Police went to the school in which Preeta  used to study and asked the principal about her details. "Sir ye Preeta  Chaudhary  hai, humari school ki bright student thi ye, kiun sir? Kya hua hai is ke saath?" (Sir this is Preeta  Chaudhary , she was a very bright student of our school, why sir? What has happened with her?) asked the principal. "She's in a hospital, paralyzed hai ye, kisi ne attack kiya woh bhi kuchh is tarah ke in ki spleen ruptured hai aur uterus torn hai, isi liye hum ko details chahiye, iska koi bohat achha dost, koi dushman, koi teacher, kuchh bhi bohat kaam aa sakta hai, hum ko culprit ko pakarna hai jald se jald," (She's in a hospital, she's paralyzed, someone attacked her in a way that her spleen is ruptured and uterus is torn, that's why we want details, her good friend, her enemy, any teacher, anything would be useful, we have to catch the culprit as soon as possible) told the inspector.



"In ka cousin Venkatesh Chaudhary  in ki same class mein parhta tha lekin pata nahi kiun woh us ke aas paas baithne se katraati thi, direct mere paas aati thi ke meri seat change karaein, baaki sab classmates ke saath woh normal thi. Or haan, Preeta  ki uske senior Dev Saxena ke saath bohat achhi friendship thi halaanke woh pehle usay bohat bully karta tha, lekin pata nahi kaise achanak dono dost ban gaye, bas iske aagay mujhe kuchh nahi pata," (Her cousin Venkatesh Chaudhary  used to study in the same class as hers but don't know why she always hesitated to sit beside him, she used to come directly to me to ask for a seat change, she was normal with other classmates, and yes, Preeta  had a very good friendship with her senior Dev Saxena even after he had bullied her so much, but don't know suddenly how they became good friends, I don't know anything further)  told the principal.

"Bullying kis tarha ki? Kya hua tha exactly?" (What kind of bullying? What happened exactly?)  asked the inspector. "Dev usay aksar chaltay chaltay gira deta tha, kabhi swimming pool mein gira dena, yahi sab chalta tha," (Often Dev used to make her fall while walking, sometimes he used to push her in the swimming pool, all this went on)  the principal told him.



"Aapke paas koi address ho ga is Venkatesh aur Dev ka?" (Do you have any address of Venkatesh and Dev?)  the inspector asked and the principal searched for their addresses and gave it to him, he went and searched the address but found no one at Ventakesh's address and went to Dev's address and a lady opened the door. "Dev Saxena?" the inspector said and she called him and he came. The inspector showed Preeta 's photo and Dev took it from him. "Yeh toh meri friend Preeta  hai, lekin hua kya hai inspector?" (She is my friend Preeta , but what happened inspector?)  he asked.



"Tumhari school se pata chala ke tum Preeta  ko bohat bully kartay thay lekin achanak ek din dono dost ban gaye, aisa kya hua?" (We got to know from your school that you used to bully Preeta  a lot but suddenly you both became friends, what such happened?)  asked the inspector. "Jee main maanta hoon main bully karta tha, lekin ek din main annual function walay din shararat ke chakkar mein chhat se gira tha aur ek wahi thi jis ne bachaya tha mujhe, aur yaheen se humari friendship ki shuruwat hui thi," (I agree that I used to bully her, but on the annual function day, I fell from the roof while having fun, and she was the one who saved me, and that's how our friendship began) Dev told him. "Sirf friendship ya phir pyaar?" (Only friendship or love?) asked the inspector. "Pyaar tak maamla gaya he nahi sir, na usne kabhi aisa feel kiya aur na maine," (The matter never went further till love, sir, neither did she feel that way nor did I)  he told.





"Achha tum Venkatesh Chaudhary  ko jaantay ho? Uska current address agar ho toh achha ho ga," (Okay do you know Venkatesh Chaudhary ? It will be good if you have his current address) the inspector said and he gave the address. "Lekin sir Preeta  ko hua kya hai?" (But sir what happened to Preeta ?) Dev asked. "Us pe bohat buri tarah attack hua hai, kuchh is tarah ke uske intestines aur spleen ruptured hain aur uterus torn hai," (Someone attacked her badly, in a way that her intestines and spleen are ruptured and uterus is torn)  told the inspector. "What? Ye zaroor uske cousin Venkatesh ka hi kaam ho ga, sir woh batati thi ke jab Venkatesh uske paas baithta tha toh uski us pe gandi nazar hoti thi," (What? This might be the act of her cousin Venkatesh, she used to tell me that whenever he used to sit near her he always had his eyes on her) Dev told and the inspector left from there.



************************************

"Preeta ," Karan  said to her as she stared at the ceiling, she moved her gaze to him. "The most prettiest girl on earth," he said and she smiled. He held her face between his thumb and fingers and pressed it, she closed her eyes and giggled. He caressed her face lovingly and she kept smiling at him. He kissed her cheek and slid his hand under her head adjusting her hair above her head. "Better?" he asked and she blinked her eyes. Police came there. Their attention diverted. "Karan  kya hum aap se kuchh sawal poochh saktay hain?" (Karan , can we ask you some questions?)  asked the inspector and he nodded and began to leave.



Preeta  gripped his hand and he looked back at her. "Actually, inspector, main Preeta  ko akela nahi chhor sakta, recently bhi us pe attack hua tha, isliye," (Actually, inspector, I can't leave Preeta  alone, recently also someone attacked her, that's why) he told them. "Toh agar in ke saamne poochha, toh in ko panic attack aa sakta hai, right? In ki health ka sawaal hai, aap fikar mat karein, ek lady constable rahay gi in ke saath," (So if we ask in front of her, she can have a panic attack, right? It's about her health, you don't worry, one lady constable will stay with her) the inspector told him and he looked at Preeta  and kissed her hand. "Suna? Police bhi yaheen hai, kuchh nahi ho ga, main bas thori derr mein aa jaun ga, okay baby," (Did you hear? Police is also here, nothing will happen, I will just come, okay baby)  he said and placed her hand carefully on the bed. She smiled at him.



He went outside with the inspector. "Jee kahiye," (Yes, ask) he said. "Aap Venkatesh Chaudhary  ko jaantay hain?" (Do you know Venkatesh Chaudhary ?) the inspector asked. "Jee inspector, woh Preeta  ka cousin brother hai," (Yes inspector, he is Preeta 's cousin brother)  he told. "Darasal pata laga ke jab bhi teacher Preeta  ko us ke saath baithati thi toh woh direct principal se baat karti thi ke uski gandi nazar hai Preeta  par, kya aap jaantay hain ye baat?" (Actually we got to know that whenever teacher used to make Preeta  sit near him she used to go directly to the principal that he has an evil gaze on her, do you know all this?)  asked the inspector and he got shocked. "Nahi inspector, mujhe toh Preeta  kabhi nahi boli ye sab," (No inspector, Preeta  never told me all this) Karan  said. "Aur kya aap Dev Saxena ko jaantay hain?" (And do you know Dev Saxena?) he asked.



"Jee sir, woh toh Preeta  ka achha dost hai," (Yes sir, he is a very good friend of Preeta ) Karan  said. "Lekin achhay dost se pehle ye pata hai ke woh us ka kya tha? Ek bully tha, lekin principal ka kehna hai ke ek din achanak woh dost ban gaye, aur main abhi Dev se he mil kar aa raha hoon, us ne bataya ke school ke annual function mein woh chhat se gira tha aur Preeta  ne usay bachaya aur kuchh is tarha woh dost banay, kya aap ko pata tha ye sab?" (But before good friend, do you know who was he of hers? A bully, but the principal said that suddenly they became friends, and just now I met Dev, he told me that on the day of annual function he fell from the roof and Preeta  saved him and like that they became friends, did you know all this?) he asked. "Nahi sir, itni detail se toh kuchh nahi pata tha, bas ye pata tha ke dono ke beech gehri dosti hai," (No sir, I never knew anything in detail, I only knew that they have a very deep friendship) Karan  said.

"Aap ko dono mein se kisi par shak hai? Kiun ke filhaal toh yahi 2 suspects hain humaray," (Do you suspect anyone among them? Because we have only two suspects for now) the inspector said and Karan  recalled something.

Flashback:

Preesha touched Venky's shoulder and he startled a little. "Kya hua Venky bhaiya? Aap darr kiun gaye? Main he toh hoon, or sab dekho ja kar Preeta  se mil rahay hain, aap yahan kiun kharay ho? Aap bhi toh milo," (What happen Venky bhaiya? Why did you get scared? Its me only, and see everyone are meeting Preeta , why are you standing here? You too meet her)  she said and he nodded and went ahead with baby steps.

"Preeta ," he said and she turned her head towards him. "Hi," he said forwarding his hand for a handshake. She lifted her trembling hand and held his hand. "Hi," she said with a faint smile and pulled her hand back and held her duvet pulling it up till her neck and turned her head and looked at Karan . He poured a glass of water for her and raised the bed and made her drink water, she kept looking at Venky again and again and suddenly choked on water.

He took the glass from her and rubbed her back as right now, it pained her to even cough. After sometime, she was fine. He lied her down. "Thora khayal se Preeta ," (Careful, Preeta ) he said and then after sometime everyone had gone. "Karan , mujhe bohat darr lag raha hai, please tum kaheen mat jaana mujhe akela chhor kar," (Karan , I am very scared, please yoh don't go anywhere leaving me alone)  she said and he nodded, she slept holding his hand.

Fb end.

"Sir Dev ka toh main kuchh nahi keh sakta, lekin haan, Venky, I mean Venkatesh bhaiya, us din woh bohat ghabraaye se thay, Preeta  se aagay aa kar mil bhi nahi rahay thay lekin forcefully milna para, Preeta  bhi uncomfortable si ho gayi thi, darr rahi thi," (Sir I can't say anything about Dev, but yes, Venky, I mean Venkatesh, he was behaving weird that day, he wasn't even meeting Preeta  but he had to meet her forcefully, Preeta  was also uncomfortable, she was scared)  he told.

"Hmm, matlab usay uthana paray ga, thanks for your time," (Hmm, means that we will have to get him, thanks for your time)  said the inspector and rushed away and Karan  went inside but unfortunately he couldn't talk about all this to her as he couldn't risk her having a panic attack again. He sat near her and held her hand, she gripped his hand and raised her eyebrows. "Nahi Preeta , kuchh nahi, inspector toh normal questioning karnay aaye thay, tum relax raho na, theek hona hai na? Stress theek nahi tumhare liye," (No Preeta , nothing, inspector just came for normal questioning, you please relax, you have to become fine, right? Stress isn't good for you) he said and she smiled at his care. He watched her sleep.