PART 3:
SCENE 1:
Riddhima walked into the breakfast room in a yellow churidaar suit.
"Good morning mama," she hugged Padma from behind.
"Riddhima?" Padma turned around and kissed her daughter's forehead, "tere bina yeh ghar kitna soona soona ho gaya tha."
"Mama, maine bhi aap sab ko bahut miss kiya."
"Beta, tujh se ek shikaayat hai."
"Kya hua mama?" The color drained on Riddhima's face.
"Nau mahine itna gham chupa thi rahi. Kabhie apni maa se kuch kaha nahin." Padma held her face between her palms.
"Mama," Riddhima lowered her gaze, "wo….main us baare mein ab koi baat nahin karna chaahti. Ab main peeche nahin sirf aage dekhna chaahti hoon."
"Bhagwan tujhey hamesha khush rakhe aur yaad rakhna, aage se zindagi mein koi problem ho, apni mama se kabhie mat chupaana."
"Thanks mama," she hugged her mom, "ab main chalti hoon. Sanjeevani time se pahunch na hai."
"Armaan se kehna kabhie ghar aaye. Bahut din ho gaye usey dekhe."
Feeling bashful, Riddhima ran away from the kitchen.
"Kya baat hai, aaj bahut dino baad maa-beti gale lagi hain." Shashank walked in with a wide grin.
"Kitni khsuh lag rahi hai, haina?"
"Haan Padma. I always thought I knew what's best for my daughters, but this time I really faltered. Sid achcha ladka hai. Agar usney meri aankhein nahin kholi hoti, tho aaj hamari beti humse bahut door chali gayi hoti."
"Kaash hamari ek aur choti beti hoti. Sid se uska rishta kar dete." Padma smiled back at her husband.
"Hmm….par dono ki marzi se," Shashank nodded, "Ok, I am getting late. Aaj Riddhima aur Anjali ko apne saath hi hospital le jaata hoon."
………………………………………….
SCENE 2
Riddhima walked out of the front door and was struck by the vibrancy of the colors around her. The flower beds were lush with roses of different colors. It was spring and the cooing birds perched on the trees echoed the merriness of her heart. When was the last time she admired nature around her? With her finger tips, she gently caressed the petals and lowered her nose to inhale their fragrance.
Song in back ground: kaisa hai yeh khumaar, kaisa nasha……….
Standing behind her, Anjali and Shashank glanced at each other and smiled. No words were needed to appreciate the blissful sight in front of them.
…………………………………………………..
SCENE 3
OUTSIDE SANJEEVANI:
Dr Shashank's car came to a halt outside the main doors of the hospital. His daughters stepped outside from each of the back doors.
VROOOOMMM!
A motorbike came to a screeching halt right behind Riddhima. She smiled and shut her eyes in anxious anticipation. She relaxed her arms and let her dupatta flow with the gentle breeze. As she felt the tug on her dupatta, her pulse quickened, a hot flush ran through her body. It had to be him, but today, she was not going to stop or glare at him. She had visions of her dupatta covering his face. As the footsteps grew louder behind her, her chest heaved with excitement. His fingers were probably inches away from her neck and she knew the moment he would touch her, her defenses would shatter into pieces. Today, she didn't care, even if the hospital staff gave them curious looks.
"Madam, apna dupatta sambhaal kar rakhiye." An unfamiliar voice broke her trance like state. She opened her eyes in disbelief and turned around. A middle aged man with a bike helmet and corner of her dupatta stood with his lips curled, "aaj kal ki ladkiyan kitni besharam hoti jaa rahi hain. Apna dupatta bhi nahin sambhaal sakti tho apni zindagi kaise sambhaalengi?"
Her jaw fell to her knees; she turned red as a beetroot, embarrassed to the core. She pulled back her dupatta, giving him an I-dare-you glare and paced her steps towards the hospital doors. As she ran away, she bumped into a person at the steps.
"Yes basket, zaraa apna dupatta sambhaalna seekho." Armaan towered in front of her, "har koi tumhare dupatte ka deewana nahin hota."
"ARMAAN!" She clenched her teeth, "please get out of my way. Mujhey waise hi der ho gayi hai."
"Maine kya kiya hai?"
"Tum…tum," she closed her fists and pursed her lips, "yeh sab tumhari wajah se hua hai." She walked past him in a huff.
"Arre…meri kya galti hai?" He hurried after her, "ab is duniya mein sirf main hi tho bike nahin chalaata na?"
"Jaante ho kitna embarrass feel kar rahi hoon?" She turned around and looked at him, "kya soch raha hoga wo aadmi?"
Armaan came closer and whispered into her ear, "yahi soch raha hoga ki is ladki ko khule aam aise nahin ghoom na chaahiye warna kisi aur ki nazar na padh jaaye." He pulled her into an adjacent store room and shut the door behind them.
"Armaan?" She whispered back huskily, "yeh kya kar rahe ho?"
"Apne sabr ka meetha phal lene aaya hoon. Remember you promised me?"
She smiled back at him and stepped closer, "itni aasaani se nahin milega"
"Tho mujhey kya karna hoga?" He clasped her hands in his palms, kissing her fingers one by one.
"Mujhey pehle date par le jaana hoga….coffee break mein….12 baje."
He frowned, "canteen mein?"
"Nahin….kahin bahar….tumhari bike par."
"Oyyehoyee," he held her closer by her waist, "mar jawaan meri basket. I like this new and improved version of Riddhima Gupta."
"Matlab? Pehle main buri thi kya?" She pushed him back and ran out of the store room with a bashful smile.
"uffo! Is ladki ka gussa!" Armaan smacked his forehead as her dupatta flowed away into the hallways of the hospital.
PRECAP:
Armaan and Riddhima at the temple
……….to be contd…..
Jhanak
272