{PLEASE IGNORE THE SPELLING AND THE GRAMMAR MISTAKES}

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Karishma is eagerly waiting for Neil. She is dying in the excitement. She is unable to control herself to share this video with Neil. Yes, she can send it on his phone but she wants him to stand beside her while watching this. She is marching from one corner to another in the hall and her eyes are still stuck at the door. 

Finally, she sees Neil is coming. He also sees her. He passes a smile to her. Before he can enter the hall, she runs to him and jumps on him excitedly. Neil is shocked by this. Yes, he knows about Anubhav's promise to Pushpa ji. But she has already told him about this. Then why is she so excited? 

"Arey humari jungle billi" Neil breaks the hug and adds, "Aisa bhi kya ho gaya ki sidha jhapatta maar rahi hain aap hum par?"

She slaps him, "Kabhi iss muh se pyaari baatein bhi kar lijiye. Hamesha bakwas hi karna aata hain naa aapko?"

"Nahi, aata toh hume bahut kuch hain" Neil blushes, "Par abhi woh sab karne ka waqt nahi hain."

"Neil, thappad khayenge abhi aap humse" Karishma shows him her angry eyes.

Neil makes a scared face and says, "Arey baba, aise aankhein dikhakar darayiye mat hume. Aur batayiye ki kyun khush hain aap itna!"

She smiles and shows him the video of Anubhav playing the flute, "Yeh dekhiye, bhaiyya aaj khud se uss room mein gaye. Unhone baansuri bhi bajayi. Aapko pata hain naa ki jab bhi hum unke musical instruments ko saaf karte the toh woh kitne gussa ho jaate the. Aur kehte the ki iss kabad ko phenk do. Par aaj... Aaj woh khud se apne saare instruments ko dekhkar emotional ho rahe the. Aur... Oh, Neil... Hum bata nahi sakte ki hum kitne kush hain..." She jumps in excitement. 

Neil has a soft and calm smile on his face. Finally, his friend is back. He can't share his emotions right now. After seeing the complete video, his eyes become moist. He hugs Karishma. She too does the same. 

Breaking the hug, "Yeh sach mein bahut khushi ki baat hain, Karu. Ab khushi hain toh celebration bhi toh banta hain. Aap please ek kaam karengi humare liye?"

"Aap puchh kyun rahe hain?" She asks while smiling, "Hukum dijiye".

He smiles, "Raniyon ko hukum nahi dete. Request karte hain. Toh hum aapse yeh request karna chahte ki aap please humare liye aur Anu ke liye hum dono ke favorite aloo ke pakode banakar layiye. Actually, humne aaj Anu ko kuch zyada hi harsh bol diya hain. Unhe manana bhi toh padega naa."

"Par hume nahi lagta ki bhaiyya aapse naraz honge. Woh dekhna aapko jaate hi gale laga lenge" She says.

He makes a face and says, "Arey aapke bhaiyya ko aapse zyada hum jaante hain. Dekhna roothi hui biwi ki tarah nakhre karenge humare saamne. Iss liye pehle se hi sab preparation karna chahiye. Chaliye kitchen, dono milkar pakode banate hain. Rani sa akeli kitchen mein kaam karte hue achchhi nahi lagengi!"

"Aapka kuch nahi ho sakta" She sighs. 

He chuckles, "Kuch hone ke liye pehle hume aapse shadi karni padegi. Aur jab tak aapke bhai nahi karenge humara number kaise aa sakta hain?" 

"Shut up!" She hits on his arms.

"Arey sorry sorry..." He laughs.

------

Anubhav is sitting on the bed reading a file. Neil sees him standing near the door and enters the room after taking a deep breath. 

"Wah! Kya pakode hain" He says while taking a bite of a pakoda.

Anubhav looks at him and closes the file. Putting his file on the table, he asks Neil, "Aap yanha?"

Neil doesn't reply to him and sits beside him. He puts the plate in between them. 

Anubhav looks at the plate and then at him.

"Hume nahi chahiye" Anubhav says coldly.

He chuckles, "Haan toh aapko de kaun raha hain? Humne toh bas rakha hain yanha par. Khud ko bahut importance dete hain aap!"

Anubhav stares at him with a stern face.

"Kya? Aise kyun dekh rahe hain? Hume khane ka iraada hain kya? Arey bhai, pakode khayiye agar bhook lagi toh! Hume aise kyun dekh rahe hain jaise hume bhi kha jaayenge."

Anubhav sighs, "Aapko khana hain toh kanhi aur jaakar khayiye naa. Yanha par humare saamne khana avashyak hain kya? Aur khane ke liye pakode hain toh woh khahiye. Humara mashtishq kyun kha rahe hain?"

"O bhai" Neil replies, "Hume nonveg pasand hain par sirf biryani. Kisi ka deemag weemag nahi khate hum. Aur usme se aap jaise khadus insaan ka toh bilkul bhi nahi."

"Haan haan... Hum khadus hain. Aur aap toh iss brahmand ke sabse achchhe prani hain. Jo kabhi humare saath achchhe se baat hi nahi kar sakte. Nai?" Anubhav angrily states. 

"Putra, do baatein galat kar di aapne. Pehla hum koi praani nahi hain. Hum ek manushya hain. Usme bhi ek purush hain. Sundar se, pyaare se, bhole se purush. Aur dusri baat, hum aapse achchhi achchhi baatein karte hain. Bahut karte hain. Par aapke mashtishq mein woh ghusti nahi. Ab isme humari kya galti, balak?" 

Anubhav bites his lower lip in anger. Neil is trying to hide his smile. 

He continues, "Waise pakode achchhe hain. Try karke dekhiye naa..."

"Humne keh diya naa ki hume nahi khana" Anubhav irritatingly speaks. 

"Kab kaha? Aapne aisa kab kaha ki aapko nahi khana. Aapne bas hume yanha se jaane ke liye kaha. Khane ke liye mana nahi kiya" Neil raises eyebrows.

Anubhav is getting irritated, "Toh ab keh rahe hain naa... Aur hume nahi khana. Ab yanha se jaane ka kasht karenge?"

"Jis karya mein kasht ho waise karya hum nahi karte, balak!" Neil smiles.

"Neil..." Anubhav is irritated but he says while calming himself down, "Toh Maharaj, yadi aap kasht nahi kar sakte toh kripa kijiye hum par. Kripa kijiye aur yanha se prasthan kijiye. Hume abhi bahut karya."

Neil smiles, "Itne karya kyun karte ho, balak. Adhik karya bhi nahi karna chahiye. Thoda vishram bhi avashyak hota hain. Bina vishram kiye bas karya hi karte jaaoge toh 'gadhe' keh laaoge!"

Anubhav is angry now. He is hell frustrated!

"Neil, humara maatha mat phirayiye. Hum chup hain aur hume chup hi rehne dijiye. Warna aapke liye thik nahi hoga" Anubhav sternly tells him.

Neil makes a fake serious face, "Dhamki de rahe hain aap hume?"

"Nahi, Chetavani de rahe hain."

Neil makes a crying face, "Dekh liya, Anu. Dekh liya. Dekh li aapki dosti aur aapke pyaar ko! Hum itne pyaar se aapke liye pakode banakar laaye hain. Socha tha ki do yaar apni poorani baatein yaad karke gappe ladayenge. Par aap... Aap toh hume dhamki de rahe hain. Yanha se jaane ke liye keh rahe hain. Selfish insaan!"

Anubahv sighs, "Neil, thakte nahi aap yeh nautanki karte karte!?"

Neil smiles, "Nahi! Yeh hi toh talent hain humara."

Anubhav smiles and shakes his head in disbelief. 

"Oh ho! Hass diye naa... Has diye naa..." Neil too smiles, "Ab kha bhi lijiye. Aapke liye hi banaya hain, janab."

Anubhav takes a bite and tastes it. "Achchhe bane hain!"

"Humne banaye hain!" Neil proudly says.

"Galat baat! Kisi aur ke parishram ka phal swayam nahi lete. Yeh humari behna ne banaye hain" He smirks. 

Neil makes a face, "Humne madad toh ki thi naa!"

"Haan!" Anubhav answers, "Apni honewali ardhangini ki sahayata toh aap hi karenge. Aapke bina aur kaun karega?"

Neil is shocked. He doesn't expect this. How does Anubhav know about him and Karishma? Is he angry with them? Will he accept their love? What does he do with them now? All questions come into his mind at the same time.

"Aap... Aapko... Humara matlab ki... Hum..." Neil is fumbling. He doesn't know what to say or how to speak now. 

Anubhav smiles and says, "Itna bhaybheet kyun ho rahe hain aap? Aapko kya lagta hain ki hume kuch pata nahi aapke aur behna ke baare mein?"

"Par... Aapko... Kaise... Pata?" Neil asks.

Anubhav smirks, "Hum bade bado par drishti rakhte hain. Toh hume yeh nahi gyaat hoga ke humare hi ghar mein humare naak ke niche kya ho raha hain!?"

Neil nervously smiles and asks, "Aapko bura laga, Anu?"

"Satya kahe toh laga bhi aur nahi bhi" Anubhav replies.

"Matlab?"

"Arthat yeh ki hume iss baat ka kadapi bura nahi laga ki aapne humari behna ko aur behna ne aapko pasand kiya. Hume aap dono ke chayan par garv hain. Aur saath mein aanand bhi. Aur hume yeh bhi vishwas hain ki aap dono ek dusre ke liye, ek dusre ki prasannata ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hain. Aap dono mein woh prem, samman, aur vishwas hain jo ek adarsh dampati (ideal couple) mein hona chahiye."

"Toh phir bura kya laga aapko?" Neil asks nervously.

Anubhav smiles sadly and replies with soft tone, "Aapne sahi kaha tha, Neil. Hum ek patthar ban chuke hain. Aise patthar jo sabko thokro ke atirikt kuch nahi dete. Issi kaaran se kadachit aapne aur behna ne aap dono ke prem ke baare mein hume batana uchit nahi samjha."

Neil feels guilty. He should have tell him about his and Karishma's relationship.

"Yadi aapne aur behna ne swayam hume bataya hota hume adhik prasannata hoti" Anubhav adds.

"Anu... I am... I am sorry" Neil tries to speak.

"Nahi Neil, nahi. Aap kshama mat maangiye. Aparadh humara hain. Hum hi sabse door hote chale gaye. Ghar mein koi rota toh humne unke aansoo ponchne chahiye the. Parantu hume iss baar se chid hone lagi. Satya kahe toh hum abhi kisi se kshama maangne ke bhi yogya nahi rahe" Anubhav says with a sigh.

Neil inhales puts his hand on Anubhav's shoulder, "Anu, you are overthinking. Agar hum sab udaas the toh aap ke bhi dil mein toofan utha hua tha. I am sorry, Anu. Humne aaj aapko bahut kuch bol diya. Hume nahi bolna chahiye tha. Jazbaaton mein beh gaye the hum. Hum bhi bahut guilty feel kar rahe hain. And I am sorry ki humne aur Karishma ne aapse yeh baat chhupayi ki hum dono ek dusre se pyaar karte hain. Hum bas sahi waqt ka intezaar kar rahe the. Iss ummid se ki ek din sab sahi ho jaayega aur tab hum sab kuch sach bata denge."

"Hum samajhte hain, Neil. Aapko kshama maangne ki koi avashyakta nahi hain" Anubhav smiles.

After a pause, Anubhav again asks, "Waise hume toh kuch mah poorv hi aapke aur Behna ke baare mein pata chala. Parantu kab se chal raha hain aapka yeh lafda?"

"Lafda" Neil makes a shocked, sad, and angry face. "Prem, Pyaar, Love, Mohabbat, Ishq, Aashiqui, Ulfat, Preeti, Sneh, Chah, Anurag...," He pauses and continues, "itne saare shabdo ko chhodkar aapko 'lafda' jaisa shabd mila humare pyaar ke baare mein baat karne ke liye. Chhi, Chhi, Chhi... Gundo ke saath rehkar aapki bhasha bhi gundo jaisi ho gayi hain. Chu..."

"Aye" Anubhav shows him his angry eyes cutting his word in the middle.

"Sorry" Neil bites his tongue.

Now both of them focus on finishing the pakode.

Neil asks while talking a bite, "Waise, kya socha aapne?"

"Kis baare mein?" Anubhav raises his eyebrows.

"Haseena ke baare mein! I mean abhi tak aapko ehsaas hua ya nahi ki aapko unke saath LAFFFFFDAAAA hua hain" Neil playfully questions him stressing on the word 'Lafda'.

Anubhav looks him angrily.

"Dekha, lagi na mirchi. Iss liye thik se baat karni chahiye. Warna aapko bhi woh hi bhasha sun-ne ko milegi jo aapne boli hain" Neil laughs.

Anubhav rolls his and Neil again asks, "Boliye naa, Anu... Kya socha aapne Haseena ke baare mein? Kab bata rahe hain aap unhe apni dil ki baat?"

"Hume kuch samay chahiye, Neil."

Neil smiles, "I understand! Take your time, Anu."

Again they become silent.

Anubhav breaks the silence, "Dhanyawad, Neil"

"Kis liye" Neil asks in confusion.

"Har cheez ke liye. Humara saath dene ke liye, humare saath rehne ke liye, hume har mod par sambhalne ke liye. Yadi aap na hote toh hum swayam ko sambhal nahi paate" Anubhav answers in a soft, sweet, and a gentle tone.

"Phir toh hume bhi aapko dhanyawad kehna padega. Kyun ki jo bhi humne kiya hain aapke liye woh sab aapne bhi humare liya kiya hain. Kyun?" Neil smiles.

Anubhav smiles. Without wasting a second, they huh each other. Neil rubs Anubhav's back. He knows how his friend is feeling now.

A sound of the notification on Anubhav's mobile make them break the hug. Anubhav takes his phone and checks it. His calm expressions change. Anger rises on his mind.

"Kya hua" Neil asks.

Anubha doesn't reply but shows his phone to Neil. When Neil checks the message he too gets shocked. He can't believe this. Their fear becomes true.