Part 48:
Cut to: Samrat â At home
He is getting his clothes for the next day in college ready. The bed is full of jackets of various colours but he still doesn't seem to have settled for any of them.
Samrat: kamaal hai! Mere paas ek bhi dhang ki blue jacket nahi hai. What's wrong with your wardrobe Sam?
He looks at one blue jacket with an eagle's eye, nods disapprovingly and throws it on the bed â with all the other rejected clothes.
God knows maine yeh kyun kharida tha! Oof. Chashmish ka favourite colour hai blue aur mere pass blue ki hi kami hai. Waise blue me kitni pyari lagti hai Gunjan.. bilkul jheel jaisi.. not bad Sam, tum toh shayar bhi ban gaye!
Cut to: Mayank's home â Dining Table
Mum, Mayank and Nupur are having dinner, this time not in darkness. Mom tastes the paneer and visibly relishes it.
Mom: sach me Mayu, tune paneer banane me kuch special training li hai kya? Mujhse toh kabhi itni achi nahi banti. Kyun Nupur, khaana kaisa laga?
Nupur: bahut acha hai aunty.
Mom: (smiles) after all mere bete ne jo banaya hai!
Nupur: haan.. par I am sure aunty, aap banati toh isse bhi acha hota.
Mayank: chodo na Ma, use kya pata Ma khaana banane ke baare me. Bail ke aage been kya bajana?
Nupur: tum kehna kya chahte ho? Main bail dikhti hu kya?
Mayank: tumhare andaaz me Nupur, yeh bas muhavra tha. Par tum apne aap ko aisa samajhti ho toh â
Nupur: main kuch nahi samajhti â
Mayank: ha ha! Woh toh main jaanta hi hu.
Mom: oye chup! Tum dono phir shuru ho gaye? Dono ko punishment milegi ab jhagda kiya toh!
Mayank: main kaha jhagad raha hu Ma? Sangat ka asar hai.
He makes a face at Nupur who returns the look, magnified twice. Suddenly Mom gives an exclamation.
Nupur: kya hua aunty?
Mom: lagta hai main apna bag Mrs Verma ke ghar par hi chod aayi. Ab kal office jaate waqt mushkil ho jaayegi.
Mayank jumps at the chance of teasing Nupur again.
Mayank: haan Ma, bag me toh apka cell phone bhi hoga. Jaake le aana chahiye.
Mom: lekin kaafi der ho gayi hai Mayu.
Mayank: koi baat nahi, paas me hi toh hai unka ghar.
Nupur cuts in between.
Nupur: rehne dijiye na aunty. Kal subah subah le aana na.
Mom: haan Nupur.. waise bhi wo kuch bimaar si lag rahi thi. Abhi disturb karna thik nahi hoga.
Nupur: jee.. (looking at Mayank) kuch baaton me jaldbaazi nahi karni chahiye..
Mayank nods in resignation and Nupur gives him a smug smile. Mom notices all the gestures and smiles to herself.
Cut to: Excel College â Next Morning
Uday is walking in the corridor and looking closely at everyone who passes. Suddenly he feels a hand on his shoulder and turns. It is Chacko.
Chacko: kya hua dodo? Face reading classes join ki hai kya?
Uday: pehli baat toh kaun dodo, kaha dodo? Teri himmat kaisi hui mujhe dodo bolne ki? Toota hua bulb kahi ka!
Chacko: bulb?
Uday: actually na dude, kal raat mirror me dekhte dekhte achanak light bulb crack ho gaya. How irritating na?
Chacko: darr gaya hoga bulb bhi! Acha bata toh, sabko itna closely kyun dekh raha tha?
Uday: ab kya batau meri tragedy! Pichli baar Vatsala ko leke shopping karne gaya. Jab payment ke liye jeb me haath daala toh dekha â jeb khaali hai!
Chacko: tu paisa lena hi bhul gaya?
Uday: arey nahi duffer! Us mall me na bahut pickpockets the. Vatsu ke paas paise the hi nahi, toh hume saaman lautana pada aur khaali haath hi laut aaye. Insult toh tu chod, jo usne mujhe jhaada, dhul gaya Uday!
Chacko: toh ab kya karega tu?
Uday: ab kabhi shopping pe uske saath akele nahi jaunga. Toh soch raha tha kisko patayu saath chalne ke liye.
Chacko: acha thik hai. Main chalta hu haan.
Uday: (making a face) chal hat! Waise bhi main tujhe nahi bolunga, darr mat. Mujhe toh tere hi pickpocket hone ka doubt hai!
Cut to: Gunjan â Excel College
She is sitting alone in an empty classroom, lost in thought. Incidentally she too is wearing blue today. Just then Samrat sees her from the door and walks up to her. Gunjan is so preoccupied that she doesn't notice and to seek attention, Samrat clears his throat.
Samrat: kya main yaha baith sakta hu chashmish?
Gunjan moves in her seat to give him space.
Gunjan: sorry maine tumhe dekha nahi.
Samrat notices that she is in blue too. He has worn the rejected blue jacket only, not having found any other.
Samrat: wow Gunjan, aaj hum dono ne blue pehna hai! Tum hamesha mere mann ki baat kaise jaan leti ho? Isliye toh tum mere dil ke sabse kareeb ho!
Gunjan stares at him for a while, then shakes her head and looks down. She mentally decides to talk it out and get the hurt out of her system. She was very grateful to her chacha for keeping Nupur and her at their place and giving them so much love and comfort. Ignorant to Dia's manipulations, she now viewed her earlier confrontation about Samrat as a mere display of insecurity. After all, Dia and Samrat were old friends and had always been together. They were like each other, they were meant to be. She didn't have any right to intrude especially since Samrat was staying with her only to prevent her from getting hurt and not because he loved her or anything. Her eyes get watery and she looks away for a while. Samrat sees her unguarded and wonders what is wrong.
Samrat: kya hua Gunjan? Meri jacket achi nahi hai jaanta hu, par isme itnaaa upset kyun ho rahi ho?
He smiles and keeps his hand on hers, which she lightly jerks away.
Gunjan: nahi Samrat. Main tumhare sabse kareeb nahi hu. Mera dil rakhne ke liye yeh sab mat karo please.
Samrat: dil rakhne ke liye? Yeh kya keh rahi ho Gunjan?
Gunjan: main jaanti hu ke tum ek bahut ache insaan ho, kisi ko chot nahi pahuchana chahte. Par is tarah se shayad zyada takleef hogi, sabko.. tumhe bhi aur mujhe bhi.
Samrat: I am confused chashmishâŚmaine kiya kya hai?
Gunjan: Samrat, pyar sabko naseeb nahi hota. Aur jise hota hai agar use uski kadar na ho toh usse bura kya ho sakta hai. Dia tumhe bahut chahti hai. Please tum meri ya kisi bhi wajah se uska dil mat todo.
Samrat is stunned.
Samrat: Dia? Wo kaha se aayi beech me?
Gunjan: usne mujhe kuch nahi kaha. Mujhe bas ehsaas hua.. Main wajah nahi ban na chahti, rishto ke tootne ka. Main hamesha se akeli rahi hu Samrat, sirf di hi meri dost rahi hai. Tumhare alawa. Mujhe lagta hai hume dost hi rehna chahiye.
Gunjan gets up and begins to walk away. Samrat stands up too.
Samrat: ek minute Gunjan. Tum sirf apne baare me kaise soch sakti ho? Tumahri life, tumhare dost, tumhari feelings. Kya meri koi importance nahi hai tumhari zindagi me? Kya yeh matter nahi karta ke main kya chahta hu?
Gunjan doesn't respond but continues to walk away. She takes a turn and is lost from sight.
Samrat: nahi Gunjan. Main tumhe khud se door jaane hi nahi dunga. Dia ko main bhi jaanta hu. Agar usne tumhare dimaag me yeh sab ghusaya hai, to main bhul jaunga ke woh meri dost hai.
Cut to: Mayank and Nupur â Excel College
They are walking to the library, discussing the day before's assignment.
Nupur: agar aaj Shukla Sir ne daanta na Mayank, toh dhal tumhe hi ban na padega. Yeh sab tumhare dinner ki wajah se hua hai!
Mayank: acha? Assignment pehle puri karni chahiye thi, maine bhi toh ki na Nupur.
Nupur: tum apni baat toh karo hi mat, na jaane kis mitti ke bane ho. Neend me bhi assignment karte hoge!
Mayank: ha ha hasu? Waise bhi madam, maine nahi bulaya tha dinner pe, Ma ne bulaya tha.
Nupur: rehne do, rehne do. Main sab jaanti hu â
"NUPUR!!!!" She jumps at the sudden shout and stops mid sentence. Mayank and Nupur turn to see the caller â It is Uday.
Nupur: by God Uday bhaiya! Agar mujhe heart attack aa jaata toh? Aise chillata hai kya koi bhala?
Uday looks sorry and gives them both a generous, yet foolish smile.
Uday: sorry Nupur. Actually na tumhe aur Mayank ko dekhke mujhe ek dum se idea sujha, iske liye control nahi kar paaya.
Mayank: idea sujha? Kisse borrow kiya dimaag?
Uday: (surprised) mere khud ke paas hai na! Borrow bhi kar sakte hai kya? Tum doge kya Mayank? Pleaseeee.
Nupur looks irritated.
Nupur: boliye na kya idea sujha?
Uday: wo Nupur, main soch raha tha.. kya tum dono mere aur Vatsu ke saath shopping pe chaloge?
Mayank looks at him with a stupefied expression and is almost about to go from there. Nupur catches hold of his shirt sleeve.
Nupur: sun toh lo Mayank!
Mayank: please Nupur. Tumhare saath shopping jaake dekh chuka hu main. Upar se agar do aur namune aaye toh â
Uday: come on dude, actually mujhe pickpockets se bachna hai!
Mayank: kya? Main shakal se bodyguard lagta hu kya? Wo bhi tumhara?
Nupur: chalte hai na Mayank! Mujhe Miss Aha ki shaadi ke liye shopping bhi toh puri karni hai. Aur tumhari bhi shopping karwa dungi.
Mayank: shopping karwaogi ya joker banaogi?
Nupur: arey jo tum chaho, tumhare liye jaan bhi haazir hai!
Mayank: (softly) acha?
Nupur's grin gets a little dimmer and she looks away from Mayank's intense gaze.
Nupur: thik hai Uday bhaiya, hum dono zarur chalenge. Aaj college ke baad thik hai?
Uday is very happy and gives her a quick hug.
Uday: main jaake Vatsu ko bolke aata hu. Thank you Nupur!
As Uday half runs, half walks away, Nupur's eyes follow him with amusement. Mayank looks at Nupur and is amazed at how she manages to persuade him for activities he had always laughed at. He is completely besotted with her innocence, in love with her "By God!", amused at her shopping mania. With each passing day, he can feel himself falling deeper in love with Nupur and surer of the fact that she is the one he never wants to lose, come what may.
Shiv Shakti
