Chapter 39

 

 

EPISODE-39

 

"Alekh!" Naina was almost screaming with excitement. She ran to him and gave him a hug.

"Tum to is tarah se surprise ho rahi ho as in you didn't know I was coming."

"Mujhe kaise pata hoga ki tum yaha aa rahe ho?"

"Kyun Raj ne bataya nahin? Usko to pata tha."

"What?" She turned to him.

"Sorry I don't know how I forgot to tell you."

Naina was actually getting angry on Rajveer but she had to remain calm because Navin was also there.

"Never mind... I love surprises."

 

"Woh to theek hai Naina but tu mujhe ek ke baad ek shock kyun de rahi hai?" Navin asked her.

"Shock? Kyun maine kya kiya?"

"Pehle khud achanak se mere saamne aa kar khadi ho gayi aur ab tu aur Alekh....Dono ek hi kamre mein ho aur abhi tak kuch toota-phoota nahin hai. Instead you guys are happy to see each other."

"Oh come on bhaiyya."

Alekh smiled and put his arms around Naina's shoulder and they went to Navin.

"Haan humnein socha ek baar dosti kar ke bhi dekh lete hain. Right?"

She just chuckled in the reply.

Alekh hugged Navin.

"Navin!!! Yaar I can't tell you how happy am I to see you."

"Me too."

"Kaisa hai?"

"I am fine yaar. Bas in dono ke samajh mein yeh baat nahin aati. Inka bas chale to mujhe hilne bhi na de yeh dono."

"Chal acha hi hai. Jitna rest milta hai kar le. Waise bhi kal hum yahan se nikal rahe hain. The journey is long, tedious and difficult."

"Hum sach mein kal yahan se nikal rahein hain? Oh Great!"

"You look so excited. Adventures ki aadat pad gayi hai tumhein lagta hai."

"There's nothing like that. Bas mujhe ghar jaana hai."

"Aunty ki daant khaane ki itni jaldi hai?"

"Please... Don't even remind me that."

"Alright Sweetheart. Hum kal yahan se nikal rahein hain and that's final...Happy?"

"Very Happy.... Lekin tumne to kaha tha ki tum yahan nahin aa sakte. You will have to stay back to co-ordinate things."

"Haan but tum logon ko meri kuch khaas zaroorat hi nahin padi. Besides sirf 2 din ki baat thi aur itne se time ke liye Neetu can handle everything. And please no more questions.... Agar aapki permission ho to main thodi der Raj aur Navin se bhi baat kar loon."

"To maine kab mana kiya hai?"

"Yes madam but in case you haven't realized it yet to tum kisi aur ko kuch bolne ka mauka nahin de rahi ho."

"Cool. Ab main kuch nahin bolungi."

She got upset and turned to leave but Alekh held her hand and stopped her.

"Good to see that the chatterbox is back."

She smiled and Alekh planted a peck on her forehead.

 

All this while Rajveer was standing in a corner. When Naina left to get water for Alekh, Rajveer came and hugged Alekh. Alekh, Navin Rajveer and Abdul engaged themselves in some further planning. They discussed at length Navin's condition. Entire plan had to be made accordingly. The discussion went on for about two hours.

 

"Alright then. Here's the final plan. Kal sharp at 1200 hours, pehle tum dono Navin ke saath yahan se nikloge. Uske baad exactly 1300 hours pe main aur Naina yahan se niklenge. We will meet at 1400 hours on the bus stand. But journey hum log alag-alag karenge. Yahan se nikalte hi we are strangers until we reach Kasur. Uske aage kya karna hai yeh hum wahin jaa kar plan karenge. Any doubts?"

"Aisa karna zaroori hai? Hum log saath mein nahin jaa sakte?" Naina asked him.

"Zaroori to nahin hai but as they say precaution is better than cure. Waise agar tum chaho to meri jagah Raj tumhare saath chala jaayaega."

"Nahin that's okay. Uski zaroorat nahin hai."

"Well... Suit yourself."

 

Everything was ready. They were all set to leave. As planed Navin, Rajveer and Abdul left at 1200 hours and an hour later Naina and Alekh also left. When they reached the bus stand Navin, Raj and Abdul had already boarded the bus. Both of them boarded as well and sat on the last seat while the rest of the three were in the middle. They all purposely avoided the front seats.

 

"Finally we are on our way back." Naina took a sigh of relief.

"Itna khush hone ki zaroorat nahin hai. We have just begun and none of us know what awaits us after this."

"I know that but... anyways let it be."

"Waise how was the experience?"

"You don't expect me to tell me that it was good. Hum yahan adventure sports ke liye nahin aaye the."

"Nahin but jis kaam ke liye aaye the woh tum dono ne successfully kiya hai... so obviously I do expect you to tell me it was good."

"That was the only good thing... No actually that was the best thing. You know mujhe kai baar to kuch samajh mein hi nahin aata tha ki afterall ho kya raha hai."

 

Thereafter Naina went on narrating him the whole experience. How they ran from the lodge and checked in into another hotel...How police came looking for them and she made a major goof up; How they escaped from the hotel pretending to be ill. She told him about their stay at Chak Amru and Rajveer's cutting his wrist and how they finally reached Navin and....... She was quiet. She could not tell him what happened after that. She looked lost. Her eyes were moist. Alekh noticed it.

 

"Phir kya hua Naina?"

She didn't reply. She couldn't even hear him. She was too occupied with her thoughts. She was still unable to find a reason for her behavior that night.

"Naina..." He shook her.

"Haan" She was startled.

"I asked phir kya hua?"

"Phir...Phir kya? Kuch nahin hum log same night Bhaiyya ko le ke wahan se nikal gaye and rest you know, right?"

"Wrong. I don't know."

Naina looked at him. She could not figure out what he meant.

"Naina I can see ki tumhare aur Raj ke beech kuch problems hain. Kuch to hua hai. Haina?"

"Problems... What problems? Nahin Alekh aisa kuch bhi nahin hai."

"Well if you don't wanna tell me its fine. But do you remember maine tumse mission pe aane se pehle kuch kaha tha... about Raj. Yaad hai?"

 

"Itna mat socho Raj ke baare mein.... warna tumhein usse pyaar ho jaayega." He had told her. She was rather annoyed this time at the thought of what he was trying to remind her.

"Oh just shut up Alekh."

"As you wish." Saying this he closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of seat. His eyes were closed and his face had that same mysterious smile.

 

******************

 

They had reached Kasur safely. Navin had a little fever. But it wasn't as high as the last time. His condition was improving. The presence of his loved ones around was helping him recover faster. He slept peacefully in that room of Abdul's house. It was the next afternoon. Almost 24 hours have gone after that conversation between Alekh and Naina and Naina was still not talking with him. Alekh finally made an attempt for cease fire.

"Naina...."

But he could not complete. Abdul came in running. He looked troubled.

"Alekh Bhai..."

"Kya baat hai Abdul?"

"Ek bahut badi problem ho gayi hai!"