Happy Reading

Life is uncertain. One minute you are sorted. You have a road map to your future set in front of you and it looks like everything is working out as per your plan and the next second your life can come crashing down, without notice.

The same had happened with Swati and Munna during Sameer and Naina's engagement.

Naina was pacing up and down, to and fro, in every direction. She had measured every inch of her house in anxiety.

"Behen, aise chalne se kuch pata nahi chalega. Mummy, Papa aayenge toh pata chal jaayega. Waise bhi wo gaye hai toh sab accha hoga Swati ke saath." Preeti assured her.

"Yaar Preeti, tension ho rahi hai." Naina said, worriedly.

She was getting even more restless with every growing second. She had to know what was happening.

"Kitna accha hota na agar hum bhi Mummy Papa ke saath jaa sakte par hume toh bola ki nahi chup kar ke yaha baitho." Preeti sighed. She rested her chin on the dining table and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down when -

"IDEA!!" Naina said loud enough to make the cats in the street jump with shock.

"Aaram se bol na fir. Jaan legi kya?" Preeti exclaimed with a hand on her chest.

"Shefali ko bolte hai apni gaadi nikale. Hum Swati ke ghar jaayenge. Thoda sa idea leke wapas aa jaayenge."

"Haa bilkul Swati ke ghar jaayenge, bolenge Aunty Uncle thoda sa idea de do. Tujhe pata hai wo kya bolenge?" Preeti had her typical Preeti sarcastic smile on her face.

"Kya?"

"Bolenge ... Haa haa, beta free me joote chappal bhi le jao."

"Joote?"

"Areyy Naina!! Humein bhi joote padenge kyuki humne bhi toh Swati ki madad ki hai Munna se milne me."

Naina dumped herself on the sofa and in a small voice said, "ye toh maine socha hi nahi."

"Saara dimag padhai me jo kharch kar deti hai." Preeti taunted.

"Kam se kam teri tarah faltu baaton me toh nahi khatam kiya na."

They were quiet for a while before Naina said, "Chal na chalte hai Preeti. Kisi ko pata nahi chalega."

"Behen tu samajh na..."

"Preeti please. Please. Please. Chal na. Kuch nahi hoga."

"Agar kuch hua na Naina toh mai bolungi ki ye mujhe zabardasti kidnap karke le gayi thi."

"Okay." Naina smiled widely and pulled Preeti with her.

The girls were in luck because Shefali's parents were out of town. So, she took her car out and drove them to Swati's place. Naina was sitting on the front seat and Preeti at the back after a lot of quarrelling about the front seat.

"Toh? Naina? Aapki love story kaisi jaa rahi hai madam? Updates de dijiye?" Shefali enquired with raised, curious eyebrows.

"Simple hai. Kaafi simple jaa rahi hai." Naina tried to keep a straight face but a blush crept on her cheeks.

"Gaal dekho iske!!" Preeti laughed.

"Aur rebellious bhi." Shefali added with a wink, reminding Naina of the day she had run away from her house.

"Kya?" Preeti asked.

"Sw-Swati ka ghar aa gaya." Naina pointed ahead.

Shefali parked the car at some distance from Swati's house.

"Light toh on hai." Preeti observed.

"Nanu ki gaadi bhi yahi hai." Naina added.

"Nanuuuuuu" Preeti and Shefali teased her.

"Haa toh Sameer ke Nanu mere bhi toh Nanu hi huye na."

"Maine garden me phool nocha na tha, tu itne jaldi party badlegi socha na tha." Preeti dramatically kept a hand on her head.

"Chalna hai?" Shefali asked them.

"Sameer aur Pandit kaha honge?" Naina wondered.

"Andar? Ya apne ghar par?" Preeti answered.

"Ghar par toh nahi honge. Sameer apne doston ko musibat me nahi chod sakta. Tumhe pata hai? Wo na Nainital me padhta tha, wo waha se rusticate ho gaya tha sirf apne doston ko bachane ke liye. Dosti uski kamzori hai aur -" Naina stopped mid sentence looking at Preeti and Shefali's faces.

She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Wait karenge kya?" Shefali asked.

"Swati ko akele chod ke hum bhi nahi jaayenge. Sirf Jijajee yaaron ke yaar nahi hai." Preeti said, proudly.

Inside Swati's house Nanu, Anand, Bela, Munna, Sameer and Pandit were waiting for Swati's parents to announce their decision.

They had gone to Munna's house first. His mother and sisters became hysterical on seeing him after so many days. He was engulfed in too many hugs. They were told to settle down and then the whole matter was disclosed in front of them.

"Beta apna tay kiya hua rishta baap ke saamne le kar aaya hai." Munna's father scoffed.

"Aisi baat nahi hai ulta iss rishte ne toh humare bacche ko aur zimmedar bana diya hai." Nanu tried to convice him. "Aur ye baat mai aapko Munna ke Nanu ke taur par nahi bata raha hu. Mai ye aapko Munna ke boss ke taur par bata rahu hu. Swati aur Munna ko apna lijiye. Yeh ladka heera hai. Aapke business me bhi chaar chaand laga dega."

"Par ladki doosri jaat ki hai."

"Dekhiye." Anand intervened. "Baat waise bhi poore samaj me fail gayi hai. Ek muh se doosre muh baat failegi aur fir aap toh jaante hai rai ka pahad ban jaata hai. Sab ki badnaami hogi aur shayad inko kahi aur rishta bhi nahi milega. Zamana badal raha hai. Hum bhi thoda badal jaate hain."

A lot of negotiations, pleading and requesting happened for hours. Finally, Munna's father agreed. They had lost their son already, they couldn't lose their remnant respect and hold in the society. Making Swati and Munna's relationship official and legal would reduce the shame an intercaste marriage was bringing them. After all, there was the possibility of them running away, that could bring more shame to them. He felt it was the wisest to agree.

Next, all of them had visited Swati's home and the next round of negotiations, pleading and requesting happened. Swati's father was adamant on his decision. When Anand appealed in the same way he had appealed at Munna's house, Swati's father had sternly said that he'd prefer a dead daughter than a daughter that brought shame to their family's name.

That was when her mother lost all her calm and stood up for Swati.

"Maina dekha hai isko. Saans le rahi hai meri bacchi par andar se toh maar hi diya hai na usko apne aur aapke usoolon ne. Ek kaam kariye, maar hi dijiye usko bhi aur mujhe bhi. Fir, baaki zindagi apne usoolon ke saath bita lijiyega."

Swati had broken down into tears at this. Silence had fallen into the room and everyone had been waiting for some sort of announcement.

"Andar chale kya?" Naina asked after a while.

"Nahi. Kaafi intense mahual hoga uske ghar ka. Abhi rehne do." Shefali advised.

"PCO hai yaha. Baat kare kya?" Preeti suggested.

"Nahi. Wait karo." Shefali stopped them.

The silence in the room was eating every person.

"Iske liye doosra rishta toh ab milne se raha." Swati's father said after a long time. "Inki shaadi kara dete hai. Le jao isse."

"Papa." Swati's tone was so low that her voice felt like it was coming from a far off place.

"Mar gaye Papa."

"Aise mat boliye na."

"Kuch bolne layak choda bhi toh nahi hai tune."

"Papa -" A new set of tears began spilling from her eyes.

He turned his head in her direction. The girl standing in front of him didn't look like the one he used to know as his daughter. Her eyes were surrounded by dark circles. She had lost several kilos of weight. She hadn't been looking after herself. Faint mark of the slaps she had received a long time ago from him were still adorning her face. Despite all the make up she had put on for her best friend's engagement she didn't look like the Swati he knew.

Munna walked up to the father - daughter duo. He folded his hands and said,

"Swati aap sab se bahot pyar karti hai. Mai jaanta hu nayi duniya ke liye purani duniya ko barbaad karna kahi ki samajhdari nahi hoti. Naye rishton ke liye purane rishto ko todna bhi akalmandi nahi hai par mai ye bhi jaanta hu ki mai aapki beti se pyaar karta hu, saccha wala. Aap jo bolenge, mai karunga par please sacche dil se humein apna lijiye. Humne humesha aap logon ka maan rakha hai. Kabhi bhi kuch aisa nahi kiya jisse aapka sar jhukhe. Maan jaiye. Please, Papa."

The father's heart eventually began melting. He turned away, with hands on his waist,  maybe trying to control his tears.

"Papa mai mar jaaungi Munna ke bagair Papa. Mai kahi khush nahi rahungi Papa. Munna, bahot accha ladka hai Papa. Mujhe khush rakhega." Swati tried to make him understand.

He turned back to the gathering and then looked at the fragile girl who claimed to be his daughter, standing shoulder to shoulder with the man, who had brought her in this state.

"Suno, Munna naam hai na tumhara?"

"Manoj. Manoj hai. Munna toh aise hi-" He trailed off.

"Halat dekh rahe ho meri bacchi ki? Sab tumhari wajah se hai."

"Wo -"

"Khush rakhna isse. Mujhe meri purani wali beti ko firse dekhna hai. Samjhe?"

And the old man broke into tears. He hugged his would be son in law. It took everyone some time to understand what had transpired in the room. The day had started with Sameer and Naina getting engaged and was ending with the confirmation of Swati and Munna's alliance.

Pandit got up and began clapping recklessly. Everyone's frown turned into a full fledged smile.

"Toh kal dono parivaar milkar sab kuch tay kar lein?" Nanu asked.

Swati's father just nodded. He was too overwhelmed to speak.

The girls had almost died of waiting when Sameer walked out of the main gate. Naina immediately leaned over Shefali and pressed the horn. He turned his head and spotted the car.

Naina pressed the horn again, twice. He began walking towards them.

"Tum log yaha kya kar rahe ho?" He said while leaning on Naina's side of the car.

"Wo chodo. Andar kya hua?" Naina asked.

"Sab log ..." Sameer took a pause.

"Sab log kya?"

"Munna ke ghar par sab log ..."

"Haan?"

"Aur Swati ke ghar par sab log..."

"Aage bolo na!!"

"Sab log ...."

"Sameer!!"

"Sab maan gaye."

The girls began squealing with happiness. Preeti hugged Shefali and Naina. Naina had a sudden urge to open the door of the car and hug her fiance but she had to control herself.

"Ab tum log ghar jaao isse pehle koi dekhe aur tumhe daant pade." Sameer suggested and walked back to the main gate of Swati's home.

Shefali ignited the car's engine. Naina looked at Sameer's retreating back.

"Mujhse na acche se hi bola aur bina bye bole chala gaya. Isko toh mai ghar pahuch ke batati hu. Sameer ke bacche ab tumhari khair nahi." Naina thought.

Precap - Balcony diaries :p