||Chapter 25 ||
-college-
The bell rang at the end of the class indicating the beginning of lunch break . Jodha sighed exasperatedly while stuffing her books back in her bag . She was upset and reason obviously couldnt be anyone else than Jalal .
She marched out of her class towards the canteen trying Jalal's number for another time hoping , he would pick her call atleast this time , alas he didnt like he has been doing since the couple of hours which partly bothered ,partly infuriated her .
His gang was already present in the canteen when Jodha along with Moti and Reva entered in ,her eyes unconsiously looked for the object of her mad mind ,but her face fell down on not finding him there with his friends which didnt go unnoticed by Moti .
Since the time he left her home in the morning ,assuring , to meet her soon in the college , she didnt get a blink of him . She tried his number for the zillionth time since the then but he didnt pick any of her calls and she wondered rather dreaded ,why ? .
Her mind was so engrossed reasoning all the possibilities behind her boyfriend's dissapearance that she didnt realise when she reached the boys table and was standing there aloof...it was surya's voice that snapped her out of the thoughts..."Finally the girls are here , where is this Jalal ?" .
Jodha sighed internally hearing Jalal's name and took her seat finding Moti and Reva already in their places .
"R u alright ?", surya asked concerned as she looked effectively zoned out , while she just hmmped ...with her eyes fixed on the electronic device that beeped once in a while ,which she picked up with utmost urgency expecting a call or a message from her boy .
Intehaan ho gayi ...intezaar ki ...aayi na kuch khabar mere yaar ki ...
Abdul all of a sudden started singing tunelessly leaving everyone aghast ...while the rest of the members glared closing their ears on his sudden interest in singing ,Jodha noticed the mischeivious glint in his eyes and it didnt took her a seceond to understand ,he was aiming her .
Yeh hamein hain yakeen ,bewafa woh nahi ...fir wajaah kya hui , intezaar ki
He continued his job as a singer while Jodha resumed her work without letting him bother her .
"R u calling Jalal " ...finding her busy with her mobile he startled Jodha with the least expected question choking her on her breath .
"Why would she call him ? ", Reva chipped in with a shrug totally oblivious to her friend's secret affair .
"He is the only one missing here ,so i thought she was giving him a call " he replied in a very casual tone making jodha roll her eyes .
"No ,i wasnt , she denied in a no-nonsense tone before darting a murderous glare at him .
Concealing his grin he murmered ..."i just hope he is fine ,i heard his jiju arranged another date with Rukkaiya ...Donning a sympathetic look he looked at Jodha only to see her eyes going wide with the peice of information he just stared .
"What ?", she shreiked horrified confusing others with her reaction .
But he didnt tell me anything !! ...she mumbled to herself when Reva butted in .
"Wow Mr. senior is on a romantic date" ...a dreamy look crossed her face which substituted by an immediate frown ..."why dont u do something like this for me " ,she innocently demanded her boyfriend adding much to Jodha's annoyance .
Never in her wild dreams Jodha could think of any such problem Jalal could get stuck in . After yesterdays events Jodha beleived Bairam would see through the facade of Rukkaiya's Miss goody goody perfect image ...and that her chapter would be closed for ever but looks like she had her hopes high .
Has all their planning and plotting went in vain ? Hasn't Bairam changed his mind yet ? Will there be no future of her with Jalal ever ?
She needed to seek answers from Jalal ,but where the heck was he ?
Her hands went back to her mobile ,seconds later she was seen dialling his number again when the rest of the members witnessed Reva and Abdul's cute banter over romantic date .
Darn ...he was still avoiding her calls and that was pissing her off like anything .
Aware of Jodha's inner turmoil Moti placed her hand over her to calm down her when she spotted Jalal right outside the canteen.
"Jalal " she exclaimed pointing her finger towards the exit door making Jodha instantly turn around .
His eyes darting past Moti ,Reva Abdul ,Maan and Surya to land on Jodha . He held her gaze making her lips curve up into a pleasant smile but the moment was short lived as Jalal pulled away his gaze and dashed ahead without sparing another glance at her .
"What's wrong with him ? Why isnt he joining us ? ", Maan asked almost in shock .
"May be he is upset for some reason , lets see ", Surya uttered and got up to go after Jalal only to be stopped by Abdul ...
"Give him some time ,he will be fine " ...he suggested and he agreed ...but how was Jodha supposed to sit quite knowing her boyfriend's state .
She left the canteen with an excuse to collect a book from library while a knowing smile made its way on Abdul's face .
Jodha searched all the places where she thought Jalal could be ...his class , basketball court , college ground ...he wasnt anywhere .
"Is he avoiding me ? ", a thought came across her mind ..."but why " ...well if this was true she had to find answer for it too .
She was passing by the same old store room where they hid themselves few days back to steal some private time for themselves which seemed immpossible around their friends ...and since then it became his favourite place for hideout...she wondered if he could be here when a hand pulled her in with a jerk .
Does she has to think who it could be when it's quite obvious ?
"Jalal" ... her heart momentarily at peace before bursting .
"Where were u ? why weren't u picking up my calls ? Is Ammijaan fine ? How is Noor ? Are u avoiding me ? Were u with Rukkaiya till now ? Hell dammit speak up ...holding him by his shoulders she yelled riled up looking straight into his eyes .
Tearing his gaze away ...he removed her hands from his shoulders and turned around ,disheartning her by his act ...there was something for sure ..she thought ...when Jalal spoke .
"Its all over Jodha " ...he breathed the words followed by a dejected sigh still avoiding eye contact .
"Wha...what do u mean ?? She trembled helplessly unwitting to hear something she couldn't endure...her eyes misted anticipating worst...still she hoped for better somewhere down the heart ...
"Jiju made his decision and " ...he abruptly stopped in the mid way looking down sending cold shivers up her spine...
she felt as if someone was pulling her heart from the ribcage and she would die anytime soon .
"And", he paused again making Jodha's heart go wild .
"And ", she urged him to speak ...when Jalal finally spoke ..."and beleived Rukkaiya doesn't fit into my life so he cancelled my allaince with her "...he casually stated folding his arms and turned to see her reaction ..
As expected she stood blank for few seconds ,probably trying to register his words and ensure she heard him right .
"Really ?" , she asked thereafter ...still not beleiving her ears .
"umm hmm " ...an ear to ear smile was all she could see through her clouded eyes .
She raised her hands in the air and started hitting him ...no doubt she was happy beyond imagination ...at the same time she was angry at him for pulling up such a drama , scaring the hell out of her .
The moment she heard him saying "it's all over " she felt the world collapsing around her , heck ...she couldn't even breath for a second .. hadn't she heard his next words on time she was sure of dying with a sharp pain in her chest .
Abdul's words still ringed in her ears ...the fear of losing him was all occupied in her mind and she couldnt blame anyone except her fate for that ...but thankfully as she hoped luck was on her side this time ...touch wood .
She continued hitting him with all her might while he let her way ...once tired she fell on his chest holding him tight by his waist as if ,if she would leave him , he would disappear in thin air .
Thankfully the store room was the least visited place otherwise they would have been caught by now .
Now that he got his girl in his arms shouldn't he take advantage of the situation and the darkness around ...afterall not everytime she gives him such a golden oppurtunity ...he raised his hands in the air to embrace her in his arms when he heard her soft sobs .
"God ,what is this ? ", ...he pulled apart and was utterly shocked to see her in tears .
"Hey , everything is fine ,i was just joking ", he cupped her cheek with one hand and wiped her tears with the other ...
" Such a Jallad you are ", ...she muttered smacking his hand a little hard this time in between her sobs not meeting his eyes .
well ,she was looking utterly cute like a small baby with her red nose ...he urged to pinch her little nose ...but decided better not to .
" Im so sorry Hitler ",...he cooed soothing her back and took her in his arms .
It took her few minutes to calm down and with that she remembered Rukkaiya .
"Jalal ,how is Rukkaiya ? She must be heartbroken ,right ? ", she asked genuinely worried for her .
"Well Jiju didnt tell them about his decision yet ,but im sure when he does ...yes she will be totally mad and furious ...but heartbroken ...i dont think so ",...Jodha nodded understandingly ,ofcourse anyone in Rukkaiya's place would react the same way and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl .
Wiping the remaining tears off her face she laughed ...This was the best day of her life as it was finally shaping as per her wish ...and instead of celebrating ...she was wasting her time crying .
She crashed herself onto his chest gripping him tightly, feeling safe and secure in the warmth of his arms while delightedly enjoying their closeness ...she couldnt get enough of him ever , could she ?
They stayed in that position untill Jodha rememberd how she left Moti and others in canteen .
" Jalal", ...she called pushing him a little only to be pulled back by Jalal ...a smile erupted on her lips as she saw her boyfriend making good use of the situation .
" Lets get back to our friends ,they r waiting for us", ...giving herself into him she softly utterted lightly raising her head to see him ...unknowingly brushing her lips over the exposed part of his skin just below the neck . A gasp escaped from him mouth, instantly loosing his grip around her ..."does she even know how she made me feel just now with that innocent gesture of her's ? " .
Already he was finding it difficut to resist her close proximity as she clinged to him like the cutest koala bear one could ever see on earth and now this .
ummhm uhmmm ...he cleared his throat awkwardly breaking apart while she looked at him confused ...when the devil of her boyfriend decided to play a little .
"Dont u think its high time we exercise being in a relationship rights ?" , leaning back against the wall keeping a good distance he asked folding with his hands still crossed against his chest , a mischievous gleam crept in his eyes as he observed his delectable prey .
Innocently battling her eyes for not getting his words she stood quite giving him a puzzled look ...and it did the trick as her boyfriend took it on his shoulders to teach her the basics ...he thrusted forward standing almost close to her and said in his husky voice ..." would you freak out if i kiss u right here ,right now ? ".
Utterly blowed she stood there quite for a moment just like he expected ...He closed in making her unconsiously step back ...another step ahead while she retreated back ...the process continued till she hit the table behind her back .
Resting his hands against the table he leaned in while she stood rooted holding her breath feeling his intense gaze when Jalal abruptly stopped just a few inches away and laughed ..."I was kidding ,stupid " he winked with an impish smile dancing on his lips .
Knowing his girl well he simply prepared himself for the consequences of his playful act when Jodha took him by surprise .
Still rooted at her place saying nothing but looking back into his eyes she bridged the little gap he left between them holding the collar of his shirt .
What happened to her ? ...he wondered mentally as she inched closer and closer discarding her usual reserved trait .
"Why would i ? ", her gaze trapped his, while her finger trailed up from his shirt collar to his perfectly defined jawline and then to his temple ,hopelessly arousing his senses in the process ..." we should have done it long time before , shouldn't we "...momentarily pausing she naughtly smiled and brought her face close to his lips ...Jalal's eyes instinctively closed feeling her warm breath on his face .
Honestly , he was just casually flirting when he asked her for a kiss knowing very well she wouldnt make the progress and he was pretty sure about that ...he still is , no doubt ...thence remaining unmoved he patiently waited just to see how far his girl could go .
If he wasn't wrong he was sure their lips were only millimetre apart and were ready to meet anytime soon ...but slowly he felt her breath away ...he opened his eyes only to see her standing close by the exit ...
"But u have to be lucky enough for that ,Mr boyfriend ...stucking out her tongue with her thumbs down Jodha ran into the corridoor inbetween the students .
Well , she would be paying the piper now.
Aah the thrill of the chase ...rolling up his sleeves all smiling he went after her walking as fast as he can ..she was only a few steps away from his reach when she took a turn , he followed her crossing the same turn when he bumped into his basketball coach who was on rounds .
Darn !!
Before Jalal could act or say anything , Coach took him along with him while Jodha laughed her heart out showing him thumbs down and went back to her friends .
There was still sometime for the bell to ring when Jalal finally escaped from the coach and reached canteen .
Everyone was pleased to see Jalal especially Abdul who hugged him tight getting up from his seat .
He sat on the only chair left opposite Jodha , unfortunately .
"So how was ur date ? Reva asked excitedly making Abdul choke on his soft drink .
"Date "?, Jalal asked puzzled while Jodha darted a murderous glare at Abdul ...he goofily smiled gulping the lump that formed in his throat being caught while Reva was still waiting for Jalal's answer .
"U wanted to tell us something,Right Jalal ", Abdul interupted when Jalal nodded in affirmation forgetting Reva's words .
"What is it ?", Reva wasnt leaving him for sure, was she ? .
"My alliance with Rukkaiya cancelled " ...
Surya Maan Abdul jumped on him in unision with happiness while Reva seemed shocked and dissapointed .
" Your alliance cancelled and u r happy ? Give me one good reason", ...she demanded totally ignorant of her surroundings .
"we will give u two , ...first , it was all decided and fixed by his jiju without his concent second he personally wasnt interested in her ever , got it ?", Abdul answered on behalf of Jalal wrapping his hand around his shoulder .
"But why ?, u look so cute together", ...she frowned when Jodha felt the urge to ask the same .
"That's million dollar question ,even i want to know the answer for it ...", she asked propping her palm below her chin being a tease here .
"As if she doesnt know ?" Moti shook her head while Abdul sat quitely enjoying the love birds high on hormonal level .
" Let's put it this way , she doesnt match my taste " , he replied looking at Jodha with an impish smile while scratching the corner of his lower lip with his thumb .
The peice of samosa that she just stuffed into her mouth fell down with his act ...what was he trying to imply ? .
" Then tell us ur type of girls ", ...Reva asked all of a sudden making Jodha nervously look down ...does she really had to ask that question ?. Jodha thought fidgeting with the hem of her dupatta when Jalal answered .
"Jodha ", her eyes popped out as Jalal took her name while Moti choked on her food .
whom was she missing with ...Moti cried facepalming .
"Can u pass that water bottle , please ?...tilting his head a little he casually asked tossing a devilish smirk .
"yeah sure ...she pushed the bottle with her racing heart while Jalal stealithly passed a quick wink before shifting his focus back to Reva .
"What did u ask ?
Before Reva could say or ask anything else Abdul shut her mouth with a peice of sandwitch enough irritated by her never ending questions ...making Jodha breath out a sigh in relief .
" Isn't it time for party guys ? " how about a movie after college? ,...Maan squealed wiggling his eyebrows towards Jalal .
"No", came Jodha's answer in haste even before Jalal could respond .
"I was nearly caught by my Bhaisa today in the morning ...dont count me in" ...making a non committal gesture ,her eyes momentarily fell on Moti only to realise what she just said ..."i mean ...Bhaisa strictly ordered to get back home home from college ...she explained eying Jalal .
How much ever he desired to spend as much time as possible with her ,he knew he couldn't ...he cant get her into trouble because of him everytime .
Moti noticed the duo's fallen face ...
"Lets go now then ?" , Moti suggested being the nicest angel on earth .
"Sounds good !! " Abdul seconded her while waiting for Jodha's reply .
"Moti ",...Jodha glared at her ever ready bhabhi when it comes to bunk college ..." we have a lot to catch up ,remember ? .
"Yes !! u girls shouldn't miss ur classes , we boys will manage " ...seeing the girls taking life time to decide ,Maan suggested winking at Abdul .
" Yeah , its been a long time since i had some fun " , Taking the cue Abdul acted jointly ..."Maan , make sure u get the middle seats booked " ...he added wickedly .
unable to comprehend what exactly lied in those middle seats the girls exchanged glances when it finally striked Reva .
"Fun , haan ?" , and it hit the target as Reva rebuked anticipating her boyfriend's dirty mind .
"Jodha ,Moti ...we can take notes from our classmates too...i need to join the boys and im counting u in too"...she murmered through her gritting teeth even before Jodha could refuse .
"so u will come ??? faking a dissapointing tone Abdul asked for confirmation compelling Jodha to give into Reva's wish .
So it was decided they will go out for a movie but now the problem was how ? Agreed everyone had their own vehicle ,but it wont be any fun going seperately , right and to their utter dismay none of their cars could carry seven people in a go ...therefore they hired honda odyssey all for themself for three hours .
The Theatre
They waited for Abdul outside the elevator as he went to park the car ...once he reached they stepped inside the lift .
Huh !! What an irony ...when the duo felt awkward around each other they were dangerously pressed against one other and now when they were finding ways to stay closer they were ruthlessly pushed afar.
They kept stealing glances at each other when the elevator halted with a ping , opening wide at the desired floor .
Stepping out Reva and Abdul walked ahead with her holding his arm followed by the unseparable Jodha and Moti . Behind them marched Jalal stylishly tugging his hands inside his jeans pockets setting his eyes on his love , making her consious all the while and finally Maan and surya being typical guys busied themselves shamelessly checking out hot chicks .
The theatre buzzed with families regardless of being weekday ...most of them had came to watch salman khan's latest movie "Tiger Zinda Hai " that finally hit the theatres a week ago ...still the excitement in fans seemed undying .
Moti being one of the biggest salman fan squealed with delight seeing the movie posters all around ...she remembered asking sujamal to book the tickets on weekend in advance which he forgot and later when he remembered ,they were all booked ...she hoped to get the tickets atleast today .
Since it was their last minute plans the boys had to line up in the queue for the tickets while the girls rushed to get some popcorn and cool drinks .
They all met in the hallway when Moti asked in excitement ..."Did u get tickets for Salman khan's movie ?" .
A no from the boys dampened all her enthusiam .
"Which tickets you got then ?" Reva enquired when Jodha's eyes fell on Abdul's hand which held the tickets .
"Annabella creation " ...a low gasp escaped Jodha's lips .
Jodha nervously stepped back hitting Jalal who was standing right behind her .
"R u alright ?" Jodha looked up to see a concerned Jalal holding her shoulder .
"Yeah !!", she nodded followed by a sigh .
Maan ,surya and Reva already dissapeared in the dark room leaving behind Jodha ,Jalal ,Abdul and a disheartened Moti .
She quietly trekked ahead when her dupatta got stuck somewhere ...she tried to pull it out but couldn't .
Handling the buckets of popcorn he settled down to help her while giving way to the others brushing past them .
Standing close Jalal pulled the dupatta making sure it doesn't get torned when Moti stepped in , deliberately pushing Jodha with her forearm while making her way ...result , she crashed on his chest with a thud .
"Thank me later " she winked and walked ahead fetching a deadly glare from the couple .
Jodha had just pulled apart only to be landed on his chest again courtesy Abdul this time .
"Me too" ...He devilishly battled his eyes tilting his head .
Jalal chuckled at his friends mischeif while Jodha flustered by her Bhabhi's act .
The duppata came out in the end , though it was torned at the corner ,but Jodha was happy it did .
She was taking slow steps , like very slow steps when she saw the names appearing on the screen .
Oh wasn't she acting completely strange .
"R u ok ?" ...Jalal asked again when Jodha nervously gulped down .
"Yeah ,Im fine ...its just ...she stated biting over her lips as she looked over her gang seated in their places calling for them .
"Its just ??...he prompted to hear the reason behind her restlessness .
"Dare u laugh ,ok ?" she warned while Jalal simply nodded .
Jodha took a deep breath ..."Im Phasmophobic , i'm terribly scared of ghosts "...she ghushed closing her eyes .
"Woah , R u serious ? ...he asked amused with a small smile creeping up on his face annoying Jodha in the process .
"ohk ,ohk ...i understand ...Shall we go back then " ? Finding her panicking when the movie started Jalal asked worried .
She urged to say yes but resolved to fight with her fear .
Much to her dismay they got the last row tickets and Moti was sitting little far from her when she needed her the most .
sighing she slipped besides Abdul while Jalal sat beside her ...fortunately this time .
The eerie porcelain doll was enough to send cold shudders down her spine and the horrible sound effects added more to her misery .
She somehow spent half the movie with her eyes closed tight . In some of the scariest scenes she either tortured her finelly shaped nails , brutally or punctured Jalal's hand with her now halfhead nails .
While Jodha was scared to death Jalal seemed pretty enjoying every moment ...no not the movie ...he had barely spared a glance on the screen...his eyes were glued to his girl...her changing expressions on every scene ...or unconsiously gripping his hand tight...in the most scariest parts hiding herself behind his shoulder looking absolutely cute ...he relished every moment being with her .
She breathed only at the intermission when Jalal and Maan had popcorn fight covering everyone in between by default ...The movie started again and Jodha couldnt take it more ...she left her seat without disturbing anyone while Jalal followed her after few minutes .
She was sitting freezed out on a chair with her head in her hands ...when Jalal tiptoed to her .
"Boo...he screamed right behind her ears making her jump out of the chair .
"Are u mad ", she shreiked without caring to see who the heck scared her like that ...and was shocked to see Jalal being that person .
"Jalal" ...she scoffed and rolled her eyes hearing his chuckle .
" I cant beleive , a girl who has the guts to battle the brutes ,is actually scared of ghosts ...he remarked playfully taking a seat besides her confusing Jodha for a while as she couldn't guess whom was he refering to when Adham khan came into her mind .
" Some men r creepy but ghosts are creepier,for me atleast " Jodha retorded shaking her head and continued " why did u come here ? go back and enjoy the movie ", assuring she was fine Jodha sighed asking him to leave as she didnt want to spoil his fun when he took her hand in his .
"Movie dvd's r very much available , but girlfriend's time is unattainable ,Madam ", he complained pouting making her chuckle .
" well then , u have exactly 42 minutes in ur hands Mr Romeo ,why not make a perfect use of it ? urging the same Jodha wiggled her eyes teasingly before taking in his sharp features .
How insanely hot he was looking in his rugged blue jeans and a white t shirt tugged inside it followed by a white jacket , she couldn't help but get attracted to him more and more by each passing day . The store room scene deliciously reeled back into her mind .
Back then ,reading the mischeivious glint in his eyes she subsequently played along ...only to learn how hard it will be for her to pull off later , the delectable smell of his colonge wafting in the air burned an unknown desire in her and it took every nerve of her to stop, just when their lips were about to meet ...should she finish her incomplete task now ? A sinful thought crossed across her mind ...a sheepish smile danced over her lips as she lovingly gazed her man .
"Stop staring me like that idiot ,u r making me consious ", blissfully unaware of her ongoing thoughts Jalal chided with a shy smile tugging at the corner of his lips making him look adorable .
"And what about when you does the same to me ?? Jodha sniggered pointing the time when he makes her uncomfortable ..."Not that i mind " finding him thoughtful Jodha quickly added with a wink ...bringing the naughty Jalal back .
He scanned around to see everyone busy in their own work , good for him ,he thought and draped his hand around her shoulder ... she immediately slid away standing up from her seat and started padding while Jalal followed her smiling .
They wasted 10 minutes without doing anything productive ...and were now left with only 32 minutes .
They decided to check the malls downfloor hand in hand when Jodha's eyes fell on Jalal's arm .
"Oh my god " she shreiked closing her mouth ..."how did this happen to you " she asked looking at Jalal when he smriked raising his brow .
Ofcourse how stupid of her to even ask such question when she should have already guessed it has to be her and only her .
She remembered doing the same to her Bhaisa once when he forcefully took her to watch a horror flick with him ...and since then her Bhaisa never went to watch any scary movie ,not with her atleast .
"I'm sorry ", holding her ears she cutely apologised before taking his hand into her ...gently blowing air over the nail prints she realused how badly she hurted him .
"Jalal jerked his hand and covered it pulling down his sleeves ..."I'm fine Jodha ,its just nothing "he casually dismissed and added "i'm up for many such tortures if u r the one give them " his lips pulled up into a cheesy smile as she rolled her eyes .
"Really ,from where did u picked up those lines ? tugging her hand around his arm she asked resting her head on his shoulder forgetting the world around her while Jalal looked aroung for any onlookers .
His stomach growled while passing through a food court ...how did he forgot he didnt had anything much since the morning not even in the theatre when everyone was munching on their popcorn .
Halting in front of a stall Jalal grabbed a water bottle as Jodha was feeling thirsty .
while Jodha was drinking water Jalal went to the other shop to get something for him to eat .
He watched Jodha from far while buying some sandwitches when he noticed her body tensed up while her palm fisting ...his eyes flew towards the way she was staring when Jalal saw a man hurriedly walking away ...it was only when he turned back , Jalal recognised him .
Slowly he walked upto Jodha and tapped his shoulder when Jodha swirled around unannounced with her hand in the air that landed right over his cheek .
"Ahhh , Jalal's scream snapped Jodha out of her world .
"Oh my god ,oh my god ...i ...im sorry Jalal ", she cried as he adjusted his jawline .
Ahh that punch was really hard ... "Did u really take my words seriously " Jalal cribed wincing in pain " I know it was me who said that i was ready to take any pain if given my you , but this is way too much "he complained rubbing his hand over the sore spot .
"Im really sorry ,Jalal ...i just got disturbed by someone "...unwilling to explain in detail she cut short the reason behind her act .
" werent u satisfied changing the shape of his nose last time that u targeted his entire face this time ?" Jalal murmered in pain pointing his finger towards the man running away shocking Jodha all the way .
"H...how do u know that ?" she asked baffled .
"Moti Bhabhi ?" she guessed even before him answering .
Still dealing with the pain he shook his head in no ...a wicked smile played on his lips soonafter as he recollected the memory of the day he saw her for the first time .
"If not Bhabhi then who " she demanded nonpulsed while Jalal walked out simply ignoring her question followed by Jodha behind .
His steps halted near the fountain , tugging his hands in his jeans he turned around .
"U were standing here with ur Bhabhi when that idiot dared to touch u ,tell me if im wrong "...getting a nod from Jodha in daze ...Jalal smiled and continued " Im sure the next minute he regretted doing that as a strong puch landed on his nose, right "...he laughed looking at the way her eyes narrowed and nose scrunched up .
"Yes, yes ... this is the same theatre ,same place , same me and same man ,but how do u know ?, she asked irritated while Jalal smiled scooting close to her .
Pointing his finger towards a distant place he answered " i was standing there watching the whole scenario when you were in action and trust me you left me speechless that day exciting an unknown desire to catch a glimpse of you but unfortunately i couldn't " .
"You mean ,you didnt see my face ? Then how did you know it was me ?", piqued by the revealation she asked closing in .
"Although i couldnt see ur face , my eyes caught hold of your bracelet and on Noor's birthday when i saw a girl with the same bracelet that too in my home ...i wondered who it could be ...i followed you ...and to my luck when the same bracelet girl happened to be my dance partner i tried to figure out the face behind that mask but couldnt ...and then when u unknowingly dropped ur bracelet in my room ...that time i found it was you .
" Still there could be many having the same kind of bracelet right ,then how did you figured it was mine ?" She enquired further .
" Ahh , i donned James bond avatar and did a little investigation ...1st no one else then you entered my room that day second ...none of the invited guests claimed it as theirs which leaves only you ...still just to confirm the last bit of doubt ...i took a chance and delibrately gifted you that bracelet on your birthday and u said it was yours ...hence proved ".
As soon as he finished saying that she glared at him huffing .
"What now ?", he asked confused.
" In any case if your investigation had gone berserk ,i would have been at the end of loosing my bracelet...didnt i ??...folding her arms she asked .
"But they werent wrong ,right ...he defended himself while Jodha continued her glaring , Jalal glared back when Jodha started laughing all of a sudden .
Narrowing his eyes he gave a "what now "look .
"This all reminded me of the day when i first saw you ...no not the college but somewhere else ...she cleared even before his thoughts progressed .
Now it was Jalal's turn to get the shock .
"If not college then where did you see me ? Night clubs ?? He asked dubiously when Jodha denied and started moving away from that fountain followed by Jalal.
"On the road when you helped chotu and Divya (street kids) ...i was in my car" ...to say Jalal was shocked would be understatement ...he was dewildered...when Jodha continued with her share of story ..."coincidently even i couldnt see your face that day but" ...she paused triggering Jalal's interest .
"But ?" He urged her to continue .
"But caught hold of ur tattoo when u ...umm she paused looking down ...tugging an imaginary hair stand behind her ear ...increasing jalal's curiosty to hear more .
"When you removed your shirt to cover divya's body "...a smirk appeared on his face descerning the reason behind her coyness ...when Jodha continued again acting normal " and one day i found the same tattoo man in college ..on one of the student's shoulder ...i followed him to the men's washroom ...when u and surya came out ...it had to be either one of u i thought as i didnt see anyone else coming out from there afterwards ...and i was sure it couldnt be you becoz u didnt seem to be a nice person to me at all who would go and help some poor so i beleived it was surya .
" Ouch ,that hurts !! without even knowing me u jumped onto conclusion ,why ? ...knitting his brows he demanded reason .
"Becoz i saw u upending the water bottle on someone's head which was quite rude " she explained finding Jalal offended .
And u named me Jallad ? didnt you ?
"Umm hmmm ..."...she nodded jer head in yes " but later Maan cleared the reason behind ur action...still it isnt justified ok ...she pointed when Jalal held her finger and asked " then how did you found the tattoo man was me ? " .
"On Noor's bday ...Jodha replied pulling back her finger ...and continued "when i saw chotu and his sister in the party ...first i was shocked with their presence but then i thought probably surya had called them and u couldnt say no ...but i found only u linering around them ...not even once surya came to see how they were doing , leaving me confused ...and then when i heard you and Ammijaan arguing over them ... i realised it was you who helped them that day and not only that u sponsered for their studies too ... I have this bad habbit of jumping onto conclusion ,haina" ...she smiled apologetically .
While narrating their story the duo walked up to the car parking place where they would supposedly find their friends when the movie ends...since the movie wasnt over yet the parking lot was empty with only watchman standing far .
Jalal leaned his back against a car while Jodha stood in front of him getting no place to sit ...even the car keys were with Abdul .
Wow ...doesnt it all look like scripted ?...Jalal exclaimed enthralled when Jodha gleefully nodded her head .
" Yes it is ,by the almighty, we were destined to be together even before we knew each other ... she winked when her eyes fell on the blood oozing out from his lips ...which she didnt notice till now totally engrossed in narrating and hearing the beautiful memory which they had embraced in their mind since long time .
She moved her hand to wipe the blood stain when Jalal caught her hand ...
" Dont touch ...its still paining ", ...he said ,unknowingly making Jodha guilty .
"My my , her eyes then fell on his jawline ...She never ever thought her blow was hard enough to turn the entire affected area blue .
Tears brimmed at the back of her eyes watching his Jawline ,she felt the need to kiss away his pain ...not for him but for herself .
She raised her hand and touched the bluish discolouration on his face ...
"Isss ...i said don't..." ...Jalal winced only to be stopped by something divine pressed against his lips , soothing the pain miraculously , though not the physical... his eyes went wide with the realisation of serene touch ...is he dreaming ...he wondered and smiled mentally ...when he felt the warm, pleasurable touch moving away ...No ,i cant let this happen again ...
Back in the store room ...though he was just playing around that time ...with Jodha's lips only feather touch apart , Jalal somewhere or the other wished it to happen but resolved to let her way unwitting to spoil the enticing moment ...but now he wont ...not atleast when she took the initiative .
Jalal firmly held the back of her head with his one hand ..."don't move " looking deep into her eyes he pleaded and she obliged .
sliding his other hand slowly around her waist he pulled her in , pressing her soft body against his . Her eyes closed on its own accord feeling the heat of his body while her heart raced hearing the soft whisper of his breath as he exhaled ...slowly and steadily she raised her hands to loop around his neck remarkably arousing his senses .
His hands slid down a little to rest on the nape of her neck , parting his petals slightly he leaned in for a kiss taking her lower lip into his making her gasp in exhilaration .
He deliciously savoured the unfamilar territories gliding the tip of his tongue across her lips while she nestled closer craving for more .
His mouth was so warm , the caress of his lips softer than she could have imagined .
Longing for more he slowly eased his tongue in ,passion coursed through his body as he deepened the kiss with a fervent urgent need .
"Stop , just stop right there "his mind screamed as it knew he wouldnt be able to stop at a kiss and that's when he broke the kiss pulling apart .
Gasping for air ...still holding her in his arms ,he rested his head against her .
"Woah,we finally kissed , you think i should thank that theatre boy ? ...he thought feigining seriousness when Jodha twisted his ear hard ..."ofcourse " she said and the duo laughed together .
Their laughter died on hearing some noises coming from the walkway ...planting a quick peck on her lips Jalal finally parted adding the beautiful memory of their first kiss to the heap of other memories of them together .
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Edited by avika444 - 8 years ago
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