PART 16
Sanchi woke up with one of the broadest smiles she could ever give. She was so happy and excited to meet her besties after months. Her mind was harangued by the thoughts of her besties’ reactions. She also worried a new of how she would make them understand about her decision that she was planning to take since a week now. Sanchi definitely did not want to return to the hell from which she was rescued ‘fortunately’ enough. She had some plans in her mind that she would tell her besties as she wanted their support in it. She was a bit doubtful of their consent but then they were her friends after all, they had to understand her!
She got out of the bed and took a quick shower and wore a skin hugging, ankle length, black color jeans and a white skin hugging crop top. All her curves were visible in this attire of hers. She suited a plain red cardigan which lasted up to her knees as it was a bit cold. She also put on a white wedge heels that perfectly matched her top. She let her hairs fall free over her shoulders till her waist and her face did not contain even a single trace of makeup still it reflected a certain glow which she had due to many good things happening in her life. Sanket was out of comma and the love of his life had returned to him, her besties were going to come and she was too excited to meet them, finally she had her life sorted and she was prepared for the future that was much brighter than the one she thought of before. She descended the stairs with a smile never letting go off her lips. She headed towards the dining room for the breakfast.
All the eyes were on her the instant she walked in the room. Everyone stared at her in awe. She was really looking beautiful and enchanting. Veer came after Sanchi and cleared his throat to gain attention of the men. He gestured them to leave at once and they obliged quickly. Every one of them assembled in a line and got out of the room with their heads bowed down. As soon as everyone left, Veer came forward and eyed Sanchi from head to toe.
V: You are looking beautiful Sanchi.
S: Thank you.
They made their way to the table and soon they were served with the breakfast. Sanchi saw around and noticed the absence of Arjun.
S: Where is Arjun?
Just as she asked, the door of the room burst open and came in Kabir followed by Arjun. Even they were surprised to see Sanchi dressed differently. Arjun had a big smile adoring his angel while Kabir’s face was grave and marble as ever but his eyes were reflecting appreciation. He was quiet impressed with the choice of his little queen. They made their way to the same table and had their breakfast in utmost silence.
S: I will pack the breakfast for Priya di and Sanket.
V: Leave it on us. I think you should better leave for the airport.
S: Who told you?
V: Kabir informed me about the arrival of few more guests yesterday after you were back.
Sanchi eyed Kabir surprisingly. She was not able to understand the person in front of her. She thought that he would not allow her friends to stay with her but here, he was the one informing Veer about their arrival. She kept gazing at him as their eyes met. She could read many unsaid emotions that were finding their way to evaporate from the surface. She stared deep into his eyes as she was making out the ways to hold on any one of the emotion that she could decipher from the bottomless depths of his eyes. Their trance was broken when Kabir slid his gaze away from her ‘unwillingly’.
Sanchi was stunned for a moment but then she recollected her thoughts that were running wildly in every possible direction as if trying means to make some sense.
S: I will go to the airport but first I want to go to the hospital.
V: Okay then we all are going there only. Come with us and then you can leave for the airport with Arjun. Sanchi nodded and she proceeded with the packing of food and clothes for both Priya and Sanket.
They reached the hospital and Veer and Arjun went to park the car. Sanchi and Kabir headed to the room where Sanket was shifted yesterday after he gained consciousness. Sanchi was walking forward and Kabir was behind her, busy in his phone as he was giving out the instructions to his inferiors regarding the business matters.
The door of the room was having a few inches wide horizontal glass strip running across it. Sanchi could see from the glass strip inside Sanket’s room. She found two new figures with their heads facing opposite to hers and their hands intertwined with either of Sanket’s. She could identify them from any possible angle and from the crowd of millions. Sanchi’s hand froze at the handle. She took several steps back in disbelief. Her back hit with a hard and warm human wall. She still did not turn as she knew who the person was. She began to breathe heavily and she leaned her head back on Kabir’s chest. He ducked his head a bit to match the height of the glass strip. He could now make out the reason behind Sanchi’s changed behavior. He slid his one hand on her waist from behind as he felt her going weak in her knees. She completely rested her back on his firm support and by now her breathing had calmed down a bit. She had tears rolling down her cheeks as she saw the two heads moving in some acknowledgement. His other hand slid down her left hand that was holding the food and clothes bag. He took hold of the bag firmly and bent down near her ears. His breathe was fanning her skin of the right earlobe.
K: Get in.
He said in a very firm but soft voice. She nodded and took baby steps towards the door. He waited patiently and allowed her to take her own time to absorb the truth that was evident in front of their eyes. Sanchi opened the door of the room with trembling hands. She heard the sweetest voice ever. She stood there in utter silence as she was not able to speak a word with the gust of emotions taking over her on seeing her besties. They were unaware of Sanchi’s presence. Sanket was aware of Sanchi’s kidnapping and then the trail of incidents that followed through Priya. He was equally excited to see the trio’s reaction on meeting each other. He did not let Isha and Pragya get a hint of a sobbing Sanchi standing behind them.
I: It is so good to see you well after whole two years Sanket.
P: How did Priya reach out to you? We tried finding her everywhere but got no trace of her. We have been wishing for this day from the past two years.
I: Sanchi would everyday pray for you and look at the destiny; today when you are here with your life fully complete, we lost one part of our life. I don’t know where she is and what she must be doing but I just hope that she would have been here with us. Isha said with a shattered voice. Pragya and Isha cried silently and Sanket now had enough of it. He spoke out very mischievously.
S: Your wish is my command ladies. Please turn your back to find the lost part of your lives.
Isha and Pragya gave a puzzled look to Sanket but did as said and they went numb on seeing Sanchi in front of them. Priya and Sanket had a wide smile on their lips and Kabir was ever impassive. The trio kept staring at each other with blurry eyes. Sanchi gained her senses first and stretched out her arms to them. Isha and Pragya at once ran to her and jumped on her in unison. Sanchi staggered with the sudden blow of weight and as a result she went down on the floor. Her head was going to hit the floor hard but Kabir kept his hand under her head to save her from the hit. She opened her eyes that she had shut out of fear and gave him a thankful glance. He removed his hands carefully from under her head and stood up only to earn a devil smile from Priya and a shocked expression from Sanket.
Isha and Pragya wailed in Sanchi’s embrace. They conveyed their feeling of distress since the time she had been kidnapped. Isha and Pragya searched her everywhere but nothing could be done. They were helpless and they regretted it. They had lost the hope of finding her. They had thought that one fine day she would walk up to her house out of nowhere when the deal between her ‘father’ and the monster ended. The worst nightmares of her not returning at all had haunted them and it did not allow them to sleep peacefully. They were so traumatized at times that they ended up in a bad health condition the next day. They would regularly visit the temple Sanchi used to go and pray for her as that was the only option left out. They used to think at instances that it would have been better if they could accompany Sanchi in her worst times. Satish and Garv would be there to pacify them but nothing worked out.
*****
Flashback:
Isha and Pragya were crying in each other’s embrace.
P: You were lucky to see her before she left us. I did not even get a chance to see her before they took her with them.
I: You are lucky that you did not see her while they were taking her away. She was very much scared. It gives me goosebumps to even think of that tragic incident.
Pragya consoled Isha and they wept in each other’s embrace with a big void created by the absence of Sanchi which could not be filled up by anything.
Flashback ends:
*****
Today after seeing Sanchi, their life retuned to them. They were in a different world which always had them together no matter whatever happens.
Veer and Arjun were stuck up while finding the room. They entered the room and their eyes bobbed out of the socket. They saw Sanchi lying on the floor with two girls on her top and they were crying and hugging each other. Veer glanced around the room and came to a conclusion that the things were normal and safe. Arjun stared the trio with his mouth hung open.
After a few minutes of sharing each other’s solace, the trio got up and held each other’s hand with Sanchi in between Isha and Pragya. All the eyes were on them as they still continued their crying session but the only difference being, tears of happiness rolled down instead of despair. Akshay came into the room to collect Sanket’s blood sample for the tests. He eyed Sanchi, Isha and Pragya very weirdly. He was confused about the way they had greeted each other and also their state spoke of a long separation.
A: What has gotten in you three? Are you mad or what? You know we have a mental asylum nearby and the incharge is my friend, so I can talk to him about you all if you want?
Trio together: Shut up Akshay. They laughed after that. Sanchi was beaming with happiness after meeting them and the effects were the same on the other side too. Everyone was happy and their face reflected it. Akshay left the room after he was done with his work. Suddenly realization dawned upon Pragya and Isha. They eyed Sanchi curiously. Many things had to be cleared and Sanchi knew that very well. She saw the questioning eyes of her besties and gestured them to stay silent and listen to her patiently. Sanchi seeked permission from Veer, through her eyes, to go out for some private talks. Veer strained his eyes towards Kabir and he nodded in return. Sanchi saw the positive signal from him and dragged her besties outside with her. Kabir gestured Arjun to keep an eye on them as it was the matter of their security. He took some men along with him and reached near the garden where Sanchi and her friends were sitting. He allotted places to each of them and made sure that they were covered from all the possible sides. He then stood near them but away from their eye sight.
I: Sanchi how are you? We missed you so much. Now that you are here, lets run away. We will file a complaint against them and then they will be behind bars. You will be free and everything will get back to normal.
P: Isha is right. We will teach them a lesson for hurting our Sanchi. They will pay for their deeds. But how did they allow you to come here and visit Sanket? How did Priya come here after two years?
S: I will tell you everything but first promise me that you both will hear me completely. I don’t want them to be arrested…. Before she could continue, she heard both of her friends shouting on the top of their voices.
I: Are you mad Sanchi?
P: They kidnapped you Idiot!
S: Shut up and listen to me completely. She literally shouted. Both of them knew that she did not shout unnecessarily so they silenced themselves to hear her. Sanchi narrated to them all the incidents that took place in her life after her kidnapping. She told them how her life changed revolutionarily and that she was much happier. After she finished, her besties engulfed her in a tight hug. They were not willing to let go off each other. They stayed still for some moments and then they started to shiver. It was much colder outside and hence they were not appropriately dressed to cover themselves from the frost biting cold. Arjun sensed the sudden change and went to bring something warm. Sanchi, meanwhile, covered her friends with the cardigan that she was wearing. It did not do much good but still she held both of them close to her.
Arjun came running after sometime and went towards them.
A: Here ladies have this. He said while extending overcoats to Isha and Pragya. They helped themselves while giving a thanking glance to the unknown person. Sanchi turned around and said while clattering her teeth due to the cold.
S: What….about….me?
A: You can always have mine. He pulled Sanchi close to himself, covering both of them with his oversized overcoat. He had grabbed the warm clothes in his car that they had kept during the emergency. He gave his to Pragya, Isha got Veer’s and Sanchi and Arjun shared Kabir’s overcoat.
*****
The scene was witnessed by two people who had a very different expression on their faces. Veer was smirking devilishly and Kabir was staring with an uproar of emotions building up in him. He held the wooden railing in his hands tightly while staring deadly at Arjun. Veer had to rescue the little innocent boy from the Lion’s wrath.
V: He is a brotherly figure to her.
K: I know.
V: The overcoat suits but it would have been better if you were there instead of Arjun.
He smirked and Kabir just rolled his eyes. Veer was very well aware about the inner turmoil of Kabir.
*****
They all went inside the hospital and Isha and Pragya smiled at Arjun.
I: Thank you for helping us.
P: I must say you are very cute.
Arjun was on cloud nine as first time two beautiful ladies had complimented him. He was in his own dream land when Sanchi hit him on the forehead to get him back from the imaginary world.
S: Cute and he, Oh please…..
A: Angel, you are very bad. You or Priya di never call me by my name. You always call me joker and now when they are finding me cute, you are getting jealous.
S: We call you joker because you are. I will prove it to you. Okay now tell me what is the first thing that came to your mind when you saw us on the floor in the room?
Arjun without even thinking for a second answered whatever came to his mind.
A: I thought that they were trying to molest you…. He said thoughtfully. A loud crack of laughter was heard as soon as he completed his statement. Sanchi, Isha and Pragya were laughing like crazy people. They had tears out of the immense mirth and they rested for a while as the laughter was causing them stomach aches.
I: He is really cute.
S: Nothing can change you.
P: You were right; he is joker but a cute one.
Arjun pouted and Sanchi engulfed him in a tight hug. They were joined by Isha and Pragya from either side. Arjun stretched his arms to let the other two snuggle closer to them. It was very much warm and secure. Isha and Pragya were now well aware of Sanchi’s state of mind after experiencing it. They broke the hug and sat down on the table in the canteen of the hospital. Veer also joined them. He glared at Arjun to leave Sanchi and gestured him to look at the other side. Arjun followed Veer’s eyes and saw Kabir spitting fire on him as he had still held Sanchi in the same coat as his. Arjun quickly withdrew and gave her the coat. Sanchi wore the coat comfortably and soon a well acquainted smell filled her nostrils. Sanchi understood that it was Kabir’s court and she hugged it more tightly as if feeling him inside the coat.
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I’m a bit busy now a days so I will be little irregular till 20th May but after that I will promise to update regularly.
Thank you for waiting patiently and please keep commenting on my work. It encourages me.