PART 5:
"Hotel Blue Nights?" Shabd froze as he read the sign, "Mahi….let's go somewhere else."
"Shabd…..itni raat ko kahan jaayenge? Yeh hotel station ke paas hai…..taxi stand bhi yahin hai….main tho kahin nahin jaa rahi….aapko jaana ho tho jao," Mahi put her foot down, "mere pair mein sandal bhi nahin hai!" she whined a little and stomped off to the reception.
Shabd rolled his eyes in frustration, "kahan se paala padh gaya is pagli se? I guess I have to spend a night with her in Hotel Blue Nights!"
"Haan ek kamra hai mere paas….kitne din ke liye chaahiye?" the man behind the counter asked Mahi.
"Din? Pagal ho? Kuch ghante hi kaafi hain!" she said vehemently. Shabd was ready to bury himself when he heard that, "Oh God! Yeh ladki….she is crazy!"
"Shabd…..kitne ghante chaahiye humein…..teen ya chaar?" she asked innocently. A red faced Shabd just looked away, "Whatever Mahi……Uh…jo…jo tumhein theek lage."
The man behind the counter smiled and gave Mahi a suspicious look, "chaliye madam…kya yaad rakhengi…..yeh lo chaabhi….4 ghante ke liye room hai aapke liye….mauj karna!"
Mahi gave him a dirty look, "arre fitteh mooh tera! Yeh mauj karne ke liye nahin hai…..majboori hai meri!"
The man suppressed his laughter, "aisa hi kehte hain sab….bahut dekhein tere jaise yatri…..he he…he."
Shabd glared at the man, "apni zubaan sambhaal ke….aur yeh rakh extra paise…..subah hote hi taxi karwaa dena….samjhey?"
"Theek hai saheb….paise waale lagte ho…..jo karna hai karo…..aisi ladkiyan bahut dekhi hain maine….aur chaahiye tho mangwaa doon….ek se bhali do….he he he," the man laughed maliciously.
Shabd clenched his fists and followed Mahi to the room. He did not want to get into a brawl with the nasty man, "let's go Mahi!"
"Yeh kya bak bak kar raha tha?" Mahi asked.
"Leave it Mahi," Shabd unlocked the door and helped her into the room.
"Mujhey neend tho aayegi nahin…..chalo baith kar baatein karte hain," she plunked on the bed and sat on it with her legs folded.
"Baatein? Nahin ……I am in no mood….tum so jao…..I will just sit on that chair," Shabd said.
"Nahin baba….ek soti huyi ladki ka kahin faayda na utha lein aap?" Mahi's eyes popped wide at his suggestion.
"Kyun? Chaahoon tho jaagti huyi ladki ka bhi faayda utha sakta hoon!" Shabd retorted.
"Nahin…wo aap nahin kar sakenge…..kyunki main bahut strong hoon…..ek laat maroongi…..aap seedha khidki ke bahar jaayenge," she rubbed her hands.
"You are not my types anyways……jaagte kya sote huye bhi tum mujhey attract nahin karogi…..so don't worry," Shabd said arrogantly.
"Phir theek hai…..waise aap bhi mere type ke nahin hain…..mujhey koi farak nahin padhega agar aap mere saath so bhi jaayein tho," she blew air with her mouth on her nails and spoke.
"Oh really? Tho kaun hai tumhare type ka?" Shabd was curious now.
Mahi had a wide smile on her face, "bataaoon? Jeet! Jeet hai mere bachpan da pyaar…..kya shona munda hai…..jaante hain aap…..wo bahut achha gaata hai……aur main Bhatinda us se shaadi karne hi tho jaa rahi hoon."
"Oh! Shaadi? Tho baat yahan tak pahunch chuki hai…..padosi hai?" Shabd asked.
"Haan…..bachpan se hum saath saath khele hain….saath saath school gaye hain…..ab main shaadi karne ko tayyar hoon…..pataa hai mujhey shaadi karke bachhe paalne ka bahut shauk hai!" she grinned.
"Really?" Shabd was amused, "tho Jeet bhi tumhein pyaar karta hai?"
"Arre kaise nahin karega? Mujh jaisi ladki usey chiraag dhoondne se bhi nahin milegi……maine Mumbai mein Home Science ka course bhi kar liya hai ab…..ab bas shaadi aur bachhe…..yahi mera sapna hai," she closed her eyes and was lost in her own dreamland.
Shabd shook his head, "aur tumhara back up dulha?"
She opened her eyes, "Oh wo? Pehle sochti thi Veer ko back up dulha banaa loongi."
"Veer? Yeh kaun sa naya character hai?" For some reason Shabd was beginning to enjoy his conversation with this crazy but chirpy girl. There was something about her that made him forget all his sorrows and disappointments. In fact, he wanted to keep chatting with her and not think about Mumbai….his business…..Suhani…..or anything related to his past.
"Oh Veer? Veer jiju! Ab wo jiju hain mere….unhone meri Rajji didi se shaadi kar li……waise main bhi saali hone ke naate aadhi ghar waali tho hoon…..lekin back up dulha?….hmmm….sochna padhega," she pondered, "aap kyun nahin ban jaate mere back up dulha?" she snapped her fingers delightfully.
"Are you crazy?" Shabd asked, "Never!"
"Ok…OK…..waise mujhey back up dulhe ki zaroorat nahin padhegi……agar Jeet ne kuch gadh badh ki na…..tho main usey bhagaa kar le jaaoongi….sab logon se door….phir wo naa kaise karega?" she said confidently.
"Bhagaa ke?" Shabd chuckled, "aise kaise kar logi tum?"
Mahi came close to him and whispered in his ears, "mere pados mein kuch mustande rehte hain…..unhein kuch paise de doongi aur kaam ho jaayega….kya khayal hai?"
Shabd laughed, "Mahi….you are crazy…..you live in your dreamworld….sapne zyaada dekhti ho tum."
"Tho kya harz hai? Sapne dekhti hoon aur khush rehti hoon…..warna haqeeqat ki duniya mein aapki tarah udaas nahin hona chaahti," she said softly.
Shabd grinned, "You are right Mahi…..it is good to see dreams…..you never know one day they might come true."
"Yeh patey ki baat kahi na aapne! Bas aise hi sochte rahiye…..aapko kabhie kisi baat ka dukh nahin hoga…..aur phir aap kabhie apni zindagi ke saath khel nahin karenge," she smiled softly and walked towards the restroom, "main abhi aayi."
Shabd lay on the bed and closed his eyes. The events of the past few hours ran in his mind like a movie- was he dreaming or was this actually happening to him? Who was Mahi? Was she real or an angel who had been sent to save his life?
…to be contd….
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
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Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
