Jaanib-e-Manzil
~~~~ Last Part ~~~~
The train has stopped at a station now. Nupur, as usual, being her curious and adventurous self wants to get off the train despite of Mayank's warning as the vicinity of the station was not a well reputed area. But why would Nupur listen to anyone but herself…so she gets off and starts roaming around. She notices a tea stall nearby and takes a seat there and orders for her tea. Just as Mayank thought, there were some ill mannered youngsters who had occupied a part of the tea stall and started to tease Nupur. Being patient (as much as she could be) she overheard their nuisance and giggles. Just when she finished her tea and went to pay for it as the train is about to depart, one of them comes close to her and brushing his body against her, starts talking to the stall owner at the cash till
Y: arre billu bhaiya..aajkal tumhare chaaye me woh dam nahi hai. log peekay maza nahi paate.
Nupur moves away slightly and asks the stall owner to give her the change as soon as possible as the train is about to depart. But the guy is adamant as he comes closer to her and brings his hand over to her shoulder towards the cashier..
Y: billu bhaiya train chut jayegi..paise dijiye na jaldi se. Madam ko late horaha hai (and he starts brushing his hand on her shoulder)
Instant reaction as it seems, Nupur turns around and places all her five fingers on his face with as much force as possible.
N: apne hudh me raho…samjhe!
And as she tries to walk away from there, he stops her.
Y: uff…aap ne choonke humain aur bhi deewana ker diya. ab itna kuch jab ker hi diya to mera hudh bhi bata do mujhe!
N: hato hamare raaste se..
Y: hat jayenge…waise bhi iss jagah me kuch zyada bheer nahi hai kya? chalo..wahan uss ghar me…koi nahi hoga wahan siwaye mere aur tumhare (he giggles). chalo…(as he tries to drag her with him)
N: (manages to free her hand) suno…tum agar samajh rahe ho k hindi cinema ki style me hum 'bachao bachao' chilla ker logon ko ekhatta karengay to ghalti hai tumhari. tumhe andaza nahi kaun hai hum…ab iss poore station me agar tumhare kapre na utarwa diye to hamara naam bhi Nupur Bhushan nahi.
And she starts slapping him right left center yelling at the peak of her voice! Other passers by and travelers are stunned by the scene…a girl beating up a goon seems like. Soon enough people start gathering around and as soon as they get a full briefing of the whole incident from Nupur as to what happened here, people get angry and beat the goon black and blue and tear his clothes apart. They force him to apologise to Nupur. As he bends down on his knees seeking her forgiveness, Nupur says her piece..
N: kyun bacchu..utarwa diye na kapre! aainda se agar kisi larki ko kamzor aur besahara samajhke aisi harqat ki sochi bhi to aaj ka din aur hamari yeh shakal yaad kar lena..lafangey kahi ke. huh..
And she heads towards the train where she sees Mayank watching the whole scene with his mouth wide open
N: arre aap…aap kyun utray? yeh jagah acchi nahi hai..chaliye..train ka waqt horaha hai (And Mayank follows her quietly)
Journey continues…Nupur is busy reading her magazines and Mayank is still dazed by what he witnessed today. Jhansi ki raani ki naani hai yeh to..he says to himself. dikhne me to kitni masoom aur bholi lagti hai…bas ekbaar jisska paala parh jaaye woh to gayah kaam se. Nupur feels the sudden silence and awkwardness on Mayank's behalf and without taking her eyes off the magazine, she speaks up..
N: yeh daur..yeh waqt bara ajeeb hai. yahan kisi larki ko kuch bhi karne se pehle..and I mean KUCH BHI…usse kai saare musibaton ka saamna karna hota hai. hamari baba ne hamesha hum dono behnon ko mushkil se mushkil waqt ka muqabla karne ki himmat aur hosla diya hai. unhone hamesha yahi sabak sikhaya humain k hamesha apni dil ki sunna. haalat kuch bhi ho tab usska saamna karne se koi khauff ya jhijhak nahi hogi.
Mayank smiles.
M: sach kaha aap ne aur aaj aapko dekh ker har larki ko faqar hona chahiye. khudko mazloom banane se kahi behter hai himmat karke datt ke haalaton ka muqabla karna jo baakhubi aap ne kiya.
N: shukriya…aap ki baatein sunn ke accha laga warna aaj kal har koi aap sa soch nahi rakhta. accha gaana sunenge? (quickly changes the heavy topic..)
M: I don't mind per kaise? headphones to aap ke paas hai
N: aur main woh aapko denewali bhi nahi (she smiles). pata hai 400 gaane hai hamare ipod me per akele gaana sunne me maza nahi aaraha. ermm..ek kaam karte hai aap ek side se suno aur hum doosre se. (and she comes and sits next to him offering him one side of the earphone)
M: (slightly moves away) jee?
N: arre aap itna nervous kyun horahe hai! hum aapko kaatenge nahi…hehhee. lijiye..yeh wala gaana hamari favorite hai. aapko bhi bara maza aayega By God!
Mayank doesn't feel like ruining her enthusiasm and with slight hesitation, he takes the earphone and they both start to listen to the tracks together. He has never ever sat so close to any girl before and although feeling a little strange, he doesn't feel uncomfortable being around this brave, cute (perhaps), innocent young woman. In fact…he is beginning to like her openness and childish nature.
In couple of hours, the train reaches its destination..Banglaore and both Nupur and Mayank separate bidding farewell to each other and wishing them the best in future.
~~~~ 3 Months Later… ~~~~
Its a wedding house…very much well lit..with loud music and guests arriving. The groom side has already arrived and food has been served. Mayank is standing outside fixing some lighting issue. The ceremony is about to start and he is in charge of the light and sound part of the wedding. As he is busy in monitoring the arrangement, he receives a call on his mobile and to listen to the call properly he moves away from the loud noise at the back of the house.Suddenly whilst on the phone, he sees someone landing on the ground from the window upstairs..as if she jumped. Yes…its a SHE..and as he looks carefully he notices her attire…looks like bridalwear. As she is wiping the dirt off her hand and starts looking around, she notices Mayank in front of her. After few minutes they recognise each other…
N: AAP?
M: AAP?
N: aap yahan kya kar rahe ho?
M: hum yahan k light n sound section ko dekh rahe hai. I mean my mom is the wedding planner here…hum to bas unki help out kar rahe the. per aap yahan…oh God..AAp ki shaadi hai!!!!
N: hai nahi ..THEE…hehhee
M: matlab?
N: matlab abhi hum bhaag rahe hai
M: what do you mean bhaag rahe ho!
N: dekho humnain bohat scoha..aap sahi keh rahe the. abhi to parhayi baaki hai…zindagi jeena baaki hai. yeh shaadi k jhameley abhi kyun!
M: yeh baat aapko ab samajh aarahi hai! abhi???
N: kya karein! aap to hamari nature jaante ho..kuch baatein humain kaafi dair se samajh aati hai. Anyways..bhaagnay me late horahi hai. aap khana wana khaake jaana…ok?
M: arre per kahan jaa rahe ho..kiske saath?
N: ufff yehi to problem hai aap logon ki. hamesha typical old fashioned soch! hum kisike saath kyun bhaage? hum to bas akele hi bhaag rahe hai. hostel jaake sochenge kya karna hai aage
M: matlab aapko pata nahi k aage kya karna hai! Are you for real??
N: hehhee…itna sochne ka time nahi mila baba. thik hai..to chalte hai. Bye..and sorry to your mum ..unki plan kiya hua shaadi cancel horahi hai..sorry!And before he could say anything, she runs off like the wind.
~~~~ 3 Years Later… ~~~~
Same house…same lighting…music and the same guests arrived with the exception of the groom side of course. The groom party has arrived and food has been served. In the midst of darkness, the bride, yet again makes an attempt to run away by climbing down her window and just like 3 years ago…she lands right in front of Mayank who was standing there with his arms folded and smiling all the way..
N: AAP?
M: jee hum!
N: aap phir se hamare shaadi ki planning kar rahe ho…(then she looks at him from top to bottom and says) lagte to nahi
Mayank was in a sherwani with a scraf around his neck and a turban in his hand
M: jee..sahi samjha aap ne. iss baar hum se aapki shaadi horahi hai aur humain pata tha aap bhaagne ki kaushish karengi..experience hai na …isi liye yahan pehle se hi tayyar hoke baithe hai
N: aap se shaadi horahi hai..!!!! (she blushes now)
M: jee haan. 3 saal pehle jab aap bhaage the tab hi humnain apni maa se keh diya tha k hum aap hi se shaadi karenge aur maa ne yeh baat aapki gharwalon se bhi kar diya tha
N: magar baba ne to kuch nahi bataya humain
M: woh iss liye k humnain mana kiya tha. aap shaadi k liye uss waqt tayyar nahi thee aur hum nahi chahte the aap iss baare me uss waqt socho. humain lagah pehle aapki parhayi poori hojaaye phir shaadi ka sochte hai
N: per aap ne humain kuch bataya kyun nahi!
M: (comes closer to her and for the very first time touches her by holding her face in his hands) bohat baar kaushish ki aapko batane ki k hum kis qadar aap se mohabbat karte hai. train ki uss safar se lekar aaj tak humnain bas aap hi ko socha…aap hi ko chaha..aap hi ko maanga aur aaj aap hi ko paanay chale hai. 3 saal tak humnain iss lamhe ka intezar kiya hai k aapko apne bechaini ki baare me bataye..aap se izhaar kare per himmat nahi juta paaye. abhi bhi aap k saamne kharay hai iss darr ko lekar k shayed aap humain thukra ker chali jaaye. isi liye sab se chupaake yahan aaye hai. agar aap samajhti hai k aap iss shaadi k liye tayyar nahi ya iss shaadi se khush nahi to aap beshakk yahan se bhaag sakte hai. gharwalon ko hum sanbhal lenge. aur agar aapko hamara saath..hamari mohabbat qabool hai to haath thaam lijiye hamara aur ander chaliye. nikah ka waqt horaha hai..
Mayank forwards his hand and awaits her response. His eyes had that look where nothing in the world mattered at that moment but Nupur and she could see it..After few seconds, Nupur puts her hand into his and says..
N: qabool hai…:)
~~~~The End~~~~
Shikayet Nahi K Teri Mohabbat Me Kam Jeeye
Hayaat-E-Ishq Ka Daur Mukhtasar Hi Sahi
Tere Damm Se Meri JaaN Har Damm Jeeye
-Neela-
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