Link to Ami Je Tomar ....part 1:
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/889376/ami-je-tomar-im-yours-kyph-pt26-pg150
Part 27/pg 1
pt 31/ pg 20
pt. 35/ pg 36
pt. 39/ pg 57
pt 45/ pg 95
AJT PART 27
Finally after a whole round of hugs and felicitations and bouquets, she turned to Angad: Chalo, wahan jaakar baat kartey hain! ........she pointed to the corner of the stage.
Angad followed her quietly......she still clutched his Rajnigandhas to her breast. They stopped behind the wings .and turned towards each other.
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She led him up the steps to a secluded corner of the stage, hidden by the wings. Three pairs of eyes followed them with varying degrees of jealousy and suspicion.
They turned to face each other. His eyes drank in her splendid beauty in the dance costume. Her eyes lowered self-consciously at the light of admiration shining in his....her painted red fingertips clutched the Rajnigandha stems. His hands joined hers to caress the stems.........she trembled slightly as though he had touched her wildly beating heart instead of the flowers.
Kripa !
Angad !
Both spoke up at once! They laughed together.
Pehley tum kaho! .his husky voice gently teased her.
Thanks! she smiled sweetly..... Main tumhey shukriya kehna chahti thi.......yeh phool jo tumney bhejey uskey liye.......she looked puzzled: lekin tumhey kaisey pata chala yeh merey favorite phool hain?
Jab koi dil ke kareeb ho toh uski pasand-napasand ka pata chal hi jaata hai...... his words made her tremble inside, she drew a sharp breath, her eyes fell again before his, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks.
Angad continued with deep affection : Really Kripa, aaj toh tumney stage per jadoo kar diya. You were SUPERB! MINDBLOWING!
Thanks! she smiled up at him in genuine delight.
Aur ab toh tum TV per bhi dikhogi..You are a TV star now! .he teased her.
She giggled: Haan, aisey program TV per dikhaney se hi koi star ban jaata hai kya?
Wo toh pata nahin lekin merey liye tum Superstar ho! ..Really! You were amazing! Tumhari talent ka jawaab nahin!
Kripa laughed: Ab bass bhi karo..mujhey asmaan per mat chadhao!.
Tumhey main aasman per hi dekhna chahta hoon, Kripa! Im sure ek din tum bahut famous banogi! Aur main tumhari autograph leney ke liye line mein khada rahoonga.
She arched her eyebrows at him: Tumhey line mein khadey honay ki kya zaroorat? Tum toh sabsey aagey ho!
Her coquettish reply thrilled him..he grasped her free hand resting on the flowers: Kripa, kya tum kal mujhsey mil sakti ho?
A shiver passed through her at his warm touch : Kahan?
Mainey jo flat pasand kiya hai wahan?..main tumhey flat dikhana chahta hoon. Ab humarey paas zyada waqt nahin..dus din baad Studio ka kaam shuru ho jayega. Tumhey bhi apna Dance class shift karna padega. Isliye main chahta hoon tum wo flat dekh lo jo merey Agent ne dhoonda hai. ..
Of course main aaoongi! Kripa's eyes sparkled with excitement. Thanks, Angad! Tumney merey liye, humarey school ke liya itna sab kuchh kiya, main kaisey tumhari shukriya adaa karoon!
His eyes shone with affection.: Apnon se Thanks nahin kahaa jaata, Kripa! ........his large palm engulfed her fingers possessively :Dosti ka farz banta hai ke main tumhari madad karoon. Aur meri vajeh se tumhey shift karna pada.......sorry toh mujhey kehna chahiye!
Kripa pressed his hand with hers, smiling up at him : Doston mein sorry bhi nahin chalta. Tumhari koshish hi tumharey neik iraadon ka bayaan karti hain!
Toh phir kal subah gyarah bajey Om Namah ke baahar miltey hain, alright?....then he remembered: Oh-Ho kal toh tumhara Dance class hai na?
She shook her head, smiling: Nahin, nahin, kal mainey bachchon ko chhutti de dee......sabney itni mehnat kee hai iss program ke liye......isliye no class tomorrow! Im free!
GREAT! He grinned, pressing her fingers.....Tab toh tum kal merey saath Lunch per aa rahi ho?..bolo tumhey Chinese pasand hai ya Italian ya Indian?
Uh-huh! She shook her head..Kal meri treat hai.....main tumhey Bengali Restaurant mein le jaana chahti hoon! "Authentic Bangla food".Bolo manzoor hai? .she looked at him challengingly.
Mujhey tumhari har baat manzoor hai! His amorous look threw her off kilter: Aur waisey bhi mujhey Bangla food bahut pasand hai. ..his lopsided, meaningful smile melted her inside. She struggled to control her suddenly erratic breathing.
Their cozy behind the scenes tete-a-tete was interrupted suddenly. Prithvi's head popped up beside the partition: Kripa, sab kuchh theek toh hai na? ..his eyes surveyed Angad suspiciously, with a strange hostility in them.
Kripa quickly snatched her fingers away from Angad's grip......before Prithvi could notice the intimate joining of their hands.
Kuchh nahin,.Prithvi Da. Don't worry! Sab kuchh theek hai! Hum buss naye building ke baarey mein discuss kar rahey the.
Angad gnashed his teeth in irritation...... Yeh Banda yahan bhi aa tapka? Aur kisiko parwah nahin, lagta hai yeh kuchh zyada hi Protective hai apney cousin ke baarey mein..
He pasted a fake smile: Yes, Mr. Prithvi.......hum Dance school ke baarey mein zaroori baatein kar rahey the! Toh Kripa?.Kal ka program fix hai?
Kripa smiled and nodded: Ekdum pukka.
Chalo, main tumhey apney behen se milata hoon.....Angad put a proprietary hand under her elbow and led her out into the crowds again, leaving a visibly snubbed Prithvi behind.
He took her to Aaliyah and introduced the two ladies to each other: Allie, meet Kripa, ..Kripa, this is Aliyah, my cousin. CU mein Journalism padhti hai!
Aliyah clasped Kripa's hand affectionately: Its so great to finally meet you, Kripa! Bhai se tumhari itni tareefein suni thi .aaj pata chala tum ussey bhi better ho..You were absolutely amazing, spectacular!
Kripa blushed, her eyes darting towards Angad consciously: Thanks! Aapkey Bhai aur aap .both of you are too kind! Main itney tareef ki bhi haqdaar nahin!
Kyun nahin? You are being modest! You know you were great up there. And please don't call me Aap..main Bhai se chhoti hoon, isliye rishtey mein tumsey bhi chhoti hoon na?. ..Aliyah hinted at a future alliance between them, which made Kripa even more embarassed.
Wo main...main..theek hai.tumko tum hi kahoongi.
Kartik, Raj, Mishti, Josh and Harshini joined them.
Kartik clapped Kripa on her back and hugged her shoulders fondly : DAROON, Shona! Aaj toh tuney kamaal kar diya! TV per tera program dikhayengey......main jaanta tha ek din meri behen star banegi!
Kripa laughed: Dada, tease mat karo......main koi star vaar nahin hoon. Please tum sab mujhey itna upar mat chadhao. Girney ka darr rehta hai!
Mishti smirked : Haan, isey aur mat chadhao......waisey bhi iska sar duguna ho gaya hai. Kahin phat na jaye!
Kripa pouted in mock anger: Didi.....mera sar tumharey sar se ab bhi chhoti hai! Naapkar dikhaoon? ..she giggled.
Aliyah nudged him, whispering: Itna mat dekho, bechari sharmaa rahi hai"
Raj sidled up to Kripa again: Ms. Basu, you didn't accept my gift yet?..please take this! Aapka performance lajawab tha ! You were amazing!
Kripa took the gift box in her hand and opened it......inside was a gold chain with a ruby pendant.
Raj jee, Im really sorry, main itna keemti gift nahin le sakti! ..she clamped her lips and returned the gift to a dejected Raj. Merey liye phool hi kaafi hain! ..her sideways look at Angad melted his heart, she prized the flowers sent by him over any other gift!
But she noticed Raj's despondence and relented: Mr. Malhotra, agar aap kuchh dena hi chahtey hain toh hamarey school ke liye donation de saktey hain. Main bachchon ko gifts khareed doongi. They deserve it ..they worked really hard!
Raj grinned : Sure! Main kal Kartik ke haathon check bhej doonga!
Josh, who had been silently observing Kripa and Angad's eyelocks, suddenly spoke up: Guys! Kyun na hum iss Program ke success ki khushi mein ek party rakhein? Kal raat ko Calcutta Club mein? ..what say?
Mishti clapped excitedly: EXCELLENT IDEA! We can have a blast! Kripa, kya khayal hai?
Josh quickly winked at Angad: YES! We will have dance, music, masti..COME ON GUYS, ITS PARTY TIME! Kripa, please don't say no!
Kripa smiled graciously: Alright! Lets do it ! Waisey bhi kal meri class off hai.
Angad smiled gratefully at Josh.....he knew Josh was helping him woo Kripa. A party, song and dance.....thats what he needed to succeed in his mission!
Harshini chirped joyfully: YESS! Lets have a party! Mish.....chal, hum apney college ke doston ko bhi bulatey hain.
Raj piped up hopefully: Hey Man! Can I come too?
Of course Yaar! Kartik slapped his back: Meri behen ki party hai aur tu nahin aayega? Josh, u don't mind, do you?
Josh laughed: Of course not! U guys can bring anyone u want to! All are welcome!
Kripa turned to Aaliyah: Tum aaoogi na? Zaroor aana..Angad ke saath.
Allie laughed, tossing her hair: Of course, Kripa! I will come and so will Anitah! She loves parties!
Kripa looked confused: Anitah?....
Angad flushed with deep embarassment: Im sorry, Kripa! Wo baat yeh hai ke hum jab bhi miltey hain School ya Studio ke baarey mein baat kartey hain. Yes, Anitah meri behen hai.......u will meet her tomorrow!
The interlinked group of friends excitedly planned the party for Sunday night. Kripa's eyes met Angad's in silent communication. Both wished they could spend some more time together before calling it a night. It seems their wish was soon to be granted!
The Program sponsors stepped up to Kripa and handed her a Dinner voucher for 50 people at Tandoor Restaurant.: Ms. Basu, yeh hamarey taraf se aapkey aur aapkey students ke liye ek dinner voucher. Please enjoy it with our compliments. You all did a splendid job!
She was delighted, thrilled to her core and thanked the sponsors profusely for their generosity. The sponsors also handed her a check for 10,000. "Yeh aapkey school ke liye hamari taraf se ek chhota sa tohfa. We hope you will achieve even greater heights in your Art form!"
Thanks! This is really great! Thank you so much!......Kripa was floored and deeply grateful! She could pay 2 months rent for the flat with this money.
She looked around and spotted some of her students still hanging around with their parents. She rushed up to them and asked if they would go to dinner with her. They agreed happily when she showed them the dinner voucher. Kripa soon rounded up most of her students and their parents and they all agreed to go to dinner right away.
Next she asked her parents and friends and they also accepted.
Kripa's parents, Angad, Aliyah, Kartik, Harshini......all accompanied her and her students to dinner at Tandoor.
Josh declined.....he had other plans for the night. The nightclub was calling him with its grinding bodies and funkadelic music and dance.
He whispered to Mishti: Tum bhi merey saath nightclub chalo, mazaa aa jayega!
Mishti whispered back: Main kaisey aaoon? Merey parents yahan hain! How can I leave them? What will I tell them? They don't know about us yet!
Okay! As u wish! Bye, Sweetoo!..he shrugged and left nonchalantly, secretly pleased that she had declined. Sheetal was waiting for him at the Club. She was the perfect bimbo with a big chest and little brains..just ideal for a night of total masti.
Kripa searched for Prithvi to ask him to dinner too, but he had already left with his parents. Damini was angry at Kripa getting all the importance and TV coverage.
Prithvi felt hurt at Kripa's snub so he had quietly left with his mother when she insisted: Chal, Khoka, ghar chal! Yahan hamari koi kadar nahin karta. Ab se tu Kripa ke school ke liye mat gaana. Saara credit usiko milta hai. Na jaaney kya samajhti hai apney aapko wo ladki! Humph!! Hai toh ek mamooli dancer aur aisa behave karti hai jaisey Madhuri Dixit!
A huge group of 70 people entered the Restaurant at 9 p.m. The staff rushed around to accommodate their big party. They were allotted 7 tables of 10. Kripa sat with her parents, Angad and Aaliyah facing them. Throughout the meal, she felt his eyes on her........her face was permanently red as a result of his constant gaze! She barely knew what she ate and answered other's queries absent-mindedly. She was glad the restaurant lights were too dim for her blush to be apparent to others.
She had changed into a red salwar before leaving the Auditorium..to him she looked like a bride, His bride! He could barely wait for tomorrow when he would take her to see the flat.
Kripa's heart palpitated at the thought of being alone with him at the flat: Hey Raam! Agar usney phir se mujhey baahon mein le liya aur .aur choomney laga toh.....toh main kya karoongi? I cant stop him! Uskey chhooney se, uski baaton se naa jaaney mujhey kya ho jaata hai, main apna hosh kho deti hoon! Kal kya hoga?..
Kartik sat beside Aliyah and they discussed motorbikes, cars, cricket, etc. animatedly while popping prawn balls into their mouths! Both loved sports, speed and ..FOOD!
Mishti sat with Harshini, looking miserable, wondering what Josh was doing at the Nightclub. Her instincts told her he was with other girls but she was too infatuated with him to get angry and take action about his infidelity.
Kripa's parents talked to the students and their parents, smiling proudly at their daughter from time to time! She had really lived up to her pledge of making a career out of her Dancing!
The dinner bill exceeded the voucher by a large amount. Kripa, Angad, Kartik and Harshini chipped in to pay the difference. Kripa wanted to pay it herself but they didn't let her. Kartik chided her: Tu chup kar..tu sabsey chhoti hai, tu kyun poora pay karegi? Hum sab milkar share karengey, okay?
Kripa sneaked into Mishti's room and found her on the computer chatting with somebody. She hesitantly asked: Didi, kya tum merey saath chal sakti ho?
Kahan? Mishti turned around in surprise.
Wo.....Kripa's hands twisted together.....Wo main Tollygunge mein ek flat dekhney jaa rahi hoon. Angad ke agent ne dhoond nikala hai.
Toh? Mishti looked at her mockingly......toh phir jaa na?.mujhsey kyun poochh rahi hai? Don't tell me you are nervous about going with Angad? she laughed teasingly.
Nahin..wo baat nahin......Kripa quickly denied the truth: Tum chalogi toh achha hoga.I need a second opinion.Please, Didi, chalo na?.
Okay! Mishti shut down her computer .Lekin merey paas zyada waqt nahin hai......mujhey 12 bajey Harshu ke ghar jaana hai. (which was a lie as she was going to lunch with Josh......a guilty Josh who had called her early morning after a wild night with Sheetal)
Kripa agreed: Phir toh theek hai..tum barah bajey chali jaana......abhi toh chalo na merey saath.
Theek hai, tu wait kar, main abhi tayyar hokar aati hoon? Mishti took out an orange kurti and jeans and flounced off to the bathroom.
She took her own time getting ready while Kripa checked the clock impatiently in the living-room.
The two sisters finally reached Om Namah a quarter after eleven, to find Angad waiting in his car next to the tree. He jumped down as soon as they entered the compound to greet his special guest.
Good Morning, Kripa! .he looked with surprise at Mishti: Oh Hello, Mishti!
She laughed ruefully: Haan, main bhi aa gayi.....Kripa asked me to come. Sorry.
No, you are always welcome! Angad glanced mockingly at Kripa.......so she was nervous about going to the flat with him alone? She looked down self-consciously. He looked so handsome in a white shirt and jeans .her heart was thumping in awareness!
But I will leave at 12......mujhey kahin jaana hai..(Mishti's eyes conveyed that she wont be kabab mein haddi for too long....Angad smirked and nodded)
Kripa blushed and looked away, aware of the unsaid words.....Angad opened the car doors for them: Come on then, lets go! We don't have much time!
Mishti swiftly slid into the backseat..so Kripa had to sit in the passenger seat beside Angad.
She was intensely conscious of Angad beside her as she buckled up......he put on his sunglasses, looking even more dashing..he glanced at her curves jutting out of the seat belt and flushed, looking away.
Flat yahin paas mein hi hai.....he flicked his head at the two ladies.....Agent ne mujhey chaabi de diya hai. So we can just walk in!
He drove to a high-rise apartment building a few blocks south and parked in front..then he led the two girls up the elevator to the 8th floor and stopped in front of a simple door.
He had obtained the key from Haldar already and opened the door for the ladies.
He swept his hand dramatically: Ladies! Here is Kripa's new dance class.Sorry, her interim class for six months.Jab tak Studio ki completion na ho jaye.
Kripa and Mishti entered the flat , looking all around with pleasant surprise. The flat was quite spacious, very airy and bright. It had huge grilled windows on one side which were left open to let in fresh air and light. The Living-room was BIG .Kripa grinned happily, already imagining her dance class in that room. She ran to the bedrooms, excited like a child......there were 2 bedrooms of decent sizes: this can be our music room and this......the practice room for the young kids. Perfect, just perfect! There were 2 bathrooms and a nice kitchen as well.
She ran back to Angad who was standing in the middle of the living-room, smiling expectantly: Oh Angad! This is Perfect! I love it!
Mishti also looked around albeit more carelessly: Its really good! Iska rent kitna hai?
Angad replied: Paanch hazaar.
Really? Mishti looked doubtful but didn't say anything. She found it unlikely that a flat that size would be 5000/month...more like 10,000/month probably. And she was right! Angad had lied to Kripa......so she could afford it without stretching her budget. He knew she was too proud to accept monetary help so he reduced the rent for her.
Kripa was too excited to notice any anomalies about the rent.....she opened the balcony door and stepped out.......a strong breeze greeted her and almost blew away her dupatta. Of course, the balcony had grills so her dupatta got stuck in the grill, she struggled to free it. Angad ran to help her..their hands touched as he released the soft scarf from the grill and wrapped it around her neck. She thanked him shyly.
He glanced back.....Mishti was far away.....he bent close to Kripa's ears and asked: Tum Mishti ko kyun le aayi? Kya tum mujhsey darti ho?.
She bristled up defensively: Huh! Main kyun tumsey daroon? Tum kya koi baagh-bhaloo ho? Apney aapko itna hoshiyaar mat samjho!
Her eyes met his.the warmth in his eyes weakened her knees..he leaned close to her face and asked: Toh phir Mishti ko kyun le aayi?
She stepped back nervously: Main.....main usey bhi flat dikhana chahti thi!
He chuckled softly, his warm breath tickled her neck: Jhoothi! Kya tumhey lagta hai shes interested? Zara dekho usey.
She followed the direction of his eyes. .Mishti was standing in the living-room talking intently on her mobile with somebody.
She turned her head to find his face so close to hers.........she could see the golden flecks in his eyes.
Mishti suddenly called out to them: Angad! Kripa! Mujhey ab jaana hai....tum dono kahan ho?
Kripa quickly extricated herself from his hypnotizing gaze and her hand from his warm hold ........she ran to Mishti: Didi, tum jaa rahi ho?
Haaaaan! ..Mishti smirked: Mainey bataya toh tha, barah bajey Harshu ke ghar jaana hai. Bye Angad! Main chali! You both enjoy the flat!..she quickly winked at Angad and left the flat.
Kripa looked back nervously at Angad: Mujey bhi ab chalna chahiye!
She was moving towards the door.......her hand was suddenly caught in his warm grip: Kripa.....you forgot about our Lunch date? Tum mujhey authentic Bangla khilaney wali thi na?
She turned around slowly..he moved closer to her: Kripa!.......tum mujhsey darti kyun ho? Har baar katraakar bhaagti kyun ho? Kya main tumhey pasand nahin?
She looked down shyly, her heart leaping like a frightened deer: Nahin......wo baat nahin......lekin......
Lekin kya? Kya tum mujhpar bharosa nahin karti? Tumhey merey saath akeley rehney mein darr lagta hai?
Aisi baat nahin hai..she had to tell him the truth then.........she couldn't lie anymore : Actually main apney aap per bharosa nahin karti........she said softly and looked up into his loving eyes: Tum jab paas hotay ho..... meri hosh ud jaati hai.........isliye main darr jaati hoon........main apney aapsey darti hoon, tumsey nahin, Angad! Because I lose my self-control.
He took both her hands in his and gazed deep into her eyes: Iska matlab samajhti ho, Kripa? Humein ek doosrey se pyaar ho gaya hai! Kya ab bhi tum inkaar karogi ke tum mujhey chahti ho?
She shook her head. Her heart was pounding heavily, she felt dizzy. She closed her eyes and leaned the few inches forward into his chest. His arms went around her with deep satisfaction. She was where she belonged.......... in his arms! They hugged each other in a slow embrace. Her arms went around his broad back.......she hid her face in his chest, listening to his thunderous heartbeats, breathing in his spicy, masculine scent!.
YES! She was in love! SHE LOVED HIM! She didn't have any doubts anymore! Agar iss bechaini, iss tadap, iss madhoshi ka naam pyaar nahin toh aur kya ho sakta hai?
He rested his chin on her head, holding her tightly in his arms..........smiling with the greatest happiness in the world.........when two hearts beat as one, in the heavenly feeling called love!
A cool breeze from the open balcony door caressed the two lovers in their quietly passionate embrace!
Tum jo mil gaye ho
Toh yeh lagta hai
Ke jahaan mil gaya
Ke jahan mil gaya?..
Ek bhatkey huey raahi ko
Karvaan mil gaya......
(to be continued) 😳
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pallavi
193