2.34 am.

Sanjana couldn't sleep. She had been lying in the bed since 9. But she couldn't get a wink of sleep. After everything that had happened, she had almost expected that.

Tired, she pushed aside the covers and got up, the tennis ball on her side table still there. She looked at it for a while, before picking it up. Thankfully there was no one else in the room. Monami was with Sid. She needed him right now.

Closing the room behind her, she strolled along the corridor, giving the new embossed slate on the wall a look.

Special Agent Karan Shergil
2022

She was there when they hung it among the others. All of this was still hard to believe. The only comfort being that the slate was next to Param's. And that he had not passed alone, Monami was with him.

Monami, she was there, and probably saw him pass too. It must have been painful. Even remembering the scream she gave in the hospital still brought chills down her spine. But there was nothing she could do...or anyone of them could do. He was gone.

While all these thoughts ran in her mind, her feet almost instinctively led her to the terrace. Realising, she decided to stay there for a while.

She walked outside, and was a little surprised to see Monami there. She was sitting on the ground against the bench,her knees tucked under her chin. She was gazing at the sky, in deep thought. She gulped, her grip on the tennis ball tightened, a sense of deja vu overwhelming her.

She looked at the tennis ball, for even the smallest sign of guidance. But there was none. It was difficult, but she had to be there for Monami.

Walking slowly, remembering everything from that moment months ago, she sat down next to her. She noticed, but didn't say a thing.

She took a deep breath before throwing the ball against the wall, and then catching it. She continued it, inclining the angle slightly each time, until Monu caught the ball. And she waited, hoping she did the right thing, in the right way.

"Mujhe nahi lagta vo gaya hai." She spoke softly before throwing the ball. Sanjana caught it, a profound feeling of accomplishment and nostalgia washing in waves over her, dampened a little by what Monami said.

"Aur kyu.."she asked before passing the ball again.

"I don't know...mujhe bas...mujhe...nahi pata. Lekin I know, I can feel it. He is not gone." Monami whispered, her voice shaking.

Sanjana caught the ball and paused. There was a heavy silence between them. The truth was she had felt it too, whether it was denial to believe that he was gone or was it intuitive, she had no idea. Balli's words rang in her mind. What scared her was that she had felt something similar when...Param passed. But all of it has been proved wrong. He never returned. She sighed.

"Monami...je jo humaara tattoo hai na....iske peeche ek matlab hai." She said, skimming a finger over the 4 dots on her left clavicle. Monami's turned her head towards her.

"Baapu...Param sirji...Faizi sirji...aur--"

"Karan." Monami completed. Sanjana nodded.

"Je log, je--inhone humaaye iss academy ke safar tak hume rasta dikhaaya hai....humaaye saath khade rahe hai. Aur jab bhi inme se kisi ko bhi kuch hota hai, to...toh ek ajeeb sa ehsas hota hai...tu..tu samajh rahi hai na.." she asked looking hopefully at Monami.

"Hmm..." Monami looked at her.

"Jab...Param Sirji shaheed hue the tab bhi hume aisa laga tha. Ki...vo shayad vaapas aa jaayenge. Aur ab bhi..."

"Tumhe bhi lag raha hai? Ki Karan zinda hai...?" Monami asked, hope evident in her voice. Sanjana nodded hesitantly.

"Haan...magar...shayad...humaara yeh ehsaas galat tha. Vo kabhi vaapas nahi aaye." She looked down. Monami's smile fell.

"Sanjana...agar hum dono ko ye feeling aa rahi hai, toh hum ise ignore nahi kar sakte. Agar Karan sachme idhar hi hai...to...Even if there is a 0.1% chance of finding him, mai use lena chahti hu." Monami said, steel in her voice. Sanjana looked at her, and gave a small smile.

"Monami..agar tu je sachme karna chahti hai, to hum tere saath hai. Lekin usse pehle hume tujhse ek waada chahiye." She said looking solemnly at her.

"Jab humne Param Sirji ki baat Faizi sirji ko bataayi, to humne 2 mahine unhe dhoonda. Jab Karan sirji ko pata chala, unhe gussa aa gaya. Sirf Param Sirji ka naam sunke vo bohot naraaz hone lag gaye. Uski vajah se hume khoj radd karani padi.." she said.

"Tujhe humpe vishwaas hai na..." Sanjana said, lifting Monami's hand and looping her thumb around Monami's. Monami nodded at her, clueless.

"Jab bhi hum pareshaan hote the, ya kamzor padne lagte the, tab Karan Sirji aise hi karte the. Isse bohot taakat milti hai." She said, the last line ending in a whisper, as her eyes started gleaming. Monami looked at her, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she too gripped her hand.

"Tu ye waada kar, ki agar tujhe vishwaas hai ki Sirji yahi hai, to tu tab tak dhoondna nahi chodegi jabtak vo mil nahi jaate...tu khudko haar nahi maan ne degi... aur jab tak vo nahi mil jaate...hum tere saath rahenge, tujhe kuch nahi hone denge." she whispered, the first tears breaking through.

"Promise...I'll find him...I promise" Monami said, her eyes glisteningwith unshed tears.

She engulfed her in a hug, she reciprocated, her hand protectively over her head. She would keep her safe, waiting for him to return.