A vihaan Bulbul ff...Last Part updated on 18/6/13 - Page 5

Grainy sunshine flowed through the south-facing window. Its light reflected off Bulbul's hair and the tears on her round cheeks, making her look like she was made of spun glass. vihaan looked away from her, avoiding any long look at her as one avoids long looks at the sun, but seeing her as one sees the sun, without looking. His legs ached with d strain of leaning on d bed post whole night as Bulbul had clutched to his hand and murmured words like.. "Don't...go...please...stay.." He had wanted to shake her out of her state of despair and make her haughty as before. The weakened bulbul awakened dangerous protective instincts within him.

Bulbul sat up in a strange bed and in a strange room. She didn't know where she was, she recognized nothing around her. Only her fear was familiar. The faraway man inside her began to shout. This time the steely fist never loosened its grip. The grip which had held her as d drug of d injection had poured into her veins. With a great will power had she somehow crawled through d crowd out into d woods...praying...for him...and then she had heard him...felt him...held him...her life depended on him...her heart had felt alive again in ages...she had felt protected again...and had closed her eyes to d comforting feeling of being wound into dose arms.

d tinkling of cutlery broke her thoughts and in came her saviour looking d most desirable man on earth with his dishevelled hair and effort at carrying d cutlery without accidents. Bulbul was ready for his discontent as long as he became her knight in shining armour. Bulbul suddenly shifted gaze from d burnt breakfast to vihaan's face and chided herself for turning into a hopeless romantic from a feminist. Her sudden looks of askance made vihaan come out angrily "now don't let ur imagination run wild about how or what happened last night" "I agree" bulbul said thrusting d toast into her mouth. She was embarrassed already without vihaan's accusations. "i do need assistance." d content look on vihaans face made her push him further. "so dis is your farmhouse?" without waiting for his nod she waddled out of d bed and admired d windows spanning d height of d room. ""Hmmm..."" and vihaan steeled himself for d next question, but was unprepared for her answer. ""Good. Sometimes u need to throw yourself out in d world and prove your worth to yourself."" a smile hit dem both as dey turned to face each oder.

"nirmala who can dat be?" "Or wat can dat be?" vihaan chipped in. bulbul had been progressively impressed with d amount of knowledge dat he possessed about d racket. his background search was thourough. Bulbul peered into d whiteboard dey had adorned with details of d case. And suddenly struck with brilliance she turned in excitement to find her face just inches away from vihaan's face. Her sounds got caught within her ragged breaths and her face flushed pink. Her hand had slightly rested on his chest and his heart felt like it was pumping blood into her body. as her toes crinkled in a strange sudden awareness of physicality, vihaan stepped away and put a respitable distance between dem. ""nirmala is a ngo" vihaan ha trouble gathering his thoughts to form coherent words as his pulse had just galloped and ran across a whole range of emotions in his mind within d few seconds dat he had could himself within a kissing distance of bulbul."Damn" he mumbled and turned to d sound of bulbul's tinkling laughter. "yess...i struck gold..." "u did strike" vihaan smiled and pushed his thoughts into deep recesses.

bulbul was nervous. Not even a sting operation could make her jittery...but d task in front of seemed insurmountable. rano peered wondrously at her elder sis through d dressing mirror which was d last place on earth to find her. As rano closed in on her she was forced into a fit of laughter as her sister sat fidgeting with d eye shadow brush around her lips. Tick...tick...bulbul was reduced to counting d seconds as rano had taken it on herself to adorn her.

vihaan raced his car on d way to bulbul's home and cursed himself for all d extra time dat he had needed to convince jatin dat he had to accompany bulbul for d mission. Trying to shrug off d image of suspicious looks which jatin gave him, he tried to focus on d excuses he wud gv his time piece employee. vihaan was still rehearing his excuse wen d entire purpose of d effort got lost in his mind as it filled with d images of d surreal figure in front of him. Of course he had seen gorgeous ladies...some pretty sexy ones too. But never had he set his eyes on a beauty so unaware...so deep set in d face dat make over's hardly held a chance. As bulbul stumbled towards him in the inch high heels, he frowned at her neatly frilled hair. He liked her open unruly tresses more. Bulbul caught his eyes and mouthed apologetically, "Rano." But all distaste was washed off as vihaan found d same pair of eyes which had so often murmured things about his employee dat her lips never could have. As bulbul looked into d eyes of d man whose approval she was anticipating so much, all her fears vanished. His eyes saw only saw her...right into her soul. And bulbul felt all hesitation leave her as she slid her slender arms into his and walked across d porch to another of dere destinations...one among many to come...

Wine and money flowed with equal ease as d crowd slowly grew less sober. as vihaan went around exchanging his fake identity, his pen camcorder picked sights and conversations of all who had come to d grand selling of girls handpicked for a life of enslavement. But his eyes were glued to d stage dat wud usher d prize of tonight. With a sudden darkness d stage brightened in dull red glow and in walked a bunch of unsteady girls. "DAMN...dey had been drugged again lest dey reveal dere true identities to their prospective customers." vihaan slid just in time to d front of d eager crowd, as he caught bulbul slipping from d side of his sight into d arms of another man who had dressed very similarly to him. As d host of d night announced dat d guests were free to mingle and take dere pick, vihaan had already wrapped his arms around bulbuls waist and dragged her along towards d dance floor.

Those few moments away from vihaan had been straight from hell. Bribing d guards he had somehow put her in. but d moment she had stepped away from him fear gripped her. d girls were heavily under effect of drugs and by d looks of it some had already served dere purpose. But she had done well and had found documents belonging to some of d girls that cud reveal dere true identities. But wat she didn't expect was a fresh injection. Now finally as she nestled into vihaan's arms, her mind cleared on their own accord.

vihaan was bristling with anger. d guy with whom bulbul had almost closed more dan he cud accept was still eying her with a hunger so deep dat it disgusted him. And just to show him dat she was his vihaan dragged his hands across her arms and reached her shoulder. He realized a split second later, dat he shud have at least offered her a slight hint of explanation. But when he turned to see her face angled in a way dat it ensconced itself in his palms, he found her smiling lightly. Still wondering if it was d drug, vihaan closed in on her waist with a firmer grip while his other hand reached across her shoulder and he embraced her into a hug. a hug dat oozed sensuality to d onlookers but which didn't allow any contact between d two bodies dat were embraced. "Bulbul are you ok?" vihaan's urgency burned a small bright light somewhere in her. "How can I not be when you are there?" As vihaan moved away, few strands of her hair swept across his face and his face burned as she pulled dem back.

Saaiyan mere saaiyan...Saaiyaan mere saaiyan...Mere saaiyaan...

The music haunted across d high walls of d gilded cage...as if d buried voices of d girls being commoditified had raised in unison.

Mere saaiyaan re ...Sancha bole na jhootha mahiya re...

Vihaan's mind played tricks as he once again saw his bride walk away from him...taking not only his heart...but his ability to trust & love...

Jhoothi maya ka...jhootha hai jiya re...

With clarity greater dan real...he saw himself with Anika walking hand in hand...heard their whispered secrets...smelt her as they kissed.

Ab kis disha jaaon, kit main basera paaon...Tu jo thaame sambhal jaaon...

Her father still walked the halls of her memory...haunted d windows of her mind. His arms as he had held her from falling off d cycle...his voice as he taught her through d nights...d colour of his eyes as he had closed dem never to set dem upon his daughter again.

Saaiyan mere saaiyan... saaiyaan mere saaiyan

Their eyes met and with d tenderness of being wronged clearly reflected...they both knew dat fate had bound dem for a reason.

Daman mein samete andhere layi hai...Behroopiya roshni....

Drawn into his illusion d truth was disguised in front of Vihaan and he closed d distance between Bulbul and himself.

Loriyaan gaye toh ninde jal jaati hain...Lage kalsuri chandni

The love carved out of caring had been fashioned by fate into a suffering so hard, that bulbul was tired of its games and she drew herself into d man ahead of her and laid her head on his chest.

Mere saaiyaan re...saaiyaan re...Dil sheeshe ka toota aashiyaan re

The rhythm of Vihaan's heartbeat awoke Bulbul from her solitary silence and immediately her hands grew cold. Vihaan's thoughts filled with d ghost of d past suddenly cleared as he saw his reflection in her watery eyes. He had broken d fragile bond of trust between dem. The thought tore him inside out. A similar feeling sped through Bulbul's veins and she hit real ground. They stepped away with a strange tugging at their hearts and a whole lot of confused mixed emotions.