Shot#3
Ishita's thoughts did not leave Raman for a minute in the next 24 hours.
Even before 24 hours completed, he had unconsciously accepted that he was in love with her.
It was when the clock struck 1 am and his phone alarmed him with the reminder for his final verdict, he remembered about his self-analysis last night.
It did not take him more than a minute to pass a verdict that what he felt for her was nothing but love, as she had occupied his mind throughout the day even when he was not making any conscious efforts to think about her.
Every now and then he initiated a conversation with Simmi hoping that she would tell him about her, just like she had talked to her about him. Smartly he would steer every topic she raised, towards her friends and tried to make her talk about his Madrasi Sherni.
"I am in love! This Punjabi Sher has fallen for a Madrasi Sherni" he declared happily.
No sooner did he confess to himself, he was at his toes with the car key in his hand.
But thankfully before he would reach his car, he realised that it was too late to make an appearance at her place now.
"Aise achanak uske ghar pe dhamak gaya toh uske parents sochenge ke tu koi tapori hai jo unki beti ke peeche pada hai. Nahi nahi...I can't afford to leave such bad impression on them. Aage jaake unhe impress bhi toh karna padega na" he realised.
"Ab kya karun...kya karun...kya karun" he hit his palms with his phone in a to and fro motion while thinking ways to contact her.
His phone slipped from his hand and hit the carpeted floor, in turn making an idea hit his mind.
----------
Simmi was standing near the huge window of her room and talking to her fiance over the phone in a barely audible voice, so that her parents sleeping in the next room would not know of her late night conversations with her would-be.
Initially Parmeet would have a hard time guessing what she said, but now he was used to it and could easily guess what she said eventhough it came as quite as a breath.
They talked like this for hours every night, yet none in the house had a clue of it.
Simmi was going all dreamy listening to some romantic lines Parmeet was reciting for her, when a loud thud of something falling behind her back, startled her.
"Koun hai?" She screamed turning around and trying to see through the light of her mobile screen.
She could see a figure retreating back in a jiffy, she quickly reached to the switchboard and switched on the lights, only to find her brother sneaking out like a thief.
"Bhai? Aap?" She was shocked.
'Pakda gaya Raman. Ab kuch soch' he began to plot.
"Aap itni raat gaye yahan kya kar rahe ho?" She asked.
And there...he found a hint.
"Wahi toh mai poochne aaya hoon. Tu itni raat gaye yahan kya kar rahi hai?" He aimed her question back at her.
"Bhai ye mera room hai. Mai yahin rahungi na" she stated the obvious.
"Woh mujhe bhi pata hai. Mai ye pooch raha hoon ke tu itni raat gaye yahan is khidki ke paas kya kar rahi hai?" His quick wit saved him from being caught.
"Woh...mai...bas...aise...hi" she gulped hiding her phone behind her back.
"Aur ye tere hath me kya hai? Kya chupa rahi hai?" He forced her phone out of her hand and saw that she was on a call with Parmeet.
He put the phone on speaker.
Param was busy reciting a poem for Simmi having no clue of what was going on the other side as Simmi had covered the mic with her palm when she turned around.
Here Raman held his mouth stopping himself from laughing aloud and Simmi helplessly looked on while a blush creeped on her cheeks.
"The passion of your eyes
The purity of your soul
The deep connect within
The wanting of that role
Can't stay far from you my love
Because now you are a part of me
You are a part of my destiny
I love you" he completed reciting.
"I love you too...muah" Raman replied.
"Koun baat kar raha hai?" Param was shocked to hear a male voice from the other side.
"Saala...Tera honewala" Raman replied.
"Raman bhai! Aap itni raat gaye Simmi ke phone ke sath kya kar rahe ho?" Param asked.
"Ye sawal toh mujhe tujhse poochna chahye. Hai na?" Raman threw back at him.
"Aaa...woh...mai..." Param stammered.
"Time dekha hai? 1:30 bajne ko aaye. Itni raat ko ek ladki ko call karte hue tujhe sharam nahi aati?" Raman snapped.
"Simmi meri mangetar hai" Param argued.
"Mangni hogayi toh kya tujhe use rath bhar jagane ka license mil gaya? Woh license sirf shadi ke baad milta hai. Samjhe na" Raman joked and winked at Simmi.
"Kya bhai" Simmi blushed.
"I am sorry" Param who was oblivious to Raman's mischief apologised out of fear.
"Sorry ke bachhe ab phone rakh. Aur aayinda itni raat ko phone mat karna. Samjha na" He warned jokingly.
Param took it seriously and immediately disconnected the call.
"Kitna darpok hai yaar tera honewala pati. Kya sochke isse tune pyar kiya" Raman teased Simmi.
"Bhaiii" she whined.
"Ek phattu, dusri rotlu. Sahi hai jodi tum donon ki" he made fun. "Ab jaa so jaa. Good night" he said beginning to leave.
"Bhai mera phone" Simmi asked for her phone that Raman was taking with him.
"Phone kyun? Mai tujhe achhe se jaanta hoon. Mere jaate hi, tu peeche se Parmeet ko call karne lag jayegi. Isliye aaj rath tera phone mere paas hoga" he cleverly found a reason to take her phone with him.
"Bhai please" she begged.
"No arguments. Jaa so jaa" he commanded and Simmi helplessly gave up.
----------
'Waah kya dimag paaya hai tune Raman. Kitni smartly Simmi ko phasaake, khud pakde jaane se bach gaya. Aur toh aur jis kaam keliye gaya tha, woh bhi poora kar aaya' he complimented himself looking at Simmi's phone.
'Ab mai isse Madrasi Sherni ka number nikalunga aur phir use call karunga' he plotted.
'You are such a hypocrite Raman. Abhi thodi der pehle Param ko sunake agaya halanke woh apni honewali biwi se baay kar raha tha. Aur yahan khud ek ajnabi ladki ko call karne ke plans bana raha hai. This is so unfair' he reprimanded himself.
'Toh kya hua? Itni cheating toh chalti hai. As they say EVERYTHING IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR. Zyada senti hone ki zarurat nahi' he again defended his point.
'Madrasi Sherni' he typed on the search panel of contacts on Simmi's phone.
'No results found' the phone said.
He then realised that he did not know her real name.
'Oh teri! Ab kya karun? WhatsApp pe recent chats check karta hoon. I am sure ke Simmi ne usse chat kiya hoga aur I hope ke usne apni DP me khud ki pic lagayi hogi. Toh usse pata chal jayega' he planned.
Unfortunately Simmi's WhatsApp was protected with a password.
'Shit! Simmi ko password daalne ki kya zarurat thi. Aisa kya chat karti hai woh kisise ke usko password daalne ki zarurat pad gayi. Ab kya karun?'
'Tu bhi kitna beghairat hai. Jiska naam apne dil pe likhna chahta hai, uska naam hi tujhe nahi pata' he thought grumpily.
'Ye toh bahut bada issue ban gaya' he said disheartened.
'Issue? Haan Issue! Simmi use Issue Issue kehke bula rahi thi' he recalled.
'Par ye Issue kaisa naam hai?
Jaise ke uske parents uske paidaish pe ye na keh rahe hon ke hamari beti hui, balki ye keh rahe hon humne ek new edition Issue kiya hai.
Aur mai kaise introduce karunga use?
Meet my Current Issue, Mrs. Issue Raman Bhalla!?
Chee...Kaisa ajeeb naam hai?
Hota hoga Madras me aisa naam, kya pata!
Anyways is waqt ye sab sochke time kyun barbaad karun. Number dhoondta hoon.' He thought.
'Issue' he typed again on the contacts.
'No results found' came the reply.
'Issue bhi nahi hai? Phir kya hai? I am sure ke Simmi ne use Issue bulaya tha. Ye bhi toh ho sakta hai ke Issue uska pet name ho, ya phir Issue se milta julta kuch aur naam ho uska. Ek kaam karta hoon 'I' ke saare contacts dekh leta hoon'
Iffu
Ila
Indira
Iram
Ishani
Ishrat
Ishu
Ishwari
'Ishu! I think yahi hogi' he tapped on the contact.
'Par pata kaise chale ke ye wahi hai ya koi aur. Kahin aisa na ho ke call lagaun Madras aur connect ho jaye Madurai' he analysed.
'Koi nai. Iska bhi solution hai mere paas. Is number ko mai apne contacts me save karleta hoon. Phir WhatsApp pe jaake uski DP check karta hoon. Hopefully usne apni DP settings me show to 'everyone' select kiya ho'
He did as planned and waited for her contact to show up on WhatsApp.
A blur image showed on the DP.
He tapped on it and waited for the clear image to appear.
Finally! He was successful in his mission to find her contact.
He did a victory dance and kissed her picture on the DP.
'Toh Simmi ise ISSUE nahi ISHU bula rahi thi.
"Ishu Raman Bhalla"
Sounds better!
Yaar tu khud hi uska surname badalne tak pahunch gaya. Pehle usko toh bata de jiska naam tu apne naam ke sath jodna chahta hai.
Chalo toh ab Miss Ishu ko Mrs. Ishu banane ke mission pe lag jaate hain' he decided.
He checked her last seen. It was blank. She seemed to have blocked it.
"Hi" he sent.
One grey tick appeared with his message which meant the message did not deliver yet. Probably she had turned off her net and gone to sleep.
Hoping against hope, Raman spent the night checking if the message got delivered to her.
The previous day's tiredness and last night's sleeplessness finally took over him pushing him into a deep slumber.
As soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, first thing he did was to check her chat window.
(Note: Ishita's replies in italics...Raman's in bold)
May I knw who is dis?
The message read.
Raman's sense of humour should be at peak early in the morning, for he replied with something totally unexpected.
Nođđđ
Oh I see...I guess I should tap
the option on the top left thenđ
Top left???đ˛
BLOCK...it saysđ
Oh block...I knw u
wont block međ
How do u knw dat?đ˛
Bcz I knw u wanna knw
who I am...n unless u knw
dat, u won't block me
If u knw dat already
den just tell me who u rđĄ
I am enjoying it dis way...
so I won't tell u who I amđ
I am warning you for the
last tym...tell me ur name
else u leave me with no
option but to block uđĄ
And I am CHALLENGING
you for the last tym to guess
who I am đ
He left a hint for her.
I am too busy to guess
who u r...so bye bye...
I am blocking uđđź
She failed to catch the hint.
Plz don't block me...I beg u...
Woh kya kehte hain punjabi me...
Tu Meri Gal Maan Jaa
He dropped another hint, hoping she would catch it this time.
Raman? Is dat u?đ˛
She guessed immediately.
Thank God...U rmmbr me
Of course I do...Meri memory
kaafi achhi haiđł
Greatđđź
Waise aapne mujhe
msg kyun kiya?đ˛
Nahi karna chahye tha?
No...I didn't mean it dat way...
aise achanak aap ne msg
kiya toh pooch liya...
Agar nahi achha laga
toh mai ab se msg nahi
karunga...seedhe call kar
diya karungađ
đ U r funny
Waise tumse kuch
poochna tha...
Haan poochiye...
Tumhara naam
kya hai?đ
Lo...aapko mera
naam hi nahi pata
Nahiđ
Phir aapne kis naam se save
kiya hai mera number?đ
Before he could reply, she remembered something and sent another message.
BTW aapko mera number
kahan se mila? đ˛
Simmi ke phone se nikala...đ
He replied without thinking twice.
Phone se nikala matlab?
Aapne mera number
churaya? Hawwwđ
"Oh teri! Isne toh pakad liya. Ab kya karun" Raman hit his forehead.
Par aap ko mera number
kyun chahye tha? Aur
aapne mujhe msg
kyun kiya?đ˛
Mai tumhe miss
kar raha tha..đ
Subah subah flirting shuru
I am nt flirting...Mai
sach keh raha hoon...
Not again
Raman realised that she was not buying his words and there was no point arguing with her through messages. If he had to tell her the truth, he had to do it face-to-face. So he decided to let it be for now.
Maine tumhe Mehendi
aur Sangeet function me
invite karne keliye msg
kiya tha...
He smartly changed the topic.
Oh achha...mujhe laga koi aur
baat hai...anyways iske liye apko mujhe
msg karne ki zarurat nahi thi...
Simmi ne mujhe pehle hi invite
kar diya tha...but still thnx
for the invite đ
Tum arahi ho naa?
Obviously! It's Simmi's
functions aftr allđĽł
Mai pick karne
keliye aa jaaun?
No...no...Mai khud hi
aa jaaungi...
thnx fr asking...
Pleasure is all mineđ
Achha...see u then...bye
Abhi na jaao chod
kar...Ke dil abhi
bhara nahiđ
đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł
Jaaiye ye gaana kisi aur ko sunaiye...Shayad aapki jhooti
mooti baaton me aa jaayeđ
I gotta go nw...bye
Bye...
"Haaye! Ab kal tak intezaar karna padega tumse milne keliye...Pata nahi kaise hoga mujhse intezaar" Raman thought.
"Bhai" Simmi knocked at his door.
He quickly closed WhatsApp and asked her to come in.
"Good morning bhai" Simmi wished him with a huge fake smile.
"Tu itna kyun muskura rahi hai? Mere chehre pe joke likha hai kya?" Raman asked suspiciously.
"Bhaiii...Aap kitne achha mazak kar lete ho. You are such a sweetheart" Simmi buttered him.
"Shadi ke excitement me kahin tu pagal toh nahi hogayi" Raman mocked.
"Pagal ho jaaungi agar mumma ko kal rath ke bare me pata chala toh" Simmi sulked.
"Ohhh...Ab mai samjha ke itna kyun muskura rahi hai. Tu yahi chahti hai na ke mai Maa ko na bataun kal rath ke baare me?" It was easy to guess for Raman.
"Haan" Simmi nodded hopefully.
"In that case would-be Mrs. Simmi Khurana, mental asylum jaane ki tayyari shuru kardo. Coz I am going to tell Maa everything" he said with an evil smirk patting her cheek and got into the washroom.
"Bhai...bhai please bhai...bhai" Simmi kept knocking at his door.
"Hey bhagwan. Ye kya syappa hai. Bhai ne mumma ko bata diya toh woh mujhse zyada Paramji ki class le lengi. Bechare Paramji. Woh toh pehle hi mumma se itna darte hain. Ab kaise bhi karke bhai ko manaana padega" Simmi worried.
She stayed in his room waiting for him to come out hoping to convince him.
There on the other side of the door Raman plotted evilly as to how he can blackmail Simmi into giving Ishita's details to him and inviting her home today, as he could not wait longer to meet her.
Having drafted a solid plan in his mind, Raman came out of the washroom in full tashan.
He had imagined Simmi standing there with a puppy face and humbly begging him to not reveal her little secret, but what he saw was completely different.
Simmi stood with her arms folded across her chest and reciprocating the evil smirk that he had on his face.
"Tere tewar yoon badle badle se kyun hain?" He was surprised or rather shocked.
"Nahi nahi...mere tewar kahan badle hain? Tewar toh aapke badle hue hain bhai" she remarked.
"Tu kehna kya chahti hai?" He asked.
"Suna hai aaj kal aap flirt karne lage ho" she stated.
Flirt! The word reminded him of Ishita. He already began to go into a trance.
"Hello! Kahan khogaye?" Simmi shook him.
"Tu kya mujhe subah subah sata rahi hai. Jaa jaa apne honewale phattu pati ki fikr kar. Maa unki aaj AAARTI utaarnewale hain" he sarcastically said.
"Aahahahaha...Ye achha hai. Chori...upar se seena jori" Simmj commented.
"Ai! Chor mat bula. Mai chor nahi hoon. Samjhi na" he warned.
"Achha? Phir apko Ishu ka number kahan se mila?" Simmi batted her eyelids making an innocent face.
"Issue? Kaisa issue? Kounsa issue? Mujhe nahi pata koi issue?" He feigned ignorance.
"Issue toh yahi hai ke aap ne mere phone se meri dost ki number churayi aur phir jhoote bahane se usko message kiya" Simmi snapped.
"Ye kya betuki baatein kar rahi hai? Dimag kharab hogaya hai tera jo manghadat kahaniyan bana rahi hai" Raman tried to rubbish her words.
"Ye betuki baatein nahi hain bhai. Gawah hai mere paas aur saboot bhi. Agar yaqeen na ho toh dikhaun?" Simmi waved her phone and then showed him her chat conversation with Ishita.
Ishita had copied Raman and her chat and sent it to Simmi.
Raman was baffled as he never thought this could happen.
"Ab kya explanation doge bhai?" Simmi demanded.
"Woh...mai...haan maine kiya tha message. Kyunki Maa ne mujhe kaha tha ke tere doston ko mai personally invite karun. Isiliye maine kiya message" he lied blatantly.
"Oh achha! Toh theek hai phir maa se hi jaake baat karti hoon mai" Simmi put an innocent act.
"No...naaa...nahi...Maa se nahi. Ab isme Maa ko kyun pareshan karna? Woh toh kitni busy hain na. Tujhe yaqeen nahi hai meri baat pe?" Raman tried to save his skin.
"Obviously...Mujhe aapki baaton pe yaqeen bilkul bhi NAHI hai. Lekin agar aap keh rahe ho toh maan leti hoon. Waise Bhai aapne Ashlesha ko message kiya ya nahi?" Simmi said.
"Koun Ashlesha?" Raman asked.
"Meri friend bhai. Aap bhool gaye? Wahi jo aap ko Ramanjeee kehke bulati hai. Ab Mumma ne aapse mere friends ko PERSONALLY invite karne ko kaha hai toh ab aap Ashlesha ko bhi invite kardo PERSONALLY" Simmi pulled his legs.
"Mai kyun message karun us Shurpanakha ko?" Raman argued.
"Toh phir aap ne Ishu ko kyun message kiya?" Simmi hit the arrow at the goal.
"Woh bas aise hi" he replied sheepishly scratching his head.
"Hmmm...Kisi ne kal rath kaha tha ke aadhi raat gaye ladkiyon ko call nahi karna chahiye. Aur khud hi doosron ke phone se ladki ka number churaake message karte hain. Kalyug hai bhai, ghor kalyug" Simmi dramatically commented.
"Taane maarna band kar aur bol tujhe kya chahye" he was ready for a deal.
"Ab aaya na oont pahad ke neeche! Mujhe zyada kuch nahi chahye. Bas aap kal rath ke baare me kisi ko mat batao aur badle me mai aapko Ishu ke baare me bahut kuch bataungi" she kept her proposal in front of him.
Raman's blackmailing plan had come back in reverse to him.
This way or that! Ultimately he got what he had wanted.
"Done deal" he declared happily.
He gathered as much info possible from Simmi about her. Simmi was more than happy to know her brother had fallen in love with her best friend and she was overjoyed at the prospect of Ishita becoming her Bhabi.
The brother-sister due joined hands for #MissionTuMeriGalMaanJaa and as per the plan Simmi invited her friends home in the evening with the pretext of spending some time with her friends before her marriage.
Raman sneaked into the kitchen and texted Simmi to send Ishita there, so that he could spend some stolen moments with her.
Simmi requested Ishita to get some snacks and cold drinks from the kitchen stating that as per the Punjabi rituals she was not allowed to enter the kitchen till her marriage, which of course was a complete lie.
Ishita did not mind helping her friend and so cheerily walked to the kitchen only to bang into Raman's muscular chest.
"Ooops...Sorry" she apologised.
"Hi" he forwarded his hand for a shake.
"Hi" she said reluctantly shaking his hand.
"Kal sangeet hai" he said still holding her hand in a strong grip.
"Mujhe pata hai" she stated trying to get her hand out of his hold.
"Mujhe dance karna hai kal" he informed.
"Oh great!" She said.
"Toh kab kar rahe hain?" He asked.
"Kya?" She was confused.
"Sagayi" he replied.
"Kiski?" She was even more confused.
"Meri aur tumhari" he replied with a huge smile.
"Excuse me! Hum sagayi kyun karenge?" She exclaimed.
"Kyunki mujhe kal dance karna hai" he repeated.
"Toh?" She asked.
"Kal rath ka theme couple dance hai. Maine toh kehdiya ke dance karunga toh sirf tumhare sath. Ab tumhara toh resolution hai na ke tum sirf apne fiance ya husband ke sath dance karogi. Toh maine socha ke ab itni jaldi shadi toh nahi ho sakti, toh kyun na hum sagayi karlein aaj hi" He narrated innocently, while actually his evil mind was instructing him do all that.
Ishita stared at him dumbfounded. She was not able to comprehend if he was really that innocent or acting to be one. Either ways she had to escape from there somehow.
"Simmi mera wait kar rahi hai" she spoke hurriedly and tried to escape. But her hand that was in his hold pulled her back.
"Mera hath chodiye please" she pleaded.
"Ab woh haath kaise chodun jo hamesha keliye thaama hai" he spoke dreamily.
"Aap baaz nahi aayenge na apne flirty behaviour se" she snapped.
Jaa Re Harjaayi
"Jo kehna hai kehlo. Par ye hath mai nahi chodunga" he was adamant.
"Chodiye please" she begged.
Chal Chod Kalayi
"Uuunhoon" he did not budge.
"Sab dekh rahe hain. Please chodiye" she requested.
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