Prompt : Vashma is away, at her aunt's place for a week. Set in 1946.
Uday cannot believe that Vashma had spent an entire day without replying to his message. Last night he had delivered a secret letter to her room, with the help of a hockey ball but she hasn't replied to it yet. It had never happened before. She has always come to the window and called him names in anger, eventually getting cool and he made it up to her.
She is so grumpy, Uday thought perching his head, in front of the photo frame of his mother, on the only wooden reading table present in his room. He glanced at the picture thinking about Vashma. Though no one can ever come closer to his bebe but there's something about Vashma that reminds Uday of his mom whenever he sees his best friend. Is it her eyes? Or is it the way she cares for him, protects him? He doesn't know he's tired of trying to look for an answer to it.
Wait! What if she is tired of his teasings, his constant mockery? What if she is in no mood to talk to him? What he will do then? He has no other friend. No confidant. No home. No one. Except for Vashma.
Uday has realised this that he has no one but Vashma who actually makes him feel home. He still remembers vividly how she put her little hand on his shoulders, when she saw Brij beating him with a stick for the first time. She was innocent before, and she couldn't stand the sight of her chacha ji hurling insults at his own son so badly.
I am a bad son. A 10 year old Uday chanted, holding his head in his hands, pulling out his hairs in agony and crying bitterly. He missed his mother.
It is not your mistake that he can't look out for himself, that your mother is no more. It is not your mistake Uday. Vashma had said. She was so understanding and mature at the age of seven. Uday looked up when she placed her hand on his shoulders, relaxing his muscles under her touch.
But he was joking!!! And Vashma knows that I love teasing her. Uday thought as he came back to reality.
"Itni zaraa si gal te kaun naraaz hoke beth jata hai." Vashma had come to meet him two days back at the hockey field. But Uday, as usual had a playful banter with her and ended up making her run away.
"Uday. Uday." She called her name across the field. Upon seeing him standing near the net, she came closer, wandering like a butterfly. She was wearing her burkha. Vashma beamed a big smile at Uday that reached her ears. She was extremely happy.
"Kya hua? Tu idhar kaise?" Uday lowered himself to her height.
"Bas ese hi. Tujhe dekhne ka man Kiya to aagyi." Vashma said raising her brows and shrugging her shoulders.
"Mai koi Dilli ya Amritsar hoon, jo dekhne ka man kia?" Uday held her by elbow and raised her a little. As usual. They are used to this mutual pinning and physicality. They love doing it.
"Hayee! Kaash hota, kam se kam dekhne layak to hota." Vashma sighed dramatically, trying to keep up with their usual nonsense though she was in a different mood that day.
"To kyu bhatak rhi hai idhar?" Uday held and twisted Vashma's hand behind her back and she flinched. Bickering is always fun with him, but not today. She was pissed.
"Tujhe humesha mujhse ladna hota haina Uday?" Her eyes looking sharply at him. She was hurt? Did he cause her pain? Uday thought.
"Nahi." Uday let go of her hand, frowning a little "Chal ab bataa bhi kyu aai hai?" He added, trying to cover up the guilt in his eyes, with rudeness. Though he was never harsh on her. He can't be.
"Sevaiyaa banai thi.." Vashma again jumped, fisting both her hands adorably and Uday smiled ear to ear.
"Teri ammi ne!? Oye kasam se keh raha hoon din bana dia tune mera." He didn't let her speak as Vashma took out the lunch box from her bag.
"Maine banai hai. Pehli baar. Chakh ke dekh, sabse pehle tujhe khilane laai hoon." She smiled wide. She knows how much Uday loves sweet dish. She nagged her mother to teach her how to make sevaiyaa, just for his sake.
"Fir nhi khaani. Meethe ki jagah kahi namak daal diya ho to?" Uday laughed and poked his index finger at her forehead pushing her.
"Shukar manaa zeher nhi daala." She replied with a poker face, trying to hold back her emotions.
Not today Uday. Not today when I specially cooked for you. She wished.
"Matlab tune isme sach mein namak daala hai." Uday cracked a joke which certainly didn't go well with Vashma. Why he has to be joking all the time? Especially when she has put up so much of efforts for him. Don't he realise what he means to her or he simply chooses to ignore? She is fine with him joking and fooling around but not when she wants his attention, his acknowledgement and his validation. Vashma pondered. She is not the kind of person who cares if people care, but with Uday it's different. She looks upto him, she wants to do things that make him happier, to put up an extra effort, walk an extra mile just for him. But can't he acknowledge that like she does when he makes her feel special?
Though Uday has his own ways of doing things for her. She has seen that. Walking upto the mosque barefoot to not let her feel alone just because the strap of her slippers come off was how he makes it up to her. Standing outside as she prays and waiting for her with a candy, he bought from the local shop, at the age of thirteen was nothing but special.
"Brij Sahani ka beta idhar masjid ke bahar khada rehta hai. Kisi ne dekh liya na Uday to humari khair nhi hai." He notices how she never addresses his problems as only his. Instead calls them their, as if she and he are one. Are they?
"Dekhne de! Kuch farak nhi padta oye." Uday chewed on his toffee and Vashma looked on.
Giving her his favourite hockey ball as a gift because the naive seventeen year old Uday thought that she was angry with him because of his actions, when actually she was having her period cramps and vigorous mood swings, was also one incident that is super close to her heart. She still has that ball. She had to accept the gift, though she didn't want to because it was his favourite. But she couldn't tell about her situation to him so she silently took it.
"Oye ye to tujhe chacha ji ne di thi." She had said but Uday forced her.
"Ha to tu rakhe mai rakhu ki farak painda hai. Ab bas maan ja or ye sadi si shakal thik karle." Vashma smiled.
"Uday! Mai jaa rhi hoon. Khani ho kha liyo varna phek diyo." She again crossed the bag on her shoulders and left the field, stomping her feet.
"Oye rukk..." Uday ran behind an angry Vashma but his coach called him.
"Uday chalo agla match shuru hone laga hai."
And before he could call her out, she was gone. A thunderstorm she is. Uday smiled.
Later that evening, Uday tried his best to contact Vashma but she ignored him mostly. Other times, it was someone or the other who came between them. But today she didn't even once came his home. What he is supposed to do then? Today he had no practice and Uday had it in his mind that he would spend this entire day with Vashma.
"Par nhi aaj ka to poora din barbaad karna hai Vashma Baig ko." Uday crossed his arms in front of him and said in a mocking tone. Should I go to her house now? Is this what she wants? A proper gutsy apology? Okay then! Uday ran down the stairs and walked to the house that was situated just the opposite of Sahani's.
The Baig Manzil. People doesn't find it nice of a boy like Uday going and visiting this house for Vashma, but only if he cared.
Having a Muslim best friend, that too female in their town, is a big thing. Abrar hasn't come to terms with it yet, let alone the neighbours. Uday knocked on the door and to his relief it was Vashma's father who opened the gate.
"Aree Uday tum yahan?"
"Ha vo..! Vo.. vo!" Uday stuttered. He always gets shy in front of her father, quiet and embarrassed. As if he caught Uday red handed. Did he?
"Vo vo kya?" Dr Baig laughed.
"Vashma hai kya? Vo.. vo... Amrit use bulaa rahi thi." He made an excuse. Uday and Vashma mostly visit each other in the name of Amrit. She comes to meet Amrit, and spends her entire day in his house, goofing around him while he, whenever gets the chance to visit her, makes Amrit's excuse.
"Aree beta Vashma to ghar par nahi hai."
"Kyun? Kaha gayi?" Dr Baig got startled by Uday's reaction, who wasn't able to believe that she left him, without talking it out.
"Apni khala ke yahan gayi hai."
"Aise kaise chali gayi, mujhe bina bataye?" This came out loud and Dr Baig stared at the curious case of Uday. He is like his own son, but he never understands Uday's behaviour around his daughter. There's an attentiveness, a warmth and so much of conversations when they both are around each other.
"Apni ammi ke sath gayi hai. Ek hafte mein vapis aa jayegi. Kya hua tum kuch pareshan lag rahe ho."
"Nhi. Nhi mai pareshan bilkul bhi nhi hoon. Mai Amrit ko bata dunga." Uday shrugged, tracing the collars of his blue tee shirt.
"Lale ko mera aadab kehna mat bhoolna." Dr Baig said to Uday who almost went inside his house. What's up with this little man? He smiled.
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"Oye aise kaise chali gayi tu mujhse mile bina. Mujhe bataya bhi nahi. Ek hafta kaise katunga tere bagair ye jante huye ki tu naraaz hai." Uday sadly began writing a letter, in the middle of the night. He could not sleep. It has been three days of her holiday and Uday is bothered. Though it has never happened before with him. Vashma had went away many times but he never got so restless. Maybe because she didn't ever forget to inform him about going, or is it because her absence has started making a difference and affecting Uday much more than it should or the feelings are increasing as they are growing up? Uday doesn't know nor does he wants to know. Right at the moment he only cares about Vashma's anger. He liked the sevaiyaa she made for him. He loved it. It was deliciously finger licking but little did he get the time to tell her.
"Oye mujhe bahut pasand aai teri banai hui sevaiyaa. Bebe bhi esi hi banati hogi shayad. Mujhe dhang se yaad nhi." Vashma's eyes saddened on reading his letter, she held it closer to her heart and closed her eyes, not before letting out a lone tear. She recieved it today, when she is almost about to leave for Lahore. The postal services are so slow, it takes days to reach the letter. When Samina, her cousin gave the letter to her, Vashma was embarassed and happy. Embarassed because her cousin teased her about having a boyfriend and a good love life.
"Aapa! Aap kitni khush kismat hain. Hum bhi humesha tasavvur karte hain ki humara bhi jaldi se nikaah ho jayr or humein bhi humara hone wala shauhar aise hi chitthiyaan likhe. Par aap kitni khush kismat hain ki aapka koi chahne wala hai. Haye!" Samina clasped both of her hands and said dreamily.
"Aapko pata hai kitni mushkilo se aapki or humari ammi se chupa ke lai hu ye khat main. Acha hua ammi ke hath nhi aaya kyunki humare ghar ke khat or chitthi vahin dekhti hain..." Samina never stops talking. Leaving her muttering to herself, Vashma silently walked out of the room and ran to the terrace. She was amazed by his audacity to sent her a letter at her aunt's house. Where did he the address? Who told him? And why it was so important? Vashma was happy because she didn't expect this from Uday. She was touched by this gesture of his.
"Jo kaju kishmish tune usme daale the, waah kya swaad tha. Fir kab khilaegi? Ek gal sun, jab ghar aa jaye tab sabse pehle mujhe sevaiyaa bana ke khilaio. Aur ab maan bhi jaa, thode nakhre dheele kar." Vashma giggled. Only he can make her feel extreme of her emotions by his actions. Everytime it's him, who makes her feel something so strong. Sadness, happiness, abandonment and home. She feels all of that, only with him.
"Mai bhi to maan jaata hoon na. Aur khabardaar aage se bina bataye kahin gayi to. Tujhe khayal bhi hai kitna dar gaya tha. Nahi tujhe nahi hai, hota to ye sab kabhi nhi karti. Kitni mushkil se maine tere us Abrar bhaijaan se teri khala ka pataa nikalvaya bas mainu hi pata hai." Abrar told him?? Uday is surely something. Vashma gasped. How did he manage to do this, she wonders.
"Ab ghar aaja. Amrit tujhe bahut yaad kar rhi hai." He would never admit he misses her, otherwise won't she boast about it? Uday knows he can't take the risk.
"Tera Uday" Tera dost Uday. He missed the word, she guessed.
That's what she chose to guess. It was one of those moments, when he actually expressed himself and Vashma enjoyed it. Felt it. She loves to celebrate it whenever he does things for her, by going out of his way. Amrit does that for her too, but a feeling of immense satisfaction washes over Vashma whenever it's Uday. Her friend. Vashma finally smiled with closed eyes, widely after so many days, feeling the warmth of setting sun on her face. Samina was tired, seeing Vashma low and sad. And the latter couldn't help but be gloomy at her aunt's house, because she had came here after fighting with Uday. But this letter took all her blues away.
✨"Oye jab tu mujhse naraaz ho jaati haina Vashma, mai na apne aap se naraaz ho jaata hoon."✨
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Saudade - the nostalgic longing to be near again to someone that is distant, the love that remains.
Hoping you guys like it!! Xoxo!