Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 33

Sam: idea accha hai…..i will make the arrangements…..tum DJ se baat karlo…..aur couples ke naam bhi likh lo…..kaas kar Sid- anjali…..[grins]

Sheetal: hmmmm…..unke naam toh likhna hi padega…..[smiles and they part ways to implement their plan]
All are busy with their friends and some are dancing….some are busy in their group chit chats……
Some are restless too……obviously Anjali and Sid are feeling out of place……the party is arranged as their wedding treat……More or less like a reception but they aren’t happy………it is clear that they are still there as they don’t want to hurt their friends and their feelings……

An announcement comes up suddenly…..All turn to the center stage…..The DJ announces a dance competition for all the couples…..
[By DJ I mean the event coordinator of that place…..he is acting as the anchor cum DJ cum event manager for the party…..]
DJ: Hear hear hear…….ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…..aaj ki raat ko shaandhaar banaane ke liye ek competition…….a very very interesting dance competition…..which will have a lot of passion, love and a little of dance…[winks and smiles]…..agar aap ko dance karna nahi aatha toh bhi chalega…..because, this is all about love, passion and togetherness……the couples selected are……Sid and Anjali…obviously, unke bhina yeh game adhoori hai……reads a few more names….sheetal-Sam ……………Kripa-Deepak
Sam is a bit surprised to hear his name with Sheetal but he comes forward to the floor…..
Sheetal gave Deepak and Kripa’s name too just to increase the number of couples participating……
Sid is shocked and is confused if he wants to do this…..he knows Anjali would never like it…Anjali is on a denial phase tooo but Aashu comes to her quickly and persuades her……Aashu doesn’t want Anjali to withdraw from it…..
Aashu: why are you hesitating Anjali?? Kya tum jeeju ke saath akele mein hi dance karogi???? Humaare saamne karne se sharmaathi ho kya???
Anjali: Aashu, yeh sab kya hai??? Mujhe akele chod dho….plzzz force math karo…..else I will leave the party…
Aashu: tum darrthi ho…..isnt it??
Anjali: [rolling her eyes] darr???? But why??
Aashu: [sarcastic] darr thi ho ke Sid ke liye jo feelings aur love tumne chupaaya hai woh bahar aajayega……right na??? hmmmm I understand…..
Anjali: are u gone nuts?? Mujhe aur feelings!!! Kabhi nahi….
Aashu: then why don’t u take this up as a challenge!!!!
Anjali: [thinks for a moment] ok…..
[Aashu knows her friend completely….so she strikes right at the point and gets the task done…]
Sid sees Anjali coming forward and is little shocked….but then he thinks that she is slowly reforming herself and trying to patch up or may be her friends convinced her…..He quickly steps in too…..Now the DJ starts on the rules of the game…..
It’s a popular game…..a chart paper will be laid out for each couple….the couple have to stand on the paper and dance to the music…….at each stop of the song, the chart paper will be folded once……that means, the area for dance will become lesser and lesser as the game progresses……the couple shouldn’t step out of the paper….who ever steps out will be out of the game too……the couple who witstands till the final round wins……..Only after the rules are announced, Anjali realizes that she will be required to dance closely with Sid…..but she doesn’t want to step back now…..actually she cant….if she did, Aashu’s statement would be true…..Sam comes and tells something in Sid’s ears…..he says this “Sid, har place mein tum hi first aathe ho…..iss baar haar math jaana……waise bhi a newly wedded couple should be able to win this easily……and you both are the only wedded couple here…..so All the best!!!”

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

The fast beats and rocking songs stop……….

The stage is set…..and all couples are ready too…..music starts…..a cute romantic song starts rolling…..Any couple in love will appreciate the song and will start swaying to the music….its such a beautiful song……..it also has the ability to bring out the hidden love from the couple’s heart…..

Sid puts his hand around her waist and forces her to come closer to him….He takes her hand and puts it on his shoulder……His eyes speak his emotions, his love for her……

Surkh wala, sauz wala, Faiz wala love
Hota hai jo love se jyada waise wala love
Ishq wala love

Hua jo dard bhi toh humko aaj kuch zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Ye kya hua hai kya khabar yehi pata hai zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Agar ye usko bhi hua hai phir bhi mujhko zyada hua
Ishq wala love
She is far away from him in terms of her feelings……obviously, she isn’t happy with what she is doing…..Her eyes keep staring at him….and she keeps moving to the tunes like a doll keyed by him…..in between she accuses him in a low voice
Anjali: yeh sab tumne kiya hoga…I know….aur kyun kiya, yeh bhi main jaantha……but dont even think you can win me by playing such games.......
Sid: [a false smile at others looking at them and in low voice to her] tumme jo sochna hai sochlo….mujhe usse koyi farq nahi padta…..i know what I am doing and why I am doing…..aur maine kuch galath nahi kiya……I will never try justifying myself…..

[Anjali is stunned by his reply and just keeps looking at him……his closeness, his touch sure sends a strange feeling into her…but she pretends to be unaffected by it…she just keeps looking at him…..he looks into her eyes and sternly continues dancing……he feels the whole world is twirling with them….the sky, the land….everything which are testimonies to his love dance with them…..She doesn’t move her eyes away from his…either she doesn’t want to….ya phir woh uski giley shiqwae bhool gayi……or as Aashu
told, the love hidden deep inside her is slowly showing its face up…..]


Meri neend jaise pehli baar tooti hai
Aankhein band kar ke dekhi hai maine subah
Hui dhoop zyada leke teri roshni din chadha
Ishq wala love

Jhanke badalon ki jaali ke peechhe se
Kare chandani ye mujhko ittala
Leke noor sara chand mera yahin pe hai chhupa chhupa hua
Ishq wala love

Sam and Sheetal dance like perfect friends…not much of closeness….a little embarrassment on both their faces…….Sam feels that Sheetal would be thinking that he gave their names to the anchor.....He doesnt even have the faintest idea about who gave their names.....

Sam: [to avoid the odd feeling] I don’t know how our names got included…..hum couple lagte hai kya??
Sheetal: [slowly in low voice] sorry sam….woh actually, maine hi tumaara naam diya tha……I didn’t want to dance with anyone else…..couples ki kami thi….so the DJ wanted 2 or 3 more names….so I gave my name….when I looked for a partner, tum hi nazar aaye….i don’t trust any other guy…..[pauses and looks into his eyes]...i am sorry…..i hope u don’t mind….[lowers her eyes]
Sam: [pretending to be just ok with it…..the truth is that he is happy by what she said] that’s ok……I mean you don’t have to be sorry…..[mind voice: tumme aur koyi nazar nahi aaya…..u don’t trust anybody else except for me…..I feel special Sheetal]
[He pulls her nearer and twirls her as he says this……]
Deepak and Kripa are feeling a little odd too….a strange feeling when they are forced to touch each other……Deepak looks at her intently…..She lowers her eyes……He asks her permission before holding her closely “Can I?”….when he sees her nodding "YES", he holds her waist and drags her along…….She shivers when he does that……He could feel her shiver and smiles….
Deepak: kya hua??Are u ok?
Kripa: hmmm….[she says something further but…..her voice is struck and is not audible…]
Deepak: kya tumme ajeeb lag raha hai???
Kripa: hmmm…..kuch kuch…… [Doesn’t look at him]
Deepak: sach kahum toh mujhe bhi!! Yeh Sheetal bhi na, humme aise odd situation pe daal dhi…..
Kripa is silent but enjoying it within…….Deepak continues
Deepak: [hesitating a little] par isme bhi kuch thrill hai na??
[Kripa gathers up a little courage and looks at him and smiles…]
They lose out after the 2nd round…..Kripa being the shy type is not able to hold on to the game after that…That round requires her to come really really close to him but she feels uncomfortable and she steps out…..
After about 2 rounds, each couple gets out one by one……
Sid and Anjali are in still….She tries to move away from him but he forces her to stay close…… within the limits of the paper ………He is adamant and wants to win it no matter what……..
It seems that both are lost in each other’s eyes…….She is literally standing on his shoes…..and he holds her securely so that she doesn’t get out or fall down…..
Hua jo dard bhi toh humko aaj kuch zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Ye kya hua hai kya khabar yehi pata hai zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Agar ye usko bhi hua hai phir bhi mujhko zyada hua
Ishq wala love

Jo aise hota
Jo milte tum ho jaate gum sath mere
Hote hote hoga samjhaye hum tham jaaye tum
O dil mere
Toota zyada zyada tara jab gira 
Zara zyada zyada maangu dil tera
Kabhi zyada zyada maane na dil ye sarphira
Ishq wala love

Just 2 couples remain…..and the paper just enough to accommodate one preson…..Anjali tries to pull away but Sid grabs her firmly and lifts her up in his arms……and starts swirling and swaying with the music……She has no other go but cling on to his neck…..their eyes are locked yet again…..Its a passionate moment for both of them…….
At this juncture, the other couple gets out…..So Sid and Anjali emerge winners…..but they continue to be at the same pose for the remaining of the song…claps are heard all around but they remain unaffected by it…..They don’t hear anything else……They seem to be lost in each other……
Passion fills the air around them……for a moment, they seem to forget all their grievances and mistakes of each other….Sid ignores the insults and Anjali forgets the anger she has for him…….they appear to be oblivious of the people around them……They appear as if in deep love……a new just born love…..

Bada ye dil nadaan tha, par aaj kuch zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Jo khine ka tha dar tujhe pata nahi kyu zyada hua
Ishq wala love

Hua jo dard bhi toh humko aaj kuch zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Ye kya hua hai kya khabar yehi pata hai zyada hua
Ishq wala love
Agar ye usko bhi hua hai phir bhi mujhko zyada hua
Ishq wala love

Surkh wala, sauz wala, Faiz wala love
Hote hai jo love se jyada waise wala love
Ishq wala love

Sid is fully lost in her love and passion…….love blinds him….he seems to lose control of himself… he forgets that there are viewers around them….. He cant see anything else except the fact that she is his wife… …that his love is in his arms..….nothing else matters to him at that time...in that spur of moment, he hugs her tightly and kisses her….their first kiss…..He deepens it when he feels her response back to him......

It comes out in the most unexpected manner and at the unpredictable time…She doesn’t react immediately….she seems to be in a sub conscious state....

All their friends as silent witnesses….all are dumbstruck and remain in their positions…..but they are happy for them too……
Anjali all of a sudden snaps out, pushes him away and walks out……Sid is yet to come out from his trance and keeps looking at her……He feels good and happy about having broken the ice…….he thinks that the emotional wall between them is removed now…….

Seeing Anjali walking out, Sam rushes to Sid…

Sam: Sid, yaar, yeh tumne kya kiya???? sab ke saamne hi!!!! I think she is embarrassed…..ab jaao bhi….usse manao…..[grins]

Sid: [snapping out] hmmm…[rushes out behind her…]

[To be continued]