Armaan and Meghna are still grappling with each other, each oblivious to the other's identity. Then Meghna's cloak slips off and Armaan gropes around for his torchlight. He finds it, and shines it fully into her face. His expression changes from fury to amazement when he sees it is Meghna.😕 The latter, still blinded by the light, is protesting, "Please Mr.Ghost……main sirf aapse baat karna chahti hoon…I know ki aapko shayad bahut disturbance hua hoga par….."
Armaan shakes her and hollers, "Meghna!! Meghna Seth!! Yeh sab kya hai??"
Meg: (rubbing her eyes and staring at him with horror) Armaan!! Tum??
Armaan: (gritting his teeth) Yes, of course main! Par tum iss waqt yahaan kya kar raho ho?
Meg: Main…main toh ghost se milne aayi thi…you know, wo pandit ka ghost, jiske baare mein aunty ne bataya tha…..mujhe laga ki tumhi ghost ho..!
Armu: (annoyed) Main aur ghost? Meghna, tum paagal toh nahin ho gayi ho?
Meg: (annoyed too) Well……tum lag hi aise rahe the….don't mind Armaan par tumhe ek hair-cut ki bahut zaroorat hai (He took your advice, he did, he did!😉)…… I'm so disappointed!! Tumhare kaaran maine real ghost ko miss kar diya! By the way…(pausing and looking slyly at him)….tum aadhi raat ko baahar kya kar rahe the?
Armaan Attitude Suri: None of your business!
Meg: Armaan, tumhare kaaran mera itna achcha chance chala gaya….at least tum mujhe yeh toh bataa sakte ho ki tum hamare peeche kyun bhaage?
Armu: Mujhe laga ki tum chor ho…..
Meghna utters a long and derisive laugh. "Chor! Aur main…..Meghna Seth!! Armaan Suri, tumhe apni aankhon ka treatment kara lena chahiye…."
Armu: (annoyed again) Just stop it will you? Aur by the way…..main toh kissi aur ke peeche bhaag raha tha…..tum beech mein aa gayi issliye main usse pakad nahin paya….lekin tumhare saath koi aur tha, hain na?
Meg: (nonchalantly) Of course…..Nandu!!
Armu: Nandu? Wo tumhare saath kaise……
Meg: Yeh mujhe, tumhe bataane ki zaroorat nahin hai!
Armu: Ok, ok…….i think hamein waapas chalna chahiye….Jassi bahut pareshaan ho rahi hogi…..
They start walking back towards the house, looking a bit deflated. Armaan is thinking, "Aakhir Meghna ko Nandu se kya kaam pad gaya…wo bhi aadhi raat ko?"
Meghna senses this and smiles to herself in the darkness. "Nandan Verma darr ke maare bhaag gaya….par phir bhi maine usse promise kiya tha ki main uski kal raat wali baat kisi ko nahin bataungi….and a promise is a promise. In any case……main tumhe kyun bataun Armaan Suri? I know tum aur tumhari Jassi iss baare mein sochte rahenge…but I don't care!"
As they reach the house, they see Jassi, Beauty, Chaman and Nandu clustered near the banyan tree. Jassi rushes to him with a cry of relief. He gathers her tenderly in his arms and whispers sweet nothings into her ears.
😳😳
Jassi: Main toh darr hi gayi thi Armaan….
Armu: (kissing the top of her head) Kyun meri Jassi…tumhare rehte hue mujhe kuch ho sakta hai kya?❤️
Chaman, blushing by now, clears his throat. JandA come to themselves and pull away. Beauty is grinning. Meghna is looking cool and unconcerned. Nandu looks as if he has never seen Meghna in his life.😃
Jassi: (playfully) Toh Armaan Suri…pakad laaye apne bhoot ko?
She nods brightly at Meg, who doesn't seem much amused. Armaan looks tired of the whole thing.
Armu: Chodo na Jassi…..chalo, ab ghar chale…itni raat gaye tumhara baahar hona theek nahin hai….
Beauty: Ek minute…..mujhe aap sabse kuch kehna hai…..meri aapse guzaarish hai ki aaj raat yahan jo bhi hua, wo ghar mein kisi ko na bataye….waise hum mein se kisi ne kuch galat nahin kiya, lekin agar jhaiji ya baaki bade logon ko pata chala toh shaayad unhe lage ki hum log shaanti se rehna nahin seekh paye hain…..ki hame gaon mein rehne ka saleeka nahin aata….
Nandu: (desperately) haan haan…Beauty bilkul theek keh rahi hai….
Meg: (shrugging her shoulders) Well, I have no problem…..yeh sab bataane se meri privacy disturb hogi….aur waise bhi, kuch baatein na hi batayi jaye toh achcha hai na? (looks directly at Nandu, who goes red with embarrassment)
Chaman: Haanji haanji….bilkul theek hai ji!
JandA look meaningfully at each other. Armu drawls, "Tum theek keh rahi ho Beauty…..raaz ko raaz hi rehna chahiye!" Jassi blushes.😉
Beauty: Hmm…..waise jeeju….aap dono itni raat ko baahar….aakhir baat kya hai?
Jassi raises her hand in mock anger. Armaan blushes and draws Jassi closer to himself. Beauty laughs and sprints ahead. The others follow at a more sedate pace. Jassi is about to do the same, but Armaan pulls her back into the shadows.
When the others are out of earshot, she asks, "Armaan….ab kya?"
Armu: Jassi…..hamari dare abhi khatam nahin hui hai….zaraa ruko……hamari chocolates abhi bhi uss ped ke neeche hai!
He rushes back and forth, arriving with the box under his arm. The two finish their date under the banyan tree, amidst the remains of Meghna's seance.
Jassi snuggles up to him and whispers, "Tumhe darr nahin laga…..agar sachmuch chor hote to?"
He lifts her chin with his finger and gazes deeply into her eyes. "Mujhe kisi chor se darr nahin…mera sabse keemti cheez toh pehli hi chori ho chuki hai….mera dil!"
(And what about ghosts? Have these two forgotten a certain Vidhi?😡)
Jassi finishes her chocolate and looks around for a tissue paper. Armaan grabs her hand and whispers, "Uski zaroorat nahin padegi…."
Slowly, deliberately, he licks her fingers one by one, gazing erotically into her eyes the whole time.😳😳😳 She shivers and stares spellbound.
As he finishes with the little finger, he spies the brown tinge of chocolate on her mouth. Pulling her face close to his, he tastes its sweetness directly. ❤️❤️❤️The shadows lengthen indulgently over them as they lose track of the world.
Monday: JandA's Diwali.
Book Talk
