O saathi re.. tere bina bhi kya jeena
Tere bina bhi kya jeena
Har dhadkan mein pyaas hai teri
Saanson mein teri khushboo hai
Is dharti se us ambar tak
Meri nazar mein tu hi tu hai
Pyaar yeh toote na...
Pyaar yeh toote na
Tu mujhse roothe na
Saath yeh chhoote kabhi na
Tere bina bhi kya jeena
Saathi re.. tere bina bhi kya jeena
Tere bina bhi kya jeena
Kishore Kumar's soulful rendition was cut off in mid-note just as harsh light cut into the darkness that had filled the room till then.
Ashutosh opened his eyes and looked at Vidya.
Her expertly made up face was marred by a frown as she glared at him fiercely, hands resting on her silk clad hips.
As if it was he who had barged into her room without so much as a knock and switched off the music that so matched her mood.
"Ashu, don't you think you have been sulking for long enough now? Your only sister is here on vacation and all you can do is lock yourself in a dark room and listen to sad music?"
"Di, what more do you want from me?"
"What do you mean what more?"
Ashutosh shrugged his shoulders and grimaced before getting off the bed and walking away.
"Ashu, you can't ignore me and walk off like that. Listen, this Lucknow is such a bloody boring place and we can't even leave for Delhi till that function at Lakshmi Maasi's house is done. I demand that you spend all your time with me. I am not your older sister for nothing. I have twelve years on you, mind you! Barah Saal!""
'Oh God, there she goes again with her barah saal ki jaap'
Ashutosh had to try hard to keep his irritation from showing.
"Di, so you have twelve years on me. But I am not two or twelve anymore. I am twenty five in case you have forgotten. Baba thinks i am mature and responsible enough to run his business now. And Mom thought I was old enough to ma...!"
"Marry a country bumpkin and suffer all your life thereafter! God knows how she even imagined that the girl was suitable and would fit into our society!"
Ashutosh could not stop himself from looking at her sharply.
"Di, please don't be so rude!"
"You are teaching me manners! Let me remind you yet again that I am twelve years older than you!"
He was saved from making the sharp retort that on the tip of his tongue by his mother's entry.
"Ashu, are you not ready yet?"
He gave his mother a sharp look.
"Visiting yet another prospective bride, are we?"
Vidya was all smiles as she spoke to her mother.
"Maa, I need to give him some ghee shakkar quickly. You know, Jagan's mausi's devar's niece Yamini is going to be there at Lakshmi Maasi's house. Asha aunty just telephoned me now. They are related to Raju Maasa na? Yamini would be perfect match for Ashu. She is stunning, studies at LSR, they are khandani log and all that!"
Mrs Mathur nodded at her daughter.
"That's very nice, Vidya, Please go and check if all the samagri that we have to take for the puja has been put into the car. I'll just get ready quickly and come down!"
"Okay fine! Ashu, wear that cream sherwani! You look very handsome in that. And the diamond studded Rolex watch that Jagan and I gifted you for your twenty fifth. And spray on that Calvin Klein perfume that I got for you from the US!"
As Vidya exited the room, Ashutosh looked at his mother entreatingly.
"Maa, you know very well I am not going to be part of this charade anymore. That was the first and let it remain the last!"
"Beta, I know your mind. I am not your mother for nothing!"
"If that was the case, you would not have allowed things to...!"
"Ashu, trust me! Now go and get ready please. And do wear the cream sherwani. Like Vidya says, you do look rather smart in it!"
Ashu glared at his mother and shook his head in exasperation!
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"Nidhi,do you want to try this new maroon shade?"
Anjie's shrill voice hardly registered on Nidhi as she continued to stare morosely into the distance. She wished she were alone, somewhere private where she could just bury her face in her hands and cry her heart out.
"Nidhi, where are you?"
Nidhi came out of her stupor as Anji caught her by the shoulder and shook her hard.
"So..sorry...what happened?"
"Nidhi, enough of this moping around, yaar. It is not every day that your mother lets you visit us!"
Anji was indeed right. Nidhi had been startled when her mother had actively encouraged her to visit Anji that morning. Was she also tired of seeing her daughter walk around the house with a mournful expression all the time?
She did not say much but Nidhi knew that the events of the other day had devastated her as much.
"Beta, we are not the kind of family where parents need to seek their children's consent!"
Although Nidhi's buaji had insisted that she had not intended to be rude, it had certainly come out sounding that way.
"Maaji, we are not the kind of family that tolerates disrespect to prospective samdhi log!"
His sister had been quick to retort before walking off in a huff, almost dragging her parents and brother away with her.
Nidhi's parents had tried apologizing but she was in no mood to listen. Nor did she let any of her family members speak.
"Good thing that the rishta broke off at this stage! Imagine marrying into a home where children are so badly brought up. The son shamelessly expresses his approval in public and the girl is arrogant and disrespectful to elders. I tell you, Ma Parvati has saved Nidhi!"
Buaji had sounded rather pleased at the turn of events.
It was not until later that Nidhi got to know the reason, while unwittingly eavesdropping on the conversation between her parents.
"Didi's remark was not innocent. She was not happy with Nidhi getting such a good rishta, much better than the family her own daughter Jwala has gotten married into!"
Yog had tried to shush his wife.
"Shyama, don't say whatever comes to your mind. Didi would never wish bad for Nidhi!"
"She would not wish bad. But she would not wish better than what Jwala got either!"
Her parents had continued to argue but Nidhi had been too upset to listen any further.
Would Buaji have done it on purpose? What was the point of it all then? What was the point of that exchange of glances, that instant when it seemed to her that her heart had exchanged places with his? It had all happened just so her heart could break? Why was fate so cruel to her?
As expected, there had been no response from his family. It had been two days since it had all happened. Two days in which her heart felt like it had broken into a million pieces. Her parents had been kind to her and her father had even offered to take them for a movie. Nidhi knew what it must have cost him to make the offer. Not even Rishi Kapoor could cheer her up now. Not after a certain face had imprinted itself in her mind. It was the face that she had seen in her dreams over the last two nights.
She had not even wanted to go to Anji's house. Her mother had literally forced her to, adding that she was sure that Goddess Parvathi would shower all her blessings on her. She had not fasted fourteen Mondays for nothing and the Gods would surely grant her heart's desires! Besides Anji and her mother had personally come home and invited them. It would be construed rude if they did not go. .
"Nidhi, wear this maroon saree na. It looks better on you than on me!"
Anji draped the saree on her and Nidhi was taken back yet again to the thoughts of the other day. Hadn't she wished she had worn this instead of Buaji's saree?
"No Anji! My salwar kameez is nice enough!"
"Don't be stupid, yaar. You will look much nicer in this saree. Am not listening to you. Now come on, let me work my magic on you!"
Ndihi had no choice but to let Anji do what she wanted.
"There, now look at yourself in the mirror! Don't you look lovely?"
Anji turned her face towards the mirror and forced Nidhi to take a look at her reflection.
Nidhi could not stop the tears that sprung to her eyes as she saw herself in the mirror. This was what she should have looked like the other day! Maybe then, he might have said yes, no matter what his sister wanted!
"Girls, are you ready? Be quick now. All the guests are here!"
Nidhi let Anjie drag her down the stairs. Her mother was also among the guests gathered there, reverentially facing the pandal where the Satyanarayana pooja was to take place. Shyama quickly grabbed Nidhi's hand and, taking some kajal from her eyes, applied it close to Nidhi's ear in a bid to ward of the evil eye.
"My darling, Satyanaryana will surely bless you with all happiness!
The pooja rituals were completed and the conch blown to signify the same.
"Nidhi beta, can you please help Anji distribute prashad to the guests?"
She picked up the tray and started distributing it to the gathered guests.
Just as she ran out of prashad on her tray, a hand extended itself in front of her.
"I'm sorry. Let me go into the kitchen and bring some more!"
She looked up and found herself unable to look away all over again.
It was him!
The man, the face that had occupied her thoughts and dreams over the last two days!
Ashutosh and Nidhi stared at each other transfixed, just as their mothers looked at each other in part embarrassment and part consternation.
Not for very long though!
"Oh no, this girl has come here too!"
Vidya's shrill tone cut through the haze that had enveloped them all.
Nidhi could not take it any longer.
She turned her back on them all and fled inside, determined not to break down in public!
Anupamaa
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
