Next day Avi reached at Arpi's place to hand over the script to Dr.shukla, Arpi was sitting in garden under the tree she was doing something with her thread n croshia , but she didn't respond when she saw him coming n ignore him completely Avi get in the house he looked out for Dr, everywhere but he couldn't find him anywhere, at last he had to come to Arpi "Arpi where is Sir?"
Arpi-"how do I know?"
Avi "if u don't know them who would know that!" he said it in scolding manner "I don't like fun all the time Arpi ! I m asking something bz of reason I had to handover him these pages ."
Arpi-"ok ok , then go and give him, may be he in bath! He has some workd to do ! you know he is not so free, that he could wait for u all the time." She replied back .
Avi-"(laughing) uh so tell me that way na , that he is in bath!"
His laugh make her more annoyed , so she gets up to leave him alone in garden,, as she turns to leave Avi cover her chair n said "today I m invery bad mood, I m warning u all , don't disturb me!"
Arpi suddenly turns back n shouts on him –"Avi I told u I don't like all these things, u always makes fun of me.!"
Avi-"no no I will not tease you even I will worship you , as you left me when u get chance to pull my leg haan?"]
Arpi didn't replied on this n sit there on grass , open her book , On this gesture Avi get that there is something serious so he said in very buttering voice –"Arpi!" "Arpi..!
Arpi didn't said anything just two pearls of salty water rolled down on her cheeks , n fell on the opened book.
"oh ! what happened Arpi? Will not you tell me?"
"nothing"
"come on tell me , tumhe hamari kasam hai!"
"why didn't you come at last eve?" she replied in shaking voice.
"what ! you are angry on this thing ! silly girl !"
"ya ya ! 'Angry on this thing' you came or not why should I care! Bade kahin kea aye , nahi aayenge to jase hamara ghar –baar nahi hai! God know s what the hell you think of your self!" she shout in irritation .
"oh so you were saying the same thing naa?" Avi replied laughing.
"let me complete first! Gesu's servent came last eve, it was her lil bro's b'day there was 'Kurankhani' in morning her mother called me ."
Avi- "so why didn't you go there?"
Arpi-"Why didn't you go?kisse puuch ke jaate ? you are coming now when everything would be finished !"
Avi-in consoling manner "oh so you should ask Dad naa! And you usually visit Gesu at her place"
Arpi-"yes ! but today she requested me to dance, if I did that then after you would said "Arpi you shouldn't did that, Girls should not behave in that way! They should do that way! And you would depart a long lecture on moral conduct , how I can I go without your permission ! without your permission I never go for even picnic , movie or even any fair!" and again few drops of trears rolled down n her cheeks.
"Pagli kahin ki , itni si baat par roona kaisa! Send his gift through anyone you can visit her on any other occasion."
"yes ! Chali jaana! Why should you care? Gesu must be hurtled , n now exams are coming when can I go now?"
"kab se hai tumahre exams?"
"why are you asking ? why should you care about my exams! How many times I asked u for a teacher ,, have you arranged it! No!"
"ok baba , ok I will arrange it very soon! Ok I will ask one friend of mine !"
"no no more asking I will wait for him today in noon! Or I will set my all books on fire! Samjhe ke nahi!"
"ok ok I got it!"
Arpi-" lo papa aa gaye!" Avi get up n followed Dr. Shukla for his study room while Arpi get in for kitchen .
Dr. Shukla didn't believe much in castism but still he preffer to have pure food ( made in clean kitchen by someone who enter the washed kitchen after having bath, n when no one else enter the kitchen except her).
He met Avi inquired about Pamela (Pammi) n Avi tell him what he came to know about her n Berty , Dr. shukla felt sorry for her , when Arpi called him for puja
"papa, I have prepared the mat for prayer "
Dr. Shukla –" oh , ok beti I m coming! Avi you have tea I m coming in a few minutes."
As Dr. Shukla left him alone he sit on his usual place , on table to work on Dr. saab's digrams n charts , when Arpi came in room .
Arpi-" shee shee Avi listen !"
Avi-"What !"
Arpi- she glared whole room in a glance n then came close to his ear n said –" will you like to have Nankhataai of rice !"
Avi-"ye kya bala hai?"
Arp-"oh its very nice thing! Yammy! Papa love to have it, I made it in morning ! you like to hav ?" Arpi ased with love n affection.
Avi-"ok ,let me try !"
Arpi-"I already brought it, yeh lo" n she disclosed four nankhatai's in her Pallu.
Avi-"oh u ill-mannered girl , saree khraab kar li ki nahi"
Arpi-"chipa ke laaye hai, chounka jhutha ho jaata ke nahi"
Avi-"my hands are socked in ink"
Arpi-"khani hai ki nahi! Ek to hum chupa ke laaye upar se u r rebuking me . n I m not going to feed you ok. Humare haanth jhoothe ho jaayenge, pata nahi kiska kiska jhootha khate hoge che che"
Avi laughed at this n without any hesitation he washed his hand n use Arpi's pallu to dry it up.
Arpi-"eeh chi you make my pallu yaaki! I have to wear it whole day,"
N she pke it around her waist.
Avi-"n when you place them in it to hide then ! it was not making ur Pallu yakki by purified butter! N now when I just drid up my hands its turn dirty haan!"
Arpi-"Papa abhi dekhenge to gusa karenge!"
Avi-"chi you poked that dirty corner around waist, gandi kahi ki!"
Arpi-"gandi hain to tumse matlab !" she make face n left the room .
After few hours Avi left the house while having dinner Dr. Shukla told Arpi that on 10th he has conference n on 14th her Aunt (Bua) n (Binti) Pihu r coming .
"binti is coming ! really Papa" Arpi exclaimed with joy, Pihu was her aunts daughter n her childhood friend .
"ya she is coming to drop her here"
"ahaa ab to Pihu yani rahegi naa Papa, I will not let her go now , after you I left alone in home , "
"han han she will stay here till June n then in July she will get married"
"oh don't you think its too early Papa , she is so young!"
"why she is almost ur age , even your Aunt had written about you too !"
"no no Papa , I don't want to get marry so soon"
"then?"
"bas ! hum to abhi padhenge! F.A then B.A , then M.A. then Research , and one day I will be like you ! Papa."
"pagal kahin ki , give me one more nankhataai!" Dr. Shukla said laughingly .
"no first promise me then I will give it ok! So tell me you will not force me to get married " Arpi said with dignity in voice.
"give it "
"no first promise me "
"ok ok baba I will not do it"
Arpi give him two nankhataai's
Dr.shukla –"whaen ur would be mother in law come to see you then be prepaired with these khatais"
"fir wohi baat" arpi got ab\nger this time "you promised me naa again you start these marriage talks"
"yes baba I said will not marry , but I didn't said I will not get you marry "
"papa you lied again " Arpi said fumingly.
Then her cookaunty interfaired in matter
"Arpi its enough now let your Papa take breakfast properly" cook aunty was old enough so Arpi respect her n leave the kitchen . she went to her room while lying on her bed she was thinking about last day , Gesu must b waiting for her, just bz of Avi she can'missed all fun. How much she wept today, but he didn't care for her even a bit, tabhi to ab tak Master ka intazam nahi kiya Avi ne , while thinking all this don't know when she fell asleep . Around three o'clock Gesu visit Arpi, she find her sleeping on her bed her crosia was behind pillow while thread was under the bed , she was really looking cute , innocent, n in short beautiful. Specially her eyelids long dark black, n her skin milky white if you tickle her it seems like flowers , her lips pink like rose, her arms like jasmine pallets , gasu came with sweets in her hand, her mother send it for her, . She stand at door of room for a minute n then she put the sweet on side n pick the crosia to tickle her neck, Arpi take a turn while sleping Gesu took the thread n tie its one corner with her plate n other with table then she said –"Arpi,, Arpi,, wake up swety!"
Arpi wakes up suddenly rubbing her eyes-"now its two for you haan? Bring the teacher or not ?"
"oh ho bring or not ? kise bulaya tha sweety? At two let me know about him dear!" Gesu pinch her arm.
"awww " Arpi take her hand off "ah maar dala ! Ruth less! do all this with ur Akhtar miyaa ok," and as Arpi try to get up n take Pallu on head , she find her plate tied with table, she glared at Gesu which Gesu enjoyed so much .
Arpi untied the thread –"ya ya all of you find only me to tease naa ! Akhtar miyaan ki choti bandh ke nachaana unhe , abhi se betaab kyun ho rahi hai"
"hey he don't have any plate"
"so what he has beard naa?"
"Beard no ways if he do that naa I will leave him "
Arpi start laughing.
"ke ammi net ere liye bheji hai, tu aai nahi!"
"what can I say!"
"I don't want any excuse , just tell me when are you coming at my place?"
"gesu listen this Tuesday non o on Thursday Aunty is coming, when she will go only then ican come"
"ok now I m leaving, I have to give sweets to Prabha n Kaamini too,"
"are baitho to sahi, abhi aaye ho,
Baithe ho , daman samhala hai."
Gesu –"oh ho now you too started Urdu shayre haan!"
"tera hi marz lag gaya hai"
"watch out sweety kahi dusra marz bhi naa laga lena otherwise we have to do something for you too" Gesu said it while lying on bed.
"are ye wo gud nahi ki cheeti khaye" (it mean its impossible )
"we will see, will see no no I can see, from last few days I can see how changed you are, earlier you use to laugh so much but now after so hard attempts you keep your silence, n if you smile I can see you were lost in some other thoughts," Gesu said it with doubtful eyes.
"dhat pagli kahin ki" Arpi said with a sweet smile " these all are you dream castle, I m fine, no one is thr in my mind, our teachers didn't teach us that"
"then who's teacher teach all these arts of love n loosing self haan?just tell me the truth , do you never felt anything for anyone ever?"Gesu inquired n this time with seriousness.
"Gesu , had I ever hide anything from you? If there ay thing like that I will tell you, n as you are asking about love n all for me what ever I read in books novels n poems , I never felt like singing , dancing , crying or feeling heaven !! neehhh its never happened with me ever, as far about poems n shero shayari when ever I read Keats I feel like my blood is turning as tears n I will cry till death. But its all just effect of poem that's it"
"well its good if its just effect of Poetry, do you never felt like crying or smiling for any one special ever Arpi, just check you r heart kahin kisi ki surat to nahi bas gai hai"
"no Gesu Bano, I don't need to check my self , if there anything like that n my heart had feeling for any one then I must knew it naa!, why do you think like that haan?"
" you know Arpi, you are a scholer, u almost read all \great poets of English literature but I have seen life more closely then you ,you never know when n how you loose your self to someone , n when that person take back his feet on which we were placing our forehead then we came back from our dream world, n came to know ki hamara sar to kisi ke kadmo me rakha hua tha, and we were living in proud that we never bowed in front of anyone, don't know why , I can see a strange thing in your eyes which made me restless, I m not balming you to hide it from me may be your heart hide it from you too, bas ik baat manegi, kabhi iss dard ko gale na lagana , it really hurts too much"
Arpi laughed at this-"ok baba waise bhi tu to hai hi naa! Tujhse ilaaz puch lungi !"
Gesu-" what will I do dear –
"Darde dil kya puch kar baantne ki cheez hai?
Baant le apne paraye dared dil?"
No dear you are realy very innocent you cant' bear al these sufferings"
Right then the clock struk 3.30 Arpi looked at it –
"oh its 3.30 n he is not here till now!"
"oh ho kiske intaar me betaab ho dear?"
"bekaraar vekaraar nothing ok Avi suppose to come with new teacher , exams are near naa!"
Ya that's true btw why didn't you came yesterday haan?"
"Avi was not here naa how can I come without his permission !"
"Arpi can I ask you something ?" Gesu looked at her face with deep thought.
"ya why not !"
"oh let it be !"
"are puuch naa ! what you want to ask?"
"I don't need to ask, its visible "
"what?"
"Nothing"
"puucho naa!"
"chal chod fir kabhi sahi, m gatting late now byee"
N Arpi came out to see off Gesu,
Gesu-"Arpi plzz yaar come someday to my place my kid bro Hasrat was asking about you "
Arpi-"oh sure but I will bring Pihu too with me."
N Gesu take leave .
Arjun
Cricket
