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Summary: "Aise humare jazbaaton ke saath mat khelo Amrit. Dam ghut the hai humara jab tum kahi nahi milti ho toh."

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Amrit wakes up with a parched throat, they had skipped attending a dinner at one of the political associates and she had been massaging Veer's head the last she remembered.

Amrit doesn't even remember how she crawled under her sheets and fell asleep.

The fact it seemed was that she hadn't. She hadn't even turned the blankets down, simply collapsed on the top of the covers of her well made bed. To her horror she was even wearing the jewellery from the day.

There were no lights streaming underneath her door. Veer too was probably asleep.

Amrit sits up and finds that she is covered in a spare blanket instead. Its burgundy color clashes with the cream and pale green tones of her bedroom. This probably came from Veer's bedroom instead.

It gives her a very good idea as to who might have decided to cover her with that instead of waking her up to tuck herself in properly.

Deciding that she needed a drink of water before anything else, Amrit crosses the room and soundlessly opens the connecting door to cross Veer's room as well.

Everything is dark and still there. Without lingering and waking him up she goes out into the hallway.

Amrit despises ringing for servants in the middle of the night. Those were human too and needed their sleep. Making them come all the way up to the residential area because she wanted a glass of water sounded a bit too cruel.

But when a hand claps on her mouth and she is pulled away into the shadows, Amrit definitely has second thoughts on her charitable opinions.

It is a man who holds her, his grip too strong for her to fight off.

Instead she steps on his foot in the darkness, hard enough that she hears a painful intake of breath behind her. The grip loosens and she elbows her attacker as she turns.

"How dare you -!" Her eyes widens. "Randheer? Aap?"

Randheer is still trying to catch his breath, pain has crumpled his expression. Still he manages to place a finger on his lips and gesture for silence.

Amrit looks unconvinced but she nods once, briefly. Randheer gestures her to follow him.

"There is someone you should meet," he whispers.

That someone it turns out to be her brother Uday along with a very distraught looking - and rather pale Vashma.

"Uday veer ji?" Amrit exclaims, both men gestures for her to lower her voice. "What are you doing here?"

And they tell her, in low urgent whispers.

How Uday has eloped with Vashma under the noses of those brothel people. How they were now looking for the lost Noor Mehel and how both their lives were in danger.

They were planning to go to Bombay two days after and wanted a place to hide in the meantime. They met Randheer by chance and he brought them here. Thankfully the goons who chased them have not traced them to this place and the guard intimidated them.

As he finished Uday reached for her hand.

"Swear by me Amru, you will not tell us being here to anyone. Not even that fake husband of yours. Swear it!"

"veer ji how can I-"

"I have forgiven you for not telling me about Vashma even after meeting her. I have forgiven you for telling me she isn't Vashma and trying to separate us. You will do this for me or else I will forget that I have a sister also."

"Kuwar Sahab can help you!"

"We don't need help of your Kuwar Sahab. Aur yeh lafda ussi ka ek dost ki wajay se hai..." Uday snaps darkly.

"Kaun dost?"

It is Vashma who answers her.

"Woh nawabzada Anwar Hussein Siddiquie. Bade Aziz dost hai na woh tere Kuwar sahab ke? Jeena haraam kar rakha tha meri. Mujhe quareed kar lejana chahatha tha. Ek nahi maani meri...issi liye, issi liye mujhe waha se aani padi Amrit."

Amrit shakes her head, rather disbelievingly.

Anwar, who was like a brother to Veer, to her, who she felt had the same warmth Uday veerji had - how could he treat Vashma that way? And this is not what Veer had told her.

"Nahi," she says unconsciously. "Woh Aisa insaan nahi hain. Are you sure Vashma that he wanted - that he didn't actually want to buy your freedom?"

Vashma flushed.

"Iss duniya mein Uday ke alawa kissi aur ke saath meri koi zindagi nahi hai Amrit. Tu - tu kiyun -"

"Agar tum Yahi baat Anwar se kehe deti toh shaayad woh tumhari madat karte. Abhi bhi Kuwar sahab tumhare madat karenge. Woh log aise bhi bhura nahi hai Vashma. Woh -"

"Aur tu uss aadmi ke itni tarafdaari kyun kar rahi hai?
Tujpe kya jaadu kar diya oye?" Uday cuts her off. "Yakeen na kar uss bande pe...uss ke jaanpehechan hai uss kothe mein. Who knows which side he will take? Why would he not take his best friend's side?

"He made Vashma dance in his marriage feast, what if he wishes to hand her over back to those people? Back to his friend?"

"Woh aise nahi hai!" Amrit retorts. "You are under his roof and you think like that about him? Aise nahi hai woh. Haan. Ghusse wala hai par dil ka bhura nahi hai!"

Uday looks at Randheer incredulously.

"Iss ladki ko kya Hua hai oye?" He says annoyedly. "Tujhe meri kasam Amru - agar tu kissi ko kuch bhi batayi toh - wada kar! Wada kar!"

"Yahaan sirf aap hi nahi dekh pa rahi jo sach hai, Amrit. Even Uday sees your husband for what he is." Randheer adds.

Amrit grits her teeth.

Uday is still watching her unwaveringly. In his forehead there is a bruise, under his eye there is a cut. He needs to be treated. They needed food and rest. Amrit did not want to carry on this pointless argument. It was her home anyway and her brother was welcome anytime. She would let Uday has his way this once.

"Fine. I swear. I won't tell anyone," she sighs. "Let me bring you some food and something for that cut."

Uday sighs and his hard expression melts. He hugs her warmly.

Amrit allows him to thank her, express his gratitude however her heart starts to nudge with a discomfort.

Why is Uday veerji  suddenly so antagonistic towards Veer? They did not part on good terms and she was compelled to tell the truth of their pretense to Uday but still ...why was there so much bitterness all of a sudden?
She leaves still deep in her thoughts and doesn't hear Uday addressing Randheer.

"Kya uss aadmi ne sach mein humari Amru ko phasa liya hai Randheer sahab? Kya Amru sach mein uss kameene ki baato mein aagayi hai ke woh kudh ko barbaad kar rahi hai? Hum kudh toh Chale jaayenge kya ab humari Amru ko hum bacha nahi sakthe?"

"Aap unse kehekar dekhiye," Randheer says sadly. "Woh meri baat toh maan ne ko thaiyaar nahi hai."

*

After a long while, Amrit creeps back inside Veer's room. The old grandfather clock in the hall below chimes midnight. Amrit sighs, noiselessly shutting the door behind her.

"Aagayi aap Biwi sahab?" Veer's voice makes her jump.

Amrit stumbles and something falls on the ground with a muted thud. Lights of their room flicker on.

"Weren't you asleep - Kuwar sahab?" Her voice shakes. Please don't ask me where I went - Amrit chants in her head - please don't ask me where -"

Veer is sitting on his window sill, arms folded and watching her with rather sharp eyes.

"Kahaan gayi thi?"

"Haan - woh - main -" Amrit looks around.

Her pulse painfully throbs at the base of her throat. She clasps a hand over that spot.

"Paani lane gayi thi. I'm still not used to calling people in the middle of the night to do my bidding."

She turns away too quickly perhaps, pleased with her answer and still massaging her pulse wishing it would slow down.

"Biwi sahab..."

Amrit freezes. There is a certain quality to his tone that doesn't allow her a step further. Veer comes to her, circles her, stands there looking into her eyes.

"You touch your throat when you are lying." He informs her rather matter of fact ly.

Amrit's hand clenches over her pulse point. Veer's eyes flickers down to that hand and back up to her eyes.

"Just like that." He says.

Amrit swallows and clenches her fist.

"You are mistaken Kuwar sahab. I told you the truth."

"Paani kaha hai phir?"

"Paani?"

"Haan. Joh aap laane gayi thi. Woh paani kaha hai?"

The frustration at her position, at her need to tell him and her inability to break the word given to her brother eats at her.

"Kya aap ko mujhpar itna bhi bharosa nahi hai?" She asks instead. And anguish colours her tone.

Veer looks taken aback. A tear escapes her eye.

"Kya karoon main ki aap ko bharosa ho jaaye? Bhaag nahi rahi thi kahi. Paani peene gayi thi! Kya ab iss ke liye bhi aap se ijazat leni hongi?"

Veer squeezes his eyes shut and exhales.

"The door to your room was open. You weren't inside. You weren't anywhere on this floor. And the guards outside are looking for some intruder. Hum darr gaye the. Tumhare liye darr gaye the. Tumhe kuch ho na jaaye yeh soch kar darr gaye the. Aren't I allowed to do that?"

Amrit says nothing. She stands very still as Veer gathers her in his arms. Her head is reeling. She did not intend to hurt him. But maybe she had. Veer sighs against her hair, allowing the scent of jasmin and sandalwood to calm his nerves.

"Aise humare jazbaaton ke saath mat khelo Amrit. Dam ghut the hai humara jab tum kahi nahi milti ho toh."

Her body relaxes against him. Amrit allows the tears of frustration to escape and rests her forehead against his heart.

"Bhaag nahi rahi thi." She says thickly. "Koi toh yakeen karle meri baat ki bhi. Sab ko Aisa kyun lagtha hai ke my word has no value. Why does everybody feel that I don't understand what I'm doing- what I'm feeling. Why don't people trust me?"

Veer doesn't understand. But he recognizes the anguish in her tone. Slowly, he strokes her cheek with his thumb.

"I never said you were running away." He tells her. "I never said you don't know what you are doing. I just hope that you let me know what you are doing as well. Don't leave me in the darkness biwi sahab. My thoughts are a dangerous company to keep. Tum par bharosa karna chahathe hai hum - yeh kaam toda aazaan kar do."

"Nahi bata sakthi." She breaks away from him. "Baat meri hoti toh bata deti. Meri bass mein hoti toh bata deti. Baat kissi aur ki hai, aur maine kasam li hai na batane ki. Please," she implores and on a whim folds her hands. "Please don't ask anymore."

Veer reaches out and cups her folded hands between his own.

"No." He says. "Biwi sahab humare samne kabhi haat matt jodna, tumhari babasi humse bardaash nahi hota. Rakhlo apne raaz tum, de diya ijazat tumhe. Bass yeh ek raaz, aur kuch bhi kabhi bhi humse chupana nahi."

**
10K!!! Never thought Chaar Kadam would come so far! So here we go with a celebration update!!!
I'm rather angry at how they went wrapping up Veer like instant noodles. There was no finesse, no exploration. He deserved a better ending. So I renew my vow that here in CK at least Veer will get everything he deserves and more!
Oh and I'm giving a spoiler too because we crossed 10K and I love you all. I don't want you to think it's all going to be angst here. It's not.
We have a cricket match coming up, and then a proper dance (ballroom/ slow dance.) Stay tuned for both in the upcoming days. :-)
Do vote and share your thoughts, lift the spirits of this poor writer!
Thank you!