"I must say I am mighty impressed, Madhubala. Matlab what was that...Seedha Mughle Azam ki black and white Madhubala se Queen ki High definition, Dolby stereo , Kangana Ranaut?" Ranbir threw his arm around Navya, who in turn cringed her brows & gave him a 'Will-you-get-lost-on-your-own-or-I -have-to-kick-your-ass-off' look. They had booked an SUV from Delhi and after two hours of non-stop driving, they had stopped at a petrol pump in Meerut for refueling. The mood in the car had been pensive, so much so that Ranbir felt like he was travelling with three octogenarians (80 - year olds). The silence had made 2 hours seem like two days. Not that he didn't understand their individual circumstances, but their seriousness was seriously wearing him off now and he decided to get down to action. Navya being the most gullible, naturally became his first target.
"Ab matlab compliment dena bhi crime hai, bhalai ka to zamana hi nahi raha." He mocked Navya with a cheesy dialogue from probably the 60s, further infuriating her.
"Tumhe Bhook lagi hai kya..jo befizool mein hamara dimag chat rahe ho?" She sniffed her nose in disgust.
(Are you hungry, why are you munching on my brain dude)
"Wow, kya baat hai, Madhubala, I mean Kangna. Kal rat se ek nivala nahi gaya pet mein, aur poochna to dur ki baat, you are making fun of me? Mujhse behtar to is gari ki halat hai, kam se kam ise petrol to pila rahe hain.
( Wow! Not a morsel of food has gone in since yesterday and instead of empathysing, you are making fun of me . Even this car is better off than me. At least someone is feeding it petrol.)"
"Dulhe ke baap ho? shaadi mein aye ho? intezaar kar rahe ho ki kab larki wale ake hath jorkar khane ke liye poochenge... Bhookh lagi hai to jake kuch khareed lo, bhukkar kahin ke, ya fir pocket mein paise nahi hain? Ticket bhi tumhare maine hi kate hain. Agle mahine sood samet wapas kar dena." She threatened him with a frown.
( Are you the groom's father? Does this look like a wedding, are you waiting for someone to request you with folded hands? Why don't you go and buy something yourself, ? BTW I hope you have money . Even the tickets, I had to buy for you, but I hope you remember that you are repaying all of it with interest next month)
"I swear maine tumse bara makhichoos life mein nahi dekha. Hadd hai!!" He made a grumpy face and leaned further back on the backdoor. "Waise acting se yaad aya, whats up with our Romeo, why is he in Devdas mode since yesterday? (I swear I haven't seen a bigger miser in my entrie life..Holy crap!)
"Nandini se jhagra hua hai, kal suna nahi tumne airport mein."
(He has fought with Nandini, didn't you notice at the airport?)
"I don't get it man, why do they fight and then make faces like rotten tomato"
"Tumhari moti khopri mein yeh baat ghusegi nahi, to koshish bhi mat karo. Pagal hain dono, pyaar bhi karte hain aur baccho ki tarah larte bhi hain, aur fir ek dusre ke liye rat rat bhar rote rehte hain. Manik ko dekha hai, kya halat bana li hai usne apni. Kal rat se ek minute ke liye bhi nahi soya hai, aur ek tum ho jise khane ke alawa kuch dikhta hi nahi!"
(It won't fit into your retarded brain, so don't even try. These two are crazy, they love each other and still fight like kids and then they will spend nights crying. Have you seen Manik, how devastated he looks. He hasn't slept for a minute, unlike you, who always dreaming of food)
"Hmm" Ranbir thanked his stars, for being single, love entailed more drama, than he could possibly handle. Especially because unlike his brother, & Unfortunately for him, he was straight, & so, to fall in love, he would first have to attain a foundation level understanding of the undoubtedly single most incomprehensible system in the world, 'the female mind'. He heart went out to Manik, and to all those men who had already fallen prey to this life threatening virus called love.
Coming back to Manik, Ranbir had only intended to give him just enough space for him to settle the scores himself, but now that his headstrong friend wasn't showing even the faintest signs of a reconciliation, he had to take matters in his own hands.
He dragged Navya towards Manik, who was standing at a distance, looking in another direction, completely lost in his own thoughts.
When they reached within an arms distance of Manik, Ranbir pretended to be having a casual conversation with Navya . Only that people don't speak as loudly as he was, unless they wanted to invite someone to eavesdrop. "Ya she fell down from the stairs, and injured her leg. When I called her, she was in hospital. She said she will call me later."
"Kaun, kiski baat kar rehe ho?" Navya asked perplexed.
"Nandini, aur kiski." And then he mumbled under his breath "Tubelight" as he tried to make her understand by pointing at Manik from the corner of his eyes.
"Oh Nandini!!! Zyada chot to nahi lagi use?" She was quick to catch his cue.
This was enough to send Manik's residual sanity for a toss. Was she hurt, had she actually fallen down the stairs? Horrified, he scrambled to turn on his phone, which he had switched off again after replying to her messages and scurried to call her.
Who had known her first day at work would also be her worst? This was so not how she had wanted it to be. She had hoped they would do it together, that he would be there to hold her hand as she embarked on this new phase of her life.
Instead, she was sitting on her desk, puffy eyed and drowsy, totally uninterested in anything and everything going on around her.
She had had a sleepless night, her tear stained face pressed to her pillow. She was upset with herself and worried for him. Why did she have to hurl those blames at him when she knew he would never desert her on his own. Didn't she know that when it came to her, he let all his guards lose, that her one misjudged statement could inflict more hurt and pain upon him than the rest of the world put together. How could she doubt the guy, who lived for her. How could she blame him for the past three years when she knew what he had gone through alone in that cold despicable hospital ward in Denmark.
Early morning, the moment she received his messages, she sighed a breath of relief. Thank God, He was safe. But that brief moment of relief was soon swept aside by a tide of sadness, when she reread his words. What did he mean by proving his love, and how long would it take? Would he not talk to her till then, had her words left a permanent mark on his heart, how would she survive if he were to love her any less. She missed him, she bloody missed him like hell. It was creepy, just how much power he had on her. He could make her come alive, just as his silence could make her wilt.
Her new colleagues had gone for lunch while she stayed put on her desk, having skipped both her breakfast and lunch. This was her 10th message to him since morning, but all futile because his cell was switched off. Why did he have to be so stubborn, why could he not be like Manik version 2 who despite being angry with her, never acted impulsively. But then who was she complaining about, impulsive or mature, version 1 or 2 or N, Manik was Manik, the guy she could die for.
And just then the screen of her smart phone lit up.
"Hello..." She responded in less than 20 microseconds, her heart doing a happy waltz.
"Where are you, how's your leg, are you ok?" And her heart sank again, even before it could complete one full twirl. He had intended to call someone else and had rung her up by mistake.
"Nandini, how are you? How's your leg, zyada chot to nahi lagi...why don't you answer?"
He took her name, but she was all ok, then why was he asking about her leg. She checked her ankle once, just in case you know and from the look of it, it seemed perfectly fine.
"I am fine.. Mere pair ko kuch nahi hua." Why didn't this idea strike her earlier? "Matlab abhi tak kuch nahi hua. Matlab hua hai, I sprained my ankle...matlab I don't know." She had messed up the one bonus chance Aiyappa had blessed her with. But then he should have warned her before hand, for her to be prepared with the description of an imaginary leg injury.
Manik almost giggled, reigning it in at the very last moment. "So you are not hurt? Have you skipped office?"
"No. but I can hurt myself , if that can make things any better between us."
"Try and see what I will do. Don't you dare do anything like that, I am warning you Nandini."
She made a face, thinking 'If you worry so much, why did you switch your cell off? You could have fought with me, and scolded me but why this silent treatment?' "Are you still angry with me?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter."
"You know it does. Infact nothing else matters as much. "
"I wasn't angry, I am sad."
" I am sorry Manik.. I am really..really sorry."
"Listen Nandini, I am not perfect. And of all people, you know it best. You have seen me stripped bare of all the masks I carry. You have seen me vulnerable and losing, and I thought you loved even after knowing that. You know what you mean to me, and the extents I can go for you.. I thought you trusted me blindly."
Her heart was crumbling, she had poked him, where it hurt him the most. The poor boy was trapped in time. HE had no inkling of her sufferings without him. 'She had vented out of mistrust', that's what he had felt, when in reality she was just scared of losing him again. "I trust you, more than I trust my Aiyappa. That's all I can say. You are all I have, my family, my love, my bestest friend, my partner in crime. I won't ask you where you are, I wont ask you anything, but you don't have to prove anything to me. Just don't go away, just don't become silent. I know I can't live without you and I won't even try." Her voice had started chocking from the tears she was holding back.
"Go and have lunch." How did he know that she hadn't. A tiny smile crept across her lips even as her eyes stayed moist.
"On the condition that you say you love me." She was behaving so much like his earlier self that it almost felt like dj vu.
"Do I have to say it, don't you already know?"
"No you still have to say it. U promised me in panchgani that you will say everyday."
"I ...I ...I love you..."
Song link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BETafwFAfsA
**********
"Ranbir..." Manik started looking around for Ranbir the moment he finished the call. Was it in their genes by default. The cupid syndrome?
Ranbir, who was till now, keenly observing the changing seasons on Manik's face from under the safety of his glares, scurried to look preoccupied. "Mujhe , bola Manik?"
"Nahi be, tere bhoot ko, why did you lie ki Nandini ka pair toota hai? I just spoke to her and she is fine."
"Oh you did??!!! " Some people can really get on your nerves, like Ranbir was getting on Manik's . HE had made Manik call Nandini and now he was feigning all innocence...idiot. "But tune to bola tha that you wouldn't , kya Manik you should keep your words yaar."
"Acha beta??"
"Waise itna hi fikar karta hai to why do you fight? Zaroor tune hi kuch kiya hoga because as far as I know Nandini, she is one sorted girl.. Is it ego or teri zidd?" After much contemplation, Ranbir finally brought himself to ask Manik the question that was bugging him for a long time.
"Neither, tu nahi samjhega " Manik replied.
'Right ! kyunki mujhe kuch kuch jo nahi hota' Ranbir thought.
They all got back into the car. Manik wanted to speak to Navya, but before that, he had to clear his head. His lids could stay open no more and he closed his eyes to take a nap. Music once again filled the car as Navya turned on the radio and they zoomed past the busy lanes of Meerut towards Dehradun.
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Anupamaa
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
