" Anupama beta tum?" GK opened the door to find a restless Anupama fiddling with her saree pallu.

"Ji,kaka. Anuj hain ghar pe?" Anupama asked, while her eyes darted behind GK in search of the aforementioned man.

GK pressed his lips recalling the promise made to Anuj. "Beta Anuj toh yahan nahi hai".

"Kya?Kahan gaye hai? Aaj toh Diwali hai, office bhi band hai", Anupama fired,stepping past kaka and into the house.

"Mujhse naaraz honge na isliye nahi aa rahe samne", Anupama murmured as she walked over to the kitchen, calling him out.

"Anuj!Anujjj!" On finding the kitchen empty she made her way to his room and found it empty too.

"Yahan bhi nhi hai..." Anupama was starting to feel her heart sink.

'Main tumse door chala jaunga'

"Beta,Anuj yahan nhi hai. Vo Mumbai gaya hai", Kaka answered seeing how Anupama was turning the house upside down in his search.

Her stomach dropped then as she turned around to face kaka, "Mumbai...kyu? Aisa toh koi kaam bhi nahi tha abhi!"

Taking a step forward then, she took GK's hands in hers and asked him, "Sach bataiye kaka, Anuj meri wajah se Mumbai gaye hain na. Main ghabra gayi thi kaka par ab...m.main samajh gayi hu, main bahot sorry hu kal ke lie..."

GK shook his head in negative. The last thing Anuj wanted was to be the reason of her guilt.

"Ussekoi zaroori kaam aa gaya tha, zyada nahi bataya usne mujhe..." GK replied and nodding, Anupama pulled back. GK was not a convincing liar.

Taking out her phone, she dialed her phone quickly but to no avail. She dialed again but his number was unreachable. Till date never once had there been a case where Anuj had not picked her call. She was getting worried now, his guilt laden words doing rounds of her mind.

"He is not taking my call kaka. Aap please ek baar apne phone se call kijiye na?"

GK nodded and dialed Anuj but his call was missed too. But he already knew that.Anuj had been all too aware of her tendencies.

GK watched Anupama as she paced around the hall worried. He badly wanted to tell Anuj that she was not angry with him in the least. That he needed not to suffer. That she cared, if not more but just as much.

Anupama took in a deep breath then to calm herself, reminiscing how he had asked her to the do the same on numerous occasions when she would hyperventilate. She shook the thought off. It's not like he was never coming back that she was recalling these things.

But then what is this feeling of foreboding...

Anupama glanced at GK then and realized she was probably worrying the man. Schooling her features into one of composure, she addressed him, "Kaka, agar aapki anuj se baat ho toh unse kahiyega ki...unki galti nahi hai isme. Kahiyega unhe, ki wo meri life main aaye isilie meri udaan unchi hui. Kahiyega unhe ki hum baat kar sakte hain...main unka intezaar karungi".

And forcing a small smile of courtesy at the end, Anupama folded her hands in regard and walked off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ab baat karne ke liye kuch bacha kahan hai. Maine kuch choda hi nahi. My selfishness ruined it all", Anuj lamented seated on the sand, his eyes focused on the horizon. He could hear her playing with the waves and smiled sadly as the mirage of his desires disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

"Kahan main Anu ko khushiyan dena chahta tha, uski aazadi ban na chahta tha aur kahan main usse tanha kar aaya. Meri tanhaiyon main uski yaadon ka sukoon hai paruski tanhaiyon main sirf beizzati ka shor...sab meri wajah se", stream of tears rolled down his eyes and across his cheeks as he reminisced all those times she had been insulted, demeaned and defamed.

"Mere intezaar ne kabhi iqraar ki khwaish nahi rakhi, fir kyu!" Anuj slammed the ground again and again, "Fir kyu kiya maine izhar, woh bhi unke saamne jinki galatfehmiyan mitani thi. Musibat aur badha di uski maine", he grimaced recalling the shock on her face, the feeling of betrayal palpable.

"Sab meri galti hai. Ye galti nahi gunah hai. Jab 26 saal pehle nahi de paaya saath fir ab kya fayda hai inn baton ka, iss jazbaat ka. Aur kis muh se maafi maangne gaya tha?!" Anuj heaved recollecting the spectacle he had created at her house.

Anuj coughed,and clutched his head as a wave of current washed over him. The last he had seen of water and food was at Anu's house. That had been 16 hours back. He shook his head then, chuckling bitterly. Might as well fall ill in the form of repentance then.

He switched on his phone finally, and saw missed calls. 11 from kaka and 18 from her.

His heart almost almost soared before it plummeted. He had done her no wonders that she was calling to thank for. It had to be something unpleasant.

He opened his whatsapp then and closed it just as instantly. Her name had been at the top followed by kaka's. And the first line of his message had been, "Anupama aai thi"

He didn't have the guts to read further than that, afraid and ashamed. What if she was there to break their friendship?! What if she never wanted to see him again and wanted him gone?! As much as he agreed with this, he knew his heart would shatter if he were to hear that directly from her.

He had spent such good times with her that he was afraid of losing what they had. Had. Because his blunder had made sure that it was history now.

"Jo mera kabhi tha hi nahi, usse khone ka darr dil main ghar kar betha hai. Ye naumeedi hai kyuki umeed thi. Lakh kaha dusro se ki mujhe usse kuch nhi chahiye, pal pal khud se jhooth kaha ki uski khushi hi kaafi hai. Par aaj jab baat usse door jaane ki aai hai, toh dil toot raha hai, himmat bikhar rahi hai aur saansein ukhad rahi hai...." Suddenly Anuj seized his chest, breathing sharply.

He coughed alarmed. His breathing was ragged now.

"I-I cannot breathe!" Anuj coughed gasping for air. He bent over and tapped his chest but to no avail.

"M..muj..he saa..ns.....

Anuj choked then gripping his throat, the world was spinning around him and his consciousness was waning.

He rolled on his back now, his vision blurry, tears rolling down the side of his face.

"I-I lo-ve you An..u..pma.."

He closed his eyes in resignation, her smiling face the last vision before his world went black.