It's Saturday and I have another story! I wrote this a few days ago and now it seems a bit silly on front of THAT EPIC PRECAP, but I had a lot of fun writing this so I really wanna share it with y'all.
I've been thinking a lot about our little Patiala family slowly replacing each other's terrible memories with good ones. This moment was the first that came to mind. And writing HS is amazing. Writing dialogue for a character you love, in a language you don't speak is a strangely surreal experience. 😂
I hope you like it!
JHUMKIYON KI KE GALTI?
"Re chhori, ghani khoyi khoyi si dikh rahi hai aaj tu. Aise ke deep thoughts chal rahe hai tere dimaag me, hein?"
"Aree Hanuman uncle, aap ko pata hai, kal Babes ka birthday hai. To uske liye kya karu, kya gift du, wohi soch rahi thi."
"Acchha? Kal happy birthday se Kirayedarniji ka? Ke socha phir, ke karegi unke liye?"
"I don't know yaar. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha mujhe kya karu."
"Ek baat bata manne, main unko gift du unke birthday ke liye, to accept karengi woh, ke lagta hai?"
"Aap gift doge usko? Try karke dekh lo. Kya pata kar le accept."
"Lekin ke gift doon main unko? Ke like karti hai woh?"
"Woh toh aap hi jaano na? Aap kehto ho na ki aap meri Babes se pyaar karte ho, toh you should know usko kya pasand hai."
"Chhori, tu mazak uda rahi hai mera? FIR kar dunga teri, andar kar dunga tujhe ek police inspector ko pareshaan karne ke jurm me."
"Hanuman uncle, kitne cute ho yaar aap!"
"Tu Veer Balika hai na mhari. Bata na, ke doon unko?"
"Mujhe nahi pata yaar."
"Are koi idea toh de de!"
"Yeh kya baat hui, Hanuman uncle?! Aap ka gift hai, idea main kyu doon? Khud soch lo aap. Waise bhi yaha mere khudke gift ki band baji padi hai. Or aap apne gift ki responsibility bhi mujhpar hi daal rahe ho. Not fair na."
"Haath jode main tere saamne, chhori, tu rehne de. Main soch lunga khud hi kuch."
...
"Sunn Veer Balika, main soch raha tha ki jhumkiyan deta hu tere mother ko, gift mein. Pasand ayega unko?"
"Jhumkiyan?"
"Ke hua, jhumkiyon ka naam sunte hi chehra utar sa gaya ekdum tera. Ke baat hai?"
"Woh actually..."
Minnie explained to him how those earrings had acted as a catalyst in them finding out about Ashok's infidelity.
"Aap samajh rahe ho na? Toh tabhi se Babes ne jhumkiyan use karna hi band kar diya hai. Matlab, woh abhi bhi imitation wale earrings pehenti hai. But jhumkiyan bilkul nahi."
Oh no. So Babita associated those earrings with some of her most terrible memories. It made that she would not want to see them again, especially not as a gift from him. That simply wouldn't do, would it?
...
Hanuman had his gift ready. But how was he going to give it to Babita without being too straightforward about it? Their relation was a delicate one and a slight miscalculation could ruin the chances of the gift being accepted. Sure, she had gifted him those embroidered handkerchiefs, but that didn't mean she would accept his gift readily. Still, he intended to put his best foot forward.
He stealthily walked up to the stairs of the barsaati, and looked around. Babita was working near the kitchen platform. While her back was turned, he quickly placed the small, wrapped package on the platform, and stood a few steps downstairs where he could see her without her noticing him, intending to walk back up when she spotted the gift.
He saw Babita's gaze fall on the package with Kirayedarniji written on it. She looked around for him but gave up when she didn't spot him anywhere. The shy smile on her face as she opened it gave him hopes, but he didn't count the battle won. She hadn't seen inside yet.
Babita's face fell a little when she saw the earrings inside. Hanuman decided that this was the moment to step in.
"Jee, woh Veer Balika bata rahi thi ki aapka janamdin hai aaj, toh maine socha meri taraf se gift de doon."
Babita didn't look at him. His confidence faltered a bit.
"Waise aap ko bataa doon, ghane saalon baad jaake aise kuch kharida hai. Aap ko pasand na aaye toh bata dijiyega. Dukaan jaake ke phir usse exchange karke le ata hu main."
A tiny smile crept back on Babita's face as he said that. It was immediately wiped off when he continued.
"Woh, Veer Balika keh rahi thi. Aap ka or Ashok Khurana ka jo bhi kalesh hai woh aise jhumkiyon ke wajah se hi start sa hua tha. Toh maine socha ki bhai jo hua usme jhumkiyon ki ke galti hai. Unhe kyu sajaa mile? Or waise bhi uss din aap Lale ko samjha rahi thi na, woh gift ke liye briefing de rahi thi. Tab kaha tha aapne, ke gift ke hai woh matter nahi karta. Gift kis bhaav se diya hai woh matter karta hai. Toh wohi bhaav dekh lo aap. Ashok Khurana ka gussa inn bichari jhumkiyon pe na nikalo. Baaki jaisa aap ko thik lage. Aap ko agar sahi laga ho toh rakh lo yeh mhari taraf se gift. Ya phir manne bata do, main badalwa ke lata hu dukaan se."
Babita's gaze refused to meet his. She looked down at the package still in her hands, her expression indecipherable. Oh god. He had messed up, hadn't he? Minnie had warned him. She had told him exactly what those earrings represented to Babita. But he refused to listen. And looked where that had landed him.
Before Hanuman could apologize for stepping out of line and tell her it was okay if she didn't want to accept the gift, Babita spoke up.
"Aapke kuch kapde galti se hamare yaha aa gaye the. Kamre me rakhe hai, aap rukiye, main leke aati hu."
What? Had he really made her feel so bad that she wasn't even going to acknowledge the gift? Were they going to pretend that this hadn't happened?
When she came back with his clothes, Hanuman couldn't help but see Babita deliberately tuck her hair behind her ear, like she wanted him to notice the movement. What he saw made his heart do a tiny flip inside his chest.
...
"Veer Balika, jhumkiyan qubool ho gayi!"
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