“Ma?” Kabir picked up the phone immediately when he saw the caller id.

“Kabir, kaise ho?”

“Ji. Main theek hoon. Aap– Koi problem hai kya?”

“Shreya…”

“Ma. Mera ek past hai. Ye sach hai aur ise main badal nahin sakta. Lekin mera bharosa kijiye ki maine Ananya se kuchh nahin chhipaya hai–”

“Main tumhein lekar pareshaan nahin hoon, Kabir. Woh video dekha maine.  Lekin Shreya – usne mujhe kitni aasaani se deceive kar diya tha. Woh bahut khatarnaak aurat hai, Kabir. Mujhe uski wajah se Ananya ke liye dar lag raha hai.”

He sighed and stayed silent for a moment. Then said, “Mujhe khud bhi yahi chinta hai. Aur mujhe aapki help chahiye. Kya aap kuchh dinon ke liye ye koshish kar sakti hain ki Ananya akeli zyada bahar na aaye-jaye. Har waqt main kahunga to bhadak jayegi. Aap kahengi to…”

“To bhi bhadkegi. Lekin koshish karoongi, Kabir.”

“Jab tak main hoon uske aas-paas tab tak koi chinta nahin hai, Ma. Lekin mujhe shayad–” He was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Maine ek meeting rakhi hui hai abhi. Main aapko baad mein phone karoon?”

“Theek hai, Kabir.”

—

“Guys! Hamari last story almost ready hai,” Kabir addressed his group of investigative reporters in the meeting, “Abhi next one week ke liye kissi ko hamari investigative stories ke liye field mein jaane ki zaroorat nahin hai. Kuchh leads hain, jo maine aap logon se individually discuss kiye hue hain. I want you all to do as much secondary research as possible. Kal se main ek hafte ke liye out of town hoon. I will be doing my bulletin from different cities for a week. Wapas aa kar, depending on the results of your research, we wiill pick up the next story to follow. Meanwhile, naye programmes ki wajah se hum thode understaffed hain. Naye recruits ko up to speed aane mein time lagega. So, if Manav wants any of you in the field for any stories, please cooperate with him.”

He answered questions some of the reporters had and then dismissed the meeting. Ananya stayed behind and charged at him.

“Ab mujhe meetings mein pata chalega ki aap bahar jaane waale hain?”

“Are, Ananya!” he held up his hands in front of him in a defensive gesture, “Bataya to tha tumhein ki ye plan discuss kar raha tha main Khalid aur Malvika ke saath.”

“Lekin aap kal hi ja rahe hain…” she suddenly lost her aggression and seemed close to tears.

“Hey!” he said softly, “I am sorry. Bas abhi-abhi dates finalize hui local teams ke saath coordinate kar ke.”

“Aapko do minute meeting se pahle time nikaal kar mujhe bata dena chahiye tha,” she said in a small voice.

“Tum meeting mein—“

“Rona aa raha tha mujhe. Kitni mushkil se maine control kiya. I know, Kabir, ki shayad ye over-reaction hai–”

“But I love it. Sorry, really, dekho kaan pakad kar bol raha hoon–”

She was startled and looked around, concerned. The glass walls of the cabin provided only so much privacy despite the frosted strips.

“Kya kar rahe hain aap?”

He brought his hands down and said, “Mera bhi tumhein chhod kar jaane ka zara bhi man nahin hai. Main tumhein bahut miss karoonga. I wish ki tum mere saath chal sakti. Shaadi ke baad tumhein chhod kar jaane ki zaroorat nahin padegi.”

“Aapne Ma se baat ki hai shaadi ke baare mein?”

“Main wapas aa kar Dada aur Bhabhi ko Ma se milwaunga. Unse baat kar li hai.”

Finally, she smiled.

“Ananya?”

“Ji?”

“Ghar chalogi?”

She knew that voice by now. Even in his simplest of the questions it coveyed his desires and demands unambiguously.

“Abhi?” she croked through her dried throat.

“Itna to hamare employers hamein owe karte hain. Main mall waale mod par rahunga. Tum dus minute baad nikalna.”

She nodded and left the cabin.

—

He propped himself up on his elbows and pushed a strand of hair away from her sweaty forehead. She was still caught in the post-coital haze and was breathing heavily.

“Ananya!” his sibilant voice poured in her ears like a the sonorous sound of water from a faraway river.

“Hmm..” she responded languidly, her eyes only half-open.

“Ek promise karogi?”

“Kya?”

“Meri absence mein please akele idhar-udhar mat jaana.”

Her eyes shot open.

“Aapko pata hai ki in moments mein main kitni kamzor ho jaati hoon aapke saamne. Isliye abhi bol rahe hain na?”

“Ananya! Main–”

“Kya tension hai? Shreya ko le kar pareshaan hain aap? Woh kya kar legi mera?”

“Kuchh nahin kar paayegi woh tumhara. Lekin meri aur Ma ki man ki shanti ke liye?”

“Ma se baat ki aapne is baare mein?” she frowned, the haze had completely disappeared now.

“Unhone mujhse baat ki. Please? Please is baare mein bahas mat karo?”

She pouted, but acquisced “Theek hai. Koshish karoongi.”

He bent down and bit her lower lips drawing a slight moan from her.

“I can’t have enough of you, Ananya,” he groaned as he positioned himself on top of her again, “Main pagal na ho jaun.”

—

“Hello, Mr. Sharma!” Ananya chirped on phone.

“Hello, Ms. Kashyap. Kahan hain aap?”

“Main parlour mein hoon.”

“Akele?”

“Offo. Nahin. Ronnie ne drop kiya tha.”

“Wapas kaise jaogi?”

“Cab kar loongi. Aapko kya lagta hai ki parlour mein paise kharch kar ke main scooter par dhool aur dhoop ke maze lene ke liye ghoomne jaungi?”

“Ronnie tumhara wait kar sakta tha na?”

“Mujhe abhi yahan ghanton lagne waale hain.”

“Ghanton? Irada kya hai tumhara?”

“Ki jab Bhaiya-Bhabhi ghar aayen to main thodee theek-thaak dikhoon.”

“Haan. Magar woh hamari shaadi ki baat karne aa rahe hain, shaadi karwane nahin.”

“Aapko kharche ki chinta ho rahi hai?”

Kabir let out a mock sigh. “Ab thodi chinta to karne padegi na, Ananya. Shaadi karne ja raha hoon tumse.”

Ananya replied in the same vein, “Wahi to. Mujhe bhi tab tak hi jitni pampering karwani hai apni karwa leni hai. Shaadi ki baad kaun papmper karne waala hai?”

Kabir smiled, “Tumhein main saari zindagi pamper karoonga, Ananya.”

She also smiled, “I know.”

“Achcha batao. Kaun se parlour mein ho? Kahan hai ye?”

“Kyon?” she teased, “Aap mujhe follow karwayenge? Kyonki main akeli hoon yahan?”

“Ananya!” Kabir was mildly irritated, “Bas aise hi poochh raha hoon. Maine tumhein kabhi follow nahin karwaya. Bas Armaan aur Ronnie ki help li thi.”

“I know, Kabir. Mazaak kar rahi thi. Office ke paas waale mall mein hoon. Wahan top floor par parlour hai. Thoda mehanga hai. But kabhi-kabhi to indulge kar sakte hain na?”

“Tum jab chaho indulge kar sakti ho. Chalo, mere airport ke liye nikalne ka time ho raha hai. Milte hain shaam mein?”

“Aap airport se seedhe ghar pahunchenge?”

“Haan. Dada aur Bhabhi bhi seedhe wahin pahunchenge.”

“Bye Kabir.”

“Bye sweetheart.”

—

To be continued