Chapter 7
Gulaal
Gulaal had been pacing up and down in the living room. It was almost midnight and Kesar had not yet come home. She was so irritated with him right now, "samajhtha kya hai apne aap ko.subah subah bina kuch bataaye nikal jaata hai, poora din ghar se baahar rehta hai, ab itni raat ho gayi hai aur yeh abhi tak ghar nahi lauta''." In her anger she had completely forgotten the fact that she had been dreading to face him in the morning. She had been thinking out excuses and ways to apologize the whole night but then she did not see him around in the morning. Later on she came to know that he had left early in the morning and will be late coming back home. She knew it was just an excuse and it hurt her. Was he so disgusted with her that he did not want to see her face? She could not stop the tears from flowing down her face and quickly ran to her room before anyone else could see her in such a state. It was all her fault. Her own stupid, confusing feelings about Kesar was responsible for this situation. Maybe it was good in a way that Kesar was staying away from her, now she did not have to worry about any awkwardness. There wouldn't be any if they never talked to each other right'..but then why was she waiting for him, worrying about him'. "Gulaal,tu bhi bilkul paagal hai''tujhe yeh sab karne ki kya zaroorat hai.kyun uski chinta kar rahi hai?usne Baa se phone pe kaha tha na ki der ho jaayegi toh jaake so kyun nahi jaati". She had tried to but sleep eluded her. she needed to know that he was back home safe and sound. Until then she would be feeling restless. She heard the sound of a bike and looked out the window. It was Kesar'. A huge smile spread across her face and she almost ran to the front door but then she remembered that he was doing all this just to avoid her. The smile vanished and she quickly hid behind the staircase. She could see him looking around as if searching for someone...maybe her.Yeah,right...now why would he be looking for her if he was taking so many pains to avoid her."chalo ab main chain se so toh sakti hoon",she smiled as she went up to her room.
She had not expected to see him next morning and was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family when Ba had called out to her , "Gulaal...Kesar ke liye bhi naashta banaa de beta...".She had been taking out the flour from the cupboard above and as soon as she heard Ba say Kesar she got nervous.Her hands started shaking and the container slipped from her hands with the flour covering her entirely.She looked at herself helplessly.She had no other choice but to go out like this.She needed to change.As she stepped out of the kitchen,there was absolute silence in the room.She gave an explanation for her condition in a hesitant tone and stood silent.Then she heard a familiar laughter and it shocked her.She looked at Kesar who was doubled up in laughter.She got so angry;the reason for her predicament was making fun of her...but then she must look a sight with all that flour on her and she couldn't help but join him in laughing at herself.
She went to her room to change and as she came out she was surprised to see Kesar standing outside her room ready to knock.She looked at him apprehensively and gave him a small smile, "Kesar...tu yahaan kya kar raha hai?". Kesar looked a bit nervous to her and seemed to be in a dilemma as he answered her, "woh main tujhse sorry kehne aaya tha...". She felt a fear grip her...Why was he saying sorry to her?Was it for that night?but he didn't do anything wrong...it was her fault...she should be the one to apologize...Should she say it before he did?...She decided to wait and hear what he had to say...Kesar seemed to be having difficulty answering her and he was avoiding her gaze as he looked towards the floor, "...woh main sab ke saamne tere upar hansaa na...isliye...".Gulaal was relieved...She had been worried about nothing.She smiled widely and replied "arre Kesar...bas itni si baat...maine mirror mein apne aap ko dekh liya tha change karne se pehle...main khud apne aap ko nahi rok paayi hanse se...teri koi galti nahi hai isme...". She could feel his relief which was almost tangible.His smile expressed his joy, "Thank God...mujhe laga ki kahin tujhe gussa na aa gaya ho...darr raha tha ki kahin tu mujhse baat na kare...".She had not failed to notice his faded smile.She got an odd feeling as he looked at her intensely as if searching her eyes for something.She gave herself a mental shake and proceeded to allay his fears, "nahi...Kesar main tujhse gussa nahi hoon" and as they shared a smile, the awkwardness that she had been dreading just vanished.
The very next moment she felt his fingers touch the side of her jaw. Her breath caught as she felt his thumb caress her skin softly.He seemed to concentrate on a particular spot and seemed to be completely oblivious of the effect of his touch on her...but her heart was pounding against her chest and she was sure that he would be able to hear it...what was he doing?She whispered in a low tone, "Kesar"...he looked at her and she could see that his eyes were unfocussed and dazed.He stared at her for a second and smiled sheepishly as he answered, "woh tere chehre pe aata laga hua tha...bas usi ko hataa raha tha..." and continued staring at her.She was starting to feel very warm and flushed under his gaze and he had not yet removed his thumb which was now resting on her cheek...She had to call out his name once again before he realized it. He blinked as he quickly removed his hand away , "sorry woh main...sorry Gulaal..." and he made a hasty exit.She knew that she was supposed to feel awkward and confused about what had just happened but somehow she could only feel an inexplicable joy and a wide smile seemed to have stuck to her face like glue.
Kesar
Why couldn't he keep his hands to himself?He cursed himself for the umpteenth time.They had just got back to their routine of bantering and teasing after the whole flour fiasco involving Gulaal which proved to be a blessing in disguise. They never spoke about the that night.It was swept under the carpet just like whole 5 year silent treatment from his side.He thought with a sardonic smile, they were supposed to be best friends but nowadays there were too many secrets between them which did make him very uncomfortable but he did not want anything to upset the fragile equation beween them.He could suffer the secrets,bear the heavy cross of his unrequited love but it was now very clear to him that he needed her in his life,without her his life had no meaning.He knew he was being melodramatic, a tad bit filmy but it was the absolute truth.There was just one problem. It was becoming impossible for him to stay close to her and not touch her and it just kept getting worse.That day he had wiped away the flour from her chin.He could have just mentioned it to her but no...he had to touch her face...he could not resist himself when she stood there all smiling and adorable.He got so lost in her eyes that she had to call him twice to bring him out of his reverie.Yesterday he had gone to the kitchen to get himself something to eat and there she was cutting some vegetables.She was humming some tune and there was a huge smile on her face.One look at her and he had actually forgotten what he had come for.He could not help but stare at her with an intensity which would have surely made her uncomfortable had she been aware of it but he could not help himself.She had always been the most beautiful woman to him since he first laid eyes on her but nowadays he was feeling this magnetic pull towards her that he found irresistible.
He had walked upto her in a trance and without taking his eyes off of her for even a moment he moved back a strand of her hair behind her ear which had been troubling her.She had almost screamed but then gained composure when she realized it was him.She looked confused by his gesture and he could not blame her because he was befuddled himself and he came up with, "woh ...tujhe pareshaani ho rahi thi na isliye...".He was sure she would either tease him or scold him but he was surprised when she gave him a shy smile and replied, "thank you Kesar...".
This was proving to be another problem for him.He could not understand her reactions at all.Till a few days back he could have said confidently that he knew her each and every expression,that he could interpret her every smile and gesture but now it was all very confusing to him.That night she looked disappointed when he had not kissed her(yes he had replayed that scene so many times in his mind that now he knew that he had not imagined it) ,the other day when he had touched her chin she looked flushed and today when he was expecting her to make fun of him or at least hit him for scaring her,she just smiled shyly as if she had enjoyed it...as if she loved...no it can't be!!!...she couldn't!!... could she?well...he did have concerns about her happiness with his brother and the thought of her having feelings for someone else had definitely crossed his mind.What if his assumption was true and there indeed was some other guy and what if the other guy was himself...He staggered and had to hold onto the wall for support...yeh kaise mumkin hai...nahi Gulaal mujhse kaise...lekin woh mujhe poore 5 saal tak letters likhti rahi.maine ek ka bhi jawaab nahi diya phir bhi woh likhti rahi kyun?...kyunki woh mujhe apna best friend maanti hai aur kuch nahi...He paced up and down his room as a battle was going on between his head and heart.His heart desperately wanted to hold onto the hope that maybe Gulaal too had some kind of feelings for him but then his head would come up with all sort of logical arguments which would crush his hope.Gulaal was definetely looking happier these days-was he the reason for her joy? He smiled but it soon soon vanished when he thought about his brother..."main kaise bhool gaya?",he smacked his head.He had noticed a change in his brother these days.He was being more attentive towards Gulaal-getting her flowers,taking her out for dinners etc.So maybe the reason for her happiness was due to all the time that she was spending with Vasant bhai but then her behaviour with him once agian aroused his suspicions.If this continued on,he was sure he would go crazy one day."Kesar...tu bilkul paagal ho gaya hai...waise bhi aajkal woh bhai ke saath khush lag rahi hai.unke saath waqt bitaa rahi hai...dono ek doosre ke saath bahut khush hain...aur tu toh yehi chaahtha tha na ki woh khush rahe toh ab kya problem hai.bas tu yeh saari bakwaas baatein sochna bandh kar de.isse kuch haasil nahi hoga sivaai dard ke...".
Gulaal
"Kesar...yeh tu kya keh raha hai?tu nahi aayega...aisa kaise chalega...tu jaanta hai na ki yeh sirf ek party nahi hai..yeh ek mauka hai jahaan hamaare band ko media ke saamne present kiya jaayega.main jaanti hoon tumhe yeh sab acha nahi lagta lekin aajkal exposure bhi toh zaroori hai warna logon ko hamaare band ke baare mein patha kaise chalega...", Gulaal had been coming down the stairs when she heard a very familiar female voice speak. "ughhh...toh ab yeh ladki ghar tak pahunch gayi", she thought with a grimace.It was not that she did not make an effort.She had tried to...honest...but she just couldn't warm up to Neha.She was sweet,nice,friendly and whenever she had gone to the practice sessions she would always make her feel comfortable but somehow it bothered her to see Kesar get too close to her and that prevented her from liking the girl.As she walked towards the living room she could see Neha and the other band members sitting around Kesar trying to reason with him. "Gulaal...tum hi samjhaao na Kesar ko...tumhari baat yeh kabhi nahi taalega...",Neha was almost pleading with her now and she saw Kesar look at Neha sternly."Kesar,Neha bilkul sahi keh rahi hai...tujhe jaana chaahiye kyunki yeh sirf tere baare mein nahi hai,yeh poore band ko affect karta hai aur tujhe sab ke baare mein sochna chaahiye.isliye stop being a brat and jaao",She smiled at Kesar who was staring at her defiantly but she knew he would give up soon.She was proved right when after a few seconds,he replied, "ok...main tayyar hoon lekin yeh sab mujhse baar baar nahi hoga...".All his bandmates hugged him and she finally saw him smile.Neha came to her and gave her a big hug which surprised her,"mujhe patha tha ki woh hamaari sune ya na sune tumhe kabhi no nahi kar paayega.Thank you Gulaal for helping us out aur haan tumhe aur Vasantji ko bhi aana hoga ok.Kesar ko acha lagega..." and she went to join the others.Gulaal looked at the happy group and couldn't help herself from smiling along.
Kesar
Kesar was pacing up and down the corridor of the pub.Vasant bhai and Gulaal had not yet come and frankly speaking he needed their support tonight.He was feeling slightly nervous as this was the first official introduction of their band to the media.They were supposed to perform on some of their songs and though usually it did not bother him too much, today he was feeling a bit jittery.As he was about to call his brother to know where they were he heard his voice, "Kesar,tu yahaan kya kar raha hai?tujhe toh andar hona chahiye na...".The sight of his brother brought a relieved smile on his face, "bhai,main bas aap logon ka hi wait kar raha tha...woh thoda sa nervous hoon lekin ab aap ko dekh liya sab theek ho gaya...".His brother looked guilty as he replied, "Kesar...main maanta hoon ki jab tu ne pehle apne is faisle ke baare mein bataaya toh main thoda worried tha lekin mujhe tere talent pe kabhi koi shak nahi tha.main yeh bhi jaanta tha ki tu khoob mehnat bhi karega darr toh bas isi baat ka tha ki kahin un sab ke baavajood tujhe mayoosi ka saamna na karna pade..par aaj woh darr bhi mann se mit gaya.main tere liye bahut khush hoon Kesu...".It had been a long time since his brother had been so open with him and calling him Kesu that was like icing on the cake.He did not think anything else could make him happier tonight and then he remembered Gulaal and asked,"arre bhai...Gulaal kahaan hai?woh dikhaayi nahi de rahi...". Before he could finish asking his question he heard her teasing reply, "main yaheen hoon tere peeche...kabse khadi hoon aur tu ab jaake mere baare mein pooch raha hai...".He turned around with a smile but it froze up when he saw her.Gulaal was wearing a simple but elegant black sleevless dress.He had never seen her look this way before. She looked lovely...ok he admitted she looked hot.The dress accentuated her slim figure and he found it impossible to take his eyes off her.There was something different about her tonight.She had a mysterious aura about her.Maybe it was due to her smoky eyes or her bright red glossy lips or her beautiful hair which cascaded over her shoulders in soft wavy curls.He had forgotten that his brother was standing near by,that he had people waiting for him,that he needed to stop staring at her so intently.He frowned as he realized that a lot of guys would be giving her similar looks and that thought made him uncomfortable.
Gulaal
"Kesar ...kya hua?",she waved her hand in front of him and laughed.He had been staring at her for quite some time now and it was making her feel odd.She desperately controlled herself from fidgeting with the dress.Suddenly she was reminded of the time she saw him for the first time.She had a similar reaction then.She was brought back to the present when she heard his gruff voice say "Kuch nahi".He then turned around to Vasant saying,"chalein bhai bahut der ho gayi hai".Vasant smiled and replied,"haan chalo..."as Kesar walked off without another look to Gulaal.She was surprised...he did not even give her a single compliment.She had taken so much effort to dress up for this occasion,for him and he didn't care.It hurt her."Gulaal,chalo..kya soch rahi ho...",Vasant asked worriedly holding her hand."Kuch nahi",She replied and they walked inside together hand in hand.
The small performance had been great.She had to admit they sounded so much better here than in the practice sessions.They looked like a proper professional band.Kesar seemed to be in his element though he looked serious throughout.He already seemed to have gained a few groupies who kept screaming his name.Gulaal was so proud of him and she could feel tears well up in her eyes.Vasant had a look of disbelief as he said, "mujhe toh patha hi nahi tha ki Kesar itna talented hai...".She smiled widely as she looked at him, "maine tumse kaha tha lekin tumne mujhe seriously nahi liya...". "haan main hi samajh nahi paaya...lekin main uske liye bahut khush hoon Gulaal... bahut khush...mera chota bhai aaj sach mein bada ho gaya...",Vasant was clearly overwhelmed as he hugged her tightly.She smiled holding him.She knew that Vasant's approval would mean a lot to Kesar.She thought happily,"Kesar kitna khush hoga yeh jaankar..."
Kesar
Kesar was happy.The performance had gone off without a hitch and the media grilling was not so bad.The only thing which he found awkward was girls screaming his name out and saying stuff like "you are so hot", "I love you".One girl even screamed out "take your shirt off"...now that was embarrassing but he knew he needed to get used to it because it was part of the package.It would be very easy to get carried away but he needed to be grounded and he did know that all this would be just temporary.The only thing that would last forever would be the music.Right now he needed to get off the small stage and find his brother and Gulaal.He needed to know their reaction but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Gulaal totally lost and happy in his brother's arms.His smile turned into a scowl.Anger enveloped him and his first instinct was to go over there,separate them and snatch Gulaal from his brother "woh meri hai...sirf meri...koi aur use nahi chu sakta...",he had started walking towards them whenit struck him,"yeh tu kya karne jaa raha hai Kesar...woh teri nahi hai...woh teri kabhi nahi ho sakti..tu yeh baat kab samjhega...".He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.He turned around and walked towards the bar.He sat down on one of the seats and gestured the bartender to provide him with the strongest drink they had.Kesar was not a drinker...he had tried and he did not like the taste at all.But today he needed a drink to forget.He kept downing one after another drink but it did not seem to provide any relief.The alcohol burnt his throat but it did not help him ease the pain as the picture of Gulaal in his brother's arms kept cropping up in his mind's eye.As he was about to take another sip of his drink he heard a voice, "isse kuch nahi honewaala Kesar,tumhara dard kam nahi hoga...".It was Neha
Neha:"main jaanti hoon Kesar...".He was surprised and scared as he asked hesitantly, "kya...kya jaanti ho?"
Neha:"yehi ki tum Gulaal se pyar karte ho...".He was now petrified...How did she know?He had always tried hard to hide it from everyone else...so how did she guess? "tum paagal ho gayi ho...jaanti bhi ho ki kya bol rahi ho?...woh meri honewaali...",he could not say it,he just could not.Neha was now looking at him pitifully, "haan bolo Kesar,tumhari honewaali kya...bol nahi paa rahe ho na...kyunki tum usse pyaar karte ho".He tried to deny but what was the use and he really did not have the strength anymore.Neha put a comforting hand on his shoulder as she said,"main jaanti hoon ki tumhe bahut takleef hoti hai...lekin is tarah se ghut ghut ke jeena bhi toh sahi nahi nahi hai na.tumhare paas do raaste hain Kesar...ya toh tum use apne dil ki baat keh do ya phir use bhool jao aur aage badhne ki koshish karo.mujhe patha hai tumhe darr lag raha hoga ki kahin tum apne pyaar ko zaahir karke uski dosti ko kho na do lekin Kesar tum is tarah kab tak jeete rahoge.har baar toh sharaab ka sahaara nahi liya jaa sakta na.aur agar uska jawaab na hua toh bhi tumhare mann ka bhoj toh kam ho jaayega...".He looked at her in wonder,How did she read his mind?Was he so transparent?He heard her laugh as she replied, "Kesar main tumhe apna acha dost maanti hoon.tum un gine chune logon mein se ho jo mujhe,meri lifestyle ko judge nahi karte...jab tum mujhe itni achi tarah jaante ho toh kya main tumhare baare mein kuch nahi jaan sakti...haan. aur waise bhi jab Gulaal tumhare saamne aati hai na toh tumhara chehra dekhne laayak hota hai.The love-sick puppy expression and that nauseating dreamy smile... ughhh...it becomes a torture to be around you man!!!...",he smiled and she continued, "waise tumhe ek hint doon...I don't think she likes me very much.use hamaare band ke kisi aur member se problem nahi hai...lekin woh mujhe bilkul pasand nahi karti.ab sochna tumhe hai Kesar ki aisa kyun hai...",she gave him a sly smile and kissed him on the cheek before leaving.Kesar's mind was now completely fogged up,maybe the alcohol was starting to affect him or was it Neha's parting words.Nothing made sense anymore...
Gulaal
Gulaal had been coming over to Kesar when she saw Neha approach him.Vasant had got an urgent call and he needed to leave as he had to get some file from his office.He was worried about her but she had assured him that she would be fine with Kesar.He looked unconvinced but she insisted and finally he left after a lot of apologizing.She knew that he really felt very guilty for ruining her night but she was not sad.She was happy for Kesar and she also felt this event may have brought the brothers closer.She had not failed to notice that since Kesar had talked about his decision to pursue music Vasant had been acting a little wierd-as if Kesar was betraying him.They had been drifting away from each other and it had pained her to watch them like that but tonight she could see genuine happiness in Vasant's eyes for his brother.He was proud of him.This was the first step.Vasant had really wanted to stay back and talk to Kesar but work was important too...
Then she saw Neha kiss Kesar and all her happy thoughts vanished.She had never felt this furious before.She looked at Kesar who was now looking at Neha walking away with a dazed expression.Of course he would be dazed...he just got kissed by a beautiful girl!The anger she felt a few minutes suddenly drained away and it was replaced by disappointment and heart break.She turned around and walked away.Tears were threatening to overwhelm her and she almost lost her balance but before she could fall and make a fool of herself someone had held her arm and supported her.She looked to her side and said with a sad smile, "thank you" to the helpful stranger and left.In her confusion she failed to notice the lustful gleam in the stranger's eye.She sat down near a table,all of her thoughts jumbled up making her restless.She was feeling very thirsty and was about to motion a waiter for a glass of water when another one appeared with a glass of juice.She needed something to quench her thirst so she took the juice and gulped it down immediately.It did taste a bit bitter but maybe it was just her imagination.She thought sadly,everything seemed to be bitter.A picture of Kesar and Neha laughing together flashed before her eyes and this time she could not control her tears.What did Kesar see in her?Why couldn't he see that she is not the right girl for him?When will he understand?...What Gulaal?...understand what?...her heart screamed out.A sudden realization struck her and her eyes widened with surprise...no,no it can't be...aisa nahi ho sakta...She was feeling suffocated,her head was spinning...she needed fresh air.She got up and walked blindly towards the exit.She breathed the fresh air in but once again the voice inside screamed, "tu maan kyun nahi leti Gulaal...you don't hate Neha...you are actually jealous of her because you want to be her.You want to be the one hugging Kesar,kissing him,smiling with him...maan lo Gulaal...".She was going crazy now as she shouted, "bas karo...aisa kuch bhi nahi hai..."but the voice just did not leave her alone, "haan Gulaal yehi sach hai...you are in love with your best friend.tu Kesar se pyaar karti hai Gulaal...".She was feeling very fuzzy and the surroundings seemed to be spinning around her.She held onto the railing of the staircase as she muttered, "nahi main Kesar se pyar nahi karti...aisa nahi ho sakta...main Vasant ki...".Before she could continue with her thoughts she felt a rough hand on her arm.
She was alarmed to find that it was the same guy who had supported her but now there was something scary about him.She did not mistake the look on his face.Suddenly she panicked as she looked around to find the area quite desolate.She tried to free herself screaming at him, "yeh kya battamizi hai...chodo mujhe"."chod doon itni asani se...kitne papad belne pade mujhe aur itni asani se chod doon...nahi...pehle thodi jaan pechaan ho jaaye uske baad chod doonga",she could feel the stench of his foul breath as he came closer.She screamed and scratched but she felt very sluggish and her strength seemed to dwindle with each passing moment.She was sobbing uncontrollably now as there seemed to be no escape from this monster yet she kept on fighting,kicking,screaming and then suddenly he was no longer holding her a prisoner in his arms.He was lying on the ground.She looked up to see Kesar standing in front of her.She was relieved and she ran upto him hugging him tightly, "Kesar...Kesar...".She seemed incapable of saying anything else.She felt him remove her hands gently.He held her hands as he looked into her eyes worriedly as he asked, "tu theek hai na Gulaal...usne kuch...".She could feel the tension in him and she was about to reassure him when the guy spoke up, "tu kahaan se aa gaya beech mein...agar jaan pyaari hai toh yahaan se dafaa ho jaa warna...".She saw Kesar close his eyes struggle for control but she knew the moment he lost it and suddenly she was scared for the other guy's life as she heard Kesar say, "warna...warna kya?"
Kesar
Kesar decided to stop thinking so much about what Neha said and go find Vasant and Gulaal.He searched for them every where but they seemed to have vanished.They would not have left without letting him know.Then where did they go?He started asking people but none of them had seen anyone matching their description.Finally one of the staff members helped him out saying, "Sir maine ek madam ko dekha toh tha.woh thoda ladkhada rahi thi aur shaayad baahar ki taraf jaa rahi thi.lekin unke saath aur koi nahi tha...".Now he got worried...Why would Gulaal be alone?Where was Vasant bhai?and why would she go out alone instead of coming to him?He went out but he could not see any sign of Gulaal.Maybe the staff member was mistaken."shaayad bhai aur Gulaal ghar chale gaye honge.main bhai ko call karke pooch leta hoon...".He was about to dial his brother's number when he heard Gulaal's muffled scream from behind the bushes.He got scared,his heart was pounding violently...oh God...please let her be ok,he prayed silently as he hurried over.Gulaal was sobbing and he could see her kick and sctrach the guy who had his filthy hands all over her.He grabbed the guy by his shirt and pushed him away.He could feel Gulaal shivering with fear and relief as she hugged him tightly and he would have gladly taken her inside immediately if only the stupid guy had not opened his mouth.He tried his best to control his anger but his voice reminded him what the guy had done and something snapped in him.He walked over to the guy,looked him in the eye and repeated, "bol warna kya kar lega...".He could see the scared look in his eye and he enjoyed it,"kyun ab bolti kyun bandh ho gayi teri...tujhe toh bahut mazaa aa raha tha akeli ladki ko daraate hue,chedte hue".The guy tried to hit him but he was faster and moved back.He caught the guy by his arm and punched him straight in the face and kept on punching him until his knucles were bloody.Kesar had now totally lost control as he shouted,"tujhe kya laga tu meri Gulaal ko chedega,daraayega aur main tujhe zinda chod doonga.tujhe aaj mujhse koi nahi bacha sakta samjhe...",and he continued hitting the guy.
"Kesar...bas kar jaane de use...mar jaayega",Gulaal's soft voice and her hand on his arm brought him back to his senses.He punched the guy once more, " dobara aisi harkat kisi ladki ke saath karne ki sochna bhi math warna tere liye acha nahi hoga..."and pushed him away.The guy literally ran away scared for his life but that did not calm him down.He was still very angry.He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths trying to come back to normal."Kesar...",Gulaal's unsteady voice once again flared his temper.He turned around with fire blazing in his eyes.He could see her shocked expression and before she could even think of taking a step backward he grabbed her arm as he questioned her, "Gulaal...kya sochke aayi thi tu yahaan akele us ladke ke saath...tujhe zara sa bhi andaaza hai ki agar main yahaan pe sahi waqt par nahi aata toh tere saath kya ho sakta tha...aur tu ladkhada kyun rahi hai.kahin tu ne sharaab toh nahi pi...".Before he could continue on with his rant he felt her shove him hard with her free hand against his chest.He was taken by surprise and tumbled back.He looked at her and was about to give her a piece of his mind when he saw her lose her balance.She would have fallen if he had not caught hold of her, "Gulaal...sambhal ke...".Once again he felt her try to push him away but this time he was ready for her and managed to hold on to her. "door raho mujhse...mujhe tere sahaare ki koi zaroorat nahi hai.kitna daanta mujhe jab ki meri koi galti hi nahi hai...maine toh sharaab ko haath tak nahi lagaaya.patha nahi thodi der pehle orange juice piya tha uske baad se sar chakraane lagaa.isliye main thodi der ke liye baahar aayi taaki behtar feel kar sakoon,mujhe patha bhi nahi chala ki mere peeche koi hai...aur tu mujh par chilla raha hai...",she started sobbing holding on to him.
Kesar felt bad and he immediately understood that something must have been put in that drink that's why she is feeling so disoriented. He took a deep breath as he replied, "acha sorry ab yeh bataa Vasant bhai kahaan hain?tujhe toh unke saath hona chahiye tha na?woh tujhe akela chod kar kahaan chale gaye...".He stopped talking when he saw the flash of anger in her eyes "nahi Kesar.akela chod ke chale jaana...woh toh tera kaam hai...paanch saal pehle bhi tu ne wohi kiya aur aaj bhi...",She stopped for a moment before continuing "...Vasant ko koi urgent kaam aa gaya isliye jaana pada aur usne mujhe akela nahi choda samjhe.use laga ki tu mujhe company dega lekin use kya patha tha ki tu apni us Neha ke saath itna busy ho jaayega ki mujhe notice bhi nahi karega...kaise chipak ke baithe the dono...chi...ek doosre mein itne khoye hue the ki shayaad bhool gaye ki aas paas aur bhi log hain jinhe problem ho sakti hai...".Kesar was totally annoyed now...wow she was the one to talk.She did not seem to have any problem cozying upto his brother and why was she blaming him?He hadn't done anything wrong.Neha was just a friend and she had been trying to cheer him up..that's all. "Tu kiski baat kar rahi hai...yahaan pe sabhi apni duniya mein mast hain.no one is bothered aur agar tujhe problem ho rahi thi toh bataa...waise tu bhi toh Vasant bhai ke saath chipak ke baithi thi tab toh tujhe koi problem nahi hui so why are you making such a fuss over this?"
Suddenly something struck him as he looked at her tearful eyes.He smiled sarcastically as he said, "kahin tujhe usse jalan toh nahi ho rahi...Gulaal...bataa..."He saw her eyes snap up to his,her face had lost all colour.
She pulled him closer by his collar and said in an even tone, "main usse nahi jalti samjha tu...I...I just don't like her much" and then she looked down.He had not meant anything by that jealousy remark but now he was curious to know why she disliked Neha.A strange feeling of hope seemed to be unfurling in his chest as he asked, "kyun Gulaal...aisi kya wajah hai ki tu use pasand nahi karti...".She remained silent for a few seconds.He lifted her chin and made her look at him directly, "jawaab do Gulaal,kyun...".Her eyes looked glassy but her voice was firm as she replied, "kyunki Kesar...woh tere liye sahi ladki nahi hai...tu uske saath khush nahi reh paayega...woh tujhe kabhi samajh nahi paayegi,tujhe toh aisi ladki chahiye jo teri har choti se choti baat ko samjhe,teri hansi..tera gussa...teri har aahat ko pehchaan sake." He looked at her in wonder and ended up asking her in a dreamy tone, "aur mujhe aisi ladki kahaan milegi...".She looked a bit confused now as she looked away but he did not fail to notice the rising colur in her cheeks.
"acha theek hai...chalo maana Neha mere liye sahi nahi hai.lekin maine toh pehle hi keh diya tha na ki woh sirf meri achi dost hai aur kuch nahi phir tujhe usse itni problem kyun hai?",he really wanted to know.She did not say anything instead struggled to free herself from his arms.After a few minutes of futile efforts she gave up and said in a helpless tone, "jaane de mujhe Kesar...".Her plea only led him to hold her firmly and he saw her wince as she looked at him, "nahi aaj toh tujhe jawaab dena hi hoga.main jaanana chaahtha hoon Gulaal...yeh mere liye bahut zaroori hai...".She looked at him helplessly.Her woebegone expression shook him up.She had just gone through something shocking and she was not even in her senses and here he was trying to needle her.He felt angry at himself.He realized that maybe he had gone too far and was just about to free her when she tearfully spoke, "tu jaanana chaatha hai na ki mujhe Neha se kya problem hai...toh sun,mujhe sirf Neha se nahi har us ladki se problem hai jo tere kareeb aati hai.mujhe bilkul acha nahi lagta ki tu kisi aur ladki se dosti badhaaye,use gale lagaaye...mujhe bahut takleef hoti hai Kesar...mujhe toh patha hi nahi tha ki main itni possessive bhi ho sakti hoon lekin tere baare mein main bahut hi zyaada possessive hoon...sun liya na...ab khush...chal jaane de mujhe".He was stunned,he had not expected that.Gulaal's words kept repeating over and over in his head.He looked at her in a daze.Tears were streaming down her face and she looked embarrassed trying hard to avoid looking at him.Before he knew what he was doing he let go of her arms and held her face in his hands.He stared into her beautiful eyes for a second and then he covered her lips with his own...
very sorry about the length.I just noticed kuch zyaada hi lamba ho gaya😭
