FF It's complicated||DISCONTINUED|| IMP NOTE-pg86 - Page 11

Abhi looked at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time, where was Shan? He looked at the door again, promising himself that if Shan doesn't show up in another two minutes he will go to Khanak and Shan's bedroom and tear the door open if he has too...

'Abhi kya baat hai? Jaldi bol!' shan yawned, ' mujhe bahut neend aa rahi hai...'

'tujhe meri neend ki koi phikar hai jo mein teri neend ki phikar karoon?! Tujhe thoda sa bhi andaza hai ki mujhe tum dono ki itni phikar ho rahi thi! I gave you ten missed calls Shan ! TEN!'

Shan looked at his friend, and tried to suppress his smile, Abhi and his melodramatic moments! Shan thought to himself as he shook his head and sat on the chair which was next to him.

'Shan tu sun bhi raha hai!'

'ha meri maa mein sun rahan hoon...' shan laughed at the joked he had cracked but stopped as he saw Abhi scathingly looking at him.

'tujhe jokes maarne ki padi hai... tujhe thoda sa bhi andaza hai ki yahan kitni baadi problem create ho gayi thi tere knight in shining armour act se!'

Shan raised his brow.

Abhi looked at him and raised his arms in defense, ' don't get me wrong, Khanak ko defend karna was super cool, aur usske baad I am proud of you at a whole new improved level... but. But you should have stayed in the party, to see through the consequences of your act. Not that koi terko kuch bolta... infact uncle and Akshay bhai were quite impressed. But Aunty and Khushboo bhabhi wooh! I mean dude!' Abhi put his one hand on his hip and the other in his hair and pretended to flick it, and mimicked Khushboo, ' humari kitti party ka sawal hai, ab hum kya karenge! Uss gawar ke liye ... uff mom i tell you!'

Shan laughed, 'don't let Khushboo bhabhi see you warna...'

'Shan mujhe apni zindagi bahut pyaari hai!'

They both started laughing, ' and mom? Unka kya reaction tha?' asked shan

'oh man! Itne sare abbreviations aur shortforms meine apni zindagi mein nahi sunne!' he put his hand on his waiste again, ' Uff Sunil... Shan uss MD ke saath rehte rehte kitna LS ho gaya hai, usse AYM ki tarah act kar kar uss DID ko defend karne ki kya zaroorat thi! Uff...'

Shan laughed hard, ' MD?AYM? DID?'

Abhi mimicked Madhvi while answering shan , 'uff Shan! Tum bhi na ... itna bhi nahi jaante! MD! Arrey Miss Dhulwadi, AYM matlab Angry young man, and DID, damsel in distress silly!'

They both laughed harder.

Abhi looked at Shan, ' but on a serious note, Shan yaar Natasha bahut upset thi , waise bhi woh insecure rehti hai with Khanak being your wife. Mujhse bhi gussa thi, meine usse jhoot bola tha aur sach usse Khushboo bhabhi se pata chal gaya...'

'I know but... Khanak bahut upset thi yaar! Woh roh rahi thi... she actually agreed with those women! Mein usse uss tarah nahi dekh sakta tha. I just had to do something! Aur uss waqt kuch bhi Khanak se zayaada important nahi tha.' Shan took a deep breath and looked at Abhi, ' Khanak needed me, in her entire life, for the first time she needed someone so badly and it was me, it was me Abhi...'

Abhi smiled, 'I know... meine dekha tha tum dono ko... i understand, Khanak ko uss waqt ek dost ki zaroorat thi, and i know Natasha will understand too. Ab tu jaa jakar so ja.'

Shan nodded, ' thanks man.' He stood up and walked away.

Abhi looked at his friend going away, he recalled seeing Shan and Khanak in the parking lot, he recalled how Shan hugged her, how he in his own style had comforted her. He then recalled seeing Shan holding a sleeping Khanak in his arms and looking at her that way... what way? He thought to himself. He took a deep breath and raked his hands through his hair and turned to the railing. 'Shan and Khanak... Khanak and Shan ... he whispered to himself.

He had known Shan for almost all his life. They had always been inseparable, he knew Shan as well as he knew himself, and one thing he knew for sure about Shan was that he never, in all his life did something so caring and considerate for anyone other than his loved one's as he had done for Khanak. He had perhaps gone many steps ahead for Khanak, insulting those women, especially knowing that they were Madhvi aunt's best friends...

He recalled that moment, he recalled the anger that had flashed through Shan's eyes. It was no ordinary anger, he thought to himself.

'Kya Khanak aur Shan? Is there a possibility of something more than a friendship? Kya Shan, Khanak se pyaar kar sakta hai? Aur Khanak? Kya woh shan se...' he shook his head , ' mein pata nahi kya kya sooch raha hoon! Shan Tashu se pyaar karta hai...'

He shut his eyes and recalled shan's words ... "uss waqt kuch Khanak se zayaada important nahi tha...Khanak needed me .... she needed someone so badly and it was me, it was me Abhi..."

'there was something there... something...'

He had vulnerability in Shan's voice, he had never seen Shan vulnerable, he had always been the cool, confident one... But Khanak made him vulnerable.

Abhi smiled, ' Shan tu kabhi kissike liye itna concerned nahi tha, kabhi kissi ki maafi ke liye itna desperate nahi tha, kissi ko support den eke liye itna ready nahi.' Abhi recalled the time Tashu had cried when she had not been able to get into her dream college, she had been devastated, Shan had wanted to be there for her, but he didn't know what to do exactly. But with Khanak, it had looked like he just knew what exactly she had wanted. The tight hug... the consoling words... the distracting fight... the beach...

Abhi smiled, 'maybe, just maybe... Shan and Khanak... but phir Natasha ka kya hoga? Aur mera iss sab mein kya role hai? Mein Tashu aur Shan ko saath rakhu... unki relationship mein help karoon? Yaa Khanak aur Shan ko paas laon? Yaa sab kuch waqt par chodh du?'

He sighed and smiled, 'Wow! It's complicated.'