to come along with me to Delhi. 

I was staring at the guy before me, while he was fighting with Gautam for me. From Gautam's tongue, I got to know his name. "Siddharth..." the name itself had the aura, a guy with attitude. I had got all flat over him within a second. 

I hate that canteen cook, just due to him Siddharth left from there not for once glancing at me. Gautam stared at me with hate, I looked away. As my eyes were not leaving the guy who walked out of the canteen along with someone. I was on the verge to follow them when Shefali walked towards me. 

"Sana what were you up to? Maine suna tune Gautam se jagdha mol liya. Pagal hai kya tu? Yeh Punjab nahi hai jo tu dadagiri karte phire." She was scolding me and I was getting annoyed with it. 

"Samjha apne dost ko kuch warna result acha nahi hoga..." Gautam warned and left us, I was going to yell back at him but Shefali dragged me from there. 

"Tu pagal hogayi hai kya?" 

"Yaar... tu mere se baat mat kar, tu kyu aayi waha." I groaned turning disappointed. 

"Aur tujhe Gautam se ladkar school se bahar likal ne deti kya?" 

"Jagha waise bhi hone nahi wala tha," I pouted. 

"Kyu? Ladne nahi wali thi tu kya?" 

"Ladne toh wali thi, but phir woh... kya nam tha uska... Sidd... chod Kullu aagaya na." My mind flashing back to the past, the way he came as my savior. 

"Kullu?" 

"Ha kullu, yaar kitna smart hai woh banda. Tereko pata hai ek minute mein saari Gautam ki ego katam kar dali bande ne. Agar woh cook beech mein nahi aata na... toh Gautam toh gaya tha." 

Listening to me Shefali laughed, "tab toh teri aur Kullu ki badi jamegi. Dusman ka dusman dost hota hai, tabhi tu itni irritated thi mujhse?" 

"Aur nahi toh kya?" I glared her, "tune mujhe usse milne kaha diya." 

"Aww sad mat ho, jald hi mil lena apne kullu se. Ab chal class mein, warna teacher scold karegi." 

"Ha ab toh teacher ki scolding se bachna hoga kyuki merko ab isse high school se kahi nahi jana." Spreading my hands up high and uttering those words, I dragged Shefali along with me. 

____

It was two days later, I had forgotten about Kullu when next time I found him sharing a table with a guy having his food. His every behaviour was impressive the way he sat there, his eyes concentrating on the food while the guy next to him blabbering something. 

"Kisko stare kar rahi hai..." Shefali asked on seeing me not responding to her talks, she glanced back. "Woh koun hai?" 

"Kullu..." 

"Oh! Toh woh hai tera Kullu." Shefali laughed, "uska nam toh Siddharth hai." Her that mentioned made me stunned and I glanced at her. 

"Tu janti hai usse?" 

"Nahi! Matlab woh hamari ek class mein aaya tha, toh teacher ne bus introduce karaya tha. Schoolar hai woh school ka," Shefali was praising him but I was feeling proud. 

"Hoga hi, akir woh Kullu hai." 

"Sach mein Sana," Shefali chuckled. "Kullu? Itna tough banda aur tune nam kya diya? Kullu?" I narrowed my eyes at her. 

"Tu mera mazak mat udda, woh mera Kullu hi hai." 

"Sana kya tu usse attracted ho rahi hai?" She was staring at me with a questioning look, "Maine tujhe kabhi ladko mein itna interest dikhate huve nahi dekha." 

"Woh bakiyo ki tarah todi hai, woh unique hai." Unwillingly I was blushing while saying it. 

TO BE CONTINUED... 

How was the part? 

Ishika and Shefali both are added! And a remaining request I will fulfil in some other book. 

Yeh Kya hai bey? Tumlogo mere par itna bhi trust nahi hai. Mai itni bhi papi nahi hu yr... 🤧

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