Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 49

Days pass by slowly……Sam behaves very normally with Sheetal….Neither does he go behind her pleading for her love nor does he pose like devdas…..He talks to her as if nothing ever happened………He just forgets and erases the whole episode of confession by a simple apology…..Sheetal doesn’t know why but this behavior of his irritates her a lot…..She is confused seeing his change…..
Next day in college……Sheetal and friends are in canteen when Sam walks in…..Sheetal’s heart beats paces up seeing him….He comes to her table and occupies the vacant chair
Sam: hello ladies…..are you all preparing well for the exams?
Anjali and Aashu nod in agreement……Sam turns to Sheetal for her reply
Sheetal: [taken back by his friendly chat…she just nods lightly] hmm….
Aashu and Anjali sense that they need to leave them alone for a while…..they get up…..
Sam: where are u going??? Is it because of me???
Anjali: no no…..kuch urgent kaam hai….isiliye….bye….
Sam: [with a tinge of sarcasm and not looking at Sheetal] What sort of friends are you??? You don’t have a moment to talk with me???
Anjali: [sits back again] nothing like that Sam…accha teek hai……hum apna kaam postpone karthe hai……and now, we will talk to u…..
Aashu: [looking alternatively at Anjali, Sheetal and Sam for a second…then holds Anjali’s hand and urges her to get up] Sorry Sam….We can chat any time but this work of ours is slightly urgent yaar…..let us go now……[rolls her eyes at Anjali] Anjali, bak bak karne ki ek opportunity tum chodogi nahi na???….come come lets go….
Anjali: ok guys….mere boss ke hukhum sar aankhon par….no more talks….bye…
[Sam and Sheetal are left alone…..they don’t speak for the first few minutes…..]
After moments of awkward silence, both speak up at the same time…..Sam laughs at the timing while Sheetal feels more awkward…..but the sorry she says is loud and clear……Sam cuts her short and continues
Sam: Why are you feeling sorry Sheetal??…I have to say sorry…..maine hi tumaare sacche dhosti ko samajh nahi sakhaa….main bhi confused tha aur tumme bhi confuse karne ki khoshish kiya…..but you were very clear…..just forget whatever I said……throw all that from your heart and……be my same old friend……will you?
Sheetal: [shocked at his changed mind] hmmmm…….i am happy that you have changed your mind so soon…..
Sam: yeah…I thought a lot about it…..tumne jo bhi kahaa usse baar baar analyze kiya……I concluded that you were right……moreover, yeh pyar vyar mujhe suit nahi kartha hai…….my previous way of life was interesting…..koyi commitment nahi….sirf plain dating and parting….[Sam notices that Sheetal didn’t understand what he said] didn’t you get it? I will explain……ek haftha, ek girl friend, ek date…..jab bhi bore ho, tata bye bye and part ways....thats it……I am happy…the girl is also happy…..
Sheetal: [least happy hearing all this but just nods to his theory]
Sam: kya hua Sheetal? You look upset….
Sheetal: no…..just thinking about it…..hmmm ur theory seems good…..
Sam: [sarcastically] hmmmm….looks like you are quite interested in taking this up yourself…..[laughs out loudly while Sheetal silently fumes and keeps staring at him] anyways, I got to leave now…….my new girl friend will wait for me…..i have to drop her home…..
Sheetal: new girl friend!!! Itni jaldi??? Who is that???
Sam: woh sab Sam keliye bohat easy tasks hai…..2nd year architecture…….name is Sneha…..i will introduce to you next time we meet….[winking at her playfully] that is if she is my girlfriend till then!!!
[Sam leaves and Sheetal is fully immersed in a flood of thoughts]

Sheetal's pov: his confession to me seemed so genuine…..How come he changed his mind so soon??….. is he telling the truth??? Or is he acting? Shall I follow him??? no Sheetal, leave him alone…..you rejected him…..then why behave weirdly now??? Why r u feeling insecure??? Following him and keeping a check on him are all cheap acts…..dont even think of it…..
[Though Sheetal tries to brush off the thoughts, she eventually ends up following him….the sight she sees steers her more into insecurity]
Sheetal: there he is…and he was right….that girl is waiting for him……which means that he was saying the truth!!!how can he do this??[her thoughts conflicting with each other]Stupid Sheetal, you only told him that you don’t love him…and that its just friendship between you….You are changing your mind now…..he is the same old Sam even now…..You should be happy that he accepted whatever you said and started treating you as a friend….isnt that what I wished for?? But why am I feeling miserable now?? I feel as if something is slipping away from my hand….Why am I feeling lost??You decided to lose it Sheetal….now don’t cry over it!!..

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An insight into Sid-Anjali’s life
Sid and Anjali fight less now but there is a unrest in both their minds……though Sid talks well to her, his behavior seems to have immensely changed…….The intimacy, the closeness he used to show before seems to have vanished into thin air………..that change bothers Anjali a lot….she doesn’t understand why Sid maintains such a distance from her…..but her ego stops her from confronting him directly….
Sid, on the other hand is waiting for the right time….….He doesn’t want to jump into anything….He wants her to be fully clear of what she wishes for…..her mood swings and outbursts have made him withdraw his efforts to get close to her……Maybe its Anjali’s turn to bring him closer!!

Anjali is taking down notes in the library and Aashu is busy hunting some more references
Anjali: [keeping her palm on her head and in a frustrated mood] damn, I should have attended the classes….i should have listened to Aashu…….uski baat maanli toh yeh din nahi dekhne padtha? Abhi kitna kuch likhna baaki hai……when will I finish this notes and when will I study for the exams??? Sab meri galthi hi hai…..

A sudden voice interrupts her thoughts…..its Sid’s voice
Sid: Absolutely right!!! Its all your fault…You never listen to the intelligent people around you!! [grins brightly]
Anjali: [looks up and puts up a false anger] INTELLIGENT PEOPLE!! Like whom???
Sid: [sits next to her] as if u don’t know….i am sitting right opposite to you honey, cant you see??? Don’t act dear….[lightly glides her cheeks with his fingers]
Anjali: Go Sid……don’t irritate me more……
Sid: I am going….[he pretends to leave but comes closer to her and in the next second plants a kiss on her cheek suddenly……Anjali is surprised and blushes….she closes her eyes and lowers her head gently]
Anjali: [opening her eyes slowly] what are you doing Sid?? Somebody will see!!! Aashu is there too!!
Aashu: Aashu is here…right in front…..who are you talking to??? Who did what??? Tell loudly and clearly!!!
Anjali: When did you come Aashu??? [feeling embarrassed thinking that Aashu might have seen him kissing her….in between she also looks around to check where Sid is]
Aashu: main yahi hoom……[sensing her weird behavior] what happened to u??? Why are you looking around?? Is anyone bothering you??
Anjali: [stammering] woh….woh….Sid…..[pausing abruptly and then changes her sentence] kuch nahi….
Aashu: ohhhh....aise baat hai!!! maine tumme notes likhne kahaa tha….usse chodke Sid ke baare mein sapna dekh rahi ho??? I cant leave you alone for a second, is it??…..mauka milthe hi koyi dream sequence mein chali jaathi ho???
Anjali:[low voice: Dream!!…nahi nahi Sid yahaan sach much aaya tha…..Aashu se chup ke chala gaya hoga!!]
[She doesn’t realize that it was just her imagination….]

[After about half an hour……]

Aashu: I will be back now….but you continue this and complete the notes…..[turning back to her after 2 steps] and don’t u dare go back to ur dream, ok??? [grins]
Anjali: ok……but come back soon….

[2 minutes later….Anjali is snapped out from her work by a sudden voice….]
Sid: [loud and sudden enough to startle Anjali] Here you are!!! Maine tumme kahaan kahaan nahi dhoonda….
Anjali: You know I am here…..phir kyun yahaan wahaan gaye??
Sid: [confused] how am I to know that???? Did you tell me??
Anjali: hello hello…..just some time back, you came here, na?? ….
Sid: don’t build up new stories now….The last I saw you was when I dropped you in the morning…..
Anjali: hey Sid, don’t play a prank on me…….You came here…you spoke to me…..You even [stops abruptly and blushes heavily thinking about it…..]
Sid: why did you stop??? Complete your story na……I guess you were dreaming….[ignoring all that, he comes to the point] Anyways, I came here to ask if you are coming home with me..
Anjali: [mind voice: Why is he behaving so differently??I have never seen him like this…..]
Sid: [snapping his fingers in front of her face] hellooo….are you here?? Now don’t get lost in ur dreams….I have to leave urgently….are you coming or not?
Anjali: actually, I have some more…..[Sid cuts her short]
Sid: ok…..but go home soon…..else mom will get tensed…..
Aashu: [comes in hearing this] don’t worry Sid….I will make sure that ur darling wife reaches home safely……[smiles at both of them]
Sid: [smiling back] aah yeah Aashu….i don’t have to worry when you are with her……ok bye girls….get going with ur study….
[Sid leaves……Anjali is a little worried and also angered by his exit……]
Anjali: [looking at the direction] [mind voice: Cant you wait till my work gets over??? What else is so urgent to you?? Or cant you insist me to come with you??? Just once more and I would have gone with him…..shit all guys are idiots…..Previously, he was always behind me and trying various ways of impressing me…..but now that I changed myself, he is showing off his attitude!!!]
Aashu: [snapping Anjali out with the click of her fingers] enough….he has left already……get back to the notes…..

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A girls tea time meet at the canteen table……though the discussion starts off with exams as the topic, it eventually ends in love…..all of them have their own love problems to share and seek advice
Anjali: Sheetal?? You are dull today also!! Is it because of Sam??? [pausing and hesitatantly]By the way, I saw him with some other girl today….
Aashu: [seeing Sheetal’s silence, in a consoling voice] kya hua sweety??? Tell us…..we will find a solution together……nothing will get solved if u are silent….exams aa rahe hai….if u don’t sort out ur problems, it will affect ur papers da…
Sheetal finally opens up after a lot of persuation…she shares with them whatever she feels and whatever that happened between her and Sam……
Anjali: from my experience I am telling you, u are in love with him surely…..you did a mistake by not realizing it….and u let him go…..[trying to cheer her up] but never mind, I have an idea to put him back on track……he will himself come behind you…don’t worry….[Anjali tells the idea to the girls…..both are a bit skeptical about it but eventually decide to try it out]
Aashu: did you get Sid back on your track with this idea huh??? [grins]
Anjali: [getting reminded of her own nagging problem with Sid] not me but Sid brought me to his track…..[low voice: and then left me all alone….i feel like a lost puppy now…..….][gives a sad smile]
[Aashu senses something is troubling her deeply and gets the truth from her….]
Aashu: Shall I tell you something?? but dont get me wrong…You have let him wander away too….what is the use of worrying about it now?? But I have an idea for u too….make him realize ur love and care for him….Prove to him that he is the most important and special person in your life…..whenever he is angry, you be calm and think of ways to calm him down……bring him so close to you that he never gets a chance to wander away….
Anjali: hmmm….i will try….

[To be continued]