Chapter 20

 

EPISODE – 32

 

Naina was rummaging Navin's bag who had just returned an hour before.

"Kya dhoondh rahi hai Naina? Nahin hai tera gift ismein.... Niti ke bag mein hai."

Neetika handed out a neatly gift wrapped box to Naina which she was opening with great curiosity and excitement when Rajveer came in.

"Hey Navin... Hello Neetika ji!! Kaisa raha aap dono ka honeymoon?"

"Minus you two... fantabulous." Navin said.

"Tabhi to hum dono sharafat se wapas aa gaye the."

"Sharafat se to kam se kam bilkul nahin aaye the. By the way yeh kaun sa tareeka hai aajkal ke love birds ke milne ka." Saying this he turned to Naina who was busy adoring her new short dress. She suddenly realized that she is supposedly going around with Rajveer and she hasn't yet even looked at him.

 

"Aap uski tension mat lo Bhaiyya... Hum dono baad mein private mein jaa ke apni hi hello kar lenge... lekin private mein...Not in this much crowd."

"Crowd?"

"Haan... Two is company and three is crowd... Phir yahan pe to hum four hain."

"Tum dono apna yeh drama band karoge?"

"Drama... what drama?" Rajveer asked.

"Yeh tujhe bhi pata hai aur mujhe bhi."

"Acha... lekin agar yeh drama na ho to?" Rajveer asked him kissing at Naina's forehead.

"To kya... main khushi khushi apni museebat tere gale mein daal dunga."

 

"What? MUSEEBAT??" Naina shrieked. "Fine then yeh rakho apna gift. Mujhe nahin chahiye."

She threw the dress on him and walked out of the room.

"Naina ruk!" Navin tried to stop her but she left.

He turned to Rajveer.

"Yaar kya ho raha hai yeh sab? Tu pagal ho gaya hai kya. Don't even bother explaining me anything... I know yeh crazy idea sirf Naina ka hi ho sakta hai. But how could you agree?"

"Agar Naina ko refuse karna itna easy hota to tune abhi abhi uski tareef mein kuch acha sa word use kiya hota."

"True! Lekin ab usko manana bhi padega."

"Tu ruk... main dekhta hoon."

"Okay!"

 

It has been a fortnight Rajveer and Naina have started their 'courtship'. All this while they have done a lot of flirting, casually and romance 'occasionally yet purposely'.

 

 

Rajveer entered her room holding that dress in his hand. She was sitting on the couch turning the pages of some magazine without any intention to read it.

"Navin pe gussa nikalne ke bahut se tareeke mil jaayenge tumhein other than loosing out on a pretty outfit."

"Mujhe nahin chahiye Bhaiyya ka koi bhi gift."

"Don't say that... Tumhein apna aadha wardrobe khaali karna padega uske liye."

"Tum Bhaiyya ki side lene aaye ho to lemme tell you, it's no use... Chale jao."

"Main to sirf hamari private waali hi hello karne aaya hoon." He said sitting next o her.

 

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Waise I hope tumhara sense of humour itna bhi bura nahin hai ki Navin ke ek chote se taunt ko tum itna seriously lo."

"I know... I know.... Now stop being his friend and behave like mine."

"Matlab?"

"Bhaiyya bhabhi to 15 days ke baad aane waale the na... Itni jaldi kyun aa gaye apne honeymoon se."

"Tum khush nahin ho kya?"

"That's not the thing... Just that Bhaiyya ke itne saare plans the then why did he abandoned them all at once."

"Life mein shanti ki aadat nahin hai na so he came back to you. Upar se tumne apni breaking news se use dara jo diya tha." Rajveer answered her while getting up from the couch.

"Kam se kam dialouges to alag-alag maarte tum dono... Abhi to it's so clear ki tum dono ratt ke aaye ho yeh excuse."

"There is nothing like that. Tum yeh dress lo and go change. Drive pe chalte hain."

"Topic change kar rahe ho?"

"Why should I?"

"Kyunki tum jhooth bol rahe ho... haina?"

 

He looked at her silently for a while and forced a smile on his face.

"Haan. But sach mat poochna. Abhi nahin bata sakta... It's highly confidential and official." His tone was rather serious.

"Okay! But I'll be waiting for you to tell me."

"Hopefully very soon I will. Ab change kar lo and get ready."

 

An hour later Rajveer was driving out of the city. Naina was sitting next to him. They were both quiet. Rajveer turned to look at her and found her yawning.

"Sleepy?"

"Aur kya? Tumhein pata hai hum dono half an hour se chup chaap baithe hain."

"Is kaam ke liye to tumhara naam Guinness book of world records mein add kar dena chahiye. RJ Naina... Sorry I mean 'The RJ Naina' aur aadhe ghante tak chup... Amazing!"

"Bhaiyya se competition lagaya hai meri leg pulling karne ka."

He laughed.

 

"STOP... STOP... STOP!!" she cried.

He applied the brakes instantly and the car stopped with a screech.

"Kya hua?" He asked her looking concerned.

"There is a shop... Mujhe wafers ka packet chahiye."

He stared at her furiously.

"Kya hua?" She asked innocently.

"Yeh baat tum mujhe aaram se normal logon ki tarah nahin bol sakti thi... Mujhe laga pata nahin kya ho gaya."

She giggled.

"Tum bahut jaldi darr jaate ho aur phir bahut conveniently you name it as your concern."

"Main kyun darunga. You go and get whatever you want."

"Okay!"

 

As she tried to step down, Rajveer held her hand and stopped.

"Tum ruko main le ke aata hoon."

"Nahin main jaati hoon na... Mujhe choclate bhi chahiye."

"I'll get all that you want. You stay here."

Rajveer returned in 5 minutes with 2 packets of wafers and a handful of choclates.

"Yeh main bhi to laa sakti thi na." She said as he got back to his seat.

"Nahin." He gave a curt reply.

"Ab tumhein kya ho gaya."

He continued driving silently.

"Raj... I am talking to you."

"Naina tumhein dikhayi nahin deta."

"Kya?"

"Wahan shop ke bahar jo log baithe the... Kaise ghoor rahe the tumhein." He sounded irritated.

"Oh that! Ab agar tum meri tareef nahin karoge to kya main sach mein pretty nahin lagungi. I am good looking and achci cheezon ko log palat palat ke dekte hi hain. So what's the big deal?"

 

He stopped the car immediately on the middle of the road.

"Big deal is ki tum koi raaste pe padi cheez nahin ho jise jab jo chahe stare kar le. And there is one more thing called intentions... Aur jis tarah se woh log tumhein dekh rahe the..... I just wanted to ..." He didn't complete. He was badly enraged and Naina's indifference was all the more irritating for him. He didn't tell her this time but Naina knew he cared for her... It was written all over his face.

"You wanted to...." She prompted him to finish.

 

"We are going back home." He said curtly and took a U-Turn to return.

Naina kept staring at him for long. He did notice that but tried to ignore her constant gaze but could not do that beyond a point.

"If you are waiting for an apology for shouting at you or something, forget it! So stop staring."

But she continued staring though there was a small smile on her face.

"Sorry!" She said, out of blue, after a while.

"Did I hear a sorry?" Rajveer asked, a little bemused.

"I did say I am sorry." She answered making a nave face that brought an instant smile on his face. He picked up a choclate from the dash board and gave it to her.

"Sorry tumehin bilkul suit nahin karta hai."

 

She took a bite from the choclate and offered it to him. Since he was driving, she herself stuffed his mouth with the entire choclate bar. She opened a packet of wafer next and kept sliding wafers in his mouth frequently. He once intentionally bit her finger for which she gave him a punch on his arm. It was around one and a half hour drive and by the time they returned she dozed off comfortably resting her head on his shoulder and holding his arm tightly.

 

After he stopped the car, he turned to her to wake her up but found her sound asleep. A few loose strands of hair were falling over her face while the remaining of her silky long hairs were put together in a bun. Her bare shoulder from her off shoulder dress held his attention which gradually slided down to her cleavage. He removed the strand of hair from her face and stroked her cheek with his finger bearing a big smile on his face.

"You ARE beautiful Naina."