Angel remembers something, she took Manvi "chalo hum aapko batate hai maa kaha hai.."

She took her to balcony and pointed to the stars in the sky "wo dekh rahi ho taare.. humari maa na unmese koi ek tara ban gayi hai.." she said.

"kyu wo utni dur kyu chali gayi?" Manvi asked

Angel dreamily repeated what she had heard in childhood "jab hum kisi se bahut pyar karte hai aur wo humari baat nahi mante tab hum star ban jaate hai.."

She was lost when she feel a tight grip on her hand

"dost dost main aapki har baat manungi sab manungi.. aap nahi jaogi na waha.. nahi jaoge na?" Manvi asked

Angel snapped out of her world she patted her cheeks and made her sit on the chair present there, she knelt in front and grabbed her hand

Manvi was looking at her tensed "main kahi nahi jaungi apni mannu ko chor ke.. aur aap to mere baat manti ho..fir.."

Manvi nods.. Angel got up "acha aap baitho mein khana leke.."

She was about to move when Manvi clutched her wrist and hugged her tightly wrapping her hands around her waist hiding her face in the chest "dost aap kabhi stars mat ban na.. hum aapko dhundte hai na.. aap nahi jana.. maa bahut gandi hai.. chali kyu gayi.."

Angel was caressing her hairs "nahi mannu aise nahi kehte.. maa kabhi gandi nahi hoti.."

"toh chali kyu gayi.. ab humhe kaun ghumane le jayega? kaun pyar karega?" Manvi questioned her

Angel separated her "to aapko ghumne jana hai?"

Manvi nods innocently

"kaha jana hai?" Angel asked

Manvi without thinking forwarded her hand in every direction "waha.. waha waha.."

Angel smiled "acha itne sari jagah? acha thik hai kal hum park chalenge thik hai?"

"wow bahut maja ayega.." Angel felt a sooth but Manvi asked "yea park kya hai.."

Angel controlled her emotion and said "kal jayenge na to dekh lena.."

"kal kab ayega?" Manvi asked

"abhi aap khana khake so jaoge to jhat se kal ajayega.." Angel said

"fir jaldi khana lao.." Manvi spoke up.

Angel smiled and left "tum to kal bhul jaogi ki park jaana tha tumhe par main leke chalungi kab tak aise ghar mei hi rahogi subha subha le jaungi log kum honge toh problem kam hogi"

Next morning Angel woke up Manvi "manvi chalo utho aapko ghumne jana hai na.."

Manvi opened her eyes and looked at Angel "aap kaun ho? aap mere saath khelne ayi ho?"

Angel smiled "ha main aapko ghumane le jaungi fir hum khelenge chalogi na aap?"

Manvi sat up excitedly "ha ha chalo.. per aap kaun.."

Angel decides to her name "mera naam Angel hai.. hum Di hai aapke"

"Di... acha.. hum ghumenge?" Manvi asked

Angel smiled a bit as after long time she had heard "Di" from her.

"ha chalo aap fresh ho jao.."

And she helped her in freshening up.. it took enough time so she decides that they will do breakfast after returning from park

So she moved to the park with Manvi..

After reaching there "ye kya hai.." Manvi asked

"yea park hai aao aap.." Angel said

Angel took her to a corner seat and made her sit "acha lag raha hai?"

"ha.. acha wo sab log waha hai (pointing to the morning walkers) hum bhi chale?"

"nahi waha na gande log hote hai ache log to yaha baith te hai.." Angel replied

Manvi nods she is looking here and there and sees an early morning tea store selling fruit cakes

"Di Di dekho waha wo.. wo kya hai?" she asked

"wo toh cake hai.." Angel looked and said

"mujhe la do ge?" Manvi asked

"par mannu.." she did not wanted to leave her alone.

"do na please." Manvi requested.

"acha tum yeahi baitho haan.. kahi jana nahi.. thik hai.. main aati hoon kahi mat jana.. koi bulaye to bhi nahi thik hai?" Angel ordered her.

Manvi nods

Angel left for the shop but now and then looking at Manvi

She finds Manvi fine and turned to pay the money after paying she turned back and she finds Manvi is not there, she rushes to the spot but no.. she looks.. here and there but Manvi was nowhere to be seen..

"mannu kaha chali gayi she looks around but does not find her anywhere.. Angel gets worried she asked the people around.

"bhaisab.. aapne ek ladki ko dekha hai wo yaha bench par thi" she took her phone showed Manvi's picture to many people but no one had seen her. Angel was having tears..

"kaha.. kaha chala gayi mannu wo kisi ko kuch bata bhi nahi paayegi ghar ka pata bhi nahi janti wo.." Angel starts to thinks..

"kuch khaya bhi nahi hai.. usne.. dar.. gayi.. toh.. mannu." she shouts.

Here Manvi sees balloon man and she thinks of taking the balloon so ran out to him.

Here Manvi also loses her track of the balloon man and she didn't remembered the way of going back, she looks here and there and starts walking she crashed with a man "e dekh ke chalo.."

She looks at the man "dost dost ko jante ho aap.. dost"

The man murmurs "pagal" and left

Manvi is walking in a by lane not much people is there

Manvi saw someone on the other side, a lady she ran to her and held her hand.. she in a reflex pushed her

"gande gande ho tum.. dost.. dost.."

She is wandering in the lane..

An old man crosses her "kya hua beta aap aise kyu chal rahi ho?" he asked

"mujhe mujhe dost ki pass jana hai.." she started weeping, the old man understood that she is not normal so asked "kya naam hai aapke dost ka?"

"naam.. pata nahi dost aap bulao na dost ko.." Manvi said.

"aapka naam.. kaha rehti hai aap?" he asked

She tried to think and it raised her panic level she started running.."dost..."

Her head is paining like hell..

She falls down near a wall, she cuddles there itself "dost dost ajao na.. dost.."

She tries to move up..

She is looking here and there

Angel also comes to the lane asking people showing Manvi's photo in her cell.. she is turning when she heard a low voice as "aapne dost ko dekha?"

Angel rushes and finds Manvi full in sweat and in shambling steps asking continuously these questions "dost ke pass jana hai.. dost.. dost ko dekha aapne.."

People are avoiding her.. now no one is lane but she is continuing these murmur

Angel rushes to her "mannu.."

She turned Manvi towards herself "mannu kaha gayi thi tum haan?"

Manvi looks at her and said absent minded "dost.. ke pass jana hai.. dost.. bula do na.."

Angel jerks her "mannu mannu dekho main tumhari dost"

But Manvi tries to move away with "dost ke pass jana hai.."

Angel jerked her loudly "Manvi.." and slapped her "dekho yaha.. kaha gayi thi haan? kaha tha na baithi raho.. agar main dhund na pati to? andaja hai tumhe kuch?"

Then she came to senses yes Manvi can't get what will happen..

She looks towards Manvi who is looking at her with teary eyes "aap ko pata hai meri dost kho gayi.. dost na kahi chali gayi."

Angel took some deep breaths "chalo aapko dost ke pas jaana hai na? chalo mere saath"

And she led her to the car..

They drove to home and on the whole way Manvi was restless, she is feeling high pain in her head and is continuously asking for her dost..

They reached home and after taking her inside Angel gave her the medicines and sat beside her "mannu dekho.. mein hu na aapki dost?"

Manvi looks at her keenly and hugged her tightly "dost aap nahi jaana.. kahi nahi jaana.. wo sab wo.."

She is feeling low Angel made her lie down and after making her comfortable patted her to sleep..

"pata nahi aaj agar main ise dhund nahi pati to.. ye to na apna naam keh pati na mera.. acha hua lane mei chali gayi agar main road pe.."

She shivered..

She moved to kitchen "subha se kuch khaya bhi nahi kitni bhukh lagi hogi.. itni dari hua hai use toh sudh bhi nahi.."

After finished with making lunch she went to Manvi's room.. she woke her up.. "Manvi utho"

"aap.. aap.. kaun" Manvi asked

"main aapki dost hun na.." Angel said..

"Haan dost.. dost.. ho.." Manvi said.

"main khana layi hun bhuk lagi hai na tumhe.."

Manvi replied "haan bahut bhuk lagi hai.."

Angel fed her with her hands, in evening Angel is suffling tv channels just to watch any news channel Manvi was sitting beside her trying a puzzle game keeping an eye on tv..

Suddenly Manvi said "roko roko.. wo dekho.. ye kya khel rahe hai"

Angel smiles "yea blindfold game hai"

Manvi said "mujhe bhi khelna hai"

Angel hesitate "par mannu"

Manvi said stubbornly "nahi nahi chalo aap khelo na"

Angel surrenders and first its Manvi's turn..she tried to touch Angel but Angel standing in a corner is looking at her lost in thoughts

Manvi feels darkness in front of her eyes neither she can touch her dost a fearful voice came up "dost... andhera.."
To be continued