Part - 11 (A) Few days passed by, and surprisingly there were no talks of marriage. Sameer and naina were now on the same line, that is, waiting for the two for realising their feelings. And it did the work somehow. Preeti's regular visits, and their rides to her home, made the two souls more confuse about what they want. But whatever they felt, they found 'sukoon' in each other's company. Neither of them tried to initiate or rather convince samaina for again starting with seeing the alliances.
On one fine night, rohan was sitting in the garden, rocking the swing, dwelled in his own thoughts.
A jerk followed and he looked behind to find his brother, staring or rather glaring at him. He gulped and shifted to offer the seat. Sameer stood silent for a few seconds and then took his seat. "rohan tum samjh rahe ho na ki time bohat tezi se nikal rha hai?". Rohan looked at sameer, with confusion "mai samjha nahi bhai". Sameer sighed and started," rohan, jab tak tumhari shaadi pakki ni ho jati, tab tak mai tumhare career ki baat aage ni badha paunga". Rohan immediately broke the eye contact, and looked away.
"tum serious ho na?" sameer questioned seeing his disinterest in these talks.
"han bhai! Par..." he trailled off
"par kya?"
Rohan confessed "pta nahi bhai. Kuch dino se bohat alag mehsoos kar rha hu. Pura dinn sab acha acha lagta hai. Aisa lagta hai jaise mere paas sab kuch hai. Par raat hote hi, akela sa mehsoos karta hu. Apne future ki tension hone lagti hai. Muje samjh nahi aa rha ki mai kya chahta hu."
Sameer smiled, recalling his own situation when he realised his love for naina"kabi kabi jawab samne hota hai, bas tumhe use pechanna hota hai". Rohan looked at his brother for a few seconds, and then nodded, promising to think about it.
On the other side, naina was talking to preeti on phone. " preeti tu samajh meri baat ko. Abhi toh hum tuje choice de rahe hai ki tu apni marzi se ladka dekhle. Agar chachiji ka sabar toot gya toh, vo tujse puchegi bi nahi. Fir roti rehna, or mai kuch ni kar paungi" naina warned.
"naina tune muje bhashan dene ke liye phone kiya hai?" said preeti, irritated.
"theeke! Tuje jo karna hai kar. Rohan ki shaadi ke baad mai teri shaadi kara dungi. Or tujse poochungi bi nahi.".
"ek minute... Rohan ki shaadi matlab? Tumne uske liye ladki dekh li?" preeti's sleepy eyes suddenly popped out.
"han! Sameer ne dekhli hai. Rohan han kehdega toh agle mahine hi uski shaadi kar denge"
"par itni jaldi? Mera matlab hai.."
"rohan teri tarah nahi hai. Vo bohat serious hai apni life ko lekar. Sameer usse baat karne gya hai. Bas vo maan jae"
"kyaa? Abi? Iss waqt?" preeti almost screamed, checking the time.
"kya hogya? Chilla kyu rahi hai.. Hello? Hello?" and the call was cut.
Naina and sameer looked at each other, giving a thumbs up.
Rohan tried to decode the words said by sameer. He recalled his activities since few days. The whole day used to pass with preeti around him. Being with bhabhi was just an excuse, in real, he used to enjoy listening to her banters and adore her caring nature. The way she balanced her personal and professional life, was the thing that impressed him the most. And Then their private conversations that they used to have while he dropped her at home, was like the perfect end to the day. But then, coming back to home, he got surrounded with same questions and dilemmas about the future. This routine was on a repeat mode now. He now realised, that the sense of peace and contentment was just temporary, when preeti was around. Otherwise it was just a normal day. The marriage alliances were disinteresting him because he was not able to find that companionship that he felt with preeti. There was an unsaid understanding between them. Is it just some sort of attraction or something else which is missed by him? As he tried to conclude his thoughts, the phone bell rang in shrills and he ran to pick it up before anybody wakes up.
There preeti tapped her foot, waiting impatiently for the call to be answered. Though it could be picked by anyone, but she don't know why, it was her heart that said that it would be answered by him only. From the time naina had told her about rohan's marriage, her stomach had felt the same tightness and her mind had imagined n number of scenerios that could happen after his marriage is fixed. The first one being, she would lose him. No, not their friendship. But something else, that they shared. She wasn't able to digest his marriage or him being close to any girl but her. She was sure, she felt for him. The routine, the 'aadat' that she got hold of from past few days, washed off all her stress and anxieties. She started considering him as a part of her life. And when naina told her about fixing his marriage with someone else, she realised that she had taken this for granted. As if it would remain with her for all her life. That's why it is said, you realise the value of something, when you are on the verge of losing it.
"helloo." she said, her voice laced with anticipation..
"hello. Preeti kya tum ho?" asked rohan. Obviously not expecting her to call this late.
"hi..hii. Rohan. Vo.." damn.. Why had she called him? What would she ask?
"bhabhi se baat karni hai? Sab theek hai na?" asked rohan, worried at her tone.
"nah.. Nahi.. Naina se toh abhi baat kari.. Vo.. Vo".. She stammered, trying to get hold of her voice and words.
"preeti tum theek ho na? Pareshan si lag rahi ho."
She took a deep breath, and answered in a go "rohan muje tumse milna hai.,".
"han kal milenge na. Muje bi tumse kuch baat karni thi"
Preeti assumed that he wanted to share about that new girl and so her anxiety grew more.
"nahi.. Kal nahi. Aaj..balki abi.."
"iss waqt? Kya hua? Kuch problem?"
"kitne sawal karte ho tum. Muje milna hai toh bas milna hai. Mai tumhara wait kar ri hu bye"
And she cut the call. Now it was the turn for rohan to get nervous. He immediately took the bike keys, and rushed to her home.
Preeti was waiting at the enterance of society, not caring about the neighbours prying eyes that could catch her. When Rohan reached there, she slumped on the bike, behind him and nudged him to move. Rohan gulped at the closeness, that they now shared, and took her to a nearby garden. She got off the bike, and dragged him inside.
"preeti.. Ab tum please btao ki kya hua hai? Muje tension ho rahi hai" rohan pleaded and Preeti stopped in her tracks.
She turned to him " shh.. Chup. Abi sirf mai puchungi or tum jawab doge. Samjhe?"
Rohan was now scared and he nodded like a kid.
"jijaji ne tumse kuch baat kari shaadi ko lekar"
Rohan recalled the convo that happened a few hours ago. "han par tumhe kaise.."
"unhone kya kaha?"
"pta nahi.. Kuch jawab ki baat kar rahe the"
"tumne kya bola fir"
He just nodded in a yes. Because thats what he did in the end. Preeti's face fell, and she turned her eyes away from him.
Now this was it. Rohan grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him" bas ab bohat hogya. Yeh sab chal kya rha hai? Seedhe seedhe bolo na baat kya hai. "
" k.. Kuch nahi. Tum jao.. "said preeti, trying to control her tears. Seeing her saddened face, rohan was not able to control anymore and pulled her in a hug trying to comfort her.
" tum kyu itni pareshan ho. Kisi ne kuch kaha tumse? OR tumhe kaise pta bhai ne mujse shaadi ki baat kari? Sab theek hai na?"
Preeti's hold got tightened around his waist at the last line, and some tears spilled down without her permission. She wasn't able to keep this anymore, she has to do it and so she broke the hug.
" rohan.. Tum ab tak muje jaan gye ho ki jo mere dil mei hota hai vahi zubaan par..." rohan nodded and waited for her to continue, but the next moment something happened that nearly knocked out air from his lungs. Preeti bent on her knees in front of him, taking his hands in hers and started " rohan, muje ni pta kab or kaise par tum meri ek aadat bann gye ho. Tumhara saath meri zaroorat bann gya hai. Jab tum hote ho, mere dil ko ek alag sa sukoon milta hai.. Aajtak kisi bi ladke ne mujse yeh ni pucha, ki mai kya chahti hu apni life se, apne career se. Tum vo pehle ladke ho jisne meri khushi mere kaam mei dekhi. Pehle lagta tha ki yeh bas ek dosti hai. Lekin aaj jab tumhe khone ka ehsaas hua toh samj aya ki yeh dosti se kahi zyada hai. Yeh pyaar hai ya ni, muje ni pta. Lekin han, agar mauka milta toh puri zindagi tumhare saath bitane ke liye mai ek baar bi ni sochti".. She paused, her voice cracked as she said" muje pta hai ab Shayad inn sab baaton ka koi matlab ni hai par mai kisi guilt mei ni rehna chahti ki maine ek koshish bi ni kari".. And she looked down, her face now tear stained, waiting for him to shatter all her hopes with one single sentence, that he has already committed himself to someone else.
Rohan didn't know when tears made way in his eyes and when he too bent on his knees to match her level. As preeti started confessing, butterflies danced in his stomach and a huge grin got plastered on his face as if his all confusions got cleared in a second , but the last words hit him hard. What had she said? What chance was she talking off that she missed? Why had she said that its late? Had her parents fixed her marriage? No no no!that cant happen.
He cupped her face, " tum ro kyu rahi ho? Or yeh kya bole jaa rhi ho ki late hogy. Kuch late ni hui hai... Mai.. Mai bi.."
She cut him off "rohan please. Yeh zaroori nahi ki jaisa mai feel karti hu vaisa tum bi karo. Mai janti hu tumne kisi orr ladki ke liye han kehdi hai. Ab tum jao..kafi der ho gy hai".
Rohan was not understanding anything"tum kya bole jaa rhi ho? Konsi ladki? Konsi shaadi? Maine kisi ke liye han ni kari."
"maine abi tumse pucha ki jijaji ne tumse shaadi ki bat kari ke ni. Or tumne jawab mei han kaha. Toh iska kya matlab hai?" she asked folding her arms
He almost slapped his forehead "arey vo toh.. And he told her all about the conversation" and while reciting that, he realised what sameer had wanted to say. That means, he already had a doubt. Shit! He is such a tubelight. And he chuckled while preeti slapped her forehead, realising this was all her sisters plan. She wont leave her, she sweared.
She then blushed on how she confessed her feelings to rohan, and how he has clutched her hands. Seeing her reddned face rohan composed himself and decided to confess his feelings "preeti.. Mai bi tumse.. Mera matlab hai.. Muje tumhare..," preeti looked up with narrowed eyes, and he got more nervous.
She tried stifling her laugh and cheer him up, "bolo na"
".. I.. I..mera mtlab hai.. " preeti shook her head. She being a girl had done it so smoothly and he is still fumbling to reply. She got up, while rohan got anxious. "take your time. Janti hu itna asaan nahi hai. Chalti hu, kal milenge"rohan too followed and got up.
As she turned to go, rohan pulled her to him, startling her. "tum kya baar baar jane ki baat karti rehti ho. Han janta hu tumne bohat asani se sab keh diya. Par mai koi master ni hu inn sab mei. Sirf padhai mei topper hu, romance mei ek dum zero. Lekin itna samjh gya hu ki Jab tumhare paas hota hu, khush rehta hu. Aisa lagta hai zindagi mei koi tension hi nahi hai. Par tumse door hote hi, bechaini si hone lagti hai. Pehle samjh ni paa rha tha. Par ab samjj gya hu. Muje bi tumhari adat hogy hai. Mai ab harr pall bas tumhare saath bitana chahta hu. Shayad yeh pyaar ka first level hai. Ab mai harr level par bas tumhara saath chahta hu. Bolo kya karogi mujse shaadi? Apnaogi iss timetable ko? ". Preeti just hugged him, nodding against his chest." han.. Han.. Han.. I will marry you. Orr tum itne serious bi ni ho jitne dikhte ho. " rohan chuckled and hugged her back tighly, feeling a heavy weight lift from his heart and happiness enveloping him.
" par romance mei sach mei zero hu. Abi bi sochlo" he said. She looked up, still hugging him.
Being thoughtful for a second replied, "soch liya".
"lekin preeti. Tum janti ho na ki muje abi kitna kuch face karna hai family mei. Yeh sab itna asaan ni hoga"
"janti hu. Lekin mai tumhare saath khade rahungi, usi tarah jis tarah se jijaji, naina or aunty ji khadi hai. Tumhari taakat bankar na ki kamzori." she promissed and overwhelmed, he dropped a soft kiss on her forehead that she cherished with her eyes closed.
"yeh kehna zaroori toh nahi par fir bi keh deta hu ki tum apna kaam continue rakhna shaadi ke baad." he said while she nodded happily.
**************************
On the other hand, sameer was massaging Naina's scalp with oil laced hands while naina was enjoying it, being all relaxed.
" naina raat ke 12 bajj rahe hai. Ab toh so jao"
"sameer.. Pta nhi Neend hi nahi aa rhi. Bohat uncomfortable lagg rha hai. Orr fir maine thodi kaha tha ke meri head massage karo"
"maine socha tum isse relax ho jaogi"
"han toh ho gy na relax"
"fir neend kyu ni aa rahi tumhe" he said, a yawn too making its way. Naina holded his hand, stopping him and dragged him in front.
"tumhe itni neend aa rhi hai fir bi lage hue ho. Mai hogy hu relax. Tum so jao. Kal factory bi jana hai" she said tying her hair.
"par.."
"ajkal par var bohat karne lage ho tum. Mera kya hai. Pura dinn ghar par rehna hai. Kabi bi so jaungi. Chalo haath dho lo orr so jao" she ordered. Sameer nodded, muttering 'naina devi' and went to the bathroom..
Sound of opening and closing of door reached her ears and then some footsteps sounded. Naina got a bit scared and instantly got up from the bed. "s. Sameer".. She knocked on the bathroom door. Sameer immediately came outside, "kya hua naina?"
"bahar koi hai shayad" she said and then there was a knock on their bedroom door.
Sameer asked her to calm down and went to open it only to find rohan and preeti, with an annoyed face. Sameer gulped and looked behind, shifting a bit for naina to see the sight.
To be continued...
So, preehan has been set. I would try to update the next part in few days. It would be only samaina and the baby.
I updated preehan in separate part so that the essence of this story is maintained in the last part too.
Please do provide your feedback for preehan, as you do for samaina.
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
