MAYUR: The Beauty & The Nerd (upd part12, pg59) - Page 21

The crowd disperses as the gang regains consciousness and come out of their initial shock. Benji gets up and picks up Samrat's ball, Uday shakes his head hard, Samrat sprinkles water on Diya's face and helps her get up, and they all make their way to Mayank and Nupur, open-mouthed.

But before they can ask Mayank and Nupur what just happened, Nupur comes up to Mayank and starts shouting at him.

Nupur: What the hell, Mayank!!! Tum kaise sab ke saamne keh sakte ho ki main teri girlfriend hoon? Aur woh bhi chillake-chillake. Kya soch rahe the tum us waqt?

Mayank: Pata nahin us waqt kya soch raha tha. Lekin ab main sochne laga hoon ki tumhein apni girlfriend kaise keh sakta hoon. Kaun tum jaisi mental ladki ke saath romantic relationship rakhna chahega?

Nupur: Mentallll....!!!????!!?!?!?!? Mayank, how dare you...!!!! Ab main tumhein nahin chodoongi.

Mayank: (he looks at his watch, before saying…) Chodne ke liye pakadna bhi toh zaroori hai na..

And Mayank runs for his life, because he is sure that if Nupur does manage to catch him before class, she will surely beat the hell out of him. Nupur is about to chase him around the college, when the bell rings.

Nupur: Arrrg!! Khair chodo, main class ke baad Mayank ko jaan se maar doongi.

Diya: Lekin Nupur, kya hua tumhare beech ki tum Mayank ka khoon karna chahte ho.

Uday, Samrat, and Benji smirk at the way Diya put forward what they were all wondering, especially after seeing Mayank run faster than ever for his life just minutes earlier. And Nupur narrates the whole incident from morning from the time she and Mayank left their respective homes.

Score 1 for Mayank, Nupur is at nil.

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Later, in class…

Mayank and Nupur's media module teacher comes into class for a tutorial session. Every student stands up and greets him, and he takes attendance first before he starts to speak.

Prof. Sinha: Class, is semester tumhein apne media module mein ek project de diya jaageya. Is project pairs mein kiya jaayega. Yaani, main class mein kinhi do logon ki jodi bana doonga, aur inhe hi is project pe saath kaam karna chahiye.

Class: Jee Professor Sinha.

The class awaits anxiously to hear who they will be paired with. They pray that they get paired with the person of their choice. Mayank on the other hand, prays that he gets paired with anyone else but Nupur because if she is his partner, then she will be sure to get her revenge sooner and faster, and he has no intention of "going to hell" that quickly.

Nupur knows exactly what Mayank is thinking, and prays for exactly what he hates – that she becomes his partner.

Prof. Sinha: Benji aur Uday. Samrat aur Karan. Sara aur Ajay. Prithvi aur Sanjana. Divya aur Ojaswi.........Gunjan aur Prajakta – koi yeh baat Gunjan ko batana, bhoolna mat, woh aaj bimar hai na? Haan, toh main kahan tha..? Oh, Mayank, tum Sheena ke saath kaam karna. Aur baaki kaun reh gaya hai? Nupur.. Toh Nupur, tum Ranvir ke saath.. Nahin, Ranvir toh kal se hi college chod diya tha. Bechare ki maa ko cancer hai, aur family mein aisa koi nahin hai jo ussey support kar sakein. Pita toh mar gaye hain, toh zyada paise bhi nahin aate. Jo bhi aate the, apne mom ke pension se the, aura b paiso ki sakht zaroorat hai toh usne college quit karne naukri join kar li. Class, Ranvir ki maa ke liye please pray karna, aur agar ussey maddad karne ki koi bhi tarkeeb sooche na, toh please mujhe bata dena aur hum sab saath mein uski sahayata karenge.

Class: Jee sir. (the class gets tense and sad, and prays for Ranvir and his mother)

Prof. Sinha: Haan toh kya keh raha tha main? Aaj kal main bohot distract hota jaa raha hoon, aur yeh meri biwi ka kiya dhara nahin hai. (Prof. says this to lighten the mood, and as expected, everyone laughs, feeling slightly better after the earlier sad news) Haan… Nupur, sorry tumhare liye koi partner nahin hai. (Mayank smiles, thinking Nupur will have to do the project by herself now) Lekin good news yeh hai ki, kyunki main tumhein yeh project akele karne nahin de sakta kyunki yeh difficult hai, aur tum nayi ho college mein, toh main tumhein privilege deta hoon kit um jo chahiye jodi mein join kar sakti ho, aur unke saath kaam kar sakti ho. Kya tum Gunjan aur Prajakta ke saath koin karogi, Gunjan toh tumhari cousin hai na?

The whole class is happy with their pairings, and look towards Nupur in the hope that she will join their group, as they are already so enamoured by her. They eagerly wait, with anticipation seen clearly on their faces. On the other hand, Mayank's face falls after hearing that Nupur can chose whoever she wants to join. Nupur looks towards him, and seeing him look dejected, she smirks.

Nupur: Jee Professor Sinha. Main partner toh chose karoongi, lekin main Gunjan ke saath kaam nahin karna chahoongi. Ussey toh main bohot achchi tarah jaanti hoon, aur kyunki main nayi hoon college mein, toh kisi aur ko bhi achche tarah jaanna chahti hoon taaki aur zyada dost bana sakoon.

Prof. Sinha: Very well said Nupur. I am proud of you. (Mayank rolls his eyes coz now even the Prof. is charmed by Nupur) Toh tum kiske saath project karna chahogi?

Nupur: Uhmmm.. Apna faayda dekhke, (the class laughs) main toh ussi ke saath kaam karna chahoongi jo studies ke maamle mein apna kaam bakhoobehi karta hai. Professor, aapka best student kaun hain? (but Nupur already knows the answer)

Prof. Sinha: Mayank, of course.

Nupur: Haan, toh main Mayank aur Sheena ko join karoongi.

The whole class sniggers, knowing what happened between Mayank and Nupur in the morning (gossip travels fast in the college), and can't wait for them two to clash and the sparks to fly. Mayank inwardly groans and looks extremely dejected. Nupur smirks even more, her grin widening at she batts her eyelids at Mayank, glad at having scored an opportunity for her revenge.

Score is 1 all for both Nupur and Mayank.

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Later…

The class had ended, and now it is lunch time. Mayank is as usual in the library while Nupur is chatting with the rest of the gang in the canteen. They all ask about Gunjan's health, finally having gotten time to sit and ask after the shocking incident in the morning. Seeing Samrat get worried, everyone starts teasing him. Nupur though, remains silent at observes Samrat, knowing that though Samrat outwardly denies his feelings for Gunjan, deep down he really cares for her and loves her. Samrat looks and sees Nupur looking at him. He guesses what she is thinking about, and decides to talk to her later, to help him clarify his feelings.

Samrat (thinking to himself): Main yeh kya mehsoos kar raha hoon? Kahin main chashmish se... Nahin, aisa nahin ho sakta. Chashmish meri achchi dost hai, sirf dost. lekin agar aisa hai toh phir main kyun vaise mehsoos kar raha hoon? Pata nahin.. Main Nupur se baat karta hoon, usse zaroor kuch pata hoga...

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A few weeks pass by, and Nupur has started to come to Mayank's home regularly – both to work on their media project, as well as to sit and chat with Shilpa Aunty. Shilpa by now has grown quite fond of her "Nupur beta", as she calls her, much to Mayank's annoyance. She has let Mayank become aware of this fact, knowing that if she likes Nupur, Mayank might actually extend a hand of friendship to Nupur just to please his mom.

But after weeks pass, and nothing happens between Mayank and Nupur, Shilpa decides to play her last card… Nupur has come over to Mayank's home for their project, but he is in the shower, so Nupur goes to the kitchen to chat with Shilpa, who decides to chose that moment to make her move.

Shilpa: Nupur, tumne aage ka socha hai?

Nupur : Aagey ka kya Shilpa Aunty ?

Shilpa: Mer matlab hai, tum college ke baad kya karoongi?

Nupur: College se Bachelor's degree pane ke baad main ek saal tak kaam karna chahoongi. Part time job, taaki padhayi se mera mann kuch door rehke halka ho jaaye. Phir ek saal ke baad main phir se college join karke apni Master's degree kar loongi. Uske baad phir se lekin pichli baar se bhi behtar job ke liye search karoongi.

Shilpa: Oh. Toh Nupur, shaadi ka kya khayal hai?

Nupur: Shaadi? Well, uske baare mein abhi tak socha nahin. Lekin koi achcha ladka mil gaya, jo mere bauji ko bhi pasand aaye, aur jo of course, mere pyaari si Shilpa Aunty ka approval paaye, toh shaayad chat mangni phat byah bhi kar loongi.

(Nupur winks at Shilpa as she says this, picking up the cup of coffee that Shilpa just made)

Shilpa (knowing her master plan's climax is coming up soon): Oh toh aisa hai. Vaise, mere khayaal mein ek aisa hi achcha ladka hai.

Nupur (getting curious): Kaun hai woh Shilpa Aunty?

Shilpa: Mera beta Mayank of course. Haan Nupur, main chahti hoon ki ek din tum mere ghar ke bahu bano, meri Mayank ki dulhan bano.

Nupur nearly chokes on her coffee, and Mayank who had just entered the kitchen at that moment drops all his stuff in shock.

Mayank & Nupur (both): What! Yeh mumkin nahin hai.

Mayank: Haan maa, main Nupur se pyar nahin karta.

Nupur : Aur Maayank aur meri shaadi ? Qayamat aa jayegi, lekin humari shaadi kabhi nahin hogi. Sorry to say Shilpa Aunty, lekin main Mayank se nafrat karti hoon.

Nupur: And I also hate Nupur.

Shilpa knows now is the time to move her last move. So hoping that Mayank and Nupur don't suspect foul play, she starts her naatak. Shilpa clutches her left arm as if in pain, then begins to clutch at her chest, near her heart. Shilpa "falls" to the floor, and Mayank and Nupur turn around, shocked, and thinking that she really has a heart attack.

Shilpa continues with her fake drama as Mayank and Nupur rush her to the hospital. They get her operated there, and after a "minor operation and examination" by the doctor, Shilpa is resting in a room, while the doctor talks to Mayank and Nupur about "Shilpa's condition".

Doctor: Dekho, inki haalat bohot naazuk hai. Abhi inhe koi shock lagne ki vajah se heart attack hua tha, aur woh bhi ek major heart attack. Isse Shilpa mam ka heart aur zyada weak ho gaya hai. Pata bhi hoga ya nahin. Touchwood, lekin aapko dhyaan rakhna hoga ki isse kisi bhi cheez ka shock na lage. Varna inhe ek aur heart attack ho sakta hai, aur yeh (doc looks up towards the sky, meaning to say that "Shilpa can die from a second heart attack"). Woh abhi thodi der pehle behoshi ki haalat mein keh rahi thi "Mayank beta, Nupur…Shaadi…" Kyat um dono, Mayank aur Nupur – Shilpa ji ke bete aur bahu ho? Jaa, jaakar unse millo.

Mayank and Nupur go, with tense minds, into Shilpa's hospital room. But going in, they somehow don't see the doctor winking at Shilpa, and giving her a thumbs up cum good luck signal with his fingers. Shilpa returns the wink and thumbs up back, before quickly lying back down properly on the bed like a patient does, and starts muttering her "Mayank beta… Nupur… Shaadi… Nupur, meri bahu…"

Shilpa comes to consciousness, opening her eyes slowly. Mayank and Nupur decide to tell Shilpa they like each other, even when they don't, just for the sake of her happiness. They say they didn't say anything earlier, because they both thought the other hated them. (Shilpa smiles to herself because she knows outwardly that they are lying, but deep down inside, that is the exact situation they are in but have not realised it yet)

Shilpa: Ok, toh tum dono ek doosre se pyar karte ho, toh shaadi kab kar rahe ho?

Mayank: Maa! Abhi abhi toh pyar hua hai. Shaadi toh door ki baat hai. Pehle huimein apni padhayi khatam toh karne do.

Shilpa: Theek hai, lekin tum ek dono ko sachchi mein pyar karte ho na?

Nupur: Haan Aunty.

Shilpa: Do ek doosre ko hug karte I Love You confess karo na.

Both Mayank and Nupur oblige to Shilpa's orders.

Mayak: I Love You Nupur..!

Nupur: Love You too, Mayank.

And Nupur and Mayank hug.

Shilpa thanks god that her plan worked out just fine, and everything is going according to how it should go. She knows that she shouldn't be playing with Mayank's and Nupur's lives like this, but because they both are so strong headed, they wouldn't be able to figure out their true feelings for each other, when deep down they feel much more for each other than just mutual feelings of love. Shilpa also thanks god for sending her such a wonderful friend – Kumud Shah, aka Dr Shah, the doctor who "operated/treated her" just now – who helped her put her plan into action, almost nearly risking her job.

Score NIL for Mayank & Nupur…Shilpa Aunty scores and wins the battle.

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A few more days pass by, and Mayank and Nupur start to come even closer. For Shilpa's sake, Mayank and Nupur even walk into college together, holding hands, making sure Shilpa sees her from the window of their car when she comes to drop them and Gunjan off everyday. With the ongoing media project, and Shilpa Aunty's weak health, Nupur keeps spending a lot of time at Mayank's house, and this had made even all their friends doubtful of their true relationship.

Diya: Yeh Mayank aur Nupur ke beech kya chal raha hai? Yeh sach mein ek doosre se pyar karte hain?

Uday: Mayank aur Nupur ke beech pyar?? Eeks, is duniya ka kya ho raha hai? Qayamath aa jaayei agar Mayank aur Nupur mil gaye toh. Qayamath se qayamat tak. Nahin, qayamath se pehle qayamath aayegi.

Diya: Arrrg. Shut up, Dodo...!!

Benji: Lekin Diya, Uday theek hi keh raha hai. Mayank aur Nupur kabhi ek couple nahin ho sakte. Woh dono kitne alag hai. Agar ek saath honge toh zaroor ladenge.

Samrat: Haan. Toh phir yeh sab kyun?

Gunjan: Kya aap sab ko bhi lagta hai ki Nupur Di aur Mayank ka koi aur maksad hoga.

Benji: Pata nahin, lekin pata lagana toh hi padhega.