Disclaimer - I love Preedit. This TS has Samaina in it. So anybody who dislikes PreeDit can enjoy them. I know the wattpad fam is pyar but still ...

Happy Reading❤

"Preeti please"

"Kamya, N.A.H.I."

"Naina tu likh de."

"Dimag sahi jagah par hai tera? Taiji ko pata chala na toh wo hum dono ke tukre tukre kar ke magarmach ko khila dengi."

"Tu Shefali ko bhi toh letters likhti thi na, Naina- Preeti yaar please likh do."

"Aise zid mat kar Kamya." Naina said.

"Hema, Swati tum dono hi likh do."

The girls shook their heads in a no.

Kamya, Preeti, Naina, Swati and Hema were sitting outside a Shiv temple on Monday. Monday morning visits to the temple were a usual thing for Naina but Kamya had called all of them last night and told them to reach the temple at 7. She said she was in a big mess.

All of them rushed out of their homes in the morning to find out what the big mess was and to help their friend conquer it but to their utter irritation, Kamya's problem wasn't even worth paying attention to.

Kamya had developed a crush (her 823rd one, excluding celebrities) and she claimed that she was serious this time. The guy was named Pandit and was her neighbour. They had nothing in common. So, she had no way of approaching him.

"Tu seedhe jaake uss ladke se baat karegi? Dimag toh theek hai tera?" Hema had asked her.

"Nahi. Dekho, mai usse chitthi likhungi." Kamya had replied.

"Chitthi?" Swati had asked.

"Haa wo pen friend nahi hote. Mai uski pen friend ban jaungi aur fir dheere dheere baate hongi, mulakatein hongi aur ... " Kamya had raised her eyebrows in excitement.

"Aur?" Naina had wondered.

In reply, Kamya did a hand gesture which made Naina say,

"Chi chi chi chi chi."

"Tune bas shakal dekhi hai. Tujhe kaise pata wo ladka accha hai? Agar wo andar se ek number ka chandal nikla toh?" Preeti had knocked some sense into her.

Everybody thought that Kamya would drop the idea but her crush struck brain conjured another trick. She wanted any four of her friends to become Pandit's pen friend to judge what kind of a person he is, obviously under a pseudo name.

The girls had been denying her ever since.

"Tum log mere dost hi nahi ho." Kamya threw her last card.

"Aisa nahi hai." Hema revolted.

"Toh meri madad karo." She stumped her feet. Kamya looked like she would burst in tears any second.

"Theek hai." Preeti got up irritated.

Kamya looked up at her with puppy, expectant eyes.

"Address?" Preeti held her hand out.

Kamya jumped and shrieked and hugged Preeti.
____________________________________

Naina was pacing up and down her room. Anger was dripping from her face.

"Address?" Naina imitated Preeti.

Preeti was rubbing her temples in stress. She was switching the table lamp on and off again and again wondering.

"Naina, behen, mai pehle se pareshan hu. Ab aur tension mat de mujhe."

"Toh ye sab tension lene se pehle sochna tha."

Preeti shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Tu likhegi kya?" Naina dumped herself on the bed.

"Kaash na koi aisi jagah hoti jaha bina wajah ke hum seedhe kisi ko chithi pahucha sakte. Kuch direct message jaisa." Preeti said.

"Mungeri lal ke haseen sapne."

Preeti thought for a while and then began scribbling.

Hi

Mera naam hai ... naam rehne do... Tum mujhe samosa wali kehna. Mera school ke dinon se ek pen friend banane ka man tha par humare school me aisi koi facility nahi thi toh maine socha ki in chutiyon me kisi ko chithi likhu. Mujhe nahi pata ye address kiska hai aur ye chithi kiske haath lagegi par agar tum mujhse dosti karna chahte ho toh jawab zaroor dena.

Tumhare jawab ke intezaar me
Tumhari dost
Samosa.

"Samosa!" Naina laughed.

"Mujhe koi aur naam nahi sujha." Preeti made a face.

"Ridhi, Sidhi kuch bhi rakh leti." Naina said

"Chod na Naina. Mujhe yahi theek lag raha hai."

"Huh?"

"Bas mujhe aisa lag raha hai ki uss ladke ke liye yahi naam theek rahega."

Naina rolled her eyes.

The next day, Naina, Preeti and Kamya took the sealed envelope and dropped it in a letter box. There was no guarantee that the letter would reach Pandit's hands. There was a high chance that someone from his family would take the letter, read it, reach the mentioned address and get Preeti scolded but that is friendship - where you are ready to risk your neck for each other.

"Bas bhagwan kare ye chithi Pandit ke hatho lage." Kamya prayed

"Aur agar hum fas gaye toh?" Preeti crossed her arms.

"Toh mai khud saara sach bata dungi." Kamya sweared.

"Hmm... Tab mai bhi prarthna karungi ki ye  love story super hit ho."

Naina's hope filled words brought a smile to her friends' face.

Days passed by. Every single day Kamya would ping PreeNa for a response but there was no response from the other side.

"Uska jawab nahi aaya Naina. Mujhe tension ho rahi hai." Preeti said biting her nails.

A few more days passed and Kamya's interest began subsiding bit by bit.

A day when there was no hope left for the letter to arrive, a dakiya showed at the Agarwal's doorstep. Naina and Preeti were busy peeling peas when they spotted the khadi claded man. Their eyes widened with excitement, which soon turned into fear as Bela Chachi went to recieve the letters.

Naina rushed to Bela Chachi with plate of peas and bumped into her. Chachi lost her balance but held her TV case to avoid falling on the floor.

"Bhagwan jhoot na bulaye Naina, dekh kar chal na. Saare matar gira diya! Daam pata hai inka? Pata nahi dhyan kaha rehta hai iss ladki ka." Bela mumbled picking up the peas but Naina's eyes were fixed on Preeti who took the letters and searched for the one she was waiting for. She punched her fist in the air out of excitement and ran to her room. It was only when her mission was finally over she bent down to help Bela Chachi.

Back in her room, Preeti opened the letter.

Samosa,

Mera naam Pandit hai. Tumhari chithi dekh kar thodi hairani huyi aur thodi khushi bhi. Kabhi aisi dosti nahi kari na maine. Aaj tak kabhi kisi ladki ne bhao hi nahi diya.

Tumhari handwriting bahut acchi hai waise. Mujhe pasand aayi.

Tumhare kya kya shauq hai? Tumhe kya pasand hai kya napasand hai? Zaroor batana.

Jaldi jawab dena.

Tumhara dost
Gulab Jamun

Preeti was laughing at the nick name Pandit had selected for himself. She read the letter again and again. It was giving a sense of thrill to her. He had appreciated her handwriting. She looked at his. It wasn't fancy or impressive. She could tell he rarely used a pen but she smiled. She didn't knew why but she did.
____________________________________

"Tu keh raha hai ki ek ladki ne tujhe yun hi chithi likh di aur tu usse baat karne lag gaya?" Munna, Pandit's friend asked.

Pandit had called his best friends to his house to discuss Samosa with them. They were sitting in his room, shell shocked at this development in their friend's life.

"Kisi ladki ne isse full line di pehli baar aur ye fisal gaya." Sameer, Pandit's other best friend said.

"Aur nahi toh kya? Wo aatankwadi hutyi toh?"

"Tere papa huye toh? Kya pata tujhpe jasoosi karne ke liye ye sab kar rahe ho? Ho sakta hai."

"Wo 90 saal ki huyi toh?"

"Ladka hua toh?"

One by one Sameer and Munna voiced their concern for Pandit.

"Bas bas bas. Wo ladka nahi hai aur 90 saal ki nahi hai. Atankwadi aur mere papa toh bilkul bhi nahi hai."

"Ek baat bata fir mujhe." Sameer said "Tu usse ladki ban ke baat kar raha hai?"

"Nahi."

"Tab toh pakka jawab nahi aayega." Munna chuckled.

"Aayega. Mujhe pata hai aayega." Pandit said.

"Tu bhai rehne de." Munna mocked him.

Pandit crossed his arms in anger. They were right in not trusting Samosa immediately but he had this feeling, a strange hunch, that she was nothing that SaMun were thinking her to be and she would reply.

And the reply came.

Gulab Jamun,

Tumhari chithi mili toh mujhe bhi hairani aur khushi dono huyi. Khushi thodi zyada. Mujhe likhne ka shauq nahi hai, na hi likhna mera talent ya hobby hai par meri koshish rahegi tum bore mat hona.

Mere shauq? Mujhe toh bas filmon ka aur khane ka shauq hai. Salman, Shah Rukh, Amir ki toh mai fan kya cooler hu. Madhuri aur Sridevi bhi mujhe pasand hai. Maine, Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi 1000 baar dekhi hai.

Mai yahi Ahemdabad se hu. Address dekh ke toh pata chal hi gaya hoga. Mere ghar me mummy, papa, bhai, behen, tauji - taiji sab hai.

Sawalon ki list toh mere paas bhi kaafi lambi hai. Yaha fit nahi hogi. Tum khud hi apne baare me bata do.

Tumhari dost,
Samosa.

Pyari Samosa,

Tumhe khane-peene aur filmon ka shauq hai? Mujhe bhi. Tabhi sochu ki tumne apna naam Samosa kyu rakha. Agar tumne Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi 1000 baar dekhi hai toh maine 1001 baar dekhi hogi. Mujhe filmon ka itna shauq hai. Humari khoob jamegi. Jamegi na?

Mere ghar me bas mai mummy papa. Mere dost bhi hai do, pakke wale. Sameer aur Munna. Dono bilkul bhai jaise hai.

Padhai likhai me mai gol hu thoda. Abhi B Com 3rd year me hu. VJN se.

Tumhara dost
Gulab Jamun

"Ab pata chal gaya na sab kuch. Ab mai aur chithi nahi likhungi. Tujhe pata hai apni jaan ki baazi laga kar mai ye letters post karke aati hu aur receive karti hu." Preeti huffed after Kamya was done reading the last letter from Pandit.

They were sitting in their college canteen.

"Ha par wo VJN me, hum Patel Mahavidyalay me. Mera usse intro kaise hoga?" Kamya hid her head in her palms

"Wo tu khud soch. Bahut risk le liye meri behen ne." Naina said.

"Naina sahi keh rahi hai itna kar diya na Preeti ne. Bahut hai." Swati supported them.

"Waise Jijaji ki shakal toh dikha Kamya." Hema nudged her.

"Kaun jijaji?" Preeti asked dazed.

"Pandit aur kaun." Swati lifted and dropped her shoulders.

Jijaji. Pandit could be Kamya's first serious boyfriend, if she could get hold of him. Preeti looked at all her friends gossiping merrily about the possibility but something didn't feel right. Kamya's attention was fully into talking and Pandit's letter was lying carelessly on the table. Out of impulse, Preeti sneaked Pandit's letter in her bag.

The bell for their lecture rang and the girls got up to head towards their class. Preeti thought that Kamya would stop and look for the letter but she didn't.

The rest of her day was spent wondering why did she hide the letter. She had no clue to it but in the night when her mother and sister were busy listening to the radio and DHKMN's songs played she could sense a smile spreading on her lips.

_________________________________

Yearning.

Yearning was all Pandit could feel. Samosa had not written to  Gulab Jamun for two weeks.

"Wo theek to hogi?"

"Maine koi sawal hi nahi poocha. Yaar. Mai chithi likhu kya?"

"Wo theek hai? Mujhe chinta ho rahi hai."

"Mai likh hi du koi chithi?"

"Par mai likhu kya?"

Pandit had irritated his friends on this matter. They had given up on him.
__________________________________

One day, Preeti and Naina decided to go out for casette shopping. When they entered the street where the shop was located, something tingled inside Preeti.

"Yeh wahi gali hai na jaha Gulab Jamun ka ghar hai." She said.

"Humein kya?" Naina replied indifferently.

But indifference was not coming to Preeti. An unsettling emotion was capturing her mind. She walked out of the house and looked at the number plates outside houses. She began counting houses and walked towards Pandit's address.

As if in a daze, under a spell, Preeti found herself standing outside Pandit's house. She looked at the number plate and smiled. This was were he lived. This was where her letters were delivered.

A guy came out of his balcony. Preeti counted the number of floors and her eyes twinkled. If her calculations were correct, this guy must be her Gulab Jamun.

"Bhai sahab! Bhai sahab kya atom bomb lagta hai!" Preeti told herself.

Pandit looked down on the street. He saw a girl smiling foolishly at him. As soon as their eyes met, she turned around and ran away.

She began running away from him and stopped after a good distance was created between them.

"Preeti, Preeti tu yaha hai?" Naina came running in her direction. "Kab se tujhe dhundh rahi hu."

"Kab se matlab?"

"Aadhe ghante se."

"Aadha ghanta ho gaya?"

"Ji madam kaha thi aap?"

"Chod na Naina."
___________________________________

Gulab Jamun had lost hope for Samosa's return but he could not feel the yearning dying. He had never felt this way. He began spending his free time reading and re reading her letters. He used to run his fingers over her handwriting. He did not know what connection it was.

Tere mere beech me
Tere mere beech me
Kaisa hai ye bandhan anjana
Maina nahi jana tune nahi jana

On the other hand, Preeti was left amazed. She could not understand her advances towards Pandit. He was Kamya's crush in the first place. That's how she came in touch with him. She had decided not to contact him ever again but destiny had it's own plans.

Pandit's patience bore fruit. He recieved a letter from her. He felt he could dance with the letters for hours before opening it but his happiness died down when he saw tear stains on the paper.

Gulab Jamun,

Itne din baad likhne ke liye sorry. Mai bilkul bhi acchi dost nahi hu. Dosti karke koi aise beech me chodta hai kya? Dosti ki koi wajah nahi hoti par mai bahut buri dost hu.

Aaj chithi likhne ke peeche mera ek selfish reason hai. Mai bahut udas hu. Please chahe jawab mat dena par meri baat sun lo.

Do din pehle mummy mayke gayi thi. Nani ki tabyat kharab hai. Uske ek din baad Naina bimar pad gayi. Usko roz roz bukhar aa raha hai. Theek hi nahi ho rahi wo. Mujhe chinta ho rqhi hai. Mujhe ghar sambhalna bilkul nahi aata. Mai uske liye pani garam kar rahi thi aur saara pani mere upar gir gaya. Mai kya karu mujhe samajh nahi aa raha. Papa phone hi nahi utha rahe. Wo ladki neend me bhi kaap rahi hai. Kitni tension de rahi hai ye ladki mujhe.

Samosa

The tear stains were pinching Pandit's heart. Nothing major had happened but her plain concern for this Naina, maybe her sister was touching. With this letter he had realised another layer of her character. She was full of love and he suddenly had an urge to protect her.

This was strange. A girl randomly started writing letters to him and something inside him revolted. It was like something was lying latent within him, which was rearing it's head in him. As if a piece of his heart had recognized her - maybe some long lost relationship that had been between them had made it's presence felt.

He knew his longing.
He knew her pain.
His heart ached looking at her tear stains.
Her shaky words hurt him.
He knew what he felt was pure.
He knew this was love.

Samosa,

Abhi tak tumhari behen ki tabyat theek ho gayi hogi. Nahi bhi hui hai toh ho jaayegi. Jiske paas tumhare jaisi behen ho wo zyada din pareshan nahi reh sakti. Aise himmat mat chodo. Tumhara jab jee kare mujhe chithi likh sakti ho.

Tum bahut acchi ladki ho.

Tumhara dost
Gulab Jamun.

Preeti had got the letter when Naina had recovered but the sight of her sister in pain had scared her. Pandit's letter was like a comforting hug to her. He understood her pain. He was considerate, compassionate and looked sensitive. That was the day when Preeti actually became Pandit's friend. A lone tear slipped from her eyes. She hugged the letter and smiled the widest she had ever smiled.

The chain of their letters continued.

Aapka khat mila
Aapka shukriya
Aapne yaad mujhko kiya
Shukriya shukriya
Shukriya shukriya

Pyar me yaad karna hi kaafi nahi
Aapki bhool kabil-e-maafi nahi
Ke rooth jaayenge hum
Fir manana sajan
Yun kata aap bin
Ek chota sa din
Jaise ik saal tha
Dil ka wo haal tha
Aapko kya khabar
Kya hai dard-e-jigar
Bas fasana koi, ek bahana koi
Likh ke kagaz pe bhej diya

Shukriya shukriya
Shukriya shukriya

Aap likhte hai milne ki fursat nahi
Chodiye berukhi hai ye ulfat nahi
Humko tha intezaar
Dil raha bekarar
Shaam tak hum rahe
Raasta dekhte
Thak gayi jab nazar
Tab mili ye khabar
Aap aaye nahi
Kaam tha kuch kahi
Par humein gam nahi
Ye bhi kuch kam nahi
Dil ke badle lifafa mila

Shukriya shukriya
Shukriya
Shukriya

"Roz roz tinde? Baap re!"

"Tum na ajeeb hi buddhu ho. Wo Bad Joke ka mazak udane se pehle dekh toh lete ki wo peeche khade hai ki nahi."

"Mujhe pata hai tum has rahi ho. Haso mat. Tum mere peeche baithi hoti toh bhi mai pass nahi hota."

"Accha? Mere poore 34 aaye the."

"35 laaya hu mai iss baar."

Also, some changes had formed in their writing style.

Tumhara dost/Tumhari dost became just Tumhara/Tumhari.

Pandit had gifted her casettes of various songs and Preeti was listening to them on loop.

"Waise mera asli naam Pandit hai. Tumhara naam kya hai?"

Preeti stopped reading the last letter.

"Preeti" She mouthed.

"Kya kar rahi hai?" Naina said suddenly and shocked her.

"Kuch nahi."

Preeti fumbled with the letter.

"Dikha."

Naina snatched the letter from Preeti's hand and read it.

"Tera dimag theek hai? Tu abhi bhi uss Pandit ko letters likh rahi hai? Preeti? Ye kya hai?"

She had no answer.

"Tujhe kahi? Kahi usse pyaar toh nahi ho gaya?"

"Kaisi baatein kar rahi hai behen. Kamya pyar karti hai Pandit se. Mai? Kaise?"

"Bilkul. Yaad rakhna aur please ye letters likhna band kar de."

Preeti stood numb for a while. She had been pulled out of a mirage. Pandit was Kamya's crush! How could she? But they were just friends. What's wrong in her writing letters to her friend? Were they just friends?

No. She was Samosa and he was Gulab Jamun.

They were not friends. She felt from him.

But

But

This was wrong.

Wrong on so many levels.

She had to stop.

Stop right now.

To be continued...

Unedited.

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