Set the night before the Soraj and IshqixMayank weddings. I wanted a more relaxed atmosphere (but sanskaari bc Sarla and Dadi) when it was just social hour. And before that conversation when Ahaan pinned her to that wall and asked "Tumhe kuch kehna hai?" - which is really where most of my frustration began with these two. Because communication jaisi toh KOI CHEEZ HI NAHIN HAI NA. Communication? Woh kis chidiya ka naam hai?
Suggested song- Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin (disclaimer- I don't own the song, or the show, or the characters. Just what my brain comes up with during the odd hours of the night. That's all mine)
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“Sonu, tujhe baat karni hi hogi. Bas bol de. Raj ko nahin toh AVM ko toh bataade!” She and Sonu had been going around in circles with the same conversation for the last 30 minutes while everyone sat around mingling, the night before both weddings were supposed to take place. She was adamant that someone had to be told that Sonu was being blackmailed, but Sonu JUST WOULDN’T LISTEN.
‘Khaandani trait hai kya? Itna adiyal hona? Iska bhai toh hai hi, ab yeh bhi. Mummy, ab aap hi batao kya karna hai.’ She looked to the sky for patience and...anything that could help her get through Sonu’s hard head.
“Ishqi, maine kaha na nahin. Bhaiya ko pata chala toh bhukamp aa jaayega aur mujhe confirm pata hai ki woh mujhe hi blame karenge. Aur agar Raj ko bataya toh uski mummy ko pata chal hi jaayega. I just know it. Chodo na Ishqi. Bas humein pata lagana hai ki yeh cheap insaan hai kaun.”
‘Did this girl not have any other arguments? Kuch bhi. Anything.’
“Magar Sonu, kabhi na ka-”
Sonu stood abruptly, “Suniye, suniye, suniye! Since aaj hum sab yahan gathered hain aur since Ishqi ne haldi ke function ke liye surprise ready karne mein meri itni help kari thi, toh maine socha, kyun na uski taraf se, Mayank ko ek surprise dia jaaye?”
Ishqi pulled her down aggressively by her sleeve and spoke through a forced smile, gritting her teeth, “Sonu, tu kya kar rahi hai? Humaari baat khatam nahi hui hai abhi.”
Sonu hissed back, “Toh main baat khatam kar rahi hun. Mujhe ab iss topic pe baat nahin karni.” Straightening back up, she continued, “Aap sabko nahin pata, aur do din tak toh mujhe bhi nahin pata tha, ki humaari Ishqi is a fantastic singer! Woh toh maine madam ko gaate huye sun liya tha chori chori, toh yeh pakdi gayi.”
Ishqi’s face paled. She pulled her best friend back down, “Sonu nahin. Please nahin. Tu yeh nahin kar sakti.”
Sonu grinned and faced the gathered family once again, while talking into the microphone but speaking to the woman sitting at her side “Ji haan, main yeh kar sakti hun. Toh, iski chori pakdi gayi. Uske baad, maine iski dusri chori bhi pakdi. Well, main kehti hoon pakdi, but I went to her room and found her songwriting book.”
Ishqi was pleading now, “Sonu, nahin.”
“Sonu chup kar.”
“Sonu main bol rahi hoon ruk jaa.”
And was promptly ignored.
“Ab Ishqi ek sweet sa song perform karegi, for all of us here. Jab maine yeh song read kiya, toh I felt that there was real emotion in it and uss song ka jo bhi inspiration hai na, must be very dear to Ishqi. So ab, Ishqi yeh song hum sab ke liye perform karegi!”
It was exasperating what she let Sonu Malhotra get away with. But not this. She wasn’t going to do this. Nope. She was going to stay glued to her chair, even if she had to use Fevicol to stick herself to it.
Then, she heard the first notes of the song start-up and her eyes immediately shot to find his. Oooh no. Oh no.
‘Sonu. Yeh waala kyun? Poori book mein at least pacchis gaane likhein honge, par nahin. Yeh waala hi choose karna tha. Ise likha hi kyun maine? Chalo likha toh likha. Jab mauka mila, jalaa kyun nahin dia? Ya samundar mein bahaa deti. Yah gadh deti zameen mein. Par nahin. Senti banna tha na. Toh ab ban. Laga di na Sonu ne teri, woh bhi sabke saamne. Iss gaane par toh dil hi mukarne nahin dega. Satyanaas ho.’
With a heaving sigh and a sharp look at her soon-to-be ex-best friend, she muttered her way up to the stage. She heard Sonu’s passing words of “ab hua na topic khatam.”
‘Aur bol. Aur apna mooh khol aur kisi ki help karne ki koshish kar. Agli baar se apni salaah na apne paas hi rakhungi. Iss baar yeh naubat aayi hai, agli baar pataa nahin kya karna pad jaaye’
Alright then. She could do this.
Not like she had a choice, but whatever. Sonu was dead to her.
*music*
Maana ke hum yaar nahin
Lo tay hai ke pyaar nahin
Her hands shook ever so slightly as she clutched the microphone to her chest. This was terrifying. It was like opening herself up in front of a bunch of strangers and laying everything bare.
Phir bhi nazrein na tum milaana
Dil ka aitbaar nahi
There was an almost magnetic pull that was forcing her eyes away from where they had been boring into the floor. She knew what she would find if she looked up. And yet, there was no preventing it
Maana ke hum yaar nahi…
Their eyes clashed and she was almost taken aback at the confusion and question in his. She wasn’t sure why but once their eyes connected, it felt like they were the only two people in the entire courtyard. Nobody but them, and she was singing directly to him. Because of course, she was. He was the muse after all. Their journey until now had been a tumultuous one. But here they were, finally civil and tolerant. Even friendly, but barely.
Raaste mein jo milo toh
Haath milaane ruk jaana
She may have been marrying Mayank, and he was with Rhea, but they would meet often, seeing as her husband-to-be was his best friend. She had promised that she would never be the cause of a rift between them and she meant to follow through. But she was bound to bump into him alone every now and then. And without their life partners, she hoped that this tentative friendship that they had built would blossom, or at least stay
Saath mein koi ho tumhare
Door se hi tum muskaana
She was hit with the memory of his rescue of her from the lift that left her winded. It was that day, when she began to get an inkling of something brewing between them after seeing his relieved smile. He had ticked the last point on her list with ease. He had ticked all of them with ease. But the last one mattered the most to her.
Lekin muskaan ho aisi
Ki jisme ikraar nahi
That day, it might have been Rhea his arms were around, but his eyes and distant smile spoke to her. There would be no more of that from tomorrow on. Their smiles would be polite. Reserved. The many things they had left unsaid would remain that way.
Nazron se na karna tum bayaan
Woh jis’se inkaar nahi
There would be no more silent conversations. No more listening to the things she never voiced out. There would be no more understanding or acknowledging pain just by looking in each others’ eyes.
Phool jo band hai panno mein
Tum usko dhool bana dena
Baat chhide jo meri kahin
Tum usko bhool bataa dena
She could count on the fingers of two hands the number of times this man had uttered her actual name. Two syllables. But apparently, it was too hard for him. He never liked to bring her up in conversation and avoided her in person. But she was bound to be a topic when the two best friends talked. Would he say her name when their ambiguity ended?
Lekin wo bhool ho aisi
Jis’se bezaar nahin
Would he get annoyed if someone mentioned her like he does now? Would he immediately break out a ‘What the fudge’? Or get that look on his face that spelled exasperation, annoyance, and irritation all at one? Or would he be unaffected? Would he distance himself from it all?
Tu jo soye toh meri tarah
Ik pal ko bhi karaar nahin
Something had shifted that day between them, after his rescue. After that final checkmark. If she was honest, something had shifted on Holi. It just took her until the final checkmark was in place to acknowledge it. Was he just as restless as her when he slept? There were nights when she’d seen him wandering around, mainly because she’d been doing the same. A strange restlessness filled her through the night as if trying to give a sign.
Maana ki hum yaar nahi…
The final notes came to a close and applause suddenly flooded her ears as if a dam had burst open. And yet, their eyes never wavered from each other. Did he know? Could he tell? Had she been transparent or had the song? There was a set in his jaw that reminded her of every time he decided he wanted answers and would not take no for an answer. A set in the jaw that Sonu had inherited.
Damn these Malhotra siblings.
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yeh lo. Jo bola tha, woh ho hi gaya. Ghante lage, par phoot phoot ke bahar aane waali fic ko maine likh daala😆 Piece 1 of 3 done
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Arjun
Cricket
3