It is JandA's last morning in McLeodganj. Armaan gets up to find that he is alone in the room. He lazily wanders about, calling softly for her, looking a cute mess with his hair all tousled and his nightsuit crumpled. Finally he traces her in the balcony, looking wistfully out at the splendid mountains.
Squeezing her shoulders, he leans his head against her back and murmurs, "Good morning sweetheart!"
"Good morning", she says absently. He immediately turns her around and lifts her chin with his finger, so that their eyes are on a level. "Kya hua…are you upset?"
She shakes her head. "Nahin Armaan……bas aise hi…."
Armu: Arre….koi toh baat hogi…..
Jassi: (sighing) Maine itni khoosurati pehle kabhi nahin dekhi…aur pata hai, isse dekh kar darr lag raha hai….kahin isse bhi log apne faayde ke liye barbaad na kar de….
Armu: Meri Jassi…. (kissing her on the forehead) …jaanti ho, har achchi cheez ke liye ek angel hota hai, jo uski hifaazat karta hai….jaise tum Kangra ke liye angel nikli, wahaan le land scam ka tumne parda faash kiya…..aur uska asar poore state mein ho raha hai….to kyu chinta karti ho…..iss waqt mujhe bhi meri angel ki zaroorat hai….yaani meri Jassi ki…..
Jassi: (smiling) Tumhe kis cheez se khatra hai?
Armu: Akelepan se! Tum ek minute mere paas nahin hoti toh main adhoora ho jaata hun…..
Jassi: Aaj subah-subah itni romantic baatein?
Armu: (sighing) Ab aaj hi ka din toh hai….uske baad toh waapas ghar, aur saari responsibilities….Jassi, hum dono kahin bhoodhe toh nahin ho rahe?
Jassi: (teasingly) Main toh nahin ho rahi….agar tum bhoodhe ho rahe ho toh abhi bata do, main apne liye koi young man dhoond leti hun…..
"Aye!" he grabs her arm possessively. "Aisa karne ki sochna bhi mat!"
Jassi: (wide-eyed) Armaan! Main toh mazaak kar rahi thi!
Armu: Toh main kaunsa serious tha! (breaks into a grin)
They dissolve into laughter and lean into each other's waiting, willing arms.
When their things are all packed, Jassi sits on the bed, thinking of something. He comes and sits down beside her.
Jassi: Armaan, tumhe yaad hai, yahaan se aate-jaate waqt raste mein hum eek church bahut baar dikha hai?
Armu: Hmm yes…..tumhe wahan jaana hai kya?
Jassi: Why not? Safar shuru karne se pehle God se blessings lene hi chahiye….
Armu: As you say, sweetheart….lekin hamare paas zyada time nahin hai, shaam tak humne Chandigarh pahunchna hai…yaad hai na, hamari raat ki flight hai?
She nods and starts getting ready. For a change, she is in a long flowing white skirt, with a lacy embroidered top, and her hair is loose about her face. She wraps a soft pink swal around her shoulders. Armaan gets into a white shirt with blue trousers and pulls on an indigo jacket. Arm-in-arm, they leave for the church of St. John-in-the-Wilderness.
It is all quiet inside, with only a few worshippers leaning devoutly before the altar. The church is an old-fashioned stone one with magnificent stained glass windows. JandA sit down respectfully on one of the pews and close their eyes in prayer.
Jassi prays—"God, duniya mein jitni bhi khoobsurati hai, uski hifaazat karna….usse galat haathon mein mat jaane dena…..inn pahaadon ki masoomiyat hamesha kayam rakhna…."
Armu is praying, "God, meri zindagi mein jitni khushi hai…..utni hi khushi sab logon ko dena….taaki meri Jassi ko kisi ki haalat dekh kar dukh na pahunche….."
They raise their heads and smile at each other. Then, hand-in-hand, they walk out of the church, into the cemetery just outside. Jassi bends down to read the inscriptions on the graves. Some of them are very old, dating back to the 19th century. They belong mostly to British officers who were stationed in the cantonment, and their families. Jassi utters a little cry as she comes upon a tiny grave, of a child who died at the age of 7 days. Tears in her eyes, she runs her hand softly over the inscription, which has half-faded away by the onslaught of years. He bends down and holds her tenderly. She turns her face to him, and utters only one word—"Armaan…."
He gently wipes away her tears and holds her tight against him. They get up slowly and walk back towards their hotel, where their taxi is waiting to take them back.
Monday: Back home
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