RAJVEER

He was running for his morning tea when he spotted her...clad in loose top and jeans. Then what he saw next just caused him to drop his tea..

'Are puttar! Dhyaan kitthe he? Oyee ..khoteya' suriji called for orderly working in mess '...raj puttar ke liye dusri chai laa...'

In reply Raj just smiled weakly. He could not tell suriji that in front of him, his wife had just jumped into someone' arms. Be it Alekh but he had never expected her to be this much impulsive. The way Alekh had told her something and the very next moment she jumped into his arms hugging him tightly just caught him off guard.

He took the tea and was about to settle for drinking it silently, when someone stopped him.

'Ye kya tareeka he lt?'

'Ashi...Naam he mera. Aur ye kya tareeka he seniors ka! Juniors ko puchte hi nahi? Aapki biwi ko sau bar lunch ke liye bola..me nanhi jaan yaha is bhare KMA me akele bore ho jati hu socha company milegi...lekin wo....wo to susheel gharelu aurat he...Kamre me ghus jati he. Ab Aap to ek cup coffee pila do....sirrrr.'

'Look.'

'Ha dekh to rahi hu...hot lagte ho..Lekin ye samajh nahi aata is hotness ka karte kya ho? Biwi se to sau feet door rahte ho...kya akele akele temperature girate ho aap?'

'What nonsense! You know I cam get you fired!'

'Ha to karo na....fire kya angaare bhi ....Lekin kya fayda aisi surat ka ki seerat hi na ho. Abhi kal mere ko ek cadet ne bola ki aap apni biwi ko akela chhod aaye. Batao...Kya jamana aa gaya he...pahle Ram ko sita milti thi...Aajkal Raam Raheem bhi line me he. Mere ko kya! Me to wese bhi mard jaat par bharosa nahi karti...kya pata kab kaun sa naya bhakheda khada kar de. Upar se ye duniya....sali jeene hi nahi deti. Aap bhi mere sath himalay chalo..yoga aur asan karenge. Sirrr. Aur wese bhi ye shadi ka lafda hota hi bekar he....aapko talaq chahiye? Me dilwa sakti hu..Khair chhodo. Aap to bade hi unresponsive ho. Ek cup coffee ke liye bhi na poocha..jaao sir. Akele kisi kone me ghus kar apni ye kadak chai piyo.....kahi najar na lag jaaye ise!'

And in seconds she left.

For a moment he was surprised. Next moment he was angry and the next moment he was afraid. The very next moment he was ashamed...and finally he was out of his wit.

Shal had said right. People were talking. So he needed to lessen the gossip. Hence he turned to the table where a chirpy shal and smug alekh and smiling her were chatting.

'Dekho isko. Kaun kahega ki biwi se itna pyaar karne ke baawjood he took six years! Alekh...Tu bas phone-romance tak limited tha kya? Shal....Kahi aisa to nahi...sms kahi ka aur delivery kahi aur!'

He heard her....and again he was astonished. He never took her for being this type of girl. This type of messing with her brother....he never thought.

Shal was laughing while alekh was shooting glares.

'Jyada bolegi na...to tere sare purane chhithe khol dunga ki kaise Naveen ke sath milkar tune Shalu ke ghar phobe kiya tha ki uska kych lafda chal rha he KMA me!'

'Ohhhh noo...it were you! Nainaaa...I am gonna kill you now. My dad were hell bent on knowing about my non existent lover. Ruko tum abhi.'

He saw shal approaching her while she ducked her and left her seat. Still laughing..

'Kya shal! Itna to chalta he...hehehehe. Naveen ne suriji ki kya mimicry ki thi..damn! Aur I was Lolita ma'am.' He saw her bending little on her left while putting one gand on her hip. Just like lolita ma'am' pose.

'Cadet Shalini Aajkal bahut ghoom rahi he. Dekhiye.. ye hamari jimmedari nahi he! Aap aayiye aur inka ghooma band karayiye.'

'Nainaaaa...tum idhar aao bas. I am gonna teach you a lesson.'

But she again ducked and ran backward unknowingly towards him. Before she could collide he held her. He could feel her shivering then as a reflex hit her. She stiffened in his arms which for a second didnt go well with him.

Responsive to other....and null for him...

She separated herself from him and straightened her top. Behind her he could hear shal....

'You'd have Captured the moment you idiot! Satyanash kar diya. Mandbuddhi.'

Alekh just got hyper receiving a slap and he smiled.

'Naina....ye bill pay karo. Jo tumne mere sath past me kiya tha...present me harzana do.'

He saw her meekly shuffling through her jeans' pocket. He then proceed to offer shal.

'I can pay for everyone agar mujhe pata chale ki Alekh ka kya surprise he!'

'Baap ban gya hu..... khush!' Alekh glared at him..

'Bana nahi he...banega. you need tuition. Kal se char baje infirmary aao. I'll teach you biology.' Shal tipped alekh on head once more and he just got more riled up.

'Neelu pregnant he. Iska matlab kya he? Apun baap ban gya..kyunki bina bacche ke wo pregnant nahi hoti...ab sab log door hato. .Apun ko Nair ke pass jana he..Neelu apun ko bula le ri he..isiliye leave chahiye..'

He laughed hearing alekh.

'Demotion milega..lega?' He asked Alekh who left chair..

'Baap ban gya hu. Izzat se bol. Hat ab.'

And midst shal' teasing Alekh left in hurry to save his remaining hair from two cats.

'Chalo captain. Aaj ka bill tumhare naam. Naina ..suri ji ko bolo teen paneer paranthe aur special lassi.'

He saw shal looking past him.

He turned back. She was still at the same place...with a poker face stiff body..

'I need to run for next class. Nandini ko lunch karna he so I am taking notes today. You guys carry on. I'll see you later.'

And just that she fled.

Shal saw him with round eyes filled with suspection. He just gave her another false reason and stood up.

And one more trouble came. Nandini came and offered him lunch to which he rushed away leaving shal an open opportunity for cutting her throat. Only if shal could...but again the way shal was prosecuting for her, shal could choke nandini at least!

He returned to his room because rest of his classes were off today.

He unlocked it and went in. Turned to kitchen and filled a glass for himself. He sipped it in and put his hands on counter and shifted his weight on them...

I was Lolita ma'am. Hehehehe..

She was never this much happy before. In fact he rarely saw her smiling in these premises of four walls. But with shal and alekh there was another Naina. Naina who was carefree, fun-living and prankster. Just like carbon copy of Naveen. Naveen who'd shake KMA with his pranks and mischief whether it be changing nameplates on jeeps or blocking drainage of special faculty quarters.

With Nav, Raj had enjoyed those days...He had felt alive. Laughter and smiles he had broken up with them. There were a few sessions of smiles and grins and laughter never came. He had forgotten how to crack in laughter. He never rolled on floor laughing.

But she had done the same.....in the phase when he was sulking badly but she was smiling and laughing with her friends. She was pranking them, making fun of them even when in this room she had nothing but emptiness. Defeaning silence were there in room when both were together.

He grew jealous!

She had stopped coming to kitchen in night since past few days. He had been listening her activities closely. And the biggest surprise, she had stopped crying. Slowly slowly she was going back to normal. But he..who was not at all guilty was drifting to black hole of insomnia and restlessness. He couldn't fathom it neither muster enough courage to confront her.

Because she had openly said....Believe what you want.

He tried to think of something else because this whole fiasco was turning more depressing for him. Day by day he was finding himself more grumpy, more moody and temperamental.

On the other aide she was enjoying her time with friends.

He came back to living room and tried to engage himself in entertainment by watching movie or reading something which to his already built predictions never worked. He sat there restless....pondering over his lost comfort.

'Shut up shal! This is not how it happened! Come on..'

He almost jumped when he heard her whining and arguing with shal. She and shal had become glove in hands.

Shal was his friend!!

Shal changed her side...traitor!

'Accha..to you tell me..kaise tha ye?'

'Princess kissed frog and he turned out to be a prince.'

'Nope...Frog asked her to kiss him! She didnt out of nowhere kissed him. '

'Come on..Kiss huya...its important.'

'No...who initiated this is important.'

'Okk. I lost. Happy?'

And he heard Shal laughing...

'Naina...We are acting like two silly teenagers! And your the guilty here. Tumne hi ye discussion shuru kiya tha. Log sunenge to kya sochenge!'

For a moment there was silence....like vacuum spread after so much perturbations.

'The Dr. Shalini has gone bonkers! Yahi sochenge sab. Accha chalo..Bbye. I have to sleep.'

'Nahi na..today is weekend. Chalo movie plan karte he...'

He heard her disagreeing but that repudiating soon changed into assertive nods and chirpy shal entered with her into his room..

'Captain! Kiska shok mana rahe ho? You need to see psychiatrist. Ye jo din bhar akele akele rahte ho na...this can cost you something big. Ek kaam kiya karo..Nandini ke sath dinner par chale jao..Uska bhi akela pan door aur tum bhi khush..'

Though shal had ended her remark with wink but still his mood turned foul. He didnt show it and gave a weak smile. Then continued to glare at laptop screen absent mindedly....

He didnt know what was happening around him.

Neither alekh' arrival nor Nandini' intrusion.

'Naina..Chilled lana.. apun thandi ni peeta..'.

When alekh shouted just near his ear he jumped out of his thoughts. Heart racing fast..impulse of shock.

'Bewade! Yaha teri daaru nahi he...samjha!' She almost got irritated

'Raj! Tera collection kidhar he? Nikal na...Apun ko peena he. Nair ke sath rah ke apun ka bhaji pala ho gya he. Sala sar kha jata he.'.

'Cabinet me he. Ja ke le aa .' Alekh left hearing his reply..and he went back to his staring session with laptop screen.

Soon his couch was stuffed with people. When nandini deliberately held his arm, he got to know that she was also here..close to him.

In front of him she was preparing some snacks and the stock.

Shal arrived with two water bottles and soon everyone gathered close to his couch where his laptop was snatched from him. He although didnt complain. He just smiled when shal with threat snatched his lapy.

'Netflix!' Nandini shouted...

'Agar apun ka kaan phata na....to neelu tere ko goonga aur bahra sath me karegi!'

'Chup Alu! Movie dekhte he...Romantic. naina..What do you think?'

'Shal...We are here for a time pass. Date par nahi aaye he..' and he could see shal making faces..

'Sab chup jaao...Apun log Ashiqui 2 dekhenge'

'Ek tu bewada aur ek wo sharabi....'. He could not stop himself from speaking..

'Raj suggest karo na..Hum sab tumhari pasand se dekhenge.' Nandini chimed in but he neglected her because infront of him she was sipping her glass with a genuine smile on her face.

She seemed to be happy!

Even after she had a dark soul inside her..more like blotted and stained.

But he who always had been good was sulking..

This was a visible shift...from jollyness to hollow...

'I dont know...You guys decide.' He just let it go...the opportunity of deciding for others.

'Kuch intellectual dekhte he..interesting sa..Like Christopher Nolan. Or Satyajeet Rey? Hindi classic ki bhi apni value he.'

'Apun ko itna english nahi ata. Ek kaam karo....tum log dekho..apun peeta he.' And alekh leashed out his hidden parched drunker on bottles put on the tables.

'Leave it. Ye suggestion me sunday aa jayega. Any movie that comes first. Now open this laptop.' Shal suggested..

And with this both women agreed to watch Phobia because Raj wanted to watch it but forgot. But soon movie was long forgotten.

Shal and she were talking about random things. Alekh was enjoying his beer and Shal' slaps now and then..There were smiles, laughs, and grins and teasing.

While he was just a mute spectator who was being nagged by Nandini..

He for a first time found himself so unlucky...

Because allocation of happiness was no where near him..He couldn't smile wholeheartedly. He was feeling lonely....midst of a crowd.

And she..she was all homey despite of being a total stranger!

She didnt deserve this....

Night didnt end for them...nobody left. Whole night drinks and snack went on with talks and smiles leaving a particular person alone.