FF new-MJHT revisited. - Page 19

PART 21

MN house

Nupur came home in a daze.

She finally didn't know where her thoughts began and where they ended. And she didn't know why she was upset, why she had fought with everyone.

She threw her bag on the sofa, changed throwing her clothes on an already existing pile of clothes to be washed and after freshening up, fell on her favourite place- the sofa . she wondered vaguely why mayank hadn't turned up. And for all, she felt miserable that she had been rude to uday bhaiyya. Waise adhiraj ke saath bhi kyun is tarah se baat ki- hey bhagwaan yeh mujhe kya hogaya hai.

It was early evening when she was woken up from her disturbed slumber by a loud noise. she woke up with a start as she had been dreaming about that she was married to adhiraj and mayank had left town. Bauji had been smiling. She shook herself again and looked around for the source of noise- it was Mayanks mobile. They had not recharged hers and had been running on one. He must have left it for her to use. Hwo could he take care of her so much?!! Her leg pained when she moved it suddenly.

Nupur picked up the phone," hello"

"hello nupur beta. Kaise ho?" it was shilpa – mayanks mom

"main teek hoon aunty. Aap kaise ho?" nupur

"ab tak tho teek thi. Par ab soch mein padrahi hoon ki tumhe aur kitne time lagega mujhe mom bhulane mein." She said in mock anger. She didn't really mind what nupur called her. For her, she was a source of joy- someone who was as interested in her son as herself, someone to share all those small joys that her son never seemed to like much.

"sorry maa. Woh bas.."

"its ok beta. So rahi thi kya? Tum logon ka test kaise hua?"

"woh aapko kaise pata ki test tha? Cancel hogaya"

"mayu ne bhola tha. Tho, tum log pad rahe ho ya nahin? Ya phir romance hi chal raha hain life mein? Mayu ne tho mujse kitne din se teek se baat nahin ki. Aur tumne bhi phone nahin kiya. Tumhaara mobile kyun switched off hain itne din se?"

" maa, woh mera...", she remembered mayank saying that he didn't want to give his mother any extra burden and held her tongue back,"woh ghum gaya hai." she lied

"achha . tho aur batao, kya chal raha hai? tum log yahaan kab aarahe ho?"

Nupur didn't know what to say. She had completely forgotten she had to study, she felt extremely guilty that she had left no place for romance in their lives and she had not called up shilpa aunty at all...she didn't hear what aunty said.

"ji...kya?"
"pata hai. itne din main mayu se door kabhi nahin rahi hoon." Shilpa was saying.

"sorry aun..maa. " Nupur –one more guilty feeling maa-bete ko alag kiya..

"nahin beta, main tumhaari baat nahin kar rahi thi, mera tho yeh matlab tha ki, itne din hogaye par mujhe kabhi mayu ki chinta nahin hua kyunki tum uske saath ho. Usko handle karsakthi ho." She stopped and sensed something wrong

" nupur?"

"maa, agar maine mayank ka khayaal nahin rakha tho..." she asked with a hint of fear.

"uska kisne khayaal rakha hain. Jabse 4^th std mein tha, tabse apna kaam khud kartha hain. Mera matlab uske khaane-peene ka nahin tha. Woh tho khush horaha hoga ki main abhi uski peeche oil leke nahin ghoomthi hoon."

"nahin maa,"

"nupur, tum itni serious kyun ho? Mein uski naakh pe jo baitha rehtah haina us gusse ki baat kar rahi thi. Ek baar jo sar mein gus jaatha hain tho nikaalna mushkil hojaatha hain." Nupur was quiet thinking of how close they were.

"maa, aap yahaan kab aaogi?"

"itni jaldi mujhe kabab mein haddi banneka koi shauk nahin hain " she teased

" nahin maa, aisi koi baat nahin hain. Aap .."

"baat nahin hain matlab? Kyun nahin hain nupur? Hey bhagwan, is ladke ka kuch nahin hosaktha." She said theatrically

" aap mayank ke bare mein aisa mat sochiye..sach mein uska..."what was she trying to do? Trying to tell mayanks mom how romantic he was ?

She heard shilpa laughing at the other end" aunty... maa aap mera taang kheench rahi thi kya?"

"nahin tho...achha chalo. Nahin karenge yeh baat. Main yeh bolne ke liye phone liya tha ki main next week Mumbai aanewaali hoon . mera abhi transfer kuch mahino ke liye nahin hoga. Aur main bas chutti pe aane waali hoon", she stopped," waise tumlog honeymoon pe kyun nahin gaye? Zaroor mayank ne mana kiya hoga.waise tumhe kahaan jaana tha?"

While they had never discussed it at all, nupur had always dreamt of every location that a SRK movie had been shot but now," kahin nahin."

" nupur, kya baat hain beta? Kuch problem hai kya. Tumne mujhe promise kiya tha ki tum log muhe bataaoge. Money problem hai ya mayank ne kuch kahaan tumse? Waise kal woh bhi kuch dull laga mujhe . tum dono ke beech jagda hua kya?" nupur couldn't answer. She knew she would cry if she opened her mouth.

"dekho nupur, jab nayi nayi shaadi hoti hai tho bohot kuch ...ajeeb lagtha hai. kisi aur ke saath apna khudh ka thinga share karna, apne app ko share karna...sab ajeeb lagtha hain."she stopped wondering if she should continue, but couldn't help herself, she liked nupur . nupur was like her daughter anyway.

" Kaise kehthe hai...shayad tumhare dil mein kuch tasveer tha...say square shaped ka . par shayad mayank ke paas ek round frame hai. tho abh tum dono ko ek square photo ko round frame mein fit karna hai...Bas khudh ko time do. Kya mayank ne kuch kahaan?"

"nahin...yeh sab mayank ki bat nahin hai... bas... aur main jaanthi hoon ki main bohot lucky hoon – mujhe mayank ke saath aap bhi mili." Nupur replied haltingly.

"nahin. Lucky tho mayank hai ki use tum mili. Waise shayad tum dono ki kismet achhi hai kyunki tum dono ko ek doosre ka pyaar mila. Itna sab kuch hojaane ke baad bhi tum dono saath ho"

something stuck a chord. And shilpa s words acted like a soothing agent. Nupur felt herself relaxing, feeling better. She swallowed her tears.,shilpa continued,

" tum khud socho nupur, tumhare shaadi ke time pe kya kya nahi hua! Par in sab mein tum dono saath hi the na? Ek taraf tumhare bauji ne tumhe accept nahin kiya par doosre taraf, tumhare friends , tumhari aunt sab ne tum dono ko sambhala. Waise main bhi hoon is list mein." She added. nupur smiled.

"zindagi mein kuch bure ke saath hamesha kuch acha bhi hota hai."

"aap teek keh rahi ho aunty. Jo hamaare paas hai usko chodna nahin chahiye."

"haan wahi main bhi keh rahi thi. Tho jab mayank aayega, tab usko pakadlena, tightly. " her voice had become lively again.

"aunty..."nupur blushed

"chaho tho ek bada sa rope leke usko baandh ke rakho." Both the women burst out laughing, imagining him tied up.

"nahin aunty . uski kya zaroorat hain. Mere liye tho mayank ko baandhne ke liye ek nazar hi kaafi hai."

"wah wah, dekha. Isko kehthe hain confidence. Tho honeymoon ke liye kahaan jaana hain sochke rakhlena."

"Aunty. Aap bhi na. Nahin waise college se chutti..."nupur still blushing

"bunk..."

"mayank bunk karega? Aur woh tho ab staff bhi hai.waise sach bolu tho mujhe bas mayank ke saath rehna hain, kahin jao ya na jao "

"Achha..soch lo " she felt a lump in her throat as she realised again how attached nupur was to her son , " chalo.main rakhthi hoon. All the best. Kuch help chahiye tho bolo."she grinned

"haan thanks. Aur aap apna khayaal rakhna."

Both disconnected but felt more connected to each other than they had with anyone else before.