PART 4:
AROHI & MUSKAAN 12 YRS, RAHUL 14 YRS, ARJUN 16 YRS:
It had been 6 months since the little incident in Arjun's room. Arjun had moved on; ignoring that transient reaction to normal hormonal changes within his body. Things were pretty much back to normal. Arjun spent more time with his buddies; his car making him popular among the older high-schoolers too. Arjun never tried to smoke again; he did not know why he resisted the temptation even though his friends coaxed and cajoled him. He had enough authority over his buddies and class-mates, that they knew no one could pressure Arjun into anything if he had made up his mind.
Arohi and Muskaan spent a lot of time learning how to sew, knit, cook and take care of house work thanks to Amrit. They would try to visit Arjun and Rahul at least once a day, but their meetings became shorter and briefer. It was becoming obvious that both Rahul and Muskaan were very fond of each other. Naina tried her best to keep the girls away, but her sons usually managed to get away with what they wanted.
On one muggy summer afternoon, Arjun finally got tired of his books; he changed into his swimming shorts and convinced Rahul to go for a swim at the stream, "chal Rahul'.bahut din ho gaye jheel par nahin gaye'..aaj bahut garmi hai'.chal thodi der chalte hain."
Rahul, the obedient brother was ready in a jiffy, "Muskaan se bhi poonch lein?"
Arjun slapped Rahul's back, "tu aur teri Muskaan'..shaadi karega kya us sey?"
Rahul blushed a little, "tu bhi na yaar'..kaisi baat karta hai? Shaadi tho mama-papa ki marzi se karoonga'..kya tu Arohi se shaadi karega?"
Arjun was taken aback, "us chidiya se? Dimaag kharaab hai mera? Bachpan ka saath hi bahut hai'..poori zindagi apna dimaag kharaab nahin karna mujhey!" he chuckled and walked out towards his car. He thought about what Rahul had just said, and then shook his head, "Naa re naa'..meri biwi tho koi Bipasha Basu type hogi'..uss chidiya se shaadi kaun karega?"
"Tho Muskaan aur Arohi ko bhi le lein?" Rahul asked as he sat on the passenger Side.
Arjun sneered, "unka dhyaan rakhna padhega saale'.wo bachhi hain!"
Rahul's face fell; Arjun smiled and said, "theek hai bhai'.le lete hain'par tu hi dhyaan rakhna un kudiyon ka'..mujhey tho ache se swimming karni hai!"
Rahul agreed. Arjun and Rahul barged into Arohi's house. Muskaan was there as usual. They were both learning how to cook baingan ka bharta.
"Mmm'.kaaki aaj tho kamaal ki khushboo aa rahi hai!" Arjun's nose guided him to the kitchen.
Amrit looked up; Arjun had shot up in height since the last time she had seen him, 'Arjun puttar'.tere liye baingan ka bharta banaa rahi hain ladkiyan'..tu itni jaldi jaldi lamba hota jaa raha hai'.tera pait jo bharna hai," Amrit laughed.
Arjun sat on the counter, 'kaaki'.tumhare khaane se hi badhaa ho raha hoon'yadi mama par chhod tha tho abhi Arohi ki tarah thigna hi reh jaata!" he chuckled and pulled Arohi's braid.
"AHHH!" Arohi screamed, "meri choti kyun kheench te rehte ho?"
"Shayad kheenchne se tu lambi ho jaaye'iss liye kheench ta hoon," Arjun laughed.
Arohi frowned, "lambi nahin hona mujhey'.mummyji kehti hain ki zyaada lambi kudiyon ko shaadi ke liye ladka nahin milta!"
Arjun got off the counter and laughed out loud, "tujhsey shaadi kaun karega chidiya? Chaahe tu lambi ho ya choti reh jaaye!"
Arohi had tears in her eyes, "kyun kya kharaabi hai mujh mein? Dekhna ek din meri shaadi ek bahut lambe se raj kumar se hogi aur tum dekhte reh jaaogey!" she stuck out her tongue.
"Achha ab bak bak bandh kar'.chal jheel par chalte hain," Arjun looked away; somehow that statement that she would get married and he would just be an observer did not jive well with him. He walked out of the kitchen in an irritable mood.
The four friends got to the stream and jumped into the cool water immediately. Arjun swam laps as the other three just splashed and played with each other. As Arjun was swimming towards them, he noticed Arohi's kurta stained a blood red color below her waist. He swam faster as he thought she might have hurt herself. As he got closer, he saw she did not seem in distress; she was still having fun with Muskaan and Rahul.
Arjun felt a little awkward; he knew what had just happened. He came out of the water and picked his towel and looked at Arohi, "Arohi'idhar aa zara!"
Arohi gave him a dirty look, "Kya hai? Aaj maalish nahin karoongi!"
Arjun jumped in the water and wrapped her in a towel and lifted her back to the steps at the banks. Arohi protested; her little legs dangling from his tall torso, "chhodo Arjun! Mujhey paani mein jaana hai!"
Arjun placed her on the steps and gave her the towel, "GHAR CHAL ABHI!"
"Kyun? Itni jaldi kya hai?" she asked. Arjun just looked away and said softly, "apne kurte ko dekh zara." Arohi looked down and screamed, "YAAH RABBA! MAT CHOOUO MUJHEY!" Arjun gave her a confused look, "mat choouo? Matlab?"
Arohi looked a little embarrassed, "school mein meri saheli, Jagruti ne kaha tha ki jab kudiyon ke mahina shuru hota hai tho ladkon ko choona nahin chaahiye."
Arjun was bewildered, "kyun?"
"Kyunki..kyunki wo maa ban jaati hain phir," she said innocently, looking down at her toes scratching the steps with her nails.
Arjun tried to control his laughter and muttered under his breath, "lagta hai saari saheliyan bhi chun chun kar rakhi hain is pagli ne!"
Arjun shouted to Rahul and Muskaan, "chalo'ghar chalo'.bahut ho gaya!"
Rahul and Muskaan did not argue; they had never disobeyed Arjun's commands and came out of the water.
Arjun drove them back home. He let Arohi keep the towel to cover herself. Arohi ran inside and buried her face in Amrit's chest. Amrit soon found out what had happened; she helped Arohi settle down after a shower, "le yeh doodh pee le'.aur thoda aaraam kar." Muskaan's mom picked her up a little later.
After changing up, Arjun settled down to study, but Arohi's ignorant words kept echoing in his ears, "ladkon ke choone se wo maa ban jaati hain!"
He was amazed at Arohi's innocence, but then went to his book shelf and pulled out his Biology text book. For some reason, he wanted to make sure Arohi did not remain in the dark; he knew she was a bright girl and deserved to know the facts about life. He walked over to her house, "kaaki, Arohi hai?"
Amrit looked down, a little embarrassed as she knew what had happened at the stream, "haan puttar wo kamre mein hai'.kuch kaam tha?"
Arjun did not answer; he just walked to her room authoritatively, and opened the door. Arohi was lying in bed reading a book. Arjun walked in and sat down next to her, "kaisi ho?"
Arohi looked up from her book and sat up; she shifted to a corner just in case any part of her body might touch Arjun.
Arjun grinned, "pagli'.main nahin choo raha hoon tujhey'idhar aa'kuch samjhaa na hai tujhey."
Arohi hesitated, but then carefully scooted over towards him.
Arjun opened his Biology textbook and then in the most scientific and matter of fact matter gave Arohi the lesson of her life on birds and bees. He spoke without emotion, just like a teacher, just like he was teaching her algebra or long division.
Arohi was horror-struck, disgusted, appalled and amazed at the sudden revelation of this new information to her. She looked at Arjun with her mouth wide open, "tho kya mummyji-daddyji bhi?" she shut her eyes as the thought was too nauseating for her. Arjun took a deep breath and shut his textbook; his job had been done. He felt really awkward; he had no idea that one day he would have to do this for Arohi. May be he had over stepped his boundaries? May be her mother should have done this? Why did he feel obliged to impart this lesson to her? Kya main sach much usey apni amaanat samajhne laga hoon? Do I really have a right on everything that happens to her? He had no answers; just a lot of questions.
"Main jaa raha hoon," he said softly and walked away with his text book.
Arohi was too numb to say anything. The last 15 minutes had as if changed the meaning of life for her. Arjun's words kept echoing in her mind; she was upset- upset at her friend Jagruti for making her look foolish in front of Arjun, upset at herself for being so naive and ignorant, upset that this had all happened in front of Arjun. She had not hidden anything from Arjun so far, she had always tried to emulate him whether it was climbing trees, swimming the stream, trying out cigarettes, but for the first time in her life why did she feel that she and Arjun were different'..they were not the same'..he was a young man and she was a young woman''.and they were both conscious of that fact, now more so than ever.
The next few days, Arohi avoided Arjun like plague. If Amrit had prepared something for him, she would make up some reason, "mere pait mein dard hai'.mera sir dukh raha hai'..bahut homework hai." Amrit could sense that Arohi was still embarrassed about the whole stream incident from a few days ago. She did not force Arohi; she knew that in a few days Arohi would back to her normal self.
Amrit's instincts were right; it barely took Arohi a week to get over her embarrassment- she was back at the Singhania house with her cheerful disposition and tiffin full of delicacies for Arjun. Arjun was also relieved to see Arohi back to her normal self. They never discussed that incident again; but Arjun did notice that Arohi was a little more bashful and modest in front of him. She made sure her dupatta was always in place and she did not sit carelessly with her feet all over the place on his bed.
Arjun continued his routine of helping her with homework and test preparations; she avoided sitting on his lap though. They were just more aware of each other's presence than they were ever before.
Arohi's friends discussed their inept knowledge about 'growing up' and 'birds and bees' at school. Arohi interjected, "tum sab ko kuch bhi nahin pataa'tum sab budhhu ho'..main samjhaati hoon," she passed on her newly acquired knowledge to her ignorant friends. Arohi soon earned the stature of being the 'wise' and 'smart' one amongst her middle school friends. Some of her friends started gossiping, "jaanti hai'.Arohi uss 10th class ke ladke ke saath ghoomti hai'wo hi sab bataata hai usey."
"Hai Rabba! 10th class ka ladka? Kitni besharam hai!" one of them said.
"Kya lagta hai wo uska? Uska bhai hai kya?" another one added.
Arohi overheard the gossipers; she could not take it anymore, "WO MERA SABSE ACHHA DOST HAI! BHAI NAHIN HAI!" she said vehemently and walked away with tears in her eyes, "yeh sab meri dosti ka mazaak kyun udhaa rahe hain? Main Arjun ki dost hoon'..uski amaanat hoon'.." she mumbled to herself as she ran off.
PS > Happy Friendship Day guys😳
Edited by ...vibha... - 12 years ago
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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