“Bathroom kidhar hai? Main pahle ise dho leti hoon,” she said on reaching his home.

He motioned towards the guest bathroom and slumped on the sofa. He could feel exhaustion in his bones. While he waited for her to come out, he remembered the locket and took it out of his pocket. A small piece of paper peeked out of it. Curious, he picked it out and unfolded it. The content made him sit up. What could this possibly mean? He heard the bathroom door open and quickly folded the paper back.

When Ananya came out, she looked as pale as him. She was so distraught that she hardly noticed his state. “Mera locket…” she felt for it around her neck, “Woh jungle mein–” Her eyes fell on his hands and she let out a cry of joy. “Thank God! Ye aapke paas hai.” She snatched it from him and pressed it close to her heart.

He looked away for a moment to control his expressions, then asked. “Ye locket… Ye itna important kyon hai tumhare liye?”

“Ye locket mujhe mere Papa ke kareeb rakhta hai, Kabir. Woh mere strength hain.”

“Tumhare Papa? Kahan hain woh?”

She became somber, “Aath saal se gayab hain. Duniya ke liye villain hain, lekin mere liye to hero hain. Shayad aapko yaad ho. RG Pharma waala case. Aath saal pahle…”

“Tum Sudhir Kashyap ki beti ho?”

She nodded.

“Excuse me,” he said and strode towards his bedroom.

—

“Annie!” he hissed at his image in the bedroom mirror, “I should have known!”

‘Maine ek bahut hi ordinary life ji hai, Kabir, lekin meri beti ke liye main hero hoon. Agar mujhe kuchh ho jaata hai to kam-se-kam Annie ko bata dena ki main galat nahin tha. Lekin usse pahle ye ensure kar lena ki use ya meri family mein kissi aur ko koi khatra na ho.’

He took a deep breath, grabbed the first aid box and went back to her.

He was aware of her penetrating eyes on him as he dressed her wound. He paled, but was not surprised, when she finally asked, “Aap ka hi likha hua hai na woh article? Aap the Delhi Kranti mein, hai na?”

He didn’t reply and continued dressing.

“Mujhe nahin pata ki aap kyon nahin maanna chahte ye. Ye aapka aakhiri article tha Delhi Kranti mein. Shayad aapka bhi vishwaas uth gaya hoga Papa se. Shayad aap apne is article ke liye sharminda hain ab. Lekin main aapko kuchh vishwaas dilane mein interested nahin hoon, Kabir. Main aapko sirf isliye dhoondh rahi thi itne dinon se kyonki shayad aap hi hain jo Papa ko dhoondhne mein meri madad kar sakte hain. Aath saalon se hum unka intezaar kar rahe hain. Even if aapko lagta hai ki woh galat the, phir bhi hamein unse milne ka, unse baat karne ka haq to hai na?”

He finished dressing and stood up. She followed the suit and stood in front of him, stubborn and insistent.

He held her close and looked into her eyes for a long time.

“Annie!” Him calling her by that name brought tears to her eyes. “Tum aath saalon se apne Papa ke lautne ka intezaar kar rahi ho?”

She nodded.

“Main tumhein thodee si khushi dene ke liye dhokhe mein nahin rakh sakta. Tumhare Papa is duniya mein nahin rahe. Aath saal pahle hi…”

She stepped back from him, looking crestfallen.

“Aisa nahin ho sakta. Ma ko poora bharosa hai… Nahin. Aap jhooth bol rahe hain. Aap abhi tak mujhse apne baare mein jhooth bol rahe the. Ab Papa ke baare mein bhi bol rahe hain. Mujhe nahin pata ki aap aisa kyon kar rahe hain, lekin…”

“Annie–”

“Mat bulaiye mujhe is naam se. Aapko iska haq nahin hai.”

She made to run out of the house, but Kabir yanked her hand and stopped her.

“Main tumhein ghar drop kar raha hoon.”

“Mujhe jaane dijiye.”

“Ananya!” On a whim he turned her towards himself and pulled her in a tight hug. She broke down and sobbed for a long time in his arms.

He sat her down on the sofa after she stopped crying and sat across from her. They sat in silence for a long time.

At last she said, “Mujhe ghar jaana hai.”

“Chalo,” he stood up and picked the car keys.

They drove to her home in silence.

She broke it only to thank him for dropping her.

“Ananya,” he responded in a trembling voice, “Please take care.”

She nodded and left. He waited until she entered her home, then turned his car around.

—

Kabir paced in his study, while Ananya sat on her windowsill with her father’s photograph pressed to her bosom.

Ananya felt her father’s presence again.

“Papa. Aaj bharosa toot gaya mera.”

“Par tu nahin toot sakti, Annie beta. Tujhe Ma aur bhai ko sambhaalna hai.”

“Main kya karoon ab, Papa? Itne dinon se bas isi maqsad se jee rahi thi ki aapko dhoondhoongi.”

“Sach ki khoj to baaki hai na abhi, beta? Sach tujhse aur mujhse bahut bada hota hai. Uske liye hi main mara aur use liye hi tujhe jeena hai.”

Kabir directed his restless ramblings to an absent Ananya.

“Annie! Kaise mod par mili ho tum mujhe? Kitna sach bataun tumhein aur kaise? Jitna samjha hoon tumhein, sach bata diya to tum kood jaogi uski ladai mein. Khatre mein daal logi khud ko. Aur mere haath aise bandhe hain ki main tumhara saath bhi nahin de paunga. Mujhse nafrat karogi tum. Dono hi baatein mujhe manzoor nahin hain. Tumhein poora sach to main nahin bata sakta. Kam-se-kam abhi nahin. Tumhein mujhe maaf karna hoga iske liye.”

—

“Kabir Sir?” Armaan opened the door for him. The boy looked tired and forlorn.

“Armaan. Ananya hai ghar par?”

“Ji. Aap please baithiye. Maine bhejta hoon Didi ko.”

His stomach churned on seeing Ananya’s condition. Disheveled hair, puffed eyes, dispirited walk – he had never seen her like that. Not even last night. It looked like as the reality had sinked in, life had been driven out of her.

“Armaan. Paani laana,  Kabir Sir ke liye,” she asked her brother.

“Nahin!” he objected hastily, “Uski zaroorat nahin hai. Ananya – tum… Tum beemar lag rahi ho–”

“Meri hi bewkoofi thi. Deep down, jaanti to thi main, ki Papa agar zinda hote to itne dinon tak humse mile bina nahin rahte. Lekin Ma ki zidd thi, aur samay ke saath maine khud ko bhi unki zidd ka bharosa dila diya tha.”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Agar main kuchh bhi kar sakoon…”

“Ma ko aapse mil kar achchha lagta. Aapka woh article… But I am sorry. Abhi woh aapse milne ki condition mein bilkul nahin hain.”

“That’s fine. That’s totally fine. Tum bas ye ensure karo ki woh theek rahein. Aur tum bhi…”

“Ananya!” Ronnie was at the door.

“Ronnie!” Ananya ran to him and broke down in his arms. A pang of jealousy and a stab of guilt hit him simultaneously. For a short while last night, she had sought that comfort in his arms. Now she was distant from him. It was hardly the time to grudge her the support she really sought. But he felt lonely, isolated, forgotten. He tried to slip out quietly, but Ronnie called him.

“Kabir Sir!”

He looked up, “Ananya aaj office nahin aa payegi…”

He nodded and left.

—

To be continued