~*FF-NOT just a passionate affair ~* Compilation Thread-Parts 1 To 62 - Page 6

Dedicating this update to all fans of the serial who're disappointed with the serial - but, keeping hopes alive! 

November 2nd

OSR PART 47 - FINALLY! Thank you, stalker... another battle won!

SAHIB SINDH SULTAN - CITY CENTRE MALL

9:30 pm

Having nibbled upon his final bite of starter, the elated man set his cutlery down with a content smile 'The Murgh Malai Chop was delicious...'

'Hmmm...' she nodded

'Poora paisa vasool...'

'Uh...huh...'

'How about your Kebabs?'

'Good...'

He observed the gorgeous lady sitting opposite him. Not only had her entire attention been fixated upon the starters for the past fifteen minutes, she now seemed quite happy to continue staring at an empty porcelain plate, rather than looking up at him.

Well, he had tried breaking the ice. He'd spoken of his work, his future plans, his hobbies and his family - but, that didn't seem to do the trick. She didn't have much to add to any of those topics from her end.

Maybe it was time he directly asked Jodha Singh a few things about herself - anything that would get her to participate in a conversation. Presently, their date had become so unexciting - that by this point he didn't even mind those awkward goof-ups she'd made at the start 'So...' Rishabh spoke up, broaching a random subject 'You haven't told me... what are your hobbies?'

'Oh...' the query drew her out of her trance, though only barely 'I like singing... dancing...' she paused 'And painting too...'

'Great stuff!' he nodded with genteel appreciation 'I'm no singer myself, but I AM a big fan ... I CAN recognize a good singer when I hear one... I've heard you sing like a professional...' a thought struck him 'Maybe you can sing something for me in the car on the way back?'  

Jodha glanced up at her company just then, a fresh wave of frustration taking over her 'You're making me nervous, Rishabh...' she remarked wearily

'Come on... you have given stage performances...' he winked 'See... I know you better than you think I do...I am aware of how proficient you are in classical music...' a faint blush tinted his cheeks 'In fact, I must admit...learning about your interest in the traditional arts was what drew me towards you in the first place... that, and seeing your beautiful picture of course...'

'What!' her brows knotted into a bemused frown 'Traditions? Classical music? Wow...you really DO believe you know me so well, don't you? Mr. Raghuvanshi... if you came to know of the 'other' side that existed to this Jodha... you'd be SHOCKED!' she bit the insides of her cheeks so she didn't burst out into a loud round of giggles 'I'd possibly have to drive you in your Santro to a nearby hospital to help you recover!'

'Finally... a big smile!' Rishabh triumphed, blissfully unaware of her thoughts 'So, any other interests that I'm not aware of? Obviously... I need to know everything about my future wife, you see...'

'Huh?' her smiles vanished - just like that! She didn't know if it was just her 'moody hormones' that evening or whether he really was so irritating, but somehow he was getting on her nerves with his many conceited statements 'What did you say?' she asked again  

'Whether you have any other interests?'

'Sports!' she muttered randomly, not interested in giving him straightforward answers anymore

'Wow!' his eyes widened in surprise 'How interesting! So, what do you watch?'

'Watch? Why, I like playing too!' she fibbed

'Hmmm' he sipped on his glass of Blue Hawaiian 'I didn't expect you to...'

'Why?'

'I... I mean you look so...I... I just didn't take you to be the kind who'd like playing sports ...'

'Oh!' she cocked her head back 'Another assumption?' hadn't he presumed and theorized enough about her already? How much more? Maybe it was time she gave him a slightly rude awakening and show him that she wasn't this delicate homely porcelain doll he was making her out to be

'You play badminton?' he queried

'Nope'

'Cricket?'

'FOOTBALL!' she overrode him

'What!' he nearly spilled his drink 'You like playing football?'

'Why?' a lopsided grin appeared on her lips no sooner than she witnessed the exact reactions that she'd anticipated 'What's so surprising in my loving football?'

'Just that I've never met an Indian girl who's so enthusiastic about playing football...'

'Oh!' she deliberately let her doe eyes be taken over by a dreamy haze 'I LOVE it...I've never had the chance to play much... but, I do love watching...' she sighed audibly 'It's so physical... and rugged... and athletic... and fast...GOD... the adrenaline rush during a game is splendid!' no doubt, she was taking a fun trip down the memory lane right there - those wild Inter-College games - the ferocity with which her skilled guy tackled the ball whenever got hold of it - the appealing sight of the red team shirt clinging onto Mr. Muhammed's drenched ripped torso. My! My!

Nevertheless; she couldn't afford to let herself be lost in those delightful recollections for too long, lest she made another goof-up. So, she eventually concluded her chatter with a wide beam 'And didn't you watch the FIFA world cup that took place this June?'

'Errr... no...' Rishabh admitted with a stupefied expression

'Shyea, you missed it!' Jodha shook her head in disapproval 'By the way... you wanted to know all about my likes na... my current favourite is James Rodriguez...' clipping her palms together, she brought on a visibly romantic look 'Kyaa attitude hai uska...kitnaa fit hai...he's so cute...' she broke out into a few girly giggles 'I just love that guy...'

'Er...ahem' clearing his voice loudly, Rishabh interrupted her fangirling at once - in case she came up with further bold descriptions of strange men and their rugged physiques 'I stick to our desi sport... cricket!'

'Well...' Jodha sneered faintly, before using Jalal's words back at this pesky adversary of theirs 'Football is just as desi as cricket is!'

'Huh? Haan...' Rishabh blanked-out 'Er... yeah... but... still...'

Watching him all flustered, a thoroughly amused Jodha picked up her glass of drink and gobbled up a generous amount. This was so much fun. She was finally getting back at a guy who'd put her through  inconvenience for months 'God Jalal!' she struggled to keep her drink down 'If only I could have recorded this whole scene and played it back to you at a later date. We'd have laughed our heads off...'

'What's so funny?' he asked a few seconds later, not appreciating her repressed chuckles

'Oh nothing... nothing...' she hurriedly reined in her cheeky grins for the time being 'Don't worry...just because I like football, doesn't mean I don't love my Tendulkar and Dravid!'

THE MUHAMMED HOUSEHOLD - JALAL'S BEDROOM

'But, Jodha has left...yaar... why are you still shutting yourself up and moping around in loneliness?'

'No... no... no... no...' he screamed within the four walls of his room to see if the yells would nullify the disturbing lines that'd been forcefully crushing the sanity of his mind for more than 50 minutes now 'NO! STOP!' he grit his teeth and fell back upon his bed with his coat still over his shoulders 'Abdul's right... if she's left... if she's off to marry someone else... why am I bleeding my heart dry all by myself... why am I unable to face people... why am I not attending my own party? I need to put a stop to my heartache... to my desolation...I need to start SOMEWHERE and SOMEHOW...' overcome by an unexpected wave of rage, the spurned lover clutched the mobile phone that was lying beside him. Clicking open his screen, his shivering fingers scrolled back to the gallery icon on the display 'I have to start somehow... I have to start by deleting these memories... they give me nothing but pain... her photos... OUR photos... OUR videos... these pictures that I keep revisiting numerous times a day... I need to get over it...I NEED TO...' with the effect of his emotions and the alcohol affecting his dexterity, Jalal found himself unable to zone in on the right folder. It took him - what seemed like ages and a MASSIVE amount of effort to do so - but the tip of his index finger was finally there.

His fingers touched her picture - and a beautiful one at that!

'Jodha' he whimpered in pain

Her photo smiled back at him 'I will be back... Jodha has to come back to her Jalal... she has no place else to go...'

'But, Jodha has left...yaar...' his mate's words returned to override everything else

Frustrated by his pitiable plight, Jalal crunched his fist 'STOP driving me mad everyone...stop playing with my head... ' - and in an unforeseen act of frenzy deleted her first photo.

He lay still. Time stood still. He couldn't believe he'd done it, but he had. He'd removed the first memory he had of her - the first photo he'd taken of his girl when they'd gotten together.

Three minutes thereon, the lifeless man moved on to the next one. Then, the one after. As he duplicated the same act over and over again - numbly erasing her photos - it felt like her shadows were truly leaving him. Yet strangely, that thought didn't give him any relief - it only drove him into further pits of despair 'No... don't go...' his heart kept telling her disappearing photos, till he arrived at the MMS recording taken on HER birthday eight months ago.

Somehow - either intentionally or unintentionally - he pressed PLAY instead of DELETE

And the video played...

He watched it all - him bandaging her bleeding toe, her delightful fright when she realized his 'tickle-a-thon' plans, him arresting her within the confines of his armchair, his girl pleading for pity while being mercilessly tickled by him - he watched it all

'S...stop'

'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...'

- but it was a good three minutes before he let go.

Squashed together on that grand armchair, they caught up on their breath - facing one another all along.

'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!'

A tear rolled off the from his eyes down the sides of his face, as the beauty of it all whelmed him again 'I can't even delete you from my phone...' he smirked 'What the hell was I thinking... when I set out to delete you from my life?'

A minute later, he scrolled back to the list of missed calls and called the latest number on it

'Hey... where the hell are you... we're all still waiting...'

'Sorry Abdul' he rubbed the tear off his cheeks 'But, I can't make it today...'

'Kyaa yaar...' Abdul's voice sounded heavily disappointed

'I don't expect you NOT to get angry...' Jalal smiled softly 'But, if there is one person in this world who can understand me, it's you... so... please apologize to Renu and Nikki on my behalf... and yeah...have the BIGGEST slice of cake for my sake...'

SAHIB SINDH SULTAN - CITY CENTRE MALL

10:10 pm

Having cleansed his hand in the warm finger bowl, he grabbed the crisp white napkin from his left to dry the water away 'So...' he resumed from where he'd last left off 'What do you generally do over the weekends?'

'Here we go again!' forcing a plastered smile upon her lips, she looked up at him 'Same routine...' she began enlightening her intent listener 'First Mandir... then, books... some TV... blah... blah...' noting the subtle yet swift appearance of a 'pleased' frown on his forehead, the rebel in her took over. She decided to amend her tunes - her brazen attitude returning in full swing 'And in the evenings, I prefer going out to the cinema with friends... but, IF mamma and papa give me the permission to stay out late...' she blinked happily, before adding some tadka to her story just to rile him up 'I'd love to go to a club or disco...'

'Club or discotheque?' he uttered, not realizing that he'd actually sat up

'Yup...' she stared sincerely, while struggling not to cave in to Rishabh's hilarious response 'Why? Have you never been to one? You must go... it's such fun...'

'I... I ... mean I have... with buddies...' he exhaled slowly 'But the crowds there are just too brash...'

'Hah!' she brushed him off 'I used to think so too... but ever since I've met some amazing friends at college, my views have changed ... I mean... so many go to these places just for some masti...I love it!'

'Phew!' he almost gasped aloud 'You are quite a bundle of surprises, aren't you?'

'You think so?' she quipped

'Yeah'

Bundle of surprises was the meekest term he could use at that instant - 'confusing' and 'complicated' were better-suited adjectives to describe her. Jodha Singh was no homely girl like he'd been told. She was more of an overbold rebel with westernized views - and truth be told, this markedly 'different' picture of his future wife was not really making him too comfortable.

Nevertheless, he decided to stay a bit more patient - at least for the sake of the thousands his family had just spent, printing their wedding invites a day ago!

'Jodha' he started afresh 'Would you like to order for some dessert?'

'God no!' she protested, but stopped midway. Something had just struck her. She peeked at the time on her watch '10.10pm...did Jalal celebrate today? His party must be in full swing now... chal, I'll celebrate here...' swiftly picking up the dessert menu, she browsed till she noticed an item that they'd both liked in the past 'Pineapple halwa...I'd like to order for a plate of pineapple halwa...'

'But, you just said NO!' Rishabh chuckled softly

'But I want one now!' her eyes gleamed

10:25 pm

Picking up the silver spoon, an enthused Jodha was about to slice into the delicious halwa when she stopped in her tracks abruptly. Sensing a strange sensation on her hand, she glanced at the table - his fingers had begun gently fondling her arm.

'Please...I'm not comfortable...' she quickly freed herself from Rishabh's grip and darted him an uneasy glare. Why wasn't this guy backing off? So typical - and just like the rest of the men she'd met - men who never recognized a 'NO'. Be it the Romeos at her B.com campus, the Majnus loitering the bus stands, perverts like Shareef or creeps like the stalker! They just had to keep going at it to try their luck! All except one, of course! A thorough gentleman who understood a NO straightaway - someone who knew how to back off and STAY OFF! No wonder then that for her, others couldn't even compare to Jalal Muhammed!

'You looked very happy till a few moments ago...ab, your expressions have changed again...' Rishabh complained, getting noticeably embittered by his fiance's detached stance 'Is there something you're not telling me?'

She exhaled long and hard 'You've asked me this question before...and I've said no...'

'Then, let ME tell you... your behaviour is definitely weird...'

'Weird?' she grimaced in annoyance 'My 'circumstances' are weird, not me...'

'What did you say?'

'Nothing!'

'God!' he became fed up. He'd had ENOUGH of her vague phrases and silly reactions 'Those messages I got about you, Jodha...' he scoffed, deciding to avenge the mockery she'd been making of him all through 'Those anonymous texts...make sense now...'

WHAT! She looked up in shock. Did she hear right? Did he just say anonymous texts? Why the hell had he taken so long to mention it 'W... what are you talking about?' she stuttered, literally at the edge of her chair now

'Two weeks back' he winced 'I got a few texts about you... from some strange number...a number beginning with 094 ...'

'FINALLLYYY!' she'd nearly laughed out loud in relief, but toned her glee down when she realized that he was staring at her like she was an alien 'Ermm...why didn't you tell me about this at first?'

'Because...' he snapped back 'I didn't want to say anything till I'd judged for myself if the messages were true!'

'What! What message?'

'That you are a woman of loose morals...and that I should stay away from you...'

'Huh?' she gasped. Had the stalker changed his song? Was he out to defame HER to keep the rest of the male competition away?

'Now that's no longer funny, is it?' Rishabh smirked, on having noted her sudden silence

'Actually Rishabh...' Jodha sniggered back, now detesting him for the fact that he'd withheld the messages in order to silently 'verify' her character all along 'This whole stalker story IS a very funny one!'

'KYAA?' he couldn't believe it 'You KNOW this guy?'

'Let me explain' Jodha defended herself, observing how Rishabh's run-of-patience was possibly reaching its last leg 'This obsessed psycho has been sending threatening texts to anyone who tries to get close to me... he's even tried harming someone I know... I think he is a very dangerous guy...' she made sure to stress on the 'very dangerous' bit!

'Very dangerous?' the colour of his face turned a shade paler 'And your family know about this?'

'Yup!'

'And no one cared to inform us about it?'

'Arre... we tried dealing with it...' she shrugged with mock-innocence 'We hadn't heard from him in a while, so we thought the problem was gone... waise bhi, many girls face such problems today... nothing new... anyway, forget about all those unpleasant details and scary scenes for now...' she hurled him a very wide smile thereafter 'So, when shall we meet again? I've had such fun today...'

'Stop it...' he interrupted her 'It's good that I've come to know of all this before the marriage... you and your family have shamefully lied to us ... respect naam ki bhi koi cheez hoti hai... besides, you are NOTHING like what your relatives professed!'

'Excuse me mister...' Jodha grit her teeth - her anger no longer part of her drama 'Don't drag my family into this...you talk of MY respect and morals... what about YOURS? Your family were aware that I wasn't interested in this marriage, yet everyone jumped at the opportunity to perform the Tilak...why? I never returned your calls, yet you pursued me repeatedly...why?' she folded her arms with disdain 'Isn't it only because I am a well-educated girl, with a good face and hail from a traditional family with four earning male members to pamper me? What if I hadn't been fortunate enough with looks or money - would you all have given me a second chance, then?'

Kicking back his chair, he stood up in a frenzy and shouted aloud - attracting the attention of a few waiters in the process 'You prance around discos with guys who drink... and you DARE to taunt MY family... disgusting!'

'Oh... so it's ok for you to speak of my family that way? Hypocrite!' she retorted 'And you're exaggerating... I never said that I prance around discos with...'

'Shut up!' he banged the table 'Thank God for those texts... I can now show my parents and relatives what you really are...'

'WHAT!'

'And I tell you now... I AM NOT interested in getting married to you...' he paused the fury to take a breather 'Consider this engagement cancelled...'

'K...kya?' she muttered, going into a trance. Her mind and body needed some time to reel from the jolt of it all. Strangely, the pangs of anger she'd felt till a few seconds ago were already beginning to abate. Instead, she sat stunned - first, in disbelief and then in amazement 'I AM NOT interested in getting married to you' as the unexpected yet welcome announcement re-echoed in her mind many times over, the emotions were inexplicable. She felt truly overjoyed at that point - a sentiment she hadn't experienced in a long long time!

'I'm leaving now...'

A dazed Jodha glanced up in response to his roar 'But I have to finish my pineapple halwa first...'

'Stay here and finish it then... I'm off!'

11:05 pm

'Happy Birthday Jalal...' she celebrated her victory in solitude, as the final spoon of Halwa melted inside her mouth. The soft grins that'd come on about fifteen minutes ago, simply refused to fade away from her lips

'Ma'am...'

'Huh?' drawn out of her reverie, she glimpsed up at the source of the voice 'Jee?'

'Ma'am we just wanted to let you know... our restaurant closes at 11 pm today and it's already 11:05pm...barah bhaje ke baad strike hai na... security has to shut the mall early for safety purposes...'

'Kyaa?' she wondered aloud. It was then that she came to her senses and surveyed the interiors of the restaurant. The place was empty - she was the only one left behind! How long had she been sitting like this? How long had she been engrossed in her own thoughts?

'The notice had been put up at the entrance...' the waiter informed his startled guest, before handing her a small leather folder 'And... here's the bill ma'am...'

'Oh my God!' she fretted as yet another sordid reality dawned upon her. Quickly grabbing the folder, she opened it 'I don't think I have enough money for this...' wasting no time, she dipped her hand into her handbag to remove her purse - fervently praying that she should have sufficient cash to pay the bill 'What a GENTLEMAN my ex-fianc turned out to be... didn't even pay for his own drinks!'

ZEHRA NAGAR, BANJARA HILLS

11: 35 pm

'Forget about it Jodha... just forget about it...there are other things to worry about for now...' she slapped her forehead and tried to shake off the embarrassing scenes that were replaying in her head. True, she'd made an utter spectacle of herself a short while ago. Imagine - a lone lady in a posh restaurant, emptying her purse till the last coin to settle a bill, with seven unknown men breathing down her neck. That was definitely not the best way to end an evening. Yet, that wasn't her worst of worries for now. She had other problems to contend with first.

For instance, why did her mobile battery have to die just when she'd stepped out of the empty mall? Would she ever catch sight of an auto on a near-deserted road? How was she going to get home with no money in her pocket? Why did she forget about the 'bandh' in the first place?

'Damn...' angrily dumping the dead instrument into her handbag, she continued with her tiring trek on the empty road - like she had for the past ten minutes 'And I thought things were looking up! It's so late... God...please... help...' just then, she spotted a brightly lit sign on a tiny shop - the only shop over the past kilometre or so, that was still lit - and THAT shop was now getting ready to shut down for the night

'STD booth!' she squealed in delight. Almost tripping over her heels, Jodha made a dash for it - darting across the road in full speed 'Wait...' she shouted - hoping the shop owner would hear her out 'Rukiye...'

STD/ISD/PCO BOOTH

11:50 pm

'Arre bhaiyya... please understand... my brother will be here in twenty minutes max ...please let me make a call... he will pay you when he gets here...'

'How many times do I make you understand madamji... I need to shut the shop BEFORE 12...I'll be in big trouble if the police spots us...!'

'But... it's only a matter of a few Rupees na bhaiyya... you're not ready to accept my watch in return ...and you're not lending me your mobile either... ' she begged - while simultaneously cursing fate for pitting her against the most stingy hard-hearted PCO waalaa to have walked the Earth 'Help me... please!'

'Nahi nahi... ye sab nahi chalega...arre mere mobile mein minutes khatam hain...besides, do you know how many people would end up taking advantage of me, if I started giving in to such melodrama...' his mode remained as indifferent as it had been to start with 'Either you pay me now... or leave ...I can't let you make the call, free of charge...'

'I ... I ... please...' she gulped down hard. Yes, it was a bit silly - but she could find herself tearing-up at that point. Maybe that's what exhaustion and desperation did to a lone girl 'This is an emergency bhaiyya... please... emergency hai...' her sentence faltered 'Emergency...' the word seemed to bring back something 'Oh my God... emergency...' she regrouped herself 'Why didn't I think of this...' racing to fetch her purse from the handbag, she opened its main compartment and then a sub compartment till she reached a mini-zip. Tucked in there were two micro-sized bits - basically, two notes folded down so they could fit into that zip!

'I forgot all about you...' she removed the notes and kissed it 'You're still here...thank you...thank you...'

'Arre Jalal... it's not my fault...I ALWAYS used to carry spare cash... but lately, I've become like those pampered princesses ... ghar mein, bhaiyya gets me everything... and the minute I step out, you cater to all my whims... so, some days I really DON'T HAVE any money in my purse...'

'And is that something to be proud of? It's not funny Jo... what if you land up in some emergency some day?'

'What emergency Jalal...' she winked 'When I always have you by my side...'

'Ok... say I'm out of town... or busy elsewhere...say you have no phone to contact anyone...' he teased with a grim frown 'Say your scooty breaks down, like it does every other month...'

'Hmmm...' she nodded slowly 'That would be bad...'

'I'm not saying it'll happen... but if it does, you'll be in shit trouble...' angling to one side, he removed the wallet from the back-pocket of his jeans and handed her two 100 Rs notes that he'd picked from within 'Here... keep this...'

'NO...' she refused, finding herself slightly embarrassed 'I'll take money from papa when I get home...'

'I'm giving it to you for MY girl's safety, ok?' he argued, ignoring her tantrums 'Hold onto this for now, Jo... take it...' and when she did take the cash reluctantly, he shut his wallet and slipped it back in at once - lest, she changed her mind 'Remember, this is only emergency money... NOT to be used for buying chaat!'

'Jee sir!' she giggled, enjoying the rare spectacle of a 'serious' Jalal by offering him an army salute  

'Promise?' he reiterated, trying not to cave in to her antics

'Look...' she sighed 'Trust me ...once I've promised, I wouldn't go back on my word...' to show him she really meant it, Jodha folded the notes into small squares and tucked them into the smallest internal pocket of her purse 'See...I've kept it safely here.. ab khush?'

A serene glow marked her features. How surreal that his magnanimous gesture from the past would come to her rescue on this fateful night? How touching that even in his temporary absence, he was somehow watching out for her! How comforting that he never stopped being her guardian angel!

Then again, maybe this was what the miracle of true love was all about!

CHAPTER 48 - Another battle won!

November 4th

ENROUTE UNIVERSITY GROUNDS

'Hey congrats Jodha...' echoed a voice from nearby 'Heard you topped your batch...'

'Huh?' a distracted Jodha glanced up - and at a familiar group of seniors 'Oh... thanks...' she acknowledged with a formal nod, before subsequently continuing on her impatient way towards the grounds. It was quite tough masking her restlessness with a calm look every time someone came up to congratulate her, it was tougher to keep up that look when her restlessness was only worsening by the second 'Meera must be there...' she fretted for the tenth time in a row, as she made haste 'If only I knew Jalal's ticket number - I would have been able to check his results online by now... this wait is killing!'

'Congrats Jodha...' came another greeting a few seconds later. This instance, it was from a voice that was far more familiar 'We heard you've done exceptionally well...'

'Shucks!' forced to snap out of her thoughts, Jodha hurriedly reinforced her steely look, before spinning around to face her new callers 'Thanks Abdul...' she paused 'Hi Maan...' she paused again 'Hi Salim...'

'So' he took a deep breath 'How are things your end?'

'Fine!'

The loyal buddy waited for a minute - and when she said nothing further, he couldn't help but smirk at her blatant display of disregard 'You don't even care to ask how Jalal's doing!'

'No point...' she nodded coolly 'When everything's over between us...why revisit all that unnecessarily?'

'Wow...' he shrugged in disbelief 'I had promised Jalal that I would never cross-question you about what happened... but it's so difficult to be quiet when YOU are happily prospering in all walks of life, while he's destroying himself over memories of you... he didn't even attend his OWN birthday party on 2^nd, you know that?'

'W...what' Jodha was about to blurt in alarm, but rapidly reminded herself of how important it was for her to not get swayed at this point 'Don't react... don't react...' gulping down hard, she managed to restrain her emotions from showing just in time 'Stay calm... stay calm...'

'He is so hurt by what you've done...' Abdul continued morosely 'Yet, he never lets any of us utter a word against you...'

'Abdul' she interrupted the sentimental young man with a straight face 'If you have promised your buddy that you would never cross-question me about my decisions... then maybe you should keep up your promise to him...' she deliberately ended the meet-up by going on to verify the time on her mobile 'I have to leave now...'

'Jodha...' it was Salim's sullen voice that'd stopped her from making that hurried exit 'Before you go...I have something to give you...'

'What's it?' she looked up, mildly puzzled - while simultaneously noting the appearance of subtle disapproving frowns on both, Maan's and Abdul's faces

Digging into his backpack, he fished out an invitation card 'I got engaged to Sana... a few days ago...'

'Oh... wow...' Jodha gushed, genuinely amazed by the news 'Didn't know about it... congrats...'

'It was a very private affair...' he explained flatly 'Didn't invite anyone for it...that's why we're hosting something for our friends now... it's meant to be a rooftop pool party at the Amrutha Castle...' his dull tone became even duller 'As circumstances stand, I understand it might be embarrassing for you to attend ... but, Sana wanted you to receive an invite as well... so this one's from HER!'

He'd stressed on the 'her' to make it seem like the invite WAS NOT intended to be from him. Understandable. After all, Jalal's friends were going to stick up for him.

'Congrats to BOTH of you' she smiled, on receiving his half-hearted invitation 'I wouldn't be able to make it... but, I wish you both all the best!'

A clumsy spell of silence later, Jodha bid the guys a diplomatic farewell 'Bye'

'Bye'

'Bye'

'Bye'

SRI UNIVERSITY GROUNDS

'Meera'

'FINALLY!' Meera glimpsed up at the fast approaching profile of her friend 'You're here...'

Huddling her bag to one side, Jodha instantly plonked down on the squishy lawn with an exhausted groan 'Ok! Spit it out... tell me...'

'First, YOU tell me how your date with Rishabh went...'

'Oh THAT!' Jodha scrunched her nose at the unwanted shift in topic 'It's a long story... I'll explain afterwards...  basss samajh lo ki... ghar pe machi toofan!'

'WHAT' Meera appeared instantly horrified 'God! That's bad!'

'Arre...' breaking out into a sly smile, she hurled her pal a naughty wink 'That's GOOD! But back to my question now... tell me...' she waited for a short spell and when no answer came, she took both her palms to Meera's neck -like she was going to strangle her 'Stop torturing me and reveal Jalal's exam results NOW...'

The enthusiasm that'd been marking Meera's face for the past few seconds died down, as she broke her silence 'Not great news, I'm afraid...' she exhaled 'Jalal hasn't done very well... pretty average scores overall... in one paper, he hasn't even got through...he's going to have to re-sit...'

'WHAT!' the vibrant sparkle in her features had blanched into a dull grey 'Are you sure you are right... I...I mean... the roll number... was it his... did you double-check the percentages? Because...'

'Yes... yes and yes!' Meera vouched

'No... this can't be...even when Robbie passed away, he crammed his entire semester in a week and topped his batch... this can't be him...this is NOT HIM!'

'But sadly, it IS him now ...' she repeated tenderly, trying to calm her pal's nerves

'He's already lost his social life... he's spoiling his health with drink...' she shut her mouth 'And now, he's botching up his education too...' and just when she was beginning to be truly happy. Just when things were beginning to look up for her. Damn! Did luck always have to have something against THEM? Devastated by the distressing tidings - something she'd truly not expected - her face gradually slipped into the confines of her palms, seeking a few moments of seclusion 'Jalal... last semester, I'd challenged you that I'd beat you in the next set of exams...but, THIS wasn't how I'd meant to win that challenge! Are Renu's words coming true? Am I becoming the reason for your downfall? Nooo...' she immediately extinguished that line of thought - the very notion was awful 'NO... NO... I only meant to keep you safe for a few months ... this is not what I wanted...  I never thought you'd give up on everything like this! What are you trying to prove? That you love me sooo much? Buddhu! I'm really angry with you now... when this gets over, I'm going to shake you so hard for doing this to yourself ... I'll coax you to re-sit your exams... I'm certain you will pass with flying colours...' just then, a second voice resounded in a different part of her head 'Yeah yeah...it's so easy for you to say all this Jodha...you are confident and positive, cos you know what the truth is... he doesn't! Had YOU been in his place, your life would have probably disintegrated into chaos too! So, stop with the lectures... and give him credit for...'

'Jodha are you ok?' patting her shoulder, Meera bent down to read the expressions on her face 'Are you crying?'

'No no...' wiping the stray tear off, Jodha proceeded to meet eyes with her 'I'm fine...'

'I thought you didn't want to talk about him ... then, why are you delving upon all this and bringing such pain upon yourself...' unaware of her plans or the real reason behind her misery, Meera continued advising in earnest 'Anyway... remember you'd said that Renu will be the reason for Jalal to snap out of this spell of gloom...' leaning forth, she hushed her pitch down 'And the college buzz is that... THAT is exactly what's happening between those two... so, be happy for him!'

'Huh?' Jodha asked, confused by her suggestive whispers 'What do you mean?'

'Woh sab chodo...' Meera dismissed the discussions thereon, lest she ended up upsetting her pal even further 'Wanted to ask... did you meet Payal? Tujhe dhoond rahi thee...'

'Yeah I did...' Jodha muttered blankly - her mind still preoccupied in many-a-dilemma 'Met her just before she left with Maan... she's scored well too...'

'Yup! We three should get together and celebrate!' she erupted into a wide beam - before subsequently realizing that her friend wasn't in the right frame of mind to enjoy and party yet 'Theek hai yaar... I should go now... I got papa's call... only a few buses are travelling towards Tirumalgherry since the bandh hasn't been fully lifted yet...' she commenced re-gathering her stockpile of books 'So, I better hurry home... my library ka kaam bhi finished...'

'Oh' a partly-dazed Jodha turned to her bestie 'Vishal bhaiyya is picking me up today... warna, I would have...'

'No no... it's ok... my house is a good distance away from yours...' Meera blinked gratefully, before picking up all her belongings 'Are you coming to Ram sir's house for tuitions baad mein?'

'Not today...'

'Fine... I'll meet you tomorrow then... but, I better get going now...'

'Ok bye...' Jodha sighed in response 'And thanks for everything...'

'Hey girl...' standing up in her spot, a concerned Meera eventually bade farewell with a set of heartfelt wishes 'Please cheer up...sab theek ho jaayega...'

******************************************************************

OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

Tucking back a lock of hair that'd been annoying her for a while now, Meera shaded her face from the harsh sunrays as she halted near the crowded college gates. Making a quick survey of the noisy dusty roads in front, she let out an audible moan. The trek home wasn't going to be pleasant. Two buses plus a 15 minute walk meant she wouldn't reach home for at least another hour and a half.

'Urgh' her face drooped 'Did I really have to give my two wheeler for service THIS week? I wish...' all of a sudden, her grumbling stopped midway 'Renu?' she frowned, when spotting the silhouette of the lanky young lady leaning against the campus compound wall some distance away. From the blatant agitation written all over her face, it was obvious that she'd been standing out here for a while now 'But... why is she waiting at this place when the rest of her group are inside?'

The very next second, her doubts were answered.

The familiar silver Audi drove past and pulled up to an empty spot on the left - right in front of where the woman was waiting 'Jalal?' Meera silently exclaimed 'Outside our campus?' rooted in her spot, Meera observed the unfolding scenes with intrigue - noticing how the passenger side of the car door opened and the how two chums greeted each other with the broadest of smiles. It was only a few seconds later that she realized how silly she was being 'Why am I bothered... why am I so surprised... they are best friends... at least, it goes to show that Jalal is possibly not as depressed as we thought...' she shrugged 'Anyway... I better get going now...'

Spinning around, Meera began accelerating her pace in the other direction. She was on her way to the nearest bus stop when she heard someone call out to her from behind a minute or so thereafter

'Hey Meera'

'Nooo' she shut her eyes in unease at once. Why? Why did she have to linger around their vicinity for longer than necessary? Why did she get herself trapped in this awkward reunion now? What if he was meaning to ask her something she couldn't talk about? Fearing the consequences of this unexpected mini-get together, Meera turned to face her bestie's ex-boyfriend with a strained smile 'Hey Jalal...' she wished him back 'Hey Renu'

While the conspicuously disinterested Renu preferred to snub Meera by not responding, Jalal proceeded to make conversation as always 'So, how are you?'

'I'm fine...' she replied, observing the guy as she did so. Like Jodha, she hadn't seen him for two months either - only heard all sorts of stories. However, she had to admit - the man looked well-enough. Smart and swanky as usual, his tone commanding too. The only hint of softness she could perceive lay in the profound depths of his gripping eyes.  

Thereby passed a whole minute of stillness before his next words arrived - but when they did appear, Meera was barely surprised why it'd taken the man so long to spill it out

'And how is SHE?' Jalal finally asked - struggling to remain composed as he posed her that query

'Oh!' Meera was careful not to disclose too much 'Jodha is fine... s...she's happy...'

'You mean she SEEMS happy?' he swiftly retorted in tell-tale Jalalian fashion

'Well...' Renu butted-in, out of the blue 'She HAS to be happy Jalal...I didn't tell you this, but I heard she's passed her exams with brilliant results! Anyway, chalo ab...' her palm taking hold of his wrists thereon, she nudged him 'Let's go from here...'

'Oh' he fell quiet, obliviously ignoring Renu's gestures. His heart was trying to deal with a rush of unfamiliar jitters just then. He'd received news of his girl's success - but he couldn't understand why he didn't feel as 'exhilarated' as he should be feeling. In fact, his ego was hurting even more than before! Somehow, he was beginning to feel insecure by the fact that she was doing well for herself. Was it because he couldn't imagine how SHE ALONE was able to get on with life as normal - while he was so severely affected by the pangs of separation 'And... and...' the troubled lover faltered 'Has she spoken to you about anything? I... I... mean...about what happened...or what's going on at her place...' he glanced aside to take a brief respite from the staggering waves of grief crushing his soul 'I mean... has she mentioned anything about us... about me...' he couldn't believe that he was inquiring about her so plainly - that he was exposing his vulnerable side thus - but he was. Yes, it'd been two months since he'd had any form of contact from her. Yet, something didn't allow him to let go. It was almost as though a faint flicker of faith was still clinging onto a corner of his heart - hoping for the smallest signs of good news -hoping that all this was only a nightmare 'I... I... mean...' he stammered again Is the wedding still going ahead as planned...in Jan?'

Meera looked down - feeling so sorry for what the guy was going through 'Yeah...'

'Why are you doing this to yourself, Jalal?' Renu stepped in angrily. She'd had enough of Jodha Singh stomping all over Jalal Muhammed. She'd become fed up of watching her best-mate mess his life for a good-for-nothing girl. Not anymore! 'Stop sacrificing your self-respect for those who don't value it...'  she shouted, before wrapping her hands around his arm 'Now forget about all this and come on...' she started tugging the lost man away from the place with assertive affection 'You promised me that you're coming home for dinner tonight...so, let's get going... the rest will join us there...'

As the bull-headed Renu managed to successfully drag her engrossed companion from the bustling area, Meera's eyes continued to stay focused on their receding profiles - her mind pondering on all that she'd seen so far.

Was she imagining things today or was there indeed something subtly different about the exchanges between the two best friends? Yes, the duo were always very close - but hadn't their equation changed slightly from what she'd seen of them in the past? She could be wrong, but she couldn't deny that the whole Renu-Jalal spectacle gave her a funny vibe'Jodha and Jalal are extremely unhappy ... the rest of the group have mellowed down too... then, why is Renu so unaffected after the breakup... I don't remember her being THIS clingy before! Almost feels like she's taking advantage of Jalal's emotional state...' she paused to make a quick mental comparison of both of Jalal's closest chums 'Abdul's literally clammed up now ... but Renu seems quite...errr... happy... haan, she never liked Jodha...but is there more to her happiness than meets the eye?' was Renu only taking advantage of the separation or was she the driving force behind it? Was she only serving her own interests following the split-up or did she actually make it happen? What if she knew more about the texts - and its sender than she was letting on? 'I'll have to talk to Jodha about this later on!'

******************************************************************

THE SINGH HOUSEHOLD

'What is the point of apologizing NOW for what he's already done to my sister?' boomed bade bhaiyya's furious voice from this end of the phone line 'Whatever happened...however annoyed he was... how could he leave MY SISTER alone in that restaurant? In the middle of the night?'

She stared at her youngest brother and then at bhabhi - both were as flummoxed as she was! Then, she went on to examine the rest of her household. Frozen in their seats. Faces wrecked by unrest. Nerves as frayed as could be. The tension in that modest living room was becoming so thick, it could be sliced with a knife.

True, every member present was exhausted after a hard day at work. True, most had been aching for that refreshing cup of evening chai - but one irate phone call from Mr. Raghuvanshi ten minutes ago had changed all that. Now everyone was sitting back and watching on as the nail-biting climax to the whole Raghuvanshi affair evolved - something Jodha hadn't expected to happen so soon and that too, with such intensity!

All of a sudden; papa took everyone by surprise - when he tilted forth from his recliner to fretfully grab the phone from his oldest soon. He wanted to overhear the complaints coming from the other end for himself.

'Phew' Vishal quietly whistled, on beholding the latest developments 'PAPA too?' he turned to Jodha 'And you're almost enjoying this, right?'

'They so deserve it!' she shrugged

'I understand you might be upset about those texts Raghuvanshi sahab...' papa retorted bitterly'But, what was the need to gossip about those indecent messages with our relatives...how could you discuss about her morals, character and whatnot with others, without talking to me about it first? Rishabh is young ... but I expected you to be wiser in this matter! We've already had three calls from rishtedaars with regards to this... what's HER fault if a psychotic man is out to ruin her name?'

The signs of excitement that'd momentarily graced her eyes had long faded away - the sordid reality had hit her again 'God!' she grimaced 'People are ready to gossip with no basis whatsoever... thanks Rishabh for spreading all sorts of nonsense about me so YOU don't get defamed ... I'm the laughing stock of the town for no fault of mine...'

Having silently detected how the unfolding setbacks had made her go from 'Miss Hopeful' to 'Miss Disheartened' under the span of a minute, Vishal found himself feeling very enraged for his sister. Leaning nearby, he whispered softly 'Rishabh's a jerk... but you know what choti... alternative angle se dekho... scandal dies down after sometime... but he's out of your life forever na... and this is what you ALWAYS wanted...'

'Huh?' She was compelled to look up at him, as her mind reflected on his last sentence. It didn't take her low spirits too long to realize that he was actually making sense! No doubt; it was surprising to hear another round of wise words from her Vishal bhaiyya, but her battered soul could do with such doses of positivity every now and again! As he'd pointed out, maybe the alternative angle wasn't so bad after all. While these baseless rumours would NEVER change her equation with the only people that mattered to her, they could automatically scare off all pests like the Rishabhs and the Saurabhs.

'Yes that's it from us too... bye...'

Papa finally slammed the phone down, after what seemed like a never-ending confrontation

'They've called off the wedding, na?' mama sniffled, nearly on the verge of dissolving into another round of wails

'Mamma...' Jodha squeezed her mother's arms supportively 'Be happy that we came to know of all this BEFORE the wedding!'

'But, why is he blaming YOU for everything choti?' an enraged bade bhaiyya turned to his sister 'Why are they saying you weren't being very dignified?'

'Ha... ha... ha...' she cackled loudly 'I told him I like to watch football... I told him that a couple of my college friends are guys... and THAT is undignified? Undignified is what HE did!' having affirmed her stance she waited to observe the reactions of bade bhaiyya and papa. Not surprisingly; their features were tainted with hints of both worry AND remorse 'Feeling cheated bhaiyya?' the hurt sister quipped. She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass - she was going to show them how far her own sentiments had been offended too 'Ideal Rajput ladka? Thorough gentleman? He didn't even PAY for the dinner that he'd called me out for... ran away the minute he heard a few threats, leaving me stranded in the middle of a bandh night!'

Hurling the paper that was resting on his lap, bade bhaiyya got off the sofa and walked up to the showcase. His hurt pride simply couldn't face her 'wronged' expressions any longer - he'd endured enough of those expressions for more than 24 hours now.  

Regardless, Jodha prodded on - knowing that the best time to strike was when the iron was molten hot 'I thought the basic SANSKAAR of a man was to protect his lady's honour... par aapkaa sanskaari ladka has ruined my reputation and honour completely!' following up on her sarcastic rant she stood up from the sofa and deliberately took her own time to scan the long faces of her entire family 'Everyone compelled me to stick to our traditions so that our relatives will stand by us through thick and thin...where are those rishtedaars today?' she erupted into a sad smile 'Quietly watching the tamasha like everyone else... did any of them speak up for me when Rishabh made all those false claims?'

'All men are not like this...' an extremely disgruntled bade bhaiyya voiced out 'I'll make sure it doesn't happen again...'

'But the damage has already been done, bhaiyya!' she sniggered at her own fate 'And the ONE man who stood up for me... spoke up for me... fought for me... you want me to forget...just because he's...'

'That's enough choti...' bade bhaiyya spun around to front Jodha, increasingly aggravated by her taunts

'Jalal RISKED his life for my sake even after he was thrashed to a pulp...' she persevered, without so much as battling an eyelid 

'Choti, I agree we made a mistake... but, THAT IS ENOUGH...' his gazes flashed like streaks of live embers by the end of that threat

Reading his irate responses, she felt inundated by his stubborn arrogance. Her whole FAMILY'S arrogance! She was angry. Sad. Disappointed. Hurt. Isolated. Her speech started crackling. Her eyes started moistening up - but she didn't relent 'I didn't even have one Rupee on me day before yesterday night... do you know how I made that call to you?' a resentful tear rolled down her cheek 'Jalal had once given me some spare cash ... money he'd compelled me to keep inside my purse in case of an emergency...that was what helped me get to you... why don't you compare the two GENTLEMEN now?'

Bhagwant ground his teeth 'If you'd asked us for money, wouldn't we have given it to you?'

'That is not the point bhaiyya...' her voice escalated in frustration 'The point is that the very ladka you'd called manhoos... has saved my life and honour innumerable times...'

'Jodha... calm down...' her mother swiftly interfered - seeing how the arguments were taking a nasty turn 'He's much older to you... don't speak to your brother that way...'

'No mamma... for more than two months I stayed silent... did as you all told me to... so today, please let me speak!'

'Choti...' Kranthi joined in, hoping to moderate the unpleasant confrontation 'College boys do all this to impress girls... it doesn't mean...'

'Impress? Jalal has stood up for me even BEFORE we were on friendly terms!' she overrode all their phrases 'You know... he's not let his family or friends speak ill about me even once till date!' she reverted her attention to the oldest brother - the one she was dearest to - and yet, the one that was currently her biggest adversary 'Bade bhaiyya...' she posed him a final challenge, knowing very well that his fury was teetering on the brink of an explosion 'Can you promise me that you'll be able to find me a man who'd match ALL those credentials?'

'JALAL! JALAL! JALAL!' he roared, turning red-faced 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!'

'What happened bhaiyya?' she asked You aren't able to give me a proper answer... so you'll just yell and shut me up instead?'

SLAPPP PPP PPP!

Her face had just been struck by a rock - at least, that's how it felt. Her ears were still ringing from the sound-burst. The skin on her face was commencing to scorch from the impact! For a while, all she could hear were angry howls around her

'Bhagwant!'

'Bhaiyyaaa!'

'What do you think you're doing beta?'

'Calm down ji...'

Bhaiyya could say nothing thence - he was forced into silence by the shock of his own actions. His fingers were shivering. Tears had blurred his eyes. He stared in disbelief at her discolored cheeks. He looked down at his trembling hands. The very hands that'd once carried her around - that'd taught her how to cross the road - that'd coached her how to ride a bicycle were now inflicting violent strikes upon her.

Jodha didn't react much either. She wasn't appalled by the slap or taken by the supportive cries surrounding her. All she needed to decipher were the sentiments in her bhaiyya's eyes - and when she peeked in, she saw what she'd been waiting for so long. GENUINE EMOTIONS!

At that moment, she could see it. Sense it. Even if bhaiyya didn't reveal his thoughts, his ego was starting to melt down in front of her sufferings. Her loved ones were beginning to feel sorry for her. She felt as though she was rediscovering her home once more . Now, how could that be any less than winning the biggest battle of her life? 

A day would come when they'd understand the reasons behind her adamancy and accept her choice too. A day when Jodha Singh would cease to be the stranger that she'd become in her own household - and something told her that day wouldn't be too far off! 

'Thank you stalker and Rishabh...' she mentally signed off, for then 'For without your help...I couldn't have achieved any of this!'

*******************************

November 28^th

^{OSR CHAPTER 50 PART 1 - Faith!}

AMRUTHA CASTLE - ROOFTOP POOL PARTY

Then, she spotted him. Standing in the midst of it all. Mr. Jalal Muhammed. Like she'd never seen him before.

Being voraciously cheered by everyone assembled - notably, the girls of course - the young man resurfaced from within the swimming pool with a self-assured grin highlighting his fine features. While the rest watched on with bated breath, he turned around and then stationed his feet right at the edge of the last step. A firm brushing-back of the glossy locks clinging onto his wet face let the excess water stylishly slide off his wavy hair. The droplets subsequently trickling down his smooth shaven jaw onto the soaking corduroy suit, seemed to make a statement of their own too before disappearing- much like the man himself. My my - what a remarkable display indeed!

However, much to HER dismay - the show wasn't meant to end there. As though the scenes that'd been playing out at the poolside of this formal engagement dinner party hadn't been eyeball-grabbing enough, more was to come!

A second later, Jalal began unbuttoning his suit buttons - a gesture that expectedly sent a wave of soft gasps amongst the female audience. Another second thereafter and the thick suit was off his shoulders, revealing a dapper blue shirt that'd remained hidden for so long. A light blue shirt that was drenched enough to be embracing every muscle of his physique and transparent enough to leave very little to every lady's imagination.

Her jaw dropped. Literally. So striking was the sight that for an instant even Jodha Singh had been compelled into having a fan-girl moment of her own - till she heard a few gushing whispers from fellow-spectators, that is.

'Jesus... look at him na... I don't have a boyfriend... but if I ever do, I want him looking like that...'

'I do have a boyfriend yaar... but sadly, he looks nothing like that...'

'Urgh!' instantly abandoning her own mini-trance she darted the gossiping-group a very dirty glare 'I don't know why we ladies complain when men ogle at us...ladkiyaan these days are far worse... SERIOUSLY worse!'

Yes, she was pissed off. Well, on any other good day her more sportive self might have just laughed off the silliness with a 'Look all you want, but he is MINE!' attitude. However today - since her psyche had already been clouded by mini demons like possessiveness and jealousy - she wasn't enjoying the drama one bit! 'I don't understand what's gotten into him... does he think...'suddenly, her mental tirade was brought to a halt - she'd noted another development unfolding at the pool 'God' she winced, in part-annoyance and part-dread 'What is he up to now?'

Leaning forth, Jalal had stretched his arm out - and the five-odd crazed girls in the pool only looked too eager to grab onto it at the SAME time, sparking another wave of amusement all around.

'This has gotta be fun' he chuckled aloud - and then glanced at his mates standing behind, hurling them a 'suggestive' wink as he did so. Understandably, he wanted to avoid a repeat of what'd just happened.

Soon after, the chaps took the hint and joined Jalal's side - lest the lone man be re-dragged into the water following another insane tug-of-war session!

Thankfully, in not more than five minutes everyone was out.

However, as things would go - the interesting movie had to conclude with a final twist in the tale! The last person to leave the water - a dazed young lady to whom Jalal had just offered his hand - threw herself at the unsuspecting man once she was out and gathered him into a tight hug.

'Yaaay' a loud bout of claps and yells rippled all over the poolside

'Go Jalal! Go Alice!'

'Full-too entertainment yaar...'

'Mazaa aa gayaa!'

'Wah wah! Kyaa mast emotional ending hai!' she remarked on witnessing the great milaap between Hero and his Fan. Not surprisingly, the surrounding cheers for the cinematic climax weren't really helping with her deteriorating temperament either 'Mazaa aa gayaa? Both look like utter fools now... this was supposed to be a pool SIDE party... not IN-THE-POOL party!' with the hotel authorities finally making their much-needed entry carrying Turkish towels, the crowds commenced showing signs of dispersing from the area. Hastily looking away, in case some familiar faces noticed the amount of steam that was coming out of her ears, Jodha continued seething under her breath 'Was this a dare? Did he push those girls in or did they push him in? So much for a drunk, depressed and desolate Jalal that was I was prepared to meet... initially, I thought handbag se kaam chalaa loongi... but, looks like I should have stopped at a shop to buy a bat instead! Anyway, I'll make do with what I have for now... as soon as I get the right opportunity, that is!'

ENROUTE THE LOBBY - via THE POOLSIDE CHANGING ROOMS

Casting another subtle glance around her, she exhaled in half-hearted relief. She'd somehow managed to make it here 'And hopefully, just in time!'

Getting there hadn't been the easiest. It'd taken nearly ten minutes to complete the initial formalities of greeting the blissful Salim-Sana pair. Another ten minutes to answer all of Meera's concerned questions. Ten minutes to sip on a glass of cola to make it seem like she was here for the party. Five minutes to find out where exactly HE was - and another five minutes to slip away from crowds without anyone really noticing!

Yes, the entire process had NOT been easy. So, he better be there - and he better be ALONE this time!

'Damn!' she nodded fretfully. Everything else on her agenda that evening had taken a backseat. With the pool spectacle still fresh in her mind - all she could think of was clobbering him senseless first!

Adjusting her handbag straps, the preoccupied young lady hastened her steps through the dark corridors - the sounds of her heels bouncing off the empty changing cubicles lying on both sides. She peeked at her watch tensely 'I hope he's still in the lobby... if he leaves, I might not get a chance to...' 

'Look who's here...'

Brusquely shaken out of her train of thoughts with that familiar female voice ringing from behind, Jodha spun around warily 'H... hi...' she hurriedly scanned the vacant surroundings to ensure Renu was alone 'What are you doing here?'

'I should be asking you that... what are YOU doing here, Jodha?' she folded her arms with a patronizing look and paced up to the junior who she never liked very much 'Never invited any of us to your engagement... or even to your wedding next month... but, you're here to attend my friend's engagement party?' she shrugged 'Anyway... nice to see you here...'

Jodha broke out into a half-smile 'Nice to see you too Renu... but I have to get going now...' her already flustered-self was so not in the mood for another showdown now!

'Wait...' the best friend wasn't done yet - she wasn't going to let her off so easily 'Going to meet Jalal? After THREE months? For what?' she sniggered 'Haven't you destroyed the guy enough? What further damage could you possibly cause him now?' 

'Damage?' she briefly shut her eyes in irritation, before glimpsing back up at Renu 'Well, he definitely doesn't look like damaged goods now... and perhaps, I have YOU to thank for that ...' her sarcastic tone turned a shade more sarcastic 'Waise... you do realize that Jalal and I are adults, right? If I want to meet him, I will. But, I can't understand why I owe you any explanations for it!'

'Wow!' Renu flicked her head back, stunned by what she'd just heard. Was this Jodha Singh or was this JODHA SINGH? Nevertheless, she had to admit that the lady's 'newfound attitude' had somehow thrown her off her tracks. She couldn't find a timely retort to come back with. Well, how could she - when Jodha's argument did have a point? 'I...I...'

'Bye Renu...' she cut her short

~Wolf whistle~

The confrontation stopped. At once. The unexpected echoes of the whistle coming from one of the adjacent cubicles had grabbed their attention, in an instant. 

'Who's that?' Renu hissed

'God' Jodha stared at a cubicle not far from where she was standing, immediately recognizing the source of that noise 'He's in THERE?' a second later, she drew in another sharp breath 'And he overheard our cat-fight, too? Great!'

Then, the cubicle door creaked ajar slowly

'You wanted to meet me, Miss Singh?' enquired his sultry voice from within

INSIDE THE POOLSIDE CHANGING ROOM

This was it. THIS WAS IT! This was THE big moment. The encounter. The face-off. Crunch time. The turning point that she'd been desperately awaiting for almost three months now. Time for questions and answers. For truths and facts to be spilled out. For emotions and sentiments to burst their seams. Yet, here she was at this decisive juncture - in a large family changing cubicle of a 5 star hotel - staring at his back while he casually continued fastening his cufflinks or whatever it was he was doing!

What the hell! She'd imagined all sorts of scenarios playing out during their supposed-to-be momentous first meet-up. She'd imagined feeling whelmed with guilt and relief. She'd expected his addictive gazes to be smouldering with bottled-up wrath and dejection. She'd envisaged rolled-up fists and swearing aplenty. She'd predicted intense drama, thrill and romance. Instead here she was, watching a comedy of errors! Wasn't he supposed to have a little more reaction' to her unplanned presence there? 'Argh! Frustrating men...' she grit her teeth and stepped in, before softly closing shut the door behind her.

Peeping at the former pair that'd been left over a peg to dry, she observed the crisp new semi-formals he was dressed in - impressed that he'd managed to find a perfect replacement under half an hour!

'Hello Miss Singh...' he finally ceased the silence that'd been haunting the spaces for so long, before turning around to face her 'You're still Miss Singh... right?'

'Huh?' she froze, as her heartbeats rapidly soared from naught to hundred on catching sight of his damp locks and glistening features. The flutters were unusual and different. It wasn't like she was meeting her boyfriend of a year. It was as though, she'd just had an unexpected run-in with an attractive stranger on whom she'd been harbouring a long-standing secret crush. Obviously, his composed stance was only making the flutters worse. How was he so poised? And why was he so poised? Was he seeking revenge for her behaviour during their last meeting - where she'd played Miss Cool, while he'd suffered pure agony? Was this pay-back? Well, only time would tell.

Having read the many masked comments flashing through her doe-eyes, Jalal interrupted her thoughts by tilting his head to check on the latch behind her 'Locked?' he remarked, slightly surprised 'Hmmm... Mrs. Raghuvashi-to-be... cooped up in a changing cubicle with her ex-boyfriend! Wouldn't that be quite scandalous?' he took his finger to his lips 'Anyway, I promise not to let anyone else know about this!'

'Very funny!' trying not to flare-up at his mystifying approach, she smirked at him 'Scandalous? Nah! I doubt people in this party would be interested in gossiping about anything else... after what they've just witnessed at the poolside!'

'Oh... you actually saw that?' his eyes widened, followed by the appearance of a mild disapproving smile 'Crazy stuff, I tell ya!' picking up a towel to dry his hair, he put on a sad pout as he glanced at the handsome wet coat that was hanging off the peg 'My brand new corduroy... 60 grand it cost me last week... if the chlorine from the pool ruins my jacket... I swear, I'm going to make Alice pay up for it!'

'Alice?' she frowned. Wasn't she the girl who'd just hugged him in front of the whole wide world?Another lady adding to an already long list of females openly vying for his attention? 'Ugh' At that point, Jodha had to consciously restrain herself from wringing his neck - especially when recalling the 'sweet' tone with which he'd just mentioned her name 'No wonder you decided to REMOVE your coat!' Jodha scoffed a short spell later - forcing on a fake-grin as she did so 'Just in case you had to jump in the second time around... anyway, the whole twist transformed a normal party into something quite spectacular!'

Grinning back sheepishly, a grin that he neither had to force nor had to fake - Jalal put both his hands up in mock-defeat 'Yeah... yeah... I agree... the whistles and the cheers were quite embarrassing... but hey, if I didn't remove my coat, I could have been dragged inside once again... the bloody thing weighs 10 kgs when wet!'

'What?' her frowns deepened

When she failed to come back with one of her typical fancy retorts and darted him a semi-puzzled stare instead, he grasped the whole picture immediately 'Oh... you joined us late, then? You didn't see what'd happened? Tch tch...' he teased, stylishly brushing the towel over his hair 'Arre ... those girls were so drunk, they didn't recognize how senseless their idea was... imagine lunging into a pool with your heels on, when it's barely 16 degrees outside... the minute the cold water hit their faces, they were choking for air... everyone else was so busy laughing, that no one noticed how many litres of water Alice had already swallowed...' having shaken his head in pretend-worry, he leaned close - very close. Close enough that she could notice a bead of water sliding down his auburn strands of hair 'Good thing I dived in when I did and managed to pull her up... any later and who knows... I might have had to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation...' he winked, before moving back to his spot 'Now THAT would have been more scandalous, don't you think?'

'Oh!' her breath quickened - and for a number of reasons. Had she misunderstood the whole incident? She verified his expressions twice to be sure, seeing how she couldn't understand the funny games that he was up to right now. Thankfully, after a thorough analysis she got her answers. His eyes reflected mischief, but they weren't lying 'Oh... THAT was what it was - a genuine rescue attempt!' she relented. So, the ladies hadn't been thinking of some raunchy fun when they wanted to grab onto him - they just wanted to get out of the water! Alice's dazed hug wasn't because she was smitten by Mr. Muhammed - she was just grateful to be hauled out in time. That explained the spectator-cheering too!

Anyhow, she didn't feel like praising his heroic deeds yet. Not when he was having a field day getting a kick out of riling her up 'Give her mouth to mouth resuscitation? Huh!'

Well-aware of the reasons behind Jodha's ongoing flustered silence, Jalal eventually spoke up - the devilry in his tone cranked up even further 'Waise, Miss Singh... I hope you didn't assume I was just having some lewd fun in a formal engagement party...I... I mean... you didn't think I was indulging my fantasies with a few drunk girls in a pool, right? God...' he shuddered - like he was terribly shocked by the very idea 'What am I saying? Strip teasing in public and all... making a royal fool of myself ... I'm sure a sensible lady like Miss Singh wouldn't have presumed all that!'

'Errr...no... no...' the flummoxed Jodha looked away, well aware that she was gloriously failing at covering-up her tracks 'N... no I... I didn't assume all that!'

Amused by how far her responses had given her away, he decided to hold on to his victory and move on to something else for then. He'd had enough fun with the 'pool' escapades. It was time to broach another topic now - something more relevant 'Anyway, that's enough of my stories... what about yours? Enjoying your new relationship? I admit...' he stretched his hand out to her as a peace-offering 'I was not very well-behaved in our last meeting when you broke the news of your engagement ... so let me congratulate you properly now...'

'Really?' Jodha nodded, ignoring his gesture. No, she wasn't annoyed by the dripping sarcasm in his tone. If anything, she was mighty relieved that he'd eventually taken up the subject. Her only remaining agitation was over the photo that was lingering at the back of her mind - that unpleasant snapshot of Jalal with Renu. So, she wanted to wipe the slate clean on that front - before proceeding to settle everything else 'Mr. Muhammed' she resumed 'If that's the case, do I need to be congratulating you on a newfound relationship too?'

'What?' he quipped

'Well...' she fished out her mobile from her handbag and opened the text to show him 'I received THIS photo this morning! And you appear quite happy in it...so...'

'Wow!' examining the pic, he calmly raised a brow 'How did you get THIS?' he paused 'Was it sent by that creep?'

'W...What?' she suddenly exclaimed - growing appalled by the fact that he neither seemed too shocked by the picture, nor in the mood to refute its story 'Is this real?'

'It's not fake...' he shrugged

**************************************************

Part 2 below😳

PART 2 - Faith!

'No!' she slowly leaned back against the wall for support. His answer and reactions were steadily bringing about an unimaginable sense of panic in her psyche. The fear of losing him - however impulsive or baseless - was an agony far more mortifying than she could endure. Her heart wasn't prepared to accept it 'No... no way... this is NOT true!'  

'But why, Miss Singh...' flinging the towel, he suavely bridged the gap between them by stepping near her 'Why do you seem to have a problem watching your ex-boyfriend with another woman... weren't you the one who told me very unkindly that I SHOULD move on?' reclining towards her face so his lips were barely apart from her ears, he continued whispering 'Waise... why should YOU feel upset when I get close to another? We aren't a couple anymore, remember?'

Rattled by his intensifying proximity and hurt by his words, she shut her eyes tightly so she didn't have to meet eyes with him anymore. She felt intimidated. Disappointed. Anxious. Angry. Confused. Silly. What the hell was going on? Was he really implying that he'd 'moved-on' with Renu to get back at her? 'No... this can't be happening...no...' she frantically clung on to her sensibilities to stop herself from becoming mad. He wouldn't have moved on - the Jalal she knew would consider it beneath his self-esteem to do something like that. It HAD to be something else. Maybe, he was just testing her. Teasing her 'Just finish whatever it is you're trying to do and be done with it...' she quietly ranted, hoping that this nightmare would vanish soon

Unmoved by the palpable angst in her manner, he inched from her ears towards the sides of her neck 'After seeing that snap, did your mind play games?' he urged 'Did you end up imagining me this intimately with her?'

'Stop it' she grimaced at his query. This line of interrogation was mentally taxing 'Stop!'

His drifting lips halted just above hers 'And this? You imagined this too?' he asked, huskily.

'No' she quivered. Her exasperated self was now heaving for air. Her cheeks were ablaze. She dug her nails into her salwar. Her heartbeats were pounding louder than the volume of their conversation. At that point, she was at her captivating most, though she had no idea of it herself.

YET, he didn't take advantage of any of those tantalizing sights. He was nearly there. He could almost feel her. Taste her. Yet, he didn't break the spell. He didn't allow his lips to touch her skin. For HIM, this was better. Safer. Much as he was dying to, he didn't let himself get swayed into it because if he succumbed - if he set off on this route - there'd be no restraining his pent up emotions now. There'd be no coming back.

For HER however, this was way worse. With his body barely apart from hers, she could feel his fresh warm breath on her jaw. Sense the dampness in his shiny locks as a droplet or two trickled upon her face. She could smell his cologne. She was experiencing a crescendo of familiar sensations. Everything was barely a hair's breadth away from culmination. Yet, everything was still a hair's breadth away from reach too!  'God!' she fretted! Why couldn't he just be 'normal' angry with her? Why couldn't he just scream, shout and wrap it all up? Or if he wanted to be a typical 'bad boy' why couldn't he just grab her by her shoulders and ravage her like the remaining heroes in the novels did? Why torment her like this? Then again, this was Jalal Muhammed she was dealing with - who could never be 'normal' because he was 'unpredictable' - who could never be a true 'bad boy' because he was so 'well-restrained'. Isn't that why she was so attracted to him in the first place?

'Damn Jodha' she shook it off, startled by her own desperation and the kind of wild thoughts running in her head 'I need to stop this... I'm looking like a fool!'

'Is the picture making you lose your sanity?' he commented, observing the vulnerability in her body language 'Did you check it many times over hoping it's not true? Did it make you wonder if you're the one becoming mad?'

'YES!' a breathless Jodha ultimately opened her eyes, thoroughly spent by now 'Is that what you want to hear?' she glared on 'Is this why you teamed up with Renu?'

Having got his answer, Jalal shook his head in discontent 'One day Jodha...' he muttered - the mischief in his tone waning away 'ONE day and you're in this state... THREE MONTHS... can you imagine how insane I must have become?' he slowly withdrew himself from her person 'Three months of wondering if another man is getting close to you... days exhausted in fighting away depressing mental images... images of someone wooing you... touching you... trying to get intimate with you... do you know how crazy that drove me?' his pitch rose by a few notches 'Did you even care to understand my feelings when you abruptly dumped your decisions on me?'

Oh, so this was what it was. This was what he was trying to prove all along. Nevertheless; if it was revenge he was seeking, her conscience didn't let her fault him for it anymore. She understood now. After all, it was only when she'd endured such insecurities herself did she realize how much more excruciating the ordeal must have been for him!

'And THIS?' he deliberately picked up the hand that was still holding onto the mobile 'This photo was sent by the stalker, right?'

She nodded mutely.

'How long do you know him?' he asked, his bubbling rage beginning to show signs of spouting out

'Huh?' she surveyed him closely, taken aback by the abrupt surges of disappointment in his voice

'And how long do you know ME?'

'Long...' she had to swallow 'Long enough...' with the dejection in his features escalating, she began wondering where this could be going. A second later and it struck her - she'd made a mistake - about the photo!  

'How could you let yourself be influenced by this snap? It's not a fake, Jodha... but, it has been misrepresented!' he bored into her soul, as he grilled her for her lack of faith in him. For doubting his integrity. For stabbing him in his already punctured heart all over again 'An intelligent lady like yourself should have caught onto the obvious signs ...were you so blinded by jealousy, that you couldn't detect it?' he indicated towards her instrument 'The picture's blurred... but, take a look at the backdrop ... it must be familiar...'

'God...' she felt crushed under the increasing weight of profound guilt, as she studied the photo again - as the reality dawned upon her. How did she miss it? How could she miss it? 'It's...' she stuttered 'It's the university grounds...'

'Did you think I'd be cosying up with Renu in the middle of the university grounds? Did you take me to be the kind of guy who'd use one girl just to get back at another?' the distressed man demanded 'And do you know WHY I'm so happy in that photo? It's because, that was the day I was wilfully giving up my precious college life, for a woman I love!' while she could do little else but avert his glares due to the crumbling pangs of remorse, he was simultaneously wrestling to get a hold on his own emotions 'You show up after three months only to point fingers at me... why do this to someone who's already shattered? I am human, you know... I can only take so much!'

Tears clouded behind her eyelids. Tears that weren't only a result of the guilt she felt on having momentarily doubted an innocent photo - tears that also streamed because she was finally at peace. It was cathartic for her sorry conscience to be able to bear the brunt of his angry tirades - to hear his repressed resentments. She was finally at peace to be able to come to face with her man's innermost feelings - and she so loved what she saw. He'd only reinstated her faith in him again - he was a flawless human who'd remained good to her, whatever she had to put him through! 'What are you made of, Jalal?' the tearful lady gazed at him in awe 'You're a marvel of nature... that's what you are...'

He - on the other hand - refused to look at her. The tremendous grief condensed inside his heart had slowly emerged to reveal itself on his face 'That snap was taken when I was having a mini-farewell with my group...' he made his final justifications, still staring into oblivion 'Unexpectedly, Renu started weeping and we guys didn't know what to do... so, we teased her to make her smile... I was possibly whispering something silly into her ears, but the angle that this picture has been zoomed in makes it ...'

'Basss Jalal...' she eventually spoke on a soft note. She'd come to nurse his wounds, not hurt him further. Yet here he was, subtly brushing off a lone tear thanks to her. But, no more! She'd do anything in her power, if it'd ensure - that he would never have another sad day in his life again 'If it's of any solace to you...' she wiped her cheeks dry, before removing the bag off her shoulders 'I'd meant to clobber you with my handbag for your antics... but since I'm the one who has erred, it's only right I suffer the same punishment... so, go ahead...' when she'd ultimately got back his full-fledged attention with that silly proposal of hers, she darted him a mellow wink 'I'm a strong girl... I wouldn't complain... I promise...'

'W...what?' he glimpsed up, his gloom gradually giving way to confusion now

'I admit I am possessive, Jalal...' she spoke up again 'But, I never went so far as to mistrust your integrity - even briefly... if I had, I wouldn't be here... showing you this photo... and hoping for an explanation to prove my insecurities wrong...I'm sorry for everything...'

'Oh-kay' he whispered, on having heard her out. He hadn't expected that straightforward admission from her. That frank apology. He said nothing for a while, but he couldn't deny that he truly appreciated it. This wasn't the callous Jodha Singh he'd encountered during their last meeting. This was the old Jo he so treasured.

It was only then that the reassured young man dared to step ahead and assess her expressions at closer quarters - FOR HIMSELF! He noted the damp traces on her smooth cheeks, the fatigue in her determined eyes and the subtle sadness in her resurfacing smiles. No doubt; he'd been incredibly angry with her till a moment ago. He'd had a mind to say the harshest of things for all that she'd subjected him to. Yet, when he noted how tired her seemingly happy spirit was, he couldn't hold onto his anger any longer.

He still didn't know the story behind their breakup. He still wasn't sure if fate intended for them to reunite. However, it would remain a fact that either way - he wished that she'd always remain proud and strong. So dousing all of his anger to cause her no further distress, he resumed the conversation on a kinder note 'If you have such faith in me, Jodha... why did you walk all over me that day and then leave me for dead? Why did you put me through all that and not tell me why...'

She smiled, with tenderness 'Do you still have some faith in me, Jalal?'

That smile melted his heart. Instantaneously. It felt familiar. Very very familiar 'I do have faith, Jodha...' he let out a gentle laugh 'Otherwise, I wouldn't be here...hoping for an explanation from you, like I have for the past three months... waiting for you to prove my insecurities wrong...'

'It's only for some time that I had to be gone, Jalal...' she lovingly clarified, as a blissful haze steadily glossed over her features 'If I left you like that so abruptly... it is only because I had very strong reasons to do so...'

'Ya Allah!' he stood still, stunned by what he just saw. Those EXACT words. Those expressions. That smile. The situation. Now he knew why it was all so familiar. It was HER. The girl who used to visit him in his dreams every other night, to reassure him of her love. It was HIS Jo. His guardian angel - telling him all he needed to hear - and all he needed to know. Ruffling his hair, he tried to understand the happy shock he was experiencing just then. He didn't really believe in miracles, but if they existed - they definitely couldn't get any better than this!

'What happened?' she enquired on discerning his noticeable signs of euphoria

'Every other night' he hastily blurted in ecstasy 'Every other night, I had a dream... where you'd comfort me with THIS exact message...this was what subconsciously kept me going...so, to see you stand here now... and tell me this message in person... feels blissful!'

'My God!' she gasped, as his words caused her hair to stand on end and her fingers to tremble. Somehow, the revelation had turned out to be just as emotional for her as it was for him. How could this be possible? Was this a mere coincidence or a divine intervention of some sort? Was Ambe Ma actually showing her some positive signs?

CRAAASH!

'Bloody Hell' a whelmed Jodha swore under her breath, while continuing to observe her boyfriend with unbroken stares 'Paralyzed by what you'd just said, I think I just let my brand new mobile phone slip from my hands...' 

'Wow!' he broke out into his typical lop-sided grin, as he crossed forth the remaining spatial gap that existed between them 'That is pretty remarkable!'

'Remarkable? The fact that I've managed to destroy another phone?'

'No' he chuckled 'The fact that you just said BLOODY HELL precisely like I do...and didn't even flinch after you said it! Have been practising a lot?'

'Oops!' she bit her lip in embarrassment

Dropping his fervent tone to a murmur, he took her by surprise thereafter - eventually asking her the all-important doubt he'd been yearning to have resolved 'You're not getting married next month, are you Miss Singh?'

'Oh!' she gleamed, quite impressed 'When did you guess?'

Reading her thoughts, he answered for her 'Let's just say that the moment you'd locked yourself inside here with me... I had my doubts...but, I was frightened to be too positive too soon! So, I waited...' unable to take his gazes off her, he savoured the ethereal sights in front of him - while still reeling from the joy he was feeling at the bizarre twist of events! There were still so many questions in his mind - so many clarifications his heart sought. Yet, when he saw the re-emerging sparkle in her hazel eyes, her abashed grins and her reddening skin - there was little else he could think of apart from how much he'd missed her. Of how much he wanted to be one with her.

As his lips edged near hers, as their faces touched, as his breath grew warmer, as his pulse shot up - he couldn't wait to reclaim the numerous moments of 'love' they'd missed. His body, mind and soul ached for it. He would have kissed her senseless had he been a little more confident in his abilities to rein-in his intensifying passion. However, he didn't want to kick-off something he wouldn't be able to stop. Besides, if nothing else - he wanted her to at least explain the 'breakup' issue, before he could go any further with this. He needed that elaboration for the sake of his own sanity 'Jodha...' he smiled 'You've been silent for long enough...now, no more...'

She remained hush - thanks to the prankster in her coming alive after ages. Not because she didn't want to tell it all, but because she didn't want to break the ongoing trance. Well, it'd been ages since she'd been an object of his enticing affections - she didn't want to cave in so soon. So, she carried on enjoying the impact she was having on him and the besotted attention he was bestowing upon her. 

Just then, their reverie was interrupted. Another droplet of water had trickled down from his hair and fallen onto her lips. The unplanned yet erotic turn was an instance quite arousing - for both. She viewed his shifting expressions. They no longer spelled 'mischief' - they were positively dangerous. With things already so heated-up, she instantly guessed the risque path that the whole adventure would take. Since it was wiser not to infringe upon their short spell of celibacy in that awkward place, Jodha brought the imminent intimacy to a pause with a nervous sigh 'God! This is so distracting...' grabbing the towel off the bench, she gently started to dab his hair dry 'Will you never learn to dry your hair properly?'

He let out a knowing smirk, delighted by the effects of their fascination for one another. After a brief interval of relishing the towel-rub - just as much as he was relishing the return of a flirtatious Ms. Singh, he prodded her once again 'Three months... and you have nothing else to say?'

'Where do I even start, Jalal?' she whispered, checking him out mischievously while continuing to wipe his hair

'Somewhere... anywhere...' he frowned slyly 'Like why did we breakup... and if we did, what are we doing here now?'

'Shhh!' she abruptly shut his mouth -so tightly that he couldn't even utter a single syllable further.

For a flash, he presumed that it was a joke of some sort - but when he saw the seriousness in her eyes, he realized she wasn't joking. Following a few seconds of inaction, he heard some voices outside - a group of people were walking down the corridors.

***************************

November 28^th

^{OSR CHAPTER 51 -} Only 24 hours - The FIRST quarter!

AMRUTHA CASTLE - ROOFTOP

Following a few seconds of inaction, he heard some voices outside - a group of people were walking down the corridors.

'It's THEM!' she nervously recognized two familiar people amongst the bustle 'They weren't supposed to be here till 8:45 pm!' subsequently giving her startled boyfriend a distinct 'shhh' signal to ensure he remained tight-lipped, Jodha retracted her hand from his lips 'It's only 8...'she glanced at her watch 'All my planning down the drain! Did they DELIBERATELY arrive early after I'd told Payal of my decision to come to the party?' frustrated, she let out a low sigh 'And what are they doing in these corridors? On their way to the lobby restrooms?' she paused for a couple of minutes, hoping the commotion in the corridors would clear - but the noises never truly disappeared. It seemed like the boisterous group were just fooling around - traipsing to and fro from lobby-to-party-to-lobby 'Hey Ram!' she felt like slapping her forehead after about five minutes of no success - well aware of the escalating bewilderment on the face of her faithfully silent guy 'Poor thing! I've not told Jalal the ONE MAIN issue I came to speak about -the STALKER! But, I better slip out before we both get caught... party ke baad, I'll have to somehow get hold of him when no one else is around...' with the faint sounds of a few random police sirens blaring somewhere in the distance, the fretful young lady was reminded of another pressing issue 'By tomorrow evening, I have to go to the police station...so, Maan can't know about Jalal and I being together for AT LEAST for another 24 hours! If I linger here for longer, I risk Meera or Renu blabbing everything to those two... I better get out now...'

Looking up to observe the frowns on Jalal's face that'd by now clearly translated into 'What the hell's happening?', an apologetic Jodha folded her palms with an extra-cute 'sorry' look 'I can't clarify your doubts right now...but, I will...just give me some time...please please please... pretty pleaaassseee!'

She waited for a positive acknowledgement of some sort, but nope. No smiles there. Understandably, he wasn't very convinced with what seemed like a curt end to a significant rendezvous that'd barely begun 15 minutes ago!

Deciding to butter-up her flustered guy a teeny weeny bit, the young lady gently held onto his collar thereafter and pulled him down - near her - positioning his ears just beside her lips 'I have to leave now...' she whispered softly - so softly that Jalal had to literally strain to hear every word she was muttering 'I'll exit first... you leave a short while after... I'll explain everything, ok?'

'Huh?' he exclaimed under his breath 'W...wh...'

'Shhh!' she overrode his concerns by continuing to murmur into his ears, her arms still wrapped around his neck 'Till I explain why, don't mention anything about our breakup to others...and for the rest of the party, act like we both aren't together... ' she slowly withdrew her hands from his shoulders

'B...but...' he probed in a low tone, still flabbergasted by the sudden turns of events 'What's with the secrecy?'

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!'

Jalal fell quiet. He folded his arms, in half-hearted compliance. Well, what other go did he have? If SHE was so sure about her strange course of action - holding her back now wasn't going to help in any way, was it?

So biting the bullet on this temporary interruption, he watched her pick-up her cracked mobile, wave him a 'Bye bye' gesture - and eventually slide out with caution!

'Damn...' he rolled his knuckles in frustration as soon as her shadows vanished from his sight. She'd left - all over again 'Damn...' he thumped his forehead in annoyance. Neither could he do a victory dance to celebrate all that'd just transpired nor did it make sense to wallow in misery when he knew that she'd almost returned to him 'Damn... damn...damn...' he was so close to knowing the reasons behind this mysterious breakup of theirs. So close to punishing her in his own twisted ways for having given him such heartache. So close to imprisoning her waist in his robust clasp. Reclaiming those lips that he hadn't kissed in eons. Readdressing her as 'Hey Jo...I've missed you!' Yet, here he was alone now - unaware of when all that would materialize into reality.

'Damn... damn...damn...' he fiddled with the watch straps. This impasse - this not knowing was bad. Then again, the waxing-and-waning frustrations didn't make much sense either - especially when he could sense that she was WITH him. His Jo had almost come back - like his heart had believed all along. She was at his doorstep. It was only a matter of time before she'd be knocking on his door to re-join him forever

'You've endured agony for three months, Jalal!' he reminded himself, a slow grin consequently emerging on his features 'What's a few more hours?'

THE POOLSIDE PARTY - BESIDE THE PARAPET WALL

Reclining against the tall parapet wall - she cast a cursory glimpse at the unfinished dinner plate balancing on his left palm as he continued to be embroiled in official affairs over phone. Letting out a knowing smirk, she made another lazy scan of the lively engagement party scenes while waiting for her friend to finish his conversation.

Waves of raucous laughter echoed all around as various groups of people approached the end of their dining experience. Butlers hurried about catering to everyone's final drink orders. A vast spread of multi-cuisine delicacies had catered to all possible taste-buds in the gathering. A chocolate fountain cascading in the midst of a large round cake display table was currently proving to be the most popular haunt amongst guests.

'Salim and Sana must be happy with what they've achieved!' she concluded, before realizing that the man beside her had just un-glued himself from his mobile 'Nice party, haan?'

'Yup' Jalal slipped his instrument back into his pocket 'What about you? Done with dinner?'

'Ages go...' she indicated to his plate thereafter 'And what's up with you? Why haven't you even touched the mutton biryani... it was positively delicious...'

Reverting his attention to his meal, Jalal helped himself to another spoonful of rice before going on to justify himself 'I've been busy over phone with Taaya... something official's come up...'

'Something official? Or you're not hungry because of sheer excitement?' noting the emergence of a faint grin on his face following that taunt, Renu quipped sarcastically 'You're not the only one who can SEE, Jalal... we all can SEE too... especially the awkward glances you both keep exchanging every time she passes by ...'

'Oh!' he smirked, hardly defending himself there. Yeah yeah - he'd tried very hard to keep himself distracted all through. In fact, she'd been trying even harder! Still, it was a party. Eyes were bound to meet sometime or the other - and when eyes met, sparks were bound to fly. After all, his favouritest girl in the whole wide world had just returned after three months - the 'staying distracted' was not exactly going to plan!

'And, I heard the buzz!'

'What buzz?'

'That Jodha's engagement has been called off!'

'Oh yeah...I heard that one too!' he admitted playfully 'By the way what's with the exceptional amount of police sirens blaring around the area this evening?'

'Stop acting innocent and stop changing the subject, Jalal...' she slapped his arm 'So, when were you planning to tell me? You both are back together, right?'

'Naaah... we're not together' he mumbled a half-truth - bearing in mind that even he wasn't really aware of the mysterious nature of their current relationship status 'At least, not YET together...'

'Fir, why is your face glowing like a 60w bulb on a power-surge, ever since you've come out of that changing cubicle?'

'Achaa?' Jalal mischievously stroked his jawlines 'Haven't checked my face in the mirror in the past hour'

'Arre baba... what did Madam Singh tell you, then?' obviously, Renu wasn't buying his lies

'Actualllyy' his brows slowly knotted into a sly frown 'That's a very good question, because even I don't know what she'd come to say!' - and the confused boyfriend wasn't even fibbing here!

'Yeah right!' she pooh-poohed him 'And for all that while you both were quietly watching paint dry, hai na?'

'Nope not paint...' he winked 'Actually we were quietly watching my hair dry... which she sorta helped me with, after a while!' marking his bestie's dumbstruck expressions, the prankster returned to finish whatever remained on his plate - guessing that THIS version of events ought to shut her up for a few seconds at least!

'Jalal' she eventually uttered in disbelief 'You... and your stories! Sometimes your sense of humour is just weird...'

'Thanks!' he chuckled, amused by the irony of it all. Here was a lady, eager as a beaver to learn the truth - and yet when he was telling her the 'real' titbits, she kept dismissing them as 'fantasies'!

'Fine...' Renu moaned 'Why should I care what goes on in your life?'

'God!' he sighed, watching her cross her arms in annoyance. There was just no escape from the standard feminine sulk-and-pout routines, was there? 'Jodha has received a weird photo of both of us - of you and I...' he revealed 'So, she felt it was obligatory to inform me ...'

'Oh!' she nodded nonchalantly

'Huh?' it was now Jalal's turn to be surprised - by her apparent composure. He studied his friend for a while, wondering why she didn't have any reaction to what he'd just revealed. It was almost like she had no problem with the suggestive photo whatsoever. Unwilling to ignore his uncertainties, he expressed his frank sentiments thereon 'I expected you to be... at least... a LITTLE taken aback by a potential MMS scandal Renu!'

'Well...' the tomboy shrugged calmly 'It's that stalker, right? What else can be expected of him?'

'Hmmm!' Jalal muttered on a wary note - not too sure about her line of reasoning 'Still... you seem quite cool about it... I mean... is there something else you're not telling me? I heard you in the corridors too, trying to stop Jodha as she came to meet me... I thought you'd be happy for me... but, you didn't sound very happy then...and you don't appear very affected by the photo now...' he took in a long breath, before going on to talk about a small yet troubling thought that'd just reared its ugly head in his psyche 'I've never assumed anything like this before... I always thought you didn't like us as a couple, because you were possessive of me as a friend... but ...' following an uncomfortable pause, he looked up to stare her in the eye 'Renu, am I missing something here? About us? About you and I?'

Offended by the suspicious queries - something the true friend in her had never had to encounter till date - Renu grew wide-eyed 'F**k! Are you presuming that I might be having a 'thing' for you? Ewww Jalal! Don't push me into the same category as the other girls who swoon around you...' she shrugged his qualms off 'I wasn't happy about Jodha coming to meet you only because I feared she might hurt you all over again! I had no idea about her cancelled engagement then na...' taking a few moments to nurse her hurting ego, she grumbled aloud 'Waise, you're NOT MY kinda guy...' her voice steadily dropped to a near murmur 'You're more Jodha's kinda guy!'

Woah! Jalal stood stunned - stunned by all that'd he just heard. He was having both - a 'wow' moment and an 'oops' moment there. So, he decided to be done with the 'oops' before moving on to the 'wow'!

'Hey' he tapped the unhappy girl on her shoulder 'I'm sorry! It was just a small doubt that I wanted to have clarified before it grew into something uglier...' he put his palm up solemnly 'I, Jalal Muhammed promise - never again will you hear such a question from me, ok?' when those antics had managed to get her to look at him again- and with a little less fury in her glares - he resumed with a twinkle in his eye 'Strangely enough... the comment you made about me being Jodha's kinda guy...that's the best thing you've had to say about my relationship so far!' he impishly set his empty plate aside on a table 'Waise, I'm intrigued ... why did you say I'm NOT YOUR kinda guy?'

'Cos you're too egoistic and unforgiving...' Renu shook her head with conviction 'Just like ME...and I can't live with a guy like that forever!' while Jalal flicked his head in genuine surprise, she persevered with her stance 'Oh! Come on yaar... what you and Jodha had was literally textbook love, ok? Suddenly one day she breaks it off and you don't even make an effort to patch things up! True, I never said it aloud...but I was gobsmacked by your decisions...'

'You weren't there in the classroom that day, Renu...so you have no idea what happened...' he shut his eyes for an instant as the ugly memories briefly revisited him 'Anyway...' he sighed 'Despite all my personal grievances, I wouldn't have let her leave so easily...' following a short breather, the man decided to veer away from the upsetting topic 'Ok...let's forget about all that... who IS your kinda guy, then?'

Leaning back on the wall, she looked up at the skies - a faint smile making its way on her lips 'Someone who's posh... classy... gets me everything I want... puts up with everything I do... and doesn't utter a word in protest!'

'Oh! A rich doormat!' he laughed out loud 'Renuka Rao, you're insane...'

'Hey...' she butted-in coolly, not put-off by her best pal's teasing 'That's how my parents have spoiled me for 24 years... why should I expect any less from my life partner? Anyway meri chod... you desperately need to talk to Jodha now...you need closure on this, Jalal!'

'What!' it was time for Jalal to be stunned all over again - what with Renu's unforeseen show of kindness that evening 'I'm dreaming, aren't I?'

'Well...' she responded to his jesting with a dispirited sigh 'I tried to cheer you up for three months and I assumed I was successful too... till I see you now and realize what a TRULY cheerful Jalal looks like... just ONE appearance she makes and you're a different man altogether!' glimpsing down, the downbeat lady picked at a half-broken fingernail 'Much as I still can't stand her - especially the fact that she has to be Miss Perfect all the time...much as I know it's never going to be easy for you with her conservative family and all... I guess I have to swallow the fact and be happy that if I've lost my best friend, it's only to a girl of his dreams!'

'Hey' he had to struggle to curtail his grins - seeing his generally high-and-mighty chum, now looking like a gloomy ten year old 'Find yourself a guy quickly... and we'll be pretty much even!'

'Yeah yeah...'

'And it's my girl you're talking about... so a bit more respect, eh?'

'Whatever!'

'And Miss Grouchy...'

'Shut up' she cut him in, aware that he was having loads of fun at her expense 'Now go help yourself to some desserts before they wrap up the party...'

'Sure' he blinked and vanished as advised, but not before ruffling her hair into a royal mess - something he knew she so hated!

THE BUFFET TABLE

'Are you avoiding Payal by any chance?' asked the wary young lady, as she finished patting her hands dry into a paper napkin

'Nope yaar!' Jodha fibbed not-so-convincingly 'Why would you think so?'

'Just that... you haven't really been talking to her all evening...'

'Kuch bhi...' Jodha smiled nervously, wiping her wet lips with a tissue 'Ab chal... wanna sample the desserts?'

'Nope, I'm full!' Meera gently rejected the offer 'And don't dodge my questions. Why have you been acting strange all day? After Vishal bhaiyya's call you promised to explain everything, but you didn't... I... I mean...even now in the party, you randomly disappear ...your mobile's suddenly cracked... you requested for my mobile, but made no calls...your expressions keep see-sawing from nervousness to ecstasy to frustration to impatience...' she stopped - for an edgy second 'Does all this have to do with Jalal?'

'Hey Raam! Listen Meera...' Jodha exhaled - obviously, this was only a few of hundred doubts Meera had had in the past hour or so 'I'll explain everything... just give me 24 hours, ok?'

'24 hours?' a not-too-happy Meera grumbled. After all, which best friend would be happy to be deliberately left out in the dark? 'Fine... I'll be waiting...'

'Thanks yaar!' Jodha breathed a sigh of relief 'Ok... I'm off to get myself some desserts...' she patted her pal's palm Will join you soon, haan?'

'Ok!'

THE DESSERT DISPLAY

No sooner than she'd left Meera behind and reached the extravagant arrangements on the huge round table, the young lady was left literally agape. My my - the sweet-fare on display was as extensive as it got!

Cakes. Jamuns. Barfis. Puddings. Fruit-salads. Chocolate fountain. Ice-creams. The list was endless!

'God!' she swore, briefly overlooking how 'stuffed' her tummy already was 'Looks SOOO inviting! I wish I could sink my lips into all of it!'

'I know...' his familiar voice softly chipped-in from the opposite end 'Of what I see, that's EXACTLY how I'm feeling too!'

'Huh?' gasping out loud, Jodha peeped over the chocolate fountain to catch sight of him. Needless to say, he was silently sneering - enjoying the flirty undertones of his comment - a compliment intended for her rather than the desserts!

'Such a devil!' biting down hard to stop any semblance of a smile from appearing, she reminded herself sternly 'Don't react Jodha... you can't...not here!' Nevertheless, all those desperate measures managed to stop the smiles, but not the colours on her face from turning red-redder-reddest!

Noting the fresh tints on her cheeks despite the fountain tiers partially blocking his view, Jalal waited for her to glance up at him once more. When she did dart him a quick peek half-a-minute later, he subtly indicated towards the selection of cakes - a dessert he knew they BOTH loved!

'Wanna share?' his eyes quietly seemed to suggest

Cautiously scanning the spaces around her to ensure they weren't being watched - especially by Maan or Payal - the upbeat young lady blinked in reply 'Sure...'  she still wished she could've sampled everything out there - but earnestly, her petite belly had no space left!   

'Which one?' his gazes skimmed across the available choices of strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and a single remaining piece of blackforest! His eternal love was 'chocolate' - but somehow, he could already guess what her decision would be!

Her eyes mischievously lingered on his favourite flavour for a short while -before subsequently moving over to the last available slice of blackforest 'That one!'

'Not chocolate?'  he frowned

'Blackforest!' she insisted with a frisky grin

'Just as I thought!' relenting with a smile, he went on to pick out her preference.

However before he could do so, a boyish pat on the back stopped him in his tracks

'Hey Jalal...what are you up to these days?'

'Oh' he turned around with a diplomatic nod 'Hi Ramesh... nothing much... the usual...'

'Lovely party!' the lively chap remarked, while leaning across to grab the final blackforest slice for himself

'Woah!' a mildly amazed Jalal stared - as the chap aimed to sneak away the unclaimed blackforest. While it wouldn't be decent for two grown-ups to argue over a piece of cake, he couldn't just let a guy swoop in and whisk away his girl's choice either. So, he decided to craftily divert his attention instead 'Arre' Jalal spoke up on a merry note - laying an arm around his classmate's shoulder 'Blackforest chod... you should try the chocolate fudge cake instead...'

'This is going to be fun!' Jodha surmised, intently observing the interesting turn of events from the other end of the table

'Errr... why chocolate?' Ramesh asked sceptically

'Cos I heard it's heavenly! Salim ne abhi fresh batch mangvaayaa hai!' Jalal recommended - all this, while he could sense how Jodha was now lowering her face to hide the giggles taking over her. God! The juvenile stuff they both sometimes got up to!

'Ok ok baba...' the cornered classmate ultimately sighed 'Itnaa keh rahe ho tho...' placing a slice of the chocolate cake on a dessert plate thereon, Ramesh bid his farewell 'See you then!'

'Sure bye...' Jalal waved him off, before turning ahead to his lady who was still busy muffling her giggles 'Phew' winking at her in victorious relief, he grabbed himself a fresh spoon and scooped out a piece of the blackforest. However, just as he'd started enjoying his second spoonful he was interrupted yet again!

'Arre...' Ramesh's voice suddenly echoed from behind 'I forgot to take a spoon and...' his sentence stopped midway. He'd noticed what Jalal was eating - and expectedly, he became displeased at the thought of having been taken for a ride!

'Oh - oh!'

'Oh my God!' Jodha looked away

'Well Ramesh...' Jalal tried to explain - striving not to laugh at the hilarity of their situation 'I... I'm tasting the blackforest now... but, I tell you...chocolate fudge still rules yaar!'

'Whatever!' the guy grabbed a spoon and walked off in a huff

Sportively chuckling away the embarrassment he'd just undergone, Jalal went on to wish his disgruntled classmate 'Have a good night, Ramesh!' not surprisingly, he received no response this time. Shaking his head in defeat, he returned his attention to the more-than-amused girl standing opposite him 'The things I do for you na, Jodha!' he stylishly pushed the plate across with mock-anger  

Wasting no further time, Jodha protectively gathered the precious piece of cake that her guy had waged a hundred battles for - lest anyone else arrived to lay claim upon it. Her eyes then twinkled gratefully 'Thanks... my adorable Mr. Perfect!'

Wow! That smile. What a stunner. It melted his heart a hundred times over. How he wished he could just slip away from the maddening crowds and whisk her off with him that very second 'Maybe I should just do it...' he wondered

'Nope' she shook her head, well aware of the mischievous notions running in his mind 'A little more patience baba...' she subtly held her ears in apology 'After the party, I'll...' she stopped - at once. The beautiful smiles immediately vanished. The red hues on her skin instantaneously gave way to deathly pallor. She was no longer looking at him. She was looking at someone else -someplace else. Clutching the plate of dessert, she paced away from the table in a flash - just like that.

'What the...' he swore aloud, shocked by her blunt departure. What was that all about? Did she just leave? Out of the blue? Again? He instinctively spun around, realizing that it was something she'd seen behind him that'd caused her to react that way. He spent a few tense moments closely observing the busy scenes of the party - but all he could see were various groups of people chitchatting and frolicking about 'F**k...' he ruffled his hair in frustration 'What's going on? This crazy behaviour isn't you Jodha! What did you see? Who did you see? Why did you suddenly leave like you'd spotted a madman or something?'

His thoughts froze. Madman! Madman? MADMAN! That was it! It was the madman! It steadily dawned upon him. Her expressions as she scampered off now were the very expressions she'd momentarily exhibited in the cubicle before leaving - and the last he'd seen those expressions were on the night they'd MET THE STALKER!

All along he'd assumed she was 'worried'. All along he'd assumed it was crazy family drama that was keeping her away. He was wrong. It wasn't worry or family threats keeping them apart. It was panic. Horror. FEAR! Fear brought about by the only person capable of instilling dread in her - the stalker!

Finding himself growing more and more frantic, Jalal cautiously let his eyes scour through the crowds once again - but tough luck. He couldn't locate anything out of the ordinary 'Is he around here? Who is it? How do you know him? Why didn't you tell me about this? Did he get in touch with you? Has he been threatening you?' he was jolted 'Bas***d!' his fingers turned numb as he struck upon another disturbing idea 'He's been threatening you to stay away from me, hasn't he?'

'Let me go Jalal' 

'Do I look scared to you?'

'This is a conscious decision I've taken, Jalal...'

'I should stop contacting you... so I didn't see the point in giving you my number...'

Clenching the table in anguish as it all came back to him, the disturbed young man analyzed every recent questionable action and statement of hers - one after another - for as long as it took. The subtle pointers. The hidden signals. Her icy stares that hadn't let him read her genuine sentiments. The fact that she'd deliberately shattered his spirit. The fact that she hadn't let him have her number. The fact that she hadn't responded to his emails. 

NOTHING added up then. EVERYTHING added up now. They all pointed to ONE thing. She'd wanted him to stay away, by hook or crook - possibly, to keep HIM safe!

'OH SHUT UP and let me think!' a voice in his head screamed at the relentless noises in the backdrop - an irritating drone of police sirens that only seemed to be intensifying with time 'The stalker has gotten to you Jodha! Damn, I never for once guessed you kept me away for the sake of that creep...because I NEVER assumed you'd hide such a thing from me. We've always stood against this guy together - then, why did you keep me in the dark now? And how could you take on such a risk all by yourself!' fuming in near-desperation, he was oblivious to the fact that his body was now leaning against the table for support 'Damn! How much longer must I wait to talk to you about all this... 2 hours? 24 hours? This bloody wait!'

********************

'Jalal come here and look...' Abdul's voice compelled him to snap out of his temporary state of anguish.

It was then that he saw what was happening around him. It was then that he realized the kind of frenzy that seemed to have abruptly possessed the party. Worried murmurs and startled faces abound. Everyone had lined up near the parapet walls, peeping over to catch sight of the ongoings on the roads at the bottom.

The semi-dazed Jalal rushed forth and joined Abdul to investigate the source of the ruckus. When he leaned above the walls to observe the cause of the commotion, he was taken aback. It was mayhem. Police cars. Media vans. Security - and all sorts of other worrying vehicles had surrounded the hotel premises.

'What the hell's going on?'

'Doesn't look good!'

'Has something bad happened in this hotel?'

'Did someone die?'

'My!' Jalal was compulsively drawn out of one worry only to be plagued with woes of a new kind 'When did all this happen?' he turned to an equally anxious Abdul 'Yaar... this looks like a raid of some sort!' the instant he'd blurted that supposition, the grave implications struck them both - in unison. The ladies! With the media around, things could get very ugly. They better warn Renu and usher the ladies out before the building was cordoned off.

'JODHA!' he immediately panicked. He wanted HER to leave - RIGHTAWAY!

 ***************************