The pub is a place which takes you to a different world. It helps you to forget all the worries, all the tension you have. Some people come here to enjoy, to celebrate or to have fun. But some people come here to forget their sorrow.

A man was drinking at the bar and he was lost in a deep thought. Suddenly some other men and women joined him. They were his office colleagues, Tarun, Sameer, Vikram, Aditi and Renu.

"Kya yaar Sidharth Bhai? Aap yaha akele akele drink kar rahe ho? Arrey humein bhi kuch offer vagera karo." Tarun said.

"True Sidharth. Promotion tumhari hui hai aur isliye aaj ki party tum humein de rahe ho." Renu said.

Sidharth smiled and said, "Tum logo ka dance khatam hoga tab toh drink offer karunga. Chalo ab sab apna apna order karlo, I'll pay."

Everyone ordered drinks for themselves.

"Waise Sidharth ki kismat bohut acchi hai. Itne kam age mein vice president ban gaya, not bad." said Aditi.

"Kismat nahi isse bolte hai talent. Waise iss promotion ki wajah se Sidharth ka transfer Delhi mein ho raha hai. Tere bina office bohut khali khali lagega." Sameer said.

"Yeah. We will really miss you." Renu said.

"Miss toh main bhi karunga. Mumbai se Delhi, apni family se dur, tum logo se dur, it will be tough for me to adjust there. Seriously mera kahi jaane ka mann nahi hai..... Khas kar ki Delhi." Sidharth said and again he became lost in deep thought.

"Aisa kyu?" Vikram asked.

Sidharth didn't reply.

After sometime Aditi said, "Guys let's play something."

"What?" Renu asked.

"Umm.... Truth or Dare."

Everyone agreed to play.

"First Sidharth's turn. Kyu ki aaj ki party uske honour pe hai." Aditi said.

"No way. Main yeh sab nahi khel raha."

"Sidharth please."

"Haan please Sidharth Bhai."

"Khelte hai nah yaar."

"Okay okay. Batao kya karna hai." Sidharth said.

"First choose Truth or Dare." Aditi said.

"Dare se toh main dur hi thik hoon. Truth will be safer. Truth."

"Okay so you have to answer the question I will ask. Lekin jo bhi bolna sach bolna. So......who was the first girl you proposed?"

"Yeh kaisa sawal hai?"

"You have to say. Tumne truth choose kiya hai."

"Ok. She was in my college."

"Thoda details mein bataiye." Tarun said.

"Uska naam Shehnaaz tha. Pyaar se hum sab Sana bulate the. Woh jab college mein aayi thi that was my final year. First day when I saw her, I just fell for her."

"Ohho love at first sight!" Renu said.

"Exactly. Woh baki ladkiyon se kaafi alag thi. Chup chap si rehti thi, humesha apne books ke saath busy rehti thi. There was a different type of innocence in her eyes. Bas itna keh sakta hoon ki lakhon logo ki bheed mein bhi woh alag se nazar aati thi. Aisi thi Sana, jise dekh kar kisi bhi bande ko pyaar ho jaye." Sidharth said and started thinking about his Sana.

"Phir tune usse propose kaise kiya?" Sameer asked.

"Woh nahi baata sakta." Sidharth said.

"Kyu? We are your friends. Humein toh baatana hi padega." Aditi said.

"Ok but you have to promise that you won't laugh."

"Promise." Everyone said.

"So that was the last day of college. Main aur Shehnaaz kuch khas dost nahi the. Bas hi hello tak hi humara conversation hota tha. Phir maine bohut himmat juta ke uss din uss se apne dil ki baat kahi. Kaha ki usse iss duniya mein sabse zyada pyaar karunga, humesha uske saath rahunga, kabhi uski aankhon mein aanshu nahi aane dunga."

"Phir usne kya kaha?" Sameer asked.

"Tujhe kya lagta hai?"

"Of course haan hi bola hoga. Tujhe kaun maana kar sakta hai?"

"True. Agar Sidharth jaisa ladka kabhi mujhe propose karta, woh bhi itne pyaar se, main toh definitely haan kehti." Aditi said.

"Come on Sidharth! Ab baatao bhi usne kya kaha." Renu said.

"Kaha nahi kiya. She slapped me."

"What?"

Everyone was shocked.

"But why?"

"Pasand nahi hai toh maana kar sakti thi. Why did she slap you?"

"I don't know usne aisa kyu kiya. Uske baad humari kabhi baat nahi hui. Phir main Mumbai chala aaya apne ghar. Lekin uss rejection ke baad meri kabhi kisi ladki ko propose karne ki himmat nahi hui. And that's why I don't wanna go to Delhi. Kyu ki Delhi ne humesha mujhe dukh hi diya hai. Isliye aaj mere paas saari khushiyan hoke bhi kahi na kahi ek gham sa reh gaya hai." Sidharth said and became sad.

He went to the bar and ordered one more drink for himself.

"Lekin jo bhi ho Sana bohut acchi ladki thi. Abhi tak toh sayad uski shaadi bhi ho chuki hogi. Jis kisi ke bhi saath uski shaadi hui hogi nah, that man must be very lucky." Sidharth uttered.
_______________________________________

In Delhi...

A woman opened the curtains of her windows. Sun rays touched her face. She smiled and then started doing her daily works.

First she made the bed. Then she took out a shirt and coat from wardrobe and ironed them.

"Aapke office jaane ke kapde ready hai, bahar aake pehen lena. Main neeche jaa rahi hoon." She said to her husband who was in the washroom.

Then she came downstairs and went to the kitchen. She quickly made tea and gave it to Smrita Ji, her mother-in-law, in her room.

"Mummy Ji apki chaaye." She said.

"Sana Puttar, aaj itni der se uthi, tabiyat toh thik hai nah?" Smrita Ji asked.

"Actually kaal raat ko woh bohut der se aaye the. Unka wait karte karte raat ko sone mein der hogayi. Aur apko toh paata hi hai woh jab tak nahi aate, main dinner nahi karti." Shehnaaz aka Sana said.

"Waise Parvati nahi aayi?" Sana asked.

"Tu bhool gayi? Kaal hi toh usne kaha tha woh aaj kaam pe nahi aayegi."

"Haaye rabba! Main toh bhool hi gayi thi. Ab mujhe akele breakfast banana padega? Unka office ka bhi time ho raha hai, mujhe jaldi karni hogi."

"Tussi pareshaan na ho Puttar. Main teri help kar deti hoon kitchen mein."

"Bilkool nahi Mummy Ji. Doctor ne apko kuch bhi kaam karne se maana kiya hai. Koi naa main manage kar lungi." Sana said and went to the kitchen.

She started making breakfast. Suddenly her sister-in-law, Isha came and hugged her.

"Good morning Bhabi." Isha said.

"Good morning! Kya baat hai, aaj bada pyaar aa raha hai apni Bhabi par?" Sana said.

"Pyaar toh humesha hi aata hai. Lekin aaj kuch aur baat hai. Aaj mera nah paratthe khane ka bohut mann kar raha hai. Aap mere liye bana dogi?"

"Bana sakti hoon lekin der lagegi."

"Thik hai. Aap aram se banao. Mere paas time hai."

"Pehle tumhare Bhaiya ka breakfast bana doon. Unko office bhi toh jaana hai."

After sometime Sana's husband, Aditya came.

"Sana breakfast laga do. Mujhe aaj office zaldi jaana hai." Aditya said.

Sana came out of the kitchen and said, "Aap bas thoda time di jiye. Breakfast abhi ban ne hi wala hai."

"Matlab? Breakfast abhi tak nahi bana?" Aditya asked angrily.

"Woh... Actually.... Subah uthne mein thodi der hogayi thi. Aap thoda intezaar ki jiye...."

Aditya didn't let her finish and started walking.

"Main office mein hi kuch kha lunga. Waise bhi main breakfast karu yaa nah karu uss se iss ghar mein kisi ko fark nahi padhta." He said.

Sana tried to stop him.

"Please mat jaiye. Main jaanti hoon ki meri galti hai. Lekin meri galti ki wajah se aap bina kuch khaye office chale jayenge, yeh mujhe accha nahi lagega." She said.

Aditya stopped and said, "Nahi nahi, apki galti nahi hai. Galti toh mere kismat ki hai jo meri shaadi tumse hogayi. Aur uski saza toh mujhe zindagi bhar bhugatni paregi. You know what Sana, you are an useless."

Sana couldn't say anything. Her eyes became watery. Aditya left for office.

"Bhaiya ko aise nahi bolna chahiye tha. Woh humesha apse aise rudely behave karte hai. Aap kyu itna kuch sehti ho Bhabi?" Isha said.

Sana wiped her tears and smiled forcefully.

"Tumne sirf apne Bhaiya ka gussa hi dekha? Yeh nahi dikha ki galti asal mein meri thi? Ab galti ki hai phir daant toh padegi." She said. But inside she was very much hurt.

"Paata nahi rab ne apko kis mitti ka banaya hai. Khair, main chalti hoon, college ke liye late ho raha hai."

"Tum toh paratthe kha ke jaane wali thi nah?"

"Actually main bhul gayi thi ki aaj mujhe thoda zaldi jaana hai. Saare students ka exam hai. Aur aap bhi kitna karogi humare liye? Khud ke liye bhi thoda bohut time nikal lo." Isha said and left.

Sana went to the kitchen. Tears started rolling down from her eyes.

"Babaji, kya main sach mein unke life ki sirf ek galti hoon? Main humesha sab ko khush rakhne ki koshis karti hoon. Kyu ki meri khushi issi mein hai. Main bas unka pyaar paana chahti hoon. Life mein sirf ek hi chiz maine apse mangi hai. Woh hai pyaar. Lekin kyu mujhe woh pyaar nahi milta? Kyu sab kuch hote hue bhi mujhe aisa lagta hai ki mere paas kuch nahi hai? Kyu main ek normal married woman ki tarah apne Pati ka pyaar nahi paa sakti, unke saath khush nahi reh sakti? Main aur kya karu jis se Aditya bhi mujhse utna hi pyaar kare jitna ki main unse karti hoon? Mummy ke jaane ke baad aaj tak kisi ne mujhe utna pyaar nahi diya except Mummy Ji aur Isha. Kya meri life mein woh khushiya, woh pyaar kabhi nahi ayega?" Sana said in her mind.
_______________________________________

Will Sidharth and Shehnaaz get the happiness they deserve?

Stay tuned...

Also vote if you liked the first chapter.