Chapter 26

 

EPISODE – 38

 

"Hello." She answered the call in a sleepy tone.

"Is that... Naina?"

"Obviously! Aur kaun hoga?" She answered still half asleep.

"It's me, Maya."

"Kaun Maya?"

"Naina... main Maya... Captain Maya Shergill!"

"Oh haan! Tumhare paas mera number kahan se aaya."

"Naina... Wake up! Tumne Raj ka phone utha liya hai. Phone do use."

"What?"

 

She got up and opened her eyes to realize that she has actually picked up his call. She woke Rajveer who was sound asleep next to her and gave him his phone.

 

"Hello."

"Yeah Maya..."

"Are you sure?"

"Ah... Okay!"

"Right... I am there."

"Okay fine... See you!"

"Acha listen... Navin se mat kehna ki mera phone kisne answer kiya."

"It's not that."

"Don't you know..."

"Gosh Maya!! Naina is Navin's sister. Isliye keep your mouth shut."

"Shut up... I am coming!"

 

"Ab kya hua... Aur yeh kya time hai call karne ka... It's just 3:30 in the morning." Naina asked sounding irritated.

"I know... Kuch zaroori kaam hai. I'll have to go."

"Aisa kya kaam hai?"

"You go back to sleep. Mujhe jaana hoga."

"But..."

 

She could not continue. Her lips were sealed by his'. After a short kiss he parted, gave her a small smile and got up to get ready.

"Acha tareeka hai mera mooh band kar ke rakhne ka."

"Come to think of it... Ek hi tareeka hai tumhara mooh band rakhne ka."

"Shut up and can you please tell me subah ke saadhe teen baje kaun sa pahaad toot pada hai ki tumhein itni jaldi mein bulaya gaya hai."

"Kuch lead mila hai shayad. I need to go and check that."

"Shayad matlab?"

"Matlab I don't know what exactly is it about.... Hum log phone pe aisi cheezein discuss nahin karte. It's not safe."

 

Saying this he entered into bathroom to freshen up. She picked up his phone from the table and mumbled to herself.

"Captain Maya Shergill... Huh! Hamesha galat time pe sahi jagah hoti hai. Phir chahe....."

 

She noticed something in his cell phone that made her halt in between. Maya Shergill was out of her mind instantaneously. It was Rajveer's wallpaper that she found much more intresting. She was adoring that when Rajveer came back in the room.

 

"Yeh kya hai?" She asked him suppressing her smirk and glee, pointing towards his cell phone.

"Kya tum bhi meri cheezein chedti rehti ho." He commented snatching his phone back from her.

"I asked yeh kya hai."

"Kya hai kya? Jo dikh raha hai wahi hai... Aur kya hai."

"Tum chori chupke se meri pictures click karte ho... Sharam nahin aati?"

"Karta to main aur bhi bahut kuch hoon." He said playfully taking her in his arms.

"Shut up Raj... Yeh picture Goa ki hai. That time, jahan tak mujhe yaad hai, hamara aisa koi scene nahin tha..."

"So... Tum us din bikini mein achi lag rahi thi to maine kuch photographs click kar li."

"Lekin wahan aur bhi to goodlooking ladkiyan thi na... unki to click nahin ki."

"Theek hai... Ab tumhein itna hi bura lag raha hai to next time main un sab ki bhi click kar lunga. I am not at all averse to having pictures of some hot women in my phone."

"RAAAJJJ!!"

 

She punched him in his shoulder. He laughed and pulled her closer and tighter in his arms.

"Anyways you are not going out of here in dark. Sunrise ke baad hi ghar jaana. Waise Navin aur Niti bhi nikalne waale honge. They are also coming."

"Okay."

 

She gave him a tight hug. He ran his hand over her hair.

"Ek baar yeh saara matter sort out ho jaaye uske baad I'll talk to Navin."

"Promise?"

"You have my word."

"Bhaiyya maan jaayenge na?"

"Maanega kyun nahin?"

"Yaad hai na Alekh ka naam sunte hi kaise bhadak jaate the."

"I know... But don't worry. Agar woh nahin maana na to main tumhein uski naak ke neeche se kidnap kar ke le aaunga."

 

She looked fondly into his eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Ab main jaaun?"

She shook her head.

 

He kissed on her forehead and her cheeks.

"Ab?"

She again shook her head.

He kissed on her neck and her bare shoulders and down on her arms.

"Ab?"

"You idiot... Nahin!"

She cried and planted a peck on his lip. She looked at him for once and placed her lips firmly on his mouth. He gladly took them in and they were soon immersed in the enticing sensation of their profound kiss. In a few minutes they parted.

 

"Ab jao."

She said smiling at him though reluctantly. He hugged her for one last time and left.

 

********

 

"Madam aapko Alekh sir ne bulaya hai." A peon told Naina as she entered the radio station.

"Okay!"

 

She headed directly towards his cabin wondering why he wants to meet her first thing in the morning. She knocked the door of his cabin.

"You called me."

"Yes. Come in."

"Kya hua?"

"Take a seat Naina."

"Alekh mere show ka time ho raha hai so... If you could just rush up!"

"I very well know about that. Anyways maine tumhein yeh batane ke liye bulaya hai ki Dad ne final decision le liya hai about his reshuffling plans. Saare reshuffled slots will be put up on the notice board in an hour and formal intimation will reach everyone by evening."

"And..."

"And tum apna slot check kar sakti ho....."

He continued after a small pause. "There is no change."

 

"Yesss!! I knew it! Main jaanti thi boss would agree with me."

"Congratulations." He said with a faint smile but she could not understand what that smile was actually for. Alekh's behavior today was a bit strange. There was no trace of evident hostility which has been there for quite sometime now, on both of their parts.

 

"You have some time?" He asked her.

"10 minutes."

"That's more than enough for me."

"Anything important?"

"Very..."

"Kya?"

 

He didn't reply her for a while. He didn't even looked at her for a few minutes.

"I am sorry."

"For what?" Her voice softened.

"For everything... Everything I said, I did... I do realize ki mujhe itna zyada possessive nahin hona chahiye tha tumhein le ke."

"Actually you don't have to be sorry. Our relationship was never meant to work out. And I am, to some extent, to be blamed for it."

"Lekin main galat nahin tha... Isnt it?"

"Amm........ Matlab?"

"I saw you with Raj last weekend... Ansal's mein. Aur mujhe laga tha ki you were just trying to make me jealous by saying that you two are dating."

"Relationships can not be planned Alekh. Maine bhi kabhi nahin socha tha ki out of everyone, Raj will be the one I'll fall for."

"You know something Naina... What according to me is the best thing about you?"

"What?"

"That you don't take things very seriously all the time. You can smile in any situation. That's why itni heavy philosophies tumhein suit nahin karti hain. So just keep smiling and don't ever change. Tumhare show ka time ho raha hai... All the best."

She smiled.

"Thanks Alekh. I'll see you later."

 

She walked out of the room looking a little lost. She could not understand why has he softened so much suddenly. It was more than obvious that he has accepted that it's all over but still he has been hostile towards her of late. This sudden change in his attitude was somewhat startling but very relieving.