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Ishita,the only lady traffic officer of mayur vihar area, got down from her bus and started to walk with fast steps. It was heavy rain, her uniform was drenched inside the raincoat also.
Her phone gained her attention by the alert "aaj ghar jaldi aana tha tu aadha ghanta late hai traffic ka bahana to bana nhi skti traffic officer jo theri toh koi accha saa bahana soch lena" She smiled seeing her amma's message.
Her mother was proud on her till her alliances started to come, everyone who came with a alliance said no to her because of her occupation.
She knew that her amma was calling her because today someone was coming for the marriage allaiance.
It was her 6th marriage alliance. Sometimes someone refused saying "dekhiye humara parivaar bahut badha hai, aapki beti adjust nhi kr payegi" And sometimes someone said "humare ghar ki bahu chauraahe pr aise ishare karegi humein accha nhi lagega."
And one of them directly pointed on her occupation "officer... Traffic ke toh hawaldaar hote hain na...accha accha angreji mein kehte honge, officer"
She was still in her thoughts when an overspeeding car of red color, sprinkled mud water on her raincoat. She made the car stop by constables . When she saw the people she understood that they were going to attend some marriage but there was still doubt in her mind that "ye shaadi mein hi pahuchenge ya kahin aur"
"License nikalo" Ishita said in high pitch
"Madam, itni tez bahar baarish ho rhi hai license nikalenge to kharab ho jayega"
"Koi baat nhi uncle ji, main waise bhi license cancel hi krne wali hun"
"Aise logon ko liscence mil bhi kaise jaata hai" She huffed. Because of them she got late and her mother's messages were increasing.
***********
After completing her shift she walked to her home with fast steps.
When she reached she saw the same red color car standing outside her house.
She entered her house with her dirty uniform and sneezed 2-3 times.
As both the parties saw each other they got shocked and kept glaring at each other.
The manoj's parents forgot about the alliance and started fighting verbally for the licence.
At last neither their alliance got fixed nor they got their license back.
*********
She was sitting in her room thinking "yahan to sab mujhe jaante hain ki main ek traffic officer hun. Toh aisi konsi jagah hai jahan par mujhe koi nhi jaanta" She was thinking hard when she finally got her answer "matrimonial site".
She quickly picked her laptop and placed it on her lap, as it opened she typed matrimonial site name in the browser.
She started making her propfile on it and it took her 4 hours to complete it but still there was one block which was still not filled and that was of occupation.
She typed 'teacher' but at the next moment she deleted it thinking"nhi nhi nhi agar kissi ne maths ki mushkil equation pooch li toh?"
'Lawyer' she typed but again rubbed it. So she thought to type some different type of job like
'Photographer...artist...traveller' she thought much but she couldn't imagine herself in any occupation except 'traffic officer'.
Whatever she was doing she didn't know that it was right or wrong but what to do, she have to clear this marriage matter.
Next day when she opened the site,her lips curled into a smile. There was an alliance of 'Raman kumar bhalla' he was a engineer by profesion , was of the same city and wanted to meet her tommorow in the cafe.
That's when she rememners her profile and her lie "maine koi jhoot thodi bola hai, bas ek baat nhi batai hai...aur waise bhi chupane se kounsa chalaan kat rha hai" She consoled her mind and started to get ready.
She wore red churidar kurti salwar and red bindi was on her forehead. She was going to put kohl but she hided it under her duppata seeing her mother.
"Laga le laga le sundar lagegi " She smiled hearing her mother and applied it.
When she reached at the cafe she saw Raman sitting on the chair sipping coffee ,shaking his left leg and was watching his watch again and again.
She tried to change her style of her walking but failed miserably, she walked toward him like a officer and stood there keeping her hands at back.
"Sorry maine pehle hi coffee order krli" He said
"Aap kya lengi"
"Main bhi wahi coffee"she replied nervously.
Giving order to the waiter both sat quitly .
" Toh aap kahan tak padhi hain"he asked for the formality.
"Profile mein likha hua hai meri" She answered without seeing toward him.
"Haan,woh actually" He was saying but there produced a sound of breaking as the waiter who was carrying there order got disbalanced and dropped the tray on one of the boy who was sitting on the other table.
The waiter was countinously saying sorry to that boy but he was going on scolding him.
When suddenly thay boy holds his collar ishita stood up like a dutiful officer and said by pulling his hand in a backward direction "bhaisahab ye pichle 15 minute se aapse sorry bole jaa rha hai aur aap iska collar pakad rhe hi. Haatha paai ki to 2 minute mein jail bhej dongi smjhe" Her voice was having anger that the boy leaves from there without saying anything.
Waiter thanked her while all the customers who was there praised her, but her site stopped at Raman who was seeing her smilingly.
He stood from his place and said coming near her "doosri coffee order karein" Smile lingered on her lips listening to him.
She was confused that who was more sweet, coffee or raman's talk.
In between he told her "ishita, dekho mujhe jhoot pasand nhi hai toh main tumhe ye batana chahta hun ki yahan pr apni marzi se nhi aaya hun mujhe maa papa ne bheja hai.
Dekhiye mera ye manna hai ki if I work to meri wife bhi working honi chahiye. Jitna main confident hun usko bhi hona chahiye"
"Aur humari bahu bahar kaam nhi kregi, mujh ko ye concept smjh hi nhi aata" She was listening him.
"Agar aapke paas degree hai ,aap kaam krna chahte hai toh kya dikat hai" By his talks she said with high voice.
"Haan"
"Matlab aapko koi dikat nhi hai" Raman said calmly
"Nhi ...nhi mujhe koi dikat nhi hai" She answered him fastly.
"Matlab aap job krengi" He asked getting curious
"Are job toh main krti...nhi nhi krti nhi krna chahti hun" She saved herself in mid. The talk goes out of her hand when He assured her that he will apply for jobs.
"Aap ek baar settle ho jao phir dono shaadi kr lenge. Sorry main kuch jyada hi jaldi point pr aagya" He said laughing on his own talk on which she also laughed.
*************
After raman's arrival her morning started with his morning messages and her night ends with his good night messages.
One day she received his message
"Ek surprise hai mere pass tumhare liye magar abhi nhi bataonga, kal jab cafe mein milenge tab. Theek 6 baje."
Her heart almost beated 10 times in a second seeing his message. She got tensed that did he came to know that she is traffic officer.
In this tension she almost forgot that she is having her duty till 5:30 and it will take 30 minutes to reach home then when she will change her clothes because she can't go infront of him in that uniform
She made a plan and slept.
She somehow managed to keep her clothes in her bag and left the house.
After completing her duty she ran to the cafe. Her steps stopped in between when she saw Raman already there and was setting his hairs by seeing himself in mirror which was infront of him.
Ishita like a thief hided her face with her cap and finally escaped from his eyes. She quickly changed her clothes, took a deep breath and headed toward him.
They both were sitting silently when his order came. He got angry seeing the wrong cake "maine mango cake order kiya tha ye kaunsa cake hai" He shouted.
"Sorry sir mango tha nahi" The waiter apologized.
"Are mango nhi tha toh bta dete"
"Sorry Sir but ye came humari specialty hai"
"Baat cake ki nhi hai boss, baat ye hai ki aapne jhoot bola"
Listening to him ishita got numb because she also lied.
He got hyper listening to a small lie. How he will react when he will come to know that she also lied to him?
In these thought she got lost somewhere. Raman said breaking her trance."tumhara mood kahin meri wajah se kharab to nhi ho gya. sorry ishita. Magar aise koi jhoot bolta hai na toh mujhe gussa aa jaata hai. "
"Are iss cake ke chakar mein main tumhe surprise toh batana hi bhool gya. Maine jahan tumhari job ke liye apply kra tha unka reply aaya hai. Woh kal hi tumse milna chahte hai"
Ohh! So this was surprise .
She wasn't undestanding that this was surprise or trouble for her.
She keep delaying that interview by making excuses like cold or work. She didn't wanted to give this interview because she was already working.
But one day Raman took her with him to the interview.
Somehow she came after getting rejected . She wasn't that much affected but his angr reached on peaks "pakka sifarish ka chakar hoga warna inti qualified ladki ko koi aise kaise reject kr sakta hai. Inn logon pr toh case hona chahiye" His mood got spoiled that much that he didn't had his lunch.
She wanted to tell him, tell him that she already works but remembering that he hate lies she stopped. She was angry on herself that she is hiding such a big truth from him.
************
She again turned rude and arrogant like before. One day when one boy over limited the speed, her whole anger poured on him.
The crowd deposited there and in that crowd her sight reached on Raman who was busy on call .
The boy escaped from there seeing her not responding. It was the first time that some one ran away from her hands.she was shocked. What she was doing? Was she cheating on him? Was she doing wrong ? She was ashamed of her own acts. In this 1 minute her mind thought 100 different question.
After thinking much she finally picked her cellphone and dialled his number.
"Raman main tume cafe mein milna chahti hun. Abhi"
"Kya hua ishita? Koi problem hai kya?"
"Milke btati hun" Saying so she hung the call.
Her heart ached thinking that it will be there last meeting but whatever it is she have to remove that burden from her chest.
She reached there in that uniform and started to say "Raman, tumko mere liye naukri dhoondne ki zarurat nhi hai. Maine tumse jhoot bola tha ki main naukri nhi krti hun. Main ek traffic officer hun. Mujhe apni naukri pr koi sharmindagi nhi hai, magar dar tha ki tum baaki ladkon ki tarah tum bhi mana krdoge iss shaadi se . Isilye nhi bataya. Mujhe pta hai ki tum ye sunne ke baad mujhse shaadi nhi kroge. Magar ye baat btani zaroori thi toh bta di. Bye"
She didn't waited for his answer and leaves carrying fatty fatty tears in her two preety eyes.
***********
She started living that life like before where there was no raman.
Now without any reason she don't apply Kohl, she stopped going out on weekends, she talked just like she have limited words.
Her life wasn't that much empty that it became after raman's departure.
When her mother asked she skipped it and changes the topic.
Seeing her like this her mother finally came up with a solution 'her marriage'.
As always ishita didn't got a leave by her work. After completing her duty she leaves for her home.
Walkingly she was counting something "5-6-7" It was her 7th alliance.
As ishita reached her home she heard voice of laughing coming from hall of her house.
She took a deep breath and came inside her home.
After seeing uncle and aunty she turned to other side and almost shouted "RAMAN"
"Tujhe kya laga tha ki mujhe kuch pta nhi chalega" Her mother said coming near to her.
"Matlab aapko sab pta tha" Hearing to her mother she felt her head spinning with confusion
"Uss din main cafe mein tumhe kuch kehne hi wala tha pr tum to meri baat sune bina hi chali gyi" Raman said to ishita
"Kya?" When she asked then raman answered
"Yahi ki tum uniform mein bahut acchi lagti ho".
She smiled. Her car of life started running with full speed breaking every signal.
That was it...it ends here :)
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Love Ishika Saxena
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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