Ruhani’s POV

“Papa uski bezadi toh nehi karenge na? (Will my dad insult him or something?)” I said.
“Voh aisa kyu karenge areey tum dono ek dusre se pyaar karthe ho aur voh imandaari se tumharaa haat mangne aaya hai shaadi ke liye (why will he do that, you guys love each other and he honestly came to your home to ask your hand in marriage)” Manpreet said.
“Vhai toh kithne ladake karthe hai aisa aaj kaal? (That right how many guys do that these days?)” Roop said.
“Zafar se phir se ladayi ho gayi hai kya? (Did you have a fight with Zafar again?)” I asked.
“Voh toh abb roz-roz ki kahani hai (That’s everyday’s story now)” Manpreet said.
“Aree voh uss Aayat ke saat naach raha tha toh laadayi nehi karthi toh aaur kya karthi? (Oh he was dancing with that Aayat what should I do except for fighting with him?) Roop said and made a face.
Suddenly Ruhani’s sister came in.
“Voh log aa gaye papa ke saat bête hai (They came, they are sitting with dad)” She said.
“Chal dekthe hai kya hotha hai (Let’s go and see what happenes)” Manpreet said and I and Roop went along with her in the drawing room I saw Sukveer Sitting with Zafar on his left and Junaid on his right.
“Toh kya caahiya tumeh? (So what do you want?)” Dad asked.
“Hum..........Hum Ruhani se pyaar karthe hai...........unse shaadi karna cahthe hai (I...............I love Ruhani.............I wanna marry her)” Sukveer said.
I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed I remembered our first meeting.
***
Flashback

I was sitting at the banks of a river and writing a poem since my childhood the words for the poem came automatically to me. I loved writing being one of the few who could read and write from the village I felt proud to be a poet but unfortunately I had to hide the fact that I was a writer due to my family who believed a girl should only invest her time in preparing to be an ideal wife and mother and nothing else. Only my close friends Roop and Manpreet knew about my interest in poetry. I was so endorsed in writing but my thoughts were broken suddenly due to Roop’s voice.
“Bada ajeeb kisam ka paagal aadmi hai voh mathlab kuch bhi bol detha hai kar letha hai (he is really creepy and crazy person, he will say and do absolutely anything)”
Roop said while walking towards me along with Manpreet.
“Jo bhi kaho mujeh toh voh bada pyaara laga (Say whatever you want but I found him really cute)” Manpreet said.
“Pyaara? Pagal ho gaye ho kya?(Cute? Are you mad?)”
“Subheh-subeh kiski shikayat kar rahi hai yeh? (Who is she complaining about first thing in the morning?)” I asked.
“Are voh aaj subeh ek ladka mila tha isko (Oh she met a guy in the morning)”
“Are paagal hai voh, kudko kahi ka raja samaj raha tha (He is mad, he thinks that he is the king of somewhere)”
“Bas karo Roop jane do, aur meri yeh nayi kavitha pad kar deko (Enough Roop let it go, and read my new poem)”
I was going to give her the piece of paper with the poem on it but due to a sudden wind it flew away and all three of us ran behind it.
***
A few meters away from the place where we were sitting there sat three guys and I saw my poem landed near them one of the guys picked it up and read it while others were talking.
“Aare yeh toh vahi paagal hai (it is that crazy guy)” Roop said.
All three of us decided to listen to them.
“Zafar bahi, jab saare ladkiya tumeh ithini baav dega aur ek ladki tumhari taraf mooh utake bhi nehi dekege toh zaahir si baat hai ki aap unke taraf keeche chale jayenge (Zafar bro, when all the girls are oogling over you and one of them don’t even mind you then it’s obvious that you get attracted to that particular girl)” Junaid said.
“Aise baat nehi hai Junaid ladki mein kuch toh baat hai(It’s not like that Junaid there is something special about that girl)”
“yeh log toh tumhare bare mein baat kar rahe hai(They are talking about you only)” Manpreet said.
“Hum bhi sun sakthe hai (Even I can listen)” Roop said.
“Sukveer tum isko kuch samjavo na (Sukveer please make him understand)” Junaid said.
“Tum paad kya rahe ho? (What are you reading?)” Zafar asked.
“Yeh kisi ki kavitha hai, bauhaut acchi hai patha nehi kiski hai (this is someone’s poem, it’s very good don’t know whose it is)”Sukveer said.
“Tumeh kaha se mili? (Where did you get it from?)” Zafar asked.
“Bas yaha zameen par padi thi (it was just laying here on the ground)” Sukveer said.
“Tum uss kavitha ko chodo aur mere bare me sojo(Just leave that poem and think about me)” Zafar said.
“Ha bhaijaan kahi pyaar na ho jaye isko( Yes brother what if he falls in love, we don’t want that)” Junaid said.
“Are mujeh meri kavitha wapas cahiye (hey I want my poem back)” I said.
“Ruk mein abhi lekar aati hoon (Wait I will bring it)” Roop said and walked towards them.
“Rukoo mere liye (wait for me)” Manpreet said as she followed her.
“Hoi........voh kavitha vaapas karo hume abhi (hey.......give me that poem back right now)” Roop said to them.
“Are aap yaha kya kar rahi hai? (Oh what are you doing here?)” Zafar asked.
“Voh vaapas karo abhi (give it back right now)” Roop said in a stern voice.
“Bilkul (of course)”
Zafar said as he snatched the poem from Sukveer’s hands and was about to hand it over to Roop but Sukveer took it from his hands before that and looked at Manpreet.
“Yeh aapki hai kya?(Is this yours?)” He asked Manpreet.
“Ji nehi (Oh no)” Manpreet said.
“Kyu yeh hamari nehi ho sakthi hai kya? (Why can’t this be mine?)” Roop said.
“Maaf kijiyega par aapko dekkar yeh nehi lagtha hai ki yeh aapki ho sakthi hai (sorry to say that but I don’t think it is yours)” Sukveer said.
“Aapko kaise pata? (How do you know?)” Roop asked.
“Kavitha tho hum bhi likthe hai dusre kavi ko jaldhi pehjaan lethe hai (I am also a poet I can identify another poet)” Sukveer said.
“Are par......(but.........)” Roop was saying when I entered the scene and interrupted her.
“Bas karo Roop chalthe hai andera ho raha hai(Enough Roop, let’s go it’s getting dark)” I said.
Sukveer came towards me took my hand and kept that poem in my hand.
“Bauhaut achhi hai, likthe rehna (It’s very good keep writing)”
He said and was about to walk away.
“Ruko, aapko kaise patha ki yeh humne likha hai? (Wait, how do you know that I wrote this?) I asked.
“Kyuki sirf aap ko patha tha ki kavitha iss kagas ki tukde mein nehi hai balki aapki dimag mein hai (because, only you knew that the poem is not in this piece of paper but in your head)”
Sukveer said and walked away I looked at the piece of paper and smiled.

Flashback ends

***
Ruhani..........” Dad called out my name and brought me back to reality.
“Ji papa (Yes dad)”
“Tum iss se pyaar karthi ho? (Do you love him?)”
“Ji papa..........bauhat (Yes dad..........a lot)”
His face was straight and emotionless and that freaked me out but suddenly a smile appeared on his face he turned to Sukveer and said.
“Mooh meeta kar lo aur Shaadi ki thayariya shuru kar lo.......hum aaj hi pandit ji se milkar ek accha thareeq nikalvathe hai (Have some sweets and start the preparations for marriage........I will meet the priest today itself and fix a date)”
There were cheers and happy faces all around, everyone was happy for both of them.
***
That day evening

Zafar, Roop, Manpreet, Sukveer, Junaid and Ruhani had gathered together to celebrate.
“Hum tum dono ke liye bahaut kush hai (I am really happy for both of you)” Manpreeth said.
Sukveer and Ruhani looked into each other’s eyes romantically. Ruhani blushed a bit.
Roop kept her head on Zafar’s shoulder and held his hand.
“Iss baar maaf karde ajj ke baat kisi aur ladki ki saat nachna toh door tumhare alava kisi ke bhi tharaf aank utakar bhi nehi dekenge (Forgive me this time after today forget dancing I won’t even look at any other girl but you)” Zafar whispered to her.
“Aur mein bhi aage se ithni gussa nehi karongi(And I won’t get so angry again)” Roop said.
“Aisha toh bilkul mat karo, tum gusse mein kithni pyaari laghti hai pata hai? (Never do that, you know how cute you look when you get angry?)”
“Acha toh abb har roz gussa karoongi (Ok then now I will get angry every day)”
“Qubool hai, Qubool hai, Qubool hai (I accept, I accept, I accept)”
He said and slightly pulled her cheeks.