FF: Khamoshiyaan... (chap 37 page 133) - Page 10

CHAPTER 4:

He got down his bus in the early morning. He stretched himself after a long drive. "hey Allahabad... here I come..." he smiled to himself and walked to a stall. "kaka... koi hotel hai kya aaspaas? Kuch din rukne keliye?"

The vendor points to a building a bit far away. He thanks him and goes there to get a room for him. The room was small but comfortable. He just places his rucksack on the floor and falls on the bed and closes his eyes. He had a few more days off, before going back to his life. And he wanted to make use of every single moment now. He takes a nap for a while, without even changing his cloths. He had a long drive from last evening.

***

She was arranging her home when someone knocked her door. "Good morning Di..." said a happy face.

"kya baath hai?? aaj ithne kush?? Aur ithne jaldi bhi agayi?? Kyu??"

"di... kyu ke kya matlab hai. aap hi ne tho kaha tha ke Saturday ko shopping keliye chalthe hai. bhool gaye?"

"are shops ko kholne tho do. Ithne jaldi jaane ke kya zaroorath hai?"

"uffo... aap bhi na?? tho kab ja rahe ho?"

"pehle mujhe fresh hona hai. fir chalthe hai. ok?? Tum kuch khaoge? Kitchen me puri hai. khalo..."

"ok... tho aap aaj kya pehenne wale ho?"

"salwar... obviously"

"aur nahi th kya aap jeans shirt me jaoge?? (she rolls her eyes) waise aap jeans shirt me tho item lagthe hoge..." that makes her get a hit on her head from Aisha.

"chup... kuch bhi bolthe ho."

"di... ouch... mere bhole bhale dimaag ko math maro. Uske isthmal thak teekh tharah se kiya nahi hai meine... bechare mere dimaag..." Swati pats her own head.

Aisha was smiling now. "Swati... you are mad..."

"ya... tell me something new di... ok aaj aap wo baby pink wale salwar pehenoge. Wiase tho aap light colors hi use karthe hai. but it looks great on you."

"jo hukkum mere akka..." she goes to the washroom, while Swathi sits down with a plate of puri and curry in front of tv. They had a plan to shop for the coming competitions.

They got down after an hour to the market region.

***

He was up after a short nap. His stomach was grumbling, so he gave a packet of biscuit to it. "ab chup ho jao... abhi chai bhi denge." He goes to fresh up and comes back in a white cotton shirt and blue jeans. With a small bag on his back and camera hanging in hs neck. He walks off to the market.

He reaches a chai wala. "kaka... Ek special cutting chai please..."

***

She was looking at the silver bangle sets. It looked beautiful. She turned around and saw Swati a few feet back trying some earring at the open region of the stall. She smiled and was ordering a few sets of the bangle. She turned around again and saw a change in Swati's face expression. An anger suppressed deep inside was coming up.

***

He was looking around waiting for the tea. The market seemed interesting. The shops were getting full slowly owing to the weekend. He looked ahead and saw a girl trying an earring. She was moving away a bit annoyed. He saw a man, rough looking casually coming close to her and she looked frightened too. He felt a boil in his chest and moved forward for him.

But then...

A bigger girl came and pushed the little girl behind her and stood in between the girl and the man. He stopped his path seeing that his help was not needed.

The rough man's face showed an expression that read that the lady in between had a piercing look. He wished to see that lady in the baby pink salwar.

He was just a few feet away from the trio, when he heard her strong voice.

"kuch chahiya aapko??" the question had its power, an authority, that made the rough man miss his heartbeat. He nods 'no' slowly and moved away from them. the viewer man wished to clap his hands for the lady's confidence. The little girl was now facing the elder.

"di... wo admi..." her voice was trembling.

"Swati... apna sir ithna bhi math chukao, ke koi waha aake baith jaye...samjhe...?"

The girl nods yes. He smiles again. He wished with his whole heart to see that face once. He was moving to them, when the chaiwala called him back. "beta apke cutting chai..." he turns to the chai wala and then back to the ladies. They were walking off, with the younger girl holding the other one's hand with full faith. He smiles again. "see you later then..." he walks back to the chai wala.

***

Aisha walks with Swati to the shawl store. They were looking for a set of 9 shawls for their group. Swati's eyes fall on a red shawl with silver borders. She gets excited and takes it. "Di... ye dekho..."

Aisha turns and looks at it, her smile fading. "kaise hai di??"

"hm... achi hai"

"di... try karke dekho na..."

"nahi choti... not that one..."

"are Di... aap zid kyu kar rahe ho? ab chup ho jao... aur khade raho..."

She makes her stand infront of a large mirror and puts the red shawl on Aisha's head, covering her hair. "WOW di... you look too good."

She gave a weak smile and looked at the mirror. "you really look good Aisha..." He told her.

***

He took the small glass of tea and sipped it. "WAH kaka... kya chai hai!! maza aagaya!!"

The man smiled at him. "are beta aaj kal aise chai kisse chahiye? Sabko wo machine me button dabane wale chai chahiye. Wo bhi kagaz ke glass me. Na teekh se pakad saktha hai, aur na pisaktha hai"

"teekh kaha apne kaka, mujhe tho yahi pasand hai. wo chai hi kya jinme banane wale hathonke jaadu na ho??" he watched the man making another tea for someone. He looks at the rhythm that the vendor pours the tea from one cup to another keeping both hands at some distance, even without spilling a single drop.

"are wah kaka, ye kaise karthe ho aap?"

"salon ke practice hai beta"

"mien try karu? Please..."

"kyu nahi? Par sambhalke, chai garam hai." he places the tea and bags down and takes 2 glasses. First he try slowly, it was almost success. He is happy and tries again. This time he spills a bit. He gets confident now and tries to copy exactly what the man did. And the result..."OUCH..."

***

The shawl falls from her head to the shoulder bringing her back. She takes it off. "nahi Swati. Ye nahi. Zara ye dekho..." she brings a white shawl with silver handwork embroidery on its border.

"di.. ye bhi achi hai. hamare skirts ke saath match bhi karange..."

***

His left back palm was red now. Almost half the tea was poured on it. the man was applying a cream on his hand. "kaha tha na beta ke chai garam hai? maana kyu nahi?"

"are kaka, agar try nahi karoge tho mujhe kaise patha chalega ke button dabane me aur chai banane mien kya farak hai. ab samajh gaya..."

"apse baath karna mere bas ke baath nahi hai. abhi jal raha hai?"

"ji nahi. Acha ab mien chaltha hu. Aaj bohot ghumna hai. sham ko fir milthe hai. mere liya ek chai bachake rakhna."

"kyu nahi?"

He sips his tea and gives the man a 100 rupee note. "beta sabere sabere chutta dona."

"kaka ye apke chai keliya nhai, apke hathonke jadu keliya hai." he winks and gives the money. He puts his bag and was about to walk away. "kush rehna beta"

He smiles and turns back to him. "wahi koshish kar raha hu kaka... sham ko milthe hai"

He moves ahead looking at the shops and there she was again. And still no face. He walks to the nearby shop, casually looking at the hanging T-shirts.

Ais: kaka aise 9 shawls chahiye. Wo bhi jaldi please.

She was in her sideways, with hair on her cheeks. He wished to push it aside to see that face. He smiled at himself. He looks at the white shawl with silver border. It looked good.

Man: are beti, aap wo laal chunni kyu nahi lethi? Aise 9 tho kya, bohot milege.

He could see her hand lingering on the red shawl for a while. there was a slight shiver in her fingers. She cleared her throat. "nahi kaka, mujhe yahi shawl chahiye...please..."

Man: ok, aap apne mobile number dedijiya. Agar kal sham thak aagaye tho, mien apko bula dunga.

Ais: nahi kaka. Uske zaroorath nahi hai. mien khud aungi.

Man: beti, hum apke number kisiko nahi denge. Aap fikar math kijiye. kyu ithne dur thak aana hai?

Ais: koi bath nahi... mien aajaungi. And please...kisi bhi tharah se mangwa dena... please.

Man: teekh hai. tho kal milthe hai.

She nods and pulls Swati from there. "ab chalo. Ghar jana hai."

"di ice cream please..."

"ok ab chalo..."

"yeah..." Swati walks ahead. She touches the red shawl again and moves out. Again he missed her face.

He walks in to the shawl shop where she left. "who is this girl??" he smiled again.

Man: kuch chahiye apko?

He looks around and takes the same red shawl. "ji mujhe yahi chahiye"

"kyu beta? Kisi khas ladki ko dena hai?"

"abhi thak ladki mili nahi hai. jab milege thab dunga... waise ache selection hai na??"

"bohot badiya hai!! tho pack karu??"

"ha..." he pays for it and places the shawl in his bag and walks off in the other direction.

A few feet away, she was watching Swati eating ice cream, when her eyes fell on the chai wala. He was giving chai to the men aside him. She walks over there. "kaka ek special cutting chai please..."

He pours a glass of tea to her and hands it to her. She sips it silently.

"hm... achi hai na?? ab tumhe bhi iske aadat hogaye??"

"aapke company ke asar jo hai..."

Their minds were talking with a small smile on her lips.

Ek shamma jo hai, is dil me kahi...

Jo bhujegi nahi, inn barishon me kabhi...

[don't search for these lines anywhere... its by silly me...]

CHAPTER 5: PAGE 16