-SS- EK HI KHWAB -Uptd Epi Pg 32 - Page 10

THANKS TO EVERYONE ESPECIALLY

@Deepali: thanks re

@Naveen: thank you..hope next part is long enough

@priyacool: kya kare…dreams have that effect on you..they suck you right back in..

@Jess: aage aage dekho hota hai kya…love love love your comments..

@AG: thank you so much

@SYS:thank you re..your comments actually rejeuvenated me a bit..dialogues are mine..in this one..

@Vaishu: thank you my dear

@Simi: lets see what vinayaka has in store for them..

@Shriya: glad to have Daadi in my story too..

@Ramani: your question regarding recognizing voice has been asked by many..if you notice the convo..everytime Shaan speaks over the phone..Khanak is not really focused..

@shamasalfav: thanks so much

@Manita: thanks re for commenting..love that you love Daadi..those characters add some magic to shanak I think??!! At least in my way of telling the story..didnt get you on the Khanak-don't reduce too much..did you mean give her perspective too..if tahts the case hope the next update helps..let me know..

@Shiksha: thanks so much

@Vandoo: Hmm..mehtajee pasand nahee aaye…kya kare uska? Tu hi bataa..

@Angel: love your comments re..mehtajee is suraj..

@Shal: She knows it is a male voice..she thinks it is suraj becos she assumes that suraj has found her phone..

@Roopa: thank you jee..not long a wait..now was it?

@Ad: agla walla lammmba update…hope you like it..Golden RBO mein jeete hain hum…aisi jagah which is both maika and sasuraal…can never leave methinks..sad but thats the truth!!! My stories will always have golden in them..kya kare…peecha hi nahin chodhta…hope you like the next update my dear

@woohoohaahaa: hello peoples please to be doing what she said…spam kabhi tho kaam aaye…

FOR all those who pressed like: Yaar kabhi kabhi comment bhi choda karo..but am still abhaar

Next update coming soon..

His dream is now his need

-----

Part III

Shaan moves towards her..she is animatedly talking to the flower vendor, and from the corner of her eye..she spots a spotless white kurta..she turns..takes her a minute to recognize him, and then she remembers..how can she not? She smiles and he gives a shy smile back..he is probably still trying to recollect, she thinks..so she says..

Khanak: (with a wide smile)..Bataie..yaad aaya? Main kaun hoon?

Shaan: (with happiness from his heart reflecting in his smile and in the twinkle in his eyes): ..Maine tho pehchaan liya..yeh batao..mai kaun hoon?

Khanak: (with a finger on chin and a cheeky smile): Hmm'Hmm..

Shaan: (bending forward with hands behind his back): Hmm?..Hmm?..

And there standing among the baskets of flowers and coconuts and scents of camphor with only garlands of colorful flowers in between their faces in the background..they point fingers at each other with wide smiles and simultaneously state..

"Shehereela Pyaar!!!!"

And burst out laughing..a sound that resounds in his heart with a hope that it reaches her..touches her..he stares at her.. asking her..can she hear him?..she is about to say something..till they are interrupted by..

Vendor: Arrey memsahib, lene ka hai ya nahee?

Khanak: Lena tho hai..lekin chachee.. pachaas (50) se kam nahin..

Vendor: Ab tho saab bhi aagaye..Saab, boliye na apni baiko se..

Khanak: Yeh mere..

Shaan: Kitney ki hai?

Vendor: Saatt rupaye (60)

Shaan: do dena..

Khanak: Yeh aap kya kar rahe hai?

Shaan: (carelessly): Just let it be yaar..mujhe bhi ek chahiye..kitna hua ek sau bees (120) right?

Khanak: (irritated and slightly angry): Please..aap kya kar rahe ho? Chachee..pachaas mei dijeeye..bus!

Vendor: (smiling at both): Arrey Saab..baiko bahut naraaz ho rahee hai..

Khanak: (blistering at the vendor): Koyee kisika baiko nahin hai..

Shaan: (with an unknowingly wide smile): Okay, suno, ek sau dus mein do dena..theek hai..

Vendor: Theek hai saab..arrey bittu..do tokri bana..aur ek mei extra mala dalna..(winks at Shaan and Shaan smiles back, while Khanak stands with her arms crossed..extremely irritated and quite angry)

Bittu comes with two tokris and gives one to each of them..Khanak angrily takes the extra mala from her tokri..and flings it into Shaan's tokri..and walks off..he follows her with a..

Shaan: Khanak..Khanak..Suno na..hey listen..

Khanak: (stops): Dekhiye..mujhe yeh sab bilkul pasand nahin..

Shaan: (suddenly slows down, something ticks in his brain): I am really sorry..

Khanak: (his sincerity touches her): Yeh leejiye..(hands over the 50 rupee note)..thank you.

Shaan: I am sorry again..main bus..(takes the note and puts it in his pocket..and his hand touches her phone)

Khanak: It is okay..

They smile at each other. ..he knows he should put and end to this..his dream is far-fetched..with a very sad heart removes the phone from his pocket..and suddenly hears..the voice that has always given him happiness since the time he has known anything about anything..

Daadi: Arrey Shaan..tu idhar hai..main tho darr gayee thee..itni bheed mei..tu kahee kho gaya hoga..

Shaan: (walks immediately towards her): Daadi, maine aap se kaha tha ki car ke paas rahiye..main do saal ka bacha nahin hoon..ki main kho jaaongaa..

Daadi: (looks upto her laadla with a gin and pinches his chin): Tu mere liye mera bacha hai..samjhe..(and softly says)..mujhe milayaga nahin?

Shaan: (looks back at her with a huge grin with a soft voice): Aisa kuch bhi nahin hai..(a bit louder): Khanak, yeh meri Daadi hai..

Khanak: (with a smile): Jee..Namaste

Daadi: (smiles back): Namaste beta..

The crowds don't let them exchange nothings, they decide to enter the temple, since at least that's what two of the three are here for..Shaan holds his Daadi and enters the temple..Khanak watches them while she leaves her chappals in the front with a self-appointed caretaker.. She follows them..notices some girls staring at him..she smiles..She looks up to see his Daadi look back at her..and they smile at each other..Khanak is jostled a bit in the crowds and loses her spot immediately behind them..by the time she gets inside the temple to the front of the enclave where the statue of Ganesha is ..she notices another elderly lady chaating nineteen to the dozen with Daadi..and Shaan stands by the side of them holding the tokri..he is extremely handsome ..and bored..she thinks..He looks up at her, smiles..she is beautiful..she is my dream..and no one take that away from me..he thinks..she comes closer..

Shaan: Daadi ko apni saheli mil gayee..rukna padega..please tum bhi ruko na..

Khanak: Aur mujhe kya milega?

Shaan: (takes the string of flowers that she had flung not so long ago and places it in her tokri): Yeh bilkul muft..

Khanak: (smiles)..muft kahan? Aap ke saath rukne ki keemat..

Shaan smiles..and before he can retort..

Daadi: Suno tum dono..andar chale jao..Main aur Mala tum dono ko bahar milenge..

Shaan: Are you sure?

Mala: Humein kya bache samajh ke rakha hai..main aur tumhari daadi pichle chalees saal se aa rahe hai yahan..

Shaan: (holding his right ear): Acha baba..Mala daadi maafi..(gives the basket to Daadi).. aapke paas aapki cell hai na..

Daadi: Haan..abhi tum sambhalo..main aati hoon..(small smile and turns to Khanak).. Dhyaan se beta..tum Shaan ke saath chalee jao..aur haan bahar hamare liye rukna..jaane se pehle bye karke jaana..

Khanak: Jee..

Daadi takes a bit of kumkum and puts a tilak on Shaan's forehead..while she does so..

Shaan: Daadi are you sure..bheed bahut hai..

Mala: Arrey jaa baba..mujhe teri daadi se 'girl talk' karnee hai..

Khanak: Tho mujhe bhi rukna hai..

The three ladies burst out laughing while Shaan is surprised..he has never come across a situation where his mother, bhabhee or .. have shared a joke with his Daadi despite having known her for so long..and here is this girl..who he has known for ..but this is what it is..isn't it..dreams make anything possible..

They enter the enclave together ..and walk towards the short wall around the statue..there is constant jostling..and Shaan watches her serenely pray..and put kumkum just below her bindi..he does not know what should he pray for..realises the dream he wants fulfilled..god has made it unachievable..while Khanak bows ..he stares at Ganesha..looks straight into his eyes..and while Khanak receives the aarti..Shaan puts a 500 rupee note into the aarti ka thaali..and both stare at the tokri which has come back with half a coconut and the mala..

It is a roundabout to get out of the temple..an extremely crowded one at that..he can see men leering at her.. the jostling is making his blood boil..their bodies hit each other a couple of times..and they mutter sorry followed by a smile to each other constantly..He usually hates crowds..but here next to her he is at peace..in this craziness? He questions himself..finally he has begun to do so..and then suddenly he is angry..confused..and irritated..he holds her elbow and takes her to a corner..she looks at him surprised..and she says..

Khanak: Kya hua?

Shaan: (her voice calms him..why?): Woh itni bheed mein..

Khanak: Aapki pehlee baar hai kya..

Shaan: (irritated): bilkul nahin..aur tum..woh tum .. (points to her neck)..woh pehentee kyun nahee ho?

Khanak: Jee..?!?!

Shaan: (even more irritated): wohee jo gale mein..(waves his finger around his neck)..jo ladkiyaan..shaadi..

They are both nudged closer towards each other except that the tokri is in between them now..

Khanak: Kya? Haar? Aap kya bol rahe ho..yeh kya yun yun kar rahe ho (waves her finger)..

Shaan: (closes his eyes to calm himself and looks down at the tokri): woh main..daadee ke liye..

Khanak: (looks at the tokri): mala..?? yeh lijiye..(and takes it out of the basket)

..and is about to give it to him when they are pushed towards each other by the forces they cannot control..and this time the tokri falls..the half coconut rolls off..and the string of flowers hangs on his shoulder held by her hand with her head bangs against his chest..and his hands hold her..and want to hold her forever..the moment in his head that shall be replayed for several lifetimes.. ends in a span of two minutes..and as she bends down to pick up the basket..his eyes are still shut until he hears her gasp..

Khanak: Haye Ram! Aapki kurte pe kumkum..(and moves her hand to brush it off)

Shaan: (steps back) rehne deejeye..(what if her hand senses his drumming heart he thinks)..chaliye yahaan se..

Khanak: Haan..woh..(points to the string of flowers on his shoulder)

She turns and starts walking ..while he takes the string and puts it in his pocket..where he has buried all his connections to reality..they walk back in silence..yet he can hear her anklets..the crowds have dispersed and they reach the spot where she has left her sandals..gives the tokri to him to hold while she puts on her sandals..he notices her payal while she puts them on..looks away..she gives some token money from her purse to the lady near the sandals and turns back to him..they wait for his daadi..she keeps the tokri on the ledge and breaks the coconut near it..takes a piece and gives him one..he chomps on it while she touches her eyes with it and then puts it in her mouth..sees her looking at her watch and suddenly says..

Shaan: Actually tumhe der ho rahee hai..tho please don't bother..

Khanak: lekin aapki daadi bura maan jayegee..

Shaan: Not at all..don't worry..

Khanak: Oh dekho woh aa gaye..

Shaan: Itni jaldi kaise aagaye?

Daadi: Woh Maala yahan ki security ko jaantee hai..tho woh hamein VIP exit se bahar leke aaye..

Shaan: Are you serious? I don't believe this..

Mala: Ismei not believe ki kya baat hai?

Khanak: Aapke darshan kaise huye?

Mala: Kiske?..ganpati bappa key ya security walla ke..?

Daadi: Chup kar Mala

.. grins, slaps her on her hand..and while both giggle..Khanak looks at Shaan with a grin and scrouchy eyebrows..while Shaan smiles back rolling his eyes..

Daadi: Chalo hum kuch kha lete hain..

Shaan: actually..

..Phone rings..Shaan stills..its the one in Khanak's purse..she picks it up..

Khanak: Aapke office se hai (looking at Shaan)..hello? Suraj? Kahan ho?

Shaan: Daadi main gaadi leke aata hoon..

Daadi and Shaan are back in the car..driving back home..when Shaan hears..

Daadi: Tumhe pata hain..tumhari naani aur main tumhaare dad aur mom ka rishta issi sidhi vinayak mein pehlee baar baat chalayee thee..hum..dono..mandir friends the..(smiling away)

Shaan: Daadi'(with a soft and yet hard)..Khanak shaadi shooda hai..

And they travel in silence..till they reach home..Both of them enter the house in silence..Daadi goes into the Mandir of the house and places the half coconut and prasad near the statue while Shaan looks on..she comes to him, gives him a piece of the Prasad and puts her hand on his head..

Daadi: Zindgai itni bhi chotee nahin hai Shaan..ke sacha pyaar na paa sako..

Shaan: Daadi..(and hugs her..)

Khanak is in the auto..smiling away..such a coincidence she thinks..wonder what will he do with the kurta..naukar chakar honge ..ya itne paise ke phek denge shayad..aur nayee khareed lenge..and that option disappoints her a bit..he has the string of flowers too..she has nothing to remember the coincidence..will she need something to remember it ..what was that about her neck..malaa aur haar mein pharak nahin jaante..she smiles again..

..reaches her place..takes a shower and lies down on the bed..thinks she needs to get some lunch..but it was such a nice morning..can she prolong her thoughts..warns herself..chides herself..gets up..heats her lunch and eats..shehereela pyaar..smiles again..

Shaan enters the office building..does not know what is he doing here late afternoon..just needed to get away..and into reality..he is about to walk down to his new cabin which is still under construction..hears voices from the adjoining wing..and there through the glass doors he can see Natasha with Suraj laughing over something. They seem to be going over some files..he must be a good man..he is working hard..it seems..something comes over Shaan..does not know what it is..He starts walking towards their cabin..

Natasha sees him first..smiles a huge smile..

Nat: Shaan..tum yaha? Kya hua? Sab theek hai..

Shaan: Of course Natasha..bus yoo hi ayaa..just to see how the new wing is coming along..

Nat: Oh achaa..oh..Shaan meet Su..

Shaan: Suraj right? Met you that night with Khanak..

Suraj: Yes Sir..

Nat: (to Shaan): Tum Khanak se kahan mile?

Suraj: Kal party mein mai Khanak ko leke ayaa tha..

Nat: Oh!?!

Shaan: (misses Natasha's concerned eyes): Actually Suraj..Khanak ne apni phone wohee ..(and hands him the phone)..

Suraj: My god! Thank you so much, Sir.

Shaan: No..No..it is okay..Natasha, do you need a ride home?

Suraj: Main..hum..

Shaan: that's okay, I can wait..

Nat: Just give us half an hour..

Shaan: yeah sure! Anyways I need to make some calls..shall see you upfront ..theek hai..

And leaves..while Natasha stares at him..wondering where is he coming from ..he has a tilak on his forehead and was that blood on his kurta..maybe he wants to talk about it to her..

It is late into the evening when Shaan enters his room..after having answered Natasha's questions with a 'Daadi ko mandir leke gaya aur wahaan pe crazy bheed thi'.. he empties his pockets..pulls out the string of flowers..they have withered..starting to separate..he collects them all..tries to put it all together..so that it stays what it was.. a perfect string of flowers..a perfect dream..which was not paid for but came at a cost..

It is middle of the night..and this is the second time she was woken up..she sits on the bed..he had her phone all this while..she thinks..he came to the temple for her?..she wonders..

The next morning..its Sunday..Shaan wakes up..he knows Daadi is leaving this evening..he wants to drop her off..he gets up ..comes down for coffee..and while everyone is enjoying their breakfast..harilal comes with a big package..

Mad: Yeh kiska hai Harilal?

Harilal: Yeh Shaan baba ke liye hai..

Boo: Kholo Kholo Shaan..

Akki: Arrey yaar..kuch private ho sakti hai..

Mad: Itni baddi packet mein koyee private cheez bhejta hai kya aur woh bhi ghar pe..

Sunil: Meri wife ke baat mein bindoo hai..

Mad: Appki wife ki baat chodiye..yeh bindoo kaun hai boliye..

Shaan: Mom..bindoo maane point..Daadi..what do you say?

Daadi: Kyun na hum aaj se Madhavi ko bindoo bulaye..kyunki uski baat hamesha correct hoti hain..

Mad: Oh ho..kholo bhi..

Shaan: Alright..kholta hoon..

Opens its to find a large pint of RUM and RAISIN icecream inside an icebox..with a card..while the family gathers around the ice-cream and Mad orders Harilal to get cups and spoons..Shaan pockets the card..excuses himself and runs up the stairs while Daadi's eyes follow him into his room..

"Phone wapas karne ke liye thank you..phone tho meri favorite nahin thi..lekin ice-cream meri favorite hain..hope aapko pasand aaye.."-Khanak..

..pasand?..rum and raisin ke liye main kuch bhi kar sakta hoon..holds the card close to him..and falls onto the bed..his dream now turning into hope..

--

Aur bistar se kai baar jagaya hai tujhko

Beautiful Saaz!Both the parts.I actually felt my heart beating fast willing Shanak to meet.The emotions running through Shantanu,very well written.And what's this I read,Khanak involuntarily thinking abt Shan?Loved it.Can't wait for the next update!

superb saaz loved it..................i lov daadi n shaans bond a lot:)

shanak scene as usual toooooooooo good
gr8 wrk pls do update soon:)

I have read the last two parts and after the latest all I could think was ' My dill goes hmmmm....'😍..... Like I said before, you writing takes to into RBO world👏.....Can't wait for the next part.....

Lovely lovely lovely!

Saaz,

Hi Saaz............🤗

you are lame. lol...this is prolly the best written SS you have so far!!!

Lovely concept ya ...

And can't even guess where its heading.

The way their interaction is, formal, some what personal, the smiles ... everything!

Pls do update soon...

~Cheers,
Dish