SHOT 3

SHOT 3

1 year back

Life Care Hospital, Mumbai

Shaurya is resting on the bed, wearing the hospital dress, He kept the Chemistry Book leaning over his thighs supported by his stomach. One of his hands is getting drips. He is trying to memorize the Organic Chemistry equations for his examinations.

Rajveer and Devi comes inside in their school uniform.

Rajveer - "Hope we didn't disturb your study time, bro."

Shaurya smiled seeing Rajveer and Palki.

Devi - "At least, you can rest, Shaurya. In a few days, you will get discharged."

Rajveer - "He won't do that."

Devi - "You're right. Seems you will complete the syllabus much before the teacher can complete it. But don't strain too much."

Rajveer takes the book placed over his tummy.

Rajveer - "I know you want to study but keeping a heavy book over your tummy is not good when you got your heart transplant some time back."

Rajveer takes a folding stool kept nearby which is used for keeping food for the patients to eat. He placed it over the bed above Shaurya. Devi placed a book stand (refer the pic) over the table. Rajveer kept the book over the there and he made the Shaurya's folded legs relax.

Rajveer - "Now, you can read whatever you want, without taking stress."

Shaurya - "Thankyou, Rajveer. I am so lucky to get a friend like you."

Rajveer - "Friends and brothers don't thank each other. But still it is okay. But thank Devi as well. This book stand is Devi's. She felt that it will help you read in comfort."

Shaurya - "Thankyou so much Devi."

Devi - "By the way, no one thanks Bhabhi too. But it's okay."

Rajveer and Devi laughed. Shaurya smiled.

***

Present

God's Favorite Orphanage, New Delhi

Preeta, Palki, Shaurya and Rajveer sends the kids back to their rooms after having a long Diwali celebration.

Shaurya - "Thankyou so much, mam. You made this Diwali the best Diwali in my life time."

Preeta - "Even though I made you come here forcibly, it's you who decided to accept my advice and decide to do the right. So you should also take the credit."

Shaurya - "Guess mam doesn't like compliments. So she is paying back like debts."

Shaurya laughed and Preeta patted his back playfully. Rajveer and Palki too laughed.

Palki - "Mam, we didn't intend to. But we did a mistake."

Preeta - "What did you do?"

Palki - "We listened to the conversation you had with Elena ji and Prerna ji about your missing son."

Preeta - "So that's why you pulled me there to play Diwali."

Rajveer - "Exactly, mam."

Palki - "We pray god that you will get your son back."

Rajveer - "God is always kind to his favorite people. You must be one of them because you're very caring. So he won't disappoint you. And your son will love you so much that you have to compete with him in providing love."

Preeta - "First, let me get my son. Even if he hate me for leaving him, I will be adamant enough to change his hatred to love."

Shaurya - "In the world, there are some mothers who are looking for their missed child even after 20 years. And there are some parents who leave their children within few hours of birth. God should not make the second kind of people parents at all. They are unfit."

Everyone were silent.

Shaurya - "I am sorry, mam. I have a loose tongue and I speak anything without thinking. Sorry if it hurts."

Preeta - "No, Shaurya. Don't be sorry. You feel so, because you could have experienced it."

Shaurya - "Exactly. Rajveer's parents and my parents left us in the orphanage immediately after our birth. Then, Shrishti aunty adopted Rajveer and my parents adopted me. I love my parents so much that even if my biological parents come, I would never look at them and talk to them. But Rajveer is the opposite. He wants to meet his real mother."

Preeta -"Oh."

Shaurya - "He never fails to ask the orphanage from where he got adopted, whether if his biological parents came to claim him or not."

Rajveer - "Not only me, Shaurya too asks the orphanage secretly but he don't accept that he had asked them."

Shaurya - "See, I don't ask them. You misunderstood."

Rajveer - "Just because you say cloud is pink, it doesn't mean the cloud is pink."

Palki - "Now you don't start fighting."

Shaurya - "I am not fighting. Rajveer is pulling my legs."

Rajveer - "Pulling my legs..."(he imitates Shaurya)

Shaurya - "Mam, please don't look at him. He may look innocent in his face but he is more mischievous than me."

Rajveer - "But he is surely mischievous. You cannot even misunderstand him to be innocent. He even called you Dean India in front of you, right?"

Preeta laughed at 'Dean India' comment.

Preeta - "You guys are so creative. I have heard of Mother India but Dean India, how come you are?"

Shaurya is embarrassed and others are laughing.

Preeta - "But don't worry, Shaurya. I won't beat you with steel scale for calling that."

Shaurya too laughed along with Preeta, Palki and Rajveer.

Preeta - "If I have my son, he would be of your age only."

Palki - "For a teacher, her students are like their kids. So we are also your kids, maám."

Rajveer - "Yeah, only a mother can do what you have done to both of us."

Shaurya - "Rajveer is right, mam."

Orphanage's owner Prerna Sharma knocks the door and tells Preeta, "Mam, Rajveer and Shaurya has some visitors."

Rajveer, Shaurya, Palki and Preeta comes to the waiting hall. Devi is sitting there with her mother Annapoorna.

Rajveer is shocked to see them. Shaurya is also shocked. Rajveer touch Annapoorna's feet and Annapoorna blessed them.

Devi - "I am really sorry, Rajveer and Shaurya. Whatever I said that day, was a result of my anger as I was rejected in the audition because of Rajveer's mischief. But whatever is the reason, what I did is wrong."

Annapoorna - "Please forgive her, Rajveer and Shaurya. She realised her mistake very early but she didn't have the guts to face you both."

Rajveer - "No aunty, ji. Please don't apologize. You are older to us."

Preeta - "Devi was very guilty that because of her, you both are not coming to the college. So Devi met Palki and decides to help Palki in getting you both out of your shell. But their plans didn't work. By the time, this fiasco reached my attention through student gossips and I got to know about your isolation from Devi and Palki. I asked Devi to come here as well."

Devi - "Shaurya and Rajveer, I know, I have hurt you a lot by telling your truth and called you gold-diggers. If possible, forgive me. But please come to the college."

Rajveer came to Devi.

Shaurya - "You did something we could not do. If you hadn't told our truth, we may take our politics campaign too far and we never got the guts to tell the truth. At least for that reason, we are happy now as we don't have to afraid of something. We don't have anything to lose. So we are actually grateful."

Rajveer - "Shaurya is right. I am also really sorry, Devi. I know, I was angry at you. But I should not have tampered your playlist so that you get rejected from the dance contest. I also took it far. Please forgive me."

Devi - "It's okay, Rajveer."

Rajveer, Devi and Shaurya shake their hands and said, "From today, no fights."

Preeta, Annapoorna and Palki smiled.

***

Shaurya and Rajveer started attending the classes regularly and they even resigned from the college positions they had. Even when someone tries to insult them, they didn't mind it and just did their academic works.

8 months before

Shaurya and Palki are playing in the park near Shaurya's PG. Both of them are swinging. Shaurya is swinging higher against Palki's constant warnings. At a point, Palki stopped seeing Shaurya being happy. But she is still scared.

Suddenly, Shaurya falls down on the ground with a thud. Palki gets up immediately and goes to him. He actually fall on the mud which got wet due to the rain happened few hours back. Palki gets Shaurya up.

It started raining again.

Shaurya - "Nature doesn't like me dirty. So in order to bath me, rain is pouring now."

Palki - "Seriously? You're not injured, right? You undergone a surgery too. I was also a fool to accept your stupid challenges. What if something happens to you."

Shaurya - "Arre Baba! Don't start on it. One mother is enough for me and if she knows that I fell down, she'll put both Mumbai and Delhi on her head such that Prime Minister will book a flight and get her to Delhi."

Palki - "She loves you a lot."

Shaurya - "Yes. No one can love me more than her and dad. Not even the ones who gave birth to me. They cannot even love me as much as my hostel warden takes care of me."

Palki - "She can love more than anyone but she can also beat you more than anyone, right? So shall I ring her number and tell her?"

Shaurya - "Come on, Palki."

Palki - "Don't worry. I was just pulling your leg."

Palki helped Shaurya stand.

Palki - "First, let us meet a doctor and then you can go home."

Shaurya - "Oh come on. I can do anything and nothing will happen to me. Because I am a superman. I didn't fall down actually. I flied to check if my wings are working."

Palki - "Just shutup, Shaurya. Always blabbering nonsense. Just do what I say. And don't ever think of doing any stupid adventures in the future."

Shaurya - "So you want the hospital to see my beautiful face creased by mud and dirt. Please let me bath."

Palki - "Shaurya... Fine."

Shaurya - "I have something to tell you."

Palki - "First bath and come. You have to see doctor then. And then I am ready to listen your stories. Now you go.."

Palki tried to push Shaurya but Shaurya held Palki's hand. He looks upward and washed his face with the rain drop. He looks at her eyes passionately.

Shaurya - "I love you, Palki."

Palki is shocked.

Palki - "What?"

Shaurya - "I love you. I would like to share my entire life with you."

Palki starts crying. Shaurya's face changed.

Shaurya - "I am sorry, Palki. If you say a no, it's okay. Please don't cry. I cannot see you like this."

Palki - "I don't want to be your friend anymore."

Shaurya - "Palki..."

Palki - "You said that you cannot see me like this.. you mean crying, right? Do you think I can see you doing swinging higher and refusing to see doctor after injury?"

Shaurya - "Means?"

Palki - "I mean, I don't just want to be your friend, anymore. I also love you, Shaurya. I don't know if it was right to confess or not."

Shaurya hugged Palki.

Present

Palki ended the story telling session to Preeta as Palki and Shaurya are preparing for their new year party in Preeta's house (2 months later post Diwali).

Shaurya - "Since then, I am under Palki's control. Don't do this. Don't do that. So many conditions."

Palki - "Why are you complaining as if you obey whatever I say?"

Shaurya - "That is also right. Even if I didn't obey sometimes... only sometimes.. Palki is cool. Otherwise, she will explode."

Preeta - "Only Palki is cool, not me?"

Shaurya - "Mam, only you're cool. Palki is sometimes cool."

Palki stared at Shaurya, "By the way, I started to have feelings for him within one or two months of our college. But this duffer had only 1 month before our proposal."

Preeta - "Maybe because men are slow at everything. Even I started loving my husband much earlier than him started loving me. But I proposed first."

Palki - "You're a queen, mam."

Preeta - "Let me take some snacks for you. Then we can do more gossips."

Preeta enters the kitchen and remembers her husband Karan Luthra.

Khwab Tere from Sita Ramam movie played (while remembering FB).

1.5 years back

Preeta receives a call when she is an important meeting. It is from Karan.

Preeta comes outside to attend the call.

Preeta - "Hello."

But Karan is not in the other end, "Are you Karan Luthra's wife?"

Preeta - "Yes. What happened to Karan? Is he alright?"

The person in the other end told her that Karan met up with an accident.

Preeta is shocked and rushed to the hospital. By the time, she reached Karan is declared dead by the doctors. Preeta's world is shattered.

Preeta went into depression after Karan's death.

She remembered the evergreen moments of hers with Karan.

Their first holi where Preeta announced her pregnancy.

Their baby shower.

Their marriage...

Their 15th anniversary function...

Preeta comes back to reality when she was called by the door delivery guy.

***

Supermarket

Rajveer came to buy some things in the supermarket for Preeta's house party. He saw Devi as well in the market busily talking to her friend in the phone.

Devi is talking to her old friend and she is discussing about her college life. She also mentions about Rajveer to her. Rajveer attemps to ignore her until he hears his name. So he decides to listen to her conversation.

Devi turns back at Rajveer when she is telling her that, "Some people end everything because of their ego."

Devi is shocked to see Rajveer. Devi tells her friend that she call him later. She is caught in the embarrassing situation.

Rajveer comes towards her.

Devi - "I am really sorry, Rajveer. I should not.."

Rajveer cuts Devi.

Rajveer - "You broke up with me, Devi. Remember that? So don't act like I ruined us."

Aawara Aawara song from Tere Ishq Mein plays.

Devi hits back, "I broke up because you pushed me away."

Rajveer - "I pushed you away because you treated me like a charity."

That hits hard on Devi.

Devi - "That's not true."

Rajveer said quietly, 'It is."

Rajveer - "Every time you paid for something, every time you tried to 'help' me with coaching fees... I felt small."

Devi - "I was trying to support you."

Rajveer - "I didn't want support. I wanted dignity."

Teri kayanaat, mere khaali haath aur taar taar sapne
Gaye zakhm jaag, mere seene aag, lagi saans saans tapne
Teri kayanaat, mere khaali haath aur taar taar sapne
Dardo se choor, gham ka guroor, kahoon kya main haal apne

1 year back (1 month later from Shaurya's surgery)

Board exams are going on. Entrance exam is pressure is also high among the students. Rajveer's mother had lost her job as well. Rajveer never told his pressure to Devi.

Instead, he stopped meeting her after school and stopped accepting small gifts. He also started avoiding her friends who whispered about "how foolish it is that she's dating someone so low class. How can she live in the dirty chawl after marriage?"

He heard the things which Devi never heard.

Devi's parents too knew about Devi-Rajveer's affair. They didn't interfere as long as it is not affecting Devi's studies. But Devi's father is not happy with Rajveer. In the PTA, he heard Devi's father Jeet telling Annapoorna, "He is Devi's distraction. He will slow our Devi down. I will talk to her tonight to break up with that boy."

Rajveer never told Devi he heard it. Instead, he became cold and distant.

She thought he was ashamed of her.

Aawaara, aawaara, awara angaara
Raaton mein dooba ambar ka banjara
Jaane toota kyun, main sheesha, na taara

He thought she was ashamed of him.

Present

Devi's anger is replaced by hurt.

Teri kayanaat, mere khaali haath
Aur taar taar sapne
Gaye zakhm jaag, mere seene aag
Lagi saans saans tapne

Koi udhaari hai, seene pe bhaari hai
Patthar hai ya dil hai?
Main hi akela hoon, main hi toh mela hoon
Yeh kaisi mehfil hai?
Roothe savere hain, aadhe yeh mere hain
Aadhe hain yeh terе
Tu hai nighaahon mein, laava hai aahon mein
Par sard shaam gherе

Devi - "You think I broke up because of money? No. I broke up because you stopped talking to me. You wouldn't look at me."

Rajveer - "I was trying to fix things on my own."

Devi - "I didn't want you to fix things alone!"

He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated.

Rajveer - "I heard your dad, Devi."

Devi - "What?"

Rajveer - "He said I'd drag you down. That I wasn't enough."

Devi - "You heard that? But how? He told me in my house."

Rajveer - "He is telling your mom that he will discuss with you about breaking up."

Devi whispered - "And you decided for me? You decided I'd believe him?"

Rajveer - "I didn't want to be the reason you fought your family."

Devi - "I would have fought."

He looks at her, really looks at her. She means it.

Devi - "You know what I thought? I thought you were embarrassed of me. That my world was too much for you."

He exhales sharply.

Rajveer - "I wasn't embarrassed of you. I was scared you'd realize you deserved better."

Devi - "You were already what I wanted."

Silence again.

Devi leaves.

Aawaara, aawaara, aawaara angaara
Aansu hai mere ya pighla hai paara?
Jaane toota kyun, main sheesha, na taara

To be continued.