Raman was freshening up when there was a bell on the door. He wore his clothes in jiffy and went to opened the door. He opened the door and saw chuniya was standing there happily.
Raman -arey chunnu, tum.
Chuniya-ishita didu ne aapke liye hai bheji hai.
Raman -oh Ishita ji ne. Aao ander. He said and chuniya came inside happily.
Chuniya served tea for him and went to bring biscuits from the kitchen when his eyes fell on the note. He took it and kept it in a jiffy to that chuniya didn't see it. He kept it and smiled at his own action. He was hiding the note as he was doing something for which he don't want to be questioned.
Raman -kaise teenager ki tarah behave kar raha hai tu raman. It's just a note nothing else. He was thinking when chuniya came and said -arey aapne peena shuru nahi kiya, thandi ho jayegi.
Raman looked at her and asked -kya.
Chuniya -chai, aur kya.
Raman realised and said -oh yes, he said and took the tea. He sipped it and closes his eyes feeling heavenly like he has had such tea after long.
Chuniya -achchi hai naa, I know achchi hi hogi, after all it is made by my didu. Woh world ki best wali chai banati hai.
Raman -this is actually best, bahut saalon baad itni achchi chai pee hai.
Chuniya -chaliye aap enjoy kijiye, I am going. School jaana hai.
Raman -bye. He said smiling.
Chuniya gave him a side hug and said -bye raman sir.
Raman pecked her temple softly and said -bye beta. Chuniya smiled and went out of the house while Raman started enjoying the tea. He was sipping the tea when he remembered about the note. He took it out of his pocket and start reading.
Raman ji,
Thank u for giving me a chance to fulfill ur wish. So here I fulfill ur first wish by sending tea to u. Hope u enjoy it. Have a nice day.
Actually if u don't mind can I ask u something, why u said that always u have fulfilled everyone's wish and no-one ever asked u about ur wishes. Sorry if I am being personal, but aapki family nahi hai kya.
Sorry agar aapko bura lagaa but just asked coz I too don't have anyone. Socha do akele log dost ban sakte hai. Answer me only if u r not angry.
Ishita
Raman fold the note and was thinking about her words. A friend, wow, this is something he always wanted. He too wanted a friend, he thought to say yes. He was thinking same when he realised her words. That she is also alone.
Raman -ishita ji akeli hai. Par kyun,kya unki shaadi nahi hui hai.yaa phir she is also widow like me. Nahi nahi, I shouldn't think like this. Actually mujhe toh kuch pata ho nahi ishita ji ke baare mein. Aaj puchunga chunnu se, ishita ji ke baare mein. But kya unhe pasand aayegi yeg baat. But she herself ask me for friendship, that means she is really very alone and desperate to make friends. I think mujhe unhi se puchna chahiye. He thought and start writing the note after having his tea.
He wrote the note and kept it in the box and went to get ready. After an hour, the boy came with breakfast and raman told him to took the tea box with him. At first he was confused as tea was not in his package but later took it thinking its not his job.
Raman opened the tiffin and smiles seeing paav bhaaji in the breakfast.
Raman -wow paav bhaaji, ishita ji ne mera favourite banaya hai. He said and had a bite.
Raman -umm, yummy. Kya hai yeh. Itna achcha khana kaise banati hai. I just don't know. He said and continued eating. He was eating and was praising her in every bite.
After eating paav bhaaji,
Raman -pet bhar gaya par mann nahi bhara.uff it was just too yummy. Mann kar raha tha khate khate jaun. Uff raman, tu football ho jayega, agar aise khaata raha toh. He thought and washed his hands. He got ready and went to his college after keeping the lunch box outside his house. He prefer to walk to his college to get his food digested as he as over eaten today.
On the other hand, ishita was waiting for his answer. She literally ran to get his note just as the boy kept the box. She look around checking no-one is seeing her. She got happy seeing the note and went to her room to read it.
She opened the note and read it.
Ishita ji,
First of all, thanks for the tea. It was the most loveliest one I had in recent time. And secondly, thanks for giving me opportunity to have someone like u as my friend. I would love to have someone like u as my friend. Someone who make such yummy food, so that I can demand anything whenever I feel like eating it. Hehehe, I know it's a bad joke. Waise jokes apart ,I really want to have a friend .would love to do friendship with u. But I think before doing friendship we should know each other. Aakhir hum Ek dusre ke naam ke siva kuch nahi jaante. Toh kaisa hoga if u can give me ur number, so that we can talk more often. Only if u r comfortable. OK bye for now, I have to go to college .bye.
Raman
Ishita read the letter and smile but got sad reading that he is a college going boy.
Ishita -raman college jaate hai. Matlab woh mujhse chote honge. I think I should stop writing letters to him. He sakta hai woh mere akele hone ka faayda uthana chahe. But chunnu usse uncle kehti hai, oh shit, she had told me,raman professor hai. Buddhu, matlab woh college mein padhane gaye honge naa ki padhne. But why u were so tensed just by thinking that he is younger then u. R u thinking something about him. Nahi nahi I can't, how can I think anything about him, after all I am a, she couldn't complete and vowed not to think about Raman much. But couldn't help thinking about Raman and his wishes.
She told the helps to make bhaigan ka bharta in the lunch. Helps made and she tasted and didn't find it much good. She told them to pack the bharta in everyone's tiffin while started making bharta herself for raman. She made it and tasted it. She smiled feeling satisfied with the outcome and packed lunch for him along with her note.
Raman has returned home and was waiting for her lunch box. Soon the delivery boy showed up with the lunch box. Raman smiled seeing him and took his lunch. He went inside and opened the lunch box and closed his eyes smelling the bharta.
Raman -umm, it's smelling so delicious. Let's eat. He was thinking but then think about the note. He searched the note and find it. He opened it to read.
Raman ji,
Thanks for accepting my friendship but I can't give u my number. Don't feel bad, actually I don't have any number. Mere paas koi mobile nahi. I know u must be thinking I am lying but really I don't have any number. Kyunki mera koi hai hi nahi, joh mujhe call kare. Pehle rakhti thi par jab koi phone nahi karta tha toh takleef hoti thi, issliye rakhna chod diya. So we can talk through the letters or if u want, u can come to my place and we can meet. Baatein bhi ho jayengi.
Ishita
Raman smiled reading her note and start eating thinking about her words. He was feeling really bad for her that she is so much alone.
Raman -i think I should go and meet her. Kya pata hum sach mein achche dost ban jaaye. He was thinking and had a bite and stopped. He looked at the food and realised she has made bhaigan ka bharta for him. He smiled and thought -she thinks about me so much, unse milna chahiye. I think we will become very good friends. He thought and finished the lunch. He thought to tell this to her through the note but then thought otherwise and didn't replied to her note.
Ishita who was waiting anxiously for his note got disappointed seeing no reply from him.
Ishita -its OK, ho sakta hai woh busy ho. Unhe kuch kaam ho. But tareef toh kar hi sakte the. I specially made the bharta for him. She thought and tried to get busy in her work but sadly all she can think was him.
Later in evening,ishita too send tea and supper then dinner and lastly coffee but without any note as she was angry not getting any note from him. Raman realised that she must be angry and thought to visit her place next day. He took ishita's address from chuniya and decided to meet her next day.
Later at night, both slept reading each other's notes ,both were feeling goosebumps with the unknown bond they have started sharing.
Next morning, Raman got up little early and get ready. He wanted to reach Ishita's house before she send tea for him.after half an hour, Raman went to ishita house. He entered her house lawn and saw few chairs were kept there. He sat in one of the chair and start waiting for ishita or chuniya to come there.
Few minutes passed, raman was waiting for chuniya as he was feeling bored sitting alone when he saw many newspapers kept on the table.
Raman -chalo newspaper hi padha jaaye. Tab tak chuniya bhi aa jayegi aur shayad ishita ji bhi. He said and was going to pick the newspaper when a lady came wearing a purple salwar suit and towel wrapped around her wet hair and picked all the newspapers and in the process her front button broke. She was going inside hurriedly when raman said-excuse me, can I have the ecomonics times.
Ishita turned holding the newspaper in one hand and her open kurta in one hand and look at the person. Raman too looked at her and got lost in her angelic beauty. She was looking just too pure and innocent without any makeup. She was looking down feeling his gaze while he was just looking at her without blinking his eyes. She forwarded the newspaper but he was just too lost in her.she kept the paper on the table and went inside while Raman was still looking at the direction she went.
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