Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 17

[Sid is standing spellbound listening to her…..he is not able to control himself.....He slowly walks and hugs her from behind…….She is in a dreamworld too….So she does not refuse but stands still….A beautiful silence prevails……..]
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on feel me Girl feel me
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on heal me Girl heal me
Thinking about the lovin making and life sharing come
and feel me Girl feel me
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on feel me Come on heal me
O aaja tu bhi mera mera
Tera jo ikraar hua
To kyun na main bhi keh doon keh doon
Hua mujhe bhi pyaar hua
Tera hone laga hoon khone laga hoon Jab se mila hoon
Tera hone laga hoon khone laga hoon Jab se mila hoon

[Their beautiful moment is broken by a sudden thunder roar…….Anjali snaps out from her dream and breaks away from him…..Both feel awkward and embarrassed….She walks forward and Sid joins her too…….They continue their walk quietly….They are yet to come out of that trance]

Anjali: [breaking the silence] we are walking for quite sometime now…..You wanted to tell something, right?
Sid: hmmm…..I wanted to talk about us…..This beach has been a witness to my passions, my desires and my love….thats the reason I chose to talk it out here…..[halts]

Anjali: hmmm…..go on….i am listening…

Sid: ummm…we are very close friends…Your friends dislike our friendship…Inspite of all that, you have always been a good friend to me.….But you are not just a friend to me…You are more than that…You are very special and dear to me…..I mean….i mean….[stops] I don’t want to beat around the bush….The fact is that I love You…..[he tells it too quickly that Anjali is confused if she heard it right]
Anjali: [rolling her eyes]WHAT??

Sid: yeah, I meant it…..I really love you…..I can’t think anything beyond you…..I need you in my life…..I want you for me, with me always……I want you to laugh with me, cry with me, fight with me, scold me, LOVE ME……..LIVE WITH ME……..

Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on feel me Girl feel me
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on heal me Girl heal me
O Aise to mann mera pehli bhi raaton mein aksar hi
chahat ke haan
Sapne saujaunta tha
Pehle bhi dhadkan ye dhun koi gaati thi
Par ab jo hota hai woh pehle na hota tha
Hua hai tujhe jo bhi jo bhi
Mujhe bhi is baar hua
To kyun na main bhi keh doon keh doon
Hua mujhe bhi pyaar hua
Tera hone laga hoon khone laga hoon Jab se mila hoon
Tera hone laga hoon khone laga hoon Jab se mila hoon

[Sid just expects 2 things when he pours his heart out to her….Either she bursts on him or says “I love you too” but she doesn’t do both…..She walks further towards the sea and stops….her feet touching the water…She looks at the setting sun…….Having said this, Sid feels lighter at heart now….he comes to her……]

Sid: Anjali, are you angry with me?
Anjali: [looks at him] I will not say that I didn’t expect this from you…..I did expect it…I knew that I would have to give a reply to this sometime but now when you have confessed, I am short of answers……I really don’t know what to say….The truth is that I haven’t thought about it……

Sid: Come on Anjali…..I know you like me too….
Anjali: Sid…I like you as a friend but…..[pauses…..thinks]I have to think about it….
Sid: take your time….I don’t need a reply now…..[mind voice: take whatever but say “YES” dear!!! I can’t live without you]

Anjali: [slowly] lets go back….
[Sid nods and they go back to the beach house………They have a quiet dinner…..a romantic song feebly heard in the background]

Aankhon se chu loon ke bahen tarasti hain
Dil ne pukara hai haan Ab to chale aao
Aaoge shabnam ki boondein barasti hain
Mausam ishara hai haan Ab to chale aao
Baahon mein dalein baahein baahein
Baahon ka jaise haar hua
Hamara maine mana mana
Hua mujhe bhi pyaar hua
Tera hone laga hoon khone laga hoon Jab se mila hoon
Tera hone laga hoon khone laga hoon Jab se mila hoon
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on feel me Girl feel me
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on heal me Girl heal me
Thinking about the lovin making and life sharing come
and feel me Girl feel me
Shining in the setting sun like a pearl upon the ocean
come on feel me Come on heal me

[Both raise their eyes few times during dinner but she bends down when their eyes meet…..He smiles and continues eating…….]

Sid: [mind voice: I know you love me too…..par kehne se darr thi ho…..mujhe koyi jaldi nahi hai….tum kitna bhi waqt le lo par jawab “Haan” hi bologi!!!!! ]

***************************************

At the same time, someone else is also proposing…….Its none other than Deepak……

Deepak’s POV:

As I thought I reached Aashu’s home…..It was Anjali’s idea to visit her on that Sunday…..She scolded me for not having any plan for the day “kaise deewane ho tum?? Maine kya kaha tha tumse aur tum kya kar rahe ho? I told you to spend more time with her, na?? arre, koyi plan banao aur usko milo!! 

Saying this much, she cut the phone in the morning….When I called up Aashu, she asked me to come over as she was bored too….She couldn’t get Anjali on phone and so she was alone at home….Anjali didn’t tell her about Sid’s b’day party and I too didn’t bother to tell her what I knew…….It was anyways better for me if Anjali and Aashu didn’t meet up…….That meant Aashu would be all alone with me…..Sheetal was anyway busy with her Jeeth….She wasn’t interested in group activities these days…..She preferred sticking to her PC and chatting with Jeeth….

[for readers, they don’t know that Jeeth is her net friend and that she hasn’t met him yet, they just think that she chats with Jeeth in her free hours or rather make her hours free to chat with him whenever she couldn’t meet him outside…..]

Aashu opened the door for the second bell…..As expected, her first question was about Anjali….

Aashu: hi Deepak…..whats going on with Anjali?? I am not getting her on the phone….Did you speak to her???Where the hell is she??


Deepak: [stammering and hesitantly as I was managing the situation with a lie….I wasn’t well versed in this] I spoke to her in the morning….She is fine…Maybe her mobile is not charged….or her battery is down!!!


Aashu: [laughs uncontrollably] what happened to you?? Not charged and battery is down….both mean the same yaar!!! Chalo teek hai….tum beto…


[Deepak looks around…her dad and mom were in their room…..Her sister,Anisha was seeing some stupid movie….She was a complete movie buff….quite opposite to Aashu….Occasionally she looked at us]


Deepak: [in a low hushed up tone] Aashu, I need to talk to you in private….


Aashu: [rolling her eyes in worry] what happened??? Is anything wrong??


Deepak: No yaar..plzz…


Aashu: ok ok….lets go to the terrace…..nobody will disturb us there….


[They climb the stairs and reach the terrace…..The sunset made the sky crimson red….Looked like the sky was blushing…..It was a beautiful sight….but Deepak’s mind wasn’t relaxed or enjoying the sight…He was nervous no doubt but was also worried about what could possibly happen……Aashu could even end their friendship……He could also be out of the group….]

Deepak: [mind voice: should I say it??? Or may be some other day??oh no Anjali will kill me…..She had given me strict instructions that I should say it out today……]

Aashu: [patting on his shoulders] what are you thinking?? You wanted to talk in private….Go on….nobody comes up at this time……


Deepak: [coughing and his throat seems to have dried up]


Aashu: wait a minute…I will get you water….[She hurries down the stairs]

Deepak: [Mind voice: I will call up Anjali once]


[He dials the number and Anjali picks it up in a hurry….Anjali is with Sid at that time…..This is the first phone call that Anjali picks up]


Anjali: Ek minute Sid….Haan Deepak bolo….


Deepak: Anjali, main Aashu ke ghar mein hoom….


Anjali: ohhh….did you tell her???what did she tell??


Deepak: Anjali Anjali….hold on…..i am not able to tell yaar….tum bhi hote toh accha hota….


Anjali: [sarcastic] haan haan…..tumaare support ke liye hum poore college ko bulaa lethe hai…..[scolds him]You idiot…..don’t waste time…tell her today….phir job hi hoga, dekha jayega…..Dont postpone it further….I am cutting the call….tell her….I will call you back after I get back home…..and I want to hear a good news then….chalo…bye….[She cuts the call without hearing his response]


Deepak: [loudly] Anjali wait wait…….


[Aashu comes up at that moment and hears him calling Anjali’s name…]


Aashu: Anjali ka phone hai??? Dho, mujhe bhi baat karni hai….[snatches the phone from Deepak]


Deepak: She cut the call


Aashu: [disappointed] ohh……koyi baat nahi….i will call her again….

[But this call is cut and phone is switched off by Sid]


Aashu: [angry] she cut my call…and now switched off the phone too!!! I know she is out somewhere with that fellow, isn’t it??


Deepak: may be!! I don’t know


Aashu: But I know….thats why she is cutting my calls…..


[Deepak is irritated….He snatches his phone from her hand]


Deepak: [loudly] can’t you just leave her alone?? Why are you behind her like this?? She is not a kid…She can take care of herself!!


Aashu: What the hell??? How dare you shout at me like that??She is my best friend and I cannot leave her like that….


Deepak: sorry Aashu…I didn’t mean to hurt you or your friendship….[He turns towards the terrace wall and looks somewhere else]


Aashu: [silent for sometime…..then decides to speak] Deepak….I am sorry too….I was just annoyed by your sudden direct comments…..I was already in a very bad mood because of Anjali…


Deepak: [turning around] hmmm that’s ok…I understand….


Aashu: tumme kuch kehna tha na….batao…..
Deepak: [remains quiet for sometime, Aashu waits patiently till he opens up] Mujhe laga tha ke tumme khud hi pathaa chal jayega…..meri dil se pad logi….par yeh nahi hua…..[deep sigh]
Kya kehna hai kaise kehna hai, mujhe nahi patha…..bas itna jaantha hoom ke main tumse bohat pyar kartha hoom…..mujhe galat math samajhna…..mujhe nahi pathaa kaise tum mere dil mein aa gaye…[Aashu’s face changes on hearing this but is silent…Deepak continues further]
I have no words to tell you what you mean to me….I have tried telling you this a lot of times but was not able to…… I am happy that I told you this atleast now….All along I was carrying a pain within me……Now that pain is gone…..


[He looks at her expecting a positive reply from her...she is shocked no doubt but she composes herself and speaks]

Aashu: [takes a deep breath] First of all sorry that I couldn’t understand your feelings earlier….I could see and understand only your friendship…......Now that you have told me your real feelings, I know you will be expecting a reply from me……I don’t want to delay that reply……[pauses for a moment]Main tumme koyi galat fehmi mein rakhna nahi chahthi……[looks at him intently….he looks at her too]mere dil mein koyi aur hai……[he looks at her the same moment] hmmmm....I mean I have someone else in my life already……
[It was the least expected reply….that too from Aashu……Deepak is shocked…..Aashu could read that from his face]


Aashu: I know you are shocked because I never think or talk about love…… Anjali is not aware of this too…..It is not a confessed open love affair…But we have known and felt each others love …..I cannot think of anyone else in his place………….

Deepak: [disappointed and let down and his eyes were just conveying one thing "Aashu, you could have told this before……."]

Aashu: [as if she read his eyes] We haven’t told anyone about it……I am waiting for him to return to India…..


[Deepak doesn’t want any other information on him…..He just walks off from there…..]


Khayalon Mein Lakhon Batein Yun Keh Gaya
Bola Kuch Na Tere Samne
Oo O
Huye Na Begane Bhi TumHo Ke Aur Ke
Dekho Tum Mere Hi Bane
Afsoos Hota Dil Bhi Yeh Rota Hai
Sapne Sanjota Hai
Pagla Hua Soche Yeh Hum they Miley
Tumse Na Jane Kyun
Milon Ki Hai Fasle
Tumse Hai Jaane Kyun
Anjane Hain Silsile
Tum Se Na Jaane Kyun
Sapne Hai Palkon Tale
Tum Se Na Jaane Kyun
Kaise Bataye Kyun Tujhko Chahe
Yaara Bata Na Paaye
Baatein Dilon Ki Dekho Zuban Ki Aankhe Tujhe Samjhayen
Tu Jaane Na
Tu Jaane Na
Tu Jaane Na
Tu Jaane Na


[To be continued]