"Yeh tum kya karne ja rahi thi? Maine tumse kaha tha ki wo baat tum kisi se nahi kahogi."
"Ham jante hain lekin hamari aankhon ke saamne Aarohi ki zindagi barbaad hone ja rahi hai, ham haath pe haath rakh ke kaise baith sakte hain?"
"Karna padega, because my family is none of your God damn business! Tum ek wedding planner ho, apne kaam se kaam rakho aur apne aukat mein raho. Mere family matters mein interfere karne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai."
"Ham jante hain hamara koi hak nahi banta hai aapke pariwar ke mamlon mein dakhal dene ka lekin Aarohi ki zindagi ka sawal hai aur ham uski zindagi barbaad nahi hone denge."
Kunal Bela ka haath uske pichhe modta hai aur use apne kareeb kheechta hai. Uska gusse se bhara chehra dekhkar Bela dar jati hai.
"Kunal, chhodiye hamein. Hamein dard ho raha hai." Bela dheemi awaz mein bolti hai.
"Ab kahan gayi tumhari attitude? Kal to tumhare paas bohot kuchh tha kehne ko, aaj bolti band kyun hai tumhari?"
Aap darawne hain lekin ham bhi kamzor nahi hain, itni asani se nahi jhukenge. "Aapse behes karne ka koi fayda nahi hai. Aap hamari baat sunenge nahi to bhais ke aage been bajane ka koi fayda nahi."
"You- just stay out of my business, understood?" Kunal Bela ka haath chhod deta hai.
"Ab aap bataiye aap hamse milne kyun aaye the?" Bela apna haath dabate hue kehti hai.
"Kisne kaha main tumse milne aaya hoon?"
"Yahan hamara aur Shaivi ka kamra hai. Shaivi, Kavya aur Neha, sab upar hi hain, sajawat dekh rahe hain. Aap antaryami to hain nahi ki aapko sapna aayega ki ham Anshuman aur Veer se baat karne wale hain kyunki yeh baat hamein khud nahi pata tha. Zahir si baat hai aap hamse hi milne aaye honge. Ab batayenge baat kya hai? Hamein bohot kaam hai, app par aise wakt zaya nahi kar sakte hain ham."
"Thodi der pehle to kafi time tha tumhare paas Ansh aur Veer se baat karne ke liye."
"To kya ham din bhar logon se baat karte phire? Aur unse baat karte karte ham kaam bhi nipta rahe the, lekin ab hamari zaroorat upar hai. Ab aap wo kahenge jo kehne aaye the?"
"Haan, mere-"
"Bela Di, aap wahan hain kya? Aapne jo chairs mangwaye the ladke- ladki ke liye wo aa gaye hain. Rakhwane se pehle ek baar aapse puchh lena chahti hoon."
"Tum chalo, Kavya, ham aate hain."
"Jaldi kariye, Di, un logon ko aur bhi jagah jana hai."
"Aaye," Bela kamre se chillati hai. "Dekh liye, aa gaya bulawa. Dher saare kaam hain, hamein jane dijiye warna baad mein koi gadbadi hui to aap hamein hi daatenge." Bela darwaza kholti hai aur wahan se chali jati hai.
---☆---
Yeh yahan kyun hai? Aarohi ko aur koi nahi mila tha shaadi karne ke liye? Pata nahi maine roka ke samay kaise nahi dekha use. Yeh baat mujhse chhoot kaise gayi?
---☆---
Shaivi Maan ko kapde de kar wapas ja rahi thi jab koi achanak uska haath pakad ke use common poolside kheech leta hai.
"Veer! Tumne mujhe dara diya. Aise kaun karta hai?"
"Veer Mehrotra."
"Ha ha, very funny."
"I know I'm funny, lekin main tumhe hasane ya tumse jhagda karne nahi aaya hoon, to please mujhse jhagda mat karna."
"Main tumse jhagda nahi karti hoon, tum mujhse jhagda karte ho."
Veer apni eyebrow raise karta hai. "Aur abhi kaun jhagad raha hai? Maine to kuchh kaha bhi nahi. Hmm, kahin jhagda mujhse baat karne ka bahana to nahi? Agar tumhe mujhse baat karni hai to-"
"Nahi karni hai. Tum kitne self centered aur self obsessed ho. Ugh, tumhare saamne aate hi main tumhari tarah behave karne lagti hoon, childish and immature, aur phir Bela Di ko mauka mil jata hai mujhe chidhane ka. Sab tumhari galti hai."
"Pehle to, calm down," Veer Shaivi ka dono kandha pakad ke use shant karne ki koshish karta hai. "Lambi saans lo." Shaivi lambi saans leti hai.
"Dusri baat, tumahri aur Bela Di ki jo bhi problem hai usmein mera koi haath nahi hai. Teesri baat, main childish and immature nahi hoon. I'm just fun and living my life. Tum boring ho iska matlab yeh nahi ki main immature hoon."
Veer ko kya ho gaya? Yeh achhe se kyun baat kar raha hai? Agar Veer yahi baat waise karta jaise wo hamesha karta hai to mujhe bohot gussa aata.
"Main boring nahi hoon. Sab tumhari tarah achhe, bade gharon mein paida nahi hote hain. Meri bohot saari zimmedariyan hain. Paise kamana hai apni zindagi chalane ke liye. Yahi ek middle class insaan ki zindagi hai, hamesha kaam karte rehna apne aap aur apne pariwar ke liye paise kamana taki unki zarooratein puri kar sakein. In sab ke baad kisi aur cheez ka wakt hi kahan mitla hai?"
Veer apne dono haath upar kar leta hai. "Chill, Shaivi. Main mazak kar raha tha, tum to serious ho gayi." Yeh definitely taana mar rahi thi, par isne attitude ki bina, is tarah bola ki... I feel bad for treating her like I did.
"Yeh kaisa topic hai mazak karne ka?"
"I'm sorry, mujhe nahi pata tha- abse aisa mazak nahi karunga, I mean I'll try."
Shaivi phir se lambi saans leti hai, jaise apne aap ko kaboo mein kar rahi ho. Isne 'sorry' bola? Mujhe sorry bola? Kya ho gaya hai ise? Yeh mujhse itne achhe se baat kyun kar raha hai aaj? Main sochna chahti hoon ki yeh iska koi psychological attack hai par aisa lagta to nahi. Yeh sach mein pareshan lag raha hai.
"Nahi, galti meri hai. Thodi stressed hoon, itni jaldi saare kaam karne hain. Mujhe aise baat nahi karna chahiye tha tumse. Shayad main hi hoon jo hamesha tumse jhagda shuru karti hoon."
"Kaun shuru karta hai wo zaroori nahi hai. Main tumse kuchh kehne aaya tha."
"Kya?" Shaivi puchhti hai.
"Main tumse maafi mangna chahta hoon." Iski tabiyat to theek hai na? Kya Veer ko kisi tarah ka mansik tanav hai jo iska dimag kharab ho raha hai? "Hamari pehli mulakat hi galat hui. Wo meri favorite bike hai aur bohot mehnat karna pada tha Bhaiya ko manane ke liye us bike ke liye."
"Main use tod nahi deti, main bas dekh rahi thi use."
"Maine tumhe pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha, tum mere liye stranger thi jo mere ghar ka garden mein thi, mere bike ke paas. Mujhe samajh nahi aaya kya sochun. Par mujhe waise react nahi karna chahiye tha. Main tumhe theek se janta nahi tha, bina jane mujhe assume ya shak nahi karna chahiye tha, ya ilzaam nahi lagana chahiye tha. Mujhe tumhe benefit of doubt dena chahiye tha. I think ye sab kuchh meri wajah se shuru hua hai. To uske liye main tumse, uh, I want to tell you that, ki..."
"Oh my god, Veer, tum sorry kehne ke liye itna struggle kyun kar rahe ho?" Shaivi hasti hai. Veer apni nazar hata leta hai. "Ab yeh mat kehna ki tumne kabhi kisi se maafi nahi mangi hai."
"Aisa nahi hai, main apne bhaiyon se regularly maafi mangte rehta hoon."
"To mango mafi."
She's smiling, matlab ise bura nahi laga. Progress, Veer, you managed not to offend her or piss her off. Veer bhi smile karta hai. "Uh, yeah. Jab se tum aayi ho ham dono ke beech kafi fights hui hain aur maine kai baar bura- bhala kaha hai tumko, uske liye I'm sorry." Veer 'I'm sorry' ekdam dheemi awaz mein bolta hai. Veer ko worked up dekh ke Shaivi phir se hasne lagti hai. "Tum has kyun rahi ho? I know I'm funny par I'm serious right now. Maine koi joke nahi mara hai."
"Oh god, Veer, tum kitne cute ho. Maine kisi ko sorry bolne ke liye itna parshan hote hue nahi dekha hai."
"Yeh to kuchh bhi nahi hai. Bhaiya ki halat aur bhi buri hai."
"Isse bhi buri? Main nahi maanti." Veer badi si smile deta hai. Veer muskurate hue achha lagta hai, hamse jab ladta hai usse bhi zyada achha.
"Jab Bhaiya ko Bela Di se maafi mangni padegi, jo eventually hoga kyunki bhaiya apne ego mein aake bina baat ka bohot pareshan karte hain Bela Di ko, tab tum dekhna." Veer muskurana band karta hai aur achanak Shaivi ka dono haath pakad leta hai. "Hamari starting sabse achhi nahi thi. Main sochta hoon ki agar us din main tumhe offend nahi karta to pata nahi hamari starting kaisi hoti. Wo to nahi ho sakta hai, lekin main chahta hoon ki ham dono purani baatein bhulakar shuru se shuru karein aur friends ban jaye."
Lagta hai ise yaad nahi hai ki ham dono ke raaste pehle bhi takraye hain, bhale hi jis bhi wajah se ho. "Idea achha hai." Shaivi apna haath aage karti hai. Veer uska haath milata hai aur aise hi unki dosti ki shuruat hoti hai.
Achha hai tumne mujhse maafi maang li, Veer,kyunki yeh main nahi kar pati aur agar ham dono ki dosti nahi hoti to... par, "Achanak maafi maangne ka khayal kahan se aaya?"
"Achanak nahi hai. Kai dino se plan tha maafi maangne ka par jab bhi maafi maangne tumhare paas aata tha hamara jhagda ho jata tha."
"Waise, galti meri bhi thi. Main bhi bacchon ki tarah tumse ladne lagti thi jab ki mujhe samajhdari dikhani chahiye thi. Main bhi sorry hoon."
"Tum bhi kya yaad rakhogi, maine tumhe maaf kiya."
"Shukriya, Shehzade. Aapki meherbani. Kaise chukayenge ham aapka yeh aehsaan?"
"Bela Di!"
"Kahan?"
"Tum unki nakal kar rahi thi na?"
"Nahi, bilkul nahi. Ab aap shehzade hain to hamara bhi nawabon ki tarah bolna banta hai, janab."
"I like this playful side of yours. Ham khush hue. Agar hamare paas koi mala hota to ham aapko zaroor dete."
"Bohot khoob," Maya poolside aake bolti hai. "Chalo achha hai tum dono mein dosti ho gayi. Ab tum dono bacchon ki tarah nahi ladoge."
"Aunty ji, aap yahan?"
"Haan, Shaivi, main bhi yahin rehti hoon."
"Nahi Aunty ji, mera wo matlab nahi tha-"
"Jaanti hoon, main bas tumhari taang kheech rahi thi."
"Ab mujhe samajh aaya Veer ne mazak karna kahan se seekha hai." Veer proud smile deta hai.
"Ghar mein sab itne serious rehte hain, mood light karne wala bhi hona chahiye. Achha, yeh sab baad mein hote rahega, abhi tum mere saath chalo. Maine pink carnations mangwaye the, pata nahi kaun se flowers aa gaye hain. Yeh log hamesha koi na koi galti kar dete hain."
"Chaliye, Aunty ji, main flower shop ko call karke aati hoon."
"Pehle dekh lo, phir call karna."