Deviyon aur sajjan (I am assuming there is at least one purush in the audience😉), so sorry that this bit of fluff is all that I could manage😔 , but didn't want you all to wait any longer, so am posting this, realizing that the story really doesn't move any further. Hopefully, will be able to make some progress now that this is out of the way. Hope you will forgive the delay and enjoy this....and I do love to hear from you, goes without saying😆
10 bonus points to anyone who spots the blooper😉
Part IX
"Tumko pata hai Beta?.... terah saal mein pehli baar, main is gaon se baahar ja rahi hoon''varna jab se hum yahaan aaye the, kabhi kahin aur jaane ki zaroorat hi mehsoos nahin huiy'..bas tumhare Phupha ji aur main aur hamara chota sa sansar'..phir unke guzarne ke baad to aur bhi zyaada main yahan se bandh ke rah gayi'unki samadhi jo hai yahan'.lekin aaj mujhe bahut khushi hai ki main itne achche kaam ke liye jaa rahi hoon'." Buaji smiled at both Prateeksha and Shashank. They were in the car, on their way back to Delhi, with she and Araina in the back seat. Shashank had made no mistake this time and had skillfully manouvered them there by opening the back door for Buaji and making sure that Araina got in behind her. The hot sun had forced them to draw up the tinted windows and turn the car ac up full speed and within minutes they were on the paved road that led to the highway.
"Ji Aunty, bas ab aap jaldi se jaldi yeh kaam kara deejiye''.kisi ki ek na suniye ga''yeh log samajhte hi nahin! ''.. they just don't get it!" Shashank replied, turning his head around to give her a exasperated look.
"Haan, haan, we don't get it'..the great Shashank Mehrotra ne kuch kaha, aur hum log, poor souls, samajh hi nahin paaye'.chu.. chu chu", Araina mocked him, shaking her head from side to side. "Aunty, zara isko dekhiye to sahi, apne aap ko kahin ka raaja maharaaja samajhta hai"
Buaji burst out laughing as Shashank made a funny face at Araina in response, who in turn mumbled under her breath, "Chimpanzee"
"Arre arre bachchon, ladne ke koi avashyakta nahin hai,'..beta Shashank, yeh to main jaanti hoon ki tumne is din ka bahut intezaar kiya hai, lekin yeh bhi to socho, shaadi biyaah mein bahut tayyariyan karni padti hain, aur phir har ladki ka sapna hota hai ki uski shaadi badi dhoom dhaam se ho'.to Prateeksha beti se bhi to poocho, wo kya chaahti hai?"
"Nahiiiiiiiin Aunty!! aisa ghazab mat kariye ga'.." he exclaimed comically. "Prateeksha se jo poochna tha maine aaj subah pooch liya hai, ab ussey aur kuch mat poochiye ga varna wo aapko bhi duniya ko bachaane ke apne abhiyaan par enlist kar ke chal padegi aur main bechaara intezaar hi karta rah jaaonga!" Both Araina and Buaji laughed out aloud at this.
"Kyun beti Prateeksha, suno to yeh kya keh raha hai tumhaare baare mein'?"
Buaji asked and looked enquiringly at Prateeksha, who seemed to have drifted off to sleep, with her head against the window. In reality, she had closed her eyes to better focus her mind on the problem at hand, namely the inordinate amount of joy in her heart that threatened to burst out, with increasing regularity, in the form of laughs and smiles and what was even worse, uncontrollable giggles! This was so much at odds with her normal behaviour, that she wanted to know the cause and then hopefully she would be able to put an end to it.
From the time Prateeksha was separated from her mother and siblings, her life had been overshadowed by a constant sense of loss, a sense that pervaded all facets of her being and in a strange sort of way, defined her. It had never really gone away, though, as she grew older, it had been somewhat replaced by her resolution to find her lost siblings. But this old sense of loss manifested itself in her nature and mein; so even though she smiled, she never laughed, and always projected a seriousness that belied her age. She met people and made friends, but never really let them into her heart. Even though she took great care of people around her and genuinely cared about their well-being, she always kept them at arm's length from her own thoughts and feelings. It was almost as if she had an impenetrable wall around her heart that prevented anyone from getting close to her. Even after having found Shujoy, her brother, she was always reluctant to share her feelings and troubles with him. One could safely be sure that there would be no grand emotional outbursts from Prateeksha, that she would always keep a level head and that she would neither be too happy nor too sad about anything. Until she met Shashank.
From the outset, he had had the ability to evoke powerful emotions in her. With him around, it had always been a roller-coaster ride where her feelings ranged from extreme irritation to overwhelming love and all the emotions in between. And now that she had been united with him and her family, for the first time in her life, she had felt that sense of loss lift. It had been an exceedingly liberating experience'as if her heart and being were no longer weighed down and the real Prateeksha, or rather Kajol, was free to come out and live the normal life of a twenty-four year old. With Shashank and her family around her, she felt a sense of security, of belonging, the knowledge that there were people who could and would fight the battles of life for her. Most specially, it was Shashank's love and her acceptance of that love, that really set her free. With him, she felt, she could say anything, do anything and he would always be there to take care of her, for her. "Yes", she thought, "this must be it'..it is Sir's '..Shashank's love that has made me a giddy-headed fool'.a fool in love'.like all those silly girls that I used to make fun of'."and smiled involuntarily, eyes still closed.
"Kajol Di, Kajol Di''.., aap kin khyalon mein khoyee huein hain? Itni der se main aapko bula rahi hoon" Araina sighed in exasperation. "Aunty ji aap se kuch pooch rahi hain."
"Uh 'haan'sorry, sorry Buaji, main zara'." she stammered, opening her eyes with a start and sitting up straight. Her face rapidly turned a deep shade of red when she realized that Shashank was also gazing at her with open admiration. Flustered, she half- turned around to look at Buaji and Araina and hesitantly asked, "Ji Buaji, aap kya pooch rahi theen'."
Before Buaji could reply, Shashank, afraid that Prateeksha would spoil his chances by giving a typical reply, jumped in, "Kuch nahin, kuch bhi to nahin'.Aunty to bas yeh jaanena chahti hain ki hum kaun se mandir mein shaadi karen'."
"Chal jhoote'.nahin beta, tum iski baaton par koi dhyan na do'..hum log tumhari shaadi ki timing ki baat kar rahe the'.is ladke ko to itni jaldi hai'."
Prateeksha could hardly respond to this in any other way but to lower her eyes and mumble, "Ab main kya bataon, aap Maa se hi baat kar leejiega"
"Lo, ho gaya '.doob gayee Titanic '..tum bhi na Prateeksha'.." Shashank grumbled. "I thought we were on the same side'par tum to dushman team ki nikli'."
"What???, you are calling my Maa 'dushman team'? Vivan Bhatena, tumhe mujhse ab koi nahin bacha sakta'.." Araina was mock livid, and the other two could barely contain their laughter.
Shashank had well and truly dug a hole for himself. Seeing his best chance of survival to be in offence, he blustered, "Dushman na kahun to aur kya kahun'..aur incidently, yyyou yourself are part of that team too, Ms. Araina Rai,'.tum ko main apna dost samajhta tha'.zara bhi khyaal nahin hai mera'ek behen Mother Teresa banna chahti hai to doosri Phoolan Devi'..kaatne ko daudti hai '.hey Bhagwan, kahan phans gaya main?...." gesticulating wildly enough to cause Buaji to caution, "Arrey beta, zara dhyan se'steering wheel par haath rakho na'"
The rest of the journey was spent in similar good-natured bantering, so that when they finally reached home, nobody felt really tired. As Shashank parked the car in the Rai's portico, he quietly signaled Prateeksha to remain seated and jumped out to open the door for Buaji. Ushering her and Araina out and up the steps to the porch, he told Araina, "Tum Aunty ko andar le chalo, main samaan le kar aata hoon'." Araina gave him a knowing smile but did not argue and walked inside.
Shashank rushed back to open the front passenger door for Prateeksha and took her hand in his to help her out of the car. "Dekho, now that we are back, I don't know ki humen kitni opportunity milegi saath rehne ki, and I also have to sort out my affairs regarding Vikram Uncle'.agle kuch din bahut busy hone wale hain'.is liye I wanted to tell you how happy you have made me this morning, at the cliff'."
He said this with a sweet, shy smile that was so much at odds with his normal,confident, brash self that Prateeksha fell in love with him all over again. He was standing on the third step that added to the already considerable height difference between the two, so she was forced to tilt her neck all the way back to be able to look into his eyes and convey her own delight. The results of her introspection in the car still fresh in her mind, she somehow controlled the urge to do a little jig and contended herself by simply squeezing his hand.
Closing the car door and climbing the stairs with her hand still in his, Prateeksha could not resist remarking, "Achcha, to agle kuch din aap busy hain!'too bad! Maine to suna tha ki aapka mandir mein kal kisi se appointment hai'.koi shaadi-vaadi ka maamla hai?....." Taken aback for but a moment, by her teasing words and impish smile, Shashank retorted, "Kya bataoon, ladki ke Mahishasur jaise Bhai aur Durga samaan Maa, beech mein aa gaye'.soch raha hoon yeh shaadi ka idea drop kar doon aur seedhe ussey bhaga kar le jaaon'."
"Haw.. kitne bure hain aap, main Deba Da ko bata doongi'" she scoffed at his arm and said laughingly.
"Kyun? Marwana chaahti ho mujhe? '.No seriously, kabhi Deba Da ke expressions dekhe hain tumne? Lagta hai seedhe Ram Lila ke maidan se aa rahen hai'.Raavan ka role karke'.Abhishek Bachchan can probably take lessons '.." he continued dramatically.
They had to stop this nonsensical conversation, realizing that they were at the entrance to the drawing room. Prateeksha gently drew her hand out of his, bent her head down for a moment to gaze at her ring, then giving him a sweet smile, turned to face the rest of the family and their questions.
Edited by vista90pro - 14 years ago
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