Chapter 9

3.

"Ms. Siya, from tomorrow our long holidays are starting. Tomorrow's the weekend aur phir pura ek hafta public holiday. Yeh papers check kar lijiye, we'll need to confirm them. Mahine baad exams shuru ho rahe hai 9th aur 10th ke, as you know mam." Menaka, a teacher in Vidya Kendra School, Panvel, asked Siya. After an eventful holiday due to heavy rains the other day, Siya had come back to work for the last working day before the one week holidays. She smiled and took the sample papers from Menaka, who smiled back. "Don't worry Mena! Mai check kar lungi. Aaj mujhe 7th aur 8th ke check karne hai, baad mein agar time milega toh aaj, warna kal-parso jaise free time mile mai check kar lungi inhe bhi. By the way, what are your plans for the holiday?" Menaka excitedly replied, "My brother is coming back from Jaipur. Woh bohot saari mithaayi leke aane waale hain! Mujhe lagta hai, my whole weekend will go in eating sweets." Siya chuckled along with Menaka. "What about you mam?" Menaka asked Siya. "Papa ke puraane dost unke parivaar ke saath humaare ghar aa rahe hain. They'll be staying the whole week." Siya warmly replied.

Then she remembered something and asked Menaka, "Mena, woh SuryaTech ke koyi humaare school mein seminar karne waale hai na?" Menaka scratched her chin and then remembered. "Haan mam! I had heard Binita mam, IT Head, talking about it. I think company ke CEO Dashrath Raghuveer ke bete aane waale hain. Unke chaar bete hai, shayad sabhi aayege yaa phir koyi do aayege." Siya nodded at the information. "Par Binita mam keh rahi thi ki unke bade bete toh for sure aayege. Unka naam, kuch R se start ho raha tha.... I can't remember." Menaka smacked her head in frustration and Siya just smiled and patted her back, then she said, "Koyi baat nahi Menaka. It's fine. Anything else you wanted to ask or let me know?" Menaka smiled at Siya's calm and reassuring presence. She then said, "Woh... ek personal baat thi. Kya hum aapke office mein baat kar sakte hai?" "Sure, why not?!" Siya replied to Menaka. 

They both walked towards Siya's office. Siya seated herself on her chair behind the desk and Menaka sat in front. "Bolo, what is the matter?" Siya asked. Menaka took a moment to gather her thoughts and then said, "Thoda zyada hi personal hoga, shayad, lekin ek baat poochhni thi aapse... What is love?" Siya chuckled a little then placed her palm on Menaka's and asked, "Achanak se yeh sawaal aaya hai toh can I guess ki tumhaare bhai ke sang koi aur bhi aa raha hai Jaipur se? Someone special..." Menaka was slightly flustered and replied, "You always guess correctly!" At this Siya let out a laugh. She then said, "I have absolutely no experience of falling in love until now. But I do know a thing or two about it. Mujhe lagta hai ki pyaar ek magical feeling hai. Kabhi kabhi hum kisi ko dekhke sirf attracted feel karte hai, par agar hum kisi se pyaar karte hai then after seeing them humein physical features ka koyi bhaan nahi rehta, sirf do dilon ki dhadkan sunaayi deti hai, eager to know each other, eager to be there for each other. Liberation feel hota hai ek tarah ka, aisa andar hi andar tai ho jata hai ki zindagi kisike sang bitegi, toh isi ke sang bitegi. It's just indescribable. Violins nahi sunayi dete, hawaaye tez nahi udti, phool nahi baraste. Normal feel hota hai, ek aisa normal jo iss stressful life mein paana bohot hard ho gaya hai." 

Menaka looked at Siya in awe. Then she said, "Mam, I thought Math teachers only understood numbers and logic. Par aapke words ek dham therapist type ke the. I knew it! Mujhe pata tha ki aapke paas best answer hoga. Gut feeling!" Siya just smiled at her sister-like colleague's innocence. Then Menaka happily went away and Siya prayed, 'Hopefully use uska saccha pyaar mil jaaye'. Meanwhile Menaka prayed, 'Hopefully mam ko bhi unka sachha pyaar bohot hi jald mil jaaye.'

-------

Lakshman and Shatrughan walked into Ram's cabin at office with some important files. "Bhaiyya! Kaam ho gaya! Ab hum chhutti lele? Panvel jaane ki preparation bhi karni hai..." They looked like they were really done with all the work in the office and wanted to go home. Ram understood their true emotion and smiled. Then he took the files and motioned them to sit on the chairs in front of his desk. They obliged. Then he said, "Mujhe pata hai ki tum dono ko kaam mein thoda sa disinterest hai, especially kyunki holiday ki excitement hain. Lekin work is important. Tum dono hi socho, agar insaan kisi bhi purpose ke bina jiye, toh life kitni boring ho sakti hai?" Lakshman and Shatrughan bowed their heads down, feeling a little ashamed at being caught out that way. 

"Arre! Ismein sharminda hone ki kya baat? Normal hai aisi cheez. Especially at your age, kaam kabhi kabhi bojh sa lagta hai. But insaan ko kaam karna compulsory hai not by anybody else's words, but by nature's rule. Duniya mein bohot se berozgaar log hai. Unhe kaam hi ki tadap hai. Par jin logon ke paas kaam hai, rozgaar hai, unhe uski importance seldom nazar aati hai. Tum dono aise nahi ho, mai jaanta hun ye baat. Phir bhi samjhaana important hai. Just because we're the heirs to this business, humein koyi hakk nahi iss company ko for granted lene ka." Ram continued warmly. Lakshman and Shatrughan looked up at their older brother smiling, then Lakshman said, "We understand bhaiyya! Hum excitement ke wajah se thode se ignorant ho gaye the. Lekin hum aayinda kaam ko kabhi neglect nahi karenge." Shatrughan added on, "We'll try our best bhaiyya!" Ram laughed a little at their innocence and ruffled both their hair. 

"By the way, bhaiyya.... we were thinking...." Shatrughan mischievously said. Lakshman continued, ".... Aapka yeh dedication kisi aur disha bhi divide karne waali...." Shatrugan continued, "..... Woh haseen dilruba jispe aapka dil kurbaan ho jaayega...." Lakshman continued, "...... Woh devi jinhe hum bhabhi kehkar pukaarenge....." Shatrughan finished, "..... Woh kab aayegi?" Ram shook his head at their antics. "Haan bhaiyya, we're waiting for that miracle woman, joh humaare bhaiyya ka dil instantly jeet legi!" Bharat spoke, coming from the doorstep of the office. "Tum logon ko meri non-existent love-life ke sivaay koyi aur topic nahi milta discussion ke liye?" The three other brothers looked at each other, then smirked and said, "NAHI!" Ram arose from his seat, then move towards them to smack their heads. They ran around the office, then Bharat, Lakshman, Shatrughan ran out and Ram remained in.

As Ram caught his breath after the chasing, he smiled a little and shook his head in disbelief at what had just occurred. He prayed with amusement, 'Bhagwaan, in logon ko thodi si sadbuddhi de dena!' Then he chuckled and sat back down on his seat. The brothers, meanwhile, simultaneously prayed, "Bhagwaan, hum logon ko ek pyaari bhabhi de dena!' Then they went ahead to complete the rest of their work.

~~

Hope you liked this update! Thank you so much!

Love,

MusicOfGrace