Mrs. Kashyap tearfully hugged her daughter, then Kabir.

“Maine tumhein samajhne mein galti ki thi, Kabir. Teri choice ko samajhne mein galti ki thi, Ananya. Lekin agar Sudhir hote, to unhein teri choice par bahut garv hota.”

“Jiju to Papa ki choice the hi na, Ma,” Armaan added, leaning affectionately on Kabir’s hands.

Kabir spoke at last, “Mere oopar bharosa karne ke liye, aur mujhe is family mein accept karne ke liye, thank you Mrs…” he stopped and smiled before rectifying himself, “Ma!”

Mrs. Kashyap wiped her tears.

“Ab yahin khade rahoge kya tum log? Andar aao. Maine dinner banati hoon. Aur tere dost bhi aayenge na, Ananya?”

“Main unhein phone kar deti hoon, Ma, ki office se nikal kar yahin aa jayen.”

“Uski zaroorat nahin hai, Ananya,” Richa’s voice startled them, “Hamein to aaj yahan aana hi tha.” She went forward and hugged her childhood friend.

Then she turned to Kabir and said, “Maine aapse kabhi maafi nahin maangi, Sir. Maine aapko bahut galat samjha tha aur isliye Ananya ka bhi jeena haraam kar diya tha–”

“Uski zaroorat nahin hai, Richa. Mujhe khushi hai ki Ananya ke dost uski itni fikr karte hain.”

“I know ki main dubara poochh raha hoon, lekin kya main aur Armaan kuchh credit le sakte hain hamesha Kabir Sir ki tarafdaari karne ke liye?” Ronnie asked with a raised eyebrow and everyone laughed.

—

“Kya main aaj yahan ruk sakta hoon?” Kabir asked Mrs. Kashyap after everyone else had left.

“Aise formalities kar ke mujhe embarrass mat karo, Kabir. Tum yahan shift ho sakte ho, chaho to. Main tumhare change karne ke liye kapde nikaalti hoon.”

Later Mrs. Kashyap and Armaan retired to their rooms and Kabir and Ananya were finally left alone.

“Balcony mein chalte hain. Abhi wahan achchha lagega,” Ananya said.

Kabir followed her. He put his arms around her and they stood together for a long time.

“Aaj kya bolun Kabir? Kuchh bhi bolungi to sufficient nahin hoga.”

“Kuchh mat bolo, Annie,” he replied unthinkingly, then hesitated, “Kya main tumhein–”

“Bula sakte hain. Aapko haq hai. Papa ke baad sirf aapko haq hai.”

“Woh tumse bahut pyaar karte the,” Kabir said, “Aur main jaanta hoon ki unki kami kabhi poori nahin ho sakti. Lekin Annie, maine poori koshish karoonga ki tumhari life mein pyaar ki koi kami na rahe.”

She spoke after a pause, “Let’s get married, Kabir. Main aapse door nahin rahna chahti ab.”

“Chalein abhi? Kissi mandir mein? Koi pandit to uth hi jayega thode paise zyada denge to.”

She chuckled, “Nahin. Aur teenage harquatein karne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Ma karwa dengi hamari shaadi. Aur Bhaiya-Bhabhi ko bhi to hona chahiye.”

“Dada aur unki family to agle week wapas aa jayenge. Ma ko bolo ki jaldi karwa dein shaadi hamari.”

“Jab tak maine mention nahin kiya tha, aapne ek baar bhi baat nahin chhedi thi shaadi ki. Abhi itni jaldbaazi ho gayi hai aapko.”

“Tumhari Ma ko freak out nahin karna chahta. Isliye you have no idea ki mujhe kitni jaldbaazi hai.”

“Kabir?” she suddenly became serious.

“Kya hua?”

“Shaadi ke baad… Kya Ma aur Armaan hamare saath rah sakte hain?”

He frowned and Ananya grew nervous.

“Plan B kya hai tumhara?” he asked, “Kya woh log Sunny aur Baby ke saath rahenge?”

“Kabir! Jaan nikaal di thi aapne meri thodi der ke liye.”

“Ananya. Main bahut possessive hoon tumhein le kar. Tumhari har cheez ab meri hai. Relations bhi, responsibilities bhi, aur ye smile bhi… Aur khaas kar ke ye smile main kissi ke saath share nahin kar sakta. Exclusively for me.”

He closed in and pressed his lips against hers. Her arms went around him and rubbed his back. A low moan escaped her throat when he kissed her neck.

“Kabir. Mere kamre mein chalte hain,” she said in a sibilant voice.

“Nahin,” he stopped, panting, “Nahin. Aise nahin, Ananya.”

She looked embarrassed and he clarified, “Itna old-fashioned nahin hoon. Lekin yahan abhi Ma hain, Armaan hai. Main koi embarrassing situation nahin khadi karna chahta.”

“Yahi to sabse achchhi baat hai aapki, Kabir. Main aap par depend kar sakti hoon. For doing the right thing.”

“For you, Ananya, I try. Chalo ab tum apne kamre mein jao. So jao. Aur main apne, I mean Armaan ke kamre mein.” He kissed her on forehead and led her back into the house.

—

Ananya entered Kabir’s cabin in the evening and slumped on the chair with a loud sigh.

He looked up and smiled, “Kya hua? Tired?”

“Exhausted. Jab se RG Pharma ki story air hui hai, main khud news ban gayi hoon, reporter ki bajay.”

“Kal tumhara off day hai, right? Main bhi off le leta hoon. Aur tumhein is duniya se door kahin le chalta hoon. Relax karne ke liye,” he grinned.

“Achchha! Kahan le chalenge duniya se door?”

“Woh surprise hai.”

“Okay. Waise mere dost aaj pub jaane ki baat kar rahe hain. Aap join karenge?”

“Tumhare dost? Matlab Richa, Ronnie wagerah?”

“Aur kaun dost bache hain mere is job mein aane ke baad.”

“Phir tum jao. Ek to mere wahan hone se woh log relaxed nahin feel karenge. Aur phir mujhe aaj thoda kaam bhi hai.”

“Okay, Boss!” she got up.

“Ananya!”

“Ji?”

“Zyada drink mat karna. Aur agar kar lo to cab se ghar mat jaana. Mujhe call kar lena.”

She smiled fondly, “Don’t worry. Hum dance ke liye ja rahe hain. Drink ke liye nahin.”

“Aur kal subah hum 11 ‘o clock niklenge. Ghar par bata dena aur taiyaar rahna.”

“Can’t wait!”

—

“Madam! Excuse me… Please wake up, Ma’am….”

Ananya’s attention was drawn to the next table where a waiter was fretting over a drunk customer. She saw a woman who was sitting alone and had apparently passed out from drinking.

“Woh akeli hai kya?” Ananya whispered to Ronnie.

“Honge saath waale log dance floor par. Tu chhod na use. Aur dance karna hai?”

“Nahin, Ronnie. Actually ab chalte hain ghar. Richa bhi nikal gayi hai.”

“Kal to off hai tera. Rukte hain na thodee der. Kya bolta hai, Sunny?”

“Aur kya?”

“Sunny, yaar. Mujhe kal kahin jaana hai. To sona zaroori hai.”

“Kahan? Kahan?” Ronnie wriggled his eyebrows mischievously.

“Tujhe kyon bataun?”

“Akele?”

“Shut up, Ronnie.”

“Achchha chal baba,” Ronnie stood up.

Ananya hesitated as they passed by the next table. Then she accosted the waiter who was trying to wake the woman up earlier. “Woh akeli hain kya?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Ab koi banda hota to hum to use closing time par bahar phenk dete. Inka kya karein?”

“Ronnie, Sunny. I don’t think inhein yahan aise chhodan achcha idea hai.”

“Pata chale kahan chhodna hai to cab mein bitha dein.”

“Aisi halat mein cab mein akele bithana bhi theek nahin hai, Ronnie. Won incident nahin yaad hai kya kuchh din pahle ka… Lekin pahle pata karte hain ki inhein jaana kahan hai.”

Ananya spotted her purse lying nearby and started rummaging through it.

“Are Ananya. Kya kar rahi hai?” Ronnie panicked, “Aise purse kissi ka…”

“Aur kaise pata chalega? Inki halat dekh. Ye dekh. Ye to kissi hotel ki chaabhi lag rahi hai.”

“ITC Maurya,” Ronnie read over her shoulders.

“Badi ameer hai, yaar!” Sunny commented.

“Ronnie. Ek cab bula le. Maine unhein hotel chhod kar usi cab se ghar chali jaungi.”

“Nahin, Ananya. Main tere saath chlunga. Phir usi cab se hum wapas yahan aayenge. Phir main apni humble motorcycle se tujhe drop karoonga.”

“Lekin–”

“Arre chal na. Tu hi bas ek Mother Teresa hai kya yahan?”

“Achchha Baba! Chal.”

The woman seemed to gain some sense once in a while during the cab ride, but they could not engage her in any lucid conversation. It was when they were relieving her to the care of hotel staff that she suddenly seemed to grow aware of what was happening.

“Kaun ho tum?” she asked Ananya.

“Ananya. Ab aap apne kamre mein aaraam kijiye.”

“You helped me, didn’t you? Main to hosh mein hi nahin hoon abhi,” she slurred through her words, but her thoughts seemed clear, “Please leave me your number. I will thank you tomorrow.”

“Uski zaroorat nahin hai–”

“Please!”

“Ye mera card hai. Good night.”

—

To be continued