Jab bahut zada time hota hai haath mein aur karne kuch nahi to aisey hi wacky ideas dimag mein aate hain
Someone in the EDT had proposed that they could have shown a wedding shopping trip or card selection scene and that gave me this Idea. I don't know how many of you here have ever scanned the Indian wholesale Paper bazaars, every major Indian city has it. It is actually a very interesting place and I am one who would always try to take my money stretch as far as I can.
"ek rupiya mein char chavanni ki jagah jab tak 6 chavanni nahi tikayi tab tak shopping flop. I hope my Hindi was relatable to some extent but you see I am an Uttarakhandi who got most of her education in Varanasi. I have a twisted Hindi and even more twisted Hindi slangs. That was the reason I could connect with the characters Anika and Gauri ekdam harharike. So this OS deals with an attempt of Gauri and Anika to save some Oberoi money on wedding invitation. Assume it is a regular wedding that is atleast 2 months from now and there are no quirky functions and rasams. Not that I have anything against them but for the sake of this OS let's assume this.
Anika was sitting with Gauri and dadi looking at the multilayered card samples. Fabric, glass tissue, silk, luxurious Gossamer, velvet, latkans, pearls, kalash, peacock feathers, kiran, mirror, dabka, zardosi, so on and so forth. The cardographer, well yes that is what they are called these days or atleast this person's visiting card held this as his profession, so the Cardographer had showered both Anika and Gauri with all these terms that were though not so alien to them but they failed to understand how could they be connected to a card.
"Jis speed se yeh bhaisahab apni railgadi chala rahey hai iss speed se to yeh nariyal ki barfi aur kaju ki katli bhi issi card pe CHATAAK chep deinge." Anika whispered to a stunned Gauri with an explicit CHATAAK'
"Bahujai inko kuch galat fehmi ho gayi hai yeh mujhey lagta hai yeh na card nahi humare kapdo ke baarey mein bol raha hai." Gauri tried to make sense of what that Cardographer was saying.
"Look Om I think this peacock feather really compliments Shivay's eyes and personality." Shivay became visibly uncomfortable with the very idea of himself being complimentary to a peacock feather. He was sipping this new tangy drink made by Gauri called aam panna. Till now it was a burst of flavors in his mouth and he was actually enjoying it but this peacock feather suddenly got caught in his throat and he coughed violently. Gauri Rushed to Bade bhaiya's rescue as always. She doted on him like none other.
"Bade bhaiya aap paana chod dijiye. Arrey meri hi mati mari gayi thi jo maine aapko itna teekha diya. Sorry badey bhaiya very sorry! "She started fussing all around him patting his back rubbing his chest much to Omkara's irritation. He tried the same stunt though more subtly hoping to score an equal attention if not more But Gauri failed to notice.
"Suna nahi hai saari khudai ek taraf Joru ka bhai ek taraf." Anika rubbed some more salt onto his injury.
"Suna to tha dikh ab raha hai."
"Gauri is mor pankh se bachao!" Shivay held her palms to his chest giving her as glum a look as he could manage. Gauri's already huge eyes took over her entire face.
"Aap nautanki kar rahey they? Haww Bade bhaiya!" Gauri had to exert all her facial muscles to keep from laughing.
She jumped back to her place and was about to tell Anika about bade bhaiya's request when the Cardographer came up with his even better Idea
"Look Shivay what I was thinking is to make a royal blue velvet scroll and we can get the invitation done in matte silver foil printing. Add an ivory silk twine with these little morpankh kalangis as tassels. Trust me it is going to look absolutely royal"
"Dori Bhi aa gayi...abhi saree finalise hui nahi blouse pehle decide ho gaya color ke saath bhaujai!! Kuch karo Badey Bhaiya ko heart attack ho jayega agar issne ek baar aur morpankh ka naam liya to."
"Let's do one thing You leave your pattern and swatch book here tonight and we will look into it and decide and let you know." Janhavi had to take lead else here the two younger ones would drive every one mad with their remarks. Poor card designer was totally embarrassed by the way they had been mocking him. She needed to give them a lesson in subtlety. They spoke in very audible whispers.
"Janhavi aunty we can customize any thing just keep that in mind."
He was absolutely grateful that he could take their leave because the two girls were ready to strip apart his every suggestion and Shivay was behaving in such an unlike Shivay way. What has happened to this house hold. It used to be such a wonderfully calm and dignified place. People hardly spoke and now It was ruckus. He remembered Priyanka's wedding it had been such a smooth sail, no one ever checked the price for anything. Now the scenario had changed so drastically. The two ladies were ready to contest on price no sooner than he quoted. He helt like he was standing in Nayi Sadak, Chandini Chauk instead of Oberoi Mansion.
Shivay, Om, Tej, and Shakti stood there dumb looking at Janhavi, Anika, Gauri, and dadi pouring over cards. There were many that Janhavi and Dadi liked but every single one of them was discarded by Anika.
"Dadi ismein to ladies blouse se bhi kam silk laga hai. AUr meri samajh nahi aa raha card mein Silk lagana kyoun hai? Iska price tag 1200 per card! Bas itna hi! Shivaaa...AAY Si...ngh...OBER...OI da vyah hai barah lakh ka card hona chahiye, tab to baat hai" Anika said her husband's name with as long a dramatic stretch as she could.
Om and Shivay looked at each other and then pointed towards the roof.
"After the lord created them he must have surely renounced the world." Om said trying to make sense of what was going on.
"dadi main kya kehti hoon na, yeh mor pankh, aur yeh...gh...gh.. ghusamar silk..."
"Gauri! Gauri! Gossamer...Gossamer silk. Om and Shivay both were finding it difficult to control their waves of laughter and the others did not even attempt at control.
"Haan wahi, ghusa chodo yeh to chune se bhi fat jayega Om." Anika came to her rescue "Pehle tu apna idea finish kar Gauri"
"Haan to hum kya keh rahey they ki kyoun na hum Omkaraji ki koi acchi si painting ko card ke upar banvaayein. Yeh banatey hain na itney manmohak murtiyan wo bhi la saktey hain, aur andar jo bhi likhna hai likhwa dein koi jo rang miley upar ke dejign se."
"Why not Om! This is actually a perfect idea." Not only Shivay but everyone else was bowled over with this idea.
"Waise bhi inki to paintings ke prints bhi itne mehenge hotey hain ki bas poocho mat. Chahein to silk pe bhi print karva saktey hain. Ab itna paisa kharch karein lage to ki kuch dam hai. Yeh kya kabad jaise kuch bhi, kahin ka eent kahi ka roda. Mere hisab se to yeh card bilkul anmol hoga wo kya kehtey hain English mein, priceless, precious, haan wahi." Gauri literally talked to herself forgetting everyone was there, leaving them shocked at the use of such words and pronouncing them correctly.
"Gauri kya kaha tumne?" Om asked her and Shivay tried to look somewhere where no one was visible.
"marvaya is larki ne." He mumbled.
"Pre...precious...Pric...priceless. Bhavya kehti hai aapke chitron ko." Gauri barely managed to save her secret and looked around to see that all of them were convinced and Shivay greatly relieved.
"To phir done Shadi ka card will be Om's painting. Om I want this as a wedding gift from you and Gauri you will get this thing done." Anika knew Om would not agree to this but she also knew how to twist his arm and she exactly did that. Relieved atleast they achieved one of the many goals today.
"Anika Gauri 12:30 nikaleinge for shopping." Janhavi reminded the girls and both of them simultaneously sprinted to their rooms to get ready.
Once she was in her own sanctuary where she could talk without any restrictions to the walls and the furniture, to the mirrors and the lipsticks, to the glasses and the jugs. It was actually nothing short of a miracle, that these things still chose to remain quite listeners and had not started talking yet. Shivay was very sure he would one day enter into a talking walking room if Anika continued with her antics.
"Aaj to Gauri ne bacha liya varna wo cardographer pakka humare ghar se sari ka blouse bhijwata sabko invitation mein. Haww!! Main bhi na Shivay jaisi hoti ja rahi. Bade 2 rs ideas aane lage hain dimag mein." She squeezed her eyes and laughed at her own cheapde thoughts. While a lot have changed in Shivay in these last few months but he is still true to his education, speaks absolutely blue blooded language. Lot has changed in Anika too but unlike Shivay she could never sense his closeness.
"Chalo tumhare upar kuch to mera asar aaya." He whispered encircling her in his arms and as usual got her startled reaction in return.
"Aap! ...Wo mujhey na kapdo ki shopping ke liye jana hai." She tried to free herself from his hold and as usual she failed. He opened up her right palm and placed a Citi Prestige Credit Card meant for Indian millionaires, seen in very few very deep pockets. It had Anika's Name on it.
"Only for just Anika, and trust me I am a business man I will extract every paisa worth of value in return for this favor." He said placing some other documents on to her palm again.
"Yeh Kya hai?" She opened to read the papers. It was the registration papers of her event management company, "SHIVIKA EVENTS. Anika was stumped as this was also in just Anika's name.
"Aapne yeh kyoun kiya? I don't need this." She was feeling very confused.
"I know you are an independent courageous woman. You would have done it all by your self, but if I say, there is no part of you that I would want where I am not there. I don't want to be left out Anika, never again. Tum mujhey chod sakti ho I have seen that, meri bhi galati thi but ab nahi, I will not let you leave me nor will I ever be left aside. will that be enough for you to accept it" His raspy voice had conveyed to Anika much more than what he had said. She was well aware that Shivay was a man of precious few words, and Anika valued his words much more than he could ever imagine.
"Yeh business theek hai par is card ki zaroorat nahi hai. Janhavi aunty le jaa rahi hain hum logon ko unke samne vaise bhi main payment nahi karti hoon." She tried to reason freeing herself from his grip and putting the documents in the locker. She in reality needed to turn away from him to wipe away her tears. She was fiercely independent but that did not mean she did not value companionship or she did not need care and love from any one. What Shivay did today for her was far beyond her expectation. She was ecstatic and did not want to cry because and only because Shivay hated her tears. She once again failed to notice when Shivay had come extremely close to her and when she turned he did not need to pull her into him like every other time. He twisted her arm behind her even before she could register what was going on. Her right hand captive in his vicious left handed grip, he used his right hand to raise her chin to look into her eyes.
"Look into my eyes Anika." He commanded and she complied praying he won't notice the remnants of tears. He twisted her arm a little more to force her forward into him and she again complied with his untold command and placed her left hand on his shoulder for support or she would fall flat on him. She tried to inhale normally, but when he was in his punishing mood it was extremely difficult for her heart to stay steady, let alone breathing normally.
"Ro rahi thi tum?"
"Nahi!" she tried looking away but his emerald eyes held hers captive. She took a shallow breath to keep a certain part of her anatomy from moving much too close to him for her comfort. Shivay twisted her arm even further and she arched her back in an attempt to avoid the pain or pleasure she would never be able to decipher.
"Phir Jhooth!" His tone was reprimanding while he patted her cheek with his thumbs.
"Let me go Shivay." She pleaded without using the word.
"Don't ever hide anything from me Anika. I promise to you that I will always try to hear and understand you in future, but don't hide anything from me. We could have paid with our lives because of this concealing stunt of yours. If I have a right to be a witness to your smiles I have a duty to see to your tears too. Not because you are weak but because I cannot bear pain. I have very low pain bearing threshold. You are a part of me never forget that so if I carry this card so will you"
"You and your Everest sized pride." She placed her palm on his chest but what he did next not only stumped her but also made her blush a furious shade of vermillion. He left her limp, with a heart thumping thunderously and pulse pounding at the base of her neck. She pulled out the black credit card sticking out with as much pride as him from her top where he had left it secure for her to take once she came back to her senses.
"Itne cheapde hain aap. Yeh 2 rs harkat aap karke bach nikale koi aur hota to...
"Koi aur hohi nahi sakta tha." He said winking at her from the door leaving behind an absolutely dazed and flustered Anika trying desperately to regain her composure. She could hear his unbridled laughter from the corridor and it made her smile.
...
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Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
