Aniket was on the terrace, Aarav came upstairs and sat down beside him. Aniket eyed him "daada.. Soye nahi aap abtak?" he asked
"Tum bhi toh nahi soye ho" He replies.
"Daada bas aise hi.." He said.
"Bura lag raha hai? Chandralekhaji se aise baat karke?" Aarav questions.
Aniket was surprised hearing him, he asked "Aap kya bol rahe ho.. Aisa kuch nahi hai" he pretended to be unknown.
He slaps his cheek lightly and said "bada bhai hun tera sab janta hun! Tu kya sochta hai aur kya karta hai"
"Acha?? Chandralekhaji ne complaint ki aapse meri?" He questions.
"Nahi.. lekin mujhe sab nazar aata hai Ani... bas usko rote hue dekha toh samjha" Aarav replies.
"Daada.. Wo bhi toh itna sab karti rehti hai mere liye" he said.
"Toh isme galat kya hai?" He questions.
"Daada... wo shaadishuda hai aur acha lagta hai kya kisi aurke liye ye sab karna?" Aniket asked.
"Ani.. doctor hai wo! Tera khayal rakhti hai toh isme kuch galat nahi hai" he tries to explain.
"Par daada.."
"Dekh Ani... hamare jazbaton pe hamara kaboo nahi hota hai! Ye sab wo apne pati ke liye karti lekin wahi usko chhod gaya hai.. Aur agar tere liye ye sab karke usko thodi si khushi mili hai toh isme kya galat hai haan??" He exclaimed.
"Daada... aap samajh nahi rahe ho!" He said annoyed.
"Kya nahi samajh raha hun main? Itne dino se teri parwah karti hai chandralekhaji.. Badle mein tu uski insult karta hai kya ye sahi hai? Maa papa ne yahi sikhaya hai na kabhi kisi ladki ka dil nahi todna toh kyun uss bechari ko aise sunata hai tu?" Aarav said.
Aniket glanced at him and said "daada lekin jo kar raha hun unke bhale ke liye hi hai"
"Kisi ki aankh mein aansu laake bhala nahi hota hai Ani... logo ka kaam kehna aur hamara kaam hai apne mann ki karna samjha!" Aarav said rufflings his hairs lightly.
Aniket smiles lightly hearing his word. He asked "Acha daada.. Aajkal aap bahut zyada samajdhari waali baatein karne lage ho... kiska asar hai?"
"Kisika asar nahi hai!" He denies.
"Don't lie.. Jaise Chandralekhaji mujhe nashta deti hai waise Manviji bhi yahi sab karti hai aapke liye" He spoke teasingly.
Aarav looks away "mehmaan hai wo! Aur tujhe pata hai main teri tarah kisiko rula nahi sakta hun" he said.
"Haww daada.. Itna bura hun main?" He asked with open mouth.
"Maine aisa thodi kaha.." He rebukes.
"Matlab toh yahi tha aapka" He said.
"Ye tune assume kiya Ani.. doctor hai Chandralekhaji teri.. Aur jaan bachayi hai unhone teri iss baat ka toh khayal rakh unhe insult mat kar.. Please" He requests.
"Thik hai daada.. Main unse baat kar lunga" Aniket said.
"Chal.. abhi kaafi raat ho gayi hai sone chal" Aarav spoke.
"Haan bas aaya abhi.." Aniket said. Aarav went downstairs, after sometime Aniket came downstairs and he saw Manvi entering the house.
He glanced at the watch on his wrist "ye Manviji itni raat ko kaha se aa rahi hai wo bhi chupke chupke"
He heard a sound, he glanced from the window and saw someone leaving on bike. She climbed the stairs with a smile on her face. She stops when Aniket eyed her doubtfully. She asked "Aniketji... aap soye nahi abtak??"
"Ji.. aap bhi toh nahi soyi hai bahar koi tha kya?" he asked.
"Nahi koi nahi tha.. Bas hawa lene gayi thi thodi.." she lies and goes upstairs to the room.
"Jhooth... ladka kaun tha bike pe wo" he thought. He went upstairs and went inside his room.
Here Manvi saw him entering the room she had a sigh of relief and knocks Aarav's room door. He opens and pulls her inside closing it.
Aniket comes out behind the pillar and goes near the door trying to listen the conversation.
"Aarav.. Mujhe nahi samajh aa raha hai main kya karun?" she said sadly.
Aarav hands her the money "ye lo.. Aur zaroorat ho toh le lena.."
"Thank you Aarav! Tum na best ho.." she said hugging him tightly.
"Acha abhi jao room mein.. Warna phirse phas jayenge.." He said.
"Haa.." Manvi opens the door and goes to her room.
Aniket had left by the time, he thought "chal kya raha hai ye?? Pehle Manviji kisi se mili phir daada se baat karne kamre mein gayi! Aur daada ne unhe paise bhi diye..."
He slept with all the thoughts in his mind.
NEXT MORNING
Aniket steps out the bathroom and didn't find his clothes kept on the bed. He opens the wardrobe and takes out a pair of cloth. He wears them and searches for his handkerchief but couldn't find it.
He comes out of the room and saw Nitya walking towards the stairs. He stops her "Chandralekhaji.."
She turns and asked "kya hai?"
"Wo mera rumal nahi mil raha hai" He said.
"Toh main kya karun??" She asked in annoyed tone.
He understands the reason for this behaviour. "De dijiye.." He said.
"Maa.. aapke bete ko uska rumal nahi mil raha hai! Aap dundhke de dijiye" Nitya shouts and goes downstairs.
Aniket made a face. He goes downstairs and sits for the breakfast. Nitya was sitting and scrolling her phone.
Manvi asked her "Chandu.. Aaj tumne Aniketji ko breakfast nahi diya?"
"Mujhe baad mein sunna nahi hai... bhala karo aur daant khao!" she taunts and he gets upset with that.
Manvi smiles lightly. Her phone rings, she excuses herself and goes to the corner "haa.. Tum bahar ho? Thik hai aati hun main"
She quickly moves out of the house. Aniket saw her, he runs out to check and she was handing the money to the same guy on the bike he saw last night outside the house.
He hugged her happily "thank you.. Jald lauta dunga.." he said.
"Koi baat nahi hai! Jab ho tab lauta dena..." Manvi said.
He leaves on his bike and Manvi turns. Aniket heads back inside the house, he sees Aarav coming down the stairs. He wears his shoes and said "choti maa.. Main jaa raha hun"
"Aaru nashta karke jaa" Nandini shouted from the kitchen.
Manvi comes back inside and Aarav eyed her. She smiles in return and goes to the kitchen to pack his tiffin.
She steps out of the kitchen and hands him the tiffin. He smiles and leaves the house.
Nandini hands Aniket's tiffin, he takes it and goes outside. He sits on the bike and heads towards office "ye Manviji daada ki sharafat ka fayda utha rahi hai pakka... nazar rakhni padegi kuch din"
Later in the evening, he returns home and didn't find anyone around. Nitya was sitting on the couch and reading a magazine.
"Chandralekhaji ghar mein koi dikhayi nahi de raha hai" He said.
She doesn't reply and continues engrossed in magazine. She gets up and was about to go upstairs but he held her hand.
"Chodiye Aniketji.." she said.
"I am sorry Chandralekhaji" He apologizes for yes.
She jerks his hand away and crosses her arms across her chest "sorry? Har baar aap meri insult karke aap sorry kah dete hai.. Kya mujhe hurt nahi hota hai??? Samjhate kya hai khudko aap?" she had tears in her eyes.
Aniket said "Chandralekhaji.. Main toh bas"
"Nahi sunna hai mujhe kuch" she refuses to listen to him. She climbs the stairs, he pulls her back and ends up falling. He lands on the floor and she was on top of him.
Nitya asked in concern "Aapko lagi toh nahi?"
"Nahi.." he denies, she tries to get up but he was holding her firmly.
"Chodiye... phir aap kahenge mai..." Nitya said
He smiles "pehle kaho maaf kiya.. Phir chodunga" he spoke.
"Nahi karungi" she refuses to forgive him. She gets up and goes upstairs with a smile on her face.
"Bhool gaya hai par manane ka andaaz wahi hai" Nitya smiles at his actions.
She goes to the room and opens the wardrobe to her shock she finds him standing there in between the clothes. "Aah.. Aniketji aap yahan kaise aaye?"
He comes out and smiles "ye mera ghar hai aur main kahi bhi aa jaa sakta hun"
"Lekin ye kamra mera hai filhal.. Aap jao yahan se" she said.
"Jabtak aap mujhe maaf nahi karengi main aapka peecha karunga har jagah" he said admantly.
Nitya hits her forehead, she turns away. She walks out and he literally follows her everywhere in the house. Nitya smiles and thought "bahut sataya na mujhe karo peecha.."
She goes to the kitchen and picks up the fruit from the basket. He enters and slips on something. She laughs at this. He looks at her with a smile on his face as finally she had laughed.
Nitya gives her hand and he gets up. "Sorry.." he said.
"Aise maafi nahi milegi" she said
"Toh kya karna hoga mujhe?" He asked.
"Chaat khilani padegi bahut famous hai na yahan nukkad pe" Nitya said with a smile..
"Thik hai khila dunga" he agrees.
"Waise coffee milegi? Bahut bhagaya aapne mujhe.." Aniket said.
"Banati hun" She agrees and prepares the coffee for him.
Aniket had a sigh of relief "chalo ye toh maan gayi ab Manviji pe nazar rakhni hai.."
"Chandralekhaji aapki dost Manviji kahan hai?" He asked.
"Wo Mandir gayi hai..." she replies.
Aniket thought "iss samay mandir? Zaroor uss ladke se milne gayi hogi"
Nitya hands him the coffee, he drinks it and heads towards his room to change. He returns after some time and the family members had returned home from the Pooja.
Nitya smiles and said "Maa.. mujhe na bahar chaat khani hai toh main aur Aniket jaaye?"
"Haan jao" Pooja gives the permission.
They walk out of the house. They went to the end of the street. Nitya orders and eats it.
Here Manvi and Aarav were at the opposite food corner. Manvi was enjoying having pani puri.. "Kitne dino baad khane ko mila hai"
Aarav smiles looking at her. Manvi asked "waise tumhe bura nahi laga.."
"Kis baat ka?" Aarav asked bewildered.
"Aadhi raat ko mera dost mujhse madad mangne aaya aur tumne sawal kare bina mujhe paise de diye" She said .
"Isme bura kya lagna hai? Wo musibat mein tha..." He replies.
"Batao kaisa pati hai mera.. Shaq nahi karta hai! Jealous bhi nahi hota hai" she murmurs.
He laughs hearing her... "dekho agar tumhara dost koi ladka hai toh I don't have issue.." he said.
"Haan haan mujhe dikh raha hai wo.. Agar koi ladka mujhe aise waise touch karega toh tumhe gussa nahi aayega?" She asked hoping to see some jealousy on his face.
"Dost hai na.. Toh kya dikkat hogi mujhe?" He asked with a smile on his face.
She made a face "God!" He knows she is just teasing him so played along.
Aniket rolls his eyes around and saw them together. He smiles "Waah.. mere daada ek ladki ko pani puri treat de rahe hai! Lekin Chandralekhaji ne toh kaha tha ye mandir gayi hai!"
Her phone rings, she picks up the phone "haa... Agastya! Abhi?? Acha main aati hun tum wahi ruko"
She said "Aarav.. Agastya ne bulaya hai main aati hun.."
He nods and Manvi goes to the other street.
Nitya eyed him and asked "kya yahan waha dekh rahe ho?"
"Kuch nahi.. Chandralekhaji aap ghar jayie mujhe bahut zaroori kaam yaad aaya hai" he said and leaves midway before Nitya could question him.
Manvi meets Agastya, Aniket was standing just a poll away and watching them.
Agastya smiles and thanks her for lending him the money. He moves closer and hears the conversation..
"Lekin Aarav ko pata chala toh?" he asked.
"Are bahut seedha sa hai wo usko kuch nahi pata chalega tum tension mat lo! Bas jo main kehti hun tumhe bas wahi karna hai samjhe" Manvi said with a smile curving up her lips.
"Badi khatarnak ho yaar tum... lekin isliye I love you a lot" he said and hugged her..
"I also love you..." she said and hugs him back.
He was shocked and turned back "haww.. Waha daada ke saath pani puri kha rahi thi aur yahan aapne aashiq ko I love you kah rahi hai! Mere daada ke saath dhoka..." he heads back towards house.
"Daada ko bachana hoga.."
Agastya said "Dekh tu pakka sure hai! Tera pati mujhe nahi peetega?"
"Nahi peetega! Mujhe bas dekhna hai mujhe tere saath dekhkar wo jealous hota hai ki nahi.." she said with a smile.
"Mannu.. Kal usne kuch nahi kaha toh ab kaise hoga?" He asked,
"Chill kar na yaar.. Bas tujhe ek party organise karni hai baaki main sambhal lungi" She said.
"Okay fine.." He agrees for sake of their friendship.
"Uff usko wahi chodke aayi hun! Chal bye" she said bye to him and goes back.
Aarav saw her coming, he asked "kya hua? Sab thik hai? Usko aur paison ki zaroorat hai?"
"Nahi.. uski maa ka operation ho gaya hai! Parso bas party rakhi hai iss khushi mein toh uska invitation dene aaya tha" Manvi said with a smile.
"Acha.." he agrees and they head back home.
They return home, everyone was at the courtyard. Manvi hands the prased to everyone. She didn't want again to get trapped in Aniket's questions so had planned accordingly.
Aniket smiles and takes the prasad. He thought "Daada aate honge aapki baaton mein nahi nahi aane waala hun! Ab toh aas bhi nahi bhatakne dunga daada ke"