“Tarini se milogi?”

“Zaroor.”

“Main use call karta hoon. Abhi hi mil sakte hain.”

They went to a coffee shop. Tarini was already there. She smiled and extended her hands to Ananya. But Ananya felt overwhelmed and hugged her instead. Tarini was taken aback, at first. Then she smiled.

“Sorry!” Ananya stepped back, embarrased at her over-reaction, “Main, pata nahin–”

“No!” Tarini smiled and pressed her hands, “Thank you, Ananya. Sab kuchh samajhne ke liye.”

Later that night Tarini called Kabir, “Tumne use sab kuchh bata diya?”

“Tumhare baare mein? Haan.”

“Aur?”

“Shreya ke baare mein thoda-bahut. Baaki bhi bata doonga.”

“Aur?”

“Aur kuchh batane ke liye der ho gayi hai, Tarini. Jis moment par maine bina soche samjhe use propose kar diya tha, tabhi maine us sach par hamesha ke liye taala daal diya tha.”

“Agar woh mera aur Shreya ka sach samajh sakti hai, to poora sach bataoge to woh bhi samjhegi, Kabir.”

“Ho sakta hai. Lekin ab main use khone se bahut darta hoon. Main risk nahin le sakta.”

—

“Ma. Kabir Sir,” Ananya introduced him to her mother when he went to pick her up the next morning.

“Hello, Mrs. Kashyap.”

“Hello, Mr. Sharma,” she greeted him and shot a puzzled glance at her daughter.

“Woh kal mujhe Tinu drop kar ke gaya tha na. To mere paas scooter nahin tha. Isliye Kabir Sir mujhe pick up karne… aa… gaye…” she faltered towards the end on realizing that it was a lame excuse for an editor-in-chief to pick up a junior reporter.

“Bahut achchha hua ki aap ghar aaye. Please baithiye. Lekin Ananya. Tu cab kar leti. Inhein pareshaan karne ki kya zaroorat thi?”

“Koi baat nahin, Mrs. Kashyap. Actually hamein waise bhi field mein hi jaana tha office se. To hum yahin se chale jayenge. Isliye main idhar hi aa gaya. Main baithoonga nahin abhi–”

“Pahli baar ghar aaye hain–”

“Formality ki koi zaroorat nahin hai, Mrs. Kashyap. Agar Ananya ready hai to hum nikalte hain. Der ho rahi hai. Main phir aa jaunga. Please don’t worry,” he noticed her brows knitting and added, “Kya hua, Mrs. Kashyap?”

“Abhi aapki aawaaz sun ke achanak laga jaise ki bilkul yahi cheez main kabhi pahle suni hai. I think TV par aapki aawaaz sunne ki aadat hai.”

“Déjà vu hoga, Ma? Hum chalein?”

—

“Tinu! Seriously? Tinu ne drop kiya tha ghar tumhein?” Kabir was having a laugh riot at Ananya’s expense.

“Ab main kiska naam leti? Ronnie ka leti to turat hi pakdi jaati.”

“Jooth aisa bolo ki koi bharosa kare.”

“Ma ne bharosa kar liya. Abhi ke liye, at least,” she sighed and leaned back.

“Kya hua, Ananya?”

“Mujhe nahin pata Ma kaise react karengi jab unhein pata chalega to.”

“Kya main kuchh nahin kar sakta unhein convince karne ke liye?”

“Logon ke prejudices hote hain, Kabir. Khair. Dekha jayega.”

“Rest assured, Ananya. Mujhe jo bhi karne ki zaroorat hogi main karoonga.”

“I know,” she smiled.

“Lekin ye pickup aur drop ka tumhein kuchh karna hoga, Ananya. Tumhara scooter hamesha hamare beech nahin aata rah sakta.”

“Aaj main ghar par le aaungi. Kal se main ghar se nikal kar use paas waale shopping complex mein park kar doongi. Aap mujhe wahan se pick kar lijiyega.”

“Teenagers waale kaam kara rahi ho, Ananya. Aise bahane maar-maar ke, chhup-chhup ke milna.”

“Sorry!” she made a baby face at him.

“Ab aise shakal banaogi to maine teenagers kya babies waali harquantein bhi karne ko taiyaar ho jaunga.”

—

“Mujhe to lagta hai na,” Ronnie said in the canteen, “Ki Ananya ka chakkar Tinu ke saath chal raha hai.”

“Kya?”

“Tinu tujhe aaj kal kuchh zyda hi ghar drop nahin karta.”

“Sach mein?” Richa grinned.

“Haan. Aaj kal to hardly kabhi apna scooter laati hai ye. Kyon Ananya?”

“Ronnie, tu pagal ho gaya hai.”

“Achchha. Tinu se nahin chal raha tera chakkar. To kya Kabir se chal raha hai?”

Ananya paled.

Richa stared at her. “Kabir Sir? Ananya, kya ye sach hai?”

“Tu humse kyon chhipa rahi hai, Ananya?” Ronnie asked seriously.

“Chhipa nahin rahi, Ronnie, yaar. Bas ye soch rahi thi ki kab aur kaise bataun? Ye sab itna–”

“Isliye tune resign nahin kiya?” Richa asked.

“Well – partly – yes–”

“Aur jab woh tujhe dhokha dega, tab kya karegi? Phir se resign karne ki sochegi?”

“Richa. Aise kyon bol rahi hai tu, yaar? Tu jaanti kitna hai unke baare mein?”

“At least main andhi nahin hoon teri tarah.”

“Calm down girls,” Ronnie tried to intervene.

“Ronnie yaar. Tu samjha ise.”

“Tu over-react kar rahi hai, Richa.”

“Main? Main bas ise iske dreamland se utaarne ki koshish kar rahi hoon–”

“Guys!” Vinod peeked in, “Meeting time. Kabir, Malvika aur Khalid already meeting room mein hain.”

Their conversation, therefore, ended on that uncomfortable note.

—

“Hello Auntie!”

Ananya’s mother had called Ronnie and Richa home. She had asked them to come when Ananya was not around.

“Hello Ronnie, Richa. Aao baitho. Main paani laati hoon.”

“Auntie. Aapne hamein aise kyon bulaya?”

“Batati hoon.”

She brought water for them and then sat down.

“Tum log uske dost ho aur uska bhala chahte ho. Isliye please mujhse jhooth mat bolna. Ananya aur Kabir – kya chal raha hai unke beech?”

Ronnie and Richa were stumped for a moment. Then Ronnie broke the silence.

“Auntie. I think aapko chinta karne ki zaroorat nahin hai. I’m sure Ananya jaanti hai ki woh kya kar rahi hai.”

“I don’t think so, Ronnie,” Richa objected, “I don’t think Kabir Sir uske liye sahi insaan hain. Woh andhi ho gayi hai pyaar mein. Us bande ki poori history hai…”

“Mujhe bhi yahi dar hai,” Mrs. Kahsyap concurred, “He is a divorcee, isn’t he?”

“And a womanizer and a flirt. Ananya bhi jaanti hai.”

“I think aap log zyada judgemental ho rahe hain,” Ronnie objected.

“Ronnie!” Mrs. Kashyap addressed him, “Woh apne Papa ko bahut miss karti hai. Shayad use ek father figure ki zaroorat hai. Kabir is older, experienced. Professional mentor hai uska. Almost hero-worship karti hai woh uski. Aur profesionally he is capable. Lekin iska ye matlab nahin hai ki uski persoanl life clean hai. Mujhe Ananya ki fikr hai.”

Ronnie fell silent after that. How far could he defend Kabir? Despite his own heartbreak, he did think that Kabir genuinely loved Ananya. But he didn’t know him well enough to stand up for him against such skepticism.

Just then they heard a click at the door and Ananya entered opening it with her own key.

—

To be continued