33. GOINGS-ON
One Month Later
Boxer's shaadi was a huge affair…with the date approaching rapidly, time was of essence, and Special Squad balanced cases, wedding halls, caterers, guests and dresses at the same time…
When the wedding was merely a week away, Boxer's shopping was still remaining.
"Boxer bhai aap apni shaadi main kya pehnne waale hain? If you want, main kuch poorane shirts aur jackets laakar dryclean karva sakti hoon…" An irate Neha pushed her specs back on her nose.
"Neha, tumhe bhi pata hain aaj kal kitna kaa-"
"Aaj shaam ko hum sab jaa rahe hain.Main Deepika se abhi baat karti hoon…Aur Niloufer ko bhi phone kar late hoon…Don't you dare to slip away."
Boxer gulped. Neha had just threatened him.
"Shaadi ke baad, Ajay, ye tumhi aise hi orders degi…" Boxer said to Ajay, horrified with Neha's transformation.
"I won't mind that!" He winked at his buddy.
Boxer's eyebrows rose of their own accord. He brought out the pen from his lips, and slapped his friend on the back.
Shotgun nodded his head silently. "Acchi baat hain Ajay. Kabhi kabhi tum bhi kuch aacha bol jaate ho..."
Ajay and Boxer apparated to Shotgun's both sides, placing their hands on his shoulders as they walked down to the lab.
"Shotgun, aaj kal bahut hi udaas dikhte ho…Koi baat hain?" Ajay asked, winking at Boxer.
Shotgun nodded his head, indicating a no.
"Ghar pe toh sab kuch theek hain na?" Boxer asked ignoring Ajay's lightness.
He nodded, indicating yes.
"Toh tumne munh kyun latkaya hain?" Ajay prodded again.
"I am fine, thank you. Chalo mujhe bahut kaam hain." He said, sitting on his stool.
"Hey Sri. Kya chal raha hain?" Ajay asked a frazzled Rajashree. Her eyes were red and wips of hair stuck out from her bun. She did not reply.
"Ye lab main kuch mahoul hi kharab hain. Yahaan Shotgun udaas hain, wahaan Sri. You know what, Boxer, main soch raha hoon-"
"Ajay." Rajashree interrupted.
"Main soch raha hoon-"
"Ajay. Please?"
Her voice had a sharp edge. Ajay slipped out of the room with Boxer.
Rajashree looked at Shotgun, who was calmly working on some reports.
"Tumhe kya hua?"
He just nodded his head.
"Lagta hain dimaag ke saath jubaan bhi chali gayi hain." She said, scathingly, her anguish surfacing in from of sharp words.
34. GOINGS-ON II
He looked up at her, pretending not to take any notice of her remarks.
"Mom's health is deteriorating a bit…Do din se soya nahi hoon." He said in an emotionless voice.
She gluped, stricken. She cursed herself for being insensitive and unkind.
She put an arm on his shoulder, and turned his head so that he was looking up into her eyes.
"Main tumhara sab finish kar deti hoon. Tum abhi ke abhi ghar jaa rahe ho. No arguments. Main Aaryan se pooch leti hoon. Aaj shaam tumhare ghar aati hoon, auntyji ko dekhne okay?"
Before he could reply, she took off, her hair escaping from the updo.
She came back a few moments later. "Aaryan ne haan kaha hain Subroto, chalo tum abhi ke abhi nikalo."
Inner Cabin
"Aaryan, tum doctor ke paas gaye the?"
"Kaam tha."
Deepik looked up from her laptop. "Maine kaha tha ki main tumhare saath chaloongi. Agar kuch kaam nahi aata, toh main tumhare saath aa sakti thi…Main tumhe kabse remind kar rahi hoon, tum bhi naa..Main abhi ke abhi doctor ko phone karti hoon aur appointment leti hoon."
"Deepika, baccha nahi hoon. Karloonga."
She just turned back to her laptop, maing a menal note to call the Doctor.
Cubicles
"Nahi...In a Utopian society, there should be no place for police!" Junhui argued.
"Exactly. There can't be, ideally, because it is the Utopian society. That is the whole point. But wasn't the new system in Europe a Utopian society as aspired by the people in that era?" The man on the other side of the phone nodded.
"So you are saying that our perception of Utopia will change?"
"After every few decades, yes! That is what I am trying to say. But the fundamentals wil remain the same. Idealism exists in all times and forms."
Parth was standing in the terrace of his flat, looking out to the city.
"Khair wo sab chodo…Boxer ke shaadi ke kya plans hain?"
"Shall I tell you a secret…Agar Neha ko pata chala toh pagal ho jaegi."
"Kya?"
Junhui brought the phone close to her mouth and whispered, "Mere paas suitable kapde nahi hain."
Parth guffawed loudly. "Janu! Toh kisi ke saath jaa kar lao naa…Shall I come?"
Junhui tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No…I will ask somebody…Thanks…"
"You sure? Isme kaunsi badi baat hai? Or you can just ask my brother…He is an expert on such things! But, you know, I will come myself."
"No, bore ho jaoge. That's it. Madhura aa jayegi."
Presently
Aaryan was reading the paper when Deepika got up to leave.
"Aaj yahi rahene wale ho ya ghar jaa rahe ho?"
"Tumhe kya lagta hain? Obviously Ghar." He replied.
She looked at him with immense shock and pleasure.
Sometime Later
Boxer stood in front of the mirror, looking at his handsome countenance in the mirror. He was decked out in a sherwani and looked noble and majestic to the boot.
Niloufer stood looing at him, and Neha, after allowing her one and a half minutes of daydreaming asked, "Accha dikh raha hain na?"
Nioufer smiled, blushing at the thought of Boxer, her soon-to-be husband.
Her parents had arrived and in the course of the month, they had appoved of him. Her Ammi had been worried initially.
"Niloufer, tujhe toh ke poore bhare pariwaar main rehne ki aadat hain. Tu adjust kaise karegi?"
She nodded her resolve. "Ghar toh rishton se hi banta hain na Ammi. Maana jyada khoon ke rishtedaar nahi hain, par asie dost hain, jo unse bhi badhkar hain!"
Ajay made a thumbs-up at his pal, as Boxer studied his appearance once more.
Soon they purchased every type of apparel needed for the ceremony. The two couples talked all the way, excited at the event that would soon transform the love of one of them into matrimony.
35. GOINGS ON III
Meanwhile
Junhui stood in front of the mirror at the second floor of the same shop. If she would have turned around and looked down at the ground floor, she could have seen her friends leaving.
She examined herself in the mirror.
Pink was just not her colour. But due to the insistence of the attendant, who was helping her, she decided to try it out. Madhura and Paras arrived just them, and at the same moment.
She turned around. With mock servility, she said, "Thanks! Tum donon ne mujhe ab bacha liya hain. Main ye ehsaan kabhi nahi bhoolongi!"
Madhura smiled at her sister. "No problem. Kuch soch hai kya chahiye iske bare main?"
"Nahi yaar. Do minute main change karke aati hoon." She disappeared.
Paras surveyed Madhura colly. It was their first meeting after the curt interview at Swarg. Madhura looked a little taken aback at his presence, but not apologetic for the earlier incident.
"Why don't you two pick out something for your friend?" the attendant suggested.
Madhura began to look through the racks for something suitable, when another group appeared. There were five two six women, who were shopping for the dress of the bride's sisters and friends. Paras flirted with them casually, voicing his opinon on their choices and colours. Every woman was susceptible to his charms, and they entertained his attentions well. Madhura blew back a long strand of her hair coolly surveying the Casanova.But when Junhui reappeared moments later, Madhura and Paras were waiting for her, armed with a bunch of clothes.
Madhur first put two sarees on the counter.
"Ye meri choice hain, aur ye iski…" She picked up both and draped them over Junhui's shoulders.
"Mujhe please mat batao kaunsi kiski choice hain, okay?" Junhui said distractedly, watching herself. She was a wizard in her impeccable dressing sense, but it was painfully limited to casual and western. Her sense failed miserably in the Indian and traditional section.
As she rushed off to try a salwaar kameez suggested by Madhura, Paras turned to Madhura.
"Listen. I know that you don't like being here with me, trust me it is giving me no pleasure either."
Madhura was hurt, but she did not show it. "So?" she asked aggressively.
"Well, as you may know…My brother Parth and-"
"Go on."
"Well. I think that we need to surprise him…He is not used to her being this…" he pointed at Junhui, who was wearing a salwaar kameez.
Madhura smiled conspiratorially. "Agreed." She said.
So they started off on a search for The Perfect Clothes, which would do their job effectively.
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