It was about six in the evening. I had turned the self-appointed receptionist for office today. Pata nahi kis kis ke phone utha liye maine - patrakaar, photographer,ishtehaar waale vyaapari, kuch sarkaari karmchaari yahaan tak ki bijli waale bhi par Ambala toh ik vi phone nai aaya! Today I had abandoned my cabin and settled on a desk near the telephone in the ground floor. As soon as the telephone rang, I would pick up the phone hurriedly, only to be disappointed and grumpily hand over the receiver to the person for whom the call was.

Okay I was done with this day now! I'll finish this article very very soon and go home early today! I decided this with a huff.

I completed the article by seven, packed my bag and left. In this one hour, I had picked up three more incorrect phonecalls. Ugh!
'Ohnu kaam hoga bohot, nai to ik vaari toh phone kar hi lete mainu. Par... do din hone ko aaye! Inna kisinu kaam nai karaana chahida!' I grumbled.

As I reached home, I looked around. Vashma was nowhere to be seen. Ab ye kitthe gayi?! Sab kuch aaj hi kyun hona hai?! I fretted.

Just then Radha Chachi came rushing down the stairs. She literally skipped a few steps in excitement and ran down to me! Kabir was tailing behind her.

'Ohji! Aaya tha! Aaya tha! Aaya tha !', she babbled, holding me by my shoulders.
'Chachi ji? Kaun aaya tha?', I asked in confusion.
'Arey Damaadji ka phone aaya tha!', she clarified.
'Sacchi?!', I said with almost a jump. 'Kab aaya tha ? Abhi ? -'
'Oh nai nai! Suvere aaya tha. Jab tum aur Vashma college ke layi nikle uske bas das minute baad.'
Shoot! I had deliberately delayed leaving for college. If only I had stayed back for a while longer! Duh!

'Acha tussi ne ohda number te Saraay ka naam likhiya ?', I asked eagerly.
'Haaye Ram', she said, clapping her hand to her head. 'Ae to mainu yaad hi nahi aaya! Ohji maaf kardo mainu tussi! Mainu sacchi yaad nahi aaya. Par tussi fikar na karo. Ohne kehya hai ki vo dubaara phone karenge.', she babbled.
'Unhone bataya ki kab karenge phone?' I asked expectantly.
'Nai... ae vi nahi bataya.'

'Thik hai, jiji. Uh.. Vashma kahan hai ?'
'Vo toh Kadambari gayi hai na. Bas aati hogi kuch der mein. Oh tussi abhi roz roz daftar jaane lagi ho na is waqt to shaayad tuhaanu dhyaan nahi raha! Hein!', she said with a sweet smile.
I nodded. 'Haan jiji. Shayad issi vaaste mainu dhyaan nahi raha'

'Amrit chalo na chhatt pe. Badi changi hawa chal rahi hai! Main otthe hi thi. Tuhaanu dekha to neeche daudi chali aayi.'
'Haan mummy, chalo na humaare naal!', Kabir chimed in.
'Tussi jao. Main bas kuch der mein aati hoon!', I replied.
'Pakka?', she asked with furrowed eyebrows.
'Haan haan pakka'
'Aur je tum na aayi to maine neeche aake tumhe kheench ke le jaana hai upar!', she said raising her finger.
'Masiji aap jao. Main hi inko kheench ke le aaunga.'
I nodded with an amused smile and satisfied, Jiji went back upstairs.

Meanwhile, I took Kabir's hand and led him to the takht. Pulling him into my lap, I hugged him tightly and sat thus for quite sometime.
'Mummy?'
'Hmm'
'Tussi udaas ho ?', he asked in a concerned manner.
'Haan', I replied with a frown.
'Par kyun?', he asked cutely.
'Pehle wada kar mainu, har baari ke tarah poore ghar mein sabko bataata nahi firega. Kisinu vi nahi bataiyega?', I said, straightening up for a while, looking at him.
'Pakka kisinu nahi bataunga! Kisinu vi nai. Sacchi wala waada!'
I looked at him unsurely for a while but hugged him again. 'Mainu bohot yaad aa rahi hai Randheer ki!'
'Par... hum baaki sab to itthe hi na?'
'Haan par vo toh nahi hai na!', I said sadly.
'Toh... vo jabhi bhi aise kahi jaayenge, tussi aise hi udaas ho jaoge?', he asked innocently.
I muttered under my breath, 'Agli baari aise kalle kalle jaane hi dena hai maine!'
Confused, he said, 'Hein ? Mainu kuch sunaayi nahi diya?'
'Kuch nahi, kuch nahi'
'Aapne bataaya nahi, aap aise hi udaas ho jaoge ?'
What was going on his mind? Probably nothing. I just nodded a yes.
'Acha!', he said glumly.
'Ab tainu ki hoya?', I asked, turning his face towards me.
'Mainu kuch nahi hoya', he said meekly.

Just then Veerji and Vashma walked in together.
'Oye Somraj halwaai to lootne lage hai aajkal! ', Veerji grumbled. 'Mera to jee dukh raha tha usnu kha-ma-kha ek aana zyaada dene mein. Kanwarji ke yahaan to teen aane mein milti hai jalebiyaan! Jaane ye Somraj ki dukaan te giraak aate vi honge ki nai!'
'Oh fir bhi toh dukaan to badi achi chal rahi hai unki!', Vashma replied. Then she turned to me, 'Arey Amrit. Tu aaj inni jaldi aa gayi ?', she said with a bright smile.
'Changa! Abhi bas sab katthe baithke garam garam jalebiyaan khaayenge - aaha!', Veerji said with a pleased smile. 'Mainu maa vi chat to dikhi thi. Vo bhi aati hi hongi neeche.'
'Mainu nai khaani koi jalebi jalubi!', I said grumpily.
'Ab tainu ki hoya?', Veerji asked.
Vashma gave him an 'as-if-you-don't-know' look. I looked away with a humph.
'Oh toh tainu jalebi nahi khaani?', he asked yet again.
I shook my head crossly.

'Thik hai' he said with a shrug. He came and sat right beside me. Shifting Kabir to his lap, he unfolded the paper bag. The sweet smell of freshly fried jalebis filled the air.
'Tu naa khaayi. Hum toh itthe hi baithke khaayenge! Kyun puttar ?'
'Haan Bauji!', he nodded.
Veerji fed Kabir one and himself enjoyed another.

I looked at them with furrowed eyebrows.
'Kinni galat baat hai ye. Maine kaha ki mainu nahi khaani jalebi, fir bhi tussi itthe hi baithke khaoge?!'
He shrugged and continued.
Just then Radha chachi came and sat on my other side, 'Ahaa jalebiyaan! Lao lao puttarji mainu vi khaani hai!'
Veerji extended the paper bag towards me and Radha chachi took out two together.
'Kinni swaad hai ye Amrit! Oh ji par main tuhaanu kyun bata rahi hoon. Tuhaanu to khaani hi nahi na!', she chattered on and relished the jalebis.

'Main to soch rahi thi aaj pyaaz ke pakode bhi banaate. Par Amrit ko toh khaane hai nahi hai na', Vashma chimed in whimsically sitting down on another takht beside ours. 'Koi nai. Hum sab hi kha lenge!'
'Haan Vashma!', Veerji replied eagerly. 'Pyaaz ke pakode ahaa! Mainu to sunke hi bhook lag gi!'
'Kisiko Samose khaane hai?!', came Jijaji's voice from the door. He had a big packet in his hands too.

'Hume!', all of them said eagerly. Okay, why were all of them hell-bent to have a feast today?!
'Kyun Juliet? Tumhe nahi khaane?', he asked, sitting down.
Before I could reply, Vashma said, 'Aaj isse kuch nahi khaana!'

'Acha acha bas. Mainu vi khaana hai.', I said meekly.
'Ae hui na baat!' Veerji said, eagerly holding out the packet to me.
I was about to take a bite when Veerji said, 'Muskurake khaayegi to aur meethi lagegi!'
I smiled a bit and ate the jalebi. It was really delicious. We all had samosas too. Everyone was so happy. Atleast I whiled away some of my time, diverted.

***

It was late at night. I was in the balcony.
Down on the street, Veerji and Jijaji were supervising the putting up of fairy-lights. All the young men of the neighbourhood had been gathered for the job. Some were on the street while others on the nearby terraces. A couple of step ladders were on the road with a man on each, arranging the lights. Hundreds of strings of red-yellow-blue-green-orange fairy-lights were lined on two thick parallel metal wires on either side of the road. Veerji and Jijaji were on two different corners of the street.
'Ab upar utha lo isse', Veerji shouted from one end.
As he said, the boys on the terraces pulled the ropes in the hands and raised the huge assortment of glittering colourful lights up in the air.
'Yahaan se bhi ache se uthaao', Jijaji directed from the other end.
Meanwhile I stood here, forearms flat on the handrail and head set down on the back of my hands, watching them.

Kajle toh zyaada kaale
lagde ne ae ujaale
tere bin oh ve maahiya...
thandiaan hawaawan aaiyan
nindaraa udaa lae gaiyaan
akh na ae sove maahiya
teri yaad vich... jagdi rahi main taa
taareyaan de saath ve

Chan kitthan guzaari oye...
chan kitthan guzaari oye raat ve
sacchi dasde jaa ae baat ve...

chan dino' zara mehsoos ta kar
mere naina di barsaat ve...

Chan kitthan guzaari oye...
oh chan kitthan guzaari oye
raat ve...

Just then I heard Radha Chachi shouting, 'AMRIT!'
I straightened up and turned around.
'NEECHE AAO TUSSI! AMBALA TOH PHONE AAYA SI!'
Oh at long last!!
'AAYII!!', I answered and dashed down.
Radha Chachi was standing beside the telephone near the door leading to the kitchen. Here we had a black and brass, Victorian telephone rather than the candlestick one at Om Niwas. 'Oh ji. Bas abhi abhi phone aaya tha. Do minute mein trunk call aata hi hoga. Tussi baat kar lo.', she said eagerly.
I nodded with a bright smile. She returned the smile and left.
Soon the telephone rang and I picked it up in a flash.
'Hello, Amrit?', he asked gently from the other end. I closed my eyes. Sukoon.
'Amrit ? Meri awaaz aa rahi hai ?'
'Ji. Aa rahi aapki awaaz!', I replied softly.
'Ah! Akhirkaar! Aapko pata hai maine kitni koshish ki par aapse baat hi nahi ho paa rahi. Kal pehle line nahi mili, phir aap so gayi thi isilye maine dubaara phone nahi kiya. Aaj subah aap college ke liye nikal chuki thi. Fir dopahar ko hum jahan meeting ke liye gaye the wahan ka telephone kharab tha. Oh!', he sighed. 'Amrit aap sun rahi hai na ?'
'Ji... sun hi toh rahi hoon', I replied with a sigh. 'Tussi kaise ho?'
'Ulfat ki ek nazar ko taras rahe hai bas!', he said glumly.
'Haaye Rabba!', I muttered looking down bashfully.
'Haaye soniye!', he answered dreamily. 'Aap kaisi hai?'
'Phoolon ko taras rahi hoon!', I said meekly, biting my lip.
'Ohh!', he said pretentiously.
Just then someone tapped on my shoulder.
I turned behind to find a big bunch of sunflowers. I was utterly stunned.
Behind it was Vashma.
'Vashma!?' I looked at her with an astonished smile as she handed me the flowers. With a wave of her hand, she gestured me to carry on and sprinted away up the stairs. I looked at flowers longingly.
'Aur ab?', He asked expectantly.
'Kisiki... baatein ko taras rahi hoon!', I replied, clutching the receiver tightly.
'Dil ki waadi ka haal kaisa hai?', he asked gently
After a moment I timidly responded , 'Bas... abhi abhi barsaat hui hai'
'Aur chain-o-sabr?'
'na jaane kahan ghum hai!', I blurted out.
I face-palmed, turning scarlet.
'Hmm! Toh kya kiya jaaye?', he questioned.
'Tussi... wapas kab aa rahe ho?', I asked softly, after a pause.
'Pata nahi Amrit. Shayad do din baad!', he said gloomily.
'Do din?!', I exclaimed downheartedly.
'Ji Amrit. Waqt lagega!', he said in low spirits. 'Uh Amrit, humaare saraay ke paas hi ek baazar hai. Bataiye kya lau aapke liye?'
'Mainu kuch nahi chahida. Sacchi!'
'Bataiye na Amrit! Mann hai mera! Aap saath hoti toh aapko aapki pasand se liwaata-'
'Meri pasand ke liye... tussi aaina dekh lena', I said meekly, shutting my eyes and biting my lip.
He did not say anything for a while.
'Randheer?',
'Hosh mein toh aane dijiye', he replied gently. I flustered.
'Waise, humaari amaanat ka khayaal rakhiyega', he said whimsically.
'Ji?..'
'Arey kamaal karti hai aap. Mera dil! Muskuraati rahiyega.... Khush rahega mera dil', he said tenderly. Could I blush harder?!
Just then the operator cut in, 'Ek minute se bhi kam waqt reh gaya hai aapke paas.'
'Ji ji bas ek minute aur de dijiye hume!', I requested
'Nai madamji! Ek second bhi nahi!'
'Janaab bas ek minute!', Randheer pleaded from the other end.
'Nahi nahi!', the operator repeated.
'Randheer, aap pehle mainu Saraay ka naam aur extension number batao!', I said urgently.
'Ji ji likhiye. Kesar Saraay - 3690'
I jotted it down in the front page of the telephone directory
' Aap apna khayaal rakhiyega!', he said
'Ji ji. Tussi vi khayaal rakhna apna!', I said and put down the receiver only after I heard the line disconnected.
For the first time in my life, I was embarrassed because the operator might have overheard the entire conversation. And it was now that I was realizing this. During the call, I was too occupied to consider this. This had obviously never bothered me before.

'Oye hoye hoye hoye hoye!' Vashma appeared at the bottom of the stairs. I looked down, a deep blush warming my cheeks.
'Dekhu toh!', she said lifting my chin. 'Hayeee!', she exclaimed, putting her arms around me.
'Ek baat bata mainu!', I asked, half-turning towards her. 'Ye phool?'
'Jaane se pehle, Randheer ne badi minnatein ki thi mujhse ye phool lane ke liye!', she said whimsically.
'Tu ne Randheer se minnatein karaayi?', I asked her with furrowed eyebrows.
'Haan karaayi ! Toh?', she replied haughtily.
'Vashma tu mere naal baat nahi karna!', I said miffily, freeing myself from her hold.
'Oye!', she replied rushing in front of me. 'Mera na hakk banta hai ki main har cheez ke liye minnatein karau Randheer se! Saali hoon bhai! Tu isme na pad!'
I looked at her crossly.
'Acha agli baar tujhse pooch kar tere Randheer se minnatein karwaaungi! Ab thik hai?', she said, resting her head on my shoulder from my right.
'Vashma!', I glared at her with a flushed face, and ran upstairs with my flowers.