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Ram rings the bell and waits impatiently for the door to open. Priya pulls open the door with a jerk.
Ram (stepping inside) – Tumhein nahi lagta ki tumhara ye door bhi tumhaari hi tarah hai? Adiyal!
Priya – Excuse me?
Ram (ignoring and going inside) – Pihu! Rockstar. Look, papa is here to take you to school.
Priya – Pihu is in the bathroom. Use thoda time lagega taiyaar hone mein.
Ram – Arey, aise kaise? School ke liye der ho jayegi. How can you be so careless with this? Waise toh itne lambe lambe lecture deti ho aur…
Priya – Uff! Mr Kapoor! Relax! Pihu aaj thoda der se so ke uthi kyunki kal karwa chauth ki excitement mein usne bahut masti kar li thi. Thak gayi thi. After all she is just a kid. Isilye use der ho gayi. Par aap toh… khair, have a seat. Aapke liye coffee laati hoon.
Ram makes a face at her and goes to sit on the dining table.
Ram – Priya, ek baat poochhoon?
Priya – Ji?
Ram (with some hesitation) – Tum yahan comfortable ho? I mean, is chhote se flat mein tum kaise reh pa rahi ho? Phir ab toh Neha bhi yahi hai…
Priya (going all soft) – I am ok Mr Kapoor. Waise bhi, mujhe toh aadat hai. Shaadi se pehle bhi main isi building mein rehti thi. Tab toh aur zyada log they. Mummy-papa ek room mein Karthik bahar living room mein aur main aur Ayesha (she suddenly stops at the name. Ram looks up at her. Priya sighs and continues) main aur Ayesha ek room mein sote they. Aur phir Dubai mein bhi toh main aise hi flat mein rehti thi… (she trails off)
Ram (softly) – Tum Dubai mein bahut miss karti hogi na is building ko? Apne gharwalon ko?
Priya (tears brimming in her eyes) – Haa. Bahut mis karti thi sabko. Is building ko, is society ko, is shehar ko… sabko.
Ram – Bas? Aur koi tumhein yaad nahi aayaa? Inke alawa aur kisi ko miss nahi kiya tumne?
He was dying to hear from her that she missed him too. Badly. Like he did.
Priya (composing herself) – Wo, Mr Kapoor… I think Pihu is done with her shower.
Ram (hurt again for the nth time, by her brushing off. In a low voice) – Phir se wahi reaction. (with a sarcastic smile on his face, trying to hide his hurt and disappointment) Main hi gadha hoon jo jawaab jaan ne ke bawjood expectations rakhe hue hoon. Hai na?
Priya looks at him with guilt all over her face.
Priya – Mr Kapoor, it's not…
Ram – It's ok. Pihu ko dekh lo. We are getting late.
Just then the doorbell rings again.
Priya goes to open the door. (Who else but Rajjo at the door, in his track suit)
Rajat – Hi! Surprised?
Priya (taken aback) – Very. Aap ekdum se yahan achaanak?
Rajat – Haan, wo main morning jog ke liye nikla that oh socha ki aaj Pihu school drop kar diya jay. May I come in?
Priya – Please do.
Rajat steps in and is surprised to see Ram.
Rajat – Hi Ram. Tu yahan?
Ram (irritated with haddi's presence. Putting on his best sarcastic smile) - haan, main yahan. Wo kya hai na, Main apni beti ko school drop karne aaya hoon. But tu itna surprised kyun hai? It's but natural. Nahi?
Rajat – Bikul. (Turning to Priya) I can smell some delicious coffee.
Piya – Haan. Wo main Mr Kapoor ke liye bana rahi thi. Aap bhi lenge?
Rajat – Sure. Would love to.
Ram – Rajat, tujhe toh coffee pasand nahi thi? Achaanak kaise achchhi lagne lagi? Tu toh sugar-less Black tea pasand karta hai na?
Rajat – I used to. But Ms Sharma ke haath ki coffee is any day much, much better than black tea.
This pisses Ram even more. He gives an annoyed look to Rajat. Priya senses something going on between Ram and Rajat. She goes to bring out the coffee and snacks.
Ram sees her struggling to open the lid of a steel container.
Ram (thinking) – Ye Priya bhi na. ek 5 saal ki bachchi ki ma ban gyi but abhi tak ek kaam theek se hota nahi hai isse. Mujhe hi jana padega…
But before he could move a muscle, Rajat went beside her like a hopping bunny (Ok, sorry. I forgot. Bunnies are cute)
He opened the lid for her.
Priya (with a small smile) – Thank you (glancing randomly at Ram)
This infuriates Ram like anything. He gets up and walks towards the kitchen counter.
Ram (addressing Priya) – I think I should go and get Pihu. Tum yahan araam se coffee-coffee khelo.
With this he goes to the bedroom, leaving behind a stunned Priya and a blank (as always) Rajat.
Rajat – Ms Sharma, I think I should leave. Waise bhi, Ram is here to drop Pihu to school. Coffee, some other day.
With this, Rajat leaves. Ram comes out of the room with Pihu all set for school.
Priya – Arey wah! Pihu, aaj aapko Papa ne ready kiya school ke liye?
Pihu nods happily.
Pihu – Haan. Aapne kaha tha na, papa is a p..p..p..
Priya – Perfectionist.
Ram, who is still annoyed by Rajat's presence in his wife and daughter's life as well as in their house, looks at Priya and gives her a smirk.
Priya (sensing that something has ticked off Ram) – Chalo aao. Ab aap aur papa baith ke jaldi jaldi breakfast kar lo. Aaj mumma ne yummy yummy paneer rolls banaaye hain.
Pihu – Paneer rolls? Wow!
Pihu jumps into the chair and starts digging in o her favourite paneer rolls. Ram remains standing there.
Priya – Mr Kapoor. Aaiye na…
Ram (sticking out his hand) – It's ok. I have had my beakfast.
Priya is crestfallen.
Pihu – Aao na papa. Mumma bahut tasty khana banaati hai. Hum dono mil kar khaate hain Please? (she makes a puppyface)
Ram seeing her daughter make such cute face is unable to disappoint her. He goes and sits behind her. Priya's face lits up seeing this. She comes and serves him too and sits opposite to him, with Pihu in between.
Ram remains cold to her, all the while eating.
Pihu - Papa, kaisa laga aapko? Tasty hai na? Mumma tasty khana banaati hai na?
Priya looks at Ram. He senses her eyes on him and the eagerness in them to hear his answer.
Ram (without looking at her) – Haan. Aapki mumma bahut tasty khana banaati hai. Chalo, ab chalein?
Pihu – Haan. Oh, ek minute. Main toh bhool gayi. Mujhe aaj apni glitter pencils le jaani hain. Main abhi aayi.
And she slips out of the chair and runs off to the bedroom.
Priya – Thank you Mr Kapoor.
Ram (icy gaze) – Main sab kuchh apni beti ke liye kar raha hoon.
Priya – I know that. Still…
Ram – Can you please cut the crap? I told you I am doing all this for my daughter. Baar baar thanks bol kar mujhe uski zindagi mein mehmaan mat banaao. Main pita hoon uska. Ye sab mera haq hai. Main Rajat nahi hoon jise hafte mein ek baar ehsaan dikhaane ke liye Pihu ko school drop karna hota hai!
Priya – Mr Kapoor, ye aap kya keh rahe hain? Rajat sir beech mein kahan se aaye? Aapko unse problem kya hai?
Ram – Oh please! Mujhe Rajat se problem hogi? Wo hai kya? Ek aisa dost jo 4 saal ki dosti bhula kar, mera sath dene ke bajaaye meri biwi ka sath de raha hai just because he…
Priya – What?
Ram – Don't act so surprised Priya. Tum nahi janti ki Rajat ye sab kyun kar raha hai? Custody case, lawyer, book caf… ye sab kyun?
Priya – He just wants to help me…
Ram – Why, dammit why? Use kya lagta hai, ki main mar gaya hoon jo tumhein uske sahaare ki zaroorat padegi?
Priya – Mr Kapoor, aap aaj bhi waise hi hain jaise pehle they. Aap aaj bhi wahi dekhte hain jo aap dekhna chaahte hain.
Ram – Haan, sab problems toh mujh mein hi hain na? Is duniya mein sab ko chhod ke ek main hi toh hoon jise akal nahi hai. But you know what, I don't care ki tum mere bare mein kya sochti ho.
Priya – I very well know that. Jab main aapki life mein koi maayne hi nahi rakhti toh kya fark padhta hai ki main aapke bare mein kya sochti hoon.
Ram – Wow! So all the blame is on me again, right? For what? Because I married your sister for you sake, thinking you are dead! How could I!
Priya – I don't want to talk about that Mr kapoor.
Ram – Neither do I. Mujhe maloom hai ki is behas ko koi result nahi nikalne wala hai.. humaare rishte ki tarah.
He moves towards the door.
Ram – Pihu ko neeche bhej dena. I am waiting in the car. (Pausing at the door) Ek baat boloon? Main janta hoon ki tumhari life mein main sabse kam maayne rakhta hoon. Par meri life mein hamesha tum hi priority thi. Ab tak thi. Aur shayad… kahin na kahin… ab bhi ho. Jis tarah tum mujhe asaani se chhod ke chali gayi thi, use pata chalta hai ki in 5 saalon mein Tumne shayad hi kabhi mujhe yaad kiya ho. Par mere liye tum meri har saans mein maujood thi. And you know what, it pains to see someone you live for, putting you behind everthing and everyone else in her life. It pains like hell!
And he moves out of the flat.
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