Har raat ki kahaani
Bhaag 4
Lekhak: fountain

Sargam ke baba kehte thi ki subah khoobsurat hoti hai. Vo suraj ugne se pehle uthke taiyaar ho jaate aur phir Sargam ko uthate. Dono phir Ek saath suryodaya dekhte the. Aaj bhi Sargam haveli ki dusri manzil ke chauthe kamre ki khidki par baithi ugte hue suraj ko dekh rahi thi. Baba hote toh yun pair latka ke khidki par baithne na dete. Saari raat ke andhere aur dvesh se ladkar kisi jeete hue yoddha ki tarah suraj apna vijay pataka lehra raha tha.
Sargam ko bhi hamesha ye nazara pasand tha lekin aaj nahi. Ya gun kaho aajkal nahi. Use khidki se nazar aati sadak par gaadiya aur daudte nazar aane lage the. Insano ki subah unka din bohot jaldi beet jaata hai kehte hain itna kaam hai ki pal bhar theher kar subah ko jee nahi sakte hai jab mar jayenge aur din raat bitana mushkil ho jayega tab jaanenge.
Aaj paanchvi raat hain. Har raat uski chaukhat par vo ajnabi aata hai aur Ek Mara hua gulab aur apna sparsh chodkar chala jaata hai. Vo koi zinda insaan hai? Ya jeevan ke bandhan se mukt hai? Vo kyu aata hai? Mara hua gulab kyu? Sawaal bohot the par jawaab nahi. Aur tabhi koi chooha aakar Sargam ka dhyaan kele bechne wale se bhatka deta hai. Jab Sargam wapas sadak ki or mudti hai toh Ek ladka kele kharid raha hota hai. Vo nazar uthata hai toh usse lagta hai jaise usse hi dekh raha ho. Vo aksar is khidki par baithti thi kai log uski or dekhte the lekin wo jaanti thi vo usse nahi dekh sakte phir ye ladke ki nazar alag kyun hai. Vo wapas se uss aadmi ko dekh kar baat karne lagta toh sahsa Sargam muskura deti hai aur vo ladka jaate jaate uski or dekhkar muskura deta hai. Kya Mara hua dil dhadhak sakta hai? Kyunki Sargam ne dhadhkan ko mehsus kiya aur vo khidki se neeche gir gayi. Beech sadak par.

"Hi!" He said she didn't hear.

"Hi! Suman!" He said again this time tapping her shoulder and out of fighter's reflex Suman held the hand tight.

"Hey! Its me Aditya. Leave my hand. Man! You're so strong." He shrieked with pain as he cradled his hand.

"What are you doing here? I'm sorry if I hurt you. " Suman asked putting the magazine back in her bag. Its been a month to her and Teju in this college, and today the month's edition of college magazine came out for which she was eagerly waiting. The story by fountain had captivated her. Teju made many new friends but she didn't or so she thought because two boys were always around her and one she would bump into craziest situations. Aditya was the annoying cockroach type of character but ever since he found he is distant relative to Suman's cousin in a way becoming her cousin he was always around her. Pushkar developed a liking for Teju so he is always around her so to be around Teju but that girl lives in her own world and never gives a twig about him. Yet he developed a nice relation with Suman, though she always teases him always.

Its been a month to the day she developed allergic reactions because of Urvashi's silly prank and she was weak the very day she had to fight a new opponent. She didn't go to her place that evening because her Mamiji's tasks would tire her more so she directly went to the Fight club. She rested there, and had some strategic conversations with the trainer. When the time came for the matches to begun she prepared herself and hoped for her opponent to not be a nightmare to her recovering body. Matches began but she stayed in the background listening to the commentary.

When her name 'Brunt' got announced she heard another name 'Stone'. When she came out to the front she could see so much of audience shouting and screaming with many placards. One of them was "Burn them all Brunt", she was overwhelmed.

A guy in black boxing shorts and red muscle tee was looking strong and scary with his black mask. So he was also an anonymous fighter like her she straightened her mask as well as she moved towards the ring and her trainer gave her the final go.

With the whistle of referee the fight began, and Stone was having the upper hand on her and suddenly she was under him. She had to get up soon as referee had started the count but she was unable to. The guy was bulky and strong for her but her body ache was giving her hard time when around the count of 6 or 7 the guy left her and said in a gruff voice, " you're burning girl."

"That's nothing. I don't leave a fight like that. Continue!"

"Get up then."

And the fight began again. Stone did not use his weight as an advantage over her instead  fought with skills. She too did. But as per the club's rule if a match goes undecided for 16 minutes then the players will have to fight a round 2 next week. Stone didn't know about this rule but Brunt as in Suman did so she wanted a decisive fight but Stone was tough competitor, he was less in the skill department as compared to her but athletic enough to hold a fight for long. Suman realized one thing as the match ended indecisively that she needs to work on her stamina and leg reflexes. Stone was very reflexive and she needs to learn that.

As the night ended Brunt was back in her Suman attire with college books and started her way towards home when she heard someone calling her name. Except for her trainer no one knew her real name at the club so she was astonished. Had someone from college or family recognized her? She stayed there while the person caught up to her. From college it seems as she saw Shravan standing there.

"What are you doing here?" She was nervous looking at him.

"I carry a first aid box with me always because Pushkar, my friend you met him today has always been accident prone as a child so its sort of a habit to carry it around. And luckily its got some paracetamol. Please take it, will help your fever go down. " He started rummaging through his gym bag and took out the first aid kit.

"I don't have fever." She said confidently though there was no confidence in her eyes.

"You have Sumo Wrestler. You fought really well. Take it first." He said and gave the tablet and water bottle to her. As he saw her taking in he began talking again. He himself didn't know why he was being so chatty today. But somehow around this girl he became the person he never was around anyone else.

"At first I thought what a petite girl would fight but when you began I got shock and blow to my ego so I used my weight and bulk to my advantage but then I realized how hard you were trying and how unfair I was being and then I found you burning. You're really a skilled fighter Sumo. A perfect one. But you go out of breath real soon you need to work on that." He kept speaking as they walked on sides of the road. After these talks and him not being awkward about her fighting she also relaxed.

"You are not a regular fighter. I never saw or heard of you." She stated.

"Well this was my first fight." He said sheepishly.

"I figured that much." She said recalling the fight.

"How?" He was surprised.

"Your lousy hand skills. Your leg movements were good though."

"I'm a footballer. What can I say?"

"Umm! Its a T- point. Where you'll be headed to?" He asked as they reached the T-point of the main road.

"That way.!" She signed to her right and they walked again.

"Sumo! Why do you fight?" He asked curiously.

"Why do you call me Sumo?" She diverted the question.

"Oh! That. Because such a strong and fighting girl deserves a strong name. So Sumo Wrestler."

"You're funny!" She said sarcastically

"I don't like the sound of that. Dripping sarcasm are we?" He said with fake annoyance.

"Kind of. That's my colony. Bye!" She signed to the sign board overhead.

"See you tomorrow! " Shravan's words dissipated in air. Or so he thought, she returned and tapped his shoulder.

"Let's keep this a secret please. "

"I will."

"Thanks"

Well that wasn't the last conversation they had. For the week they kept meeting at corridors, sometimes he would join Pushkar and Aditya as they stayed with her during lunch or at reading room. On Sunday they had their second fight and Sumo won there. It was a fair match. And since they have been meeting everywhere and anywhere. Sometimes in crazy unexpected situation. (Will tell another day.)

"I came to invite you for a party at my place. My parents are leaving for a two day trip with their office staff. So I planned a full day in for the boys and a party for all our friends. " Aditya replied and Suman came back to being.

"What is a day in? And I'm not your friend why are you inviting me?" She said nonchalantly and Aditya smiled at her. Everyone thinks of him as a happy go lucky guy but he could understand people and he had noticed Suman's insecurity and her fear around making friends.

"No dear! You're not my friend. You're my family. You're Pushkar's secret helper and Shravan's ...well...I better not tell you. So are you coming?"

"You didn't tell me what's a day in?"

"Day in is like opposite of day out. In a day out people go out and enjoy while in day in we will stay at home and do something I don't know. Varun is planning all that."

"I might or might not come ."

"What if I tell you something about the story you were reading when I came in here?"

"What ? What do you know about it?"

"Well I know someone who knows the writer."

"What? Are you serious?"

"You might meet him at party who knows?"

"Him?"

"Fountain is a 'him', I guess. As far as you can trust Urvashi's words."

"I'll come."

"Now that's the spirit. Bring Teju with you too Pushkar will be so happy."

"Sure!" Suman smiled as if she won a lottery.

Dher saare comments aur votes  chahiye Mujhe.

Love
Zindagi