As Disha made her way back home, a sudden vibration from her phone caught her attention. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the notification-a payment from Sahil had been credited to her account. A surge of happiness rushed through her, and a wide grin spread across her face. She couldn't contain her excitement and hurried inside the house, calling out for her mother.
"Maa!!! Maa!!" she shouted, her voice bubbling with joy.
Her mother, hearing her daughter's enthusiastic call, rushed out from the kitchen. "Are kya ho gayi, tu itni chilla kyu rahi hain?" she chuckled, her arms open for a warm embrace.
Disha leaped into her mother's arms, her grin never fading. "Maa...maa, today I am so so happy... you know why?" she beamed, planting a quick kiss on her mother's cheek.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Are agar tu nahi batayegi toh kaise jaan paungi?"
Disha giggled, taking her mother's hand and guiding her to the sofa. She sat down, still grinning from ear to ear, and laid her head gently on her mother's lap, looking up at her with gleaming eyes.
'Mein jin k ghar mein aj job k liye join ki...Sahil sir , unhone mujhe meri first payment already send kar diya mere bank account mein' she said excitedly as she kept her head on her mother lap.
'Sach mein?? Yeh toh bari khushi ki baat hai bachi' she replied caressing her child's hair.
Disha nodded vigorously, her smile stretching even wider. "Haa maa, I didn't expect him to send it in advance. He's such a kind person," she added, her voice softening as she glanced up at her mother's face.
Her mother hummed in acknowledgment, her fingers still running gently through her daughter's hair. But despite the cheerful moment, Disha's smile gradually faded. Her thoughts drifted to the incident that had happened earlier that morning.
Her mother noticed the change in her expression and asked with concern, "Kya hua bacha?"
'Apko pata hai maa Sahil sir k na sirf ek pair hain.He walks with a help of a crutch" she started, her voice tinged with sadness.
Her mother's smile too fades hearing it as she continues..
"He has a wife too, who works as well... but maa, her behavior... it really bothered me.I don't like the way she behaves with him".
Her mother's brows furrowed in concern as she asked, 'Why, beta? What happened?'
'I don't like the way she treats Sahil sir, maa... the way she taunts him so cruelly just because he's disabled... just because he can't do certain things the way others can. Who treats their husband like that, maa? And you won't believe what happened today.She pushed Sahil sir so hard that he almost fell. If I hadn't caught him in time, he would've been badly hurt!'
Disha's voice in disbelief as she recounted the incident.
'And the way she looked at him afterward... there was no remorse, no regret. It was as if she didn't care at all. How can someone treat their partner like this? Especially someone as kind and gentle as Sahil sir?' Disha's eyes welled up, the hurt evident in her voice.
Her mother's face softened gently caressing her hair,
'Not everyone in this world are kind and have good heart beta!!'
'Par phir bhi maa aise toh koi apne dushman k bhi sath bhi nahi karenge jaise woh mam kari rahi hain unke sath.You know maa he doesn't even argue or defend himself. He just silently bears it all, as if he's used to it. It's heartbreaking to see.' she complained sadly.
Her mother takes a deep breath,
'You know beta when we live with someone every day, we often take them for granted. We get used to their presence and start thinking they'll always be there. But when they're gone-that's when we realize how important they truly were'.
Disha nods her head understanding.
On the other hand, as usual kriti is late to return from her office.It was already 1 pm at night and Sahil is just looking outside the window from his room.
His hand is itching to call her ,to know about her whereabouts but he knows she will only get angry on him.
'Kyu itna late karti ho Kriti ??kyu ese excuses deti ho mujhe ? Tumhe kya lagti hai ki I don't know when you office gets end??' he murmurs clutching the phone.
Minutes 20 later, he get to see a car stops infront of his house and kriti come outside with a man. He didn't have to know who is that person.
He sighed as he went back doing his work.He saw kriti came inside their room tiredly as she sat on the sofa exhaustingly massaging her scalp.
'Akele ayi ghar yah koi drop kar diya ghar?' he asked gently.
She looks at him for a second before replying, 'Nahi uber se..kyu??'
He stares at her for a moment before shaking his head, 'Bas aise hi'.
'Waise woh ladki kab gayi yaha se?' she asked casually.
'Disha kriti...Disha hain naam uski' he corrected.
'Haa Disha wahi ladki ...baba ek din kya kaam kar liya, tum toh usk tarafdari karne lage ..kamal hain' She chuckled sarcastically.
'Mind your language.... do you know what you re saying kriti?? Mein sirf tumhe correct Kiya bas..tum baat ko kaha se kaha leke jaa rahi ho??' he said in serious voice.
"Haan, woh toh dikh hi raha hai," she shot back before disappearing into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Sahil sighed deeply, closing his eyes to calm himself. He didn't have the energy to argue with her, not tonight.
The Next Morning
As usual, Disha was on her way to Sahil's house. She stood at the crossing, waiting for the signal to change, when her gaze wandered to a sleek car idling at the traffic light.
Her breath hitched when she saw Kriti inside, laughing and giggling with the man in the driver's seat.
Before Disha could process what she was seeing, the man leaned over, took Kriti's hand, and pressed a lingering kiss on her knuckles.
Her eyes widened in shock and disgust. The green light flashed, and the car sped away, leaving Disha frozen on the spot, the image of what she had just witnessed burned into her mind.
"No, no, woh Kriti ma'am nahi ho sakti... tu bhi na disha kya kya dekh leti hain subah subah," Disha mumbled to herself, shaking her head. She let out a nervous chuckle, trying to brush off the uneasiness building inside her.
When she reached there, she saw sahil is working in kitchen making french toast
'Sir ??' she got surprised.
'Are Disha ?? Agayi ?? I have kept your ginger tea there on the table' he said.
Disha blinked, her surprise turning into concern.
"Sir, iski kya zaroorat thi? Aap baithiye na... I'll prepare breakfast for you and ma'am," she said, stepping forward instinctively.
Sahil waved her off, still smiling. "Kriti toh chali gayi office, Disha. She has an award function today, so she'll be late. One of her colleague came to pick her up."
The words hit her like a jolt, and she froze on the spot. Her mind instantly flashed back to the car at the signal-the laughter. So it was really Kriti ma'am?
"I already gave her breakfast," Sahil continued, unaware of Disha's inner turmoil,
"And now I'm preparing something for us. Today, you're going to try my French toast and tell me how I did, okay? I'm not as good a cook as you, but I'm not terrible either." He chuckled, his voice laced with a childlike enthusiasm.
Disha's gaze softened as she watched him. Sahil stood there, completely absorbed in flipping the toast with clumsy manner, a faint smile playing on his lips despite his struggle. The sight was both endearing and heartbreaking.
Her throat tightened, and her eyes welled up with unshed tears.
How could someone cheat this pure, and innocent man? she thought.
For a moment, she just stood there, silently observing him. The way he tried so hard, his words filled with kindness and sincerity, made her heart ache.
The pan was about to tilt when she hold it at right moment.
'ek pair se na sab kuch balance nahi kar pata' he mutters sadly.
'Its ok sir koi baat nahi ...apne toh almost pura hi bana liya ...aap baedhiye baki ka toast mein bana lungi' she smiled..
'Acha thik hain' he chuckled gripping the crutch tightly.
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