Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 25

It’s a beautiful moon lit night…..calm and serene…..Our 3 new couples are caught in situations to make it the most romantic night too……but are their minds calm and peaceful like the night??

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Tushar: Hi Sam….where r u???
Sam: I am on the way to the mandap…..but Sheetal is still unconscious dude…that bloody idiot gave her some sleeping pills, I guess…..She might take 6 hrs to wake up….usse ghar toh nahi le jaa saktha…..
Tushar: hmmmm….par tum mandap math aavo….yahaan bohat saare lok hai….woh sab kya sochenge yaar??

Sam: phir…saare raat car mein rahoom kya??? Aur woh bhi iss paagal behosh ladki ke saath….[looks at her…she is sleeping innocently without knowing anything happening around her….She was in the front seat now]

Tushar: [laughs] not a bad idea yaar….aisa hi kar…..car ko kisi acchi place mein park kar aur so jaao…..

Sam: are you serious????

Tushar: yup….aur koyi rasta bhi nahi hai….[grins]..paagal hai toh kya hua, khoobsurat hai na….usse dekhte rahe….neend apni aap aajayegi……[smiles].. Afterall woh meri behen hai aur tumaari girlfriend…[grins]

Sam: [tries to silence him] bas bas bohat hogaya tumaare bakwas….main manage kar loonga….tum jaa ke Sid aur uski guests ko dekh….but tell Sid why I am not able to come for the wedding….else, he will get angry…

Tushar: I know dude, tum sab kuch manage karloge…mere choti behen ko tumaare barose chod raha hoom…uska acche se khayaal rakhna, huh???[grins]…..Gud night…..sweet dreamz..

Sam: [little irritated] bye….

[They cut the call….Sam is little irritated by the truth that he has to spend the night in the car…..But he has no other idea to solve the problem…..He drives off to a good safe place…
Its very hot inside the car since the windows are all shut…..He looks at Sheetal…she is sweating too…..So he bends forward to her side and lowers the glasses…….]

Sam: [after settling down finally, he looks at her] crazy girl, I wonder how she fell into his traps…..iske friends toh bohat hoshiyaar hai, phir yeh kaise??? Hmmmm agar yeh sab nahi hota toh main Sid ke shaadi mein dance kar raha hota……enjoy kartha…….[deeply sighs] par kya karoom, mere kismet mein yahi thaa…..tumaare saath iss ghaadi mein sadhnaa….[smiles]

[He notices that Sheetal is uncomfortable in her sleep..…..He adjusts her seat and slants it further so that she can sleep conveniently…
He places his head on the steering and tries to doze off…..As Tushar suggested, he turns sideways to his left and looks at her……She is sleeping peacefully……..Tushar guessed it right, Sam didn’t have to do anything more to get some sleep…his eyes also slowly started shutting…..]

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Kripa’s POV contd
Deepak volunteered to drop me home….Though my mind said no, I didn’t let that out….I accepted the lift…I knew it would make my wounds fresh again but………but I chose to bear that pain…..
Moreover, I wouldn’t get an auto at that time…..After a tiring day, I was in no mood for another ordeal…..
I sat to the farthest end of the bike to avoid touching him..….After a long long time, I was with him on his bike…..I had an awkward feeling…..the previous time, I sat on his bike, I was thinking that he loved me….and our feelings towards each other were unison….Now the situation was different……he is in love with someone else and I am trying to get rid of my feelings for him…But still I am with him on his bike…..
Even today, in some hidden corner of my mind, I wish that he might turn towards me some day…..that too after knowing that I am not his first love….I couldn’t believe that I was thinking about being a second choice….Do I love him so much that it didn’t matter to me at all???
At times life is stranger than fiction….especially after love creeps into your life……

I realized that my thoughts were getting worse and impossible…..So I stopped thinking about it…..I tried to focus on something else…..But what else could I focus on….I tried looking at the road ahead but his head was hindering my view…..I looked at the mirror only to see his face……I turned away and started looking behind……

He spoke up suddenly and disturbed my thoughts…..

Deepak: Kripa, kya soch rahe ho??
Kripa: huh….kuch bhi nahi…
Deepak: phir silent kyun ho????So gayi kya??? [Smiles]
Kripa: no…..
Deepak: u looked tired!!! Isiliye poocha??
Kripa: [surprised that he noticed her tired face] hmmm a bit tired….due to the dance and all….[mind voice: tumme meri tired face dikha magar meri aankhon mein jhalakthi pyar nahi dikha??]
Deepak: ohhhh yeah….it was soooo tiring….but we enjoyed a lot na??
Kripa: hmmm….[she doesn’t speak anything further…]
Deepak: kya hua?? Phir se quiet hogayi…
Kripa: kuch nahi…..just that I don’t know what to say….[mind voice: tumse kya kahoom??? mera dil ka haal mujhe hi pathaa hai….tum toh mere dil ke saath khel rahe ho!!!]
Deepak: [shocked at her answer….he is confused if it was a slow outburst or just a casual statement.....he just nods and remains quiet] hmm

[A small puddle on the road causes a jerk and she moves forward in a erratic manner…..In a quick reflex motion, her head strikes his head and then she moves backward quickly and is about to fall off the seat……In an attempt to balance herself and avoid slipping off the seat, she grabs his hand…..He applies a sudden brake and catches her…..]

Kripa: thanks…..
Deepak: that’s ok…but sit carefully hereafter…..hold me if u want…..
Kripa: [catches the holder at the back and side tightly and adjusts herself to sit safely] thanks but I am ok now…..

Deepak: [little irritated by her reply] ok…..[starts the bike and zooms off towards her home…..]

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My comments: I want to tell something here....Deepak is behaving casually with Kripa but she is trying to distance herself from him for the reasons known to you.....sometimes, her trials are evident and at times, she miserably fails in her trials too......
Guys normally go behind things which are forbidden for them or those that are not easily available to them....i am not generalizing here.....but its true with most of them.......Thats exactly happening to Deepak....he is taken aback or rather surprised at Kripa's indifferent behavior towards him.....The more he tries to go closer to her, the more she goes away from him.....

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Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener!

Hamaari nayi naveli dulha, dulhan ka haal dekhte hai…..

Anjali’s POV:
After grahapravesh, Sid’s mom wanted to introduce me to the elders and other relatives of their family…..
Mom: Anjali beta, sab kuch itni jaldi mein hua ke bohat saare rishtadhaar nahi aa paaye…
Anjali: [just a smile and nod….typical of a new bride, shy and face bent down] [mind voice: but my mind wasn’t all that silent…..I was happy that many didn’t turn up….as that saved me from lot of things…..i didn’t have to smile falsely a lot of times and also bend down to get blessings many times…..]
I got introduced to the younger generation of the family too…..many were Sid’s cousins….and some friends too….friends who were from his school and neighbourhood….
I was introduced to Smriti, yeah the same Smriti who was in Sid’s home while I called him on his birthday……Smriti was Sid’s cousin, his uncle’s daughter…She was staying in his house and doing her 1st year college…..She was a smart pretty girl…..seemed like a little prankster……but I felt a liking for her…..I felt that we would make great company together……I suddenly became happy by the fact she would be around always and I had someone of my age and wavelength to talk to…..she seemed to know Sid well….more than cousins, they were good friends…

After one round of introduction, I was made to sit in a center place….i looked like some show piece…..Sid was busy with his friends……Smriti went to see off her friends…..I was left to myself and memories of home started haunting me…..
Most of the guests were leaving…..
It must be 10:30 or 11 now…..my regular sleep time at home……I was nearly yawning and I think his mom noticed me doing that…..She came near me

Mom: tumme neend aa rahi hai, na?? utto….Sid ke room pe jaakhar fresh ho jao….
Anjali: [mind voice: “Sid’s room” that gave me a shiver within me…..Oh yeah from today, that was my room too…..At times I totally forgot that I was married…married to Sid] hmmm….[i didnt know what i was supposed to call her....Aunty, mummy ji ya Mom....]

I got up and followed his mom….She took me to his room and opened the door for me…..

Mom: aaj se yeh tumaari room bhi hai Anjali….jaakhar aaraam karlo….

I stepped inside, his mom showed me my suitcases which reached the room before me….She showed me the rest room and left saying that she had some more work to finish off and also had to accommodate a few guests at home….…..

Soon after she left, I looked around the room for the first time….”MY ROOM” I sighed……The first thing which caught my eyes was that it was fully decorated with flowers….jasmine and roses…..2 of my favorite flowers……..

Seeing the decoration, it struck me that it was my wedding night…..Flowers never scared me like this before……I was nervous, scared, tensed….i don’t know how to explain my feeling……

A marriage included all this too…..she said to herself.....but all these were just too early for her….She wasn’t even 20…..She just had marriage in her mind, just a ritual for her papa and Maa’s happiness…nothing beyond that……But how do I make Sid realize that???? I think I should talk to him and make him understand…..

The heavy bridal costume and more heavier jewellery just seemed too much for me….I just wanted to throw all that away and change into something light….
Where did I keep my night dress??? I started searching one of my bags when I heard the door knob turning…..May be it was Sid……but I didn’t stop searching….i remained unaffected or atleast i pretended like that.....
I felt someone coming behind and suddenly my eyes were closed…..he had closed my eyes with his hand…..I got up startled…..

Anjali: [in low voice or whispered slowly] chodo na Sid….dont play like this….Chodo….plzz….

[I heard a giggle and felt doubtful….was it really Sid?? I felt the hands which closed my eyes with my hands…..It had bangles on it….I realized it wasn’t Sid but Smriti…..]

Anjali: [doubtfully] Smriti…..
[She removed her hands from my eyes and came in front of me…..]

Smriti: bhabhi…..itni jaldi kya hai??? Let’s go to my room….I will show you some of his childhood photos too….I have some surprise gifts too….
Anjali: [mind voice: I was more than ready to go] yup….Let’s go….

[They leave to Smriti’s room……]

Sid somehow manages to escape from his friends…He wants to get to his room….to his Anjali as soon as possible….

Sid: haan haan….kal milthe hai….ab tum log jao yaar…..i am tired….just want to crash down on the bed….
Tushar: [naughtily] arre…we know how tired you are and also that you want to go to your room…. [Grins] teek hai jao….par bhabhi ko dekhte hi dhoston ko bhool math jaana…..kal zaroor aana…..[pauses] ab hum chalthe hai….

Sid: [smiles] thanks buddy… [Winks at him]

[Sid is relieved now and he comes to his room. On the way, he is rehearsing what all he has to talk]

Sid’s POV:
Anjali must be waiting for me….mera dhost bhi na….samajhte nahi….main kabse iss din ka intezaar kar raha hoom…..And when my wait is finally over, I got held up by them…..

[He comes to the room…its dark there…..]

Anjali, are you sleeping??? I asked as I switched on the lights…..[She wasn’t on the bed] I looked around…..Where did she go???? I went towards the rest room to check if she was there…..She wasn’t there either…..kahaan gayi hogi????
Anjali's pranks were known to me….So, I bent down and looked under the bed...”bed ke neeche chupe hua ho?????, nahi yahaan bhi nahi”
Anjali, are you playing hide and seek with me???? Come out na??? I am dying to see you dear…..
There was no response…..I realized she wasn’t in the room…..kahaan gayi??
May be she hasn’t come yet…..
I went out and looked around….I heard her voice in Smriti’s room…..They were busy in their own talks…..I tried signaling from outside but nobody noticed it….I couldn’t go inside and call Anjali….If I did that, Smriti would realize my eagerness and make fun of me….worse than that was that she would try to test my patience further….She wouldn’t let Anjali come with me…..Smriti was a little devilish in such things….So I opted to walk back to my room and wait there patiently for Anjali to return…..

I was back in my room….I sat down, I walked here and there, I tried standing, I lay on the bed…..but Anjali didn’t come….just 10 minutes passed by but it seemed like ages to me……I was about to go to Smriti’s room and call Anjali when my phone buzzed…

Iss samay pe kaun hoga?? First I thought of ignoring it but it continued ringing….So I picked it up from the table…….It was one of my closest friend from Delhi….He couldn’t come for the wedding since it was fixed in a hurry…..He knew everything about me and Anjali…..I was super excited about speaking to him….”hello”….I went out to the balcony to speak to him….

[To be continued]