Chapter 6
Past
" Yes! Main ja raha hun apke saath Palampur! Kyun apko koi problem hai?" asks Sujal, sitting inside Piyush's car, looking towards Kashish, wearing a sky blue suit with a white shirt and a blue tie to compliment his suit. "Nahi, par Piyush jane wale the na?" asks Kashish, confused and hesitating to ask him the question, as she is very well aware of his arrogant nature. On listening to this, Sujal gives her a look, clearly stating that he is not pleased to discover that she was expecting Piyush to go along her and is disappointed on seeing him instead.
Unable to control his anger, he replies back, almost like a taunt, "Kaam ke silsile mein bahar ja rahe hain, Piyush jaye ya main jaun, kya farak parhta hai?", and looks at her. Then adds further, "aur waise bhi Dad ne ye project mujhey handle karne ko kaha hai, warna I have got better than you!" he taunts her again, looking straight into her eyes. She doesn't fail to stare back in anger.
As he starts driving, she asks him after holding herself for sometime, "apki problem kya hai?", turning to look towards him. "Kyun aap mujhe humiliate karte rehte hain? Mujhse ladte rehte hain?" But Sujal ignores her queries and to make her stop from asking further questions, he plays the radio. The song 'do dil mil rahe hain, magar chupke-chupke' begins on the radio.
'Do dil mil rahe hain, magar chupke-chupke' as the line starts, they both stare each other through the corner of their eyes, but as they discover the other staring, they quickly look elsewhere, both embarrassed on getting caught by the other.
'Subko ho rahi hai, haan sub ko ho rahi hai, khabar chupke-chupke ho...'
Kashish almost glares at him, as this line begins, as if saying, 'don't act innocent in front of me!'
'Aise bhole ban kar hai baithe, jaise koi baat nahi'
Sujal looks at her through the corner of his eyes, as if he is directing the line towards her.
'Sub kuch nazar aa raha hai, din hai ye raat nahi'
Kashish holds her locket, trying to calm down her accelerating heartbeat. She gets confused as to why is she feeling the way she is feeling right now.
She looks out of the window, feeling glad that the daylight is still up. But why is she afraid of the night descending towards her? She is a bold woman, is she afraid of getting robbed? Robbed! Yes, certainly she is afraid of getting robbed, but is it the little money she is carrying in her purse that she is afraid of losing or is it altogether a different thing? May be something close to her heart; or may be her heart itself!
Sujal looks towards Kashish, who is staring out of the window and stares her.
'Kya hai kuch bhi nahi hai agar, honton pe hai khamoshi magar... baatein, kar rahi hai, baatein kar rahi hai'
Suddenly Kashish turns to look at him, who is already staring her.
'Nazar chupke-chupke ho... do dil mil rahe hain, magar chupke-chupke ho... do dil mil rahe hain, magar chupke-chupke'
Driving for such long makes Sujal thirsty and he starts looking around for any source of water whilst driving. Soon he manages to discover a well. Stopping the car, he gets out.
Reaching the well, he rolls down the bucket kept there, tied to a rope and pulls up the bucket after it gets filled, and drinks the water.
Suddenly, Kashish reaches there and looks towards Sujal. Her look clearly states that she is thirsty too, for water. Sujal rolls down the bucket again to refill it and without pulling it back he hands over the rope to Kashish. Kashish looks at him in anger whilst he walks off from there.
In anger, she mummers to herself, "pata nahi kya samjhta hai khud ko? Kya main apna kaam khud nahi kar sakti?" and starts pulling the rope. But as it almost reaches her, she gets hurt and shouts, "ouch!" and the rope slips out of her hand, as a result the bucket falls down, back into the well.
Sujal turns to look what has happened and reaches her, meanwhile Kashish had already started with her second try to fill the bucket. Putting his hands into his trousers' pockets, he stands besides her, maintaining a certain distance from her and stares her, looking at how she is trying to fill the bucket.
Shaking his head, he moves forth and helps her to pull the rope, Kashish turns to look at him and at last brings up the bucket filled with water with his help.
Picking up the bucket, he gets ready to pour water, so that she can drink, and looks towards her, all serious, waiting for her to get ready to drink the water.
Looking at him for fraction of seconds, Kashish puts her hand forward, forming a cup, to drink the water. Sujal discovers that her hands have turned dirty and is bleeding due to her pulling the rope. They stare each other.
(la la... tune of Sujal-Kashish begins)
Sujal pours the water into his hand, instead of hers and waits for her to drink it off his hand. They stare each other. Then Kashish bends down and drinks the water off his hand. Sujal keeps staring her.
He doesn't realizes when she finishes with her drinking. Kashish stares him, getting up. Then to make him understand that she has done with her drinking, and to bring him out of his daze, she looks back at the bucket he has been holding. It's then that he realizes that he is staring her. Lowering his eyes out of embarrassment, Sujal blushes and leaves. His gesture makes Kashish to blush too. Sujal waits for her by his car. Reaching him, she asks, "Chalein Sir?" and looks towards him, smiling a little.
~*~*~*~
"Sir! Sir ye sub...!" says Naina, as she enters the room, after knocking the door of Rajveer's room. Walking inside, she asks, "ye sub kya hai Sir?" looking towards the table in front of Rajveer. He gets up. "Interview aur aise?" she asks, looking at him. He shuts the matchbox . "Sir mujhey kuch samajh nahi aa raha!"
He looks towards her. Walking to her and standing behind her, her says, "Naina mentorship program ka sabse bada rule hota hai trust!" Naina turns to look at him. He tucks his hand into his jeans' pockets, concentrating on the floor. "Hum ek dusre par kitna bharosa karte hain, kitna vishwas karte hain", he tells, looking towards her, standing almost adjacent to her.
Then he walks back to the other side of her, and says, looking towards her, "Main tumhara mentor hun, lekin tum mujh par kitna trust karti ho?" and stands in front of her, looking deeply into her eyes, his neck tilted a little towards the left. "Sir aap aise kyun puch rahe hain?" asks Naina, unable to understand why is he doubting about her respect and trust on him? "Agar academy mein main kisi pe trust karti hun, to wo sirf aap hain Sir!", she tries to make him believe. While on the other hand this whole time, Rajveer stares her calmly, with a satisfactory smile on his face. Walking a step towards her, looking intently into her eyes, his hands on either side of his waist, he asks again, "Naina, kitna trust karti ho mujh pe?" Tilting his head a little towards the north, he asks, "kis hadd tak?" "Aap please mera yakeen kijiye Sir" says Naina, unable to understand how can she make him believe that she really trusts him a lot!
Listening to her words, and seeing her innocence, Rajveer smiles and getting behind her, he holds her by her shoulders and makes her to sit on the sofa, "Baitho!" and himself sits on the sofa placed in front of hers. Taking his seat, he looks towards her and assures her, "Naina aisi baat nahi hai. But think it a bit differently! Main vishwas karta hun, par sirf Cadet Naina Singh par, Naina Singh par nahi! Kyunki bina KMA ki uniform wali Naina ko to main janta hi nahi" "Par Sir, main Naina hi to hun!"
Shaking his head to a 'no', smiling, he says, "tum Naina nahi ho! Wo Naina, jissey main janna chahta hun. Naveen ki maut se pehle wali Naina" he stares her. "Wo Naina, jo kabhi, apne army wale bhaiya ki chitthiyon ka badi besabri se intezaar karti thi", his words brings a smile on her face as she cherishes the moments. "Wo Naina, jo shayad apne Bhaiya ki wajah se apni saheliyon ke beech mein bohot popular hua karti thi. Wo Naina, jo..., jiski sari saheliyan chahti hongi ki... wo kisi tarah Naina ke through uske army waley Bhaiya ke kareeb pohnch jaye. Kya aisi koi Naina thi?"
Smiling, getting excited, Naina says, "haan Sir, aap bilkul sahi keh rahe ho!" and getting up, she sits next to Rajveer, on the bed.
"Meri sari friends mere ghar par hi rehti thi...", Naina starts to share the memories with Rajveer and Rajveer takes a keen interest on his each word. Enjoying, witnessing the new Naina - carefree, turning into a teenager for that particular moment. And at the same time, Rajveer unconsciously forgets that he is a matured Captain, instead he lets his emotions to flow with the situation.
"Unko pata nahi koi na koi kaam parh hi jata tha. Chuthiyon mein jab Bhaiya ghar aya karte the na, to meri sari friends ki line lag jati thi", says Naina, getting excited like a kid. Rajveer stares her, with a smile on his face and with many unuttered emotions in his eyes. "Ek jaati thi to dusri aati thi. Sub Bhaiya ki itni... badi fans thi!" Rajveer smiles on listening to this, still staring her constantly. "Aur Sir pata hai fir kya hota tha, unko uss waqt koi na koi kaam hi parh jata tha. Koi notes ke bahane, koi shopping ke bahane" she tells him, Rajveer enjoys staring her and her excitement.
Laughing on remembering few moments, Naina says, "aur Sir, kayi to itni stupid hoti thi...", Rajveer lowers his eyes, thinking something, but the smile never leaves his face. Then he slowly looks back towards her, as if asking something to himself silently. "Wo Bhaiya ko seedha date ke liye hi puch leti thi!" she says, widening her eyes out of shock and surprise.
Lowering her eyes out of shyness for friction of seconds, on remembering those moments, she looks back towards him, knitting her brows, smiling and blushing, she says, "Sir, it was so embarrassing, kayi to mere bag mein cards chupa kar chali jati thi. 'To dear Naveen!' " laughs Naina, "funny na?" she asks, laughing.
Rajveer stays serious, lowering his eyes and elsewhere for fraction of seconds, he sighs. Then looking back towards her, he asks, "aur fir?"
As he asks this, Naina gets serious, lowering her eyes, she gets up and walks to the sofa again and sits on it. After doing so, she starts sharing her memories again, all serious, "fir, fir kuch nahi Sir. Bus meri parhai khatam huiaur maine apne CAT ke exams ki tayari shuru kar di". Rajveer keeps staring her, his eyes speak volumes, only if Naina would have noticed, then it would have been an altogether different story!
"Uske kuch din baad Bhaiya ke death ki khabar ayi aur fir sub kuch badal gaya. Ma-Baba... wo to jald se jald meri shaadi kar dena chahte the". Rajveer lowers his eyes on listening this. "Wo Naveen Bhaiya jisa ladka chahte the mere liye!" she tells him. "To kya tumhe wo ladka kabhi... mila?" he asks, smiling.
Naina turns to look at him, and stares him for sometime. Then lowering her eyes, she says, "pata nahi, par Ma-Baba to ab bhi dhundh rahe hain!" Rajveer listens to all this with a smile on his face. "Apne damad mein shayad, apne beta dhundh rahe hain wo. Par mujhey nahi lagta kabhi dhundh payenge, kyunki Bhaiya jaisa gentleman to koi ho hi nahi sakta. Itne caring, itne protective, wo ek perfect gentleman the!"
Then turning to look towards Rajveer, she says,"isliye Sir main yahan hun, KMA mein, apke paas!"
Sighing, he says, "Naina!...", getting up from the bed, he walks to the center table kept in front of Naina and picks up the matchbox and sits in front of her on the sofa and says whilst taking out a matchstick out of the matchbox, "kehte hai na...", then he ignites the candle and says, "din ke baad raat hoti hai aur... raat ke baad ek naya din! Fir ek nayi raat..." throwing the used matchstick, "lekin fir ek naya din!" Naina listens to him, with a smile on her face.
Lowering his eyes, he looks back at her, smiling, "jab tak tumhe khud par bharosa hai, yakeen mano tumhare zindagi mein wo ladka... zarur ayega!", he assures her. Naina looks at him, as if she is able to understand the depth of his words. Her eyes reflect her trust on him. Smiling, she nods her head a little. Looking elsewhere, he says, "ya yun kaho ki...", he looks back towards her, "aa chuka hai!"
(Rajveer-Naina slow tune begins)
As Naina listens to his words, her heart skips a beat. She looks towards him, who was already staring her. She somehow understands that look of Rajveer. Without saying anything, not even she gives a smile, she lowers her eyes and says, "Nahi Sir! Meri life mein inn sub cheezon ke liye koi jagah nahi hai!" Her declaration makes his heart to beat frantically, out of anger. He raises his voice, "Kyun Naina? Kisne kaha tumse ki tumhe pyar karne ka, ya kisi ka pyar paney ka haq nahi hai, batao?", he creases his brows out of anger.Smiling, her eyes lowered, "Sir jis umr mein ladkiyan love stories parhti hain uss umr mein maine apni course ki kitabon ko muh-zubani yaad kia hai. Kisi ladke se pyar karna to durr main ladko se theek se baat tak nahi karti thi". She looks back at him with full confidence. Smiling, Rajveer lowers his eyes and says, "Kamaal hai, yakeen nahi hota ki ye baat mujhse wohi Naina keh rahi hai, jo academy mein mere agey-peechey ghumti rehti hai!" Naina stares at him, shocked! Unable to believe that he actually said that. Realizing the blunder he has made, he looks back at her, trying to rectify his mistake, giving her an apologetic look.
Suddenly Naina gets up, taking Rajveer by surprise. Rajveer stares her, holding his breath, waiting for her to take the next step to know which way will her mood go? Will she be angry?She might feel offended, humiliated! Or will she take it in a healthy way and laugh off, which was the exact reason he said those words, to make her laugh!
But to his surprise, it went neither ways neither did she get angry nor did she laugh.
"Sir main apki bohot respect karti hun. Main KMA mein apse zada kisi ko apna nahi manti. Main manti hun ki main apke paas apni har choti-choti problem lekar aa jati hun. Par pata hai kya Sir, jab Bhaiya the, wo mujhse kehte the ki mujhey kabhi bhi koi bhi problem ho to main unke paas jakar unse har baat share kar sakti hun. Aur wo humesha meri har problem solve kar dete the. In fact yahan KMA mein rehte hue bhi mere ek phonecall karte hi meri problem solve kar dete the Bhaiya". Smiling, she says, "Mere liye to wo jaise aladin ka chirag the. Anyways apke agey peeche main bus isliye ghumti thi, kyunki..." Rajveer creases his brows, holding his breath he stares at her, waiting for her to continue. "Kyunki pata nahi kyun Sir, apki ankhon mein jab maine pehli baar theek se dekha, to mujhey aap par bharosa hua ki aap mujhey kabhi dhoka nahi denge!" Rajveer relaxes his brows on listening to this, shocked to see the trust in her eyes for him.
Lowering his eyes, Rajveer thinks -
'Pata nahi Naina, tumse such chupa kar main sahi kar raha hun ya galat?'
~*~*~*~
"Galat! Galat kia maine ki tujhey main apne saath le ayi!" says an exasperated Ananya."Acha beta, pehle jab main nahi aa raha tha tab to mujhey badey-badey bhashan diye ja rahe the. Dosti ki duhayi di ja rahi thi mujhey 'Ronnie ab tu aise karega? Sunny nahi aa sakta to main tujhse keh rahi hun saath aney ke liye, aur tu aise bhav kha raha hai? Ye thi teri dosti? Dekh lia beta aaj, wo dost jo sachey dost hone ki duhayi dete hain, aaj unhone bhi mujhse muh fer lia!' Aur wo kya tha... 'Rehne de maine apne dil ko samjha lia hai ab, ki iss duniya mein koi humara apna nahi hota' fir..."as Ronnie was about to start with Ananya's third dialogue, Ananya puts her palm in front of his face, saying, "Bus! bus! Main samjh gayi beta aur mat suna mujhey. Waise hi tabse pareshan hun". Getting serious, Ronnie smiles a little, placing his hand on Ananya's shoulder, he says, "Ananya tu tension mat le humari ye news bohot achi hai. Kabeer Sir bilkul inkaar nahi karenge issey show karne se", assures Ronnie.
Getting irritated on remembering Kabeer, Ananya says, "pata nahi yaar, unki to pata nahi kis janam ki dushmani hai mere saath? Faltu mein tashan dikhate rehte hain" "Kyun kya hua?" asks Ronnie, as they walk further. "Nahi kuch nahi. I mean Ronnie ek baat bata koi insaan purey din mein ek hi insaan par kitni baar chilla sakta hai?" asks Ananya, creasing her brows. "I mean Richa tujh par kitni baar chilla leti hai?" asks Ananya, jokingly. "Yaar Richa..." Ronnie starts to answer, thinking, seeing elsewhere, that suddenly he realizes what she asked! Looking back at her he asks, creasing his brows, holding his waist from either side, turning a little towards her, so that he can face her, "Abey ye Richa beech mein kahan se aa gayi?" And this makes Ananya to laugh out loud. "Hahaha! Pagal hai tu bilkul!" she says, pushing his head playfully, and starts walking.
Ronnie rolls his eyes and starts walking after her and soon reaches by her side. "Ronnie agar tu Richa se pyar karta hai, to tu ussey bol kyun nahi deta?" asks Ananya, looking towards Ronnie. "Abbey tujhey kisne kaha ki main ussey pyar karta hun?" asks Ronnie, surprised on hearing her words. Making an are you kidding me face, Ananya looks towards him and says, "rehne de tu, sub dikhta hai!" "Uski ankhon mein dekha hai? Saaf pyar nazar aata hai tere liye!"
"Yaar Ananya mujhey na inn sub chakkaron mein na filhal parhna hi nahi hai" tells Ronnie. Sighing, Ananya says, "hmm... sahi kar raha hai tu Ronnie! Yaar ye sub baatein na insaan ke dimag ko kharab karne ke alawa kuch nahi karti". "Hmm..." says Ronnie, thinking something. Then nudging Ananya, he teases her, "waise tujhey bohot pata hai inn sub cheezon ke barey mein main dekh raha hun!" Nudging her again, he asks, "akhir baat kya hai?" Blushing, Ananya shows that she is getting irritated by his senseless talk, "yaar tu bhi na kuch bhi sochta rehta hai. Main to bus aise hi keh rahi thi". "Aise hi keh rahi thi? Acha beta?" He suddenly stops and says, "Ananya tere aur Kabeer Sir ka jo scene chal raha hai na, sub dikhta hai!" "Scene? Kya scene? Maine tujhse kaha na mujhey unke barey mein koi baat nahi karni!" says Ananya, looking anywhere but towards Ronnie. "Main bus unki respect karti hun aur koi baat nahi hai", Ananya tries to assure Ronnie. "Respect? Hmm... isliye apni diary mein unke barey mein likhti hai?" asks Ronnie, hiding his amusement.
Ananya gets alert on listening to this, "Diary! Tu ne meri diary parhi?" asks Ananya, suspiciously. "Ab agar koi apne room mein diary yun khol kar chaley jaye to ek akela insaan jo uske ghar aya ho aur uske room mein baith kar bore ho raha ho, wo kya kare, tu hi bata?" asks Ronnie, making an innocent face. "Jo bhi ho yaar Ronnie tu meri diary kaise pah sakta hai?" asks Ananya, getting annoyed. "Kyun bhai hum to best friends hain na? Mujhse kya chupana?" asks Ronnie. Ananya gives him an annoyed look. Then remembering something, she gets tensed.
Holding her breath she asks him, "waise kya parha tu ne?" Ronnie raises an eyebrow, looking towards her, smile twitching his lips as he witnesses her nervousness. Moving forward, looking at her through his peripheral vision, he says, "zada kuch nahi! Bus tu ye samajh le ki maine jo bhi parha, uske baad mujhey kuch aur parhne ki zarurat hi nahi parhi", he controls his laughter. He turns to see her reaction, she looks lost in some deep thought, confused. Ronnie smiles secretly. Then reaching her, he bends down and shouts into her ear, "chalein?" The sudden shout succeeds in skipping her heartbeat. "Haan... haan chalte hain!", she says nervously, Ronnie smiles at her gesture and they head towards Ronnie's car.
Edited by RNpoint1857 - 9 years ago
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