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~~~~~Part 22: The Wedding~~~~~~
Mayank is full with confusion and hesitation. He is a practical young man..he can fully understand the consequences of this decision. But he is helpless and bound by the love of his mother. After all that she has been through due to him which he cannot forgive himself for, this is the least he can do for her. But to make his mother happy, should he take such a risk with the life of another girl who is completely innocent in this entire process of events but may be effected most by this decision. The more he thinks about it, the more he gets entangled. So he decides to speak to her..this could only be the way to find peace with his decision. He picks up the phone and calls Nupur. Phone rings and Nupur picks up the call:
M: Hello…Nupur?
N: jee
M: main Mayank
N: jee pata hai. ..per aap ne achanak call kiya? khairiyat?
M: woh…hum aapse milna chahte the…kuch zaroori baat karni thee
N: abhi? kuch hi dino me hi hamari shaadi hai..aise bahar abhi milna kya thik hoga?
M: agar zaroori nahi hota to hum aisa nahi kehte. please bas thori dair k liye
N: ermmm…thik hai…per kahan?
M: ghar se thora door…university ki cafeteria? aaj shaam 4 baje?
N: jee
M: main campus ki gate pe aap ka intezar karunga
Nupur hangs up. She is surprised that Mayank wants to talk to her but she is in no oblivion as to what Mayank would like to talk about. So she mentally prepares herself to be able to face this conversation.
Its 4pm and Nupur arrives spot on time to see Mayank waiting eagerly in front of the campus. They meet and Mayank leads her to the cafeteria. Whilst being there, Mayank feels a sense of awkwardness not only because he is with Nupur but also due to the fact that this is where he had his first date with his beloved Nupur. Never before then or even after he came to this place with any other girl except now. He finds an empty table at the corner and offers Nupur to sit.
M: kya lauge?
N: kuch nahi..boliye kis liye milna chahte the
M: woh main yeh poochne k liye tumhe…(he gets interrupted by the gang who come rushing to them as soon as they spot them)
S: arre dude…tum aur yahan? kaise ho? aur campus me to dikhai nahi dete aajkal. kya chal raha hai?
M: kuch nahi Samrat..bas maa ki tabiyet sahi nahi hai to ghar pe hi rehta hoon zyada tar. (he notices the gang taking quick glances at Nupur and whispering amongst themselves)
He standsup quickly and says..
M: accha to hum abhi chalte hai. baad me milte hai
D: woh to thik hai Mayank per apne iss naye friend se nahi milaoge kya?
M: (Mayank is feeling even more uncomfortable now. What should he say? How should he introduce her to them? So he attempts a quick and rough introduction before leaving) oh haaa..tum logo se to milaya hi nahi. ermm..Nupur yeh saare mere bohat acche dost hai..yeh hai Diya, Samrat, CJ aur yeh Benji. aur friends…yeh hai Nupur
Everyone is shocked! Has Mayank gone nuts!! Why is he calling this stranger Nupur? While everyone is wondering what to say, Diya confronts Nupur first..
D: Tum Nupur ho? kisi sirhe se bhi to Nupur nahi lagti tum.
S: Diya..please!
D: nahi Sam…hum bhi to samjhe yeh khudko Nupur bata rahi hai ya phir Mayank isse Nupur bula raha hai! Either way, yeh hamari Nupur nahi hai
M: Diya…innka naam hi bas Nupur hai. aur tum sahi keh rahi ho…kisi sirhe se bhi yeh meri Nupur nahi hai
D: nahi hai to yeh kya kar rahi hai yahan per…woh bhi tumhare saath? kya lagti hai tumhari? dost hai? aur agar dost hai to pehle kyun nahi mili? bolo...
While all this is happening, Nupur is feeling cornered and at the same time offended by the words. Initially she gets mad but she gradually understands that these must be the common friends of both Mayank and his Nupur. So the reaction is quite obvious. She refrains from saying anything and takes this opportunity to note what Mayank does to handle the situation. After all, it was his idea to bring her here! On the other hand, Mayank can sense Nupur's discomfort and he wants to be out of this situation as soon as possible.
M: Diya main tumhare har sawal ka jawab baad me dey dunga per iss waqt humain jaana hai (he indicates to Nupur to get up and they prepare to leave)
CJ speaks up then….
C: wah…hamari dost ko gaye bas kuch hi din hue hai aur aaj koi doosra aagaya cafeteria me. typical man!!
M: (Mayank turns to say something when Samrat stops him..)
S: dude please. tum bata kyun nahi dete k kaun hai yeh? kya rishta hai isska tumse? agar sirf friend hai to thik hai na!
M: (Mayank gets agitated by the interrogation and perhaps starts feeling sorry for Nupur who is being battered by these people and she has not yet uttered a single word in her defence. So he decides to stand up for the truth and says out loud and clear..) yeh Nupur hai aur agle mahine inke saath meri shaadi ho rahi hai. You are all invited. Now please…excuse us!
Mayank holds Nupur's hand and they literally pull themselves out of the crowd to get out of the cafeteria.. leaving the gang in a shocking state of mind. They start walking towards home…irony this is because it is the very same path Mayank used to drop Nupur home. Same path…same house..and its Nupur alright but still its not her and neither are these moments as special as they used to be. Nupur maintained her silence throughout the entire set of events that happened so fast and so suddenly. But she is not feeling offended or insulted anymore…her future husband to be did come out at last to protect her honour and this has given her the first ray of hope that this marriage might just work. While both of them were lost in their own thoughts, Mayank spoke first..
M: I am sorry..
N: kyun?
M: mere doston ne aapse sahi tarah se paish nahi aaye.
N: kya woh aap dono ke common friends the? I am assuming so..
M: haan..khaas karke Diya usski kaafi close thee. ghusse me aake na jaane kya kya keh diya aapko
N: I can understand. usski jagah koi bhi hota to shayed aise hi react karta
M: shayed…ghalti meri hi hai. wahan per nahi bulana chahiye tha aapko. bas aadat se bula liya. andaaza bhi nahi tha ke inn logo se mulaqat ho jayegi. main bohat sharminda hoon
N: (smiles) arre aap ko mauka kya diya aap to muaafi ke line laga diye. ab kya haath jorne lagenge kya?
M: (smiles back) nahi…aisa kuch nahi karnewale. But just to be sure…
N: accha bhul jayye uss baat ko..per aap kuch kehna chahte the na? jis wajah se itna sab kuch hogaya woh wajah to wohi k wohi reh gayi. boliye ab..kya baat thee?
M: nahi..hum bas yehi poochna chahte the k…(he hesitates)
N: k... kya???
M: kya aap iss shaadi ke faisle se khush hai?
N: matlab?
M: dekhiye…aap sab kuch jaanti hai..samajhti bhi hai..phir bhi?
N: shaadi ke liye aap ne bhi to haan kaha hai!
M: usske piche meri apni wajah hai
N: to phir hamari bhi to koi wajah hosakti hai na? aap apna farz nibhayye aur hum apna nibhate hai. baaqi rahi shaadi ka kaamyab hona..woh to waqt hi batayega.
Mayank sees something in Nupur's eyes…a certain sparkle, sign of confidence perhaps that he doesn't dare to question her decision anymore. As they come near to her house, they bid goodbye to each other only to meet and have their next conversation at the wedding night.
Next month, on the agreed date and time, they get married. There were hardly any celebrations. It was a very plain ceremony as Mayank insisted on not going overboard with the wedding, Shilpa's health also never recouped to a state where she can do more and Nupur's dad could not make the wedding due to some unforseen circumstances. None of Mayank's friends attended the wedding either. Very smoothly all the rituals were being completed, one by one. Throughout the ceremony…at each and every ritual Mayank closed his eyes and felt his Nupur. His dreams, his hopes and all those promises were burning into the ashes of the holy fire around which they completed their seven circles.
-Neela
Jhanak
14