“No Richa and Trisha! You can’t take off. Ananya madam already nahin aayi hain. Ronnie ne bhi bas ek text bhej diya hai ki woh nahin aayega. Ye koi college nahin hai ki tum log mass bunk kar ke movie dekhne chale jaoge. Jao wapas apne kaam par.”
“Malvika, please aap hamari baat to suniye–”
“No means no–”
“Malvika!” Kabir entered her cabin, “Jaane do in logon ko. Aaj koi emergency nahin hai. Aap log bas apne news padhne ke time par yahan aa jayen.”
“Yes Sir. Hum dono ko hi evening mein news padhna hai. We will be here well before that. Thank you so much, Sir.”
“Ye kya tamasha hai, Kabir–” Malvika burst out at him as soon as Richa and Trisha had left.
“Ananya ko kal raat pata chala hai ki uske father, jinka woh aath saalon se intezaar kar rahi thi, zinda nahin hain.”
“So?”
“So? Ye log uske dost hain, Malvika. Abhi use unki zaroorat hai.”
“Tumhein nahin lagta ki tumehin uski kuchh zyada hi chinta hoti hai–”
“Malvika please. Main bahut thaka hua hoon. Kal main der raat lauta tha sting operation se, aur tab se soya bhi nahin hoon.”
“I’m sorry,” Malvika suddenly took a placating tone, “Main thoda stressed out thi. But tumhari halat bahut kharaab lag rahi hai. Tum mere saath mere ghar kyon nahin chalte, Kabir? I will take care of you, I promise!”
“Malvika. Abhi to tum aise behave kar rahi thi ki Richa aur Trisha ke ek din ki chhutti lene se KKN band ho jayega. Aur ab tum chahti ho ki hum dono bhi office se nikal jayen.”
“Kabir. Tumhein aaraam ki zaroorat hai. I just care for you.”
“Na to tum naadaan ho, Malvika, na maine tumhein kabhi koi galat hint diya hai. Hamari relationship professional hai. I am haapy to be friends with you, kyonki jin logon se saath hamein din-raat kaam karna ho, woh agar hamare dost ho to achcha hota hai. Lekin isse zyada main kuchh aur nahin dekhta hamare beech. I am not looking for a relationship, Malvika. I am sorry that I have to spell that out for you. Anyway. Main tumse kuchh prodcution changes dicuss karne ke liye aaya tha. But let’s talk tomorrow.”
—
Kabir saw Ananya coming to his cabin. These days he had made it his habit not to speak to her alone. So, he made his way out so that she ran into him in the corridor itself.
“Kabir. Dr. Sinha ne finally apna statement de diya hai. Unhone admin-in-charge, Dr Kapoor, ko confront kiya tha, kuchh major irregularities ke baare mein. Unki beti ne apne Papa ko bachane ke liye Dr. Sinha ko is controversy mein phansa diya. Phir Dr. Kapoor ne unhein unki beti ko le kar threaten kiya…”
“Hamesha ki wahi kahaani hai!”
“In dinon admin-in-charge ki beti, jisne accuse kiya tha, woh bhi college nahin aa rahi. Tinu ne pata lagaya hai, woh aaj kal shahar ke bahar ek farmhouse mein rah rahi hai.”
“Hamein woh papers chahiye, jisse irregularities clear ho. Phir hum news break kar sakte hain.”
“Ji. Hopefully hum Dr. Sinha ko persuade kar lenge hamare saath woh share karne ke liye.”
“Theek hai. And Ananya.”
“Ji?”
“Hamare kuchh field reporters chhutti par hain. So I need you to do live reporting for sometime. Hamare investigative projects abhi hold par rahenge.”
Ananya knew he was lying. Nobody was on leave. She was aware of his attempts to keep her away from him. Now he was sending her back to live reporting to keep her away from the office too. But what was she to do about it?
“Ji,” she acquisced without confronting him.
—
“Ananya! Kahan hai tu?” Ronnie called her in the evening.
“Field mein thi yaar, poore din. Chai peene chalna hai?”
“Haan, chalte hain. Mujhe tujhse kuchh baat bhi karni thi. Tu seedhe wahan pahunchegi?”
“Haan. Aadhe ghante mein.”
“Done.”
—
“Itna thak gayi hoon main, Ronnie. Waise bata. Tujhe kya baat karn ithi.”
“Tera mood theek nahin lag raha. Baad mein karte hain.”
“Arre nahin, yaar. Tere saamne kya mood theek nahin hoga. Bol na.”
“Pakka?”
“Itna format kyon ho raha hai yaar, Ronnie? Ab kya stamp paper par likhwa ke lega?”
Ronnie chuckled, “Nahin. Lekin… Ananya. Dhyaan se sunna…. I… I love you, Ananya.”
“Arre to? I also love you.”
“Nahin. Tu samajh nahin rahi…”
He went down on his knees.
“Ronnie!”
“Ananya. Tu mere liye sab kuchh hai. Jab se tujhe jaanta hoon, tab se tujhe pyaar karta hoon. Rah nahin sakta main tere bina. Jaan de sakta hoon tere liye. Tu… tu sun rahi hai na meri baat.”
She barely nodded, staring at him in confusion and indecision.
He stood up and sat beside her again, “Maine tujhe surprise kar diya hai. Tujhe abhi jawaab dene ki zaroorat nahin hai, Ananya. Tu time le, jitna time lena hai le. But promise kar ki tu sochegi iske baare mein.”
She nodded, barely.
“Tujhe bata kar hi main itna khush hoon. Jab… Khair. Ghar chalein?”
“Main scooter layi hoon,” she finally found her voice.
“Dhyaan se jaana. Good night.”
—
“Ananya. Tu theek to hai?” Richa caught up with her in the canteen the next day.
“Pata nahin.”
“Kya hua?”
“Ronnie ne mujhe kal propose kiya.”
“Really? Finally!”
“Finally? Tujhe pata tha ki woh…”
“Don’t tell me, Ananya, ki tujhe pata nahin tha.”
“Woh mera best friend hai, Richa. Lekin maine kabhi–”
“Kya bola tune use?” Richa grew alarmed.
“Abhi tak kuchh bola nahin hai, lekin main ye nahin kar sakti…”
“Kyon Ananya? Ronnie itna achchha ladka hai. Tum dono ek doosre ko itne achchhe se samajhte ho–”
“I know, Richa. Lekin maine use is tarah se kabhi nahin dekha. He means a lot to me. Lekin–”
“To ab dekhne ki koshish kar le. It will be good for you.”
“Nahin Richa. Ye nahin ho sakta. Mujhe use mana karna hoga.”
“Kyon Ananya? Kiske liye? Kabir ke liye?”
“What? Kabir Sir beech mein kahan se aa gaye.”
“Main andhi nahin hoon, Ananya. Ronnie ke man mein kya chal raha tha ye bhi dikhta tha muhe. Aur tere man mein kya chal raha hai, ye bhi dikh raha hai. Lekin tu andhi hai. Na tujhe Ronnie ki sachchai dikhti hai. Na Kabir Sir ka fareb.”
“Kya fareb? Tu Kabir Sir ke baare mein kya bole ja rahi hai?”
—
To be continued