Prachi stood in her room in front of the mirror eyeing her reflection recalling Kaya's words.

"So... Ranbir, yahi banay gi humare bachay ki surrogate mother."

She got tears in her eyes.

Pr~kaam toh achha hai, paise bhi achhay khaasay mil jaaein gay, lekin utne nahi jitne mujhe Siya ki treatment ke liye chahiye, utne paise main kaheen aur se laaun gi bhi kaise? Bohat time lag jaaye ga, itna time thori na hai meri Siya ke paas, surrogacy kar he leti hoon main, shuru mein toh kisi ko pata nahi lagay ga, lekin baad mein itna bara pait le kar jab khulay aam ghoomun gi toh kya ho ga? Khair jo hota hai ho, kam se kam meri Siya toh theek ho jaaye gi na

"Kya keh rahi hai tu beta?" she looked at the entrance to see an old lady enter the room.

Pr~dadi, aap ke saamne hai sab, Siya ki dono kidneys kharab hain, bechari ko hafte mein 3 4 baar dialysis karana parta hai, itna dard jhelti hai lekin phir bhi kuchh nahi bolti ke kaheen hum sab pareshaan na ho jaaein. Ab ek he job toh kaafi nahi hai na utne paiso'n ke liye? Sirf ek main kama rahi hoon, Siya ki toh waisi haalat nahi na? Aur is ek he job ke aasre par rahi, toh wakt haath se nikal jaaye ga dadi aur Siya... nahi nahi, main ye karne ko tayaar hoon dadi, waise bhi us bachay ko apni kok mein jagah deni hai dil mein nahi, ek baar wo bacha aa gaya toh kaun sa usay mujhe paalna hai? Surrogate mother ka kaam hota hai paida karo aur parents ko bacha saunp do

Dadi~beta main teri dadi hoon, main sab samajhti hoon tere dil ka haal kya hai, tujhe kaafi dar hai Siya ko le kar lekin is pregnancy ka aur bhi dar hai

Pr~toh aur hum kar bhi kya saktay hain dadi? Jo dard main jheloon gi, wo dard bhi jaan leva hai, lekin filhaal mujhe bas Siya ka dard nazar aa raha hai, us ke liye main har dard se guzar jaun gi, bas wo theek ho jaaye

S~di, (Prachi looked at the entrance and saw Siya in tears, she had heard everything) meri khaatir itna bara risk? Log jeena haraam kar dengay

Pr~aur tujhe kuchh ho gaya, toh mera jeena haraam ho jaaye ga Siya, bhaar mein jaaein log, mere liye bas ek tu aur dadi meri poori dunia hai, jisay main ujarne se bachaane ke liye kuchh bhi kar sakti hoon

Siya hugged her tearfully, Prachi hugged her back emotionally.

S~kahan se laate ho aap itni himmat? Thori himmat myjhe bhi do ke main poori zindagi aise he guzaar loon dialysis kara kara kar aur aap ko ye surrogacy karne ki zaroorat na paray

Pr~aisa toh nahi ho sakta na? Himmat rakh, main sab theek kar doon gi

Prachi arrived outside at the office parking lot and got down the auto and paid the driver. As it drove off, she began to walk towards the office building. As she was looking away, she didn't see Ranbir coming her way while talking on phone and they both collided into one another and fell on the floor with her dupatta covering them. They had an eye lock.

Sajde kiye hai lakhon

Lakhon duayein maangi

Paya hai maine phir tujhe

Chahat ki teri maine

Haqq mein hawayein maangi

Paya hai maine phir tujhe

They kept on gazing into each other's eyes not breaking eye lock for even a second.

Tujhse hi dil yeh behla

Tu jaise kalma pehla

Chahun na phir kyun main tujhe

Jis pal na chaha tujhko

Uss pal sazayein maangi

Paya hai maine phir tujhe

O sajde kiye hai lakhon

Lakhon duayein maangi

Paya hai maine phir tujhe

Prachi composed herself.

Pr~m sorry sir, maine dekha nahi aap ko

R~its okay Prachi, (she began to get up when he heard familiar clicking of sandals and saw it was Kaya) umm Prachi, please abhi mat utho

Pr~umm, magar kiun sir?

R~Kaya isi taraf aa rahi hai, agar us ne humein aise dekh liya toh wo galat matlab nikaale gi

Pr~okay sir

Kaya stood near them and sighed.

K~aaj kal ke log bhi na, kaheen bhi shuru ho jaate hain

She went from there.

R~ab uth jao

They stood up dusting their clothes.

Pr~Ranbir sir, aap apni wife se bohat pyaar karte hain na? (he was speechless) maine decide kar liya hai, main aap dono ke bachay ki surrogate mother ban'ne ke liye tayaar hoon

R~nahi Prachi, koi zaroorat nahi haan karne ki

Pr~kiun zaroorat nahi hai sir? Aap dono ko bacha chahiye aur mujhe meri behen ki treatment ke paise

R~well I can help you in that in some other way too

Pr~nahi sir, us se shayad mujhe paise toh mil jaaein gay, lekin phir shayad aap dono ko doosri surrogate na milay, kiun ke us mein aur ziada time lagay ga, aur meri toh koi medical illness ki history bhi nahi hai, toh main ye kaam kar sakti hoon

R~waise aap ko sach mein lagta hai mere aur meri wife ke beech bohat pyaar hai? Aap ne us ke behavior ko dekha nahi?

Prachi recalled and sighed.

Pr~sorry sir, maine toh bas aap ki baat par focus kiya ke agar Kaya ma'am humein dekh leti waise toh galat matlab nikaalti

He nodded. She smiled slightly and entered the office building, he looked on and he too entered.

Ranbir entered his cabin and saw Kaya sitting there.

K~agaye? Aashiqui kar ke?

R~matlab? Maine kya kiya?

K~huh, (she stood up and neared him) tum aur Prachi, tum dono he thay na parking lot mein giray huay? (he gulped) kya laga tha? Ke main tumhari khushbu nahi pehchanoon gi? Wo baahein nahi pehchanoon gi jis par hak bas mera hai lekin mujhe wo hak milta he nahi? Us 2 korhi ki larki ko tum ne apne paas aane kaise diya? Bhool gaye? Toh yaad rakho, ke tum bas sirf mere khilone ho, jisay bas sirf main khel sakti hoon, jisay bas sirf main tor sakti hoon, (he grabbed his face between her thumb and fingers) jisay bas sirf main use kar sakti hoon, yaad rakho. Aur keh dena apni us sadakchaap larki se bhi, ke ameer larka dekha nahi aur jo baaho'n mein gir pari na, main us ki life hell bana kar rakh doon gi agar us ne surrogate mother se aagay seema paar ki toh aur premika ban'ne ki koshish ki toh. (she left his face) main us ka wo haal karoon gi ke usay doosri jagah job nahi milay gi kabhi, sadko'n par bikhaari bana doon gi agar aainda aisa hua toh

R~bas Kaya, just because tum mere dad ki treatment ke liye pay kar rahi ho toh ye mat samajhna ke main sab kuchh chup chaap sehan kar loon ga. Aur ye kya jab dekho apne hak ki baat karti ho? Hak jo hota hai wo haasil nahi kiya jata, earn kiya jaata hai, aur by the way wo mere paas nahi aai, hum bas ek doosre se takdaaye aur gir gaye, so what yaar? Aur main koi khilona nahi, insaan hoon, aur wo koi sadakchaap nahi hai, apni mehnat se kamaane walay ko sadakchaap nahi kehte, mehnti kehte hain, aur wo koi meri premika nahi hai, toh us ki life hell banane ka toh sawaal he nahi banta

K~toh ab tum mujhe batao gay mere hak ke baare mein? (she came closer and hugged him, he closed his eyes feeling disgusted by himself) ye hai mera hak, jo ke mujhe nahi mila toh maine chheen liya. Zara socho agar main tumhare dad ke liye pay na karoon, phir? Isliye don't come in my way

She released the hug. There was a knock at the cabin door.

K~come in

Prachi entered inside and looked at Ranbir sympathetically but he avoided her gaze, she had heard everything. Kaya fumed seeing them but composed herself.

K~(clearing her throat) good morning

Prachi startled.

Pr~good... good morning ma'am, sorry

She said while stuttering.

K~hmm, (she picked a file to read it and purposefully dropped it, Ranbir looked on) uh oh, Prachi, zara file uthana

Pr~jee... jee ma'am

She stooped low to pick it and as she touched the file, Kaya stepped with her high heel on her hand. She gasped as it penetrated her hand and cried in pain. Ranbir ran towards Prachi and stooped low to pull away Kaya's foot.

Pr~ma'am chhoro kya kar rahay ho?

R~chhoro Kaya, tum insaan ho ke...

K~janwar hoon, (she looked at Prachi who had tears in ber eyes) kiun? Inhee haatho'n se chhua tha na mere pati ko tu ne? 2 korhi ki larki, ameer larka dekha nahi ke baaho'n mein ja giri? Tum jaiso'n ko Kaya apne pairo'n talay aise he raundh deti hai kiun ke tum usi layak ho, tumhe surrogate banane ki baat hui thi, premika banane ki nahi. Pehli baar keh rahi hoon magar aakhri baar mein sun lo tum. Aainda aisa kiya na, toh haath kaat doon gi aur kuto'n ko khila doon gi

She moved away from Prachi's hand which was now in blood. Prachi cried as she left.

R~Prachi, dikhao haath apna

Pr~rehne dijiye sir, nahi toh Kaya ma'am aap ko bhi...

R~mere saath jo ho ga na wo sab baad ki baat hai Prachi jee, abhi jo aap ke saath ho gaya wo ziada zaroori hai, get up, (he made her stand and then pulled out a chair for her making her sit, he got the first aid kit and cleaned the wound, she looked at him sorrowful) aise kya dekh rahi ho? Taras aa raha hai mujh pe? Its okay, mujhe toh aadat ho gayi hai aise bartaav ki. Main keh raha tha na aap se ke surrogacy ke liye haan mat karna

Pr~abhi tak kahan baat ki hai? Lekin sir, bachay ki khilkaari sun kar wo khud badal jaaein gi

R~aisa kaheen ho he na jaaye, main nahi chahta us ka bacha, nahi chahta apne bachay ko aisi maa dena jo us ki prize tag lagaye, aap ko paise ki zaroorat hai toh usay main poori kar doon ga, just stay out of this surrogacy matter, m sorry for whatever happened

He said and bandaged her hand.

Pr~galti aap ki nahi hai, galti toh hum chhotay logo'n ki hai, har koi humein pairo'n talay raundh deta hai, lekin ye dard kuchh nahi hai sir, abhi toh aur dard baaki hai, (she touched her womb) aap ke bachay ko paida karne ka dard, jis ke baad mein apni behen ko takleef se chhura paun gi

She left from there.

Later, Prachi went home and Siya hugged her. She hugged her back.

Pr~tu khari kiun hai? Ja kar rest kar

S~(releasing the hug) di ye matter waise bhi jaldi solve ho jaaye ga na, mujhe mareez ban kar poora time nahi laitna, (she noticed her bandaged hand, she held her hand, Prachi flinched) m sorry, di, ye lagi kaise?

Pr~aate aate minor sa accident ho gaya

S~accident? (Prachi nodded) magar kaise?

Pr~(hiding tears) wo main raaste par gir gayi aur tyre haath par aa gaya

S~what? Aur ye minor sa accident hai? Aap chalo doctor ke paas, check kara lena chahiye, kaheen bone wone na tooti ho

Pr~(lying) main doctor ke paas se he aa rahi hoon, m fine

S~toh phir ye bandage khol kar dikhaiye na

Pr~Siya please, kuchh nahi hua hai

S~theek hai, bandage kholo phir, kholo, (Prachi hesitated) wait, main kholti hoon

She opened up the bandage slowly and gasped seeing the wound.

S~ye kya? Ye toh tyre se aya he nahi hai, kisi ne kuchla hai na aap ke haath ko? (Prachi's eyes pooled up with tears) di kis ne kiya ye?

Pr~kisi ne nahi, accident...

S~di aap ko meri kasam batao warna main abhi dadi ko bula doon gi, dadi!

Pr~Siya, achha bata rahi hoon

She told her everything and Siya was in tears.

S~itna sab ho gaya aur aap mujh se chhupa rahay thay?

Pr~main tere liye har dard se guzar loon gi, ye dard chhota sa dard hai

S~chhota sa nahi hai, us ki itni himmat? Boss hai toh kya khareed liya hai aap ko us ne?

Pr~Siya, chhor na

S~theek hai, chhor diya, aap jao fresh ho jao, main na khana laga deti hoon, aur ye bandage bhi baandh deti hoon phir se

She bandaged her hand again, Prachi smiled emotionally at her.

Pr~I hope ke tu jis takleef se guzar rahi hai na, bas ek baar wo takleef khatam ho gayi na, toh zindagi mein dard ka naam o nishaan bhi nahi ho ga

S~of course di, phir aap bhi doosri job dhoond lena

Prachi nodded and left. Siya became angry.

S~Kaya madam, meri di ko jin pairo'n se raundha hai na aaj, unhee pairo'n se tumhe chalne laayak nahi chhorun gi, tayaar ho jao maza chakhne ke liye, kiun ke main aa rahi hoon tumhe tumhari oonchi udaan se neeche giraane