Part X AAJI'S LAST ATTEMPT!
"Kya?", Aaji looked at Antara in shock. It has been nearly five days after the hug day as Antara thought of that day in her mind. After that day Raghu and Antara met many times but neither of them spoke about what had happened. Antara had avoided that issue due to shyness but she was confused as to why Raghu did not speak about it. After five days of deliberating over it, Antara had come over to Aaji's house where Aaji sat with Machmach sipping tea. The moment Antara saw Aaji, she felt something break inside her. She had realized how much hurt she was due to Raghu's non-reaction and had hugged Aaji and cried. Aaji had patted her back and once she had calmed down Aaji had asked her to have tea. After having tea Aaaji had coaxed the whole story out of Antara and now Machmach and Aaji sat there feeling incensed on Antara's behalf!
Antara sniffed, "Ab aap hi bataayiye Aaji! Main kya karoon?" Aaji sighed unsure as to how to reply. Machmach growled, "Karna kya hai? Bhai se jaake baat karte hain." Antara looked at him alarmed at his suggestion while Aaji glared at him, "Koi Raghu se kuch nahi bolega!" Antara sobbed again and Aaji rolled her eyes, "Antara! Itni bhi rone ki baat nahi hai! Woh kisi aur ladki se shaadi nahi karne jaa raha jo tu aise ro rahi hai!" Antara continued sobbing and Aaji proved that she was Raghu's grandma by shouting, "CHUP! Ek aur aawaaz nikla na tere se toh dekhle!" Antara stopped sobbing in shock while Machmach looked at Aaji in wonder. He did not know that Aaji had it in her to shout at someone. Waah! Aaj Aaji ne saabit kar diya ki woh Bhai ki Aaji hain! Aaji frowned. Yeh Raghu ko kya hua hai? Ab toh use maaloom bhi padh gaya hai ki Antara use pasand karti hai toh phir Raghu ne ilu ilu kyun nahi bola? Antara mumbled softly, "Shaayad main hi galat thi Aaji, jo us din se ummeed lagaaye baithi hoon ki Raghu ke dil mein mere liye kuch toh jagah ban gayi hogi! Meri jhooti ummeed thi jo toot gayi!" She looked away with a broken expression on her face. Aaji sighed feeling sorry for the poor girl. Machmach piped up, "Par Aaji aapne hi toh bola tha na ki Raghu Antara ko pasand karta hai?" Antara looked at Machmach then at Aaji in confusion. Aaji resisted shouting at Machmach. Yeh Machmach bhi na! Kisne isko Antara ke saamne mooh kholne bola? Main idhar inki love story mein jyaada na ghusne ki koshish kar rahi hoon! Aur yeh hai ki mooh khole jaa raha hai! Main chaahti thi ki Raghu Antara pyaar ke har ehsaas ko mehsoos karein. Yeh ikraar ke darr ko mehsoos karein! Phir darr par kaabu paake ikraar karein! Lekin yeh Machmach ne toh Antara ko sach bol hi diya! Par Machmach ko koske kya karoon jab apna hi sikka khota nikla! Is Raghu ko toh! She looked at Antara's expecting face and nodded, "Chintu tere se bahut pyaar karta hai re! Yeh Machmach jhoot nahi bol raha!" Antara looked at Aaji's face for a moment with tear filled eyes but after that she shook her head. "Nahi Aaji! Aapko galat faimi hui hai! Raghu mujhse pyaar nahi karta! Agar karta hota toh ikraar zaroor karta! Par na usne kuch bola aur na meri dil ki baat ka izhaar kiya!" Aaji shook her head and sat beside her. She placed her hand on Antara's head and spoke, "Are yedi! Woh tujhse bahut pyaar karta hai re!" Antara looked at her, "Aapko kaise pata? Kya usne aapko bataaya?" Aaji rolled her eyes, "Aur nahi toh kya?" Antara's eyes widened, "Sachchi?" Aaji smiled and nodded, "Sachchi!" Antara smiled brightly but soon her smile dimmed. Aaji frowned, "Kya hua re Chhakuli?" Antara looked away sadly, "Agar woh mujhse pyaar karta toh mujhse bolta na? Ab tak kyun nahi bola! Us baat ko toh paanch din hogaye!" Aaji huffed, "Yahi toh samajh nahi aa raha ki usne bola kyun nahi?" "Mereko lagta hai...", Machmach started and Antara and Aaji glared at him. Machmach gulped but still spoke, "Ek baar meri baat toh sun lo!" Aaji barked, "Bol!" Machmach continued, "Mere ko lagta hai ki bhai ko na overconfidence ho gaya hai!" Antara frowned, "Matlab?" Machmach smiled, "Matlab ab tu ne usko apni dil ki baat bol di! Toh ab Bhai ko toh pata hai ki tu usse pyaar karti hai! Toh ab toh tu kisi aur ko haan nahi bolegi!" Aaji glared at him, "Tu bolna kya chaah raha hai?" Machmach shrugged, "Ab tak bhai isliye ilu ilu bolne ko taras raha tha kyunki unko darr tha ki Antara aur kisise shaadi na karle! Par ab jab bhai ko pata hai ki aisa nahi hoga toh phir unki tension gayi! Toh woh aaram se apni dil ki baat bolega!" Aaji was about to scold Machmach for his stupid idea when she frowned, "Arre! Haan re! Ho sakta hai! Machmach! Zindagi mein pehli baar tu ne akal ki baat kahi!" Machmach straightened his collar in pride. Antara huffed, "Agar aisa hai toh hogaya pyaar ka ikraar! Jab tak woh I Love You bolega tab tak main buddhi ho jaaungi!" Aaji nodded, "Ek dum baraabar boli! Jis speed se yeh Chintu jaa raha hai, us speed se toh tum dono ka kuch nahi ho sakta! Ab mujhe hi kuch karna padega!" She thought for a while and she brightened, "Raghu ko bahut confidence hai na ki tu aur kisiki ho nahi sakti toh us se uski yeh confidence cheen lete hai!" "Matlab?", Antara asked in worry. Aaji signaled Antara and Machmach to come closer and she explained to them her plan.
After a while, Antara was the first one to react, "Nahi! Nahi! Aaji! Main yeh nahi kar sakti!" Aaji rolled her eyes, "Raghu se pyaar karti haina?" Antara nodded morosely, "Toh yeh tujhe karna hoga!", Aaji ordered and smiled smugly. She ordered Machmach, "Tu ja aur Antara ke maami ko idhar bula la! Main usse baat karti hai aur woh iski Maama ko bhi samjha degi!" Machmach nodded and walked away. Aaji looked at Antara, "Aur tu! Mere plan mein kuch gadbad ki na toh tere aur Chintu ki shaadi ke baad tujhe bahut sataaungi, samjhi!" Antara nodded still scared of what Aaji had planned. Aaji smiled victoriously and leaned back on her seat. Ab Raghu tu dekhte ja! Tere Aaji ka aakhri daav jo tujhse ilu ilu bulvaake rahega! Ab mera plan kaamyaab hoke rahega!
Twoo days passed and another Sunday came. Raghu got up from his bed with eagerness as today was the day Antara was to bring him poha. And then the whole day he would get to spend with Antara! He happily grinned as he went downstairs and into Aaji's room where he waited for Antara to come into the house. Aaji smiled at seeing him but did not react more than that. This was something Raghu did every Sunday so Aaji was not surprised to see him. An hour passed but Antara was not there yet. Raghu frowned; ab tak toh Miss Call aa jaati thi! Toh aaj kyun nahi aayi? He looked at Aaji who was reading some Marathi magazine. "Ae Aaji, sunna!" Aaji looked at him questioningly. Raghu continued, "Yeh teri chhakuli ab tak aayi nahi?" Aaji smiled, "Aaj kyun aayegi woh?" Raghu replied, "Aaj Sunday haina!" Aaji frowned, "Toh?" "Toh har Sunday poha leke aati haina?", Raghu complained. Aaji shook her head, "Lekin aaj woh nahi aayegi!", she said it matter of factly. Raghu frowned, "Par kyun?" Aaji rolled her eyes, "Tereko nahi maaloom? Antara ne tereko bataaya nahi kya?" Raghu shook his head, "Nahi toh? Kya bataane ka tha Aaji?" Aaji acted as if she was in shock, "Arre! Deva! Tereko usne bataaya nahi. Usko dekhne aaj ladki waale aa rahe hain!" Raghu's eyes widened and he shouted, "KYA?" Aaji nodded, "Haan! Shaam ko aa rahe hain! Isliye aaj woh shaam ke tayyaari mein lagi hai!" Raghu growled. Yeh Miss Call ki itni majaal ki woh kisi aur se shaadi ke baare mein soche! Abhi dekhta hoon ise main! He got up from there and ran away while Aaji kept on hollering his name. Once, he vanished from her sight, she smirked. She pulled out her mobile and called Antara's Maami, "Hello! Saroj! Chintu yahaan se nikal gaya! Wahin aa raha hain. Darwaaza khulla chod dena aur tum sab log chup jaana. Plan ke mutabik hi chalna. Aur Antara se kehna ki tayyaar rahe!" She listened to what was being said from the other side and then spoke, "Achcha! Main rakhti hai! Machmach ko leke paanch minute mein udhar pahunchti hai!" She kept the phone down and smiled smugly. Ab dekhti hun Raghu ilu ilu bolne se kaun tujhe bachaata hai! Ab toh tere dil ki baat saamne aakar hi rahegi!
AUTHOR NOTES
As usual only those who review this part will get PMs for next!
Next and last update tomorrow!
This SS will end tomorrow with the 11th chapter!
I had planned for 11 chapters from the start. Infact, before even writing the intro I had planned each and every chapter in detail! So this SS will end with tomorrow's update!
PRECAP
Raghu and Antara confession in a funny style!
