Saaiyan mere saaiyan...Saaiyaan mere saaiyan...Mere saaiyaan...
The music haunted across d high walls of d gilded cage...as if d buried voices of d girls being commoditified had raised in unison.
Mere saaiyaan re ...Sancha bole na jhootha mahiya re...
Vihaan's mind played tricks as he once again saw his bride walk away from him...taking not only his heart...but his ability to trust & love...
Jhoothi maya ka...jhootha hai jiya re...
With clarity greater dan real...he saw himself with Anika walking hand in hand...heard their whispered secrets...smelt her as they kissed.
Ab kis disha jaaon, kit main basera paaon...Tu jo thaame sambhal jaaon...
Her father still walked the halls of her memory...haunted d windows of her mind. His arms as he had held her from falling off d cycle...his voice as he taught her through d nights...d colour of his eyes as he had closed dem never to set dem upon his daughter again.
Saaiyan mere saaiyan... saaiyaan mere saaiyan
Their eyes met and with d tenderness of being wronged clearly reflected...they both knew dat fate had bound dem for a reason.
Daman mein samete andhere layi hai...Behroopiya roshni....
Drawn into his illusion d truth was disguised in front of Vihaan and he closed d distance between Bulbul and himself.
Loriyaan gaye toh ninde jal jaati hain...Lage kalsuri chandni
The love carved out of caring had been fashioned by fate into a suffering so hard, that bulbul was tired of its games and she drew herself into d man ahead of her and laid her head on his chest.
Mere saaiyaan re...saaiyaan re...Dil sheeshe ka toota aashiyaan re
The rhythm of Vihaan's heartbeat awoke Bulbul from her solitary silence and immediately her hands grew cold. Vihaan's thoughts filled with d ghost of d past suddenly cleared as he saw his reflection in her watery eyes. He had broken d fragile bond of trust between dem. The thought tore him inside out. A similar feeling sped through Bulbul's veins and she hit real ground. They stepped away with a strange tugging at their hearts and a whole lot of confused mixed emotions.
The channel office was flooded with people as everyone poured in either for work or with applauds for d breakthrough in investigative journalism. Not only had dey saved d future of several girls but had managed to get d culprits behind bars with solid evidence to back upon. But all d dins couldn't drown d collapsing feeling dat threatened every sense of her. vihaan moved across as if walking towards a definite nightmare. "You both are formidable team." and d pair of eyes which had been escaping each oder finally met. D sounds of celebration ...d laughter...all d revelry ceased to exist in dat split second dat dere eyes met and with an understanding of unknown origin dey stood up and moved out into d open.
Bulbul still cud feel his heartbeat pounding in her ears and vihaan had d feeling of her soft skin still burn alive in his nerve endings. His lips practiced the three magic words and when finally he turned towards her and steadied himself with a long breath. "I am sorry." bulbul had beat him to it. Her eyes refusing to meet his and now an even greater sense of embarrassment griped him. All his fault...she was drugged...but what possessed him? Unable to bear her stooped eyes Vihaan gave her small chin a push and met her gaze. His own face swam into view as her glassy eyes failed to hide d raw pan in dem.
Bulbul had been unusually silent as his car sped thru d dark night. Vihaan had wordlessly ushered her into his car as his brain hammered with d stupidity of his decision. But it was not about him...his sorrow. He needed to reach out to her. He felt he had to. She needed to break out d dam she had built around her.
The waves lashed around her as bulbul's drug lost its effect and anger flamed inside her. He had brought her into dis desolation when she was not in her right mind. As Vihaan's footsteps closed near her, bulbul reeled under her seething temper. "I was dumped at d marriage altar by my childhood love." Cold water splashed on d volcano bubbling inside her. Vihaan's heart died as he said d truth he was living with for long. Somehow saying it aloud made it permanent...irreversible. Bulbul saw in shock as tears traced tracks on his handsome face. Her heart tore as Vihaan led himself bare in front of her. But even before d thought to tell him dat everything will be fine cud be put to words, vihaan hit her where it hurt d most. "What happened with you?" d waves came back for a second splash when finally bulbul cud make her lips say her damned past.
d tides had receded and dey now cud no longer reach bulbuls outstretched legs as she sat with d one person she had revealed her most feared secret and yet who hadn't batted even an eyelid either in sympathy or in disgust. The night had been rough for his heart. But somehow it was still beating. A smile reached d ends of his face and his partner in crime looked in askance. "I always believed I would die without her love. But love after all may not be completely indispensable." "I think we are better off without it" pitched in bulbul. "Or better without even expecting it...or waiting for it" As dey both smiled at d great truth of life dey had jointly discovered...somewhere above d creator smiled at d magic called love. which sneaks up at d most unexpected turn of life ...like d light which reaches d eyes of d newborn...and very soon d child is afraid to live without it..
The press conference was scheduled in an hour and d channel's prime correspondent had locked herself in her cabin. Vihaan had made several pep talks but nothing soothed bulbul's nerves. Her head throbbed with d answer to several probable questions she had mugged since morning. Vihaan watched her in worry as she sunk her head into her hands. With a determined sigh he marched to her cabin. "Please Vihaan! I want to be alone" ... d rest of her words didn't find dere way out as she saw Vihaan's outstretched hands in front of her. His eyes earnest and she saw her hands glide towards him and perfectly fit in his palms. d smile reflected in both eyes.
"Are u planning to tire me out and hijack d press conference?" "I get enough attention without trying such tricks." "True" Bulbul rued to herself. He had shot to d position of d most desirable man in their office within a very short time. Not dat she denied his merit in it, but his ever increasing feminine fan irked for whatsoever no reason. "WHAT?" Bulbul blinked her eyes in utter disappointment as d stark naked terrace awaited her. Her never explored teenager desires had whispered of some grandiose surprise planned by Vihaan.
Does even d almighty know what d fairer sex had cooking in dere minds? Vihaan looked confused to Bulbul's sudden fallen face. What had she expected?...or waited?...and he was under d impression dat she had not given d whole exercise any thought. Anyway dere was hardly time for regrets especially because he was hardly sure whether dis wud work or fall flat. "Come on" he urged her to climb d narrow ladder ring leading to d topmost point of dere 15 floor building. Bulbul gripped Vihaan fearing for her life. She wasn't afraid of heights but she might just after today. What a weirdo she had landed herself with. Just before d last step up bulbul lost her cool and was about to shout back at Vihaan, when he suddenly bent and slid his hands around her waist. His eyes never blinking and d sun reflecting off his face and bulbul found her tongue pasted with d floor of her mouth. d next moment she was swept off her feet as Vihaan hauled her up in one swift motion to d highest point of her life...literally and metaphorically. Her breath still stuck in her throat as within d foot of space he turned her to face d whole wide city along with d distant sea view. Before she could take in d sight she had surprisingly missed in all dese years of being brought up here, d hairs on her neck stood in attention as Vihaan breathed. She didn't know if her senses could handle any more assault. She was dangerously surrounded by him...in body and mind.
His plan was well thought of, but d space restrictions here on top had been bit of surprise, and d way bulbul's warm body was tantalizing him came as a shock. Even Anika hadn't made him loose his head like dis. With a deep breath, Vihaan righted his mind and proceeded to entwine his fingers with her. dey were wet. He knew their closeness was doing similar things to her, but dere was no turning back now. With a slight pull he raised her hands and as both their hands stretched d winds blew dem together.
Time seeped into a wine so deeply intoxicating, dat all awareness willingly drowned itself. d two people wronged in love...stabbed by trust...still gathering pieces of dere trampled heart, stood facing d harsh world out together. Close. So close dat she breathed him and his skin yearned for more of hers. With an overwhelming attempt to gripping himself, Vihaan said, "Here...now...with me right behind you...nothing is impossible...any adversary invincible...no pain incurable...and no dream unfulfilled. I want you to feel dis...feel d way you r right now...each waking moment from now on."
They made it to d conference just in time. For once bulbul didn't want to ponder over d whats hows and whys...she just wanted to stay in that bubble dat had formed in her heart forever or as long as it lasts. For once she wanted to let go and with a rising exuberating feeling, d media meet was a huge success, establishing her not only as a sharp journalist but also as a brave heart. From afar vihaan watched bulbul's moment of fame and felt his heart grow proud. Her eyes twinkled and whenever dey met...she seemed to draw exuberance ad confidence. And whenever he wud b unseen in d crowd of faces her eyebrows would wrinkle in worry. vihaan felt needed...wanted...a feeling he had forgotten how it felt. While d cameras rolled all around dem someone sitting in her own luxury world grew cold with bitterness. She couldn't have him...but him having someone else...she was unreplacable...unforgettable...she was anika.
d buzz of d day had subsided. While silence engulfed d night, vihaan's mind felt alive. He had been frantically working to find a new story to work upon. bulbul had applauded him for all d work and wit he had put in...and had introduced him to d media as her colleague...not assistant. She had made him feel someone...after someone made him feel a no one. d thot immediately brought to his mind anika's call which had come today congratulating him for his success. She sounded like dere love...marriage and his broken heart were an unnecessary impediment in d happy path of dere friendship. vihaaan scratched his head wondering what between dem had he felt was eternal...dat was beyond any reason...or more intense dan a feeble liking. Work...dat was more solid...logical...and now with purpose...not just to prove himself...but to make a difference.
She was running late...for d first time in her living memory. How on earth had she been managing her long tresses all dese yrs. finally after a lot of tugging and pulling she had managed to put dem into a respectable braid. vihaan wondered what was keeping her so long. Of course she didn't know he was waiting for her, but he felt dat dey would save time by discussing on d way and den proceeding straight to d location. "You going for a date?" his sight and question caught a salwar suit clad bulbul off guards. She spluttered "I...I...why are you here?" "For d date obviously." ...vihaan said majestically and held d door open for her. As bulbul stepped into d car she kept wondering if this was one more of her silly romantic dreams dat had frequented her since last few weeks. She relaxed after a while when vihaan started his animated description of d case of several accidents in a particular area on d outer hilly regions of Mumbai. Soon his chattering was lost as bulbul felt d cool breeze slap across her face. Why had she never walked out of her workaholic life ever? Time?...no...money? no...maybe it had to do something with d memory of dere once happy family picnics dat she had wanted to forget. With a deep sigh bulbul wondered about how her life kept bounding her to her past every time she tugged at it. It suffocated her...strangled her. As if on cue, she felt soft fingers caress her neck. Without giving d touch another thought she relieved herself in it and let her neck slide across d palm.
Vihaan hadn't thought once before reaching out to bulbul. She had looked so stressed...saddened...dat he wanted to do away with every damn thought dat caused her dat look. but as she relaxed in his touch, vihaan tensed, suddenly waking up to his intense desire as he gazed upon her serene face with a few rogue strands scrambling across her face lest dey come in his way. Almost giving in to his whispered craving, vihaan leaned towards her. Her eyes still closed...her lips quivering as if dey beat in sync to his hammering heart. d warm fast breath across her face woke bulbul and she stared right into d eyes of d man whu held d key to her future bliss and before her brain cud shoo away her heart...he had stretched his hands out and slowly pulled her flying dupatta back...reigning along with it dere raging hormones and heart.
