Jassi is standing by the window of her room, looking dreamily at the fields outside. Armaan enters and stops a little way inside, gazing fondly and contentedly at her, drinking in her serenity and fulfillment.š³
She turns around suddenly and catches him staring.
"Kya hua?" she admonishes, her eyes full of mischievous inquiry.
Armaan: (sighing) Main soch raha thaā¦..kya yeh wahi secretary hai jo ek cockroach se darr kar meri bahoon mein bhag kar aa gayi thiā¦.jo mujhe dekhte hi koi na koi ajeeb harkat kar baithti thiā¦ā¦jo chupke-chupke mere sapne dekhti thiā¦.. (comes closer and gathers her in his armsš) ā¦..aur aaj wahi secretary, mere saare sapne khud mein samete hue haiā¦.?
She snuggles her head on his shoulder. "Tumhi ne toh mujhe badal diyaā¦..mere soye armaan jaga diyeā¦.mujhe pyaar karna sikha diyaā¦ā¦"
His grip tightens on her shoulders (don't miss the digging fingers!š). "Nahin Jassiā¦.badla toh tumne mujhe haiā¦.nahin toh main kya thaā¦..ek selfish insensitive jerkā¦.jiske liye pyaar sirf ek khel thaā¦."
She lifts her head and looks impishly at him. "Waise Armaan Suri, tumhari ek baat toh ab bhi nahin badliā¦.."
Armu: (eyes widening) Kyaā¦?
Jassi: Tumhe abhi bhi,important baatein yaad rakhne ke liye apni secretary ki zaroorat haiā¦ā¦bhool gaye na, kal subah hamne shehr jaana haiā¦.mere check-up ke liyeā¦?
Armu gives a start and mutters "Damn! Main sachmuch bhool gaya thaā¦ā¦" He quickly releases her. "I'm sooo sorry Jassiā¦..main abhi jaa ke, car ko start kar ke aata hunā¦nahin toh subah-subah problem ho jayegiā¦ā¦"
He rushes out like a flustered little boy. She gazes after him in amusement.
Next morning:
Armaan starts the car and waits for everyone to get in: Jassi, Amrit and Ila in the back, Vedika, squirming excitedly, next to him. As a rather nervous Billu and the other unperturbed family members wave, they set off in a cloud of dust.
A while later, Armaan's phone begins to ring. Jassi, who is cradling it in her lap, looks at it and tells Armaan, "Raj ka phone hai."
Armu pulls over and takes the call. "Hello Rajā¦..kaisa hai?"
Raj: (anxiously) Yaarā¦.mujhe tujhse bahut zaroori baat karni haiā¦.
Armu: Anything special? Main Jassi ko town le ja raha hunā¦.tests ke liyeā¦.
Raj: I understandā¦..lekin yeh baatā¦ā¦
Suddenly Armaan can hear only static. He bellows, "Helloā¦.helloā¦.!" but it seems the connection has been lost.
Raj gazes at his phone in exasperation. "Lagta hai, phir signal gaayab ho gayaā¦..ab main Armaan ko CJ waali baat kaise bataun?"
They arrive at one of the big hospitals of Amritsar, where Jassi has her appointment. The four crowd anxiously into the doctor's cabin while Jassi is undergoing her tests. Even the staff seems amused and a little touched by their concern.
The doctor arrives and smiles. Everything is fine, she says (Armaan squeezes Jassi's shoulders in delight) but, considering the advanced stage of her pregnancy, it is better that Jassi should not take the flight home. Instead, the doctor advises, she should deliver the child in Amritsar itself.
They all look at each other, taking in this new development. Their mutual silence is broken by the ring of Armaan's phone. He picks it up and sees that it is Raj's number. He frowns as he remembers that Raj had been trying to tell him something important. "Aakhir baat kya hai?"
He goes off to one of the secluded corners of the hospital and receives the call. "What's the matter Raj? Sab theek hai na?"
Raj: (grimly) Not quite. Thank God, tera phone lag gayaā¦..lagta hai town mein signal catch kar gaya. Lekin pehle yeh bata, Jassi theek hai na?
Armu: Haanā¦..woh theek haiā¦.lekin doctors keh rahe hain ki uski delivery yahin ho toh achcha haiā¦..
Raj heaves a huge sigh of relief. "Good good! Main tujhse yahi kehne wala thaā¦..ki tu kuch time tak, Jassi aur uske baby ko Mumbai se door rakhā¦..! Unka yahaan aana safe nahin haiā¦.."
Armaan: (alarmed) Raj yeh tu kya keh raha haiā¦ā¦.aakhir baat kya hai?
Raj: (slowly) Armaan, mujhe CJ ke baare mein kuch aur baatein pata chali haiā¦.usne sirf Raghav ka hi nahin, kisi aur ka bhi khoon kiya haiā¦..aur shayad Anuj Shastri ka bhiā¦ā¦humne jitna socha tha, usse zyada dangerous hai yeh adamiā¦.issliye main nahin chahta ki tum log itni jaldi waapas aayoā¦.pehle main iss baat ko zara investigate kar lunā¦.
Armu: Lekin Raj, CJ toh jail mein haiā¦ā¦wo ab hamara kya bigaad sakta haiā¦.?
Raj: Shayaad nahinā¦..par Armaan, Jassi ne hi usse jail pahunchaane mein police ki madad ki thiā¦.agar wo itna dangerous hai, toh who jail mein rehte hue bhi usse badla lene ka plan bana sakta haiā¦.tu please meri baat maan, aur kuch time wahin rehā¦..
Armaan looks thoughtful as he puts the phone down. "Is it possibleā¦.ki abhi bhi koi hamara dushman hai?"š
Monday: Family discussion
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
