PART 11:
RECAP: "Theek hai….main bhi tujh se vachan leti hoon ki jab tak teri aur Shabd ki shaadi nahin ho jaati….main bhi Jeet se shaadi nahin karoongi!" Soni declared firmly.
Mahi's face froze- she was stunned and shocked beyond words, "ab main kya karoongi?" she was in a bind….what was she supposed to do now?
Soni left a stunned Mahi and ran downstairs, "Raji didi….Raji didi," she panted, "Mahi ko Shabd pasand hai….maine uske mann ki baat nikalwaa li…..aap theek keh rahi thi."
"Dekha! Main tum dono ki badhi behen hoon…..ab Maayke mein rehti nahin hoon tho kya hua…..tum dono ko bahut acchi tarah samajhti hoon," Raji was pleased with the news.
"Mummyji!" Raji called for Mouni, "daddyji kahan hain?"
"Wo tho Khurana saheb ke yahan gaye hain…..kya hua?" Mouni asked
"Maine aap sab se kaha tha na…..Mahi ne Jeet se shaadi karne se kyun inkaar kar diya tha?" Raji asked
"Kyun puttar?" Mouni asked
"Usey Shabd pasand aa gaya hai mummyji…..daddyji ka andaaza theek tha….bahut accha ladka hai…..Mahi ka bahut dhyaan rakhega," Raji said excitedly.
"Nahin mummyji….aisi koi baat nahin hai," Mahi overheard the conversation and interjected.
"Puttar….sharmaa mat…..agar pasand hai tho hum baat kar sakte hain," Mouni stroked Mahi's head affectionately.
"Nahin mummyji…..aap baat mat kariye," that was the last thing Mahi wanted- for her parents to contact Shabd – Shabd had been nice to all of them but that did not give them the right to expect him to marry her……main bhi tho Shabd ko waise nahin chaahti…..aur wo mujhse mazaak zaroor karte the….magar shaadi kyun karenge mujhse?
"Phir main call kar leti hoon apne hone waale jiju ko," Soni teased her.
"Nahin….nahin…..aap mein se koi phone nahin karega," Mahi was trapped in her own lies, "main…main khud Shabd ko phone karoongi….aap please abhi kuch mat kehna unhey."
"MOUNI! RAJI PUTTAR!" Brij walked in with a big smile, "shaadi pakki ho gayi! Is mahine ki 30 tareek ko Soni aur Jeet ki shaadi kar denge."
"30 tarikh?" Yeh aaf kya keh rahe hain? Phir tho 2 hafte hi reh gaye," Mouni protested, "itna kaam kaise hoga?"
"Phir shraadh shuru ho jaayenge meri Kashmiran," Brij addressed his wife affectionately, "ghar ki hi baat hai…..aakhir Khurana parivaar apna hi hai…kyun Raji puttar?'
"Jee daddyji…..bas saath mein ek shaadi aur karni hogi," Raji looked at Mahi.
"Ek aur shaadi?" Brij asked
"Mahi aur Shabd ki," Raji announced. Mahi's color drained; she tried to say something but stopped as a stern looking Brij walked towards her.
"JAANTA THA MAIN!" he scolded Mahi, "wo tera dost nahin….dost se kuch zyaada hi hai!" his expression softened as a frightened Mahi was almost in tears.
"Daddyji," she sobbed.
Brij embraced his youngest daughter and kissed her forehead, "jeeta reh puttar! Shabd bahut changaa ladka hai…..mujhey bhi pasand hai….SUNO SAB LOG!" he announced, "30 tareek ko 2-2 shaadiyan hongi is ghar mein…2-2 baaraatein aayengi…..meri Soni aur Mahi puttar ke vaaste," he hugged both his daughters.
After the mini celebration at home, Mahi reassured everyone, that she would talk to Shabd first and then get the families involved. Her mind was a bundle of nerves now- how was she going to pull this off? She went to her room and paced up and down. She remembered the card Shabd had given to her in the train. She searched for the card frantically and finally found it in one of her kurta pockets.
She could barely read the phone number as the card had been washed off along with her kurta. She would have to go to Mumbai personally and request Shabd to help her out from this hole that she had dug for herself, "itna tho kar hi sakte hain mere liye……aakhir maine unki jaan bachaayi thi," she bit her nails and prayed to god silently, "hey vaahe guru……meri raksha karna….Shabd naraaz na ho jaaye mere is plan se….please bhagwan…..ab aapke hi bharose hai sab kuch," she packed her bags and headed out.
"Kahan jaa rahi hai puttar?" Mouni was surprised to see Mahi walking out with her bags.
"Wo mummyji….wo Manali ja rahi hoon 3 din ke liye…admission lena hai na mujhey," she lied.
"Lekin ab tho tu shaadi karne waali hai….phir Manali kyun jaayegi?" Mouni was perplexed.
"Mummyji…Shabd bhi Manali mein kaam karenge shaadi ke baad…..is liye main wahin admission le rahi hoon," she bit her lip and crossed her fingers.
"Theek hai puttar….3 din mein aa jaana…..shaadi ki tayyari bhi karni hai…..Prince chhod aayega tujhey station…..wait kar zara," Mouni called for her youngest child, "PRINCE! PRINCE! Zara didi ko station chhod aa puttar."
"Jee mummyji….chalo Mahi didi," Prince, the responsible 15 year old brother led the way. Mahi got off outside the station, "ab tu jaa Prince…..main manage kar loongi….yeh rakh 50 rupees…..ice cream khaa lena."
"Rishwat de rahi ho didi? Kuch gadbadh hai kya? Manali ja rahi ho ya kahin aur?" Prince raised his eyebrow suspiciously.
"Fitteh mooh tera!" Mahi stuffed the 50 rupees in his hands, "na jaane kahan kahan se aise khayal aate hain tere dimaag mein…..zyaada bak bak mat kar….aur jaa yahan se!"
"Kahan jaa rahi ho didi? Kisi ko nahin bataaunga….promise!" Prince held his ears
"Mumbai!" she whispered in his ear, "tere jiju ko laane," and giggled.
Prince gave her a wink and a thumbs up, "chali didi apne dulhe ko lane….kya baat hai didi! Maan gaye aapko," he laughed and went back in the auto.
MUMBAI:
Mahi took a cab at the station, "Sareen enterprises ke head quarter chalo bhaiyya."
"Kaun sa office madam? Ek Juhu mein hai aur ek Worli mein," the driver asked.
"Dono jagah chalo," she ordered.
"Extra lagega," the driver demanded.
"Fitteh mooh! Theek hai….jo lagega….lagega," she settled down.
So Mahi went all over town to find Shabd. He was not present at either office. She was given the run around by his assistants and office managers……she visited various client sites and outdoor sites where he could be present, but there was no sign of Shabd. She had spent almost a Rs 1000/- in cab fare and it was almost evening- kahan hai yeh Shabd?
She sat down outside his office building, "kabhie na kabhie tho wapas aayenge Shabd," and decided to wait for him there.
She almost dozed off on a bench outside when a security guard whistled into her ear.
She woke with a startle, "KYA BAAT HAI? ITNA SHOR KYUN MACHA RAHE HO?"
"Madam…..yeh public park nahin hai……kya chaahiye tumhein?" he asked sternly
"Shabd!" she answered innocently.
"Wah bhi wah….aur mujhey Aishwarya Rai chaahiye," the guard mocked at her, "chalo….bhaago yahan se….Shabd saheb ke paas time nahin hai tum jaisi ladkiyon se milne ka…..chalo chalo," he tried to shoo her away. Mahi was not one to get bogged down by anyone. She rolled up her sleeves and glared at the guard, "arre teri tho! Abhi dikhati hoon main tujhey….main Punjab di sherni hoon….kisi se nahin darrti!"
Just then a car pulled up near the building, "yeh kya ho raha hai driver?" Shabd asked as he saw the security guard involved in a squabble with what looked like a young, petite woman in the dark.
"Poonch kar aata hoon," his chauffeur stepped out and came back, "koi pagli ladki hai….aapki deewani…..chaliye saheb…..office mein chaliye."
Shabd was intrigued- there was only one woman who had the guts to take upon a fight with a burly security guard. Shabd walked towards them and heard their yelps get louder and louder.
Of course it was her! He hid behind a pillar and watched Mahi growl and scream at the security guard.
"Na jaane kaise kaise log kaam karte hain is office mein! Apne Shabd saheb se kehna ki agli baar aise chowkidaar rakhein jo auraton se baat karna jaante ho….fitteh mooh tera…tere parivaar ka…..teri saari aane waali peedhi ka….." she kept on hurling abuses at the security guard when she noticed a grinning Shabd standing right behind a pillar.
Mahi froze in that position, too embarrassed with her language and behavior. She lowered her head and stood quietly.
"Ramsingh!" Shabd walked towards them and addressed the security guard, "is pagli ko chhod do……isko main dekh loonga," he smirked at Mahi and looked at her from head to toe. She looked all weary and disheveled from her journey, but still had the same glow on her face which had haunted him every night since he had gotten back to Mumbai.
"Yahan kya kar rahi ho Mahi?" he pretended to be angry, "kyun mere staff ko harass kar rahi ho?"
She rubbed her neck apologetically and looked down, "sorry Shabd….wo…wo…wo," she was at loss for words.
Shabd tried to suppress his smile; he was thrilled to see her but played along, "just because I met you on the train and spent a few days with you and your family……that does not give you the right to walk into my life once again! Kya samajhti ho apne aap ko?" he yelled.
Mahi was frightened by his anger; she looked up cautiously and tried to look for the same man she had just said good bye a few days ago.
"OF COURSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT!" he smiled at her and started laughing, "darra diya na tumhein…..ha…ha….ha…darrpok kahin ki! Pehle hamesha mujhey darrpok kehti thi tum…..aaj tumhein darra diya maine."
Mahi clenched her teeth and gave him a dirty look, "fittey mooh," but paused as she knew he did not like that expression.
"Haan bolo Mahi…..kya keh rahi thi tum?" he held her wrist, "bolo…bolo," he teased her.
"Whatever," she grinned back and started laughing herself.
"Let's go in," he led the way into the building.
As soon as they took the steps to the building, a woman called from behind.
'SHABD! SHABD! I AM HERE DARLING!"
Shabd and Mahi turned back and saw a tall young woman in a skirt and sleeveless top standing at the bottom of the steps.
"Suhani?" Shabd was shocked.
….to be contd….
Real Estate
