…..unknown, unaffected by the trauma of the previous night…..
….for those who suffered…every bright ray of sun itched in their eyes……
….every cold breez burnt their skin……….
……..every frash flower….saddened their hearts………….
……….every smiling face made them more and more aware of their pain….their sorrow….their incompleteness…..
The Ghai family was preparing for the "Ganesh Pooja" and some other rituals. The whole morning was going to be spent for poojas and rasams.
Aalekh did not want Naina to come down….he knew her her heart was too sore to be hurt again…..her wounds to fresh to be left open…..so he asked her to rest for sometime after their quiet breakfastin her room…..
I now throw light upon two people………………
…….by morning, Ritu Singh Shekhawat had precisely understood the reason why Rajveer had called her on such a short notice…why did she feel, after so many years, the same plea, the same helplessness, the same nervousness, and fear in his voice, when they spoke over the telephone…..she had seen Pooja and Ali from their room's window, in the varandah……and she understood everything…..
But there was someone else, who had nearly turned into a family member to the hosts, hopping around the house like a pretty butterfly…..
….Mithi….within a few hours of the morning, she went to the market to get makkhan with Pooja's Veerji on his bike, and helped Pooja's mom in making lassi, helped Pooja wear a saari….constantly cursing how clumsy and colourless she thought all armypeople are….don't know anything about colours, cloths, saaris…..
….within no time she found sooo many new relations, soo many new names…. she was Pooj's friend, Ali's little bahen, Mrs.Ghai's right hand, Biji's soni kudi, Mr.Ghai's puttarji, Yudi's cute little thing, and Huda adored her and was flaunting his new friend – Chotti, to all…..
"Biji, yeh rangoli to hai badi changi, par yahaan, peele se hara zayada changa lagega…."
"Oye nahi Kudi…yahi theek hai…"
"Na Biji….hara hi achha lagega!!"
"Oye theek hai kudi, tujhse bahes nahin karni…..", Biji smiled and changed the colour, "…vaise hara lag to changa raha hai….."
Pooja's father passed by carrying a big tray full of about 15 glasses full of Lassi, and at the same time seemed to be instructing his son to catch hold of Panditji, otherwise he would be late……
"Oh Uncleji, yeh lassi tusi kithe le jaa rahe ho?", Mithi used cool Panjabi accent to make others feel homely and friendly.
"w o h kuch mehmaan w oh pichewala varande vich hai….aur kuch us beechwale kamron main…."
"…Lo kar lo baat….main kis marz ki dava hoon Uncleji? Hum bachhe hote kis liye hain….aap jao Panditji nu dhondo….main yeh nipta doongi…..", and she takes the tray from him, she feels the weight, but manages it….
"Kinna changa puttar hai…."
"Oye Uncleji….."
"Bolo Bachhe…"
"Ithe aao, aur in main se ek glass utha lo….", she says in a ordering tone.
He takes a glass from the tray, and looks at her….
"Ab mere samne avahi khade rahoge…..peelon na Uncleji….."
"Are Puttar, w o h andar 15 log hai….to ek kam pad jayega…."
"Koi gal nahin….aap pahele pi lo…."
And she ,akes him drink the Lassi.
"Yeh lo!"
"Yeh hui na baat…..ab aap jao….yah sab main sambhal loongi…."
Off she went balancing the 14 big Lassi glasses on an already heavy tray………….
She walked through the rooms….but almost everyone had dressed and had gone out for the first Pooja.
"Yeh Uncleji bhi na……ajeeb hain….yahan to ek bhi banda nahin hai….."
Sha was about to turn back….when her foor collided hard with a table, and she twisted her ankle…..she winced in pain……….
"Ouch!"
Her eyes watered in pain…and she was fidgeting with the tray….she wanted to rest it somewhere……and massage her foot…….when…..
When she saw him standing by the window in that room….biting an apple…..lost in his own thoughts……[/font=verdana][/color=red][/size=3]