Sidharth, Manohar and Lalit stood in 3 different corner of the room. All three pondering and lost in their own world.

"Sid yaar! Bol ab aage kya? Uss nakchadi ne toh googly phek diya.. tumse shaadi karne ke liye haan bol diya yaar..", said Manohar.

"Sid tera sach mein shaadi karneka iraada toh nahi hai na usse? Dekh main pehli hi bol deta hoon, main teri maa nahi banunga.. saaree pehenke pura time yahi darr laga rehta hai ki kahi gir gaya ya saaree khul gaya toh, laat, gusse, chappal khaane padege..", said Lalit.

"Abey gaddhe, tera alag hi rona hai.. aur yeh bhaisaab sab raita phailake aaraam se baita hai.. Sid kya soch raha hai yaar.. bol na kuch..", said Manohar.

"Hmmm.. usne itni jaldi haan bol kaise diya? Mujhe toh laga abhi bahut papad belne honge.", Sid mumbled lost in his thought.

"Kya?", Manohar and Lalit say in unison out of shock. They both look at each other in surprise.

"Woh.. woh.. Mera woh matlab nahi tha.. mera matlab yeh tha ki.. ki.. haan.. mera matlab yeh tha ki woh jaise thappad maarke gayi, mujhe laga woh mana kar degi.. aur.. aur.. mujhe yeh laga ki usko sabak shikaane ka mauka nahi milega.. Akram ke daant ka badla bhi toh lena hai..", he fumbled to cover up his actual version of answer after having blurted out in flow.

"Tera dimaag kharab ho gaya hai.. tu na rehne hi de.. main aur Lalit hi iss shaadi ko kaise na kaise karke cancel karaake rafaa dafaa karwayenge ab.", Said Manohar.

"Kya matlab? Kya karoge tum dono?", Enquires Sidharth out of curiosity.

"Pata nahi.. par karenge kuch.. teri shaadi uss nakchadi se thode hi hone denge.", Said Manohar.

"Bhai.. mujhe kuch gadbad lag raha hai.. iske haav-bhaav se toh mujhe lag raha hai ki isko sach mein shaadi karni hai usse..", said Lalit.

"Kya? Shaadi? Nahi nahi.. main toh woh.. badla.. Akram.. daant.. ", Sid stammers nervously.

"Oye.. pyaar mein hai kya tu uske?", Asks Manohar.

"Kya? Tu pagal hai kya?", Said Sidharth after gulping his saliva.

"Iska matlab.. pyaar nahi hai?", Asked Lalit.

"Yaar.. tum log bhi na?", Sid shook his head in disbelief.

"Matlab hai?", Asked Manohar.

"Tum dono hi decide kar lo..", said Sidharth with a frown.

"Decide? Hum dono? Oye.. hum jhoot moot ke parents bane the tumhare, sach ke nahi hai jo teri shaadi ka decision lenge.. tumhare mom-dad ke haathon se humko shaheed nahi hona..", said Manohar.

Sidharth facepalms.

"Abey sunn, mere paas na ek mast idea hai.. jisse shaadi wahi log cancel kar denge..", said Lalit.

"Kya hai? Jaldi bhonk!!", Said Sidharth. Lalit narrowed his eyebrows at Sidharth.

"Bow-wow-wow.. bow-bow-boooowwwwoooooo", Lalit barked and howled like a dog being annoyed by Sidharth's behaviour.

As Sidharth glared at Lalit, his phone starts ringing. His eyes widen looking at the number. It was from Sana. He gulped looking at his friends who were already looking at him curiously.

"Kaun hai?", Asked Lalit.

"Woh.. woh.. meri coaching class ki student hai.. bada tang karti hai sawaal puch puch ke.. tum dono baat karo, main isse nipta ke aata hoon..", said Sidharth while he got down from the bed and went outside to the terrace.

"Haan bey Lalit, tu bol ab tera idea.", Said Manohar

"Rukh usko aane de..", said Lalit.

"Arey yaar, pehle tu bol feasible lage toh phir usko bata denge..", said Manohar.

"Sana aur uski Maa ka financial status itna achcha nahi hai.. toh hum ab maag karenge ek baddddiii si dahej ka.. jo unke pahuch ke baahar hoga. Phir hoga shaadi cancel.", Said Lalit in excitement.

"Yay!! Yeh ki na tune zindagi mein pehli baar akalmando wali baat..", said Manohar while giving him a hi-fi.

"Hmmm.. maana hum dono chahte hai ki uski kisi se jaldi shaadi ho jaaye par aise nakchadi se nahi.. college mein hum teeno ne pact bana liya tha ki hum shaadi nahi karenge par tab kya pata tha ki hum dono ko kisi ladki se pyaar ho jaayega.. ab ye apna chaddhi buddy ko hum logo ne kitne ladkiyon se milaya par majaal hai ki kisi mein isne interest dikhaya..", said Lalit.

"Haan yaar.. ab toh Sapna bhi mujhe chidaati rehti hai.. kehti hai apne mom-dad ko toh bata diya par apne friend, Sidharth ko batane mein hi teri phat thi hai.. yaar apna jigri dost hai.. dost ko hurt nahi kat sakta na?", asks Manohar.

"Mera bhi yahi haal hai.. chahe kitne bhi kamine ho tum dono, ho to mere dost. Tum dono ki approval ke bagair main shaadi nahi kar sakta..", said Lalit.

"Saala.. dil jeet liya tune.. par sunn tujhe nahi lagta ki yeh Sana mein bahut interest dikha raha hai?", Said Manohar

"Haan yaar.. Par hum usko andhe kuye mein nahi girne denge.. woh toh dehaati ladki hai upar se khushti bhi karti hai wahi apna Sid 4 saal foreign mein padhaayi karke aaya hai.. maa baap ka ek lauta aur laadla beta hai.. apna Sid Professional english classes chalata hai aur woh ladki ko ek dang ka english word bhi nahi aata. Upar se Sid ke mom-dad toh bilkul uss ladki ko apne ghar ki bahu nahi banayenge.. apna Sid kahi sach mein serious ho gaya toh Devdas ya Majnu na ban jaaye..", said Lalit.

"Haan.. sunn ek kaam karte hai, hum dono usko bina apne plan ka bole hi dahej ki baat karke iss shaadi ko cancel karwa dete hai.. kya kehte ho?", Asks Manohar.

"Very good idea!", They fist bump with each other.
.
.
.
Sidharth makes sure that Lalit and Manohar don't overhear him before receiving the call from Sana.

"Hello darling..", said Sidharth in a husky tone.

(Giggling tone of a girl)

"Hello?", he says in confusion after hearing an unfamiliar voice.

"Hello jiju, namaste. Mera naam Hema hai. Main Sana ki bachpan ki saheli hoon. Sana ki amma ne bataya ki iski aapse shaadi tay ho gayi toh maine aapse baat karne ke liye phone kiya.", Said Hema.

"Oh! So you are my Saali?", asked Sidharth.

"Arey wah.. aap ko toh kamaal ki angrezi aati hai. Mujhe thodi thodi aati hai..", said Hema.

"That's nice! Par tumhara accent Sana ke jaise nahi hai.. tum hindi bhi achcha bol leti ho..", said Sidharth.

"Haan, mere pati ne sikhaya.. Sana ki amma bhi thoda bahut bol leti hai but Sana toh pure gaao walon se baat kar karke uski baasha waisi hi hai.", Said Hema.

"Toh.. kaha hai tumhaari saheli ab?", He sighs reminiscing her face. He overhears some whispering sound followed by Hema's giggle.

"Kyu? Humse baat nahi karni kya jijaji?", Asked Hema.

"Kar toh raha hoon.. par tumhaari saheli se bhi baat karne ka mann ho raha tha..", he says stretching his arms.

"Tharkki..", blurts Sana in the background making Siddharth chuckle.

"Ssshhh.. chup Sana..", whispers Hema. He laughs having overheard them both.

"Bolne do.. rokho math.. issi bahane uski awaaz sunn ne ko toh milega warna woh khudh phone karne se rahi..", he said.

"Bhais ki poonch", said Sana in anger.

"Sana... rukh toh.. Chali gayi baahar gussa hoke..", complains Hema.

"Gussa toh aapki saheli ke naak par baraabar hota hai.. kabhi hasti wasti nahi hai kya woh? Ab main usse flirt na karu toh aur kaun karega bolo?", Sid complains.

"Nahi Jiju, Sana bahut achchi ladki hai. Usne apne baapu ko hamesha apni amma par haat chalate ya daant the huye dekha hai. Itna kam nahi tha toh uski sagi didi ko uske pati ne 2 saal pehle aag laga kar maar dala kyuki usko bahut moti dehej chahiye thi. Humare saath ki ek aur saheli ko uske pati ne shaadi ke ek saal baad kisi aur aurat ke chakkar mein chodd diya aur usne atmahatya kar li.. ab itna sab dekhne ke baad usko mardon se nafrat ho gayi hai. Main usse samjhaungi.. bas aap meri Sana ko khush rakhiye.. usko kabhi koi takleef hone mat dijiye..", said Hema emotionally.

"Hmmm..", he hummed lost in his thoughts.

"Suno.. usko bolna main baaki mardon jaisa nahi hoon. Aur yeh jo flirt karta hoon uske saath, waisa kabhi kisi aur ke saath nahi kiya maine.. mujhe woh genuinely bahut pasand hai..", he said.

"Thik hai jiju.. sab bata dungi.. aaj main bahut khush hoon apni saheli ke liye..", Hema smiled through her tears and disconnects the call.

"Sana... Sanaa..", calls Hema while searching for her. Sana was sitting on the concrete wall of the well staring at the water.

"Kuye mein kudhneka iraada hai kya?", Asks Hema.

"Hmmm.. ib uss tharkki se byaah karn se toh ismein kudh jana thik se..", said Sana

"Aisa kaunsa nusk hai jiju mein?", Asks Hema.

"Marad se.. yahi nusk se..", said Sana.

"Ab woh toh bhagwaan ne banaya hai.. jaise tu, teri amma aur main sab aurat hai par sab ek jaise nahi hai waise hi saare marad ek jaise nahi hote. Ab mujhe dekh bawali, main apni shaadi se bahut khush hoon.. tu bhi hogi kyuki woh bahut achche hai. Ab apni hone wali lugaai se thodi bahut chedkani toh chalta hai. Dusre maradon ka gussa tu jiju pe math nikaal.. Baat kar, samajh unko. Amma ko vaada kiya hai toh byaah ko tu karegi.. toh ab nafrat se toh shuru mat kar. Woh sach mein tujhe bahut pasand karte hai." Said Hema

Sana stared at the water blankly remembering all her conversations with him. She changed her perspective and pondered upon his talks. All this time, she looked at him like a stranger or an enemy but now she looked at him from the perspective of a prospective groom or a fiance. His words and actions which looked cheap, lewd and lustful earlier, now looked like teasing and romantic flirts with a lover. A subtle blush and smile appeared on her face which didn't go unnoticed by Hema.

__________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️