dost

"toh aghar hindustani na ho toh ap phir aur kon ho?"

azhar asks

"apko nahin bata sakti main kon hun" she answers

"itna bologi naam kya hai?"

"maniya aur apka? "

"woh toh hum number apka lekar batayeinge"

"main kyun dungi number apna, woh bhi apko"

"dost hun apka"

maniya laughs histerically

"arre"

police starts approaching the lane

azhar pulls maniyas hand and drags her to the corner

"chupi raho mani, bharosa rakhiye mere upar aur nikal jayiega samjhin?" he then runs towards the police

"azhar rukiye" she panicks

scared for her life, maniya runs away but looks back to azhar and the police was beating him mercilessly

a day passed by and mani came back to look for him, she was scared she wouldn't find him

"kidhar ho"

she walks mumbling to herself of how guilty she feels.

she prays to her god to find him safe and sound and the second week of azhar being lost maniya walks on the road in search for him like for the past 2 weeks she had been without missing a day

"kidhar ho, nazar mein bhi ajao ab kitna aur din nahin dikhoge"

a voice enchants from afar

"azhar!"

maniya turns back to look at who it was and he stood there with bruises and open wounds on his body

"azhar naam hai mera maniya ge"

maniya rushes into his arms

"apne mujhe bacha liya liken ye kya kardiya hai apna haal azhar?, unko kya bola tha aisa ke ye haal kardiya hai"

maniya cries

he wipes her tears and his as well

"hum kya kya kargaye apke peechay mani" he laughs

" kuch nahin bola, bas nasha mein honeka natak kiya take mujhe lekar jaye warna apke peechay aate"

maniya holds him close to her

"arre itna na kariye loug ghalat samajh jayeinge, main samajhta hun apki khushi par-" maniya cuts him half way and angrily says

"toh kehne di jiye sabko, apne meri jaan bacha li, main Sara din raat thanne mein guzarti aghar ap mujhe chorke jate apne apna haal kharab kardiya main kaise apka shukriya kahun" maniya falls weak to the ground crying

"kya hogaya, kuch khana peena nahin kiya mani?"

"ap mujhe mani kyun bolte ho?"

"dost ho na meri" he smiles

he grabs her by her hand and then picks her up entirely

"ghar chal lo mere, kuch khao"

he takes her into his broken house and lays her down as she sits up he hands her a tray of food

"kuch khao, kamzor par rahi ho ap" he worries

"kyun ye sab kar rahe ho mere liye"

"phir wahi sawwal?, dost samjho mujhe aur idhar hee raho"

maniya gets stunned

"idhar???!!"

"kyun aur koi rehne ke liye jagga hai apke paas"