On a stone bench a little farther from the ground….
Purvi was seated… Neha and Haseena were seated on her both sides and were looking at her as if sizing her up…. 😳
Dipika had pulled up a plastic chair and was sitting with them to listen to Purvi's side of the story!
Neha: Ab bolo! Tum Purvi hi ho… Mujhe yaad hai tum aakhri baar Boxer Haseena ke funtcion me milte the... To itne maheene kahan thi? ❓
Before Purvi could answer anything, Haseena interrupted and said....
Haseena: Offo Neha… Pehle ye to poocho ki ye koun hai aur Zubin ko kaise jaanti hai? (To Purvi) Bolo koun ho tum?
Catching Purvi's shoulder and making her face her....
Neha: Haan…. Kahan se aayi ho? ❓
Purvi opened her mouth to answer her question when Haseena caught her and made Purvi face her....
Haseena: Kahan jaogi? ❓
Neha: (Surprised) Kya Haseena? 😔
Haseena: Oh! Mera matlab kahan gayi thi itne din? 😃
Neha: (Nodding) Haan… Zubin ko kaise jaanti ho? ❓
Haseena: Kyun aayi phir gayi? ❓
Purvi kept looking at each other and tried to answer their question…. But both of them just continues their tirade of questions without letting her answer any question... Purvi looked at each of them feeling very scared…. 😒
Dipika felt pity with her state and said sternly…
Dipika: Tum dono…. Ab bas bhi karo! Use kuch bolne ka mouka bhi doge? (Softly) Purvi?! Relax… Kuch peena chahogi? 😊
Purvi just mildly shook her head and bent her head looking back…
Dipika, Neha and Haseena looked back and found the rest of the gang coming there… 😉
Haseena and Neha looked at each and winked…. 😉
As the group reached them, Dipika looked back at Purvi and said…
Dipika: Purvi… Ye sab dost hi hain! Agar tum kuch batana chaho, to keh sakti ho… Agar nahi batana hai to theek….
Purvi: (Hastily said in a mild, soft tone) Ji nahi… Aisa kuch nahi! 😳
Purvi looked up at Zubin and smiled a little… Zubin's eyes widened in shock and his mouth hung open… Blushing Purvi bent her head… Ajay looked at Zubin and rolling his eyes upwards said…. 😔
Ajay: Dyaan se! Kaheen makhi andar naa ghus jaye! 😆
Saying he shut his mouth but Zubin seemed not to realize it and kept staring at her….☺️
Purvi: (Head still down) Ji main… Unke gaoun se hi hoon!
Neha: (Puzzled) Ye unke, kinke? 🤔
Silently Purvi raised her hand and showed Zubin.... Everyone looked at each other understandingly, while Zubin looked on stupidly… 🤪
Haseena: Oh ho... Abhi se Zubin unkeeee hue... Hai hai... Ye sab chodo.... Phir? ❓
Purvi: Ji main naa… Vo inke ek uncle jo abhi abhi guzare the, unhe achchi tarah se jaanti hoon… Foreign jaane se pehle vo meri mother se aake meri marriage inse fix ki thi… Main humare gaon ke school me teacher hoon… Inke uncle ne kaha tha ki videsh se aane ke baad vo inhe surprise dena chahate the…
Zubin looked on surprised as the reason of Purvi's presence in his life unfolded… He had always thought his uncle to be an irresponsible person, who had died in the Bahamas, leaving him a debt…. Now seeing what he had done for him Zubin felt very sad at his loss… 😒
Neha: Are wah! 😛 To… Tum kabhi Zubin se mile ho?
Purvi: (Looking up at her) Ji nahi… Unki sirf photo dekhi hai… Humne kuch din intezaar kiya, to pata chala ki uncle ka dehaant ho gaya…. Main bahut dukhi hui… Mother ne meri marriage ksi aur se karna chaha, lekin mujhe ye hi pasand the!
At this every body smiled looking at Zubin who now even blushed a little…. 😳
Ajay: Hoie oie! (Grinning 😃 )Pyaar ho to aisi! Phir?
Purvi: Phir hum inhe dekhne yahan aaye… Inke baare me inke uncle ne hume sab kuch bataya hai!
Haseena: To tum, Zubin se pehli baar hi kyun nahi mili!
Purvi: Ji maine inhe pehli baar dandiya function me dekha tha… Tab inse seedhe baat karna mujhe bahut shy hua… Uske baad bhi har function me inhe dekhne aati, baat karne…. Lekin….☺️
As Purvi stopped Neha looked up at everyone smiling, while the others were also happy for Zubin! 😛
Haseena: Phir humari shaadi function ke baad, kyun nahi aayi?
Purvi: (Sadly) Ji vo kya hai… Meri mother mere liye alliance dekh rahi hai…. Main hamesha unse jhooth keh ke yahan aa jaati thi, ki meri saheliyaan mujhe festival ke liye Mumbai bula rahe hain…. Isliye mother allow karti… Ab teen maheenon me koi festival nahi tha, to nahi aa saki! 😕
Dipika: Purvi, ye achchi baat hai…. Lekin tum baat karne hi aayi thi naa, to aaj bhi kyun bhaagne lagi?
Purvi silently looked up at Zubin and then at the others and said…
Purvi: I feel shy…. Aaj to inse baat karne hi aayi thi, lekin inhe dekhte hi main himmat nahi juta paayi aur…. 😕
Haseena: (Sighing) Wow… Kya love story hai! Ek taraf se photo dekhke pehla pyaar aur doosri taraf ek hi nazar me pehla pyaar! 😉
The others nodded smiling… Silence prevailed for a while, not knowing what to do now…
Dipika: (Grasping Purvi's hand) Purvi shukar hai tum aaj giri… Giri bhi sahi jagah! (Smiling 😊 ) Mujhe lagta hai ki tum dono ko(Looking up at Zubin) ab baat karni chahiye… Aise hi to nahi chalega naa?
Purvi and Zubin looked at each understanding that this hide and seek cannot go on for long… 😳
Ajay's Mother: Tab to theek hai… Aaj holi hai! Naye rishte ki shuruaat aaj se ho to bahut shubh hai… (Smiling) Tum dono baat karo!
Ajay: Haan haan baat karo… Hum hain naa… Don't worry…. Any problem hum madad karenge! 😃
Ajay said earnestly while Neha and Haseena too nodded...
Shotgun's Mother: (Sternly) Tum log yahan kya kar rahe ho? Chalo... Inhe akele me baat karne do!
Neha: Nahi aunty… Ye pehli baar baat kar rahe hain naa? Inhe help chahiye to! 😉
Shotgun's mother, Shotgun and Dipika shook their heads smiling and went off to get a drink…. 😆
Ajay's Mother: Kyun? Tumhe aur Ajay ko zaroorat padi kisi ki? 😳
Neha: (Surprised) MAA!☺️
Ajay's Mother: To chalo! 😳
As a good ideal daughter-in-law Neha got up… As Ajay made way to sit on Dipika's chair, Ajay's mother looked at him sternly stretched her hand towards the ground and Ajay scurried off…
Smiling Ajay's mother nodded at Purvi and went off…
Boxer put his arms around Haseena and led her off too….
Purvi sat on the bench stealing glances at Zubin… Zubin stood away from her blinking looking helpless… 🤪
From a little far away Neha and Ajay watched them….
Neha: Ye Zubin ka kya? Aisa hi khada rahega kya?
Ajay: Vo tumhare jaisa hai kya? Seedhe aake keh diya, I love you! Vo Zubin hai, agar Purvi kuch kare to theek… 🤔
Neha looked at him pointedly and started hitting him…. Laughing and shouting Ajay ran all over the ground trying to escape her beatings…..
Here Zubin approached Purvi slowly and stood in front of her…. Purvi got up from the bench and looked at him….
Zubin: Vo… Er… Tum… Main!
Purvi: (Smiling) Nai kuch mat kahiye… Bas ye kahiye ki kya main aapko pasand hoon?
Zubin looked at her surprised at her direct question… Then smiling he just nodded… Purvi became very happy and smiled broadly…
Without waiting another second she hugged him… Zubin looked shocked for a moment, 😲 but reciprocated her hug… He felt thankful to his uncle for giving him a meaningful life ahead… 😳
At the other end the whole group looked at each other happily… 😛 👏
Ajay and Boxer gave a high five and hugged each other…… 🤗
Aryan also watched Zubin and felt happy for Zubin…. He remembered vividly that once Zubin had mentioned that marriage in their community was rare… But now his life had become worthful and he felt happy for his colleague…. 👍🏼
Francis looked at Zubin and Purvi and he too felt happy for the new found relationship…
Instantly he looked at Aryan and Dipika and thought…. "Duniye me sab sabko samajh rahe hain… Sirf ye dono hain ki!!! Kuch aisa karna padega ki at least they start thinking that what they are thinking about each other is wrong… It is all nothing but mis-understanding! Just mis-understanding!" 😕
Arjun
