6 pm of next day

Rajesh stops the car in front of a bungalow as instructed by Vineet. Rajesh gazes at the lavish bungalow, it is huge, more like a palace though it is not well organized, its walls are strained, grasses grown everywhere, creepers and climbers everywhere. It's more like a haunted place now.

Vineet got out of the car and gazed at the bungalow, his eyes teary.

''Brother, apni wife ko toh nikalo. Main apni wife ko maike se lene jaa raha tha jo toh hona na diya aapne kam se kam aab toh jau main. Ya mujhe apna personal driver banane ka irada hai apka!" Rajesh jokes, his voice sarcastic.

Vineet turns to him with a tough glare.

''Main unki wife nahi hoon!" Manvi told him.

Rajesh instantly looks at her and then at Vineet.

''Utro!" Vineet orders Rajesh and helps Manvi.

''Kyun?" Rajesh asks, scared.

''Do what i say, sawal maat karo jyada!" Vineet rolls his eyes.

Rajesh descends down the car.

They headed to the bungalow. Vineet opens the main gate and they enter inside the campus.

''Ye kiska bungalow hai?" Rajesh questions finding Vineet opening the gate of the bungalow.

Vineet doesn't reply to him, he opens the door and moves in. Whole house was shattered, the table and couch covered with dust. The bungalow is indeed beautiful, when cleaned and lit up it won't be less than a palace.

''Kya bangla hai!! Hai, kahin tum yahan chori karne toh nahi aaye ho na?? Dekho, main bahut sareef aadmi hoon bahut aachi khasi naukri hai meri. Main iss chori mei saath nahi dunga kissi keemat pe!" Rajesh exclaims.

''Tum chup nahi reh sakte thodi der!" He shouted at him, shivering both Manvi and Rajesh.

Rajesh lowered his gaze, why is this guy always angry?

Vineet asked them to wait in the hall and he himself headed to a certain room. After a while, he returned and handed a bundle of 500 rupee note to Rajesh.

''Ye lo, tumne meri bahut help ki hai.aur jaise meine kaha tha, tumhari saari keemat lagta raha hoon.'' Vineet states.

Rajesh refuses to take the money,''nahi nahi!! Main ye paise nahi le sakta! Kal ko police toh mujhe hi pakdegi ki meine ye paise iss ghar se churaye hai!! Mujhe nahi chahiye koi paise.'' Rajesh states, moving backward.

''Koi tumse kuch nahi lagega kyunki ye mere paise hai aur ye ghar bhi!! Tum ye rakh lo!" Vineet forcefully made him hold the money as he was not ready to take it.

''Aab tum yahan se jaa sakte ho, thank you yahan tak aane ke liye aur sorry tumhe itna darane ke liye!" Vineet says warmly, confusing Rajesh.

''Boss!! Bade ajeeb insaan ho, kabhi darte ho kabhi itni aachi baatein karte ho. Aur jo ab mujhe jaane ko bol rahe ho, kahin meine kissi ko kuch batata diya toh kya hoga?" Rajesh questions, trying to be a little brave.

Vineet let out a sarcastic laugh,''jao! Tum jisse chaho bata sakte ho!" He exclaims.

Rajesh gazes at him and takes his leave.

Vineet closes the door.

''Ye ghar kiska hai?" Manvi questions, She's now doubtful of his act.

''Mera!" Vineet replies briefly, checking the landline but it was dead.

Manvi remains silent, her silence is proof that she doesn't trust him.

''Meine bahut kuch paya tha kabhi aur sab kho bhi diya! Jinke liye aaj tak maara maara phir raha tha, unhi ke gunehgar ke saath dosti kar baitha! Aaj iss ghar main lauta hoon, lekin kabhi nazre nahi mila payunga unse!" He states, his voice was heavy.

''Kaun?? Yahan aur koi hai?" Manvi questions as she senses a complete silence around like no single being lives here. Also, the dust filled floor and couches are proof that they haven't been clean for a long time. How can anyone live in the house without cleaning it?

Vineet looked at her, she was staring at nothingness. How do he tell her who lives in this house? He will never be able to explain his point to her, never!

He let out a sigh.

''Haan!! Yahan wo hai jo aab kissi ko nahi dikh sakte mere siwa! Issi ghar mei kaid hoke reh gaye wo aur unki yaadein!" He told her, which only confuses her.

''Matlab?'' Manvi questions

''Kuch nahi!! Hum yahan meri life discuss karne nahi aaye, bas Teja aur uske gundon se bachna hai tumhe aur iss ghar se jyada safe aur koi jagah hai nahi mere pass.'' Vineet says, dusting off the dust from the couch and asks her to rest.

''Humein!" She corrected him.

''Nahi, mera maksad sirf tumhe bachana hai khudko nahi! Mujhe uss Teja se samna karna hai uss se bachna nahi hai mujhe. Agar kal tumpe baat nahi aati toh main kal hi usse aur uske bhai ko maar chuka hota.'' Vineet states, his voice turns rough.

''Lekin main toh aapko janti bhi nahi aur na hi aap mujhe jante hai, infact main toh aapka naam tak nahi janti hoon, fir kyun mere liye itna kuch kar rahe hai aap?'' Manvi again asks a question because she's curious to know why he saved her. Hearing him at Raghu's Warehouse she had got to know his intention, he wanted to kill them but just to save her, he left him alive, why?

She gets his silence in return.

''Bataiye!! Kyun ki meri help? Wahan se nikal ke aap Mujhe kahin bhi chod sakte the par aap mujhe yahan le aaye, kyun??'' She demanded an answer.

''Kyunki meine kissi ko wada kiya tha ki bhale hi main samne wale ko na jaanu par uski madad jarur karunga aur ussi waade ke liye meine ye kiya hai!!'' Vineet replies in a low tone, she can sense his eyes are moist.

“Ek vaade ke liye aapne itna risk liya?” Manvi asks, again.

“Meri zindagi mein ab kuch bacha hi nahi jiske liye main koi risk uthaun! Beshak hum ek dusre ko nahi jaante lekin insaniyat naam ki bhi kuch cheez hoti hain. Apni wajah se main tumhari jaan khatre mein nahi daal sakta tha.” Vineet says gently.

Manvi hears him and she knows that this man is worth her trust. If he can save her just for a promise leaving his work undone then he can go to any extent to save her.

She gently smiles and asks for a room so that she can change. Vineet takes her to the guest room and himself leaves the house to get a house help who can clean the house and prepare some food.

….

10 p.m - same day

Jaiswal and Saumya were discussing about Vineet and the other guy with the police in the police station.

''Dekhiye, main aapko pehle hi bol chuka hoon ki jaise hi humei koi information milegi hum aapko bata denge toh please aap log baar baar puchna aur yahan aana band kijiye.'' Inspector shouted at them, irritated.

''Kaise na puche?? Dusra din khatam hone ko aaya aur aap log kuch pata nahi laga paa rahe hai, main aache se janti hoon aapke kaam karne ka tareeka. Ek case ko mahino tak khichte hai fir aise dikhate hai jaise kitne busy ho!" Saumya too raged.

Her words enraged the officer, he asks Jaiswal to take away his wife before he takes any serious action against them to which Saumya threatens them. Jaiswal forcefully pulls her out of the station.

''Tum paagal ho kya? Bewajah inse ladai karke kuch nahi hoga samjhi shayad aur kaam bigad hi jaaye toh shant raho aur unko unka kaam karne do, hum ghar chalte hai.'' Jaiswal says convincingly, though Saumya was not ready but agrees as she doesn't see any valid point to stay there.

…

Mumbai

Vineet managed to get house help for a few days. The helper was a lady who's name is Kareena.

She cleaned two rooms for Vineet and Manvi, also she cleaned the hall and kitchen. She suggested Vineet to order the food from a nearby hotel as there was nothing to cook. Vineet agrees and asks her to get the food from the hotel as the landline was dead. The lady obeys his command.

Now, it's already been an hour, and Kareena hasn't returned yet. Maybe, the hotel is not close and the lady chooses to walk through the way.

Manvi was roaming around the house. Wherever she places her hand on the wall, she finds a frame. It seems all the walls are covered with photo frames. But, who is in the picture? His family or someone else??

She didn't know but wanted to know about it. The guy is mysterious, his words always confuse her and so forth she's curious to know about him.

Meanwhile she hears someone singing a lullaby, it's him!! She recognises the voice. But for whom is he singing the lullaby? Does he have a child?

Some questions arose in her mind and she moved in that direction. She fell a few times because of unfamiliar surroundings but managed to reach the room - his room, where he was singing a lullaby.

His voice was soft and calm, he seemed to hold a good command in singing or he'd just a good father!

Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa
Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa
Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa
Jhilamil sitaaro se utar
Aankho me aa sapane sajaa
Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa

His voice is melodious and pleasant to hear, but they are not stable. Manvi can sense heaviness in his voice.

Soi kali soyaa chaman
Pipal tale soi havaa
Sab rang gaye ik rag me
Tune ye kyaa jaadu kiyaa
Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa

The pitch and deepness of the voice changes every time, sometimes he cries, a few times he's normal. He's surely missing someone badly who's dear to him.

Sasaar ki raani hai tu
Raajaa hai meraa laadalaa
Duniyaa hai meri god me
Soyaa huaa sapanaa meraa

His voice started to lower, it seems he's moving to a different side of the room.

Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa
Aa jaa re aa nidiyaa tu aa.

As he finished his song, Manvi heard his loud sobbing. He was crying his heart out and she doesn't know why neither she can ask, obviously they are mere strangers and he won't like her interference.

Manvi stood for several minutes at the door, waiting for him to calm down but it didn't happen. Lastly, she was left with no choice other than to enter the room as now, it was her turn to pay back, to help him!!

....

To be continued..