OSR PART 28
The first pangs of love feel
As delightful as the first rays of the sun peeping out of those little blue clouds
As cute as purple butterflies hovering over the first flowers of spring
As adorable as the morning dew drops trickling off those glossy green leaves
Pause, right there!
These 'common' lines on first pangs of love couldn't be more off the mark if it was the story of Jodha Singh and Jalal Muhammed that was being described. The newfound love of this interesting couple that'd just kick-started, was something else altogether!
Now, THEIR first pangs of love felt more like
The liberating sensation felt when jumping off a cliff with nothing but a parachute on one's back
The exhilarating tingle felt during a splash of cold water on a scorching summer's noon
The breathtaking awe felt when diving down into the deep ocean
Simply put, Jalal and Jodha ENJOYED the invigorating feeling of being 'in love'.
Actually, almost everyone else at college loved this handsome pair for being 'in love' too. If nothing else; this filmy hate-to-love tale between an enticingly fiery junior and an adored popular senior provided enough fodder to keep the gossip mills at SRI running!
Everywhere the latest buzz seemed to be about them 'Did they?' 'Didn't they?' 'Would they?' 'Wouldn't they?'
Canteen lunch hours turned out to be the worst for the famous couple - they constantly found themselves at the focus of attention thanks to their group's relentless tease-fests.
However inspite of all that group fun, it was their meetings after college that both seemed to relish the most - and why not!
After all, their personal relationship was about being passionate without the need for jealousy to spur it on. They preferred arguing over theorems and economic policies rather than girlfriend-boyfriend insecurities! Their vibrant conversations were all about artful flirting while still remaining graceful throughout. Most importantly, their dates were all about having a wild time without losing their sensibilities while doing so.
For instance; on one evening they'd set out to make elaborate dinner plans and landed at a posh restaurant. Yet when there, they'd ordered nothing but three courses of dessert - since they weren't in the mood for anything else on the menu!
On another day, they'd just casually walked out of a not-very-interesting movie barely thirty minutes after it'd started
'But, you've paid for the movie tickets Jalal...waste of money, na' she'd said
'As it is I've wasted my money Jo...better not waste my time too' he'd winked
He'd opened her eyes to a wider horizon in life! He'd gently nudged the girl to come out of her shell and feel like a woman. He'd changed the formal smiles on her face into lively giggles. He'd shown her that it was all right to enjoy life - that it was all right to stop being Ms Goody Goody every now and again - that it wasn't wrong to break rules once in a while and be a little mischievous just for the sake of.
She'd begun realizing how much she'd missed out in life by choosing not to fall in love for so long. Nevertheless, it'd meant to happen when the right guy came along and who could be closer to Mr.Right for her than Jalal?
Similarly, she'd subtly broadened his priorities in life too! She'd somehow made him admit that 'Ganne ka juice' and 'Nimboo paani' could be better alternatives to 'beer' - at least, occasionally! A couple of Hindi melodies had magically made their way into his otherwise all-English playlist - and he was even managing to appreciate them. She'd shown him how malls needn't be the only fun date venues around - that Amal old age home was just as lively too.
One such 'different' date he'd experienced - in fact, one he'd organized himself, thanks to her - was for an occasion that was very important to him.
It fell on a day about a month after it'd all started...
14th March
THE MUHAMMED BUNGALOW - ON THE PORCH
'Koi tho kholo yaar' he mused under his breath, while waiting on the steps outside the ornate wooden door of his bungalow - what a day to have forgotten to take the house keys along?
'Its ok Jalal...' she smiled reassuringly 'You'd said Ammi's not at home na...so maybe Shantamma's busy...she'll come...'
'Yeah right' he thought to himself. He really did not need any more misadventures for then! As it is, he'd had to shell most of his grand schemes for the day - what little he'd planned better not go any more pear-shaped than it already had!
'No gifts...no birthday bash...no fancy restaurants...and nothing too far away, since I have to get home on time to celebrate the rest of the eve with my family' had been the 'few' conditions she'd put forth when he'd set about making plans. Nope, she hadn't left him with very many options!
Nevertheless, he HAD managed to think up something and pleasantly surprised her on this special day that was her 23rd birthday!
'Hey' she muttered, slipping her hand around her boyfriend's elbow 'I enjoyed the whole tour...'
Balancing the cake box in one hand, he cast her a glance. It was obvious from the dreamy twinkle in her eyes that she was still revelling in 'The tour'. That the picnic he'd planned thereafter had to be abandoned - what with the park having turned out to be a mosquito paradise - hadn't disappointed her in the least. Nor was she bothered that the specially-ordered cake hadn't been cut yet - the suffocating traffic on the way back meant he couldn't take a detour to any other picnic spot.
'You know Jalal' she continued - aware of what was running on his mind 'I've visited the Golconda Fort before...but, today was undoubtedly special... walking through the stone structures with my hand in yours...glimpsing at the majestic monument... and then at sunset...catching a view of the entire city of Hyderbad from the top while standing beside you...it was magical...'
Her words worked like a charm and he found himself uplifted in no time. With a boyish wink, he put his arm around her shoulder 'Well, WHATEVER makes Ms Singh happy...makes this fella happy too!'
Nodding her head in playful approval, she then made a note of the time on her watch. It was getting late and she needed to get going in the next twenty minutes - at the latest!
Following another round of bell-ringing from both, Jodha stepped back and folded her arms - waiting for someone to attend to the door. As she resumed her casual chatter with Jalal during the subsequent wait, a round-ish pebble on the ground caught her attention. Unbeknown to her, she commenced toying it with her feet sometime thereafter. Shuffling the pebble to and fro, she'd even mentally set herself an aim - that is, to score a goal between two flower pots, a short distance away.
Soon enough, Jodha was kicking the stone about with increased vigour - not realizing when her focus had steadily shifted away from the conversation. After all, the new pastime she'd just discovered was an excellent way to while time.
Having been watching her actions with delight so long, Jalal eventually decided to butt into the game - the lure of a pretend football match with his beloved was too tempting!
'Stop it Jalal' she hit his arm, when he'd managed to tackle the stone away from her thereon 'That's cheating...it was my game'
'But, that's no way to play it...' he teased her - knowing it'd only annoy her more 'Shall I show you how its done...'
'No thanks...' Jodha nearly nudged him away - she needed no 'expert' advice right then 'MY pebble...MY game...MY rules...so, I'll play it whichever way I want...'
'Don't push me...' the amused senior mocked, perceiving how competitive she was getting 'Cake gir jaayegaa'
The short scuffle that ensued between the two was adorably sporty - featuring irked frowns from the losing junior and victorious smirks from the winning senior. Thankfully, the compound walls of Bungalow number 23 were tall enough to shield them from the street or they'd have had an audience by then.
A few minutes later, Jalal was about to take advantage of the game during a momentary lull, but Jodha had had enough. Since the skilled athlete had an unfair advantage over her, she'd decided that she had every right to do something drastic to win too. In a flash, the unwitting man found himself startled by some hilarious sensations - his ribs were being tickled by her fingers as she fought her way through. By the time Jalal could overcome the underhanded tactics - she'd swiftly grabbed the opportunity, kicked the stone and scored a goal.
'Ouch' she winced a second later and then, 'Yayyy' she shouted aloud. Yeah, she'd bruised her leg a bit, but what was more important was that she'd won!
'Oy that's a foul...' he chuckled at her cute victory dance, while taking support of the pillar to balance himself
'Whatever...but I still won...'
'Jodha' he suddenly grimaced with concern - he'd noticed the blood oozing from her toe 'You've hurt yourself'
'Yeah...yeah...' she dismissed his woes 'Sandals and salwar are not the ideal 'football' dress code...I know!'
Just then, their banter was interrupted when the entrance door finally opened. An excited Robbie immediately strutted out to greet his friends - a pleasant middle-aged lady followed suit. Catching sight of the maid who'd finally made her entry, the much-relieved Jalal bowed down to her - like one would to royalty 'Oh! Dhanya ho Shantamma...dhanya ho...we've only been waiting here for 15 minutes, you know!'
Abashed by her overlook and even more so by his theatrics, the lady scratched her head sheepishly 'Sorry...sorry ayya...Madam is out...Balaji has gone to the shops...and I was in the bathroom...'
'Jalal' Jodha gently prodded him - biting her lip so she didn't end up giggling at the funny scene between master and maid 'Come on...I WANT to cut the cake NOW...'
He turned to her with an I'm-not-amused look 'Let's tend to your foot first...'
'No let's tend to my cake first...' she covered her forehead, pretending to be exhausted 'I'm STARVING after having played such a gruelling game...'
'W...what...' he broke out into a chuckle, entertained by her cute tantrum 'Fine...fine'
THE MUHAMMED BUNGALOW - THE STUDY
'Hmmm' she mumbled in quiet ecstasy - licking the last bits of chocolate cream from her fingers while watching the video of her quiet birthday party that he'd just recorded on his mobile. Swishing around on the large office armchair, she continued admiring the lovely scenes in the clipping - Jalal, Shantamma and Robbie looked so adorable cheering her ceremony in their own sweet ways!
'Hey' he came up from behind - gently stopping the spinning chair so he could lean over her shoulder. Observing the video along with her for a few seconds, he indicated to Jodha's picture 'Doesn't she look beautiful?'
'Uh huh!' she mumbled
She didn't have to glance his way for him to discern the hot flush that'd just crept on her cheeks 'Happy Birthday Jodha!' he sung into her ears
Tickled by his warm breath, she swung the recliner around to face him - making an attempt to divert her boyfriend from the mischievous intentions running in his mind 'Do you know...its nearly a month now?'
'I know' he nodded - well aware of her games. Nevertheless, he slipped the mobile off her hand so they could go back to their first set of texts and relive it together
Once he'd come across the smses, he showed her the screen and started flicking message-after-message
'Yup Jalal! That's why I hate it when I turn out to b WRONG ... and u turn out to b RIGHT!'Now, got ur answer? Have a safe and peaceful trip!'
'How was the flight'
'Hope u r having a gd time in Mum...how did ur meeting go?'
'Miss u too...btw, my frnds are driving me mad with questions...'
'Whn r u arriving?'
'Early? How early do u want me to be at clg tomorrow morn?'
'Baap re!' Jodha exclaimed as she went through her initial formal-ish texts 'I can't believe I was so bholi till a month back...' she knitted her brows 'And now YOU...you've totally corrupted my innocent mind'
'And I love myself for it' he finished with a devilish smirk. Persevering with their young fun, Jalal leaned over the armrests of her recliner and moved closer - staring at her hazel eyes
Observing his dashing features that was hovering just above hers, she admitted in a low tone 'You know, I can't believe you've still saved ALL my texts!'
'Why?'
'Cos I've deleted all of yours...'
'What?' he studied her expression wondering if she was pulling his leg. When he recognized that she wasn't, the senior was mildly taken aback by the candid confession 'Why so?'
'Well...' she went on to play with his collar 'I realized I''m taking things very coolly Jalal...our phonecalls, our dates, I've been returning home later than usual...Bhaiyya has started growing suspicious... so, its better I delete the texts and emails in case he checks...' she paused 'Remember our plans? We have to lay low till I finish my MBA...'
'Yup' he sighed understandingly
'Anyway, I know them all by-heart' she disclosed with confidence 'At least the special ones'
'Like?'
'Fine' she shot off - repeating what she could from memory 'The first one was...'
'Good morning my love, how are you...looking forward to the start of a new day, start of a new phase and start of a new us''
'Mumbai is Mumbai...the same as always...but, I'm definitely different now'
'Can't wait to get back...look you in the eye and hear you say something I'm waiting to hear...'
'Wow!' he raised his eyebrow in awe, while she pursued 'And oh yeah...one of my favourites'
'Hey Jo...I saw something and it reminded me of what I feel right now...
If only I could freeze the time when I am WITH you...and fastforward the time that I'm NOT'
'Ok...ok I get the jist' Jalal blushed mildly - he WAS impressed.
After a few frozen seconds of a sensual silence between the pair, he exhaled deeply and forced himself to come away from her hypnotizing presence 'It has been long enough...let's get your cut treated first...septic ho jaayega'
Sitting up on her armchair at once, she brushed his worries off 'Jalal...chintaa mat karo theek ho jayega...' she made a quick attempt to divert his attention from the cut on her feet 'By the way, why don't you teach me how to record a video in your mobile...' fiddling around with the phone in her hand, she identified the icons 'Oh...I think I found the settings'
While Jodha leaned forth to place the phone on his desk and pressed 'record', Jalal viewed her reactions warily - before going ahead to do what needed to be done anyway.
Grabbing the first aid box off the table, he kneeled down to took a look at the wound and picked her feet up. However, just as he was about to commence cleaning the wound - Jodha curled her toes back at once 'Jalal chodo please...' she paused uncomfortably 'Fine...I'll do it myself...'
He looked up at her with a sceptical frown 'Jo...you have a boyfriend now...why don't you take advantage of him once in a while?'
She giggled 'Trust me, I have NOOO issues taking advantage of you...but...'
'But?' he pressed on inquisitively 'What's it?'
'Just that I'm really...really...really ticklish...'
Ahaa - so that was what it was! She was ticklish! A mild smile escaping his lips, he reverted his attention to the injury.
While he calmly went about dressing the wound, she had to invest all of her energy to control herself from squirming every which way - so he could be done with it as soon as possible.
'Phew' she breathed a massive sigh of relief once he'd plastered the bandage upon it - that is, till she'd caught the 'new' expressions on his face when he'd glanced back up!
'W...what?' she stuttered in growing alarm. Why had his smiles just turned into deviant grins? 'N...no' she gasped as she quickly realized what he was up to - he was planning to seek revenge for what she'd done to him during their football match! So, his mind had been formulating this devious plan, while blissfully unaware SHE had been having her foot treated!
'You better not get any weird ideas Jalal, I tell you...' she warned him with a funny glare - planning her escape strategy as she did so 'Jalal...stop...'
Hastily blocking her route of escape, Jalal gazed at her with the most mischievous look he'd ever given her yet!
Taking note of how he was gliding closer and closer, she tried playfully pushing him away 'N...no...Jaalllaaal...you better not...n...o'
However; before long, he'd overcome her defences and gently arrested her wrists within his palm to begin the tickle-a-thon
'S...stop' she laughed
'Arre...yaar' she laughed a bit more 'This is all getting recorded...first, let's stop the video'
'N...nooo...Jalllaaal' she laughed a lot more
'Koi sun lega Jalal' she laughed uncontrollably 'Basss ab...'
Anyhow, all protests had fallen on deaf ears and it was a good three minutes, before he decided to let go.
With their laughter finally showing signs of abating, the breathless pair slumped back on the backrest in respite. Squashed together on that grand armchair, they caught up on their breath for a short while - facing one another all along.
As the two of them lay still, continuing to survey the other - their amused stares gently turned into more mellow gazes
'Thank you' she whispered softly 'For making my 23rd birthday so memorable...'
'Don't worry' he winked 'I'll make your 43rd birthday just as lovely too'
'And my 63rd?' she gushed
'Yeah...' he sighed jovially 'As long as you'll be able to hop around a fort so briskly then!'
While she sniggered in response, he observed her - sensing the sparks of mutual attraction simmering between them. After a brief spell of calm, he began caressing the contours of her face with his fingers. Tracing the borders of her temple, his fingertips smoothly skid down to her cheek and then her chin. Reading the subsequent emotions in her eyes, Jalal took her by surprise a moment later. For the first time, he'd gradually let his fingers run over the outline of her lips - longing to know how it'd feel if his met hers.
Tingled by the suddenly unfamiliar sensations his gesture gave rise to, Jodha found her lips going numb. Overcome by an unforeseen rush of nervousness, she subconsciously flinched away - a bit - and that was when she caught sight of the silent guest who'd been monitoring them so long
'Jalal' she called out to snap him out of his trance, indicating towards the door with a chuckle 'Dekho tho...we're being watched'
Curious, he turned around and came to face with their unexpected visitor. The observant pet had just resumed wagging his tail - wondering if he could be a part of the strange games his master was up to too!
'Robbie' Jalal broke out into a bout of abashed grins 'When did you get here, yaar?'
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THE UNIVERSITY - JODHA'S CLASSROOM
It was nearing the end of a long day. The class was abuzz with a full attendance. Word had gone around that Prof Ram Charan was to be late for his lecture. With circumstances being so, one could imagine the ambience of a classroom - it was NOISY!
Various groups of friends had very many things to catch up on and HER group was no different either!
In the first ten minutes, they'd covered more mundane discussions like the upcoming 1st semester exams, make-up tips and family issues. Obviously, the more 'important' topics were yet to follow.
'Girls...' Payal sighed, setting her phone down once she'd finished replying to her last sms 'Maan's just sent us a reminder...Holi party at his place on 17th at 5pm...bhoolna mat!'
'Sure...'
'Yup'
'By the way' a worried Meera abruptly recalled something she'd been meaning to enquire 'Jodha, I forgot to ask...you didn't hear from the anonymous texter on your birthday, right?'
'No...' she revealed with mild relief, a few seconds later
'Thank God...' Payal commented in a low tone - lest someone overheard them. She paused hesitantly 'I tell you, I still think it's Shareef doing this...'
'Well...' Jodha remained unconvinced 'He spiked my drink, but I'm not sure he's the texter yaar...I mean...I doubt he'd send me such a stupid message just two days after being expelled!' she cast a sly glance at the guy seated on the last bench 'For a while, I suspected Anoop...but...'
'Nahin' Meera argued 'Anoop ek lallu hai.. he can't do this...the whole college knows about the spiking thing so it could be anyone yaar...'
'But, remember...' Jodha interrupted - on a very grim note 'This guy knew about Jalal and I getting together even BEFORE the rest of the college did!'
'Yeah!' Payal exclaimed in near-horror 'I'm certain he's following you around...'
'Or maybe its someone from OUR OWN group who's keeping tabs on everything happening in my life' Jodha thought silently - but then, she couldn't get herself to say it aloud. How could she? How could she tell her own friends that she had started suspecting one amongst their own? How could she admit that she was growing increasingly cautious of one of Jalal's friends themselves? That lately, ONE particular face popped up quite often whenever she wondered about the texter's identity!
Since she knew Maan for long and since Salim seemed too committed to his long-term girlfriend - that left her with only one option
'Abdul'
No doubt, the chap always came across like the darling-of-the-group. No doubt he's Jalal's best buddy of 15 years - but, what if he harboured some dark secrets too? Anyway, these were faint suspicions and loose theories that she couldn't share with anyone - not with her group - and ESPECIALLY not with Jalal. At least, not until she had some form of proof to back her doubts!
'Anyhow, Jodha' Meera spoke up - detecting how her friend suddenly looked so lost 'Stay safe... you're still not planning to tell your family about this?'
'Pagal ho?' Jodha smirked 'The last text had such disgusting things to say about Jalal...there's no way I can show that to my parents yaar...besides, he has spoken to his uncle and he should get back to us with the address of the owner sometime soon...'
Instantly noting how the very mention of 'Jalal' brought about a soft twinkle in her eyes, Meera decided to move on to the other 'important' topic they were yet to broach. As it is, the texter-discussions had depressed their temperaments - the fresh theme should lighten everyone's spirits again
'Jodha' Meera cleared her voice - with renewed vigour 'Ye sab chod...you still haven't told us what HE got you yesterday...'
'Oh yesss' Payal's mood perked-up 'Now THIS is more like it! Tell us...come on...come on'
'Well...' breaking out into a faint blush, the hesitant young lady took a short while to speak up - evidently, Meera's change-of-topic had elevated her frame of mind in no time 'He took me to Golconda fort... then we went to his place...and I...' perceiving how their excited smiles had swiftly morphed into confused frowns, she stopped
'W...what?' Payal looked at Meera to ensure she wasn't the only one reacting so and then turned back to face Jodha 'Are you serious?'
'I can't believe it' Meera winced 'A sightseeing tour was your gift?'
'Hey' Jodha tried explaining 'Because...I...'
'Shyea...' Payal remarked - not letting the girl elaborate 'And I'd expected the guy to be more generous...'
'Arre' Jodha made another attempt to justify, but she was cut short again
'Same here Payal...' Meera nodded 'I expected better too...silver Audi mein ghoomta hai...and he wraps up his girlfriend's birthday saste mein!'
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