Everyone was saying goodbye to Nadia and Parth who were leaving for Hyderabad to meet Nadia's family.
"Bhai" Agastya hugged him "Kabhi bhi kuch bhi galat lage tum bas koi bhi signal de dena main samajh jaunga"
"Agastya tum kyu aisa soch rahe ho" Parth said.
"Main nahi janta. Main bahot khush hoo tum dono ke liye par pata nahi kyu man me thoda khatak raha hai. Tum waha jaana jo bhi hoga mujhe phone karke batana" Agastya said.
"Haan. I promise main phone karunga" Parth said.
"Bhabhi jab tak aap wapis aayengi hum koshish karenge ki hamare mamma pappa ko manaye" Agastya said to Nadia.
"Mujhe pura yakeen hai ki aap dono tab tak sab kuch thik kar denge" Nadia said to Agastya and Sumedh.
"Chalo jaldi" Rajat said. "Late nahi hona chahiye wo log wait kar rahe hai"
Parth and Nadia sat in the car and waved good bye. Agastya felt a knot in his stomach. He forced a smile on his face and waved.
"Aap kyu itne pareshan hai doctor?" Isha asked. "Sab kuch toh thik se ho gaya"
"Abhi kaha? Abhi toh hamare ghar me pata chalega" Agastya said.
"Sab thik ho jayega" Isha kept her hand on his shoulder.
"I hope ho jaye. Aur jaldi ho jaye" Agastya said.
Isha smiled. She looked towards Nikita who was looking extremely depressed.
"Tumhe kya hua?" Isha asked.
"Mujhe bahot tension ho rahi hai. Kuch alag lag raha hai. Pata nahi kyu. Koi reason samajh nahi aa raha" Nikita said.
"Tum bhi aisa kar rahi ho. Waha doctor bhi aisi ajeeb baatein kar rahe hai" Isha said. "What is wrong?"
"Jane do na" Nikita said. "Jyada nahi sochungi toh thik lagega"
" what is wrong with you?" Sumedh came there.
"Nothing" Nikita answered. "Are you done with Panel selection? 2 din me forms submit karne hai" She reminded him.
"Oh yes" Sumedh said. "Meet our new candidate for Ladies Representative post. Isha has agreed to contest"
Nikita felt smile fading away from her lips at the same time Isha smiled looking at her.
"Wow" Nikita said. "That's great. Congratulations Isha"
"Thank you" Isha said. "I am so excited."
"Aur Nikita tumhare upar sabse badi jimmedari hai agle 3-4 weeks tak" Sumedh said. "You're the head of my campaign. Hum sab kal hi nominations file karne ja rahe hai tab yeh bhi declare karenge ki prachar tum dekhne wali ho"
"Yeh Kab decide hua?" Nikita asked. "Tumne mujhse puccha bhi nahi mujhe campaign head banane se pehle?"
Sumedh was confused. "Nikita? Tum prachar karogi yeh toh pehle se tha na? Last time maine jo speech diya tha wo bhi tumne hi likha tha"
"Sumedh tum" Nikita suddenly said and stopped.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing. I am just distracted. I am sorry" She said. "Let's frame the campaign. Waqt nahi hai jyada."
"Haan. This is the list of candidates from our panel" Sumedh gave her the list.
President - Sumedh Rajwade.
Vice president - Faisal siddiqui.
Secretary - Zishaan Siddiqui.
Joint secretary - Shahid Siddiqui.
Treasurer - Zoya Siddiqui
Ladies Representative : Isha Deshpande.
Nikita felt her anger bursting.
"Candidates ki list hai ya Siddiqui family ka ration card?" She said. "What is wrong with you Sumedh? Why are you doing this? We were considering them our rivals till now."
"Tum phir wahi baat kar rahi ho Nikita" Sumedh said angrily. "Maine tumhe bataya ki hum election jeet jayenge agar inke sath mil ke ladenge"
"Main janti hoo tum jeet jaoge. Tum jeet jaoge kyu ki koi oppose karne wala rahega hi nahi. Settlement ho gayi yeh toh. Jo log 3 saal se tumhe leader maan baithe hai jo yeh siddiqui family ke logose chhutkara chahte hai unka kya? Tum toh messiah the unke? Un logoka kya? " Nikita said.
" Nikita yeh Raajneeti hai. Samjhote hote hai" Sumedh said.
"Aise samjhote toh kam baar dekhe hai. Tumhari apni alag vote bank hai Sumedh. Picchle 3 saal se hum sath me milke bana rahe hai. Aise kaise chalega ki ek hi candidate ko vote karo" Nikita asked. "Wo log yeh sab kar rahe hai kyu ki unhe pata hai tunhare against wo jeet nahi payenge"
Nikita was getting angrier by every passing second.
"Tum darpok ho ya bewakoof main samajh nahi pa rahi" She shouted. "Rajat uncle ne pata nahi kya bola tum toh laal jhanda leke khade ho gaye. I was rooting for you. Everyone was hoping ki tum unko siddiqui family ke totalitarian regime se mukti dilaoge par nahi tumko toh unke sath jaake baithna hai"
"Chillao mat" Sumedh also shouted. "Chillane se tumhare points sahi nahi ho jayenge. Main bol raha hoo na ki jo log mujpe apne hopes lagaye baithe hai unko main nirash nahi karunga. Tum yeh baat maanti kyu nahi ho?"
"Tum kyu yeh baat nahi maante ki Siddiqui cousins tumhe bas use kar rahe hai. Wo jante hai unme se koi bhi president banane ke layak nahi aur unke hath se satta na jaye isliye tumhe bas president banake pura ka pura council apne pas rakhna chahte hai. Come on Sumedh tumhe itna toh samajh jana chahiye" Nikita said.
Nikita was very angry. Her eyes were flowing but her gaze was fixed on Sumedh. " logoko hamne picchle 3 saal se promise kiya hai ek free environment jaha wo log un badmash gunde siddiqui bhaiyo ke khauf me nahi jiyenge. Wo promise tum bhool sakte ho par main nahi."
"Main nahi bhula hoo. Tum samjho ki main president rahunga wo log mere under rahenge."
Nikita scoffed. "Sapne dekho tum." She said.
"Nikita" Sumedh shouted. "I am done with your discrimination. Tum un logoka prachar nahi karna chahti kyu ki wo log Muslim hai. Hai na?"
"Kash aisa hota Sumedh" Nikita said. "Kash aisa hota ki main easily biased ho sakti tum logoke jaisi."
"Iss sab ka point kya hai?" Sumedh asked. "Agar tum chahti ho ki haath me Hinduvaad ka bhagwa dhvaj leke main election ladu toh aisa main nahi karunga. Wo meri image ke liye accha nahi hai. Wo mere pappa ki image ke liye bhi accha nahi hai. Aur main Hinduvaadi baatein maanta bhi nahi hoo"
"Hinduvaad ki baat nahi hai Sumedh. Wo log galat hai. Wo hindu hote toh bhi main yahi bolti hoo. Wo log gunde hai. Hum jab logoko promise kar rahe the tab bhi tum jante the ki wo log gunde hai. Aur jab tum maan gaye unke sath election ladne ke liye tab bhi tum jante the" Nikita said. "Main logoko kiya hua wo promise tutne nahi de sakti"
"Aur agar wo promise pura karna matlab tumhare hisab se hindu leader wali image le lena hai toh main wo nahi karunga" Sumedh declared.
"Nahi. Mere hisab wo promise pura karna matlab un bhaiyo ko elections ke way se harana aur unke hath me jo satta hai jiska wo misuse karte hai use chhin lena na ki unke hi hath me puri council dena" Nikita said sternly. "Par agar tumhare liye wo promise pura karna matlab bhagwa dhvaj leke hindu leader banana hai toh main wo karungi. Promise hum dono ne kiya tha. At least koi toh use pura kare"
"Nikita. Ek baar shanti se baith ke baat karte hai abhi tum dono bhi gusse me ho" Isha became scared after hearing her roar.
"Nahi" Nikita said. "Maine faisla kar liya"
Sumedh was stunned after hearing this. He took a deep breath and went ahead.
"Nikita" He grabbed her arms "Shant ho jao. Tum aisa kyu kar rahi ho? Sab thik ho raha hai. Gussa mat ho"
"Gusse ki baat nahi hai Sumedh. Baat un students ki hai jo hamesha se hamare sath rahe hai. Jinhone hamare upar bharosa kiya hai. Tum socho jab kal unhe pata chalega ki kis tarike ka council ban raha hai toh wo logoko kya lagega? Tumhe lagta hai ki main aur tum milke unhe mana lenge yeh jhoot bolke ki tum president banoge toh unke problem solve Karoge? Par unki jo problem hai na Sumedh uss problem ke sath hi tum election me khade hone wale ho"
"Tum kyu aisa kar rahi ho mujhe samajh nahi aa raha" Sumedh said "Sab thik tha. Sab kuch thik hai abhi bhi tum bas pata nahi kya leke baithi ho"
"Main bewakoof nahi hoo Sumedh main samjhti hoo. Thodi bahot Rajneeti main samjhti hoo shayad tumse bhi jyada isliye tumhe dikhai nahi de raha wo log bas tumhare naam ka use kar rahe hai. Par jin logone hamare upar bharosa kiya unko main bewakoof nahi banane dungi" Nikita said.
"Toh tum mere khilaf election ladogi?" Sumedh asked.
"Haan" Nikita declared.
Sumedh looked away and chuckled a little. "Kaha hai tumhara panel? Tumhara campaign? Tumhara Manifesto? Tumhare followers? " He asked.
Nikita sighed "Sumedh. Kabhi agar dekhte na kitne dedication se main tumhare liye sab plan kar rahi thi toh samajh me aata yeh sab cheeze mere pas bahot pehle se hai. Sab kuch tumhare liye banaya tha maine par koi baat nahi. Tumne Isha ke papa ka rasta chuna hai. Thik hai"
"Tum yaad rakho ki kya karne ja rahi ho Nikita. Election kitni brutal ho sakti hai tum bhi janti ho upar se mahila candidate matlab log bahot badnaami karte hai" Sumedh said.
"Isha" Nikita said. "Suna tumne? Equality preach karte hai haa yeh log. Koi bhi kisise bada ya chhota nahi hai yeh sikhate hai sabko bolte hai ki hum Liberal hai unorthodox hai." She said. "Main dekhti hoo kitni liberal aur unorthodox way se lete ho tum aur siddiqui bhai yeh baat ki unke against ek ladki election me hai."
"Nikita main tumhare against prachar nahi kar paunga." Sumedh said.
"Kyu?" She asked.
"You're my girlfriend. I love you damn it. Mujhse sehen nahi hoga koi tumhare against kuch bolega" Sumedh said.
"Even I love you Sumedh. Isiliye main yeh kar rahi hoo taaki tum sach jaan jao ki wo log kis level ke gunde hai aur jo sapna tumhe dikhaya gaya hai ki wo tumhare under reh ke kaam karne wale hai wo jhoota hai." Nikita said.
"Nikita sirf tum ho isilye.. agar tumhari jagah aur koi bhi hota toh main.." Sumedh said. "Agar main yeh bhool gaya ki tum meri girlfriend ho toh bahot problem ho jayegi"
"Dhamki de rahe ho?" She asked.
"Nahi. Nahi. Please Nikita try to understand. Main hum dono ke bich problems nahi chahta. Please" Sumedh pleaded.
"Tumhe pehle sochna chahiye tha. Abhi bhi waqt hai. Tum mere sath chalo. Hamne jo panel socha tha usme aao. Main prachar karungi" Nikita said.
"Main nahi kar sakta. Maine tumhe bataya" Sumedh said.
"Fine. It's me vs you then" Nikita said.
Sumedh sat down in frustration. "Nikita I am telling you to re think about this"
"I am telling you ki ab jitni taqat hai na utni laga do. Main apni 3 saal ki mehnat waste hone dene ke mood me bilkul nahi hoo" Nikita said.
"Toh yeh plan tumhara usi din ban gaya jis din hum Rajat uncle se mile the hai na?" Sumedh asked. "You conspired against me"
"Me?" Nikita asked. "Tumne council bana li, Manifesto likha, candidates bhi declare karne wale the mujhse pucche bager. You took me for granted Sumedh. You never considered me for election"
"Oh toh iss baat ka gussa hai. Tumhe election ke liye consider nahi kiya. Isha ko LR ki position di. Par tumhe consider nahi kiya" Sumedh said.
"Nahi Sumedh. LR toh main tum pucchte toh bhi nahi banti. Wo toh Isha hi thik hai." She looked at Isha "Main toh tumhe president aur apne aap ko vice president dekhti thi"
"Toh tumhare ambitions main samajh nahi paaya iski saja de rahi ho tum mujhe?" He asked.
"You are impossible Sumedh. I am gonna stop this conversation here." Nikita declared. "Kal milte hai Nomination filing ke waqt"
"Jaroor. Main aaunga uske baad aana tum. Kyu ki Tab tum dekh sakogo ki mere aur Faisal dono ke followers mila ke kitni badi vote bank hai meri. Then you might want to change your decision." Sumedh said.
"I would say tum exact usi time pe aana jis time main aaungi. Tab tumhe pata chalega ki tumhare followers sahi me tumhare the ya mere" Nikita said and left.