Chapter 42
Rahul and maanvi were in studio. Rahul looks around and notices that payal is missing from the studio since the meeting ended.
Rahul~ "Maanvi... payal kahan gayi hai?
Maanvi~ "Payal to keh kar gayi hai ki usse apni kisi friend se milne jana hai. Wo wahan se ghar aa jayegi."
Rahul~ "Theek hai."
Twinkle~ "Rahul sir, aapne jaisa kaha tha waise sab ko keh diya hai. Kal morning mein aap aur maanvi ji recording start kar sakte hain."
Rahul~ "Thanks twinkle. Chorus team se confirmation le liya hai na? Unse rehearsals karwa lena jis-se recording mein koi problem na ho."
Twinkle~ "Yes sir. Wo sab maine chorus team se keh diya hai. Aap dono jab aayenge tab sab ready hoga. I will personally make sure of it."
After twinkle left, rahul looked at maanvi. Maanvi noticed him staring so she asked in sign what is he planning now?
Rahul asked her if she would like to go out for a coffee. Maanvi agreed as she herself was feeling little tired. They both headed to the coffee house as it was not far from the studio.
Rahul and maanvi made their way in the coffee house. For sure there were lot of rahul's fans who instantly swarmed around them. The sudden commotion even got payal's attention.
Payal surprised "Rahul maanvi...!"
Vikas noted the surprise and asked "You seem surprised seeing them here. Did you lie to them about meeting me here?"
Payal~ "Why would you think that? I dont need to lie to anyone."
Vikas~ "Hmmm... but you sound guilty."
Payal~ "What are you... a detective now?"
Vikas~ "Not detective... just curious why would you lie to them to come to meet me here."
Payal~ "You wanted to talk to me that is why we are here. But if this is what you want to talk about... i guess i should leave."
Vikas~ "No... please stay. I was only kidding."
That was enough time for rahul maanvi to notice payal sitting with vikas near the corner. The couple made their way to payal.
Rahul~ "Payal... tum yahan?" He questioned her and then looked at vikas "Hi buddy. What a surprise, i didnt expect to find you here."
Vikas looked at payal once and decided to cover for her. "I was just passing by and saw payal sitting here all by herself. She said she was waiting for her friend, so i decided to keep her some company while her friend arrives. Apparently her friend is a no show."
Payal~ "Yeah. Guess she is a no show. This is not the first time she stood me up like this. By the way... what are your plans now?"
Rahul~ "Maanvi and i were planning to grab a coffee and then head back home."
Vikas~ "If you two dont mind... why not join us? We can catch up as well while we all enjoy a cup of coffee."
Rahul~ "That's a great idea." Rahul signals the waiter to get their order. Payal, rahul and maanvi ordered cappuccino while vikas ordered an espresso. Few minutes later their order was served. When rahul was taking a sip of his coffee, he got some of the cream over his lips. Maanvi noticed it first and then payal and vikas. Maanvi pointed that rahul got cream on his face. Rahul thinking that if he don't clean it himself, maanvi will have to do it. So, he acted to miss the place where cream was there and cleaned up around it. Maanvi offered to clean it up for him.
Rahul lean forward to let maanvi clean up the cream on his face. When rahul-maanvi's eyes made contact, maanvi blushed a little as she realized how many eyes were on them right now. Song "Aankhein coffee peete peete mil rahi hai" plays in background. Maanvi wipes the cream off of rahul's face. Now that cream was on her hand. Vikas was quicker to offer a napkin to maanvi to wipe her hand with. Once maanvi wiped her hand, rahul extended his hand to maanvi in a gesture to ask for a dance. Maanvi accepted it gladly.
Rahul and maanvi dance on the floor as the song "coffee peete peete" continues. Payal looking at rahul-maanvi lose into a daydream where she and vikas dance in place of rahul-maanvi. When song ends, whole place is lightened by applause from other people in the coffee house. The sound of cheering brings payal out of her daydream as rahul-maanvi comes back to their table. Payal, vikas, rahul and maanvi finish off their coffee and leaves for their respective destinations.
Payal goes in her car with the driver, back to sabarwal mansion. Vikas leaves for his home. Rahul maanvi had planned to visit chatergee residence before heading home. Rahul maanvi were in the car making their way to meet maanvi's parents.
Maanvi~ "Rahul..."
Rahul replied in "hmm".
Maanvi~ "Tumne cream jaan-bujh kar lagayi thi na?"
Rahul~ "Nahi, bilkul nahi. Galti se lag gayi thi."
Maanvi~ "Acha ji! To mujhe aisa kyun laga ki tum jaan-bujh kar sabke saamne maje lene ke liye wo sab kar rahe the?"
Rahul~ "Mujhe kaise pata hoga ki tumhe aisa kyun laga?"
Maanvi~ "Kyunki tum acting kar rahe the ki tumhe nahi pata ki tumhare face par cream kahan lagi hai."
Rahul~ "Mujhe lagta hai ki tumhe mujh par bina wajah bas shak karne ki aadat ho gayi hai. Tum humesha yahi sochti ho ki main yeh sab harkatein jaan-bujh kar karta hoon. Par Mrs. Maanvi sabarwal, aisa nahi hai. Mere saath yeh sab apne aap ho jaata hai."
Maanvi~ "Mr. Rahul sabarwal, tum aur main yeh baat ache se jaante hain ki tum itne bhi innocent nahi ho. Jab bhi tumhe mauka mila hai, tumne uska poora fayda uthaya hai."
Rahul~ "To? Apni wife ke saath hi to romance kar raha hoon... kisi aur ke saath thodi hi na main romance kar raha hoon. Apni biwi ke saath romance karna galat to nahi hai."
Maanvi~ "Haan to maine kab kaha ki galat hai. Main to bas yeh keh rahi hoon ki tum bahane dhoondte ho romance karne ke."
Rahul~ "To tumhe iss baat se problem hai ki main bahane dhoondta hoon?"
Maanvi~ "Nahi mujhe problem nahi hai..."
Rahul~ "To phir iss complaints ka reason kya hai?"
Maanvi~ "Kyunki..." she hesitates.
Rahul~ "Kyunki kya?"
Maanvi~ "Kyunki tum... tum... tum zara bhi apne aas-pass nahi dekhte ho aur sab ke saamne shuru ho jate ho. Aise sabke saamne bhi koi romance karta hai kya?"
Rahul grins "Oh, to Mrs. Maanvi sabarwal ko dusron ke saamne romance karne mein problem hai. Akele mein aapko romance karna chalega?"
Maanvi understood the hidden meaning behind his comment. She looks at him with a where do you take the conversations to' look.
Rahul continues "Maanvi ji, wo kya hai na... ab aapko aadat dal leni chahiye."
Maanvi~ "Kaisi aadat?"
Rahul~ "Publicly romance karne ki aadat..."
Maanvi~ "Nahi, bulkul nahi. Tumhara dimag kharab hai? Mujhe nahi dalni aisi aadat."
Rahul~ "Soch lo, aadat to tumko dalni padegi..." he replies in a mystery tone.
Maanvi~ "Kyun dalni padegi?" her tone taking on the confused note.
Rahul~ "Wo kya hai na, jald hi tum aur main video shoot ke liye practice start karenge. Tumhare aur mere albums ke songs ke video puri duniya dekhegi. Ab romantic songs par romance hi to shoot hoga. Phir live performances bhi hongi. To sabke saamne romance karne ki aadat to tumko dalni padegi."
Maanvi face color changed shades between pink and pale. She had never thought that she would have to not only be a part of romantic videos but she would also have to perform live in front of all of his fans.
Rahul~ "Isliye tumko mera suggestion hai ki tum abhi se aadat dal lo."
Maanvi~ "Kya iss sab ki zaroorat hai?" her tone changed to worry.
Rahul~ "Matlab? Tumne mere purane songs ke video dekhe honge, bas uss hi tarah se yeh videos bhi banenge. Fark sirf itna hoga ki wo songs itne dil ke karib se nahi the, par jab se main tumse mila hoon tab se mera har gaana mere dil ke bahaut karib hai. Aur in gaano ke liye nothing but the best performance hi hogi. Tumhare saath to yeh videos aur bhi best ho jayenge."
Maanvi's face turns red thinking of herself in the old videos that rahul had on his romantic tracks. "Par..." she still wanted to know if she could find an easier way.
Rahul~ "Iss sabse bachne ka koi rasta nahi hai maanvi ji, aapne already contract sign kiya hai. Aur tum mere saath hi to hogi, kisi aur ke saath nahi. Par agar tumko phir bhi problem hai to theek hai, main producers se baat karunga kisi aur ke saath video banane ke liye..." he said it nice and slowly stressing over last part.
Maanvi~ "Kya kaha? Tum kisi aur ke saath romantic video banaoge? Tumne aisa socha bhi kaise ki tum kisi aur ke saath video mein kaam karoge? Koi zaroorat nahi hai kisi aur ke saath video karne ki. Agar tumne dubara aisa kaha... ya socha bhi na, to mujhse bura koi nahi hoga Mr. Rahul sabarwal!" she may have been feeling awkward about performing on a romantic scene with rahul in front of everyone but the thought that rahul might perform on a romantic scene with someone else was something she would never let that happen. For maanvi, that was a right that she and only she had claim to.
Rahul couldn't help but smile hearing maanvi say what she just said. He himself knows it well that he can never do any more videos in which he will have to perform a romantic scene with someone other than maanvi. The love they share is pure and unpretended... just like the songs they perform on and any video that they have to pretend in, is a taint on those songs. It is only suited that the song is performed by the people and with the people it actually is meant for. Thus, the new videos will be made with rahul-maanvi only.
Payal reach home and she finds out that everyone is out. She goes to kitchen and finds chotu to inquire the whereabouts of the rest of the family.
Payal~ "Chotu, ghar par koi nahi hai kya?"
Chotu~ "Payal didi, Sonali ma'am aur dadi ji kisi kaam se bahar gaye hain. Dada ji kisi sur-sangeet program mein gaye hain. Raj sir aur Shaleen bhaiya to abhi tak office se aaye nahi hai. Nisha bhabhi apni friend ke ghar gayi hai. Rahul bhaiya aur maanvi bhabhi bhi abhi ghar nahi aaye hain. Nikhil baba apne kamre mein hain, unke liye hi yeh nashta lekar jaana hai."
Payal~ "Theek hai. Main bhi Nikhil ke hi kamre mein hoon, aap mere liye bhi nashta wahin par le aiyega." She tells him and goes to nikhil's room.
Nikhil was playing video-game since it was his summer vacation after his main exams. And his other friends were all out of town, this was his usual pass time apart from the diet-exercise-routine plan rahul gave him. Payal enters and Nikhil invites her to join for a match, as solo gaming get boring after a while. Payal gladly accepted his invite and sat next to him with another controller. Chotu brought in some snacks for them and they enjoyed their rest of the evening.
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