Siya got her dialysis done while Raghav sat outside waiting for her. A nurse came out.

R~kaisi hai Siya?

Nurse~stable hai. Lekin sir is dialysis se us ki body ki saari taakat chali jaati hai, jitna jaldi ho sakay paise arrange karein, aur ye vitamins ki medicines unhein daily dein

R~jee, (she left) Siya ki haalat itni naazuk hai, Prachi di ko agar main aise saamne se paise offer karoon ga toh unhein bura lag jaaye ga, kya karoon ke jis se main paise bhi jama kara doon aur unhein pata bhi na lagay? Haan, main anonymously pay kar doon ga. Nahi, agar aisa bhi karoon ga toh bhi unhein pata lag jaaye ga ke mere ilawa aisa koi nahi kar sakta

He sat feeling helpless.

Days passed, surrogacy took place and Prachi was now pregnant with her surrogate child. She entered the office building and clashed into Ranbir falling in his arms, their eyes softened as they gazed at each other. Kaya came there and fumed seeing them.

K~Prachi!

They startled, Ranbir straightened Prachi as she came near them.

K~kaha hai na ke mere pati ki premika ban’ne ki koshish mat karo, tumhe samajh mein nahi aata?

Pr~premika nahi hoon, na he ban’ne ki koshish kar rahi hoon ma’am, simply aap ki employee hoon aur aap meri boss, lekin is ka matlab ye nahi ke aap ne mujhe khareed liya hai

K~well, khareeda toh hai maine tumhe, infant tumhare pooray shareer ko khareed liya hai maine, (Prachi and Ranbir looked at each other and then at her) aise kya dekh rahi ho? Tumhari kok mein mere pati ki aulaad pal rahi hai, toh tum ne toh khud he apna shareer kiraaye par diya hua hai na is bachay ke liye

Pr~poora shareer nahi, bas sirf meri kok.

K~us pregnancy ki wajah se poore shareer mein he masle aayengay, pait bahar nikle ga, ultiyaan hongi, and what not

Pr~chaliye maan liya ke poora shareer mera girvi hai, lekin phir bhi aap ke liye girvi nahi hai, is bachay ke liye hai

K~aur wo bacha kis ka hai tum achhi tarah jaanti ho

Pr~of course, bacha aap dono ka hai. Mujhe bhi itni young age mein maa ban’ne ka koi shauk nahi hai wo bhi kisi aur ke bachay ki, meri majboori hai, warna main kabhi ye offer nahi maanti. Now excuse me, mujhe bohat kaam hai.

She left, Kaya fumed.

K~is ki toh main…

Rn~bas kar jao Kaya, humare bachay ki surrogate mother hai, tumhari employee hai koi tumhari khareedi hui gulaam nahi

She smiled sarcastically.

K~ohhh, main toh bhool he gayi, ke yahan is poore ilaaqay mein agar mera koi khareeda hua gulaam hai toh wo ho tum, (he gritted his teeth) kya hua? Maaro gay? Maaro, haan baby, try me. Maaro gay toh domestic violence ke case mein andar ho jao gay, tumhare parents toh kuchh he saal ke mehmaan hain itne boorhay jo hain, main toh us bachay ko sambhaalne se rahi, ek ek kadam phoonk phoonk kar rakhna, tumhara ek galat kadam tumhare us bachay par bohat bhaari par sakta hai dear hubby

She went tracing her finger on his back irking him.

Later, Prachi was sitting tensed and stood up sprinting to Kaya’s office knocking over the door.

K~aa jao

She entered.

K~sorry bolne aayi ho?

Prachi lowered her head.

Pr~mujhe meri behen ki treatment ke liye advance chahiye, roz dialysis ki wajah se us ki haalat bigar rahi hai

K~oh, paise chahiye, (she stood up coming to her, Ranbir entered) chalo theek hai, de doon gi paise, lekin pehle sorry bolo

Pr~sorry? Sorry kiun ma’am?

K~subah jo tum ne kaha us ke liye.

Pr~maine kuchh galat nahi kaha

K~well then tumhe paise nahi mil saktay

Rn~Kaya, how can you be so ruthless? Paise chahiye de do na

K~wo paise salary mein se kat jayengay Ranbir, samjhao isay

Prachi became dull.

Rn~wo paise salary mein se kiun katengay? Wo paise toh isay surrogacy ke liye milne hain na?

K~kiun ke ye egoistic Prachi madam sorry bolne ko tayaar nahi

He sighed.

Pr~anything for my dear sister, (she looked here and there) sorry

K~aise nahi, ghutno’n ke bal gir kar, kaan pakar kar sorry bolo Prachi

“Now you will be the one who’d be feeling sorry Kaya ma’am.”

The trio’s attention went to the door at the owner of the voice who was none other than Raghav.

K~tum?

Pr~aap ek doosre ko jaante ho?

R~haan jaanta hoon, pichhli baar is ne Siya ko yahan bulaya usay darane dhamkaane ke liye, main usay accompany karne aya tha, aur is madam ko maine warn bhi kiya tha. Toh Kaya madam, aap kiun khwaar hona chah rahi hain? Kaha tha na ghar se bahar nikalna mushkil ho jaaye ga. Mera ek click aur wo videos viral.

Prachi stood shocked.

K~aeyy! Tu mujhe dhamki de ga?

R~dhamki nahi! Sach bol raha hoon, aur ye Prachi di kiun aap ke kadmo’n mein gir ke maafi maangay? Ulta aap giriye is ke pairo’n mein, warna m warning you sab viral kar doon ga

K~Kaya ko jhukana itna aasan nahi hai

R~achha? Aap mujhe majboor mat karein, main aurat pe haath nahi uthata

K~aurat teri maa ho gi

R~huh, ek baat yaad rakh, kisi aur ki kok mein bacha daal dene se tumhari umar nahi ghat jaaye gi, tum aurat toh phir bhi ban ke raho gi. Chal bol sorry, bol nahi toh…

K~sorry

R~aise nahi, kadmo’n mein gir ke maafi maang

Kaya looked at Prachi sternly while stooping low near her feet.

K~sorry

R~better, phir se bolo

K~sorry

R~much better, utho

She stood up humiliated.

R~ab advance do Prachi di ko

Kaya handed the money to her. Prachi looked at Raghav worriedly who blinked his eyes, she left.

R~aainda agar usay humiliate karne ki koshish ki na, mujh se bura koi nahi ho ga. Aur aap Ranbir sir, kaise mard hain aap? Ye same same ka zamana hai, ye aurat aap ko neecha dikhati hai aur aap is ke pairo’n ke neeche dab jaate hain? Khud ke liye stand kiun nahi lete?

Rn~theek Prachi ki tarah main bhi majboor hoon

He left followed by Raghav, Kaya threw all the things placed on the table.

Raghav met Prachi.

R~aap tension mat lo please, ab toh paise aa gaye, Siya theek ho jaaye gi

Pr~Raghav ye aadhe paise hain, ek he kidney milay gi is mein

R~insaan ek kidney ke bal jee sakta hai, so no worries, hmm, aap kaam par dhyaan do, ye paise mujhe do main Siya ko abhi admit karata hoon

She nodded handing the money to him, he left.

Siya was admitted to hospital for kidney transplantation, Raghav was there to accompany her. He watched through the glass as she was given anesthesia, then he couldn’t see her as curtains were spread, he sat on the bench. After sometime, the OT bulb went off. Doctor came out. He rushed to him.

R~Siya kaisi hai?

Dr~stable hai, transplant successful raha hai, bas ek he kidney mili hai isliye unhein apne BP ko control karna ho ga

He nodded. She was shifted to the ward. After half an hour, she gained senses, he became emotional.

R~transplant successful raha, bas apna BP control mein rakhna

She smiled and nodded.

Later at night, Prachi met Siya in the hospital.

Pr~tu theek hai na Siya?

S~main theek hoon, aur aap?

Pr~jab tu theek hai toh main bhi theek hoon

They smiled.

Kaya dragged Ranbir to their room.

Rn~kya kar rahi ho?

K~aray tum isliye bhi toh mere pati ho he na yaar, samjha karo

She fell on the bed along with him.

Sometime later, discarded clothing lied here and there on the floor, Kaya was sleeping on the bed covered in satin duvet and Ranbir was sitting wearing a bathrobe drinking excessively recalling again and again what happened just sometime ago. He grew angry seeing her sleeping so peacefully and took his pillow walking to her intending to kill her. But just then his phone rang and he dropped the pillow picking it.

Rn~hallo

Pr~Ranbir sir, its me Prachi. Siya ka operation ho gaya, bas yahi batane ke liye phone kiya tha

Rn~thank you

Pr~kis liye sir? Batane ke liye?

Rn~nahi, mujhe bachaane ke liye

Pr~(concerned) kis se magar?

Rn~kuchh nahi, chhoro

Pr~sir bataiye na

Rn~crime se

Pr~kaisa crime?

Rn~apni patni ki hatya ka crime

She was shocked, for sometime there was silence.

Pr~aakhir kiun hain Kaya ma’am aisi aap ke saath? Kya hua tha aap dono ke beech?

Rn~(after a pause) bas ek deal, ke main us se shahdi karoon, aur wo mujhe badle mein mere papa ki treatment ke paise de

Pr~par phir bhi, shahdi toh shahdi hoti hai na? Wo aap ko aise treat kiun karti hai

Rn~simply because main us ka poori reeti rivaaj se pati nahi hoon, main us ka khareeda hua pati hoon

She gasped, he disconnected the call staring at Kaya as she slept in deep slumber and walked away dressing up and lying on the couch trying to sleep.