Chapter-10
Kesar was having a very pleasant dream.He was in the most magical place.He had only read about places like this in fairy tales.Tiny bright stars were scattered across the beautiful night sky.He looked around to see the moonlight shining across the expanse of a desert.Just then he heard the melodious tinkling of bangles.He grinned.She was here...the woman who had been haunting every one of his dreams for the past few nights was here.Tonight he was determined to see her face.He wanted to know who this enchanting creature was who always managed to evade his grasp.He saw her running gracefully with her long black hair swaying across her hips.He took off after her.He needed to see her face.He was desperate. Finally his efforts paid off.He successfully caught hold of her arm and was about to pull her towards him when he felt something wet on his cheeks.The cold,wet feeling was tickling him and interrupting his dream.He was irritated and tried to push it off his face.Nothing would stop him tonight.The enchanting woman was now in his arms but her face was hidden behind the veil of her beautiful long hair.He lifted his hand to remove the last obstacle standing in his way when he felt a sweet warm breath near his ear.He felt a drop of water on his face and wondered as to whether it had started to rain in his dream.He wiped away the water droplet from his cheek and concentrated on the woman in his arms.He did not want to break the illusion.She smelt of sandalwood and rosewater.He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.The fragrance was so pure...so soothing...so familiar,he thought with a frown.He opened his eyes to see a very familiar face in front of him with that bewitching smile of hers which always made him go weak in the knees.He just stood stunned as he heard her say softly,"Kesar...".Kesar was confused because the woman in his arms was Gulaal!!!
"KESAR..."
The loud scream caught him unawares and jerked him back to reality.He immediately sat up straight and in the process he knocked over Gulaal who had been leaning over him.She lost her balance and she grabbed his shoulders which caused him to roll over her.He blinked for a few seconds looking at her.She was trapped under him and his arms were around her waist.Their noses were almost touching.Was he awake or was this part of his dream?Then he noticed the plaster on Gulaal's forehead and everything came back to him.This was not a dream.Suddenly he felt an unfamiliar awkwardness grip him.Last night the alcohol had loosened his inhibitions and he had acted upon his suppressed desires...his need for Gulaal.In the light of the day with his senses intact he now felt a little flustered.Maybe he was feeling so due to the dream that he had just woken up from or maybe it was the fact that she was so near...so close that he could almost taste the softness of her lips.He found himself staring at her lips.He never kissed her on the lips last night and now he regretted it.He could sense that he was once again losing control over himself. How could he not?She looked so alluring with her wet hair fanned across the white sheets,little drops of water on her cheeks and her mouth slightly open.He looked up into her eyes.He did not fail to notice the look of surprise in them.That brought him back to his senses.He realized that he was lying on top of her...almost crushing her under his weight.He blushed as he quickly looked away from her captivating eyes and tempting lips.He rolled away in an instant and turned the other side to clear his head.He was so tangled up in his own thoughts that he failed to notice the look of disappointment and hurt in her eyes.He heard a rustle and and he took a quick peak to see her get up from the bed and adjust her clothes as she moved away.He closed his eyes as he tried to think of something because he could feel the sudden awkwardness in the air.He cleared his throat before starting to speak,"woh...Gulaal main...".He was not able to finish the sentence because Gulaal interrupted him in a clipped tone,"Kesar...yeh lo nimbu paani...ise pi lena tumhe acha lagega.bahut der ho gayi hai.tumhe office bhi toh jaana hai.jaldi se tayyar hoke neeche aa jaao...main naashta ready kar dethi hoon...".She left the room without giving him a chance to speak.
Gulaal walked out of the room barely able to control her tears.She was hurt... disappointed and shockingly angry.She had been so happy when she had woken up this morning.Last night had been special...at least that was she had assumed.She thought it was a turning point in their relationship and she was ecstatic that things were finally progressing between them in the right direction.She was so happy that even her headache did not seem to bother her.After a quick shower she decided to wake him up with a glass of lime juice which was supposed to be good for hangovers.She was sure he would be having one today.He had looked so cute and innocent smiling away in his sleep.Maybe he was dreaming about her...about them...she thought and immediately bit her tongue to realize how silly she was being.She had been doing that a lot lately...behaving like a silly teenage girl having her first crush.She had to remind herself every time that she was not a teenager but a 28 year old woman.She had never behaved in this manner when she had been a teenager,she mused but she couldn't help herself. Kesar made her feel so alive...so free...
She sighed and got back to the task of waking him up but it was of no use.Suddenly a naughty smile lighted up her face and she leaned over him.Her wet hair seemed to disturb him because she heard him mutter something illegible.She moved very close to his ear and screamed his name.His reaction had been worth the prank.A smile broke out on her face when she saw the confused expression on his face and then it dawned on her that she was trapped in his arms and he was lying on top of her.She could feel the heat coming off from his body.Part of her wanted to escape...run away but she did not.She stayed immobile enjoying the feel of his body.She could see that his gaze was transfixed on her.It made her blush yet it made her feel powerful.She was not ashamed to admit that she was reveling in the moment and the realization surprised her. As her smile faded she could see him stare at her.He was looking deeply into her eyes and she could see her need reflected in his eyes yet she also saw a tiny flicker of embarrassment, a fear or was it regret?He averted his eyes from her and she noticed his body stiffen as he rolled away in an instant.It felt as if he was rejecting her.She felt her heart sink.She had never thought of the possibility that things would get awkward between them.She got up in an instant and turned around to compose herself.She had been used to rejection all her life.This was nothing new to her but the pain she felt in her heart right now was something she had never experienced.It was worse than any physical wound.She quickly gave him the lime juice and left the room.She was standing against the wall with her eyes closed trying to get a grip on herself when she heard Talli's voice,"Di...kya hua?aapki aankhon mein aansoo??"
She was shocked.When did she start crying?She quickly turned around and wiped away her tears as she said,"nahi...kuch nahi...mere sar mein dard ho raha hai...isliye...".
Talli came over to where she was standing.She could see the cloud of suspicion in her eyes as she spoke,"Di...aap mujhse kuch chupa toh nahi rahi na...".She smiled as she replied,"nahi Talli main kyun chupaungi?tu bhi na patha nahi kya leke baith jaati hai...acha maine tere liye kapde nikaalke rakhe hain.jaldi se nahaa le aur neeche aaja ...main naashta banaa dethi hoon..."
Kesar got up from the bed and he realized that not only his head was pounding but his whole body was aching too.He got up and winced as he tried to walk.He looked at his foot and remembered how he got hurt.He smiled inspite of himself.If only he hadn't hurt himself...he felt a shiver pass through his body thinking about how the night would have progressed if he had not stepped on that piece of glass.He gave himself a mental shake and proceeded to take a shower.Today was going to be a busy day at the office.He had a lot of important meetings lined up.So he needed no distractions.After a refreshing shower he felt slightly better.Actually he was feeling very happy and content though he did not understand the reason behind it.He got dressed and was almost about to leave the room when he noticed the glass of lime juice which Gulaal had got for him.He took it with a smile and finished it off in one gulp.
As he came downstairs whistling a tune he saw that everyone was already at the table.His father looked at him with a stern expression on his face.He could also see Rewa trying hard to stop snickering. Talli seemed to be deep in thought.He slowed down and walked over to the table hesitantly."Good Morning Baba...".For a moment he did not reply as he sifted through the pages of the newspaper and then he heard him say,"Kesar...maine jo kal raat tujhse baat ki thi woh yaad hai ya...".
Kesar did not wait for him to complete and immediately rushed over to sit besides him saying,"Baba...mujhe sab yaad hai... aap ne bilkul theek kaha tha aur aage se main iska dhyaan rakhunga...",and he smiled in a way which he knew would surely melt his father.
As expected Baba smiled at him indulgently as he said,"agar tu samajh gaya hai toh yeh achi baat hai... bas mujhse yeh sab baatein dobara math kehalvaana...mujhe bhi acha nahi lagta ki har baar tujhse aise sawaal jawaab karoon...".
Kesar replied with a grin,"jee Baba...main aap ko shikayat ka mauka nahi doonga pakka...".
At that moment he saw Gulaal enter the room.He turned to look at her with a small smile but to his surprise she did not return it.She served Baba breakfast and turned away saying,"main tumhare liye abhi naashta laati hoon Kesar...".
The smile on his face faded.Gulaal had not even looked at him.He was hurt.He did not know why she was behaving this way.Everything had been fine in the morning so what was the problem?He was trying to think of a reason when he heard her voice,"yeh lo Kesar tumhara naashta...".He looked up at her and found that she was looking a little pale.Was she not feeling well?He was concerned."Gulaal...tum theek...",he started to ask her if she was okay when she interrupted him,"Kesar...agar tumhe koi problem na ho toh kya tum Talli ko hostel chod doge?..."He nodded his head agreeing silently.
He finally saw a smile on her face but it provided him no comfort because he knew that it was fake.It disturbed him.She made her escape saying she had to go early today and left hastily.None of the others seemed to notice anything strange about her behaviour but he knew that something was wrong and he also sensed that it definitely involved him.
Talli had been talking ever since she got into the car but he hadn't listened to a word she said.He was trying to replay the events of last night and this morning in his mind.Maybe he could get some clue as to why she was acting so formal towards him.He did not like it at all that she ignored him at the breakfast table.He knew it was quite childish but he liked it when she gave him her undivided attention.He needed that from her.He never knew how much it meant to him until today.
"aaj Gulaal Di ki tabiyat kuch theek nahi lag rahi thi...".The mention of Gulaal's name got his attention as he asked Talli,"kyun kya hua?"
He did not hear her reply and after a moment of silence she asked him,"agar bura na maano toh main kuch poochna chahthi hoon...apne Jeeju se nahi balki apne dost Kesar se...".
He wanted to laugh but the serious expression on her face stopped him as he replied with a smile,"haan Talli...pooch kya poochna hai?"
She seemed to hesitate a bit before speaking,"woh... main...main jaanti hoon ki shaayad mujhe yeh poochne ka haq nahi ...lekin main kya karoon tu aur Gulaal Di dono hi mere dil ke bahut kareeb hain isliye pooche bina nahi reh sakti..."
He was now agitated as he spoke,"kyun...Gulaal ne tujhse kuch kaha kya?..."
The thought that Gulaal would share her feelings with Talli instead of him made him uncomfortable.
"nahi Kesar...yehi baat toh mujhe pareshaan kar rahi hai...woh kabhi kuch kehti hi nahin...bachpan se dekhti aayi hoon...woh hamesha har gham ko apne andar chupa lethi hain...kabhi yeh zaahir nahi hone dethi ki unhe koi baat chot pahuncha rahi hai...lekin woh jitna bhi chupaa le mujhe patha chal hi jaata hai...aur aaj subah unke chehre par maine phir se wohi udaasi dekhi jo pehle hua karti thi...isliye tujhse pooch rahi hoon..."
He saw Talli look at him with a peculiar expression on her face,"Kesar...tere aur Gulaal Di ke beech sab theek toh hai na...kahin kal raat waale kisse ko le kar kuch anban ya...".
Kesar spoke firmly as his features hardened,"NAHI...aisa kuch nahi hua...tujhe aisa kyun lagta hai ki main use us baat ko lekar chot pahunchaunga...main aisa kabhi sapne mein bhi nahi soch sakta...".
He could see the shock on Talli's face.He had never spoken to her in this tone before.He knew that he shouldn't have talked to her harshly but her words made him very angry.He tried to calm himself down as he spoke in a softer tone,"I am sorry Talli...mujhe tujhse aise baat nahi karni chahiye thi...".
He was surprised to see a knowing smile as she replied,"koi baat nahi Kesar...main samajh sakti hoon...main toh apne mann ki tassali ke liye pooch rahi thi...waise bhi main jaanti hoon ki tu kabhi Di ko hurt nahi kar sakta kyunki...".She stopped her sentence midway which made Kesar curious.
He looked at her confused by her words and her smile as he asked,"kyunki...kya?..."
She just grinned and then shouted,"arre gaadi rok Kesar...mera hostel aa gaya...".
He brought the car to a stop and he asked her once again,"tu ne bataya nahi Talli...kyunki kya????"
She got down from the car,closed the door and leaned on the window as she replied,"koi baat nahi Kesar...aisa hotha hai...tujhe bhi jald hi patha chal jaayega..." and she just took off laughing out loud leaving him utterly confused.
Kesar looked at his watch for the hundredth time now.He was restless.He had not been able to concentrate on his work since he arrived in office this morning.He needed to talk to Gulaal.He had tried to call her a few times but she was not answering.Why was she not picking up his calls?The talk he had with Talli made him anxious.He called her once more as he paced up and down his cabin.Once again he got the same response.He was now frustrated and almost chucked the phone away.He closed his eyes and decided to calm himself down.He tried to reason with himself that maybe she was taking a class.Yes that could be it.He should wait for lunch time and call her and in the meantime he should concentrate on his work but it was easier said than done.He could not get his mind to focus on work. Everytime he tried to he could only see Gulaal's pale face.He looked at his watch once more.It was the perfect time to call her up.She would be having her lunch now so she would be able to talk to him.He made the call and when he heard her soft voice say "Hello..." the frown disappeared as a smile spread across his face.He remained silent for a few seconds not knowing what to say.There was a silly grin which refused to die down.He was brought out of his stupor when she heard her say,"Kesar...Hello..."
This time her voice had bit of an edge which reminded him why he had called her up and prompted him to speak.
"Hello...ummm...Gulaal tum...woh ...tum...tumne aaj subah mujhe dekhkar undekha kyun kar diya?...".He cringed...what had come out of his mouth?He had wanted to ask her whether she was okay and instead he sounded like a petulant child.He wished he could take back the words but it was too late and so he quickly tried to cover up saying,"mera matlab hai aaj subah tum khush nahi lag rahi thi...kya hua Gulaal?..."
He heard a soft sigh over the phone as he heard her reply,"nahi...Kesar...aisa kuch bhi nahi hai...main bilkul theek hoon...".
He did not believe her.She was lying."tum jhoot bol rahi ho Gulaal.kuch toh baat hai jo tumhe pareshaan kar rahi hai...".
Suddenly something struck him...the very thought of which troubled him and he continued hesitantly,"kahin...kahin tum kal ...kal raat ko lekar pareshan toh nahi...matlab jo hamaare beech...".He couldn't even complete his sentence as he felt a icy cold fear grip him.
His worst fears were confirmed when he didn't hear her reply.There was complete silence on the other end.He never even gave it a thought that she might be angry with him because of last night's events...his actions to be specific.
He took a deep breath before speaking,"dekho Gulaal...agar tum..." but before he could continue he heard her say firmly,"Kesar...please hum us baare mein baat na kare toh hi behtar hai..."
"nahi mujhe bolne do Gulaal...please...agar tumhe lagta hai ki maine kal raat apni hadh paar ki hai toh main...main uske liye maafi chahtha hoon...main kuch palon ke liye apna vaada bhool gaya tha...ki main kabhi bhi tumhari marzi ke khilaaf is rishte ko tum par nahi thopunga...main ...",he stopped unable to continue.He closed his eyes as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Kesar...nahi...woh...main...kal raat jo bhi hua us mein meri marzi shaamil thi...",he opened his eyes in surprise as he heard her shy,soft reply.For a moment he was stunned and then as it began to sink in he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.The relief and happiness that he felt at that moment was virtually impossible to describe.
Silence reigned for a few moments but this time there was no awkwardness.They both were grinning on either side.Suddenly he heard the bell ring over the phone as Gulaal spoke softly,"ummm...Kesar mujhe jaana hoga...class hai...".He did not want her to go.He wanted to talk to her but he knew he had to let her go,"theek hai Gulaal...bye...shaam ko milte hain..."
"hmmm...bye...",she replied and cut the call.It was only then he realized that she had not answered his question...She had not told him why she had been so indifferent to him in the morning.He thought it over for a second and then let it go because right now he did not care...
CID
Udne Ki Aasha
Kumkum Bhagya
