Is love blind? .......Oh yes it is!! - Episode 51

A grand farewell party is in the making….Anjali is forced to take up some responsibility…..Though half hearted, she takes it up….But once she gives her word for it, she pushes her worries to a corner of the mind and does the tasks sincerely….
Anjali: Aashu, yeh caterer ka number hai…kya tum call karke food order kar doge?
Aashu: [she is standing on top of a chair and trying to hang some balloons] hey no no….now I cant take time off from this……full hall decoration baaki hai……Deepak must be lazing around freely….ask him to do it….
Anjali: hmmm….but where is he??? [looks around] must be with Kripa….
Aashu: I gave her some work….She is putting those ribbons and streamers at the entrance…….Maybe he is there helping her out…..[winks naughtily]
Anjali: hmmm he must be there surely…..let me go and check!! [grins back]
Aashu: jaao jaao….but poor love birds….dont scold them too much!!
Anjali: [laughing] nahi nahi….gussa kyun karungi?? Main toh kuch dher keliye unne separate karne waali hooom…..

[At the same…at the entrance]
Kripa climbs on top of a bench and starts sticking the ribbons and streamers……Deepak is sitting on a chair opposite to where she is…….He is just looking at her dreamily when she notices him…..
Kripa: You are just staring at me!!! Don’t you feel like helping me??
Deepak: [still dreamily] help karne keliye hi yahaan beta hoom na??….
Kripa: [confused] kaisa help??? Are you checking if I am sticking it properly?
Deepak: nahi re…woh sab toh tum acche se karogi…..You are an expert in everything except…..[pauses]
Kripa: Except what??
Deepak: [in a false anger] Love….Romance…
Kripa: [Stops working and looks at him] What did you say?
Deepak: then what??? For the first time yesterday, I called you to come with me for a movie……I was hoping to spend some time with you….
Kripa: I came na?? then why are you talking like this??
Deepak: yeah yeah…..you came….but you brought an additional ticket, your sister along….Romantic date mein koyi apni choti behen ko saath lekhar jaayega kya???? Wahi kaafi nahi tha ke tumne usse humaare beech betne kehdiya!!!….[angrily sighs]
Kripa: [blushing] She wished to meet you yaar……she pleaded to take her along……isiliye toh saath le aayi……moreover, if she is with me, papa ko shak nahi hogi…..else I have to give him 1000 explanations….
Deepak: papa papa keh kar mujhe chup kar dho….ok forget it…..[pausing for a sec] were you in some circus or what??? You have so much balance….main bhi kitne time se yahaan wait kar raha hoom ke tum slip hogi aur main tumme apne haathon mein le loonga….
Kripa: [stares at him for a minute] oh oh….so that’s the help you want to do, is it??? waise…..Deepak, tum bohat filmy ho yaar… yeh cinema ya serial nahi hai….so don’t let ur thoughts wander like this, ok? ….[she laughs and gestures to slap him but then loses control since the bench starts shaking, Deepak rushes forward and holds out his arms and she falls straight into it…She closes her eyes tightly when she falls….]
Deepak: open ur eyes dear….see, cinema serial mein hi nahi, real life mein bhi yeh sab hote hai……[She opens her eyes and finds herself secure in his arms…she smiles and blushes pink]
Anjali: [coughing to snap them out] ahem ahem…..yahaan chal kya raha hai??…..Aashu said that you both are doing some work……is this the work???
Kripa: [quickly getting off and stepping away from him] no Anjali, I was sticking all this….I lost balance and slipped…..[hesitation] Deepak only…[stops and looks alternatively at both]
Deepak: [trying to take over] yeah yeah….i was just trying to save her from….[Anjali gestures to stop and grins]
Anjali: [grinning] hello hero…..enough….i can see what you were doing…..[after a small pause] but now if you can bundle all this up …..mmm I mean the decoration work…..I have some work for you….
Deepak: for me? What work??
Anjali: [handing him the number] take this number…call up the caterer and order food for the party….snacks, cool drinks, whatever that’s required
Deepak: hey Anjali….you do it yaaar…..i have something else to do….[looks at Kripa]
Anjali: I very well know what your work is…..but for now, do this….its very urgent….your work can wait, right Kripa???
Kripa: yeah…..of course…..Deepak, do what Anjali says….
Deepak: [without other options]ok….[takes the number from her]
Anjali: hmmmm…..I guess nowadays you listen to Kripa only…..anyways, take this….[hands him the number and leaves since she doesn’t have the time to get into that silly fight now] if required, go to their place directly….but do it surely…..
Deepak: [thinks for a sec] hey one minute, shall I take Kripa along??? She can help me choose the menu too….
Anjali: [grinning] OK….FINE…..Go
Deepak: Thanks da…you are a darling….[gives her a quick hug and pushes off dragging Kripa along]

Sid is a silent observer of all this and takes it all in a wrong essence
Sid’s POV:
She appears very normal, in fact even happier…..I think she doesn’t even miss me…leave alone missing, I wonder if she remembers me also…..she is back to her chirpy bubbly self…..hmmm great!!!…..If she is happy without me in her life, then be it…..

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Party day....

All are enjoying the party…there is fun and entertainment everywhere……lights and colors all around…yet few hearts are upset,weeping, confused and frustrated…..
Anjali is busy coordinating with the other members of the organizing team…..There are some cultural events being supervised by Aashu….So the party starts rocking as usual….Seniors arrive in groups….Though the thought of bidding farewell, separation from close friends and leaving college haunt them, they try to be cheerful and enjoy the party as much as possible…

The real wide world is waiting for them outside the 4 walls of the college campus…..Some happy, some sad, some totally confused about life and some worried about the future, their career, but they are all set to take the first step to the real world….The party is their last chance to enjoy their time with friends without any worries and tensions…..

Dekthe hai Sheetal – Sam story mein kya hota hai…….
Sam arrives at the party with Tushar and Sid….He starts scanning through the crowd as if searching for someone
Tushar: who are you searching for dude???
Sam: nobody in particular yaar….just like that….
Tushar: as if I don’t know!! Sheetal ko dhoond raha hai na??
Sam: no no…..not Sheetal …I was looking for Sneha……where the hell is she??? She promised me that she would be here by 6
Sid: [he is looking for someone too….but it wasn’t hard to guess who that someone was…but he snaps out to check on Sam] Sneha?? Since when?? I thought u were quite serious about Sheetal!!
Sam: Sid, you know me well na??? how did you even think that I will get committed so easily???
Tushar: Sam, Sid is right, I felt the same too…par ab Sneha ke saath ghoom rahe ho….i don’t know what happened between u and Sheetal…..Poor Sheetal….kis haal mein hogi??
Sam: just chill yaar….She is doing fine….she always considers me as a good friend…..nothing more….
Sid: hmmm if u say…[stops mid sentence]
Tushar: yeah yeah….if both of u are fine, then no problem….
Sam: [still confused yet showing off his don’t care attitude] yeah I guess so…..
Tushar: hey look….Sheetal!!! she looks hot in that dress….[Sam looks in that direction…. She appears differently dressed….sporting a knee length tight black skirt and a light cream silky shirt……He hasn’t seen her dressed up like that before….Though he is surprised, he immediately turns of as if uninterested….] kaun hai uske saath??? [Sam turns to see him] He is new here….I haven’t seen him…..do you know him???
Sam: [suspiciously] how will I know???….anyways, kya farq padtha hai??
Tushar: yeah yeah…humme kya???….May be some new boy friend of hers….[grins]
Sam: [angrily] If a guy comes along, why do you assume that its her boy friend?
Tushar: dude tum kyun itne hyper ho rahe ho??? Tum dono toh sirf dhost ho na??? Then what is ur problem??? You have a new girl friend, similarly cant she have a new boy friend??
Sam: [mellowing down his over reaction and suppressing his anger and jealously] its not that yaar…..it can be her relative or some old friend too na??
Sid: [gesturing Tushar to keep quiet] sh sh….you keep quiet….[turning back to Sam]teek hai Sam….hoga koyi relative…..tum tension math lo!!
Sam: mujhe tension kyun hogi!!! Its just that we shouldn’t assume anything without knowing the truth….other than that, I don’t care whoever that guy is….
Sid: ok ok….agreed…..[after a moment of looking around] u guys carry on….i will be back now..….[sets off to search for Anjali who is not seen anywhere around]
Sam: where is he going???
Tushar: aur kahaan…Anjali ke paas jaa raha hai….
[They laugh and then pick up a bite and a cool drink, then start chatting around with friends….]
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Deepak-Kripa…..
The love birds are in a solitary corner of the campus….They are unperturbed by the happenings in the party…..
Deepak: hey Kripa, why don’t we go out somewhere??? Party katham hone tak waapas aa jaayenge….
Kripa: no no…..our friends will look for us….what will they think if we just disappear like that??its not right Deepak
Deepak: right wrong….keep telling it always…nobody will notice that we aren’t here…all are busy in their own way…..dont tell me such false excuses….if u don’t want to come, just tell me that…..ok
[A few moments of silence, Deepak posing anger and disappointment….Kripa comes to him….]
Kripa: [patting his shoulders lightly] Hey Deepak…..are you angry???
Deepak: [shuddering her hands off] nothing like that…I am fine…
Kripa: I know you are angry with me…..let me cool you down…chalo kahi baahar chalthe hain….
Deepak: no need….dont agree just because I am angry….[pausing] maybe we aren’t close enough….and so you don’t trust me fully!!
Kripa: no no…I want to go out too…..main tumaare saath kahi bhi chal sakthi hoom….I trust you more than anyone else…..I trust you fully Deepak [coming closer to him]
Deepak: I love you…..[enclosing her within his hands]
Kripa: [in a spur of the moment and in a flow, she confesses her love…..] I love you too Deepak….[realizing what she said suddenly, she turns away her face in shyness]
Deepak: [smiling and pleasantly surprised hearing it all of a sudden…] HEYYYYY….what did you say???…[He lifts her face and turns her to his direction…..] tell me once more……
[She blushes and rests her head on his chest…..He places a light peck on her eye lids…..she closes her eyes]
Kripa: I am feeling very secured here in your arms Deepak….[slowly her eyes starts flooding up] this security, this happiness….i don’t want to lose any of these Deepak…..I can never bear that loss….agar aisa kuch hogaya, main mar jaavungi Deepak…….I cant live without you!!
Deepak: [lifts her face to meet his eyes….and closes her mouth with his palm and in a angry tone..]dont ever talk like this………my love, my life, my happiness, this secured hug, everything is yours forever now…..You will never lose it….did you get that??? If you ever talk like this, i will slap you….
Kripa: sorry….ek minute keliye mein emotional hogayi thi…I am scared when I am happy....papa ke bare mein sochthi hoom toh bohat gabraa jaathi hoom…..woh kabhi bhi humaare rishthe ko haan nahi kahenge…
Deepak: He will agree surely…else we will make him agree…..he will understand our love definitely…..we just have to wait patiently…..ok??
Kripa: hmmmm…….
[Both comfort each other in a warm tight hug……]
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Back to the party…..
Tushar: [sarcastically] Sam, haath pakadna, baahon mein haath dhaalna….kya yeh sab bhi friendship hai?? Hmmmm….relative or new friend huh??
Sam looks around to see Sheetal and the new guy standing close to each other……He sees Sheetal locking her hands around his arms and pulling him closer to introduce him to her other friends…..He puts his hand over her shoulders and both share a laugh with the group…..Sam fumes seeing all this sudden closeness……But he controls to the maximum limit…..At one point, he sees the guy putting his hand around her waist…..His control goes for a toss and rushes to them in a fit of anger…
Tushar: Sam rukho [but sam quickly goes away without answering him…..Tushar grins seeing Sam’s destination point]
Sam: Sheetal, I need to talk to you….come with me
Sheetal: hey Sam….what do you want??…..lets talk later…..[Sam stares at the guy’s hands on her…Sheetal notices that and chuckles….] Oh yeah, you guys haven’t met na?? let me introduce….Meet Bharat….He lives in my neighbourhood…..Bharat, this is Sam, my college senior and of course a good friend of mine…..
[Bharat holds his hands out and Sam shakes hands reluctantly after a moment of delay]
Sam: [leaving his hands] plzz Sheetal, its urgent….chalo….
[Without waiting for her approval, he drags her away from that place….The new guy doesn’t understand anything but waits for her at the same place]

[At a relatively lonely corner….]
Sheetal: kya hai Sam??? Jaldi bolo….Bharat is waiting for me….
Sam: BHARAT!!! Kaun hai woh???
Sheetal: maine bola toh tha….he is my neighbor….He always used to call me for his parties and outings…I never went for any of those..i have been ignoring him all this while….. By chance, I met him today, I just thought that I should bring him here…..thats it….nothing more to it….anyways i have to give him company….catch you later…..
Sam: [grabbing her hands] are you avoiding me Sheetal??? Is he that important??
Sheetal: its not about giving importance Sam…..I brought him here….so its my responsibility!!
Sam: [angrily] ohhhh is it??? I can see that he has become too close in such a small time…. [his eyes nearly penetrating her]
Sheetal: what did you mean by that??
Sam: did you really not understand or are you just pretending??? You said that you don’t believe in love and you don’t want a boy friend??? What happened to your theories and principles??? You have thrown all those theories into the bin and you are flirting with him!!!
Sheetal: Shut up Sam…..[in a cool composed voice]even if it is like that, how does it bother you??? Why are you poking your nose into my matters?? You too have a girl friend for this week na?? aren’t you flirting with her??? Aren’t you roaming around with her??? Did I ask you questions???
Sam: toh poocho na?? kyun nahi poocha?? Tumne mujhe freely chod diya par main aisa nahi karunga??? I cant leave you freely like that [he just spills out his jealous possessive mind without much thinking]
Sheetal: WHAT??? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY??
Sam: [not hiding it anymore] I said what you just heard……and I mean every bit of it…..I cant see you getting close to another guy…..I don’t like it…DO YOU UNDERSTAND???
[He leaves her in a stunned state and walks away swiftly…..but she snaps out and stops him]
Sheetal: main bhi yahi kehna chahthi hoom…..if I say that I don’t love you, will you just stop loving me??? Will you just find another girl?? Will you just start avoiding and ignoring me??? How dare you SAM???
[She starts hitting him…after 2 hits, he catches hold of her hand and swirls her into his arms]

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On the other side, Sid is in search of Anjali….He sees her walking towards the gate…he follows her and finds her getting into a car…He quickly moves to a place from where he can see who the driver is….He is shocked to see Rohit…Before he could catch up, they drive off…..
He returns to the party and confronts Aashu…..
Sid: Aashu, where did she go???
Aashu: Who?? Anjali??
Sid: yeah….who else
Aashu: I don’t know Sid, She said she has some urgent work….So she asked me to take charge here and left
Sid: Don’t tell me that you don’t know where she went….she wont do anything without you knowing it….
Aashu: that’s what confuses me……but trust me, I don’t know where she went….she just said that its urgent…..and that she will tell the reason later…..
Sid: [angrily] just now I saw her leaving with Rohit….Its going to be 10 in the night…..whats so urgent at this time???…do you have anything to say about it???
Aashu: [nods in disbelief] Rohit??? Where did she go with him???
Sid: let her go wherever she wants…..but Rohit!!!There is a limit for everything and she just crossed that…..
[Sid walks away in disgust]
[Aashu is tensed and scared…She calls up Anjali immediately]
Anjali: bolo Aashu…. Party mein sab teek hai na??? any problems??[not allowing Aashu to speak up] even if there are problems, handle it for me dear…..i cant come back now….
Aashu: stop it Anjali….answer me first….where are you??? And are you with that Rohit??
Anjali: hey kya hua??? Why are you so angry??? Yeah I am with ROhit, so..whats the problem?
Aashu narrates to her what just happened and about Sid’s outburst
Anjali: ohh…hmmm….dont worry….i will take care…..
Aashu: now don’t tell me that you are trying to make Sid jealous…..what is the need for that??? Already he is crazy over you….
Anjali: no….i am not doing anything to make him jealous….but I cant tell you the reason now…..but very soon you will know….it will be a pleasant and happy surprise for you….promise…..ok Aashu, I will talk to you later….bye….take care
Aashu: hmmm…I just hope that you know what you are doing….take care…..


[To be continued]