And I'm extremely thankful to you for bearing with this mad scribbler every now and then. And even spending time to read. This story is closer to my heart cuz of multiple reasons. Thanks for being a part.
15 April, 2016.
Kolkata
" Meaaaoww!! "
Shayara's peculiar alarm of a cat purring irritated her like hell every morning she woke up to it. She definitely hated cats and that was the exact reason she had set it as an alarm.
Discomfort wakes you up better.
She had seen, however rock and jazz she set, she would drown into an ocean soon after snoozing it. Only this could wake her up with, disgusted. As she slowly got down the bed, the first thing she could see was her face lined with dissatisfaction, on the mirror badly placed on the opposite wall.
I look like ma. The bitter gourd.
It was 8:30. And though a Sunday, sleeping more than this was a luxury she couldn't afford. No one might care to wake her up, but she would just care too much about that. More about the fact that no one woke her up.
As she stepped to the living room, she smelled something.
Luchi-Aloo Dum!!
A momentary pleasure ran through her eyes to the tip of her tongue, until they got fixed upon a figure lying on the sofa with a phone in hand, oblivious to the world.
Shayara pursed her lips.
Why did I wake up even?
Dipaali suddenly realised that Shayara was standing at the separator with not so pleased an expression.
" ohh...good morning di! Happy Sunday! "
Dipaali didn't care to get up and returned to her morning dose of WhatApp chats with a hidden giggle on face.
" Where's your boyfriend? "
" He's still making rounds around the park. I got tired to death after fifteen rounds. And look at him! Why don't you join us for a jog though? Your tummy's getting rounder! People will mistake di! "
Dipaali giggled and placed her legs more comfortably on the recently bought cushions, ruining not only them but also Shayara's already devastated mood.
Yes. I'm the worst.
Shayara knew if she would stand a moment longer before this baby doll, she would start throwing things at her. Because they didn't know the change she had drastically undergone.
I'm a Protestant now. But not always.
Dipaali Choudhry, the typical party animal her brother could ever date. Hateful from hair to toenails. She's the eight girlfriend of Dhruv Dasgupta, but had been sticking to him for almost six months now. The longest.
My brother wasn't enough that these make up boxes have to make me feel uncool every now and then.
Shayara walked into the kitchen. And her mood elated for a second.
" Done with your beauty sleep? "
" If only you ever thought I'm beautiful. "
" Why even? You are my most beautiful daughter. " , maa smiled.
What? I can't guess now what job you need me to do with your praises.
Shayara judged her mother from top to bottom.
When she was two years old, Dhruv appeared crying like hell out of nowhere. Since then, she had been sleeping on one side of the bed next to her father, away from maa. And Dhruv lit the space between maa and baba. When she turned twelve, they bought her a camp bed, a plastic one. Thus she was distanced from the family.
At 18, she remembered, anyone spending night at their place was dumped into that singleton bed with her. Even distant brothers. While, a sofa cum bed was bought for her brother on his 16th birthday, and no one ever was dumped into that.
" Maidaa just finished. Thank god the luchis are done. "
Shayara woke from her standing slumber with maa's voice.
" Bring plates from the shelf Shayu. Two. And two katoris. "
Shayara walked out to see her brother home.
" Hey di what's up? I thought of calling you but you were sleeping like a polar bear! "
Both him and his girlfriend burst out laughing.
Brother? Seriously?
" I never knew you had seen polar bears sleeping. Were you one in your last life? "
" Maybe last life. But you are one in this life itself. "
Another feat of hysterical laughter.
Shayara wanted to throw the shelf at him right now.
Why do I try sounding cool when I know they'll definitely beat me? Why don't I stay silent, only to get insulted?
Shayara walked back with the plates displaying no expression on face.
Maa carefully placed four luchis on each plate, and overflowing aloo dum in the katoris.
" take it to them. "
" You go. " , Shayara blurted and stood still.
Maa glared as usual, but then walked out.
My mom is such a great mother in law! I should be so proud of her! Although, Parth visited only thrice in five years. And left drinking only tea.
" Where's my luchi? "
Shayara asked when her mother returned.
" What did I just say? No maidaa at home.I too can't eat one even. And they should have been served at least six pieces each, but...
My fault. I forgot telling you. " , her mother almost cried at her son's and his girlfriend's starvation.
" Yes. Your son visited after so long right? He's such a guest to this house! "
Shayara almost stormed out of the kitchen. And slammed her bedroom door behind with a bang.
******
" A happy fifth anniversary. "
The pop up notification left Shayara's eyes popped out.
She had been lying on the bed crying her eyes out as usual.
Seriously ? Crying because you couldn't have a luchi?
Every time her inner self mocked her, she wiped off her face and cried again.
An unknown number.
Online.
The display picture of the person was not visible.
Though she received prank messages at times, she always ignored. She knew they got her number from Facebook, where like an idiot she had shared her personal number. And later when she came to realise that, she had tried a lot to change the settings but in vain.
Neither did her epic boyfriend care.
Come flirt with my girlfriend. I won't mind if you can make her yours. If you WISH to once you know her. Otherwise profile pictures will always be beautiful.
Shayara threw the phone again and covered herself up with a blanket. She was shivering.
I don't have a profile picture on Facebook any longer.
And I don't have a job. And no one knows that. Sunday saved me, and I'm cursing it?
She sprang up.
I should leave home in search of a job.
Last night she had mailed her CV to quite a number of news channels and freelancers. Yet, she couldn't just sit and cry and waste a day.
What if I find some better job on road? I'll come and declare, ' dear brother and mother! Find your living. Because mine would fulfil only my needs.'
Suddenly she started boiling with energy. She climbed down the bed and stood before the mirror for sometime, judging how big her tummy had really grown.
Crap. It would fit a blue whale.
Just then a second message popped up.
5th anniversary? Of what?
She quickly grabbed the phone.
A photo cleared up on the chat field of the unknown number.
A photo that left Shayara dumbstruck for a long time.
Who's this? WHO'S THIS?
She typed.
The message was seen. And the person went offline.
Extremely inpatient, Shayara rang up, though she knew it was totally weird, but neither could she help.
The call went unanswered.
And I thought no one had captured the moment five years back. The moment of my life! I thought no one cared, at least no one I know!
Shayara's eyes widened for a moment.
Parth? But...
She dialed Parth's number. After a long time he picked up.
" Over with your drama? Why do you even come up with stupid things when you cannot handle for even a day? "
Shayara would obviously have reacted, but a tinge bit of unsurety kept her calm.
He must have got another number. He must have decided to make me happy and return to him this way.
And also, she was always the one to return. And she could never judge why. But she was happy today. Very happy! Parth cared for her. He definitely did.
******
Goa
Goa's International Convention Centre was on high tide today! Never had seats been booked faster than this.
The crowd marked the milestone to the immensely growing popularity of 'M-Sonic the band, strings to your heart.'
As the lights dimmed, the lead singer walked to the very front of the stage, and his baritone echoed through the hall, making the crowd a bit more desperate and anxious.
This was M-Sonic's tenth stage performance and they themselves must not have expected this much of a response.
" Good evening Goa! We've gone ga ga Goa, with all the love you shower! "
Another feat of almost wails rippled through the audience.
" I, Devrath Dixit, on behalf of my whole team, welcome you to the Sonic nights with all my heart. I hope we stand up to your expectations and pass with a distinction. "
As the 6'2 figure receded with an achingly pretty smile, a bunchful of hearts flew out of some rib cages.
The lights went out the very next moment, leaving the centre in blinding darkness!
And a heartwrenching voice made its mark...echoing through Goa, with the trademark song of the M-Sonics that shook India the very hour and topped every chartbuster list. The song was written, composed, and sang by Devrath Dixit, the new Dev D of million hearts.
" Naa jaanu main kaisi ye bekaraari hai...
Jo utre naa ... teri hi toh khumaari hai...
Mushkil hai bhulaanaa...
Hoon tera deewanaa ...
Deewanaa tera tujhe hi bulaaye
Ye marziii teri ..tu aaye naa aaye...!!"
The convention centre almost exploded with tremendous anxiousness and excitement as M-Sonic touched the strings of hearts once again, while the lead singer collected hearts in his signature bag pack, once again.
++++++
Ps : The theme song ' Deewanaa tera..." linked below, is the Meet bros version of the Sonu Nigam song. And to me the song brings around a really different angle. We spend our lives complaining and dissatisfied. But what we want or what wants us back, keep calling us, and we fail to notice. Do listen to the song.
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chI9Egi2r9s&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/YOUTUBE]
Edited by Penfolk - 8 years ago
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