Dipika rounded the corner of the hospital corridor, speaking over her mobile and trying to manage the various bags in her hand….
Dipika: Pata hai…
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Dipika: Bas thodi weak hai to doctor ne full rest kaha hai….
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Dipika: Haan le aayi hoon… (Glancing at the flask in her bag) Lekin use pasand nahi aayega! (Chuckling)😆
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Dipika was walking to the room when she saw Vishal standing by the corridor window… Maybe she didn't know that but he was standing exactly at the place where Sandhya had stood yesterday or early today morning…. But he did and was in deep thought!😳
Walking up to him she was still speaking….
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Dipika: Vo aapki is nuske ko hate karti hai….
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Hearing her Vishal came out of his thoughts and turned around… He smiled seeing her and took the bags from her as Dipika listened over the phone…. He looked at her questioning for which she mouthed "Maa" and he nodded understandingly….
Dipika: Haan Maa… De doongi….
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Dipika: Ab!?!? ❓ (Hand over the phone she asked Vishal) Sri jaagi hai? (Vishal shook his head) Nai Maa…. Abhi to saat hi baje hain…. So rahi hai…
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Dipika: Haan… Dus baje ke upar phone karvati hoon….
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Dipika: (Smiling looking at him) Haan Vishal tha….
Vishal immediately indicated himself and the phone…. Without waiting for her to respond he took the phone thrusting back the bags to a glaring Dipika…
Vishal: Hello aunty… Main Vishal… Good morning!
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Vishal: (Smiling) Achcha hoon aunty…. Wahan sab kaisa hai?
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Vishal: Main? Aur aapki beti ka?!? It's more like vo sabka khayal rakhti hai…. Khud ka to bilkul hi nahi…. Jaise aapne kaha tha,,,, Lekin haan rakhne waala koi aa jayega jaldi! Isliye no need to worry….
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Vishal: Matlab aunty? Main batata hoon… Vo aisa hai ki…😉
Dipika glared at him hitting him hard and snatched the phone thrusting back the bags to a grinning Vishal…
Dipika: Maa please…. Aisa kuch nahi hai… Aapko pata hai Vishal mazaak karta hai!
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Dipika: (Frustrated) MAA! No... Nothing like that…. Waise hospital hai zyada der phone pe baat nahi kar sakti!😔
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Dipika: (Exasperated) Maa… I am not switching subjects… Behtar hoga aap phone rakhiye… Nai… Main rakhti hoon… Baad me Sri se baat karvati hoon…. Bye... Take care!
Without waiting for a response Dipika cut the call and glared at Vishal....
Dipika: Apna muh band nahi rakh sakte? Subah subah kya mazaak kar rahe the? 😡
Vishal: (Casually) Main kahan mazaak kar raha tha… Jo such tha… Jo such hai…. Wahi keh raha tha… (Asking her) Kyun nahi? Shayad ho bhi jaaye! (Raising his eyebrows)
Dipika: (Shaking her head) Jab hona hai, agar hona hai…. Ho jayega… Ab bas apna wagging tongue ko control karo aur chalo….
Vishal: (Surprised) Wagging tongue?!?! Maine wagging tail suna hai, ye wagging tongue kya hai?!!?
Dipika: Hmm… Kutte ka dum nahi rukta aur tumhara muh…. Aur dono tedi ki tedi… Isliye… Zyada bak bak ki to coffee nahi milegi!
Vishal: (Trying to catch his ears with the baggages in his hand) Aisa zulm to mat karo… I was so much waiting for your splendid coffee…. (Smelling the one of the flask) Eww…. Ye kya smell hai? Coffee?!!?
Dipika: (Laughing) Nai… Coffee nai… Maa ka nuska Sri ke liye…. Home made medicine… Uski strength ke liye! (Mischievously) Kyun peeyoge? 😈
Vishal shook his head fast and folded his hands, with bag baggages covering his face as Dipika laughed out again… She took another flask from the bag and pouring in the flask cup asked….
Dipika: Waise itni subah subah kaise jaage tum? Itni jaldi to nahi uththe….
Vishal: (To himself) Soya hota to jaaga hota… Soya hi nahi to kahan jaagata!
Dipika's words reminded Vishal of the early morning endeavor he had…. His thoughts travelled back to it…. Was he weakening in front of her? He was strong…. He definitely was strong….. Glancing at Dipika, wasn't he when he changed his feelings about Dipika…. But…. Dipika was different… When he was attracted to her, his sub conscious kept hitting back on him that she liked someone else…. So maybe that attraction was not really that much that was intended….. 😔
But now he felt him losing to Sandhya…. She was something more different…. Of course any man would lose if a woman rounded on him so much….. But he hated it…. Whenever she was around he didn't want to be around…. No…. His mind didn't want to be around…. But his heart wanted to…. Her presence, alone with him did something to him…. Attracted her to him more than ever….. And now… Not only he feared he would cross the barrier he had set up around him…. For her sake… For his sake…. He feared he would cross limits… All limits… She was so damn in love with him and he was finding it difficult to ignore that….❤️
Of course…. When you keep ignoring things you can keep ignoring it…. But when you have accepted it once and then try to ignore it…. It was tough….. And he was finding it tough now! 😕
Dipika watched Vishal closely trying to read the changing expressions on his face…. He looked very vague and distant…. Did something happen the previous night?! He wasn't like this yesterday…. 🤔
Dipika: (Snapping her finger in front of his face) Vishal!
Coming out of his thoughts he looked at Dipika who had the cup in her hand…. He smiled a little and took the cup from her as she took the bags from him….
Vishal: (Relishing) Hmm… Hmm… Nothing like a good hot cup of coffee early in the morning!
He sipped again and looked at Dipika who was watching him concerned…. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and walked her to the room….
Vishal: I am fine! Bas kuch soch raha tha…. Er… By the way… Main tumse kuch kahoonga…. Don't get worried… Alright?
As Dipika looked up at him questioningly concerned even more…
Vishal: (Opening the door) Well… You see…. Kal raat… Aur its more like aaj subah..... Kareeb ek baje... Sri ki tabiyat thodi bigad gayi thi! (Hastily) Thodi hi bas!
Dipika immediately glanced at Sri who was sleeping wrapped up in her sheets… She dropped the bags on the couch table and went over to her… Sitting beside her touched her forehead…. She felt okay….
Worried she looked back at Vishal at the foot of the bed who said…
Vishal: Maine kaha naa…. Nothing to worry…. Nothing serious… Bas neend se jaag gayi beech raat…. Aur tumhare liye rone lagi... Guess usne kuch bura sapna dekha…. Us excitement se thodi fever aa gayi thi.... Lekin no problem… Maine Sandhya ko bulake use dikhayi… Medicines deke thodi hi der me use phir si sula diya….
Dipika: Oh Vishal! (Smoothing her hand over Sri's head) Mujhe bula liya hota…. Main…
Vishal: (Going up to her) Kya karti? Midnight you travel back here alone? Dipika…. Such me… It was nothing serious…. Bachchi hai… Neend me kuch dekha hoga…. Ab vo theek hai… Use thodi aur der sone do…. Theek ho gayi hai ab! Trust me!
Dipika looked behind at him smiling and said….
Dipika: Vishal! More than me you seemed worried, because Sri was ill when you were around…. (Getting up and looking at him straight in his eyes) Trust me! (Stressing) Tumne wisely Sandhya ko bulaya…. Yahi kaafi hai jaanane ke liye ki tumhe uska khayal hai…. Kab kya karna hai, ye jaante ho….. Bachchi hai… Hota hai! It's just that I am little more attached to her than anyone else…. Isliye chahoongi ki uske har achche bure waqt me main uske saath rahoon…. Bas!
Vishal smiled back at her and Dipika nodded reassuringly….
Does it really happen that a man and woman…. Be it friends or lovers or life partners understood each other so well?
Vishal and Dipika, Vishal and Sandhya, Aryan and Dipika, Boxer and Haseena, a little of Ajay and Neha…. Each pair was right on to estimate their partner's feelings… Was it really possible? In today's world?
A million dollar question isn't it?
But it has an answer… Yes… A positive answer!
Why not? Just one thing each and every one should remember is to trust…. And the other should always remember not to break that trust at any circumstances…. And love, affection always comes in way to help with trusting…. Just a little of give and take policy along with a little patience is all that is required to found a strong relation…. Every relation is strong by this and there is no need to say that these pairs here have it in them…. Just that, circumstances are not right now for few… But they do know to be patient for it! 😳
Dipika: (Continuing) And mister… Ab aapko office ke liye der nahi ho rahi? You have to go home and get ready too!
Vishal looked at his watch and exclaimed.... 😲
Vishal: Oush…. Haan… Aaj subah investigation meeting hai… Uske baad bhi we have to go out for interrogation…. (Giving back the cup) Agar meeting ke liye der ho gaya to Aru mera bhejha fry kar dega…. (Going over to the couch to pick his coat) Jaise vo (Stressing) hamesha punctual hai! Hunh! 😃
Dipika: (Sternly) VISHAL! 😳
Vishal: (Turning back said teasing in the same way) DIPIKA! 😳
Both looked at each for a while and laughed out lightly….
Walking out of the room….
Dipika: Grow out of it Vishal…. You always do this to him… Ab use baksh bhi do naa… I don't want him to feel insecure or anything… Aur tum wahi kar rahe ho…. Mujhe achcha nahi lag raha!
Outside the room Vishal turned around to face her and said…..
Vishal: Dipika tum achchi tarah jaanti ho ki main aisa kyun kar raha hoon…. Its high time you guys spoke… Lekin wahi nahi kar rahe!
Dipika: (After a while looking at him) Ab tum jao… Der ho rahi hai…. Sabke liye uska waqt hota hai… Jab aayega tab dekh lenge…. Ab jao!
Vishal: You are well at changing topics… You know that?
Dipika: (Smiling) Hmm... I know that! Meri maa bhi yahi kehti hain!
Vishal: (Shaking his head) Lekin jis waqt ki tum baat kar rahi ho, vo to khud ba khud aa nahi waala hai… Hume use laana chahiye!
Dipika: (Confused) Kya matlab!?!?
Vishal: (Smiling mysteriously) Matlaaaaaaaabbbbbb….. Matlab…. (Chuckling a little) Bas…. Matlab…. (Winking at her😉) Ab such me mujhe chalna chahiye! Der ho rahi hai….. Bye!
Saying Vishal gave a hug and waved her good bye… Dipika stood there for a while waving, watching him go, confused about what he had just said…. There was definitely something in his tone and words…. What was he unto now?!?!!? 🤔
WHAT WAS HE UNTO NOW??!?!?!? 😉
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
