Sorry for the lecture


Here's the next update.. and I hope I dont bore you all!
Thanks,
Adi.
2 months later
Buddy... mail dekha aapne ? Ram chirped onto the phone...
Haan dekha... Congratulations buddy! Sudhirji replied happily.
Aapko bhi congrats buddy.. yeh aapka hi vision hai.. aap nahi guide karte toh kuch bhi nahi hota. Ram answered ..By the way apni heroine kaha hai.. hai kya aas pass?
Hold kar... deta hoon.. Sudhirji smiled as he called out to Priya who was busy preparing chocolate cake for Pihu in the kitchen.
Madam.. mail dekha kya ? Ram asked excitedly.
Haan .. Papa ne bataya..congrats! Priya said softly..
Arey congrats to you yaar! Ram continued .. Its all your hard work Priya.. the client is so happy with the project proposal that they are ready to sign in for our services within this week. This calls for a celebration .. really!
Arey .. isme celebration ki kya hai Ram ? Chota sa project hi toh hai...Before Priya could finish Ram dived in .. Please don't underplay yaar.. lets celebrate. Chal aaj tujhe treat deta hoon... meri taraf se .
Mujhe treat dega tu ? Priya enquired ... smiling ...
Yes... Ram assured... Jo bhi chahiye... jaha bhi chahiye ... jaise bhi chahiye ..
Ok.. Priya smiled to herself.. Jaldi aa ja office se phir jaate hai ..
Ok .. main 15 mins mein nikalta hoon.. will be there in one and a half hrs...tu taiyyar rehna. By the way.. jana kaha hai ? Ram asked curiously..
Pehle tu aa toh sahi ..Priya replied, not ready to divulge anything more.
Ok Ok.. one and a half hrs sharp...Ram disconnected the line.
Priya kept the phone and went back to the kitchen, she had only an hour and a half to bake Pihu's favourite chocolate cake, and she could not afford to take any shortcuts for that.
Priya had just finished putting the last layers of chocolate cream on the cake when she could hear Ram's car entering their driveway.
An excited Ram barged in , and hugged Sudhirji...Buddy I am so happy.. he exclaimed..
Me too Ram .. Sudhirji replied smilingly.
Buddy where is Priya ? Ram enquired and without even waiting for the answer started calling out her name loudly...Priya .. Priya .. arey kaha hai tu ?
Uff kitna chillata hai ! Priya rushed in from kitchen wiping her hands in the apron .. Kya hua ?
With a broad smile on his face Ram placed a box in her hands.. This is for you...
Mere liye? Priya looked perplexed ...Kya hai isme ? She asked ..
Khol ke toh dekh! Said Ram, with the smile still lingering in his face...
Priya opened the box and was delighted to see the gift! She loved sarees... had a good collection herself but this one was breathtakingly beautiful. An exclusive tasar silk in a rich combination of orange, maroon and off white, with exquisite work in the pallu...she just loved it at the very first sight!
Ram... its so beautiful.. she exclaimed.. I cant believe tune yeh khud kharida mere liye! I mean tu akela gaya tha ?
Of course phir kya ! Ram said proudly, looking at Sudhirji... Buddy .. yeh aapki beti humesha mujhe underestimate karti hain ! Arey office se nikalte waqt Ma ko pucha tere liye kya loon! Ma ne bola saree lo... bas do minute mein pick up kiya "Nalli's" se... Ram continued.. Pata hai yeh pallu ka jo contrast color hai na orange aur maroon ki.. mujhe wahi bohot pasand aaya ..
Hold on... Priya stared at Ram with a questioning look in her eyes..pallu mein kaunsa contrast color ki baat kar raha hai tu ?
Arey yeh wala contrast yaar... Ram pointed out to a specific part of the saree..
Oh My God... Ha ha ha ha ha Priya collapsed on the couch laughing... Tu yeh dekhke utha laya yeh saree ? She paused... breaking loudly into laughter once again..
Arey.. isme itni haasne ki kya hai? Ram stared at the saree in surprise...
Arey buddhu... yeh pallu nahi.. blouse piece hai! Pallu kabhi yeh side hota hai kya ... Priya could hardly control her laughter as she spoke... Pallu toh idhar hai... kitna accha work hai .. tune dekha hi nahi hoga...
Aisa hai kya ... oh ...ho... Ram scratched his head ... he looked totally confused as he tried hard to remember and rehearse with his hands as to how exactly a saree is draped.. and which side ideally the pallu should come...
Dhurrr... too complicated this is ! He finally gave up in frustration.. Itna time nahi tha mere pass ke dhyan se dekhu!
Time rehta toh bhi kya... tujhe samajhta hai kya kuch... Priya taunted once again!
Priya... bas kar beta.. Sudhirji intervened.. Kyun itna suna raha hai bechare ko! Tere liye itna accha gift leke aaya aur tu...
Dekhiye na buddy.. humesha mera mazak udhati rehti hai ! Ab jana hai bahar toh abhi chal nahi toh I am going home! Ram frowned..
Oh ho sorry baba.. Priya smiled as she removed her apron... Chal I am ready... jaate hai..
Ready matlab.. Ram scanned her... She was in a simple white and green kurti and a pair of jeans.. ... Aise hi jana hai ? He asked..
Hmm kyun? Priya replied..
Kuch nahi... par hum ja kaha rahe hai ? Ram enquired anxiously...
Arey chal na ... batati hoon .. Priya started walking towards the main door..
Oh God.. buddy aapki beti suspense queen hai ekdum.. Ram complained to Sudhirji as he scampered towards the main door behind Priya..
Ram took out his car keys and was about to proceed towards his car when Priya stopped him...Gadi ki koi zarurat nahi hai... we can walk...
Walk? Ram was not at all amused at the proposal... Please Priya... yaar walking nahi gaadi nikalta hoon na main...
Ram.. yahi problem hai teri.. you just don't want to walk ...isi liye toh itna motu ho raha hai ... Priya grumbled.. Chal abhi.. tune hi to bola tha.. jaisa main chahu waisa treat..
Oh God!!! Ok baba.. chal.. Ram finally submitted and started walking with Priya...
It was almost 8 pm in the evening as they walked through the familiar roads of Vashi. The roads were full of traffic... the footpaths on both the sides were thronged by people.. all seemed to be busy, hurrying to reach their destination. In the midst of all this Priya seemed to be the only one who had no hurry at all as she walked slowly along the footpath , smiling to herself.
Kuch yaad aa raha hai ? She threw a questioning look at Ram ...
Kya ? Ram was unable to decipher what she meant..
Ab road cross karke left jana hai! Now don't tell me abhi bhi kuch yaad nahi aa raha .. Priya said smiling at him..
Oh ho .. school ja rahe hai kya hum! Ram exclaimed.. Oh Priya tu bhi na!
Arey bohot dino se mann kar raha tha school jao ek baar ... Jabse wapis aayi hoon bas time hi nahi mil raha tha! Priya continued...Aaj tune bola toh socha school jaate hai..
Hmm ..jab hum apne purane ghar pe rehte the... tujhe yaad hai kaise jis din school bus miss hota tha... Ma ya aunty mein se koi humein chodne aate the school mein! Tu, main aur Nutz.. aur Nutz ko humesha rickshaw mein godh mein baithna padhta tha..Ram smiled as he held Priya's hands tightly while crossing the road.
Haan yaad hai ...Aur road cross karte waqt tu humesha mera aur Nutz ka hath pakadta tha... jaise abhi pakda hai... Priya smiled back to him.
Both of them started reminiscing their school days as they walked and reached the school in about 20 mins. The board on the top of the big iron gate read Father Agnel's, Vashi'. Behind the big iron gate was a huge playground... flooded dimly with lights . Encircling the playground were 2 big buildings ..the classrooms . .. they looked almost the same as they looked 25 yrs ago!
The gates were closed and the security guard at the gate politely told them to come the next morning.
Humein kisi se milna nahi hai bhaiyya.. Priya assured him.. Hum is school ke purane students hai.. bas door se dekhne aaye hai .
The guard was pretty much amused to see two adults, , holding the bars of the gate, placing their faces against them, staring at the school ground and chatting and laughing away.
Yeh ground dekh ke bas teri football matches yaad aati hai .. Priya travelled down the memory lane... Woh interschool ki match yaad hai tujhe... hum 4-2 se jeete the... aur tune akele 3 goals kiye the!
Haa.. Tujhe football pasand nahi hai phir bhi tu woh match dekhne aayi thi! ..Ram smiled.. Kya din the woh bhi. Pura deewar bhar jata tha poster se... Pele, Platini, Zico, Maradona, Paolo Rosi, Gary Linekar, Salvator Schillaci, Lothar Mattaus, Romario...
Haa.. aur har footballer ke poster ke niche ek Madhuri ka photo... Priya said teasingly..
Arey aisa kuch bhi nahi hai ... Ram tried to protest ...
Kya kuch bhi nahi hai ? Woh picture .. kitni baar dekha tha tune.. bas ek gaane ke liye ..
Humko aajkal hai intezaar ...' Priya started humming the tune.. Kya naam tha picture ka ?
Sailab.. pat came the answer from Ram...
Dekha ... hayee... abhi tak yaad hai tujhe .. kya baat hai! Dard abhi bhi hai lagta hai .. Priya continued with the banter...
Haan Haan hota hai.. Ram blushed.. Tu bhi toh books ke andar Amitabh Bachchan ke photos rakhti thi...uska kya..
Please Ram.. Mr Bachchan ke baare mein kuch mat bol...Priya immediately tried to defend.. Woh pure respect tha yaar!
Oh ho.. Main photo rakkhu toh crush... aur tu rakkhe toh respect! Huh...why different rules ! Ram retorted!
Uff accha sun woh sab chod aur ek zaruri baat bata ... Priya looked straight into his eyes.. Kya hua hai aaj jo tum log itne khush ho sab.. Papa.. tu...
Arey bola na tujhe woh contract...
Please Ram.. Priya snapped back... Mujhe business utna nahi samajhta ... par itna toh pata hai ke it's a very mediocre client, project bhi chota hai aur margin of profit is also very meagre.. Phir tum sab kyun...
Priya .. just tell me one thing first ...Ram interrupted her... Are you happy doing whatever you are doing now? I mean aisa toh nahi hai ke tujhe kuch aur karne ka mann karta hai and we all are forcing you into this family business?
Nahi Ram... I guess I have started enjoyong doing this... aur phir I get a lot to learn.. from you , Papa, Guptaji aur baki sab... Priya responded .. I am really happy here Ram..
Phir tu dusre options nahi soch rahi hai na ? an ecstatic Ram took Priya's hands into his.. You can be with us always .. right ?
Of course Ram..Priya assured.. first few days socha tha ke wapis academics mein jao.. par ab lagta hai yahi thik hai. And the best part yeh hai ke I get to spend so much time with all of you ... really I am very satisfied...
You know Priya... we all were so worried for you! Buddy kabhi express nahi karte .. par mujhe pata hai... aur Ma bhi ! Ram paused to gather himself...Jab tu wapis aayi do mahine pehle..tu humesha roti rehti thi, baat baat pe sensitive ho jati thi... aisa lagta tha tu humari Priya hai hi nahi! Par jabse tu ne yeh project main actively kam karna chalu kiya.. you look so confident, you look so happy, you took independent decisions and finally succeeded. Does not matter how big or small it was Priya... finally you are back to your own self... and that's what we all are happy about!
Ok Ok.. ab itna senti hone ki zarurat nahi hai.. said Priya nudging Ram's arms.. Chal ab ... treat de raha hai na tu? Bhul gaya ?
Bhula nahi hoon yaar .. par jana kidhar hai ... woh toh bata ! Ram asked anxiously...
Hmm ab yaha se kaha jaate hai .. pata nahi kya tujhe ? Priya quipped.. smilingly..
Oh ... Sunderlal.. Ram laughed .. Oh God.. yeh hai tera treat !
They walked down the lane to Sunderlal's food cart... this man made the best bhel puri in the whole world for sure! Sunderlal greeted them with a smile... Kya banau ?
Bhel.. Both Ram and Priya said in unison...
Metha chatni zyada... Ram said...
Teekha chatni zyada ...Priya said simultaneously...
Sunderlal smiled... he was familiar with their tastes. For last 25 yrs, whenever these two came together, he always had to make separate bhel for them... And today also he did the same!