Present time/ 2024
A small house near Park City, Utah 🇺🇸
Mayank and his friend Darshan sitting near fireplace, sipping hot coffee. Darshan, five years older than Mayank, is his business partner cum home mate, they shares the house and living there from almost four years.
"What happened to you monkey ? Looking disappointed!" Darshan says.
"How many times I told you don't call me monkey!!"
"Tu bhi to mujhe Daru bolta hai, mai tujhse senior hu phir bhi mujhe naam se pukarta hai tab ? Acha chal yeh bata hua kya hai ?"
"See the embers Daru" --- Mayank pointed at fireplace "they burn themselves to give others warmth. Aur saala duniya inko hi kaala kehte hain" --- and chuckled sadly.
Darshan remains silent for a few minutes. He knows some dark corners of Mayank's heart which are unknown to others.
"Phir ye bata tere dalle baap ka call aaya tha na ? Kya kaha usne ?"
"Wohi emotional drama.... eight years passed, ab to aa jao beta, aur kitna gussa karoge, tumhari maa ki tabiyat theek nahi hai bla bla..."
"Hmm that's right. You never meet them in last eight years. Now you should go Monkey"
"Tum samajh nahi raha hai, if I go to India then not only them..... I have to face him too. Kaise muh dikhaunga mei usse ?"
"I would like to only say that you're adult and settled now. So......"
***DING DONG 🔔
The doorbell sound interrupted Darshan and some female voice heard ----- "Mayuuu... open the door baby"
Clear annoyance shaded on two friends' face. Darshan wry his mouth and said -- "Aa gayi Dhiren ki beti. Jaa nipat le, I'm going to bedroom"
.
.
Shalini jumped on Mayank when he opened the door and hugged him tightly. Mayank hugged her back just for formality. They came in living room and sat on couch. Shalini came closer to Mayank and kept her head on Mayank's shoulder.
"College nahi hai aaj ?" Mayank asked.
"Kya baby! It's Sunday! God! How would I live with this forgetful man ?"
"Who's forcing you to stay with me ? And why are you wasting time here ? Enjoy your weekend naa..."
"Mayu..... don't act like damn..... you betterly know your father promised our marriage to my dad"
"My father promised Shalini, I didn't"
Mayank's stiff voice made the girl's face fade. He smirked next moment --- "This is my life Shalu, not your or my father's. And am not interested in marrying you... wait, lemme make a coffee for you. Then I have lots of work"
"Leave it Mayank. I understand, ok I'm going. But lemme know in whom you're interested man ?"
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