“Kya hua?”

“Ye tumhari fingers kitni moti hain?”

“Kya!” she was flabbergasted, “Ye kya bol rahe hain aap?”

“Aur kya? Dekho, meri ungliyan.”

“Meri aapse patli hain.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Aap pagal ho gaye hain kya?”

“Bilkul nahin. Achcha chalo, ek dhaaga lao. Dono ki ungliyan naapte hain.”

Puzzled and irritated though she was, she fetched a thread anyway. Kabir tied a knot around her ring finger and then took it off. Then Ananya did the same for his ring finger. They measured the two circles.

“Haan. Dekho! Ye tumhara measurement hai na.”

“Ji nahin! Mera ye hai. Aapki ungliyan mujhse zyada moti hain. And obviously so.”

“Aisa hai kya? You are right. Sorry yaar.”

“Sorry? Sorry se kaam nahin chalega. Aap har samay mujhe ulta-seedha bolte rahte hain. Kabhi mujhe mota bolte hain, kabhi meri ungliyon ko.”

“Tumhein kab mota kaha?”

“Kyon? Us din? Apne do pairon par khadee ho jao. Tumhein car se andar tak laane mein meri heropanthi nikal gayi–”

“Mota nahin, heavy kahan tha tumhein.”

“Ek hi baat hai.”

“Nahin. Bones bhi heavy ho sakti hai.”

“Ye sab technical explanations nahin chalenge. Main koi court nahin hoon.”

“Achchha! Penance chalega? Dinner par le chaloon tumehin?”

“Mere saath dinner par chalna penance hai? Taqleef hogi aapko?”

“Arre ab aise baal ki khaal to mat nikalo.”

“To kya aap mujhe date ke liye poochh rahe hain?”

“Haan.”

“Ma ki permission leni padegi,” she teased him.

“Woh bhi le loonga. Tum to haan karo.”

“Sochti hoon.”

“I promise, ki hum dessert bhi order karenge.”

She smiled.

“Ye smile, Ananya, meri strength hai. Ise kabhi mat khatam hone dena.”

He gazed at her fondly for a moment longer, then said. “Chalo. Ab main ghar chalta hoon. Dinner tomorrow?”

She nodded.

“Main Mrs. Kashyap se bhi permission le leta hoon.”

“Uski zaroorat nahin hai, Kabir. Main mazaak kar rahi thi.”

“Zaroorat nahin hai. Lekin main phir bhi unhein bata dena chahta hoon.”

“Bade old fashioned hain aap,” she grinned, “Ma ko isliye pasand aa gaye.”

“You made a safe choice, Ms. Kahsyap!”

When he left after taking her mother’s permission for their dinner the next day, Armaan came out with him.

“Ek baat poochhon aapse?”

“Poochho, Armaan?”

“Aap Ma ko Mrs. Kashyap kyon kahte hain? Ab to unhone aapko accept kar liya hai. Aap unhein Ma bula sakte hain na?”

“Woh isliye, Armaan, ki abhi maine unko Ma kahne ka haq haasil kiya nahin hai. Lekin main promise karta hoon ki tumhare Papa ki sachchai ko saamne la kar jaldi hi haasil kar loonga.”

—

“Manav ne RG se contact kar liya hai.”

“Unki story kya hai?”

“Ki KKN ki ek team RG Pharma ke secrets ka pata laga rahi hai, but woh RG ke saath cooperate karne ko taiyaar hai is story ko dabane ke liye. For financial gains, obviously.”

“Bye Didi!” Armaan was leaving for school and greeted them all, “Bye Ronnie Bhaiya, Richa Didi, Sunny Bhaiya.”

“Bye Armaan.”

“Bye Jiju!” he blurted and then stood there embarrassed, “I mean, Kabir Sir. Waise main aapko jiju bula sakta hoon na?”

Kabir blushed, but replied sportingly, “Ye to tumhein apni Didi se poochhna hoga.”

“Woh kyon poochhega?” It was Ananya’s turn to blurt out.

Richa giggled, while Ronnie said with mock seriousness, “Correct. Armaan kyon poochhega?”

Ananya’s mother had also come in the hall. She was smiling at the drama.

“Theek hai,” Kabir sighed, “Main hi poochh leta hoon.”

Before anyone could fathom what was going on, he went down on his knees in front of Ananya and produced a ring from his pocket, “Ananya Kashyap! Mujhe pata hai ki maine tumhari life ka sabse important kaam abhi poora nahin kiya hai. Lekin agar tum saath dogi to ye, aur iske alaawa bhi kai kaam, main poore kar sakta hoon. So! Will you marry me?”

Ananya stared at him agape. When had he planned this? Mrs. Kashyap got tears in her eyes. Ananya’s friends and Armaan also stared open mouthed.

Slowly Ananya turned her eyes to her mother and after a slight assuring nod from her, she whispered, her voice croaking from emotions running high, “Yes!”

He slipped the ring on her finger and everyone clapped. He brought her hand up and kissed the ring.

“Ye moti ungliyon, patli ungliyon ka natak aap iske liye kar rahe the?” she asked in a low voice so that others didn’t overhear. He just gave a knowing smile in return.

Armaan rushed to them and hugged them both. “I am so happy!” he said.

—

All of them were gathered in PCR for Manav’s bulletin.

Ananya waited with bated breath for the clip Kabir had not let her see beforehand.

“Ek informer hai RG sahab,” Manav was telling the owner of RG Pharma, whose figure was dancing creepily in the spy camera’s video, “Jo kuchh zyada hi pareshaan kar raha hai.”

“Uski chinta aap mat kijiye. Bas uska naam aur photo hamare hawaale kar dijiye. Kaam ho jayega.”

“Kaisa kaam?”

“Uska munh hamesha ke liye band karwane ka kaam.”

“Are aisa mat kahiye RG Sahab,” Manav’s voice had the right amount of feigned shock and fear in it, “Iski zaroorat thode hi na padegi. Thodi purse strings aur loosen karni padegi. Jitne paise aap de rahe hain, uske baad is sab ki zaroorat thode hi na hai.”

“Are Manav Sahab. Hote hain kuchh usoolon waale log.”

“Itna usoolon waala koi nahin hota.”

“Hamara aath saal pahle ka case yaad hai. Ek employee pakda gaya tha – Sudhir Kashyap.”

“Haan, haan. Lekin usne to suicide kiya tha na.”

RG smiked, “Kitni aasaani se kahaniyon par bharosa kar lete hain aap, Manav Sahab. Hamara kaam aapko itna aasaan lagta hai kya? Bhej dijiyega hamein us informer ki detail agar uska munh nahin band hua to. Aur haan – ye aapke editor-in-chief ko pata nahin hai kuchh is baare mein?”

“Nahin. Bilkul nahin.”

“To ye ensure kijiyega. Unse thoda purana rishta hai hamara. Aur media waalon ko main marwaana nahin chata. Lekin woh bhi bada usulon waala insaan hai. To mere haath na chhoot jayen.”

Ananya clasped Kabir’s hands. Her hand was cold and sweaty.

“Ananya!” Kabir put his arms around her.

“Ye insaan…”

“Ghabrao mat, Ananya. Police ke paas already ye clips hain. Abhi tak shayad woh custody mein ja chuka hai. Kabhi bhi new aa sakti hai— Aa gayi!”

There was a commotion in the PCR. Manav was briefed about the breaking news of RG Pharma’s factories and offices being sealed by the police and its owner being arrested.

Kabir and Ananya walked out of the room while Manav read the news.

They went to his cabin.

“Satisfied ho?” he asked her.

She nodded, then grew tearful.

“Thank you, Kabir!”

“No. Thank you, Ananya. Tumhari wajah se meri sabse badi failure aaj revert ho gayi hai. Ab shayad main thoda kam guilty feel karoonga.”

“Mujhe Ma ke paas jaana hai.”

“Chalo.”

—

To be continued