"Munna!Kya hua?''. The newly appointed Chemistry demonstrator asked Munna as he rushed to him.
The conical flask lay broken and shattered across the admin table of Chemistry Laboratory.The Bunsen burner was still glowing with low flame yet Munna's wrist and palm were on high flames as the mixture of alkali and acid split over him.
"Dhyan kahan hai tumhara?Itne time tak heating karte hein?Manuals padhke practical kyun nahin karte tum log?'' The teacher admonished and signaled the assistant to apply first aid.
"Swati!Munna ko kya ho gaya hai? Delhi to Sameer se milne bheji thi in dono ko aur dono khush bhi the.Lekin phir kya ho gaya hai?'' Naina asked worried to Swati as Munna writhed in pain.
"Pata nahin itna pareshan main use kabhi nahin dekhi.''Swati remained as confused as Naina while she helped the assistant to clear the shredded glass pieces.
"Munna! Ab bahar jao.School ke khatam hone ke baad mujhe milo.''The teacher asked as he corrected the Practical records.
After the School
"Munna!Tum yeh register par sign karo.'' The teacher asked as he opened a certain page for Munna.
"Sir!Please maaf kar dijiye.Aage se aisa nahin hoga.Kasam se.''Munna asked but his words had the least impact.
"Tumhe pata hai tumne kitna bada nuksan kiya hai?Conical flask tod diya hai.Andaza hai bhi tumhe ki kitna mehnga hai wo apparatus?Sign karo. ''The teacher nearly shouted at him and Munna signed clumsily in the given space.
"Next practical class mein 350 rupaye aake Hari ko de kar receipt le lena.Pichli baar test tube todne ka paise diye thi ki nahin?''The teacher asked cocking the eyebrow and Munna nodded in approval.
"Dhyan lagake padhai karo.Pata nahin kahan rehta hai tum aaj kal bacho kan dhyan..'' The teacher made a generalised comment and left the lab while Munna's guilty eyes traveled to the broken pieces of glass.
Meanwhile
"Yaar Swati!Mujhe kuch acha nahin lag raha.Sameer ki chithiyan ajeeb si lag rahen hein.Aisa lag raha hai ki wo mujhse dur jaa raha hai.''Naina voiced gloomily as she pulled out her cycle from the stand.
"Tu chithi barabar likh rahi hai na?Main to bol rahi hun lipstick wali hothon ke nishan bana hi le chithi par.Itni bhi masoom mat ban.''Swati advised thinking it might be the only way to keep the spark in relation.
"Tu na aisi baatein mat kiya kar.Sameer kya sochega?Aur agar yeh baat Munna aur Pandit ko pata chala ..Hey bhagwan..Nahin nahin.'' Naina nodded vigorously in disapproval speculating on possible situations of embarrassment.
"Oh ho.Pyar bhi karni hai,Sajan ji ko pass rakhna hai aur masoom,bholi ban na hai.Arey Sameer koi budha premi nahin apna Prem hai..Kiss se hi kissa likha jata hai mere Suman. ''Swati spoke and nudged Naina while Naina broke into scarlet blushes.
"Swati!Main soch rahi hun Munna se baat karungi.Lagta hai wo bahut pareshan hai.Tune dekha na aaj conical flask gira diya aur pichli baar jis din tu absent thi uss din to pipette se dilute alkali bhi pi liya tha.Shukr hai jyada nahin piya tha.Kahin Sameer ke bare mein to kuch nahin.''.Naina trailed trying vehemently to join the scattered dots and bring them into a coherent whole.
"Tu Munna ki fikr mat kar.Main baat karti hun use.Tu apni lipstick wali hothon ke nishan banana practice karle.Ek acha sa nishan bhejna apne Prem ke pass..Jise dekhte hi Sameer sidhe Delhi se Ahmedabad bhag aayega.''Swati said and finished with a wink.
"Swati ki bachi..'' Naina playfully hit Swati as both started paddling away.
"Naina!Tu jaa main aati hun.''Swati informed seeing Munna sitting with head in palm under the faraway peepal tree.
A longing to wander was tearing Munna's heart when heard trees rustling in the wind at impending evening. If one listens to them silently for a long time, this longing reveals its kernel, its meaning. It is not so much a matter of escaping from one's suffering, though it may seem to be so. It is a longing for home, for a memory of the happier times, for new metaphors for life. It leads home. And he was left without his 'true home, true inmates'.
The peepal tree rustled in the twilight , when Swati stood uneasy before him with her own thoughts clouding.She had never felt so clueless;neither in academics or personal life.Naina and films have always been to rescue.But this felt so different.No Naina or any film could provide her with a manual to deal with an upset 'Munna'.
But she must get rid of the extra baggage that both of them have been lugging around; in fact she always believed that they must constantly take stock and free themselves off what doesn't help them evolve.
And hence she decided to take a leap and not to be afraid.
"Munna!''Swati called and Munna opened his exhausted,teary eyes to see his 'frock-wala Pandit'.
"Tu jaa Pandit!Mujhe kuch der akele chod de.''Munna said as he turned away to wipe the tears.
"Kyun main jaun?Mujhe to apne bandar ke saath baith ke Delhi ke bare mein sun na hai.Delhi bahut bada seher hai na? ''Swati tried diverting his attention from the canon of emotions he was charting out.
"Haan seher to bahut bada hai lekin logon ka dil aur soch bahut chota. ''Munna spoke remembering the mid night conversation between Dadi and Keshav.He didn't forget the 'slap'.
"Aisa mat kaho.Amrita bhi to Delhi ka hai na.Ab dekho usiki wajah se Naina aur hum sab Sameer ke awaaz to sun sakte hein.Sameer udas hai kya?'' Swati asked while Munna nodded in approval.
"To iska matlab tumne Naina se kuch chupaya hai.Kya baat hai?'' Swati prodded while Munna tightly pursed his lips all for the promise made to his dearest Sameer.
"Nahin Pandit!Main nahin bata sakta.Sameer se wada kiya hai.Naina ko kuch bhi nahin batane ke liye''.Munna spoke and looked away at the setting sun.
"Par main to Swati hun Naina nahin main kasam khati hun tum mujhe joh hi bataoge main Naina ko kuch nahin bataungi.''Swati swore while Munna felt an air of ease rustled by.
"Sameer bahut takleef mein hai.Na dhang se kha raha hai na chain se so pa raha hai.Ab to uski wo Dadi use humse dur le jaa rahi hai.Main keh raha hun Pandit uss budhi ki niyat mujhe bilkul acha nahin laga.Sameer humse dur jaa rahi hai Pandit.Apni Naina se dur jaa raha hai wo.Aur main kuch nahin kar paa raha hun.'' Munna's voice choked as he uttered the lines.
"Nayi jagah hai to sabko problem hoti hai adjust karne mein.Aur upar se agar apne hi paraye honge to kathinai aur bhi badh jaati hai.Par mujhe viswas hai ki Sameer jaroor sab kuch par kar lega ''Swati consoled with an air of optimism swirling around the air they both breathed in.
"Par wahi nahin kar paa raha hai wo.Tune kal radio pe suna uski baat? Kal uski khat bhi mili.Bhag raha hai wo khud se ,aur apno se.Humse dur chala jaaye to phir bhi hum bardasht kar lenge lekin Naina? Uss bechari ka kya galti hai.Main keh raha hun Pandit tere ankhon mein to anshoo mein phir bhi dekh sakta hun lekin bhabhi ke ankhon mein nahin.Naina ki chehre ki wo udasi mujhe sab bata rahi hai.'' A fresh batch of tears rolled down his eyes which he tried wiping with back of his hand.
"Aise rone se koi fayda nahin hai Munna.Tum tut jaoge to Pandit ko koun sambhalega aur tumhe to yeh bhi pata hai ki Naina ki taakat aur bharosha ab tum dono hi ho yahan.Tum aise pareshan aur udas rahoge to Naina to aur bhi pareshan ho jayegi na.Tum samajh rahe ho na? ''Swati asked as she passed her handkerchief to Munna to wipe away the leaking tears.
"Sab samajhta hun.Par wo Sameer ko koun samjhayega? Phone kiya to phone pe baat nahin ho paayi.Chithi likha to jawab aaya teen line mein.Jhootha ban gaya hai Delhi jaake.Baatein bana raha hai.Bol raha hai bilkul thik hai,khush hai.Main gadha zaroor hoon lekin itna bhi nahin ki uske anshoon ko nahin pehchan paunga.Uske dard samajh nahin paunga.Man to kar raha hai phir se Delhi jaake khinch ke phir se ek thappad laga dun''.Munna voiced out not realising the slip.
"Phirse thappad matlab? ''Swati asked bewildered.
"Wo...kuch nahin.Shaam ho rahi hai tum jao.''Munna asked as he got up to walk away from the peepal tree.
"Munna!Tumhein meri kasam.Sab sachi sachi batao.Tumhe mere wada ke upar bharosha nahin hai?''Swati asked crossing her arms while all Munna wanted was to run away.
"Wo badal lene laga tha Pandit..Delhi wala Sameer ban raha tha wo.Pata nahin kis daldal mein mera bhai phas gaya hai.''Munna spoke in utter despair throwing his heads upward to the skies.
"Tum phir se Delhi jao.Nahin to Amrita se baat karo.Shayad kisine kuch keh diya hoga use.Baat jo bhi hai mujhe maloom bhi hai aur yakin bhi ki wo ab bhi tum logon se utna hi pyar karta hai jitna karta tha.Wo tut gaya hai lekin tum to uski sahara ban sakte ho na.Dil ke rishte nazuk hote hein kamzor nahin''.Swati spoke and as if driven by an involuntary will slowly caressed his back.
With her action he could feel the tension in his own body, the effort of holding back, of not pulling her against him and hugging her tight.Before he could be strength of pillar to somebody he needs a strength of pillar for himself.Each mortal is selfish,broken and vulnerable and he was no different.
His muscles at back went taut and hardened.Swati marvelled at the thought that though she made fun of him but nonetheless she could not stop blushing with the moment they were sharing.And she knew he needed to be comforted,to be pampered and to be felt 'unique'.Not that he pined for it,not that her filmy dimag wanted to recreate some scene..but because he deserved it.
She had nothing to lose but her own inhibitions, fears and limitations.
Without further thinking, she threw her arms around him. He didn't respond for a second, but slowly let an arm drop around her shoulders. He took this one chance, however dangerous and stupid and unwise,his grip tightened around her and he hugged her the way he had thought he would never, in his life, be able to hug her again.
Not that it mattered.There was no way to hide it. It was too much. He had never wanted like this before... She understood him, laughed when he laughed, saw through the defenses he put up to what was underneath. There was no Munna more real than the one she saw in her eyes when she looked at him... All he knew was that whatever he had to owe to Hell or Heaven for this chance, he was going to make it count.
His grip loosened as she rested her head against his chest and smiled coyly.She smiled realizing how both of them have been instrumental in other's love stories.Not a moment they have had for them to think about their own relation.To make any conclusive discussion about bandar and frock wala Pandit's future course.
They have not confessed yet both felt fulfilled'.Something can only be felt at heart. She felt the heartbeats that sounded like a lullaby and he looked at the eyes which assured him that the world is not such a bad a place yet every time he stare into them.
When they finally pulled back, a silver blush painted his cheeks. And she could feel her own blood run hot beneath her skin, pounding in her ears.
"Pandit!Chal ghar chalet hein.Sham ho rahi hai.'' Munna spoke as he lifted the school bag not meeting her gaze.
"Tum Sameer se baat karne ki koshish karte rehna.Karo wada.Aur haan ek nayi shuruwat se pehle thoda mitha ho jaaye.Yeh lo Gulab jamun.'' Swati smiling said as she passed her stainless tiffin to him.
"Kiya wada.Yeh gulabjamun to bade mast hein Pandit! Aur hai? ''Munna asked licking his fingers.He was back to his own goofy and fun loving self.
"Ab to nahin hai.Kal le aaungi.Waise aise bandar jaise sakal hi tumhe suit karta hai. ''Swati spoke and Munna broke into fits of laughter.
"Aye Pandit! Tu aise gulab jamun laya kar main tere liye Taj Mahal le aaunga.'' Munna assured playfully earning a hit from Swati.
"Jhoothe!'' Swati mouthed as both paddled away with riveting promises they made to each other.To bring happiness back into their loved ones life.Bring happiness back in their lives.
Some things you don't have to promise. You just do.
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P.S.:Thank you for reading. 😃Would love to read all your feedback.😳
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