The man and Purvi were talking about Kartik and his family.

"Chhote babu khaana lagaun?"...A middle aged man asked before entering inside the room.

"Are haan inhe bhookh lagi hogi"...The man said while looking at Purvi.

Then, he looked at the middle aged man.

"Aur dekhiye Shambhu kaka...Ye hamare ghar ki mehmaan hi nahin, Dipankar uncle ki bahu bhi hain...Isliye inhe aur Dipankar uncle ko koi bhi shikayat ka mauka nahin milna chahiye"...He said to him.

"Ye kaise ho sakta hai...Ye hamare sar aankhon par"...Shambhu said with a warm smile.

The man smiled and then looked at Purvi.

"Preetiji...Is waqt is baarish mein jaana to namumkin hai...Subah hote hi main aapko ghar chhod doonga"...He said with a gentle smile.

Purvi smiled back and nodded.

"Achchha...To phir kal mulaqat hogi"...The man said and stood up from the sofa to go.

"Aap kahin jaa rahe hain?"...Purvi asked before standing up and looking at him.

"Jee...Wo...Wo majboori hai...Club mein officers aur colleagues ke saath party hai...Jaana hi padega"...The man replied without meeting her gaze.

He smiled a bit and looked at her.

"Aur agar aane mein thodi si der ho jaaye to chinta mat kijiyega...Ise apna hi ghar samajhiye"...He said while smiling.

Purvi couldn't help smiling at his sweet nature.

"Basket rakh diya gaadi mein?"...The man asked Shambhu in a stern voice.

"Haan...Rakh diya"...Shambhu replied.

Purvi looked at the man in confusion as he walked off from there before looking at her. Shambhu went behind him.

"Suno...Tum roz raat ko kahan jaate ho aur kyun jaate ho so main nahin puchhta...Par aaj andheri raat hai, baarish aur toofan hai, phir us mein mehmaan hai...Agar aise mein nahin jaoge to kuchh bigad jaayega"...He yelled at the man.

The man turned back and looked at him.

"Shambhu kaka papa ne aapko yahan mujhe daantne ke liye nahin kaam karne ke liye rakha hai...Isliye har baat mein dakhal mat diya kijiye...Jaaiye apna kaam kijiye"...He said sternly and then left from there.

"Jaaiye apna kaam kijiye"...Shambhu said while imitating him in a little anger.

Purvi was surprised and confused after noticing the man's stern behaviour.

"Bachpan mein god mein khilaya so kuchh nahin, ab mujh par hi hukm chalate hain"...Shambhu murmured to himself.

Then, he looked at Purvi who was already looking at him.

"Chalo bitiya...Tum to khaana kha lo...Aao"...He said to her with a warm smile.

Purvi nodded with a light smile and followed him up to the dining room.

"Shambhu kaka aapke sahab roz raat ko ghar se bahar chale jaate hain?"...She asked before sitting on a chair.

"Haan...Bahut samjhata hoon par nahin maante"...Shambhu replied before serving her food.

Purvi looked at him but didn't say anything.

"Din bhar kaam mein lage rehte hain...Aur shaam hote hi bechain hone lagte hain...Kabhi club mein aur kabhi alag alag jagahon par bhatakte rehte hain...Aur sharab mein apna dukh bhulane ki koshish karte hain"...Shambhu added while pouring water in a glass.

"Kya wo sharab bhi peete hain?"...Purvi asked in surprise.

"Pehle to chhute bhi nahin the...Paanch saal videsh mein rahe phir bhi nahin pee...Lekin ab har roz peete hain"...Shambhu replied after keeping the glass of water on the dining table.

"Kyun?...Ab aisi kya baat ho gayi?"...Purvi asked while looking at him.

"Na maano to kuchh nahin...Aur maano to kya nahin ho gaya...Sharafat ke badle mein dhokha mila...Aur tabse mann toot gaya"...Shambhu replied.

"Kisne diya dhokha?"...Purvi asked.

"Ek ladki ne"...Shambhu replied.

"Ladki ne?"...Purvi murmured.

"Haan bitiya...Ab tumse kya chhupana...Inke pita ne ek ladki pasand ki thi, ladki ko bina dekhe hi ye shaadi ke liye raazi ho gaye the"...Shambhu told her.

"Phir kya hua?"...Purvi asked desperately.

"Phir ek anhoni ho gayi...Jab ye baarat lekar shaadi ke liye pahunche to ladki ghar chhodkar bhaag chuki thi"...Shambhu told her.

"Ye...Ye aap kya keh rahe hain...Huh!"...Purvi whispered with tear brimmed eyes, her voice choked in her throat.

"Wo ladki bewakoof hogi jisne bina dekhe Kavin babu jaise devta ko thukra diya"...Shambhu said in anger.

"Shaadi kahan tay hui thi?"...Purvi managed to ask.

"Patna mein"...Shambhu replied.

Purvi looked at him, her eyes went wide and her mouth gaped open on hearing him. She turned away in an attempt to hide her shock from him, but her eyes glistened with the pain of her guilt, the guilt of leaving Kavin. She stood up from her chair and ran into her room without having dinner or looking at Shambhu for once. Shambhu was surprised and confused with her sudden behaviour.

At the other side, Kavin was drinking constantly. His colleagues and friends were looking at him in worry.

"Bas karo Kavin, aur kitna peeoge...Tum to aise nahin the...Tum to kabhi sharab ko haath bhi nahin lagate the"...Sachin, one of his friends and colleagues said worriedly.

Kavin stopped drinking and looked at him.

"Peeunga, khoob peeunga...Itna peeunga ke seene ka khoon gale tak, aur gale ka khoon bahar tak"...He said and continued drinking, his voice clearly expressed the pain of his heart.

"Kavin...Chhodo ise...Tum to sharab ki bottle ke saath uske label ki tarah chipak chuke ho"...Dushyant, his other friend and colleague said and took the bottle of wine from him.

"Sharab ki bottle pe agar main label ki tarah chipak gaya hoon to is label ko chipkane wali wo hai"...Kavin said in a teary voice before snatching the bottle of wine from him.

Sachin and Dushyant looked at him, they were feeling extremely bad after seeing his condition.

"I hate Purvi...I hate her...I hate her..."...Kavin yelled at the top of his voice before drinking again.

After a while, he looked at Sachin and Dushyant.

Kavin: Meri zindagi ab sirf is sharab ke dam se hi chal rahi hai.

Sachin and Dushyant didn't say anything to him this time.

"Friends, Romans and Countrymen!...Sharab is samaj ka dushman hai, aaiye ise milke khatm karein"...Kavin said while laughing hysterically under the influence of wine after standing up on the bar counter and looking at Sachin, Dushyant and the other people.

Sachin and Dushyant were just staring at him in disbelief.

"Jisne pee nahin whiskey...Kismat phoot gayi uski"...Kavin said and continued drinking.

Sachin and Dushyant now became angry with him. Dushyant held him and made him sit on a chair while Sachin snatched the bottle of wine from him. Then, they both signalled him not to drink.

"Dost dost na raha, pyaar pyaar na raha...Daaru ke siwa zindagi mein koi karobaar na raha"...Kavin sang in a drunk voice while walking off from the club with another bottle of wine.

Sachin and Dushyant went behind him worriedly to drop him home unscathed.