SAFAR

CHAPTER 18

Next Day,

It was Ritu's birthday. Ritu and Anjali were decorating the terrace as Ritu would cut the cake there only. It was evening when Darshan came to their home. Ritu cut the cake and asked them for their gifts. But then Anjali got a call about her college fest and she had to go. After about an hour she came back. She entered terrace but noone was there. So she thought they might be in Ritu's room. She went there. She opened the door slightly as she was planning to scare them by her sudden appearance but as she opened the door, she saw something which she shouldn't have seen or may be her timing was wrong. She was left with her mouth open what she saw inside. She slowly closed the door and went to terrace and sat on the sofa observing what she saw just. She just couldn't believe her eyes. Tears were forming in her eyes. She was taking tissue paper from the table when her eyes fell on the phone beside the cake. It was Ritu's phone. She took it, unlocked it and directly went to the call log. She checked the call log of Darshan and Ritu's conversation. She checked all the outgoings and incomings and found that they used to talk for a long interval. As she found this, she was more broken now. What they told her yesterday started flashing in her mind "TU LADAI KARWANA CHAHTI HAI HUMARI, LADAI KARWANA CHAHTI HAI TAB TOH BOL RAHI HAI" All time when Ritu and Darshan used to spend time with each other started flashing before her.
A - ab samajh aaya why were they saying like this to me yesterday. They are so...cruel. How can they do this to me. Maine aakhir bigaada kya hai unka...wait...isme unki koi galti nhi... it's natural but Ritz...uska kya...woh toh mujhe bata sakti thi na that they are in....pta nhi kab se chhipa rhe h mujhse. Woh mujhe bestfriend maanti hai na toh phir bataya kyu nhi mujhe...even she knows how much I love him...I love him more than anything...he is not just saviour but everything for me...still u did this to me Ritz...You are deciever. No...may be woh aaj batane wali ho mujhe...ohk(she wiped her tears)...I will wait for you to tell me today Ritz.
Then she again looked at the sky and remembering something, she started crying when a sound came from living room - Anjali tu aa gyi?
As she heard this, she quickly wiped her tears and remain to sit there straight. After few minutes, both Ritu and Darshan came to the terrace.
R - tu yaha hai...main kabse chilla rahi hoon..tujhe sunai nhi de Raha tha kya
A said nothing (in mind - I was giving space to you both)
R - Anjali?
A looked at her
R - kha khoyi hai tu...main tujhse hi baat kar rahi hoon
A - haa bol na
R - tu kab aayi
A - just abhi thodi der pehle hi aayi hoon...socha tumlog terrace pe hoge toh yha aayi par tumlog nhi the and m thak bhi gyi hoon so socha yhi baith jau
R - offo...acha woh toh thik hai...but yaha andhera hai..chal andar chalte hai
A - nhi...tumlog jao
R - hein...tu thik toh hai...chal na andar
A - are baba mujhe nhi jana...tumlog jao na andar
D - chalo bhi yrr...itne drama mat karo
A didn't look at him. She ignored him.
A - Bola na yrr tumlog jao...mujhe nhi jaana
R - par kyu
A - Bas aise hi
R - Thik h tu mat aa...par mujhe aakar ek baar mera gift de de aur dinner kr le
D - phir chali Jana but atleast iska gift toh de de
A - ok fine
She went inside with them. Anjali took her bag and took out a small box and a letter and handed her. Ritu first opened the box and found out it was a diamond ring. As she saw this, she became happy and said - Annnnuuu....u know main ye...
A - yahi gift chahti thi...right
R - haa par tujhe kaise pta
A - bestfriend hoon yrrrr...itna toh pta hoga hi na
Ritu hugged her and she too hugged her back.
Darshan found the letter as an opportunity to find out her writing.
D - aur iss letter me kya h
R - are haa...but use baad me dekh lungi...abhi chlte h dinner krne
D - are box abhi khola h toh letter bhi dekh hi lo na
R - tumhe itni jldi kyu ho rhi h haa
Darshan and Ritu were sitting beside each other while Anjali was on the sofa in front of theirs. She was not able to see them together anymore so she started going to the terrace.
R - oyee tu kha jaa rhi h
A - de diya na tujhe gift...acha sun...idhar aa
R - bol
A - aa na idhar
R went to her and said - bol
Anjali dragged her to the dining room and said - tu mujhe kuch batana chaahti hai
R - kon main
A - nhi Darshan
R - hein
A - are baba..mere saamne tu hai toh tujhi se puchungi na
R - nhi...mujhe kya batana hoga
A - anything?
R - no
A - I mean kuch bhi... anything...dekh tu baad me bhi agar batana chahti hai toh abhi bata de
R - are tu pagal ho gyi hai kya...yahi bolna tha tujhe...main jaa rhi hoon
And she went away. Anjali got her answer. She said nothing and went to terrace.
Here when both were in the dining room, Darshan took the letter and opened it. He didn't read what was there but he recognised the writing. It was the same writing as that of the letters gifted to him. He was numb now. He thought - mtlb ye sab Anjali ne diya hai...but...
Isse pehle ki woh aage kuch soch pasta, use kisi ke aane ki aawaz sunai di. He quickly folded the letter and kept it to that place. He saw Ritu coming there. He thought of asking her but thought it's her birthday. So he will ask her later but before that, he would ask it to Anjali to confirm. Ritu came and sat beside him.
R - bore ho rhi hoon yrr..kya kroon
D - amm...main gaana sunata par...
R - par?
D - par mera guitar hi nhi h yha mere paas
R - ohooo....are haa yaad aaya...Anjali ke paas guitar hai...use kisi ne gift kiya tha...uske room me h...m abhi lekar aati hoon
D - are nhi tum ruko...m lekar aata hoon
R - but kha h ye tumhe pta h?
D - room hi hai...koi auditoriam toh nhi h ki nhi dhund paunga
R - ohk ohk fine...jao le aao tab tak main dinner lekar aati hoon
D - ok
Then she went to kitchen to bring the dinner to Living room and Darshan went to Anjali's room to find guitar. He was finding guitar looking on the walls and walking back beside the bed. He was just at the edge of the bed. He stepped his leg back to move back but his foot hit something and his leg hit the bed and fell on the bed. His foot was still in contact with something which hit his foot under the bed. He thought what it is. He bowe down and saw a big box with mouth open. He took it out outside and saw many frames there. He was shocked a lil bit seeing his pictures in the frame. But then he opened the box properly and what he saw, he was shocked. He saw the box was full of frames with his pictures.He saw the box was full of frames with his pictures. He was shocked as well as confused too. He thought what were his pictures doing here in this box even hidden under the bed. He suddenly remembered the walls beside the door. He quickly turned back and looked at the walls. Last time he had seen the right wall empty but didn't see the left one. He went near but there was table so he couldn't touch even the curtains on the wall. In order to open the curtains, he stepped on the table and removed the curtains. What he saw, it was really shocking for him. The wall was full of his pictures, his childhood pictures, pictures of his awards and many small papers on which about him was written. He was really shocked to see that. Only then he understood what was going on actually. He closed the curtains, got off from the table and went near the bed. He slid the box back under the bed and sat on the bed with his head bowed down and both hands on the bed stretched in opposite sides.
D - Now I got what's going on here. Ye sare gifts koi aur nhi balki Anjali ne hi Diya hai. And she wants to hide her identity tabhi toh uss din woh kitchen me Ritu ko bhi mana kar rahi thi mujhe kuch batane se. Isiliye tab se ye dono bahane pe bahane maar rahe hai that iski friend uski friend (he banged his right hand on the bod hardly in anger)same writing, chocolates ka same taste Hona ye sab ek coincidence ho sakta hai but yha wall pe meri hi pictures hona..ye koi coincidence nhi hai...shayad mere yha frequently aane par Anjali ne ye pictures hataye honge taki mujhe pata na chale aur left wall ke paas table hai, waha se sab hatana mushqil hai isiliye use ab tak nhi hataya shayad...means she is that fan of mine.(He suddenly remembered something. The moment when song was playing in the living room and Anjali was sleeping and she was saying MERE HUBBY KA SONG KYU BAND KAR DIYA...MERE PYAAR KI DUSHMAN)...shitt...ye mujhe tabhi smjh jaana chahiye tha...songs saare mere hi plat ho rhe the means she was saying about me...means I am 100% confirm now...Toh ye log tabse mujhe pagal bna rahe the ki isne diya usne Diya but why...isme Ritu ki koi glti nhi h..mana toh use Anjali ne hi Kiya na..but why...why why why...kyu nhi bata deti woh mujhe ki ye gifts usi ne diye the...kyu chhipana chahti hai apni identity... why
He was in anger. He was saying all this when Ritu entered there and said - Darshan tum kya kar rhe ho ab tak
D looked at her and remembered he had come here to take the guitar.
D - haa...woh mujhe guitar nhi mila
R - maine kha tha nhi milega tumhe...hato mujhe nikalne do
D - are nhi nhi...rehne do...hum chlte h dinner karne..aisi hi koi entertainment ho jayegi
R - ok
They went to the living room. Ritu called Anjali. Anjali came and asked - chlo phir dining table pe...saara khana yha lakar kyu rkha h
R - kyuki aaj hum yhi dinner krenge
A - ohkk
She took her food and was going away when Ritu stopped her and said - where are you going
A - terrace
R - kyu...jab bhi hum sath mein dinner karte hai tab tab tu terrace pe chali jaati hai...aaj khi nhi jayegi tu...yhi humare sath dinner kregi
A - are nhi...mu..
R - main kuch nhi janti...aaj mera bday hai toh atleast tujhe aaj toh meri baat manni hi hogi
A - ok fine.
All time during this conversation, Darshan was looking at Anjali. Many questions were running in his mind. Ritu and Darshan sat beside each other. Anjali sat on the sofa infront of theirs. All were having their dinner. After sometime, D - acha suno...Ritu tum bore ho rhi thi na?
R - hmm
D - toh suno...hum ek game khelte hai
R - kon si
D - not like a game..means something like hum apne apne baare me kuch kuch batayenge
He was saying ths while looking at Anjali. But she was not looking at anyone. She was sitting silently bowing down her head like she was lost somewhere.
R - hmm...ohkk
D - so let's start...toh pehle kon start karega
R - Anjali tu start kar
Anjali didn't respond. She was lost somewhere.
R - Anjali?
A still didn't respond
R said loud this time - Anjali??
A came in her senses and said - haa
R - tu start kr
A - kya...nhi mujhe nhi khelna..tum log khelo..m tumlog ki baat sunungi
R - are par kyu
A - main tere bare me already jaanti hoon ab tu kya btayegi mujhe
R - hmm ye bhi h
D in his mind - haa...sab kuch toh jaanti ho tum...mere baare me bhi aur iske baare me bhi..ab kya hi janogi
D - ok so let's start.
They said so many things which Anjali was only listening and was pretending like she wasn't caring at whatever they were saying.
Then it was D's turn.
D thought - ab woh bolta hoon jiske liye ye game start ki thi
D - haa toh ab main kuch bohot hi important and universal bolne jaa rha hoon
Anjali was just listening and having her dinner. She didn't react to him.
R - ohoo...bolo bolo..jara hum bhi toh sune