7~*NOT just a passionate affair*~Pt 47 (3 Aug) Thank you stalker!

November 2nd

OSR PART 46 - Things will look up...

THE SINGH HOUSEHOLD - LIVING ROOM

'Basss basss bha...bhi...' a few incoherent sounds came out, as another piece of barfi was wedged into her already-loaded mouth 'Arre... I've had more than my fair share of sweets for the day...' she brushed off a crumb that was now sticking on to her glossed-up lips 'As it is; bhaiyya 1, bhaiyya 2 and bhaiyya 3 have already over-stuffed me...'

'Ufooo Jodha...' the affectionate bhabhi pooh-poohed her protests 'If your bhaiyyas can enjoy the pleasure of feeding you, so can I...' she playfully poked her young sister-in-law at the waist 'Oopar se you've shrunk like a size zero model...ek aadh sweet se kuch nahi hone waalaa...'

'But... bahu...' mamma walked up to join the duo 'She has to be able to eat dinner too... aakhir, it's such a special occasion today...' her eyes gleaming with hope, she turned to her daughter and applied the kaalaa theeka behind her ear 'You look like an angel in this benarasi pink salwar... all the best beta... we're all so happy for you both...'

'Jee mamma...' Jodha replied, trying very hard to keep up the optimism and keep off the displeasure from showing - like she had been for so long.

'So, are you ready beta? Don't forget to take papa's ashirwaad before leaving...'

She nodded 'Sure mamma...'

'And' Malti stroked her cheeks, observing the seemingly-cheerful face of her daughter 'Hope you have a nice time with him...even Madhu chachi was telling me that he's a very respectable gentleman... you are very fortunate to have found someone like him...'

Her smiles faltered for a second there 'I think my lipstick's smudged... let me go touch it up...'

'Haan...but be ready soon... he should be here any moment...'

JODHA'S BEDROOM

Having shut the door behind her, Jodha took in a deep breath - her only means to deal with the agitating circumstances for then. Happy for you both? Fortunate to have found Rishabh? Nice time with him? She DEFINITELY needed the deep-breathing exercises.

Having said that, her family had got one fact right. The day was a 'special' one indeed - after all, it was the 2nd of November.

A year ago on this very date, she'd flatly turned down his invitation and felt no remorse for it whatsoever. Today; she yearned for nothing more than to be with him. To be a part of his day, as he turned 25! What an unforgettable occasion should this have been, had the situation been different. She would have been his first caller - the first one to wish him on his birthday. She might have dropped by his place early, to gift him a present she possibly spent days picking. She would have baked his cake, helped organize his bash and made merry at his party.

However, nothing like that was meant to happen today. In fact, she had no idea what he was even upto - none at all!

How was he celebrating his birthday? Was he celebrating at all? Was he in town? Was he fine? How was he coping? Had he cut down on his drinking? Was he still depressed - or had he somehow come out of it?

Nearly two months had passed since the supposed break-up and she'd heard hardly anything about him since. It was horrible enough knowing she was the cause of his pain - it felt worse being totally unaware of what was going on at his end! Yes, she'd taken on this huge gamble-of-a-game with determination, but staying sane while being completely cut-off from her man was tougher than she'd thought. It was making her increasingly insecure - pushing her deeper and deeper into a quagmire of loneliness. So many nights had she lain awake in her bed, coming close to giving up on her resolve. In fact, on that very evening - so desperate had she become at one point that she was even ready to drive up to his place and settle for a quick glimpse of his face. Or maybe, just a phone call so she could hear his voice and wish him well.

'Remember why you're doing this...' she had to tell herself every time such frantic thoughts popped up in her head 'It's Jalal's safety you've bought... every pain is worth it!'

'Shyea' she plonked down unhappily on the dressing stool 'Ye pagal Meera bhi na... she gives me no info about him...so what if I'd told her I was no longer interested in discussing about Jalal?' slumping her elbow on the dresser, she leaned against her palm with a glum frown 'Aur ye silly exam authorities... again a mix-up? How much further are they going to delay the results? I have no idea how I've done or how he's fared in these semesters ...' she let out a heavy-hearted groan 'And no clues about the stalker abhi tak... I was hoping to end this drama soon...to put Jalal out of his misery... but, no luck there either...'

'Choti...whoever sent this email attachment, has sent it from your own college computer lab... the IP address search showed up as SRI RAMAKRISHNA INSTITUTE... and he's just used a basic Movie Maker Software to put that bomb blast effect at the end of that clipping... he's not a pro at computers...koi anaadi hi hai...'

Letting out a long sigh as she recalled how disheartened she'd become after Vishal bhaiyya had informed her of the fruitless news, she dipped her face into her palms 'Now, here I am... dressed for a dinner date with Rishabh... while everyone is busy deciding the wedding card design...DAMN... no positive news lately...I'm running out of time... AND BLOODY PATIENCE... and...' she abruptly paused and covered her mouth in mild horror, realizing she was using swear words like she never had before 'Jalal...' she opened the top drawer of her dresser, the slightest signs of life seeping into her pale cheeks 'Look at the effect you have on me...' she gazed at the empty blue ring box sitting in the midst of the mess 'Had you heard what I just said, you would have teased me, till I went all red-faced...' her throat started cracking as she felt the strain of her whelming emotions 'And what wouldn't I do to go red-faced...to be teased like that... once again?'

'Hey sexy...'

'Huh!' she'd nearly jumped in fright as her waist flinched in response to the sly sensations of his arm trailing around her 'Arre...' she exclaimed, no sooner than she'd spun around

'Wooow!' his jaw dropped as he observed how stylishly she was carrying off that fuchsia kurti 'Wooow again!'

Taking a step back from his irresistible persona, lest she was swayed by his charms too soon - she put a hand on her hip 'So, where have you been mister... you were supposed to be here 45 minutes ago...and your excuse better be very very good!'

'I do have a genuine reason why I'm late!' his alluring eyes drooped, garnering as much empathy as they could from his girl 'You know that I'd gone to submit my papers to Mrs. Uma na...on my return to the classroom, I discovered that my bag had gone missing...'

'W...what?' a dubious Jodha enquired, nearly ready to forget that she was supposed to be irked with him 'What happened? Did you find it?'

'Arre...this Nikki, Vanita, Salim, Rimi, Abdul, Alice... sab milke, hid it somewhere... they knew I was on my way here to meet you ...so, to trouble me... they...'

'Achaa?' she nodded with sarcasm, her smiles having turned into visible frowns 'So, while I've been waiting here for you ... you were busy celebrating Raas Leela with the girls in your class...'

'What?' he questioned, earnestly confused 'What Leela?'

'Nothing!'

Surveying the adorable displeasure in her manner, he swiftly succumbed with a wide smile I'm sorry... I've never been late before...never again either...' he pulled her close 'Anyway, chalo... come... I'll take you wherever you want to go now...'

'Nope...' darting her mobile a sleek peek, she raised her brow 'It's late now...we can't go anywhere...waise bhi... you can't bribe me with sweet talk for everything, boyfriend...I'm not the kind, you see...'

'And I'm not the kind who would let my lovely girlfriend walk away from me, without letting me make it up to her first...'

'Really?' she remarked, not letting herself get too impressed 'And how do you propose to make it up to me?'

'I can start...' he winked 'By telling you how I still haven't gotten over how gorgeous you're looking now...'

'But that's something I already know...' she tapped the edge of his nose 'So... tough luck...'

'Oh' Jalal's eyes widened in amazement 'You already KNOW how gorgeous you look, haan? Confidence! I like that in a woman...' his eyes still fixated on her temptingly fiery features, he played his game - twisting her lines around to his own advantage 'I have a doubt, though... since you already know it... does that mean, you don't want me paying you compliments anymore?'

O-kay! She knew precisely where this was heading, but she wasn't going to give in - at least, not yet 'Yup I'm quite a confident lady myself...not the kind that gets impressed by regular doses of praise...'

'Fine...' he shrugged, before he got even closer and lowered his voice even further 'Ek baar soch lo... are you really really sure... will you be totally fine if I didn't tell you how much I adored you...'

'Jalal!' she warned her handsome man, her face slowly turning deeper shades of crimson

'Very sure you don't want me to flirt with you?'

'Jalaaal!'

'Totally sure you don't like it when I gaze at you like this?'

'Ufff!'

'Really really really certain, you don't enjoy being teased?'

'Arre...' he laughed

'Hey choti'

The bedroom door suddenly swung open

'Vishal bhaiyya?' hastily shutting the drawer, she turned around 'Arre...you didn't even knock...'

'Oh...' he looked up from his mobile screen with a clumsy smile 'Sorry... will do that next time... just came in to let you know Rishabh's here...' he lazily handed her a bundle he'd been holding 'By the way... sorry... your dupatta... it was on the sofa...I didn't realize I'd been sitting upon it for so long...'

'Ohh...' she accepted the crumpled roll of fabric from him, mechanically straightened it out and draped it around her neck

'Huh?' Vishal was compelled to put his mobile down that instant. No harsh words? No signs of retaliation? He'd just done something she hated to the core and she had NOTHING to say about it? Something was majorly wrong 'Hey' he stopped her as she was about to exit the room 'Kyaa hua?'

'Oh...kuch nahi...'

He softly re-shut the door again 'You were thinking about him na... about Jalal...' when she said nothing in reply, he shook his head sceptically 'Choti, things at home have only calmed down now... don't risk everyone's wrath again...'

'No bhaiyya...you're mistaken...' she half-smiled at him 'I'm not even in touch with Jalal now...'

He studied her expressions intently, unconvinced by her words 'But you still do feel very strongly for him, don't you? Your expressions when I gave you the info on that MMS were a dead giveaway...' intrigued about the ongoings in his sister's life, he decided to pry further 'Any luck with the stalker hunt?'

'Lucky and me? Nope!' she chuckled at herself sardonically 'Everything bad possible has happened in the past two months, though...'

'Hmmm' he frowned, realizing that there were many things on her mind she wasn't giving away 'Choti...' he spoke up thereon, hoping to pass on some positivity to his cheerless sibling 'Chin up behnaa... yup... many bad things have happened to you lately...but that only means...ki iske baad good things have to happen to you...'

She stood still for a moment - unable to believe that these wise words - that these heartfelt wishes were those of her laid back Vishal bhaiyya's! A short spell later, her half-smiles turned into fuller ones 'Yes...' she blinked affectionately, a subtle sense of optimism now enlivening her attitude 'You're right...iske baad things will look up for me...' she re-opened her bedroom door, preparing herself to endure the upcoming two hours 'Thanks...'

'Aur haan...' he interrupted her exit 'Tomorrow morning... don't forget...you have to tidy up the mess lying at the foot of my bed...as per our arrangement...wh...wha...whattt...ooow...ooow!' he winced in pain - he'd just been slapped hard on his arm by her 'What was THAT for?'

'For ruining my brand new chunni, of course!'

JALAL'S HOME - THE STUDY

Loosening the chic tie hanging around his neck, he double checked the caller list. Once he'd done so, he pressed the SEND button - and the text 'Thank you for your wishes' went to the eighty-odd numbers on his contact list.

'Done' he sighed, before choosing two perfectly-square cubes of ice from the ice bucket and dropping them into his Rum cocktail. With the appetizing beverage in hand, he walked towards his armchair and sank into the cushions - his feet resting on the adjacent rosewood stepstool.

Well, the new Vice President of the Muhammed Export Trading Gp had a new lifestyle to contend with - a very hectic one. Two lone arduous hours at the gym. Eight long taxing hours cooped up in his grand cabin with subordinates. A two hour induction & training course. A lunch meeting sometime in between. Plus, conference calls aplenty. No doubt then that by late evening his muscles ached for some time to unwind.

Yes, this tiring schedule over the past two weeks was diametrically opposite to the period of paralysis he'd suffered from before that. Yes, the fresh smart-suited look now was a striking and welcome contrast to his dishevelled form from then. Yes, his 'busy' agenda had successfully brought back the smiles on the faces of his loved ones too.

However, only Jalal knew that the chaotic days were just a means - to keep his ammi happy - to get on with life - and to get his body so worn out by evening that his mind would have no energy to return to thoughts of her.

Nevertheless, his strategy wasn't entirely successful because his desolate heart somehow did manage to get its way many times in a day! Any available spare second and his mind tended to drift off towards recollections of their fun-filled conversations. Every instance that his car passed by their favourite hangouts, he could feel his heart sink low. His eyes never stopped longing for a glimpse of her. He still got roused whenever their many moments of intimacy came to mind. Why, he'd even checked his inbox a million times from morning in hope of receiving a birthday wish from her - and this, despite her hurtful words 'I should stop contacting you... so I didn't see the point in giving you my number...'

How long was he going to continue feeling like this? Five years? Ten years? Forever? What a drab existence this was!

'What bloody toofan befell her family... why did her beautiful heart abruptly harden into a piece of wood? GOD-DAMNED LOVE!' he swore and downed the entire glass in a jiffy, burning his parched throat in the process 'Once you're trapped... there's no blasted escape!'

Just then, his ongoing woes were temporarily diverted by the flashing light on his mobile screen. He picked up the instrument 'Abdul?' taking a minute to bring his head back to normalcy, the lone man subsequently attended the call 'Haan bolo yaar...'

'So... birthday boy... you finally decided to pick a call today...'

'Liar...' Jalal let out a faint sneer 'I DID speak to you... to Renu... and to Salim this morning...'

'And what about the rest? So many have been trying your number... to wish you...' Abdul paused 'Anyway... when are you getting here?'

Jalal kneaded his tired forehead 'Getting where?'

'Arre... to Klub Lounge... Golconda Hotel pe...' he sounded flustered 'Waise bhi your surprise birthday party is no longer a SURPRISE... at least get here on time... Nikki and Renu have spent a lot of effort organizing this do for you...'

'Uh huh...' Jalal mulled, not too excited about the prospect of meeting half the college hereon

'Stop it Devdaas... no one's inviting you to other places ... but this is your party... you better be here, warna...'

'Ok... ok...' the cornered chap relented 'I'll get there.. a bit late maybe... but I'll get there...'

'Waise...' Abdul resumed - his tone a bit more sneaky now 'Nikki's openly admitted she's interested in you ... and I'm sure you've noticed how hot she looks too...'

'What!' Jalal almost chuckled in disbelief. Yes, his buddy was only trying to be funny - but sometimes he did come up with the most absurd and untimely suggestions 'You're mental, you know that?'

'But, Jodha has left...yaar... why are you still shutting yourself up and moping around in loneliness?'

Jalal remained silent. The warm tinges that'd graced his face so long steadily drained away. He could feel a sense of bitterness gradually creeping into his being. He couldn't say anything to negate Abdul's words, because they were the ugly truth.

The uglier fact was that not only had Jodha left - she'd taken along with her all of his means to move on too! She'd snatched away his capacity to smile - his appetite to enjoy life - and his desire to ever meet another girl in his life. In short, she'd taken away his ability to feel like a fun-loving urban 25 year old guy would - and possibly forever!

SAHIB SINDH SULTAN - CITY CENTRE MALL

'So here we are... at last...' he patiently waited for her to respond and when she didn't, he pressed on once more 'Hello Jodha... I'm speaking to you...'

'Huh? Oh...y...yes...' it'd taken her a few seconds to perceive that she was being spoken to. Well, she had to compel her mind to come out of the daze that it was embroiled in. It was tougher than she'd thought. After all, their date at that familiar venue was a disturbing coincidence indeed!

It was at that same posh and cozy restaurant that Jalal had treated her to lunch, some months ago. It was here that they'd celebrated their relationship's six-month mark, as a couple! Ironically, here she was again - on Jalal's birthday - but with another man, who was supposedly her fiance now!

'Lost as always, haan?' Rishabh teased

'Not really...' she smiled awkwardly

'It's beautiful, isn't it?' he was referring to the olde worlde pre-independence railway line themed interiors that the restaurant was modelled on

'Yes...'

'You've been here before?'

She nodded slowly 'Yes...with a friend'

'Had a good time, then?' he chirped

'Yes...'

Leaning close, he hushed his tone down a bit 'But, I bet you will have a better time with ME now...'

'Oh!' she raised a brow - mildly taken aback by presumptuous assumptions 'You're betting that I'll have a better time with you today, than I had with Jalal here?' well, if nothing else bursting this man's bubble could make for an interesting evening!

'So...let me start with ordering us some drinks...' he opened the non-alcoholic beverages page on one of the menus and handed it over to her. Then, flipping open his own drinks folder, he stopped at the alcoholic beverages section

Blue Hawaiian

A soft smile adorned her lips

'Ahem...' Jalal cleared his throat with a wicked lop-sided grin 'Your taste buds are craving for a sip of this ...aren't they? You've been staring at my drink for the past half an hour...'

'It LOOKS beautiful, but NO thanks...' she disputed his statement with a proud smile. Yes, his dazzling Blue Hawaiian cocktail appealed to the artist in her - actually, its colour looked no less exotic than the deep ocean itself. However, TASTING such a drink was just not her thing 'As it is, in the past six months my innocent mind has been corrupted enough in your company boyfriend...ab aur nahi... my lassi is good enough for me...I'm not touching your cocktails and all...'

'Corrupted?' he laughed 'This is nothing! I haven't even STARTED corrupting you yet, Jo...' he winked 'Aage aage...wait and watch... you have no idea, what plans I have for you...'

'What!' she giggled in mild annoyance 'You badmaash!'

'Hmmm... what should I order...' Rishabh mumbled to himself

'The Blue Hawaiian here is beautiful!' she suggested, as she came out of those jolly memories

'W...what!' he looked up, his eyes now wide open in alarm 'Y...you... you take alcohol?'

Oops! She stared at him, attempting to offer an explanation. However, the unfolding expressions on his face soon left her hiding her repressed grins with her fingers. Her slip up had been unintentional - but the fact that it'd left the 'sanskaari' Rishabh Raghuvanshi with a dumbfounded look had made the blunder worth it. So, she decided to persevere with the topic, just to gauge his reactions 'Why? Do you have a problem if I drink?'

'I... I... I...' he stuttered, evidently not-too-pleased by the idea 'I didn't take you to be the type... I mean... you dress so traditionally... and... and...'

She chuckled 'Don't worry... I don't drink...'

'Then, how do you know about ...'

'Well... you know how it is... at college...' she shrugged casually

'How?'

'Errr... my boyfri...I...I... I... mean boyfriends...I mean...I...I meant my guys ... friends.. I mean...' God! She gasped, as the right words continued failing her. What was happening to her? Why was she blabbing so much? Was she so distracted?

'Kyaaa?' he interrupted her fumbles, his features becoming ghostly-pale and his pitch rising to audibly loud proportions 'Your boyfriends? YOUR GUYS?'

'N...no...' she practically choked, in a desperate bid to try and stifle her laughter. She didn't intend to laugh at him, but holding it back was getting quite tough too. Needless to say, he wasn't enjoying this scene as much as she was. Thence, she decided to compose herself - and did so with great effort 'I mean the guys at college... who are my friends... they drink... so, I've overheard them comment about all this...' not taking much notice of how the colour was returning to his face - lest, she ended up chuckling again - she apologized 'Sorry...I goofed up there...'

'Thank-God-for-that' he rolled his eyes 'You gave me a mini-heart attack...' he paused, to let himself recuperate from the shocker 'So, you're goofing around, haan? I didn't know you had a funny streak in you...'

'Well...that's because you don't know me...'

'Yes...' he admitted 'And that's because YOU cut-off my phone-calls in a hurry... you never have the time to come out... and you've only been formal in all our conversations so far...' he pitched her a cynical frown 'That's why I was adamant we meet today!'

'Ok!' she nodded slowly, not liking his tone 'And not once did you stop to think why a girl was behaving this way with you? Wow! Either you're really ignorant...or too cunning and neglecting all signs, just so this shaadi goes ahead ... only...I can't decide which one it is...'

'I'm sorry if I came across strongly...' he spoke up, noting how she'd gone into another one of her quiet spells. Tilting across the table, he took a bold step thereafter by taking her hand in his 'What are you thinking now?'

'Oh nothing...' Jodha artfully wriggled her palm away, finding herself irked by a lot of things just then 'Was just trying to decide how smart you are, that's all!'

'W...what do you mean?' he uttered, not knowing whether to take her reply as a complement or as a rebuke

'Kuch nahi...' she ignored the question. Anyway; riling him up - both, unintentionally and unintentionally - was the one good thing that'd happened to her in a long while. So, she wasn't going to feel too sorry for the guy 'Waise...' she sipped on her glass of water 'Have you decided your drink, yet?'

'Yes...' he nodded 'I'm going for the Blue Hawaiian, Jo!'

COUGH! SPLURT! COUGH!

She'd nearly spit out the water in her mouth - attracting the attention of a few guests from the adjacent tables during the course of her actions 'What did you just say?' she asked

'Kyaa?' he fussed, perplexed by her funny antics that just didn't seem to end 'I had said... Blue Hawaiian, Jo!'

'Did you call me Jo?' she didn't hide her puzzlement

'Oh yeah...' he relaxed, when realizing what she was hinting at 'I wanted to tell you about this... I've decided... I would like to call you Jo...after our shaadi...' a mild grin broke out on his lips 'I like the name Jo more than Jodha!'

'Wow!' she shook her head in disbelief. He didn't like her actual name, so HE'd decided to call her Jo! Didn't the 'gentleman' in him recognize that this was a disguised insult? 'Thanks for letting me know in advance' she set the glass back down 'But - don't - call - me - Jo...' she re-stressed 'Ever again!'

There was only one man, from whom she liked to hear herself be called that way - and this was surely not HIM!

The interesting (???) date - to be continued

If you liked what you read, please leave me a comment/like if time permits as it keeps the writer in me going 😳

Dedicating this update to all fans of the serial who're disappointed with the serial - but, keeping hopes alive!

November 2nd

OSR PART 47 - FINALLY! Thank you, stalker... another battle won!

SAHIB SINDH SULTAN - CITY CENTRE MALL

9:30 pm

Having nibbled upon his final bite of starter, the elated man set his cutlery down with a content smile 'The Murgh Malai Chop was delicious...'

'Hmmm...' she nodded

'Poora paisa vasool...'

'Uh...huh...'

'How about your Kebabs?'

'Good...'

He observed the gorgeous lady sitting opposite him. Not only had her entire attention been fixated upon the starters for the past fifteen minutes, she now seemed quite happy to continue staring at an empty porcelain plate, rather than looking up at him.

Well, he had tried breaking the ice. He'd spoken of his work, his future plans, his hobbies and his family - but, that didn't seem to do the trick. She didn't have much to add to any of those topics from her end.

Maybe it was time he directly asked Jodha Singh a few things about herself - anything that would get her to participate in a conversation. Presently, their date had become so unexciting - that by this point he didn't even mind those awkward goof-ups she'd made at the start 'So...' Rishabh spoke up, broaching a random subject 'You haven't told me... what are your hobbies?'

'Oh...' the query drew her out of her trance, though only barely 'I like singing... dancing...' she paused 'And painting too...'

'Great stuff!' he nodded with genteel appreciation 'I'm no singer myself, but I AM a big fan ... I CAN recognize a good singer when I hear one... I've heard you sing like a professional...' a thought struck him 'Maybe you can sing something for me in the car on the way back?'

Jodha glanced up at her company just then, a fresh wave of frustration taking over her 'You're making me nervous, Rishabh...' she remarked wearily

'Come on... you have given stage performances...' he winked 'See... I know you better than you think I do...I am aware of how proficient you are in classical music...' a faint blush tinted his cheeks 'In fact, I must admit...learning about your interest in the traditional arts was what drew me towards you in the first place... that, and seeing your beautiful picture of course...'

'What!' her brows knotted into a bemused frown 'Traditions? Classical music? Wow...you really DO believe you know me so well, don't you? Mr. Raghuvanshi... if you came to know of the 'other' side that existed to this Jodha... you'd be SHOCKED!' she bit the insides of her cheeks so she didn't burst out into a loud round of giggles 'I'd possibly have to drive you in your Santro to a nearby hospital to help you recover!'

'Finally... a big smile!' Rishabh triumphed, blissfully unaware of her thoughts 'So, any other interests that I'm not aware of? Obviously... I need to know everything about my future wife, you see...'

'Huh?' her smiles vanished - just like that! She didn't know if it was just her 'moody hormones' that evening or whether he really was so irritating, but somehow he was getting on her nerves with his many conceited statements 'What did you say?' she asked again

'Whether you have any other interests?'

'Sports!' she muttered randomly, not interested in giving him straightforward answers anymore

'Wow!' his eyes widened in surprise 'How interesting! So, what do you watch?'

'Watch? Why, I like playing too!' she fibbed

'Hmmm' he sipped on his glass of Blue Hawaiian 'I didn't expect you to...'

'Why?'

'I... I mean you look so...I... I just didn't take you to be the kind who'd like playing sports ...'

'Oh!' she cocked her head back 'Another assumption?' hadn't he presumed and theorized enough about her already? How much more? Maybe it was time she gave him a slightly rude awakening and show him that she wasn't this delicate homely porcelain doll he was making her out to be

'You play badminton?' he queried

'Nope'

'Cricket?'

'FOOTBALL!' she overrode him

'What!' he nearly spilled his drink 'You like playing football?'

'Why?' a lopsided grin appeared on her lips no sooner than she witnessed the exact reactions that she'd anticipated 'What's so surprising in my loving football?'

'Just that I've never met an Indian girl who's so enthusiastic about playing football...'

'Oh!' she deliberately let her doe eyes be taken over by a dreamy haze 'I LOVE it...I've never had the chance to play much... but, I do love watching...' she sighed audibly 'It's so physical... and rugged... and athletic... and fast...GOD... the adrenaline rush during a game is splendid!' no doubt, she was taking a fun trip down the memory lane right there - those wild Inter-College games - the ferocity with which her skilled guy tackled the ball whenever got hold of it - the appealing sight of the red team shirt clinging onto Mr. Muhammed's drenched ripped torso. My! My!

Nevertheless; she couldn't afford to let herself be lost in those delightful recollections for too long, lest she made another goof-up. So, she eventually concluded her chatter with a wide beam 'And didn't you watch the FIFA world cup that took place this June?'

'Errr... no...' Rishabh admitted with a stupefied expression

'Shyea, you missed it!' Jodha shook her head in disapproval 'By the way... you wanted to know all about my likes na... my current favourite is James Rodriguez...' clipping her palms together, she brought on a visibly romantic look 'Kyaa attitude hai uska...kitnaa fit hai...he's so cute...' she broke out into a few girly giggles 'I just love that guy...'

'Er...ahem' clearing his voice loudly, Rishabh interrupted her fangirling at once - in case she came up with further bold descriptions of strange men and their rugged physiques 'I stick to our desi sport... cricket!'

'Well...' Jodha sneered faintly, before using Jalal's words back at this pesky adversary of theirs 'Football is just as desi as cricket is!'

'Huh? Haan...' Rishabh blanked-out 'Er... yeah... but... still...'

Watching him all flustered, a thoroughly amused Jodha picked up her glass of drink and gobbled up a generous amount. This was so much fun. She was finally getting back at a guy who'd put her through inconvenience for months 'God Jalal!' she struggled to keep her drink down 'If only I could have recorded this whole scene and played it back to you at a later date. We'd have laughed our heads off...'

'What's so funny?' he asked a few seconds later, not appreciating her repressed chuckles

'Oh nothing... nothing...' she hurriedly reined in her cheeky grins for the time being 'Don't worry...just because I like football, doesn't mean I don't love my Tendulkar and Dravid!'

THE MUHAMMED HOUSEHOLD - JALAL'S BEDROOM

'But, Jodha has left...yaar... why are you still shutting yourself up and moping around in loneliness?'

'No... no... no... no...' he screamed within the four walls of his room to see if the yells would nullify the disturbing lines that'd been forcefully crushing the sanity of his mind for more than 50 minutes now 'NO! STOP!' he grit his teeth and fell back upon his bed with his coat still over his shoulders 'Abdul's right... if she's left... if she's off to marry someone else... why am I bleeding my heart dry all by myself... why am I unable to face people... why am I not attending my own party? I need to put a stop to my heartache... to my desolation...I need to start SOMEWHERE and SOMEHOW...' overcome by an unexpected wave of rage, the spurned lover clutched the mobile phone that was lying beside him. Clicking open his screen, his shivering fingers scrolled back to the gallery icon on the display 'I have to start somehow... I have to start by deleting these memories... they give me nothing but pain... her photos... OUR photos... OUR videos... these pictures that I keep revisiting numerous times a day... I need to get over it...I NEED TO...' with the effect of his emotions and the alcohol affecting his dexterity, Jalal found himself unable to zone in on the right folder. It took him - what seemed like ages and a MASSIVE amount of effort to do so - but the tip of his index finger was finally there.

His fingers touched her picture - and a beautiful one at that!

'Jodha' he whimpered in pain

Her photo smiled back at him 'I will be back... Jodha has to come back to her Jalal... she has no place else to go...'

'But, Jodha has left...yaar...' his mate's words returned to override everything else

Frustrated by his pitiable plight, Jalal crunched his fist 'STOP driving me mad everyone...stop playing with my head... ' - and in an unforeseen act of frenzy deleted her first photo.

He lay still. Time stood still. He couldn't believe he'd done it, but he had. He'd removed the first memory he had of her - the first photo he'd taken of his girl when they'd gotten together.

Three minutes thereon, the lifeless man moved on to the next one. Then, the one after. As he duplicated the same act over and over again - numbly erasing her photos - it felt like her shadows were truly leaving him. Yet strangely, that thought didn't give him any relief - it only drove him into further pits of despair 'No... don't go...' his heart kept telling her disappearing photos, till he arrived at the MMS recording taken on HER birthday eight months ago.

Somehow - either intentionally or unintentionally - he pressed PLAY instead of DELETE

And the video played...

He watched it all - him bandaging her bleeding toe, her delightful fright when she realized his 'tickle-a-thon' plans, him arresting her within the confines of his armchair, his girl pleading for pity while being mercilessly tickled by him - he watched it all

'S...stop'

'Arre...yaar' she laughed a bit more 'This is all getting recorded...first, let's stop the video'

'N...nooo...Jalllaaal' she laughed a lot more

'Koi sun lega Jalal' she laughed uncontrollably 'Basss ab...'

- but it was a good three minutes before he let go.

Squashed together on that grand armchair, they caught up on their breath - facing one another all along.

'Thank you' she whispered softly 'For making my 23rd birthday so memorable...'

'Don't worry' he winked 'I'll make your 43rd birthday just as lovely too'

'And my 63rd?' she gushed

'Yeah...' he sighed jovially 'As long as you'll be able to hop around a fort so briskly then!'

A tear rolled off the from his eyes down the sides of his face, as the beauty of it all whelmed him again 'I can't even delete you from my phone...' he smirked 'What the hell was I thinking... when I set out to delete you from my life?'

A minute later, he scrolled back to the list of missed calls and called the latest number on it

'Hey... where the hell are you... we're all still waiting...'

'Sorry Abdul' he rubbed the tear off his cheeks 'But, I can't make it today...'

'Kyaa yaar...' Abdul's voice sounded heavily disappointed

'I don't expect you NOT to get angry...' Jalal smiled softly 'But, if there is one person in this world who can understand me, it's you... so... please apologize to Renu and Nikki on my behalf... and yeah...have the BIGGEST slice of cake for my sake...'

SAHIB SINDH SULTAN - CITY CENTRE MALL

10:10 pm

Having cleansed his hand in the warm finger bowl, he grabbed the crisp white napkin from his left to dry the water away 'So...' he resumed from where he'd last left off 'What do you generally do over the weekends?'

'Here we go again!' forcing a plastered smile upon her lips, she looked up at him 'Same routine...' she began enlightening her intent listener 'First Mandir... then, books... some TV... blah... blah...' noting the subtle yet swift appearance of a 'pleased' frown on his forehead, the rebel in her took over. She decided to amend her tunes - her brazen attitude returning in full swing 'And in the evenings, I prefer going out to the cinema with friends... but, IF mamma and papa give me the permission to stay out late...' she blinked happily, before adding some tadka to her story just to rile him up 'I'd love to go to a club or disco...'

'Club or discotheque?' he uttered, not realizing that he'd actually sat up

'Yup...' she stared sincerely, while struggling not to cave in to Rishabh's hilarious response 'Why? Have you never been to one? You must go... it's such fun...'

'I... I ... mean I have... with buddies...' he exhaled slowly 'But the crowds there are just too brash...'

'Hah!' she brushed him off 'I used to think so too... but ever since I've met some amazing friends at college, my views have changed ... I mean... so many go to these places just for some masti...I love it!'

'Phew!' he almost gasped aloud 'You are quite a bundle of surprises, aren't you?'

'You think so?' she quipped

'Yeah'

Bundle of surprises was the meekest term he could use at that instant - 'confusing' and 'complicated' were better-suited adjectives to describe her. Jodha Singh was no homely girl like he'd been told. She was more of an overbold rebel with westernized views - and truth be told, this markedly 'different' picture of his future wife was not really making him too comfortable.

Nevertheless, he decided to stay a bit more patient - at least for the sake of the thousands his family had just spent, printing their wedding invites a day ago!

'Jodha' he started afresh 'Would you like to order for some dessert?'

'God no!' she protested, but stopped midway. Something had just struck her. She peeked at the time on her watch '10.10pm...did Jalal celebrate today? His party must be in full swing now... chal, I'll celebrate here...' swiftly picking up the dessert menu, she browsed till she noticed an item that they'd both liked in the past 'Pineapple halwa...I'd like to order for a plate of pineapple halwa...'

'But, you just said NO!' Rishabh chuckled softly

'But I want one now!' her eyes gleamed

10:25 pm

Picking up the silver spoon, an enthused Jodha was about to slice into the delicious halwa when she stopped in her tracks abruptly. Sensing a strange sensation on her hand, she glanced at the table - his fingers had begun gently fondling her arm.

'Please...I'm not comfortable...' she quickly freed herself from Rishabh's grip and darted him an uneasy glare. Why wasn't this guy backing off? So typical - and just like the rest of the men she'd met - men who never recognized a 'NO'. Be it the Romeos at her B.com campus, the Majnus loitering the bus stands, perverts like Shareef or creeps like the stalker! They just had to keep going at it to try their luck! All except one, of course! A thorough gentleman who understood a NO straightaway - someone who knew how to back off and STAY OFF! No wonder then that for her, others couldn't even compare to Jalal Muhammed!

'You looked very happy till a few moments ago...ab, your expressions have changed again...' Rishabh complained, getting noticeably embittered by his fiance's detached stance 'Is there something you're not telling me?'

She exhaled long and hard 'You've asked me this question before...and I've said no...'

'Then, let ME tell you... your behaviour is definitely weird...'

'Weird?' she grimaced in annoyance 'My 'circumstances' are weird, not me...'

'What did you say?'

'Nothing!'

'God!' he became fed up. He'd had ENOUGH of her vague phrases and silly reactions 'Those messages I got about you, Jodha...' he scoffed, deciding to avenge the mockery she'd been making of him all through 'Those anonymous texts...make sense now...'

WHAT! She looked up in shock. Did she hear right? Did he just say anonymous texts? Why the hell had he taken so long to mention it 'W... what are you talking about?' she stuttered, literally at the edge of her chair now

'Two weeks back' he winced 'I got a few texts about you... from some strange number...a number beginning with 094 ...'

'FINALLLYYY!' she'd nearly laughed out loud in relief, but toned her glee down when she realized that he was staring at her like she was an alien 'Ermm...why didn't you tell me about this at first?'

'Because...' he snapped back 'I didn't want to say anything till I'd judged for myself if the messages were true!'

'What! What message?'

'That you are a woman of loose morals...and that I should stay away from you...'

'Huh?' she gasped. Had the stalker changed his song? Was he out to defame HER to keep the rest of the male competition away?

'Now that's no longer funny, is it?' Rishabh smirked, on having noted her sudden silence

'Actually Rishabh...' Jodha sniggered back, now detesting him for the fact that he'd withheld the messages in order to silently 'verify' her character all along 'This whole stalker story IS a very funny one!'

'KYAA?' he couldn't believe it 'You KNOW this guy?'

'Let me explain' Jodha defended herself, observing how Rishabh's run-of-patience was possibly reaching its last leg 'This obsessed psycho has been sending threatening texts to anyone who tries to get close to me... he's even tried harming someone I know... I think he is a very dangerous guy...' she made sure to stress on the 'very dangerous' bit!

'Very dangerous?' the colour of his face turned a shade paler 'And your family know about this?'

'Yup!'

'And no one cared to inform us about it?'

'Arre... we tried dealing with it...' she shrugged with mock-innocence 'We hadn't heard from him in a while, so we thought the problem was gone... waise bhi, many girls face such problems today... nothing new... anyway, forget about all those unpleasant details and scary scenes for now...' she hurled him a very wide smile thereafter 'So, when shall we meet again? I've had such fun today...'

'Stop it...' he interrupted her 'It's good that I've come to know of all this before the marriage... you and your family have shamefully lied to us ... respect naam ki bhi koi cheez hoti hai... besides, you are NOTHING like what your relatives professed!'

'Excuse me mister...' Jodha grit her teeth - her anger no longer part of her drama 'Don't drag my family into this...you talk of MY respect and morals... what about YOURS? Your family were aware that I wasn't interested in this marriage, yet everyone jumped at the opportunity to perform the Tilak...why? I never returned your calls, yet you pursued me repeatedly...why?' she folded her arms with disdain 'Isn't it only because I am a well-educated girl, with a good face and hail from a traditional family with four earning male members to pamper me? What if I hadn't been fortunate enough with looks or money - would you all have given me a second chance, then?'

Kicking back his chair, he stood up in a frenzy and shouted aloud - attracting the attention of a few waiters in the process 'You prance around discos with guys who drink... and you DARE to taunt MY family... disgusting!'

'Oh... so it's ok for you to speak of my family that way? Hypocrite!' she retorted 'And you're exaggerating... I never said that I prance around discos with...'

'Shut up!' he banged the table 'Thank God for those texts... I can now show my parents and relatives what you really are...'

'WHAT!'

'And I tell you now... I AM NOT interested in getting married to you...' he paused the fury to take a breather 'Consider this engagement cancelled...'

'K...kya?' she muttered, going into a trance. Her mind and body needed some time to reel from the jolt of it all. Strangely, the pangs of anger she'd felt till a few seconds ago were already beginning to abate. Instead, she sat stunned - first, in disbelief and then in amazement 'I AM NOT interested in getting married to you' as the unexpected yet welcome announcement re-echoed in her mind many times over, the emotions were inexplicable. She felt truly overjoyed at that point - a sentiment she hadn't experienced in a long long time!

'I'm leaving now...'

A dazed Jodha glanced up in response to his roar 'But I have to finish my pineapple halwa first...'

'Stay here and finish it then... I'm off!'

11:05 pm

'Happy Birthday Jalal...' she celebrated her victory in solitude, as the final spoon of Halwa melted inside her mouth. The soft grins that'd come on about fifteen minutes ago, simply refused to fade away from her lips

'Ma'am...'

'Huh?' drawn out of her reverie, she glimpsed up at the source of the voice 'Jee?'

'Ma'am we just wanted to let you know... our restaurant closes at 11 pm today and it's already 11:05pm...barah bhaje ke baad strike hai na... security has to shut the mall early for safety purposes...'

'Kyaa?' she wondered aloud. It was then that she came to her senses and surveyed the interiors of the restaurant. The place was empty - she was the only one left behind! How long had she been sitting like this? How long had she been engrossed in her own thoughts?

'The notice had been put up at the entrance...' the waiter informed his startled guest, before handing her a small leather folder 'And... here's the bill ma'am...'

'Oh my God!' she fretted as yet another sordid reality dawned upon her. Quickly grabbing the folder, she opened it 'I don't think I have enough money for this...' wasting no time, she dipped her hand into her handbag to remove her purse - fervently praying that she should have sufficient cash to pay the bill 'What a GENTLEMAN my ex-fianc turned out to be... didn't even pay for his own drinks!'

ZEHRA NAGAR, BANJARA HILLS

11: 35 pm

'Forget about it Jodha... just forget about it...there are other things to worry about for now...' she slapped her forehead and tried to shake off the embarrassing scenes that were replaying in her head. True, she'd made an utter spectacle of herself a short while ago. Imagine - a lone lady in a posh restaurant, emptying her purse till the last coin to settle a bill, with seven unknown men breathing down her neck. That was definitely not the best way to end an evening. Yet, that wasn't her worst of worries for now. She had other problems to contend with first.

For instance, why did her mobile battery have to die just when she'd stepped out of the empty mall? Would she ever catch sight of an auto on a near-deserted road? How was she going to get home with no money in her pocket? Why did she forget about the 'bandh' in the first place?

'Damn...' angrily dumping the dead instrument into her handbag, she continued with her tiring trek on the empty road - like she had for the past ten minutes 'And I thought things were looking up! It's so late... God...please... help...' just then, she spotted a brightly lit sign on a tiny shop - the only shop over the past kilometre or so, that was still lit - and THAT shop was now getting ready to shut down for the night

'STD booth!' she squealed in delight. Almost tripping over her heels, Jodha made a dash for it - darting across the road in full speed 'Wait...' she shouted - hoping the shop owner would hear her out 'Rukiye...'

STD/ISD/PCO BOOTH

11:50 pm

'Arre bhaiyya... please understand... my brother will be here in twenty minutes max ...please let me make a call... he will pay you when he gets here...'

'How many times do I make you understand madamji... I need to shut the shop BEFORE 12...I'll be in big trouble if the police spots us...!'

'But... it's only a matter of a few Rupees na bhaiyya... you're not ready to accept my watch in return ...and you're not lending me your mobile either... ' she begged - while simultaneously cursing fate for pitting her against the most stingy hard-hearted PCO waalaa to have walked the Earth 'Help me... please!'

'Nahi nahi... ye sab nahi chalega...arre mere mobile mein minutes khatam hain...besides, do you know how many people would end up taking advantage of me, if I started giving in to such melodrama...' his mode remained as indifferent as it had been to start with 'Either you pay me now... or leave ...I can't let you make the call, free of charge...'

'I ... I ... please...' she gulped down hard. Yes, it was a bit silly - but she could find herself tearing-up at that point. Maybe that's what exhaustion and desperation did to a lone girl 'This is an emergency bhaiyya... please... emergency hai...' her sentence faltered 'Emergency...' the word seemed to bring back something 'Oh my God... emergency...' she regrouped herself 'Why didn't I think of this...' racing to fetch her purse from the handbag, she opened its main compartment and then a sub compartment till she reached a mini-zip. Tucked in there were two micro-sized bits - basically, two notes folded down so they could fit into that zip!

'I forgot all about you...' she removed the notes and kissed it 'You're still here...thank you...thank you...'

'Arre Jalal... it's not my fault...I ALWAYS used to carry spare cash... but lately, I've become like those pampered princesses ... ghar mein, bhaiyya gets me everything... and the minute I step out, you cater to all my whims... so, some days I really DON'T HAVE any money in my purse...'

'And is that something to be proud of? It's not funny Jo... what if you land up in some emergency some day?'

'What emergency Jalal...' she winked 'When I always have you by my side...'

'Ok... say I'm out of town... or busy elsewhere...say you have no phone to contact anyone...' he teased with a grim frown 'Say your scooty breaks down, like it does every other month...'

'Hmmm...' she nodded slowly 'That would be bad...'

'I'm not saying it'll happen... but if it does, you'll be in shit trouble...' angling to one side, he removed the wallet from the back-pocket of his jeans and handed her two 100 Rs notes that he'd picked from within 'Here... keep this...'

'NO...' she refused, finding herself slightly embarrassed 'I'll take money from papa when I get home...'

'I'm giving it to you for MY girl's safety, ok?' he argued, ignoring her tantrums 'Hold onto this for now, Jo... take it...' and when she did take the cash reluctantly, he shut his wallet and slipped it back in at once - lest, she changed her mind 'Remember, this is only emergency money... NOT to be used for buying chaat!'

'Jee sir!' she giggled, enjoying the rare spectacle of a 'serious' Jalal by offering him an army salute

'Promise?' he reiterated, trying not to cave in to her antics

'Look...' she sighed 'Trust me ...once I've promised, I wouldn't go back on my word...' to show him she really meant it, Jodha folded the notes into small squares and tucked them into the smallest internal pocket of her purse 'See...I've kept it safely here.. ab khush?'

A serene glow marked her features. How surreal that his magnanimous gesture from the past would come to her rescue on this fateful night? How touching that even in his temporary absence, he was somehow watching out for her! How comforting that he never stopped being her guardian angel!

Then again, maybe this was what the miracle of true love was all about!

***************************

If this made for a good read, please leave me a comment/like if time permits as it helps the writer in me to keep going!😳

Originally posted by: ...jaskaran...

Congratulations dear.. jaldi update karna.. vaise kab kar rahe ho.. thoda jaldi kardo😆😆😉

Originally posted by: ..Tahniat..

My Favourite author and ff🤗