Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 21

Anjali’s POV contd…..
I knew Sid would call me when he doesn’t see me in college….I didn’t want to talk to him…..as a matter of fact, I didn’t want to talk to anybody……So I decided to switch off the phone…..I switched it off….

I had breakfast reluctantly…Mom would have noticed that but I think she just ignored it as wedding blues……Mom asked me to get ready soon after that……She asked me to wear some bright coloured dress……..she gave me one of her jewellery set which would go well with my dress…..
I got ready before time…..I had nothing much to do….just waited in my room for my dad’s call…


Sid’s POV:
I was unusually excited to go to college that day……I had finally confessed my love and I knew that she would give an answer today…..It would definitely be a “YES”…..I called her twice but the phone was switched off…..May be she wished to talk to me in person……
I was bubbling with expectation and excitement when I reached the college….I stood in a place from where I wouldn’t miss her……..She had to go through that place…..
After about half an hour, I saw Aashu, Deepak and Sheetal passing by……I wondered where Anjali was…..may be she came earlier…..So I went to the library, checked the canteen, and then finally her class…..The classes had started…..So I chose to wait till it ended……..

It was break time, I entered the class and checked if she was there……She wasn’t……I didn’t have a choice but enquire……I had to ask her friends about her…..May be she wasn’t well….or was she avoiding me???? I wanted to know the reason…….
I went to the place where Aashu was seated…Sheetal and Deepak were there too…..


Sid: Aashu, Anjali aaj college nahi aayi na?? kya baat hai??


Aashu: [angry] tumse matlab??? Just mind your own business!!

Sid: [furious] that’s my business…Now will you tell me??

Aashu: No….

Sid: [casually] ok….i will find out by myself…….
[Sid leaves]

Sheetal: Aashu, Anjali ke baare mein kyun nahi bola??

Aashu: Why should we tell???? Sid is not that important…..

Deepak: [to Sheetal...he has a small problem in facing Aashu….But Aashu is casual with him] Sheetal, Sid se kehna hi teek rahega….We know his character, He can do anything!!!

Sheetal: yeah Aashu…Anjali se milne uske ghar chala gaya toh….

Aashu: [thinking] bohat badi problem ho jaayegi…..Chalo….usse baat karthe hai….

[They go behind Sid and catch up with him]

Aashu: Sid….. [He turns back]

Sid: hmmm bolo…..

Aashu: tum kya karne jaa rahe ho?

Sid: I can actually repeat your answer “Mind your own business”

[Aashu is silent]

Sid: but I won’t….filaal mujhe class attend karna hai….uske baad, Anjali ke ghar jaane ka plan hai…..tumme koyi problem hai???

Aashu: [in a very calm tone] mujhe tumse kuch baat karni hai…..

Sid: accha….thodi dher pehle toh bohat nakhare kar rahi thi…..ab kya hua??

Aashu: plzz….bohat important hai….its about Anjali….

Sid: [cools down hearing Anjali’s name] ok….tell me….

Aashu: yahaan nahi….kahi aaraam se baat karthe hai….

Sid: [tensed] whats there so much to talk????Tell me where Anjali is?? Is she fine???

Aashu: Yes yes...she is fine…come with me…

[They proceed to the canteen….Aashu wants to make him understand that Sid is a closed chapter for Anjali now……Aashu realizes that there is no use screaming at Sid]

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

Scene at the canteen:
Sid: [impatiently sits] ab batao….kya baat hai??

Aashu: dekho Sid….Anjali ne sab kuch bataa diya…

Sid: Sab matlab??

Aashu: Sab kuch matlab sab kuch…..tum dono ke beech mein jo kuch hua, ho bhi…..

Sid: So??

Aashu: Listen Sid, you are just a friend to her…nothing more…So just forget her…….tum dono ke liye yahi teek hoga…..

Sid: [angrily and loudly] If she doesn’t love me, she should be saying that to me directly and not through you……I want to hear this from her…..bulaao usse….

Aashu: woh nahi aa sakthi….isiliye mujhse kaha….

Sid: accha….woh nahi aa sakthi…..par main toh jaa saktha hoom…main khud hi jaa kar pooch loonga….. [He gets up]

Aashu: [quickly in a stern voice] uske shaadi pakki ho gayi hai….

Sid: [turning back to Aashu] What??? Shaadi!!! [Laughing] are you playing with me???mujhse peeche chudaane keliye aise kahaaniyaan!!!! Very interesting!!! [continues to laugh]

Aashu: No Sid….it’s true…Her parents have found a suitor…..She is getting engaged next month…..

Sid: [stops laughing and becomes serious] kis ke saath??

Aashu: uske family friend ke beta hai……He is Anjali’s close friend too….

Sid: [suspisiously] kahi uske naam Rohit toh nahi??

Aashu: [surprised] haan….Rohit hi hai…..tumme kaise maaloom…..

Sid: [thinking and in a disappointed tone] Anjali uske baare mein baat karthi thi!!!

Aashu: oh….ok

Sid: [getting up…sporting a disappointed look] main chaltha hoom….

Aashu: [gets up too] Sid, I know you are shocked and disappointed….but just accept the truth………usse uske haal pe chod dho….plzz….

[Sid walks off without replying…..Aashu, Deepak and Sheetal look at each other……..]


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

Rohit’s parents come to see Anjali….All routine formalities sets off smoothly….Anjali, though confused within herself, does not show it out much…..She hides with a slight smile on her lips…..But her usual chatty nature is missing….But her parents are happy that she is trying to be shy and being quiet to impress her future in-laws……

Anjali behaves very casually with Rohit’s parents….She just forgets the purpose of their visit and tries to be normal with them…..


Rohit’s mom loved Anjali very much….She gives Anjali a gift that Rohit had got for her….”yeh lo beta….Rohit tumaare liye laaya tha….Woh aakar dena chahtha tha…. patha nahi, phir usne kya socha…mujhse kaha…..”
Anjali gets it from her “thanks aunty…sorry mummy ji” [she keeps it along with other gifts….but]
Rohit’s mom: khol kar dekho…..
Anjali looks at her mom who nods meaning “open it”…..Anjali opens it…..It is a beautiful gold chain with the letter “R” as the pendant….The pendant had white shining stones studded…..The sparkle of the stones added a rare beauty to the jewellery….Anjali liked it though she frowned at the thought of wearing it……

Anjali’s POV:

”R” meant Rohit and that was a smart move from him to tag her as his property…..”PROPERTY!!, We aren’t even engaged…then why did he choose such a gift???”
I knew that I was being feministic and thinking over board….Just because I didn’t like this sudden proposal and all the orthodox proceedings, I was thinking too much….The truth was that I wasn’t ready it……he could transition so quickly while I couldn’t…..
Rohit isn’t that bad…..I was finding fault without valid reasons…Was it because I started liking Sid??? But as Aashu said, Sid was a closed chapter and I shouldn’t be thinking about him….I should think ahead and start liking Rohit….oops I already liked Rohit….I should start loving him!!

Think of the devil and here he is…..He called up as soon as I saw his gift…..may be his mom called him and told that……I must say, he and his mom shared a unique bonding….they were like friends…..His mom kept on giving him updates of what was happening here…He would never feel that he wasn’t here…..

Rohit: hi darling….[He was again trying his hand at romance…..I felt embarrassed talking to him in front of all……His mom knew that it was Rohit on the phone…..SO she asked me to go to my room and speak]

Anjali: hi…….
Rohit: ummm….I guess the call got cut in between yesterday….[I felt he is also embarrassed after yesterday’s call]
Anjali: hmmm….
Rohit: Did you get my gift???
Anjali: [mind voice: of course I got it….and I know u know it too] hmm yes….[I wanted to avoid the next question…so I answered it without the question]I liked it….its beautiful!!

Rohit: Oh great…..Actually I wanted to get a pendant with “ROHIT” on it…..but that would have taken time….So I just settled down for “R”

Anjali: [mind voice: thank god that it’s just a “R”] oh is it??? That’s so sweet of you…..

Rohit: I have placed an order…….I will gift it for our engagement!!!

Anjali: Oh great!!! I am sure I would love it…..

Rohit: of course you will….

Anjali: [sarcastic] what should I gift you in return??? May be a pendant with “ANJALI” on it!!!!

Rohit: [laughs] that’s really funny!!! Now that’s like my Anjali….i was missing you yesterday!!!

Anjali: no Rohit….i seriously meant that!!!

Rohit: [laughs for a minute then controlling it, he manages to speak] well in that case, you don’t have to give me anything else…..Anjali herself is going to be mine…She is the best gift I can ever get!!!

Anjali: [whenever he tried to do such sweet talks, I got paranoid…..I remained silent….again an indication that I blushed]

Rohit: kaash main tumaare saamne hota….I could see you blushing...I am missing a lot due to this trip……but don’t worry….i will make up for my absence once I return….

Anjali: [mind voice: Oh god, he thinks I am blushing….why can’t I just finish of this hide and seek???? And tell him my true feeling!! I am really feeling sorry for him…..I knew I am being unreasonable….] Rohit…..i want to tell something…….[I paused]


Rohit: yeah go on……atleast I can hear your sweet voice!! [her mind voice: Again romance…..i was getting fed up of this….he was not at all realizing what was going on in my mind….he was just trying to impress me, complement me and trying to be nice to me….and all that irritated me]

Anjali: [I forgot all about my parents and their word to his parents for a moment…took a deep breath and started speaking] Hold on Rohit, I don’t think this will work……All your sweet romantic talks are just sounding odd to me…..I don’t know why but I am not able to visualize you as anyone more than a friend…..I wanted to say all this once you are back but things are happening too fast that I had to open up like this….We are getting engaged in less than a month’s time and I feel odd while talking to you…..and the worst part is that I am not sure of the reason…..Yesterday, the call didn’t get cut but I cut the call….
So I think I need time….I mean we need time…..

Rohit: [unfortunately or fortunately, Rohit didn’t hear anything except for “we need time”] Yeah I know that dear…..We need to spend quality time together…..I am coming back one day before the engagement….and then a full month is left for us before I leave back to US….I promise, I will make those days memorable and most romantic romantic for you……mere agle vacation tak tumme ek ek pal yaad rahega…..aur sataayega!!! [grins]

Anjali: no….i mean “Can’t we postpone the engagement??” sab kuch bohat jald baasi mein ho raha hai na???Itni bhi jaldi kya hai????

Rohit: no way sweet heart…..mom is very excited about this engagement and I can’t say this to her….she would get very disappointed….aur waise bhi mom bataa rahi thi ke agle kuch mahino tak koyi accha muhurrat nahi hai…..sabse subh din yahi ek din hai…I am also leaving mid next month….mere engagement hai, main na rahoonga toh accha lagega kya!!!

Anjali: [stamped my foot in frustration] aah…..

Rohit: kya hua???

Anjali: kuch nahi…..[hesitant and after a moment] main kya keh rahiti…..kya hum engagement ko tumaare agle vacation tak postpone nahi kar sakthe….

Rohit: What???? Are you joking??? Don’t tell me you are serious….Our parents will freak out if they hear this….so mazaag ke liye bhi yeh baat unse math kehna….

Anjali: [I felt like a hammer striking my head to bring me back to my senses….] [mind voice: oops what the hell was I telling??? How did I forget my mom and dad???? God….i must have thought well before saying all this…..] Hmmm….i was just telling that because our parents are working hard finish the preparations on time…..

Rohit: yeah I know…they are!!! And I am not able to help them!! Damm!!! Yeh trip ko bhi abi aana tha!!!!

[Anjali’s mom calls her downstairs……]

Anjali: Maa bula rahi hai….main rakhti hoom….

Rohit: okie….i have a meeting too….Will call you in the evening….ek minute….dont forget to wear that chain…..

Anjali: bye…take care

Rohit: bye…take care……..luv u….[I cut the call before he could do anything further…..I came down with the chain in hand….i didn’t wear it…..]

Rohit’s mom: [took the chain from me] tumne abi tak isse nahi pehna….dho….main pehanaa dheti hoom…..

[She put it around my neck carefully and tightened it……]

Rohit's mom: haan...ab bohat khubsoorat lag raha hai!!! tum par jach laga hai!!!

[After about half an hour, they left……I was at peace again…..It was just going to be 12….I could still go to the college….I didn’t ask permission to mom….I knew she would fuss around with it….So I just informed her and left for college…She was surprised but let me go since there was nothing important happening which required my presence…]


[I knew that I would have to confront Sid some day….then why not the earliest…..but I feared facing him…….Aashu had told me about her encounter with him…….
As expected, he bumped upon me on the way to my class room……He looked surprised…may be he didn’t expect me there at that time.]

Sid: [sarcastic] toh tum shaadi pakki karke aagayi!!! Great!!

Anjali: [hesitating…I didn’t dare to look into his eyes…..but I replied looking away from him] haan….engagement next week hai….

Sid: tumne haan kar diya??

Anjali: haan….mere maa aur papa yahi chahthey hai…..

Sid: aur tum….[pauses] tum kya chahthi ho??
Anjali: sab Rohit ko pasand karthe hai aur bohat khush bhi hai…..
Sid: That doesn’t answer my question…….Are you happy with this???
[I was silent…]

Sid: maine kuch poocha Anjali……[he got irritated by my silence] Answer me dammit!!!

[His loud outburst attracted viewers]
Anjali: [looking around] dheere bolo Sid, sab lok dekh rahe hai….

Sid: [looks around…..catches hold of her hand] Come with me…..

[I didn’t want to shout and create a scene there…so I just freed my hand and followed him…We were in a lonely part of the compound behind the lab block……]

Sid: ab bolo…..kya tum khush ho…..

Anjali: haan main bohat khush hoom……Rohit mere sabse accha dhost hai…..he is a great guy……and I have started liking him…..

Sid: [turned sideways and laughed as if I said the biggest joke of the year]

Anjali: Why are you laughing??? I really love him….

Sid: [he shut my lips with his index finger and came closer to my face….there was a strange smell……I guess he was drunk….no not a guess, he was drunk…..I knew he drinks but I haven’t seem him drunk before….] Jhoot…..main jaantha hoom ke tum jhoot bol rahi ho…..tum sirf mujhse pyar karthey ho…..[I pushed away his finger and distanced away from him]

Anjali: yeh sab tum kya kar rahe ho Sid??? Mera shaadi fix hogayi hai….and that’s the reality…..

Sid: [he caught my hand and brought me closer to him again] fix hi hua hai na?? hui toh nahi….tumaare shaadi sirf mujhse hoga…aur kisi se nahi….Rohit ke saath, aisa soch na bhi math…….[he glared at my pendant….oops I forgot to remove it…he glided his fingers across my neck and touched the “R”……] Yeh kya???? Woh tum par apna naam likh kar haq jathaana chahtha hai kya??? Tumaare dil par toh mera naam hai na??? phir iska kya use hai??
We don’t need this…..Let’s remove it dear……[in one pull, he snapped it away from the chain and threw it away]

Anjali: [I moved away and bent down to take the pendant] tum hosh mein nahi ho Sid….jab tum hosh mein hoge, tab baat karenge…..

[I moved away from him and started walking without further delay…..but he called out to me….]

Sid: ANJALI…..I know what I should do……I know how to make you mine….JUST MINE!!!!

[I knew he was hurt and drunk too…So I didn’t take his words seriously]


[After that day, I didn’t meet Sid….Four days passed away without much issues…..Rohit called me just once after that day.....May be he was very busy
It was Friday……I reached college as usual……It was around 12 when my phone rang…..I picked up the phone…]

Anjali: Hello…..haan….KYA??? main abi aathi hoom…..

[To be continued]