PART 8:
Shabd decided to stay over at the Malhotra's for another few days. Their hospitality and warmth had won his heart. He had never been pampered so much in his life. He had been brought up by his nanny and aayas all his life, the so called 'maa ka pyaar' was essentially an alien concept for him until he met Mouni (Mahi's mom). Her affectionate nature had won him over.
As Shabd was shaving one morning, he checked his reflection in the slightly distorted bathroom mirror, "hmm….why do I look good even in this distorted mirror?…..At home I always found myself so sullen and pale….always in a hurry to be somewhere……ho sakta hai Bhatinda ki hawa hi kuch aisi hai……jitni khushi mujhey yahan Bhatinda mein aakar mili hai…….wo shayad Mumbai mein kabhie nahin mili," he paused as he washed his shaving blade, "even Suhani's company never made me this happy……I was always running after her…..she was always busy with her modeling assignments…….I remember countless hours just waiting for her……I am so glad I never have to do that again."
"SHABD! SHABD!" Mahi banged on the door.
"Kya hai Mahi? Shave tho karne do!" Shabd opened the door, "kya baat hai?"
"Mummyji aapka naashte par wait kar rahi hain….aur doosre bathroom mein paani khatam ho gaya hai…..aur mujhey nahaa na hai…..tho aap please bahar aa jaaiye," Mahi pleaded like a little kid.
"Tho nahaa lo…maine kab manaa kiya hai……tum nahaati raho…..main shave karta rehta hoon," he teased her mischievously.
Mahi's jaw dropped to her knees, "hai rabba! Jaante hain main aapki hone waali saali hoon?"
"Matlab aadhe ghar waali? Tho iss liye sirf bathroom share kar raha hoon…bedroom nahin!" he chuckled.
"Fitteh mooh aapka Shabd! Kitne besharam hain aap…..shukr hai aaj Jeet Chandigarh se wapas aa raha hai…..uske saamne aap aisa kuch bhi nahin bol paaynge," Mahi hung her towels and clothes in the bathroom and waited for Shabd to leave.
"Accha tho tumhare Jeet saheb aaj sach much aa rahe hain? So he is a living person…..just not an illusion?" Shabd took his sweet time to finish his shave.
"Aaj mummy ji…daddyji ko main keh doongi ki meri aur Soni ki shaadi ki tayyari jaldi karein…..kitna achha hoga na ki hum sab ki shaadi ek saath ho jaayegi?" Mahi asked excitedly.
"You are crazy Mahi…..main Soni se shaadi nahin karne waala…samjhi?" Shabd wiped his face and walked out of the bathroom.
"Lekin kyun?" Mahi asked from behind.
Shabd turned around and grinned, "kyunki mujhey aadhi gharwaali nahin…..poori ghar waali chaahiye," and walked off for breakfast.
Mahi shook her head, "yeh Shabd ko kya ho gaya hai? Jab se Bhatinda aaye hain….Soni ki jagah mujhe par hi line maare jaa rahe hain," she giggled and then shut the door.
AFTER BREAKFAST:
"Arre Jeete! Aaja puttar…..kitne dino baad aaya hai tu puttar," Brij welcomed Jeet Khurana, younger of the neighborhood Khurana sons. Veer, the older one was married to Raji, Brij and Mouni's older daughter, so Jeet was more or less like a son to them.
"Haan unclejee….bas Chandigarh mein job lag gayi hai na….iss liye ab aana jaana kum laga rehta hai…..kya Mahi aayi hai?" Jeet asked
"Haan…savere se tera intezaar kar rahi hai," Mouni answered, "jaa mil le…bahar ganne ke khet mein hai."
"Khet mein? Wahan kya kar rahi hai?" Jeet asked
"Uska Mumbai ka ek dost aaya hai….usey dikhaane le gayi hai," Mouni said.
"Oh…koi baat nahin…main baad mein mil loonga….uh…uh…waise Soni hai ghar par?" Jeet asked.
"Haan oopar padhai kar rahi hai kamre mein….kal exam hai na uska," Brij kept his newspaper down and smiled at Jeet.
"Theek hai….usey jaldi se mil leta hoon….disturb nahin karoonga," Jeet ran upstairs; his heart racing at 100 miles an hour. This is what he really wanted- to meet Soni alone!
"Hi Soni!" Jeet knocked at her door.
"Oh Jeet! Tum kab aaye?" Soni got up from her chair.
"Bas kuch der huyi," Jeet answered.
"Oh….mere kal exams hain….wo wo…Mahi se mil lo ek baar…wo kab se intezaar kar rahi hai," Soni said shyly.
"Tum tho jaanti ho Soni….main yahan kis se milne aaya hoon," Jeet looked at her longingly.
"Jaanti hoon," Soni said softly, "lekin Jeet yeh theek nahin hai……tum tho jaante ho ki hamare parivaar waalon ne kya faisla kiya hai……..aur Mahi bhi tho tum se hi shaadi karna chaahti hai…..humein is tarah nahin milna chaahiye."
Jeet grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, "nahin Soni…..aisa kabhie nahin ho sakta….main tumse pyaar karta hoon…Mahi se nahin."
Soni tried to wriggle out of his strong grip, "kya kar rahe ho Jeet? Koi dekh lega…main apni behen ka dil nahin thod sakti…..yaad hai na bachpan se hi wo tumhari deewani hai…kab se sapne le rahi hai tumhare."
"Wo pagal hai Soni…she is crazy…..aur waise bhi pichle kai saalon se hum log zyaada milte bhi tho nahin hain…..she has been in Mumbai and I have been in Chandigarh……kya uska bhoot abhi tak utra nahin?" Jeet asked angrily.
"Nahin Jeet…..wo sirf tumhare sapne dekhti hai," Soni rubbed her wrist where he had grabbed her.
"Sorry Soni…zyaada lagi tho nahin na?" Jeet caressed her wrist gently, "dar asal…..yeh sach hai ki bachpan mein mujhey Mahi pasand thi….par kya karoon jawaani tak aate aate tum mujhey acchi lagne lagi….ab is dil ko kya samjhaaoon Soni?" Jeet asked, "yeh tho sirf tumhare sapne dekhta hai."
Soni lowered her eyes, "jo bhi ho Jeet…Mahi ka dil nahin tootna chaahiye…main jaanti hoon ki waise wo bahut chulbuli hai…par yeh sadma bardaasht nahin kar paayegi."
"Theek hai…abhi hum kuch nahin kehte hain….waqt aane par sabko sach sach bataa denge…chalo main chalta hoon," Jeet kissed Soni's cheek, "bye….phir milta hoon," and left.
Meanwhile, in the sugarcane fields, Mahi and Shabd roamed around like free birds.
"Shabd…aapne kabhie ganna khaaya hai?" Mahi picked a sugarcane plant and asked.
"na baba na…..mere daant toot jaayenge…..I don't want to break my teeth," Shabd shook his hands.
"Aap ke mooh mein daant hain ya denture?" Mahi peeled the sugarcane with her teeth and bit through the juicy sugarcane, "mere daant delkhiye…..Vikko Vajradanti ki bhi zaroorat nahin hai mujhey!"
Shabd was amazed at the way Mahi peeled and ate the sugarcane as if it was an ice cream cone, "how do you do that Mahi?"
"Idhar aaiye," she asked him to come closer, "ab is bench par baithiye…..aap bahut lambe hain mere liye," and then stood behind him. She encircled her arms around Shabd's neck and held the sugarcane in front of his mouth, "ab apne daanton se isey kaatiye," she ordered. Shabd noticed her soft and smooth creamy arms around his neck. The clinking sound of her bangles around his ears stirred him a little. There was something very tantalizing and rousing about her bangle clad wrists.
"Mahi," he said softly and moved her arms away from him, "let's go home…..shayad Jeet aa gaya hoga…..I would love to meet him."
"Darr gaye aap? Ek ganne se darr gaye?" Mahi shook her head, "yeh Mumbai waale bhi na…..bilkul naazuk hote hain."
Shabd grinned and nodded his head, "kuch aisa hi samajh lo Mahi," and walked away from the field. He thought to himself, "Mahi….kaise samjhaaoon ki main apne aap se darr gaya tha…..I don't know why but it seems that I am falling for you……ab na jaane mujhey sirf tumhari chaah kyun hai? Lagta hai main apna dil Bhatindawaalon ko de chukaa hoon."
Please enjoy this wonderful VM on MS by Memze
"Maine dil tumhein de diya"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Oy2FzzOUo
…to be contd…
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