Updating now!!
--------------------------------
Part XIII
Gunjan yawned and stretched as the sub;s first ray streamed into her room. She looked at the clock with squinted eyes. It seemed to be 5 a.m..
"Now where is my chashma?" She said, throwing her hands all over her bedside table.
"Chashma... chashmish... Samrat..." She thought, sitting up suddenly, "Arrey nahi! I can't tell Samrat..."
"Wake up now, Gunj - Oh, you woke up. Good!" Her mother came into the room, smiling.
"Ma.. I don't feel too good... can I go back to sleep?"
"Your choice, beta.." Mrs. Bhushan sighed, "But don't forget, you have that Mathematics test today! And if you miss it..."
Gunjan practically jumped out of her bed, "I can't miss my test for anything!" She rushed to the washroom.
*Excel College*
"Hey, Nupur," Mayank greeted Nupur as her taxi pulled into the college ground. "Hi," she replied, after paying the taxiwala 85 rupees (prices had increased!).
"So, did you dream of you RAJ a.k.a SRK yesterday?" laughed Mayank as they walked in.
"As a matter of fact, yes," Nupur said, trying to act normal. She had dreamt of MAYANK, and after she had woken up from her dream, it took her really long to recover from it - Samrat had to assure her that it was only a dream, and had asked Ramu Kaka to bring some coffee. But Ramu kaka ended up making World Ki Best Coffee, the recipe which Mayank had taught him, and Nupur went mad. Well, anyone would, if they dreamt of Mayank in sarson ke khet playing the DDLJ tune on his guitar for Nupur!!!
"Ha!" Mayank said, "I told you that SRK is your so-called Raj. It's true... pyaar kitaabon mein padha hai, kitaabon mein hi hota hai. I won't believe in it until it happens to me."
"Matlab you're not in love yet?" Nupur asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"Why would I be in love?" Mayank rolled his eyes, "Are you?" He turned to Nupur and smiled.
Nupur felt as if she went into a trance... Mayank Sharma's smile... the cutest smile ever.. wahi kal wale sapne ka smile...
"I have to be going, bye," Nupur said quickly, snapping out of her trance. "Bye." She ran away from him.
"Huh?" Mayank said, "Ajeeb ladki hai. If I didn't know better, I'd think she likes ME. As if that's possible." He then remembered his Mom teasing him about Nupur the other day, and Mayank saying that Nupur was a nice girl, but she and Mayank? Never...
*Inside Excel College*
Gunjan sighed. She couldn't find Samrat anywhere. Usually the moment she'd step into the college, he'd appear suddenly and say, "Hi, Chashmish! Chalein?"
"Maybe he's busy with Sheena," Gunjan said sheepishly, "And why wouldn't he? She's his GF, after all!"
"Oh, hi, Gunjan," came a voice and Gunjan saw Sheena coming towards her.
"Hi," Gunjan nodded, "Seen Samrat anywhere?"
"Yeah, I did," Sheena said, "Look, Gunjan, tell me one thing first of all - is Samrat more than a best friend for you?"
Gunjan gasped, "What?"
Sheena sighed, "I asked Samrat the same question, and he just said, "Sheena, even if that would ever happen, I don't deserve Gunjan. Even GOD's not worth her."
"He... he said that?" Gunjan said, smiling, her heart skipping a beat.
"Yep," Sheena said, "Look, babes, Samrat's a cool dude. You're a chashmish. Opposites attract, y'know. If I were in your place, I'd go tell him that God is worth you, and that... Samrat is your God! How's that? Filmy, I know, but effective."
"WHAT?" Gunjan cried, "Why will I tell him that?"
"Babes, Sheena se kuchh nahi chhupta. I heard your filmy and emotional convo with Mayank few days ago. If you don't tell him, I will. Ciao!" She blew her a kiss and left.
Gunjan bit her lip, "Oh NO. What if Sheena tells Samrat? And why does she want me to tell him? Doesn't she want Samrat for herself?"
*In SY History class - Deodhar sir is absent*
"Free period!" Mayank said, "I'm gonna catch up on my studies. What about you, Nupur?"
Nupur replied, "Mayank, if you don't mind, can you go sit with Aditi over there for this period? I wanna sit alone."
Mayank raised his brows, but said nothing. He took his books and sat next to Aditi.
"I always knew you'd come to me someday, Mayank," Aditi said, winking at him.
Mayank replied, "Shut up, Aditi. I'm gonna study and IF YOU DISTURB ME..." He gave her the Sadu Mayank look and she turned to the other side without a word.
Nupur took out a page from her notebook and made two columns - 'Raj' and 'M'.
"Raj is romantic," Nupur thought, making a note on the page, "And Mayank... no ways! Raj is sweet... and so is Mayank. Raj is good-looking... and Mayank is even better! Raj is caring... Mayank thinks a lot about me..." Her list went on. Finally, she came to the conclusion that Raj and Mayank were tied. She sighed.
Mayank, meanwhile, was busy looking at Nupur's expression. "What is she even doing?" he thought, smiling, "She's writing something on that paper..."
"Nupur?" Mayank said softly, and Nupur jumped. She crumpled the paper and threw it somewhere. "Yeah?" Nupur said quickly, trying to look calm. Mayank? Her Raj??? Mayank Sharma, Nupur Shergill's Raj? Was it even possible???
*After school, parking lot*
Samrat just sat on the bike he had got for New Year when he noticed Gunjan coming towards him. "Oh, hi, Chashmish! We didn't talk all day!"
"Samrat, I need to tell you something," Gunjan said quickly, "It's very urgent."
"Tell, na!" Samrat laughed, "Samrat se koi baat chhipaye nahi chhupti. Your eyes say it all, Chashmish..." He gazed into her eyes and Gunjan looked away.
"Samrat, I... I.... "
"You won't be able to come over this evening? Sure, it's okay. I have a date with Sheena anyway." Samrat said.
"Er, yeah, that's just it," Gunjan cried, "Bye now."
"Okay, bye!" Samrat called after her.
*'Barkat', the Shergill Mansion*
After Mayank had figured out that Gunjan hadn't confessed to Samrat, he had told her to go to Barkat and tell it to Samrat with full confidence. Of course, Gunjan couldn't say 'no'. So there she was, ringing 'Barkat''s doorbell.
"There's the doorbell, Samrat!" Nupur said, as she was reading Mayapari in Samrat's room.
"Must be Sheena, Ramu Kaka'll open it. I'm going down, OK? Bye!"
Samrat raced down, only to realise that he had left his cellphone in the kitchen. He went in to find it.
Ramu Kaka opened the door to find Gunjan. "Hello, Gunjan baby! Nice to see you here again! Come in, na!"
"Thank you, Kaka," Gunjan said, smiling, "Where's Samrat?"
"Baba will be in his room," Ramu kaka said and Gunjan rushed up, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Her palms started to sweat.
She slowly opened Samrat's door and peeked in. Samrat's revolving chair was faced towards the wall and he was sitting in it.
"Samrat," Gunjan said slowly and the chair was about to spin when Gunjan cried, "No, don't turn around. Don't face me until I finish. Please."
The chair turned to the wall again.
"Samrat, this may sound weird to you, but I don't think I can stay your best friend for long... it's because.. I don't know how to say this, but I don't like it when you tell me about your dates with Sheena. I help you choose gifts and stuff for her because I want you to be happy with her. Lekin Mayank ne kaha ki I shouldn't do all this mahasacrifice for someone like Sheena. Samrat, I... I... I love you, Samrat."
Gunjan heaved a sigh of relief. She had finally said it.
The chair spun around, and Gunjan knew that Samrat would be shocked. But it wasn't Samrat at all. It was Nupur, a magazine in her hand.
"Gunjan!' Nupur cried, standing up, "I don't believe this! By God, tumhe Samrat se pyaar hai! Wow!!!!"
"Nupur! Nupur di? What are you doing here?" Gunjan exclaimed, a sick feeling in her stomach, "Don't tell Samrat anything, PLEASE! I beg you!" Gunjan took few deep breaths, turned around, and ran down the stairs, out of the house.
"By God... Gunjan aur Samrat... kya perfect jodi hogi... Ab Samrat ko sach batana hi padega!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Precap -
Sheena's father calls her up to tell her that she has to come back to NYC a.s.a.p!
RV and Sheena make a plan to bring SaJan together forever..... but the plan is risky and will make everyone hate Sheena forever, even her cousins. What is their plan? Will Mayank realise his love for Nupur, especially after Mystic Maya pays him a mysterious visit? To find out, stay tuned for the next update only on MJHT: Ek Nayi Kahani!!!!
Swati
Book Talk
Anupamaa
Vasudha
