OSR PART 27
17th February
THE MUHAMMED HOUSEHOLD - JALAL'S BEDROOM
Resting on his pillow, with his left hand casually tucked underneath his head - the silent young man subconsciously flicked the button on the remote once more. Well, his disinterest was no surprise. Relaxing on his super-king plush bed while watching programmes on his 60-inch wall plasma was not his 'usual' 9:30 pm routine - it was more of a 'distraction' routine.
He HAD tried using other more sensible modes of distraction, like packing his suitcase for the 6:45 AM flight he was to catch next morning or finishing up on another half-page of thesis work!
However when all that hadn't worked, he'd just 'ditched-it' and crashed on his bed.
It was not very often that Jalal Muhammed found himself in such a happy daze, and why not - he'd enjoyed a multitude of wins that day. He'd won against the ploys of the rogue he despised - and far more importantly, he'd almost won HER over.
'Jo' he uttered mischievously, reminiscing it all for the umpteenth time - reliving the hold she'd had upon him and the effect he'd had upon her!
The 24 year old realist needed no mirror just then to make out the amused grins and the glow of feverish excitement that were reappearing on his face - again! In fact, the grins and the glow had barely died down ever since the memorable confrontation that evening!
Nope, Jalal had not planned for any of it to happen. It'd taken HIM just as much by surprise as it'd taken HER! All he'd meant to do once they'd wrapped up with the rally was to return the refund and get going on his way. However, she'd gone on to fish out that kerchief from her bag - and my my, it'd changed the course of events drastically!
That look - the long long look of affection that she'd given his kerchief those grand five seconds, was the kind of look one would give a 'cherished' possession before parting with it. His curiosity had been roused. He wanted some proper answers this time - especially since HIS possessions seemed to have started becoming so dear to her!
From thereon; his emotions had steadily broken all barricades, heartfelt words had materialized with such effortless ease and pent-up passion had taken over!
'Ya Allah!' he chided himself a moment later, for acting like a 14 year old going through his first crush 'Get a grip on yourself...abhi tak, she hasn't even openly admitted anything..!'
Deciding to snap out of the thoughts for a few seconds in order to preserve his sanity, Jalal tossed around to grab his remote once more. No sooner than he'd changed over to another channel - the seventh one in the past twenty minutes - he heard the familiar ringtone of his mobile buzzing. With his eyes still glued on the screen, he lazily ran his fingers on the sheet to search for the instrument and cast a quick glance at the caller id
'Abdul?' he let out a sigh and set the phone down without attending it. Yeah yeah, he wasn't being the most ideal friend right then. However had he spoken, his best bud would've caught onto the enthusiasm in his voice right away - and Jalal was in no mood to explain something even he wasn't clear about.
A minute later, the buzzing stopped.
Another minute later, a short message alert followed.
'Ab kyaa hai Abdul?' the young man leisurely perused through his inbox
'Kyaaa!' in a flash, he'd sprung up and come alive - it was an sms was from HER!
Sitting on his bed, the impatient senior hastily opened the message to read its contents. At first glances, it was a bit puzzling. He had to go through the angry words twice to decipher its subtle undertones
'Jalal...u r the most stubborn...adamant...bull-headed...egoistic...strong-willed...annoying guy I've evr met...u r a royal pain, u know that?'
'W...what?' realization steadily began dawning on him 'Is she...is she...'
The slightest hint of a smile began making its way onto his lips as he perceived her childlike frustration. Countering the sudden rush of blood so he could think clearly, his restless mind raced to find the right words to reply
'Wow Jo! Stubborn...egoistic...strong-willed AND annoying...I never realized how SIMILAR I am to u' grinning slyly, he pressed send - knowing her reactions well beforehand
The following three minute wait was possibly the most agonizing wait in his life. Then, the text alert finally arrived. Within the following second, the young man had nearly pressed all the wrong buttons in his fervour to open the new sms
'Yup Jalal! That's why I hate it when I turn out to b WRONG ... and u turn out to b RIGHT!
Now, got ur answer? Have a safe and peaceful trip!'
WOAH! He couldn't believe it. HE - COULDN'T - BELIEVE - IT! Had she? Had she actually?
'Wait...' he suddenly paused 'It IS Jo, right' he double checked the number just to be sure. It WAS her!
So, had this 'adamant' junior really come out of her shell to say what she'd just said?
'Damnnn...' he covered his mouth in disbelief. For a short while, it felt like the 'Yes' in her angry confession was too good to be true! He swiftly read the words once again - slowly and carefully - just to make sure he hadn't assumed anything 'I hate it when I turn out to b WRONG ... and u turn out to b RIGHT! Now, got ur answer?'
Once convinced he wasn't imagining stuff, the first signs of an elated beam made its way.
'Wow!' he let the feeling sink in. Jodha Singh had just admitted that HE was right about HER feelings for him - and sooner than he'd expected her to do so too! Brushing his hair excitedly, Jalal got off the bed to take a few brisk paces. Exhaling deep breaths, he tried to get a hold of the intensifying flurry of feelings he was going through
'God...God...God...' he exclaimed when he'd subsequently recalled that in all the hysteria he hadn't even sent her a reply yet. Leaping back on the bed, he grabbed his phone to type out the words, but thought better of it next second
'Ditch it' he pressed the 'call' button instead - but, her phone had been switched off. Not letting it get to him, he sent her a sweet text instead - knowing she'd have a smile on her face when she came across it next morning
'Thnks...I'll have a safe trip...will catch up once I'm back on Thu!
But till then, I love you too Jo...gd night... ;) '
He was in the best spirits of his life as those final lines had gone out. Only; the besotted young man didn't know how he was going to get by the next two days without so much as a glimpse of her.
'Abbe...' he laughed at the bitter-sweet predicament he was in 'Tu to gayaa...look at what have you gotten yourself into...'
THE SINGH HOUSEHOLD - JODHA'S BEDROOM
Jalal had guessed right - she didn't get to check his response that night because she'd deliberately switched off the phone right after she'd hit 'send'. She needed time to reel from the shock of what'd just come to happen. Her fingers still numb, Jodha dropped the mobile beside her and gently fell back on her pillow in a daze
'What have I done' she gasped - her emotions a very strange mix of worry, abashment and relief. She didn't know why she'd eventually admitted her feelings but, she felt like she had to do it - at least for her sake, if not for his! There WAS still a part of her that was irked that she'd done so and for a brief spell Jodha had even wished she could retrieve the sms she'd just sent.
However, ONE significant moment that evening had managed to overrule a lot of her lingering dilemmas and doubts - a moment that'd shifted her priorities. It wasn't his outpour of heartfelt emotions or the sincere love in his eyes that'd done it alone. It was his words! Words that had been constantly playing in her mind - words that'd persuaded her to ultimately face the truth
'How would you know if something works or not, unless you give it a try first?'
'God' she closed her face in panic as the avalanche of bewildering emotions hit her again 'Ye maine kyaa kiyaa...' she paused blankly 'And wonder how Mr. Know-it-all will be reacting now' a smile slowly materialized on her face when she began visualizing what could be Jalal's expressions 'But then...' she stopped, her smile consequently disappearing 'How is all this going to work out yaar? And ghar pe kisi ko pataa chal gayaa tho, I'll be in such trouble...' her frowns deepened as she reverted to fretting about their future prospects - till, another point struck her that is 'Hey Bhagwaan' she blushed 'I didn't even think about this...how am I going to face him on Thursday? What am I supposed to say?' her eyes widened in alarm as she swiftly recognized another turning point 'Shucks...am I actually his GIRLFRIEND now?'
Stopping the music in the background, she anxiously tossed around and buried her face into the pillow 'God Jodha...what have you gotten yourself into... what HAVE you gotten yourself into...'
*******************************************************************************
He's been gone
And though its not for so long
She must brave the wait with a song
In the days apart, her touch missed he
In the days apart, his smiles missed she
But not before long, one they will be!
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20th February
SRI UNIVERSITY - CAR PARK
Shielding her hand from the glaring morning sunrays, the spirited young lady strained to catch sight of a distant vehicle that appeared to be approaching the college
'Is that him? Is that him? Seems like his car... yes it is him' she paused, as the familiar silver Audi drove into the university grounds car park 'Hey Ram' she commented nervously. The butterflies that had been fluttering in her tummy so long had just morphed into something the size of dinosaurs.
Well, the 'new' pair had exchanged a couple of fleeting conversations and 30-odd flirty texts in the past couple of days that he'd been away at Mumbai. However, this was still the first time she was seeing him in two days - the FIRST time she was going to meet him face-to-face after her confession!
While the young lady was still trying to deal with the unfamiliar 'dinosaurs' in her belly, the car pulled up not far from where she was standing. In a flash, the engine had been turned off.
The car door opened 'Hi'
She glanced up at the guy who was standing beside his vehicle 'Hi' she muttered back with a mild smile
'Wow' he observed her in delight - was she really looking more beautiful than ever or was it so only because he'd missed her so much? 'Wanna get in?' he smiled, signalling to the empty-ish car park around them 'Since we're earlier than usual...we could catch up for a few minutes before everyone starts arriving for classes, maybe?'
Following a hesitant few seconds, she nodded and got into the back seat via the door he was holding open for her. He joined her in soon after.
Once inside; the awkward couple exchanged nothing but abashed smirks and sighs for a whole minute - till Jalal took it upon himself to cease the clumsy silence.
'So, Jodha' he darted her a mischievous grin 'Here we are haan... FINALLY' noticing that she was sitting at the end farthest from him, he couldn't help but be amused by her evident unease 'How have you been?'
'Oh...' she looked up in mild embarrassment, having hardly cast him a proper glimpse yet 'I'm fine, Jalal' and then her mind blanked out - she didn't knowing how to proceed 'Kuch tho bol' she told herself quickly. It was high time she said something - anything - it's not like this was the first time she was chatting with this senior of hers 'Haan' she abruptly remembered 'How was Mumbai?'
'Official trip...' he shrugged 'So nothing great...but, I'm really tired...early morning flight...then straight from the airport, I dashed home...showered...and rushed back here...' he winked 'To be with you'
'Oh' she'd nearly blushed - but, it was then that she'd noticed that his hair was still wet 'Arre... you didn't even...'
'I know...I know...' he winced, guessing what she was going to say 'My hair...'
'Dry it or you're gonna get a headache Jalal...'
'Yup'
Wasting no time, the lively young man leaned towards the passenger seat, grabbed his gym bag and dug out a fluffy towel from within 'I generally never step out this way' he explained 'But today was an exception...' he commenced drying his hair 'You see, I didn't have time...have...I...generally...but...before...classes...'
While the engrossed senior was still persevering with his conversation, she'd stopped paying attention at some point. Unbeknown to her, Jodha's gazes were starting to soften. She'd begun eyeing the guy sitting beside her - the one who appeared so mesmerizingly handsome AND delightfully cute at the same time! Mesmerizingly handsome because those glassy droplets in his blazing brown hair had set-off the morning-glow in his features perfectly. Delightfully cute because he was blissfully unaware of that fact that she wasn't listening to him, but checking him out instead.
'HEY!' she suddenly realized what she was doing and was about to turn away in near-guilt as usual, but stopped herself this time and continued looking. Why shouldn't she stare? He was her boyfriend, after all!
'Gosh! BOYFRIEND?' she gasped at the thought that'd just popped up. The very word was a concept alien enough to her not so long ago and now she was sitting in a car with her 'boyfriend' - gaping at him while he was busy grooming himself!
'Jodha'
She snapped out of the transfixed state she'd been in, only to detect his curious frowns - he was obviously trying to understand the reason behind her ongoing silence!
'Errr kya?' she clumsily attempted to cover up for her wayward thoughts
Guessing from her expressions what she might have been up to, Jalal broke out into a sly frown. Nevertheless; no point in embarrassing a flustered lady further - so he pursued with the question he'd already put forth twice 'I was asking you if you spoke to our group...about 'us''
'Oh...' she paused momentarily 'They know about us, but I've been avoiding them...putting up with Meera's and Payal's teasing over the past two days has been tough enough...' an adorable frown emerged on her face 'There's no way I'm going to face Abdul, Maan and Salim all by myself too...'
'I understand' he laughed briefly - before subsequently beginning to reflect on the many little implications of their newfound relationship status 'So...we're officially dating now!' he glimpsed her way to share his thrill 'Things wouldn't be the same again...'
'Yeah...' the flushed young lady sighed 'That means everything's going to change at college...'
'Interesting texts after boring lectures...' he mused playfully 'Canteen meet ups with friends turning into neverending tease-a-thons' a dreamy haze glossed over the twinkle in his eyes 'And our late evenings together every day...just you and I...'
He fell silent, awaiting her response to that last suggestion of his.
She remained silent, a crimson colour pervading her cheeks. The whole 'dating' concept seemed both, interesting and daunting!
Just then, the pair were distracted by a message alert beep in her phone.
'Phew' she silently chuckled - this bold junior wasn't used to finding herself so 'tongue-tied' and 'shy' around anyone, so the temporary distraction was a welcome relief!
Fetching out her mobile, the upbeat young lady opened her inbox to read it! The joy, the exhilaration, the sheepish frowns and the scarlet tint that had beautified her profile so long - disappeared instantaneously. Her face now pale like never before, she immediately looked up at the man sitting next to her - not knowing what to say or how to react for a short while
'What happened' Jalal enquired, concerned by the abrupt sign of terror in her eyes. On receiving no answer, he slipped the phone off her hand and read it for himself
'You are doomed. You're hanging around with the guy who spiked your drink! Don't believe me? Think - how else did Jalal come just in time to take you home? He has evil plans. Had you gulped it all, your night would have ended differently. Anyway, you've played straight into his arms. I'm going to wait and watch your downfall now!'
Jalal felt like someone had just hit him with something. He felt humiliated. He was angry. He was hurt. He hastily called-back the anonymous number, but it had been switched off. Helpless, he rubbed his forehead frustratedly - this stalker was no amateur. He was keeping tabs on EVERY single development in their lives.
Immensely disturbed, the young man didn't know how to shake the glum-feeling off. As though the allegations weren't infuriating enough, he'd noted the slightest hint of 'suspicion' in Jodha's stares as she'd looked up at him after having read the message. Were the texts meant to draw a wedge of mistrust between them even before their set foot on this journey together? Would the stalker become successful in discrediting his character in her eyes? Nevertheless, he HAD to bury his pangs of agony so he could to deal with other more important matters first - her safety, to be precise.
Setting aside his personal anguish, he turned to her - struggling to rake up the right words 'You know Jo...I don't think it's Shareef doing this...'
'Me neither...' she muttered, evidently upset that they were back at square one with this stalking business 'This is the fifth text Jalal...I deleted the earlier ones and blocked his number...but, this is a new number he's harassing me from...'
'This is dangerous Jodha...' he remarked, still recuperating from the shock 'I can't sit peacefully knowing there's a guy out there watching you...we should lodge a complaint with the police now...'
'I understand what you're saying...' she shook her head 'But, you have no idea how my parents will react to this...after the incident last week, they were discussing about having me continue my course in correspondence...'
'Ok' empathizing with her stance, he let out a long sigh 'Jo...have you saved the rest of the texts somewhere...do you have it with you now?'
Opening her handbag, she dug deep down and fished out a small personal diary. Flipping through its pages, she arrived at one such inconspicuous page 'Didn't save these online, incase that weirdo hacks into my account or whatever' she handed the diary to him 'Here...the dates, the times, the number and the texts'
Receiving it from her, the perturbed young man went through the words carefully - trying not to appear affected by the disgusting accusations those texts had made against him. He recognized the lyrics from the pop song that'd been used in one of them 'A student who likes listening to English pop...' his eyes suddenly widened - he'd noticed something else too 'Hmmm...the f**king bas***d doesn't use typical sms language ...maybe someone who hasn't been texting for long...or he's deliberately making it all very poetic...' he paused to glance at her, as he tried piecing it all together 'Seems like a shy...nerdy...romantic... introvert kinda guy...do you know anyone like that?'
'Hmmm' her worry lines deepened as she recollected a particular face that fit the profile 'There IS one guy in our class... he's a bit weird...name's Anoop...he gives me the creep sometimes...the way he stares at me...'
'Anoop?' he grimaced for a moment 'I'll do one thing...' he began saving the anonymous numbers in his own mobile 'My family are on good terms with the DCP here...I'll get uncle to find out if there's any way he can trace the owner. It might take a few days, but I'll make sure it gets done...' he paused - still consumed by it all 'In the meanwhile, have your number changed...and reveal the new one to none other than your family and a few...' he suddenly stopped midway - when he'd felt her hand tenderly resting on his shoulder. He looked up - he hadn't even realized when she'd moved near him
'Jalal...' she spoke - her manner reflecting profound concern 'First, why don't you ask me what you want to?'
'Huh?' the preoccupied senior was briefly flummoxed - and then, it struck him. She was obviously referring to the masked 'hurt' in his expressions 'Oh...' he exhaled and faltered for a long while, as he tried to overcome his reservations 'Just tell me frankly Jo...' the disheartened senior asked at long last 'You nearly believed this stuff, right?'
She looked down for an instant and then back up at him. She needed to be earnest and yet put him out of his misery, so she chose her lines with care 'Jalal...don't take it to heart...the brief shock in my eyes was only a natural reaction ...doesn't mean I mistrust you...FAR from it...think of it this way...if I believed those messages, would I be sitting alone with you in your car here now? I know MY guy and trust him, Ok?'
Yesss! That's all he needed to hear. THAT - IS - ALL. It felt like the biggest weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. He didn't even bother hiding the relief her assurances had given him 'Thank you...' he whispered 'For being a part of my life...'
Taking the palm that was perching on his shoulder, he gradually interlocked his own fingers between hers. While she watched his invigorated smiles and gestures with a sweet frown, he gently drew her close so he could confess in a soft tone 'And this is why I love you so much Jodha...'
Studying her delicate responses, he waited for her to say something in return. However, the modest young lady stayed quiet.
'You know Jodha...' he grinned subsequently 'At this point, the girl generally replies with an 'I love you, TOO''
With that comment, she burst out into a round of giggles - she had to 'I am new at all this, Jalal...' she justified herself sheepishly 'So...give me some time'
'Ok' he joined her in laughter, as their heads lovingly rested against one another's 'I understand'
Revelling in the fond moments, the ecstatic couple continued chuckling at themselves - a mini game of powerplay going on with their fingers all throughout.
Soon after, Jalal freed his hand from hers and glided it around her waist.
The echoes of her laughter steadily died down - she'd spotted the growing ardency his eyes. Her pulse quickening with every passing second, she gently glimpsed away - his gazes were too potent to handle.
'Jalal' she sighed on a hush note as she could feel herself being pulled closer to him 'Maybe we shouldn't...' just then, her words were cut short when she was swept into the folds of his strong embrace.
For the first minute or so, she found herself very conscious - her mind was battling out many 'What if?s' and 'Should I?s'. After all, never before had she been involved with a young man in the past - never before had she let anyone touch her this way. Uncertain, she looked up - and at the handsome face that was just beside hers. Discovering such tenderness in his reassuring glances, her rigid limbs melted into his in no time.
As Jalal guided his fingers into her hair and drew her near him, Jodha buried her head on his chest. Calmly closing her eyes she let her hands slide onto his back. Fresh out of the shower, he smelt delectable. In the strength of his embrace, she'd forgotten all worry of the vile stalker. She could hear his hastening heartbeats - they spoke of his love for her. His soft foreplay with strands of her hair was so soothing. The warmth of his body felt heavenly. She'd finally experienced how it felt to be lost in the arms of a man she was in love with!
Now only if they didn't have to leave for classes in the next ten minutes, eh?
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Hope you enjoyed it 😳
Edited by lashy - 10 years ago
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