" Why are you running away now, when you yourself invited the rains? " , Shaahid shouted as Sakina was escaping from the middle of the fields.

" Because if I fall sick, I cannot meet Salman in the evening. He has promised to come and he's very particular about contagious diseases. " , Sakina shouted back from a stall she took shelter in.

" How will you feel if you are invited to a birthday party, and seeing you the host runs away and locks herself inside the bathroom? "
Shaahid came and stood beside her.

She wiped droplets from her face.
" Do you really want me to believe, that the rain came because I called? "

Shaahid dropped his jaws.
" You don't believe that? "

Sakina shrugged.
" Nope. "

" Which means you don't believe too, that Salman called because you desperately wanted him to? "

" Nahh. He called because he had to. " , Sakina winked.

Shaahid now arched his brows, and stared at her.

" When did he say he'll come to meet you? "

" In the evening. "

" Sorry but....since you have no confidence in the power of willfulness, he won't come.
Mark my words. "

Shaahid grinned, and walked away, without looking back.

And Sakina felt, she would aim anything at hand, and break his head.

How could he do that to her ??

What if, whatever he said came true, once again, like everytime???

___

A dark woman, who looked more like a slender charcoal stick than a human opened the door.

" Is this Azaad Abdullah's house? "
Shaahid asked.

The woman frowned big time.
" Yes it is, but I don't like when people whom I don't know, come to meet him. Who is he? President of the world? "

Not even trying to tell her that the world as a whole doesn't have a president, Shaahid smiled.
" He's a good boy. I'm his teacher. Just came to know he's sick. So wished to meet him. "

" He's not sick. He's suspended for ten days.
I have decided to withdraw him from this dumb school. "

" Suspended???
But his friend told me he's sick. And why has he been suspended? "

" For chasing the principal when the mad fat scoundrel trampled a sapling Azaad planted in the school garden.

By the way, go away. I don't want my son to be in contact with anyone from that dumb school. " , she closed the door on his face.

Shaahid kept standing like a real dumb for a long minute before the closed door.

Until it reopened with Azaad standing with a smile.

" Hello Sir!! I knew you would come. Even though I did not let anyone know I'm suspended. "

Azaad's room had huge posters of Mike Tyson. Shaahid smirked.

" You want to box away people you hate, I guess. "

" I wish. But look at me instead, sitting at home suspended for no reason. " , Azaad sat on his bed and asked Shaahid to sit as well.

" It's not easy at a go. But one day maybe you can. "

" I don't dream to be a boxer. But yes, I wish to kick box everyone who messes with me when I'm your age. How do you handle life? "

" I take it as it comes. I don't hate people even if they mess with me. Rather I go on a coffee with them and irritate them as much as I can, so that they run away when we meet next time. " , Shaahid smiled.

" Maybe you should spend sometime with my sister then. She messes with most people in world, but is at peace because nobody dares to mess with her. " , Azaad made a distasteful face.

A golden retriever nudged the curtains and entered the room. But paused seeing Shaahid, examining him for a long time tilting her head sideways.

" She is Bingi. She can sing. But she doesn't like tall men. Already she has a complex that she's short since she cannot stand on two feet. "

Shaahid grinned at Bingi. She immediately stood up on two feet, balancing herself.

" Haha! Good girl Bingi! You are taller than him, don't worry. " , Azaad stood up and patted her on the head. She sat down but kept staring at Shaahid.

" Now she'll sit here staring at you until she falls asleep. She is very lazy. "

Shaahid too kept looking. He wasn't very fond of dogs, but did not dislike this extremely fluffy golden girl.

" Salman Sir loved her a lot. He too came to my house twice. "

Shaahid straightened and turned to him.

" Yeah.... Salman.... I would like to know about him.. "

Azaad made a terribly sad face, sat for sometime.

Someone was snoring. Shaahid startled and looked around.

" Don't worry. I'm not sleeping. It's Bingi. " , Azaad said.

The dog was dreaming and kicking someone with her hind- leg. Shaahid wondered if it was her boyfriend she was angry with, or her father who didn't approve of her love.

" Salman Sir was that hippo shaped principal's cousin.
I wonder how could so unrelated individuals by behavior be related by blood.

Anyways, leave that hippo in gutter.

Salman Sir was a shy person. He would never talk to you unless you talked to him. And when he talked too, it would be soft and a treat to the ears. Ours is a boys school, otherwise a whole bunch of girls would die for him. "

"....no doubt about that. " , Shaahid remembered Sakina's blushing face.

" Anyways, I loved his class so much. He taught a foreign language with so much ease. In short he was a great teacher too.

A good singer, and he could paint as well. He was a complete package. A perfect man actually. Anyone would be jealous of him. Specially a fat cousin. "

" Hmmm.....

Errmm.... How did he...die? "

" His taxi was hit by a truck on the highway.

Anyone could do that purposely though. "

" You mean....murder? " , Shaahid said.

" I don't mean anything.

Salman Sir was afraid to ride a car. He hated long drives.

He also, was afraid of women. " , Azaad giggled.

Shaahid squeezed his brows.

" Really? But he had a girlfriend, right? "

Azaad stared at Shaahid strangely.

" Girlfriend?!!

Are you serious? Salman Sir had a girlfriend in Fareedpur? And he would not tell me? Like really?

You have got wrong information Sir! Terribly wrong. "

Shaahid was horrified.

The curtains moved aside.
The charcoal stick stood glaring at them both.

" I don't like unknown men wandering in my son's bedroom for hours. This is my and my husband's house still. The son has not yet gained so much liberty to be chatting with strangers, just as he hasn't attained the maturity to get his name embossed on the nameplate on the door. "

As Shaahid walked out of the house, the door slammed behind him. He did not expect Azaad to reopen it this time. Though he really wondered how unhindered he himself used to be when he was fifteen. Parents these days were too controlling. Was he harassing her son any way?

However, these all appeared miniscule to him.

Something was much more disturbing.

What exactly was the equation between Salman and Sakina, that the former did not let anyone know of his relationship with the later?

Shaahid remembered the sleeping dog.

How peaceful was her life........