FF- Katra Katra- Part 25-141, Pt 26-145, Pt 27-148 - Page 16

PART 5

Sunday 10am..Hostel 7 Room 201

Shaan is up..notices the bed next to him is made..gets up..starts to fold his blanket..never done it before..never felt the need..it has to anyway get unfolded in 12 hours..whats the point?..but then again..so starts to fold it..can't do it..just rolls it around his hands a couple of times.. collects it and is about to ..

Khanak: OUCH!!

Shaan: (continues trying to decipher the mechanics of his blanket..without looking up): Kya hua?

Khanak: (from the pantry enclave): Iss par chai kaise banate ho.. its too hot..or not hot enough..

Shaan: (gives up and flings the blanket): Hmm..(walks towards the place of action): Let me do it..ek minute..

Khanak: (suddenly aware of him very very close): Jee..aap rehne deejeye..

Shaan: Don't worry..I will do it..

Khanak: (a bit irritated): Aap zaraa mooh dho lenge..

Shaan: (even more irritated): Kya? ..Aap zaraa yahan se hatenge..

Khanak: (rolls her eyes and leaves): do chamach sugar..

Shaan: Main chai nahin peeta..(with a small smile)

Khanak: (smiles back)..Main apna mooh dhotee hoon..(and disappears into the bathroom)

Shaan boils the water on the hot plate..notices some food in a small cup placed in a plate of water..he fiddles with the water..opens the cup to see what it is..suddenly the bathroom door opening startles him and the cup falls with the plate of water et al..

Khanak: Arrey..arrey..(walks quickly to pick up everything..)

Shaan: Yeh kya hai?? Koyee experiment chal raha hai kya..(has not bent an inch to help..his attention back to the boiling water)

Khanak: (rolls her eyes)..khichdi thee..

Shaan: so what's with the water?

Khanak: (still on her knees): Arrey baba..so that ants don't get the food..

Shaan: There are no ants here..

Khanak: (rolls her eyes for the nth time): Pochaa ka kapda kahan hai..?

Shaan: (stares at her on her knees): Kya?

Khanak: Pochaa!!..cloth for cleaning..

Shaan: OH'ummm..anything will do (points randomly)..woh wahan hai..

Khanak: (turns still on her knees): woh aapka T-shirt hai..

Shaan: (with a steaming cup in his hand walks to his desk, takes his I-phone and starts checking for messages): yeah'so!!??

Khanak: Hey Raam!! (gets up goes to her cupboard gets an old cotton dupatta..tears it into two and restarts cleaning): Mera chai ??

Shaan: Kya? (his face in his phone): I told you, don't know about chai..

Khanak: (looks at the boiled water, opened coffee jar, used spoon..the mess on the floor..): Kaamchor!!

Shaan: Hmmm (into his phone..loads of messages..mostly from friends ..girls of course..he usually meets up with on Sundays.. continues sipping his black coffee..gets up..takes a towel..)

Khanak: (makes her tea..and sips it while cleaning up and starts humming): do ghadee jeene ki mohalat tho mili hai sabko..tum bhi mil jaao ghadi bhar to ye gam hota hai..is ghadi ka safar nahin guzra..hmmm..hmmm'jaane kyaa'hmmm'

Shaan in the meantime makes his way to the bathroom..pauses for a second..keeps the bathroom door slightly open to be able to hear her..opens the tap..he cannot hear her..he shuts the tap..he still can't..realises she has stopped..shuts the door..and starts brushing his teeth..and spots her bindi sticker on the mirror..he touches it..mouth in toothpaste froth..one hand on toothpaste and his finger on her bindi stuck to the mirror..

Khanak's phone rings..she picks it up..

Khanak: Aadaa..??

Shreela: Main, Shreela.. Khanak, I tried calling last evening, lagaa nahin..tum mere yahaan 12 baje ko aa saktee ho..?!

Khanak: Aap ke yahan? ..Hmm..jee..

Shreela: Don't worry,tum tum leke aajaana

Khanak: Jee..tumtum??

Shreela: Haan.. incampus bus leke aajaana..lunch saath kar lenge..

Khanak: Jee..

(khanak hangs up when Shaan comes out..he has had a shower she notices..He stares at her staring at him..)

Khanak: (suddenly): woh Dr. Shreela ka call tha..

Shaan: What? What now? I can't go..mujhe team session hai aur phir..

Khanak: jee..she wants me to meet the music teacher in school..Main tumtum leke chalee jaongee..

Shaan: Hmm..okay..(picks up his jansport)..

Khanak enters the bathroom..scrounges her nose..the bathroom smells of soap, saving cream, aftershave.. of him..and gets ready to have a bath.

Sunday 12pm..Hostel 7 Mess (canteen)..

Harshad: Abey oy!! Haaka order kiya tha..yeh idlee kahan se aayee..

Karthik: Jo bhi hai..Khale..anyway hakka se tere mooh mein onion ki khusboo aati hai..kissy vissy ka program nahin jamega..

Murli: (grins): Kya patta..Hostel 4 ke non males ko onion pasand ho..

Harshad: shut up..FREAKS!!

Shaan: (also grins): Arrey yaar..Dekate ke liye koyee ek plate onion bhajiyaa mangao yaar..

(all of them high fiving and laughing..)

Murli: yaar Sunday ke din..ghar ka khaana khaane ko bahut mann kar raha hai yaar..Dosa with sambhaar

Karthik: Bissi belah!!!

Harshad: I swear khichdi with aam ka achaar

Shaan: Subah aajata..mere room mein..khichdi thi..

Harshad: KYA ?? KAB?? KAHAN??

Shaan: relax..I think she made khichdi..and there was some leftover sitting in a plate of water..

Karthik: OH MY GOD!!! Bhabhee cooks'chal yaar tere room pe deraa kal se..man!!!

(food arrives..everyone hogs away)

Murli: What do you mean, in a plate of water?

Shaan: (shrugs): I don't know..she was saying she stored it to keep ants away..

Murli: Hmm..interesting'(and goes back to eating)

Shaan and Murli suddenly look at each other'and yell together: MAA KI!!!

Murli: (excitedly): That's what the hell we need..a cooling element to keep bugs out..

Shaan: (waving his hands and equally excited): Dekate..you need to get working on a chemical equi yaar..

Harshad: (calmly eating): Hmmm..I will..you don't have to spit on me for that..

Shaan licks his hand and wipes it on Harshad..while Harshad tries to dodge him..Murli is all grins and already thinking engineering ways to put it together..while Karthik takes Harshad's plate and gets busy with it..

Canteen uncle: Arrey Shaan ..tera bhai aaya hai..bahar..

Shaan: Oh WOW!! I will see you later guys..

Murli: Tu wapas aa raha hai na..

Shaan: haan haan gimme a second..

(jumps over the table and gets out..and runs and hugs his brother)

Sunday 1:15 pm..on a bench close to the entrance of the institute

Akki: (elbows on knees, turns.. looking at Shaan): Listen, chotey..you chose an Mtech over an MBA because you believed in yourself..and I convinced dad about it..because I believed in you..nothing changes that!!..You follow your goal..everything else will fall in place..I am here for you all the way!

Shaan: (hands spread on the back of the bench, looking straight ahead): I was going to come home..

Akki: I have to catch a flight this evening..didn't know what time you were coming in..if you have laundry..I can send Dharam with you..

Shaan: No that;s okay..thanks bhaiya..

Akki: I must admit..I wanted to meet her..

Shaan: She is not in the room..

Akki: Anyways, Daadi comes from Poona in two weeks..you can't escape her..(smiles at him)

Shaan: I am not an escapist..(laughs and rubs his eyes)

Akki: Are you getting enough sleep?

Shaan: (stares at him): WHAT???

Akki: (raises his hands and pleads innocence): I swear it was a genuine question yaar..tu bhi na chotey!

Shaan: (stares ahead): So two weeks huh??

Akki: Listen let us meet on Thursday..I am back from Singapore then..by then you will have made progress on your prototype..and we can discuss operation khandelwal home then..

Shaan: How is Mom doing?

Akki: the usual..Khusboo says she is basically taking the ..m-tech over, shaadi over route..

Shaan: Hmm..

Akki: Is it?

Shaan: Bhaiya..(shrugs)..don't know..

They discuss more on the prototype and its progress..Akki's travel plans..small talk..until Akki leaves..

Shaan starts to walk back..it is quite hot..spots the tumtum..gets in..it is quite empty, most students are off campus during summer..internships etc..there are altogether three people in the tumtum..he recognizes two immediately, waves at them and it takes a minute to realize the third one is his wife..who is lost deep in thought..he walks towards her seat..she looks at him..suprised, gives a small smile..tucks her hair behind her ear..he stands next to her..

Shaan: (smiles): Yello..

Khanak: (smiles back): Hi..

--

Rehne dooo'na'

--

Review Mandatory

--

Next Part- Page 23