The whole Elliston Hall was wrapped in a bubble of silence. No one said anything. The tension in the hall could be cut with a knife. Mitali fidgeted with her fingers for a while and then getting annoyed, finally spoke,

Mitali: I suppose, we are gathered here for a meeting. So if you guys have taken a vow of silence,then that's not going to happen, is it?

Adi chuckled slightly.

Taps: No, surely not.Let's start the meeting. So,.....the reason I summoned you guys here today, is because......the dancers who were going to perform the opening act couldn't please Dean . He said he wasn't happy with their perfomance, at all. So he cancelled them. 

Sahil: Typical him.

Anu: But we have to perform an opening act, right?

Taps: Yes.......I'm just coming to that.

Mitali: I don't like that look on your face.

Taps: So......the Dean wants us to do a play for the opening act.

Shanu: What??!!

Mitali: Us.....as in?

Taps: We 8.

Anu: Holy shit!

Adi: Taps, tune unhe batya nahi ki sirf ek week baki hai Meet ko. Ek week mein kaisa prepare karenge play?

Taps: Tujhe kya lagta hai, maine nahi bola? Maine bola yaar, par vo meri koi baat sunne ko tayyar hi nahi hai.

Adi:(to Sahil) Yaar, no offense, par tere papa ek number ke...voh hai!

Sahil:(to Adi) None taken.

Daksh: Par ab karenge kya?

Taps: Play ki tayari.

Mitali: But what about the preparations ? Who will take care of that?

Taps: We will.

Anu: Par kaise?

Taps: Dekho, guys,......jyada tar preparations to ho chuki hai na? To phir! Baki jitna baki hai, vo hum college mein jyada time spend kar ke kar lenge. Aur play ki tayari bhi ho jayegi.

Ruhaan: Jitna simple tum isko sound karwa rahi ho na , utna simple nahi hai yeh sab.

Tapasya looked at him.

"Well, at least isi bahane isne mujhse baat to ki.", she thought.

Adi: Tere pas koi behtar idea hai, bhai?

Ruhaan: Nahi, mere pas koi behtar idea to nahi hai, par ek simple idea zarur hai.

Mitali; Kya?

Ruhaan: Hum play aaj ke aaj hi khatam karenge.

All: Kya??!!!

Mitali: Yeh hai tumhara SIMPLE idea??

Ruhaan: Meri puri baat to sun lo guys. Hum aaj sham tak pura play design karna complete. Like you know, script, direction, costume, everything. Aur kal se after college, hum sab mere ghar chalenge, aur practice kar lenge. Isse preparations bhi time pe puri ho jayengi aur play ki practice bhi ho jayegi.

Taps:(excitedly) Great!

Ruhaan looked at her. They shared an eyelock while the others were busy figuring out whether the plan would work or not.

Mitali: Thik hai. Ab sab kiya hai, to yeh plan bhi try kar ke dekhte hai!

Adi: Acha toh. Play ki strategy discuss kare?

Mitali: Bandar, play hai.....surgical attack nahi, ki strategy discuss kare! Pehle hume iska theme sochna parega.

Adi: Ha voh bhi keh sakte hai!

Shanu: Play kiske upar karna chahiye?

Anu: What about Romeo and Juliet?

Mitali: Argh!

Taps: Nahi, Ananya.Voh sabhi karte hai.

Shanu: Uh.....Pride and Prejudice?

Daksh: Nahi....voh bohot zyada lamba ho jayega.

Sahil: What about Lord of Rings?

Shanu: Usme ladkiyon ka kya kaam?

Mitali: Guys, aise hum kabhi decide nahi kar payenge.  Ek kaam karo, (Turning to Ruhaan) Ruhaan, tune idea diya hai to tu hi decide kar. Tu jo bolega hume manzoor hai.

Ruhaan: Uh......mai soch raha tha ki........aisa koi theme rakhte hai jo easy bhi ho aur best bhi.

Anu: Konsa?

Ruhaan: Theme hum medieval period rakhte hai. And hum dikha sakte hai ki the princess of some kingdom falls for a normal villager, you know. Aur phir stuff happens and they can't unite.You know what I mean?

Daksh: That's a good one. Vahi karte hai.

Anu: Hum kar to payenge na?

Shanu: Tension mat le. Ruhaan hai na, voh sab samhal lega.

Mitali: Chalo, story to decide ho gayi. Ab characters decide kare?

Ruhaan: Okay, to......Adi will be the male protagonist and............Mitali would be the female protagonist.

Mitali: Arey! Mai kyu?

Ruhaan: Kyuki maine bola. Bas?

Mitali made a face.

Ruhaan: Sahil, you'll be Adi's friend and Shayantani , tum Mitali ki step-sister ban jana.

Sahil: Alright.

Shanu: Fine.

Ruhaan: Daksh would be the prince from another regime who wants to marry Mitali, but obviously can't.

Daksh:(chuckling) Alright.

Ruhaan: Um,....Ananya , you'll be Adi's sister.

Adi:(To Ananya) Aaja meri pyari behen!

Ananya:(to Adi) Ha Bhaiya!

They chuckled.

Ruhaan: Mai Mitali ka bara bhai ban jaunga. You know, jo uski shaadi kisi bare  khandan mein karwana chahta hai.

Mitali: Ruhaan, are you sure, tum itna khadoos character play kar paoge?

Ruhaan: Apne hamari acting abhi dekhi kaha mohtarma?!

Mitali: Intezaar rahega bhaiya!

Sahil: Arey par ek second! Abhi Tapasya to baki hai.

Mitali: Ha...voh...

Taps: It's fine guys. Mujhe vaise bhi acting nahi aati.

Mitali: To hum konsa filmfare jite huye actors hai?! 

Ruhaan: Tapasya........(looking at her)....

Mitali: Tapasya, Ruhaan ki wife hogi! Kya bolte ho dosto?

Ruhaan and Tapasya looked at each other, while Mitali winked at Adi.

Adi: Arey!Ha! Bilkul sahi chuna hai Mitali ne! 

Taps: Uh....par....

Mitali: Par var mai nahi sunne vali! Tum uski wife banogi , bas!

Taps: Par mai karungi kya?

Mitali: Vahi, jo har wife karti hai. Apne husband ko track pe lane ka kaam! 

Tapasya looked at questioningly.

Mitali: Mai samjhati hu! Ruhaan meri shaadi kisi rich bande se karvana chahta hai, right? Par mai kisi aur se pyaar karti hu. Aur yeh baat maine sirf tumko batayi hai. So you try your best to convince your husband to let me marry the guy I love. Wouldn't that be great?

Tapasya looked at her and then at Ruhaan. Mitali glanced at both of them and said,

Mitali: It's going to be great, trust me.

Saying that, she took Tapasya's hand and slid it inside Ruhaan's. They both looked at each other.

"I hope so.............",they thought.

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