The Bumbaiker Cafe
A guy who seems to be in his early twenties was sitting on a corner table with a coffee in his hand, he seemed to be waiting for someone.
He tried to call the person but wasn't able to connect, he sighs deeply.
''Jaane ye ladki kabhi time pe kyun nahi aa sakti. Hamesha late aati hai fir mujhe kehti hai main milta nahi, hadh hai!'' He shook his head disappointedly.
At the same time a girl almost jumped over him from behind, the guy was stunned but recognised her. The girl pecks his cheek and moves to face him securing her place opposite to him.
''Where were you Ana, main kabse tumhara wait kar raha hoon, tumhara call tak nahi laag raha hai!'' He exclaims.
He's Siddharth Kukreja, Anamika's college mate. They have been good friends since the starting of their college and now they are in a relationship. Siddharth comes from a middle class family, his father works in a ration shop while his mother too works in a tailor to earn a little for her family. They are a small family of four, Siddharth, his parents and his little sister Samaira who's a school going girl.
Anamika pouted and apologised for being late,''I'm really sorry but it's all Dad's fault, oh no, it's actually jeej's (Vineet) fault. Jaane unhone Dad se kya kaha subha subha dant pad gayi mujhe, fir mumma bhi suru ho gayi aur iss wajah se mujhe late ho gaya!'' She reasoned.
Siddharth sighs,''par tumhara phone kyun nahi laag raha?'' He asked.
''Kyunki wo bigad gaya!! Bataya toh tha usmei problem hai, na Dad ne le diya na tumne toh wo nikal liya kal!'' She exclaims, looking at him.
Siddharth stares at her silently. He can't fulfil any of her demands or get her anything that she wants, he doesn't have that much money to do so. Even for his college fees he's working in a factory, whatever he earns he spends it on his studies and some on his little sister.
He looks away dejectedly.
''Ana, i'm sorry but tum jaanti ho na....'' He started to say but Anamika cut his sentence.
''Tum bahut muskil se padh rahe ho, fees ke liye job karte ho, mummy papa afford kar nahi paa rahe, choti behen ko sambhalana hai, ghar lena hai, etc..etc.. Right!!'' She imitates him and laughs slightly.
''Sid, maine kab tumse kuch manga! Main majak kar rahi thi, tum kyun baat baat pe sad ho jaate ho yaar!'' She makes a face.
Siddharth shook his head, ''tum bhale hi na maango par main toh janta hoon na main kuch nahi kar paata tumhare liye. It's not like main koshish nahi kar raha par kuch aacha nahi ho raha, socha overtime karu toh manager ne mana kar diya, kehta hai student se itna kaam nahi karwa sakte hum. I don't know main kya karunga, iss year bhi kuch aacha nahi de paya tumhare birthday pe aur na hi valentine's pe pata nahi next year bhi kuch ho paayegaa ya nahi!'' Siddarth sighs deeply, lowering his gaze.
Anamika places her hand on his which was on the table.
''Tum inta negative kyun sochte ho Sid. Aab ek din mei toh kuch nahi ho sakta na, dheere dheere sab ho jaayega. Aur rahi baat gifts ki toh jaruri thodi gift dena hi hai. Tum bas apna aur Samaira ka socho filhal." Anamika says, caressing his upper palm.
Siddharth stares at her, she acts childish sometimes and suddenly turns mature. Her action always surprises him, but he feels blessed to have someone like her. Though she's from a rich family but never shows off, she even helps him. She's stubborn sometimes but understands him and his unsaid words.
His trail of thought is broken as Anamika nudged him, he looks at her.
''Itna toh main roj papa ki dant khake bhi nahi sochti jitna tum soch rahe ho. Dekho, main aise bande se na shadi karungi jo itna sochta ho!'' She exclaims, glaring at him.
Siddharth laughed at her words,''aab kissi ko toh sochna padega na, tum toh soch na rahi. Hum dono impatient ho gaye toh kaam kaise banegaa!'' He asks, winking at her.
Anamika rolls her eyes,''okay, fine! Tumhare pass 3 years hai, jitna sochna hai soch lo but uske badh jab hamari shadi hogi fir aise baith ke sochoge toh divorce de dena meine tumhe!'' She warns him.
''Aacha ji!'' Siddharth narrowed his eyes.
''Haan! Meine toh sab soch bhi liya hai, hum destination wedding karenge Goa ke beach pe then honeymoon in Switzerland! Kitna maja aayega!!'' Anamika chuckles excitedly.
Siddharth laughs,''God! Tum.kuch jyada hi fast forward chal rahi ho, honeymoon tak pahuch gayi. Tumhare hitler papa ko pata chala na toh meri khair nahi!'' He states.
Anamika stares at him but then laughs at his statement.
They spend some time together and proceed to leave when someone taps on Anamika's shoulder, she turns around but the person behind shocks her to the core!
...
RuVi Mansion
Ruhana was in her room, trying to connect with her mother but she wasn't picking the call. Ruhana sighs in anger.
''Jaane kahan busy hai Mumma jo call tak nahi utha rahi. Sab nas pareshan hi karte hai mujhe!'' She growls in anger and moves to the balcony.
She secured her seat on the round couch which was placed there in one corner. Tilting her body, she rests her back on the back post placing her hands in her belly.
''Dekha baby, sab hum teeno ko sata rahe hai, koi hamari na sunta! Aapke papa apne office mei hi busy hai bas badi badi baatein karte hai aur aapki Maasi jaane wo kahan busy hai aaj kal. Pehle kal dono ladd liye aab dono khud busy hai aur main pareshan. Aur aab Nani bhi busy aapki, huhh, main bhi na uthati aab kissi ka phone. Hum teeno baat na karenge unn teeno se!'' She pouted, moving her hands on her belly.
It's her way to calm herself. Whenever she's tense she talks with her unborn kids, it calms her mostly.
As Ruhana moves her hand, the baby kicks and she chuckles.
Her trance is broken, when her phone rings.
She moves in her room and finds that her mother is calling her.
Ruhana picks the call,''Kahan ho mumma? Main tabse call kar rahi hoon aapko par aap utha hi na rahe!'' Ruhana complains.
She heard Ragini's deep sigh, it alerted her.
''Kya hua mumma, sab thik toh hai na?'' She questions, though she knows it must be related to Anamika.
''Haan beta sab toh thik hi hai, jo thik na hai wo ye ladki! Jaane kahan gayi hai, aaj subha hi dant padi usse aur fir gayab ho gayi. Abhi tumhare papa ka call aaya tha, wo uske baare mei puch rahe the aab main kya jawab doon unko. Abhi toh keh diya ki garden mei hai par jab wo lunch ke liye aayenge tab kya kahungi main? Ye ladki toh mujhe kuch batati nahi, na hi kissi baat ka asar hota hai ispe!'' Ragini says disappointedly.
''Par papa ne danta kyun usse?'' Ruhana asked.
''Kuch nahi, bas kuch baat thi issliye wo gussa ho gaye. Aab thik hai, subha unhone dant diya issliye aab baat karna chahte the unhe laga shayad wo udash hai par unko thodi pata hai ye ladki gayab hai ghar se. Khair, uss se aur kuch expect bhi kya kar sakte hai. Tum batao, kyun itne call kar rahi thi, sab thik hai na wahan, Vineet thik hai na?'' Ragini asked in concern, Vineet has always been a great concern for her and Nachiket.
Ruhana sighs but assures her that everything is fine. She knows her mother changed the topic and didn't tell her why Nachiket scolded Anamika.
Talking to her mother for a few minutes, she disconnected the call.
She places her phone on the bed when it rings again, this time it's Vineet calling her.
She picks the call but before she could say anything Vineet asks her to get ready by 7 pm as he had planned something for her but Ruhana denied going anywhere to which he told her that they don't need to go anywhere.
''Hein, matlab?? Ghar pe hi rehna hai toh taiyar kyun hona?'' She asked.
''Uffo, kitne sawal puchti ho tum. Just be ready by 7, I have a surprise for you!'' He exclaims and cuts the call, leaving her baffled.
She doesn't know what's going on and how he is so calmed! Didn't he promise her yesterday that he would sort out things? But he's busy planning some surprises!
Ruhana sighs deeply and throws her phone on the bed. She doesn't want to ger ready for any stupid surprise from his side. First he ruins her mood and now doing all this which actually won't sort anything. She doesn't know what's going in his mind and she doesn't even want to.
.....
Time passes in a blur, it's 7:30 and Vineet hasn't turned up yet. Ruhana was tense, as he was to come by 7 but hadn't come also his phone is unreachable now. She was pacing in the hall.
She called in his office and came to know that he left the office around 11 am and didn't turn up, this worries her more.
Just then the doorbell rings, Ruhana rushes to open the door and there he is, standing at the doorstep, calm as always.
She sighs deeply and slaps his arm.
''Kaahan the tum tabse, tum log phone rakhte hi kyun ho jab use karna nahi hai. Kabse call karke main paagal hui jaa rahi hoon!'' She shouted at him.
Vineet just smiles at her and moves aside.
Ruhana was left flabbergasted to see something -- actually someone standing there. She couldn't help but smile widely, but her words shocked the other two.
....
To be continued..