This concept isn't my own. i happened to come across a malayalam video on YT and i loved teh concept. i have just improvised abit. Do comment/ Criticize, it helps me write better. Silent readers, do hit the like tab
Love just happens once...
28 year old mayank sat in the hall with his laptop. Frowns on his face and deep lines of worry on his forehead, he was yelling at one of his juniors over his landline phone for messing up the sales report. This could have caused some serious trouble for his manager in the board meeting, had Mayank not checked it. After he was done with screaming at the guy on the other end, he banged the mouth piece on the receiver. He face was red in anger and his hands were shivering.
This was Mayank Sharma. Slow to anger, but once his temper went high, it was difficult to calm him down. He was never like this. All this happened five years back. FIVE YEARS. Time definitely flies fast. And before he could drown into his past, the doorbell rang. Throwing the rough copy of the report on the table and placing the laptop on the sofa, he walked towards the main door to see who was at the door.
When he opened the door and saw his visitor, he was shocked. Five years later he saw her. "Nupur?" he said in a soft tone. Her name still seemed like music to his ears. Time stood still. Dressed in a simple yellow kurti and blue jeans, with her hair tied in a neat pony tail, she looked up at him and smiled. "Hello mayank" she responded. Mayank returned her smile with his own weak smile and nupur noticed that he had lost himself somewhere. Her mayank's smile was not there anymore. But Mayank too was not her's anymore.
"Come in." He said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She quietly walked inside and sat on the sofa. He sat on the opposite chair. Both did not look up at each other. Hesitating, Mayank asked her "How are you?" she smiled and said "Hmmm I am okay" For the first time, Mayank did not know how to continue the conversation. "Coffee?" he asked and she only nodded her head. He got up and went to the kitchen. The moment he left the hall, memories began to flood her head.
"Correction madam! World ki best coffee main banata hoon. Tum toh world ki second best coffee banati ho" his voice echoed in her mind. The same place, the same people. Yet so different. She glanced at the wall-mounted show case. There was a huge trophy on which "Mayank Sharma ' Excel College" was inscribed. This was a trophy they had won during the academic meet held in Ahmadabad. What a time it was! Why couldn't things be back to the same? Sighing, she got up from the sofa. She walked near the wall and brushed her finger on it.
"Mayank chodo" she said as she ran dodging him. "nupur ki bacchii, tumhe toh main nahi chodunga. Aisa koi karta hai kya? Mere poore shirt pe ink gira di aur ab bolti ho ke main tumhe chod doon? Bilkul nahi." he said, still chasing her. "Mayank galti ho gayi... "She said as she reached the wall. Turning around, she saw that there was absolute no way of escaping, since he had already trapped her between his arms by pinning her to the wall.
Moving extremely close to her, he saw her closing her eyes. She had never looked so calm, so beautiful. He noticed that she had calmed down and stopped wriggling when he had held her against the wall. He decreased the grip on her wrists and lowered his left hand on to her waist and cupped her face with his right palm. Carefully tucking the few strands of hair behind her ears, he brushed his fingers against her soft cheek. Gently and carefully he placed his lips on hers, not missing the sharp intake of breath by nupur. His lips perfectly fit her mouth, just as their fingers had perfectly entwined in each other's hold.
"Nupur..." he called out and she turned around. He stood there blank and expressionless and handed over the coffee mug to her. she mumbled a "thank you" and both of them sat at the dining table.
"How are you mayank?" she asked after she sipped on the coffee. "Going on fine... i guess" he replied as he looked at his coffee mug. And to continue the conversation, he asked her back "How is Adhiraj?" nupur kept quiet. She just smiled as she told him "Mayank... Adhiraj and I did not get married. It did not work out" Mayank was stunned. For a minute, he was too shocked to reply.
"Mayank, how could i get married to him and live with him, when i had someone else in my heart?" her voice was firm, without any sorrow or regret. Now it was Mayank's turn to say something. "Then where have you been these five years?" Mayank asked her looking into her eyes. It was like Mayank who had lost himself five years back had come back to life.
"I had been to the States to complete my M.B.A and then work there for some time." She answered plainly. Mayank's eyes shot up red. He couldn't believe that she had hidden this truth from him this long. Here he thought that Nupur was married to Adhiraj, and on the other hand, nupur was all alone in the U.S. "Nupur you could have called up and informed na? just one call..."
Nupur looked up at him. "Mayank, you too could have called na? why dint you bother to call up?" Mayank looked away. "Nupur, i wanted to call you up, but then i thought what if Adhiraj did not like me calling you. i dint want to create any misunderstanding between you two." And pausing for a brief silence, Mayank spoke up again "Nupur, why didn't you tell me that the marriage was called off? Why dint you inform just once? Why nupur?"
Nupur placed the coffee mug on the table. "Mayank, five years back when i had asked you to ask Bauji for my hand in marriage, you said you could not think of any commitments. you said you could not talk to him. Mayank, i would have convinced Bauji anyhow, but when you yourself weren't ready, how could you expect me to talk to you and tell you that my wedding din't take place? I did not want to be the cause for you to leave your dreams and ambitions behind."
Mayank banged his fist on the table in annoyance. "Nupur i dint mean to say it in that way. Jis tarah ki life tum jee rahi ho, i just could not afford to give you those luxuries ... and may be ill not be able to do so in future too, damn it! It just did not make sense in asking you to wait for me nupur. i just wanted you to be happy. But i had no idea you would end up doing all this... and now everything has changed..."
Mayank held his head in his hand and nupur gently placed her hand on his. Mayank looked up at her face. She smiled gently at him as she gripped tighter on his hand. "It is not too late Mayank. you could still come and talk to Bauji. I'll convince him, i'll make him understand. Mayank, just once if you could..." mayank's mobile phone interrupted their conversation. Wiping away the tiny tears in his eyes, Mayank picked up the phone with his left hand, while his other hand was still in nupur's hold.
"hello... yes, Mayank Sharma speaking, tell me... yes... That's Mayank Sharma ' M.A.Y.A.N.K... yes... And it is not 'A', it's supposed to be 'I'... D.R.I.S.H.T.I... No... No no, you can get it printed as Weds..." Listening to this, nupur's grip on mayank's hands loosened. She left his hand slowly and stared at him. "No, the time is not a concern for me. You can talk to Mr Sinha about it... Sure... Thank you... Bye"
Mayank disconnected the call and looked at nupur, who sat blankly, without saying a word. "Haan nupur, i'm getting married in a month's time to Drishti..." After a brief pause, he continued "we were engaged a year ago" At this, nupur wiped her tears and got up from the dining chair. She stood near the window and looked outside. Controlling his emotions and taking in a deep breath, Mayank too got up and walked upto her. He stood close to her, next to her.
"Nupur, i told you... Everything is..." "Everything is changed, right?" she cut his sentence. Her eyes were bloodshot and she moved away from him. "Mayank, you said for five years you couldn't commit yourself to anything other than your dreams. You said you wanted to do your higher studies and then go abroad. What happened to all that haan?" the hurt expression on nupur's face told Mayank how exactly she felt. She experienced the same pain that he had gone through, five years back. she turned around, to look outside the window. And that was when Mayank spoke up.
"Nupur, a few days after we parted ways, Ma fell sick. She could not go to office. And eventually she lost her job. And i being the only one for her, there was no much choice left for me. Ma was more important than my dreams. I took up a local job, somewhere close by. It was then when i came across Mr. Sinha. I completed my graduation by correspondence and worked under him as a trainee. He gave me a job in his company itself and helped me financially. A year back, he asked if i was willing to get married to his daughter, Drishti. Ma also said that how long would i wait. Sometime or the other,i had to move on. I said yes. We were engaged immediately... and now... this wedding..." mayank's voice became weak and shaky. He shut his eyes tight and heaved a heavy sigh.
Nupur looked at him. His face showed the pain and fear he went through in these years. Wiping her face that was wet with tears, nupur asked in between her sobs "How is she? You like her?" Mayank did not look at nupur. he stood facing the window, looking at the sky. "Hmmm" he nodded his head. "Yeah, i like her. she is pretty... yeah... i like her...she is a simple girl... who can... who can manage to live with whatever i earn... she can take care of Ma too.. .so.. yeah, i like her... yeah..." and then he turned towards nupur.
"Tumhe pata hai nupur, uski smile bilkul tumhari jaisi hai. Aur uski aankhein... uski aankhein mujhe tumhari yaad dilate hain..." nupur smiled weakly at him. After a long pause, Nupur said "Mayank, i think i need to go now... you take care and... take good care of her too... All the best for your... new life ahead... with ... Drishti" and nupur walked to the hall. Mayank followed her and saw her picking up her purse and walking out the door.
She was about to cross the threshold, when she turned around to look at Mayank, who looked back at her, leaving. Turning around, she walked to him and said "Mayank, can i just ask you something, for the last time?" Mayank wasn't sure to answer her and he stood firm, looking at her. she continued between her sobs and hiccups "Can i hug you? one last time... please...?" and without waiting for his answer, she embraced him tight. Mayank did not budge. Not because he did not want to hug her, but because he had no more courage left. He had taken a really long time in trying to move on, and was still battling with himself to move on. However, his heart urged him to hug her. and he wrapped his arms round her.
They just stood that way for some time, till nupur broke the hug and parted away. "Nupur, i'm sorry... main..." nupur placed her hand on his mouth. "Ssshhh Mayank. kuch mat bolo. Just don't say anything" she placed a soft peck on his cheek and whispered in his ears "Alvida Mayank, i'll miss you" and went away, leaving behind Mayank in tears, swearing to herself that she would never come across in his path.
Kabhi-kabhi hum ek doosre ko khokar bhi toh pyar ko ooncha darja dete hain...
Judaa rehkar pyar ki oonchaaiyon ko praapt karte hain.
Har pyar milan to nahin... Judaai bhi toh ek pyar hai...
Edited by ria.arjun - 14 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Book Talk
