-SS- Tum Pukar Lo Updated Epi Pg 26 - Page 20

EPILOGUE

It has been a year since their return to Bombay and the Khandelwal house since then has experienced some of its happiest times- Shaantanu and Akshay Khandelwal under the guidance of their father have managed the two companies with immense responsibility and success. Khanak has taken up painting and art classes during the day and additionally helps Madhavi and Khusboo in their charities by assisting in organizing all of their fundraising activities. The kitchen however, is still her forte and her fortress, while Shaan seems to have found somewhat of a comfortable footing in the music company; things have begun to settle very well for them.

It is the day before Khanak leaves for Dhulwaadi for her month long teaching stint. Daadi has come from Poona to bless Khanak, however everyone knows she has come to stay for the month to take care of Shaan, her laadla. The house is abuzz with Madhavi instructing Harilal and Dharam to pack lots of things for Khanak's parents and Gopi's family. In the living room, while Daadi, Khanak and Sunil catch up, upstairs Boo gives several instructions to Akshay who shall be accompanying Khanak to Dhulwaadi to monitor the factory but shall return in three days. In the bedroom next to theirs, Shaan is pacing, contemplating and fisting his restlessness.

An irritated Shaan yells for Khanak from upstairs...Khanak runs up and enters the room to find him holding the cupboard door open, Khanak is confused...

Khanak: Arrey aap abhi tak tayar nahin hue, office ke liye late ho rahee hai

Shaan: Mere kapde kahan hai?

Khanak: Kahan hai matlab? Vahee honge... (walks towards the open cupboard), chaliye hatiiye.. (Shaan removes his hand, but moves not an inch, Khanak stands in front of the cupboard with her finger pressed between her lower lip and tip of her chin)'hmmmm'.

Shaan: (watches her with a slow and loving smile and then suddenly irritated, walks away): Tumne saree kyun pehen rakha hai?

Khanak: Oh! Woh! Main Dadi ke saath mandir jaa raheen hoon (removes a shirt),,leejiye

Shaan: (takes and begins to wear it): Achanak Mandir kyun?

Khanak: Achanak nahin... woh main kal Dhulwaadi'

Shaan: (before she can complete): Haan...Haan...pata hain...uske liye saadi pehne ki kya zaroorat hai? Tum kya Dhulwaadi mein bhi saadi pehne waali ho??

Khanak: Kya? Aapko ho kya gaya hai?

Shaan: Kya matlab kya..main sirf itna keh raha hoon ki mandir aur dhulwaadi ke liye, itna sajna kya zaroori hai'

Khanak: (sighs and with a small smile): Theek hai baba, badal deti hoon bas

Shaan: (shuts his eyes, presses his lips, realizes he is being a fool and smirks at himself): Tum utaaro mat'

Khanak: (standing at the entrance of the bathroom, folds her hands and sarcastically): THo phir ab kya karoon?... Nahin utaaroo...

Shaan: (walks towards her, holding his ears): Nahin...

Khanak: (with a smile): Acha...

Shaan: (grabs her when he nears):'Nahin... Main utaarta hoon

Khanak: (completely caught unawares): Shaantanu!!!!......

...breaks away from his hold and starts to run...with him seconds behind her...'hastily unwrapping her saree between them'

Outside their room, the sounds of yelping, giggling and things falling make Khusboo smile, as she gets down the stairs, she spots Dadi walking up the stairs.

Boo: Arrey Daadi...'aap kahan chali?

Dadi: Arrey main Khanak ko boolane jaa rahee thee, hum dono mandir jaane wale the, Dharam Sunil aur Akshay ko office chodke wapas bhi aa gaya hai..

Boo: Chaliye, Daadi, aaj main aapko mandir le jaati hoon..

Dadi and Mad (shocked): KYA??/

Boo: Haan, Mom, in fact main kehtee hoon, teeno chalte hain'

Mad (confused and pointing her hands): Kaun? Hum teen? Sab theek tho hai??

Dadi: Umm...main jaake Khanak ko boolati hoon, tum dono ko kasht uthane ki koyee zaroorat nahin

Boo: (pulling Daadi back): Arrey nahin, Daadi, Khanak ko rehne deejeye, woh upar busy hogee (winks at Mad and Mad has an aha moment)

Mad: Haan haan ...chaliye chaliye... (grins while glancing upstairs)

Upstairs on the disheveled bed, Khanak smiles while resting her head on Shaan's chest, who, is busy rubbing his thumb on her palm and nibbling the fingertips of her right hand. He has a satisfied Cheshire grin on his face while she turns her head and kisses the spot just above the back of his elbow. They realize this lovemaking was one of possession, devoid of romance. It was rushed, rapid yet riveting as always. Shaan holds his Khanak closer and they smile at each other, knowingly.

Khanak: Aapke mizaas bahut rangeele the aaj..kya baat hai?

Shaan: Yaar Khanak tumhari hindi se pata nahin chalta...lekin kya yeh compliment tha?

Khanak: (laughs): Haan..bilkul (and smiles at him)

Shaan: Haaye...killer smile kills me yaar... Khanak, tum kahin bhi jaane se pehle na..'.

Khanak: (suddenly sits up on the bed grabbing the bed sheet around her): Haye ram!!! Mujhe Daadi ke saath mandir jana tha...kya soch rahee hongee...(hitting her head)..hey ram! Uthiye, meri madat kijiye..mujhe tayar hoke jaana hai'

Shaan: (rolling his eyes) and getting off the bed.. (while he puts on his track pants)..Yaar, Khanak, tum bhi yaar, yeh Mandir ki baat chedke sab kuch bigaad deti ho yaar...Seriously!!

Khanak: (with one hand pulling up the mattress and looking around): Shaantanu...pleeeej...mazaak karne ka vaqt nahin hai..meri blouse nahin mil rahee .. dhoondiya na...(after a second of looking around...'kya kar rahe hai? Mila?

Shaan: (with folded hands and a small smile pressed between his lips): Haan...mila na....and with one finger points upwards...

Khanak: (confused): Kya??.... kahaaan? (and then looks upwards)...

And there hanging on one of the three blades of the ISI marked Godrej fan was a red piece of cloth with sleeves off the blade, its dori shying itself on the blade and its mirrors shining onto the faces of the culprits who put it there...

Khanak: Hasiye mat'.

Shaan: (with a tone full of himself) Main has thodi raha hoon Khanak...main tho apna (moving his hand upfront) dukh tumhari oar prakat kar raha hoon

Khanak: (irritated and pointing her hand): Aapki prakat jhakat ki mujhe koyee zaroorat nahin hain,,,samjhe!...bus use wahan se uthariye'

Shaan: Arrey wah! Main kyun utharooo bhai?? Meri thodee hai....jiski hai...woh uthare'

Khanak: (animatedly with a single hand whilst the other holds on to the sheet covering her) Wah! Wah! Jab yoon karke pheka tha...tab kaun tha?

Shaan: (walks towards her) Oh hello, maine pheka wekha kuch nahin,,,okay! Aur anyway, Tum please nahin keh saktee'yaar kaisi teacher banke jaa rahee ho'mujhse poocho tho issse achha tum dhulwaadi jaao hi mat,,,

Khanak: (pointing a finger at him):..Dekhiye... bahut ho gaya... aur phir bhi, aap mujhse lambe hai, aapko utharne mein asaani hogee'

Shaan: (lifting her and placing her on the bed): Yeh lo, ab tum mujhse lambi huyee'

Khanak: (looks up realizes she won't make it, gets off and continues animatedly): Main kyun utharooo...aapne wahan daala hai...aap uthariye...uthariye!!!

Shaan: (makes a hand movement of not happening and turns away)

Khanak: utharo'.

Shaan: (rolls his eyes)

Khanak: (with a frustrated grunt): UTHARIYE'.

Shaan's response is stopped by harilal's voice outside the door'.

Shaan: (walking towards the door): Kya hai Harilal?

Harilal: Jeee woh Khanak madam ko batana tha ki main market ja raha hoon..

Shaan: (still talking through the door): Haan Harilal, tumhari Khanak madam bathroom mei hain, jaane se pehle, Daadi se kehna ki woh tayaar hoke neeche aa rahee hai

Harilal: Jee woh Daadi, badimemsab aur Khusboo madam teeno mandir gaye hain

Khanak holding and dragging her sheet walks towards the door'Shaan smiles at her'

Harilal: Khanak madam kal ja rahee hai na, tho kaafi saman lena hai, thoda time lagega..

Shaan: (puts his arm around his wife's shoulder while she rests her head on it, their spat forgotten) : Acha theek hai Harilal tum jaao' aur'. araam se aao.

Khanak slaps his wrist...and smiles...

Shaan looks at his resplendent wife wrapped in only a bedsheet. While she drops it, puts her arms around him and rests her head on his chest, he holds her and vows this time the lovemaking shall be one of leisure. And true to his word, it is slow, sublime...ending in sanguine savor.

With a week left for Khanak to get back from Dhulwaadi, each are out of their wits. Shaan because his family leaves no stone unturned to not make him miss her, Daadi is at his beck and call, at dinner and breakfast table, there is never a moment of silence. In dhulwaadi, Khanak does not get a breather either, between the school and the supposed urgent errands her mother keeps sending her off to.. they hardly have time to think'let alone of each other. They speak to each other on phone every night and laugh together at their family's antics '.

Shaan: (lying on the bed) Kya keh rahee ho'matlab ke tumhe meri yaad nahee aatee

Khanak: Maine kahaan na...itni fursat kahaaan'

Shaan: Achaa'lagta hai iska kuch karna padega'

Khanak: Haan haan'kijiye na'kisne roka hai?

Shaan: (smiles all the way): Waise kya kare'mujhe bhi tumharee kahaan yaad aati hai'..tumhare intezaar mein itna time nikal jaata hai ki' hamein bhi fursat kahaan??

Khanak: Achaaaa'.waise intezaar ka phal meetha hota hai'

Shaan: (with a small smile and sits up): Kaunsa Meetha Khanak???

Khanak: Yeh walla' (and blows a kiss over the phone and immediately hangs up)

Shaan: Hayeee'. (holds the phone close to his heart and falls back onto the bed)

The next morning, Khanak has just finished her class and steps out to find a fellow teacher, who tells her that some students have set up the neighbouring classroom and are putting up a play and she should come to watch it. Khanak agrees and enters the classroom only to find it dark'confused, she turns to leave'only to suddenly see lights through a bunch of lanterns and small bulbs and through the set of colourful odhnis, her husband and her love for lifetimes to come emerge'.

Shaan: Tumhara intezaar khatam hua'

Khanak: (with happiness in her heart): Chaliye..chodiye....main kyun karti aapka intezaar?...

Shaan: Jhooot mat bolo, Khanak...tum kar rahee theee mera intezaar...(and lets their foreheads meet)

Kyunki tum mere bina reh nahee sakti aur tumhe mujhse hai pyaaar!!!

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Review Mandatory

I want to thank all my readers - my friends here at the forum for reading my SS and encouraging me throughout..thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really hope you guys liked the epilogue and did not think it was 'too much' in any way. I must admit I am very very bad at writing ding dong, most times cannot finish reading it without blushing in other writers' FFs. So I wrote it the only way I could, adding mad humor. Kya kare, readers ko khush jo karna tha. Your comments mean a lot, many a time, they help me think how I should take the story, like the idea for the epilogue actually came from Jess's comment on going to dhulwaadi every year and Roooji and uske peeche all of you told me that maybe I should attempt something bold...like I said, I am not very good at it..but hope you enjoyed.

When I chose the song tum pukar lo as my backdrop, the theme of my SS was trying to bring out the concept of intezaar'in many ways trying to say' in a relationship "The one who waits loves as much as the one who turns up"..and what better way to tie up this piece than to present a happier version of love and intezaar, which brings me to the surprise..

Now, for the surprise'umm the 'lowe' filled epilogue was not really the surprise but the item coming up next is'Drum Roll please' So presenting as a fitting end to this story on 'intezaar' is Smitha's wonderful VM, guys please watch and enjaaii.

Thank you Smitha, loved the VM and love you for making it premiere on my SS'

YT link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo4HtkdJ1mE

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo4HtkdJ1mE[/YOUTUBE]