When he came back, Mrs. Kashyap and Armaan quickly made their excuses and left him alone with Ananya. He led her to the balcony and held her in silence for a long time.
“Abhi tak ghabrai hui ho, Ananya.”
He wasn’t asking. She bowed her head and stared at the floor.
“Talk to me,” he urged.
She took his injured hand in hers and said, “Aapka haath to theek ho jayega. Lekin agar aaj aap nahin aate to…”
“To woh tumhara chehra kharaab kar deti. Use bharosa hai ki agar woh successful ho jati to hamein alag karne ka uska aim achieve ho jaata. Woh sure hai ki phir main tumse shaadi nahin karta.”
Ananya kept silent and stood with her eyes glued to the floor. He lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes.
“Kya tumhein bhi aisa hi lagta hai?” he asked.
Her eyes brimmed over. “Main kabhi khud ko aap par thop nahin sakti.”
“Ye maine nahin poochha, Ananya. Tum bahut khoobsoorat ho. Tum ye jaanti ho. Maine kaha hai tumse, auron ne bhi kaha hi hoga. Lekin khoobsoorat logon ki kami nahin hai duniya mein. Maine pyaar tumse kiya hai, Annie, tumhare chehre se nahin. Kya ye baat tum hamesha yaad rakhogi?”
She nodded. He bent and kissed her full on the lips.
“I love you, Ananya.”
She only hugged him tight in response.
“Chalo ab,” he said after a while, “Main bahut thak gaya hoon. Kal office bhi jaana hai. So jaate hain. Mere change karne ke liye kuchh kapde nikaal do.”
“Ma ke kamre mein honge–”
“Mujhe lagta nahin hai ki woh soyi hain. Lekin phir bhi dheeme se jana,” he said, smiling, and she nodded in understanding.
—
When Ananya came to the breakfast table, Armaan was already there and was speaking to their mother. “Ma. Waise mujhe khushi to bahut hai Didi ki shaadi ki. Lekin main use miss bhi bahut karunga.”
“Woh to hona hi hai,” Mrs. Kashyap replied.
“Kaun miss karega mujhe?” Ananya said as she sat down. Kabir also came there just then. “Main kya tum logon se alag rahne waali hoon?”
Mrs. Kashyap smiled, “To kya shaadi ke baad tu Kabir ko chhod kar yahan rahegi?”
“Nahin. Tum aur Armaan hamare saath rahoge. Kyon Kabir?”
“Of course. Aap log akele kaise rah sakte hain?” Kabir agreed.
Mrs. Kashyap looked from Ananya to Kabir and back, then said, “Aise thode hi na hota hai, Ananya. Hum log yahan theek hai.”
“Agar main tumhara beta hoti to bhi tum mere saath nahin rahti?”
“Ananya. Chhod abhi. Ye bahut major decision hoga. Baad mein baat karte hain. Baitho Kabir. Naashta thandha na ho jaye.”
“Lekin–” she stopped when she noticed Kabir. He silently motioned her to keep quiet.
Armaan left for school after quickly finishing his breakfast. Mrs. Kashyap resumed the conversation then.
“Ananya, meri baat sun. Main bete-beti mein farq nahin karti. Aur Kabir ko bhi maine dil se accept kiya hai. Mujhe tum logon ke saath rahne mein koi dikaat nahin hai. Lekin abhi to main itni boodhi ya kamzor nahin ho gayi hoon. Ye ghar chala sakti hoon. Armaan ka khayaal bhi rakh sakti hoon. Abhi main chahti hoon ki tum log apni nayi zindagi ki shuruat shaanti se karo, apne tareeke se jio. Mera yakeen kar, Ananya, jab Armaan ki shaadi hogi to main use bhi kahungi ki woh apni zindagi jiye. Rishte nibhane ka ye matlab nahin hai ki hum hamesha ek-doosre ke sar par chadhe rahein. Thodi duriyon se rishte zyada meethe hi hote hain. Haan – jab samay aayega ki main kamzor ya beemar pad jaungi, jab ye zaroorat hogi ki tum log mere paas raho, tab main ek baar bhi mana nahi karoongi. I promise.”
Ananya looked at Kabir.
“Tumhein sahi lage ya na lage, Ananya,” Kabir said after a while, “Lekin hamein Ma ki wishes ko respect karna chahiye. Hamein bhi unhein apne tareeke se unki life jeene deni chahiye.”
Ananya nodded, then asked, “Lekin ab ye to nahin kahogi na, Ma, ki meri salary nahin logi ya ghar ke kharche mujhe nahin chalane dogi?”
From the way her mother averted her eyes for a moment, Kabir knew that she had planned for exactly that. But she looked back smiling, “Nahin kahungi. Ab khush?”
—
“Mujhe yahan utaar to dijiye,” Ananya said when Kabir didn’t stop in front of the mall where she usually got down while coming to the office with him.
“Nahin, Ananya. Ab bahut ho gaya caution. Ek mahine mein hamari shaadi hone waali hai. Don’t you think it is time ki office mein bhi sab official ho jaye?”
“Haan. Ho to jaana chahiye. Bas Malvika mujhe naukri se na nikaal de.”
“I hope ki mujhe uske liye headmaster na play karna pade. Woh thodee maturity se kaam le aur mujhe uske Papa se baat na karni pade.”
“Good luck!”
Kabir ran into Ronnie and Richa on his way to Malvika’s office. They looked unnerved.
“Kya hua?” Kabir asked them.
“Malvika humse aapke aur Ananya ke baare mein poochh rahi thi.”
“Huh? Kyon aise? Achanak?”
“Agar aapko Malvika aur Shreya jaise logon se deal karna hai,” Richa said, “To tabloids padhan shuru kar dijiye. Usmein Shreya ki arrest ki news hai – poore details ke saath.”
“Hmm… Kya kaha tum logon ne use?”
“Maine bola ki aapki personal life ke baare mein unhein aapse poochhna chahiye,” Ronnie said, “She wasn’t happy.”
“Theek hai. Thanks, Ronnie. And sorry – hamari wajah se tumhein is pachde mein padna pada. I will handle it now.”
—
“Malvika?”
“Hi Kabir. Haath kaisa hai tumhara?”
“Theek hai, Malvika. Saari khabar rakhti ho tum.”
“Bade logon ke bade affairs. Khabar to rakhni padegi na.”
“Well…”
“And congratulations, Kabir. Tum apni personal life ko kuchh zyada hi secret rakhte ho.”
“Secret nahin, discreet rakhta hoon, Malvika.”
“Bas ek baat bata do. Aisa kya hai usmein?”
“Kuchh bhi nahin jo tumhein impress kare, Malvika. Hota to dikh jaata tumhein. Lekin hum sab different cheezein dhoondh rahe hote hain life mein. Jo mujhe chahiye woh Ananya mein hai. Aur jo tumhein chahiye, woh bhi kissi din tumhein ek sahi insaan mein mil jayega. Trust me, woh mujhme nahin hai.”
“Discreet, eh?” she laughed, then added, “Khair. Main kuchh soch rahi thi kai dinon se. Finally decision le liya hai. Main Singapore ja rahi hoon. KKN mein meri zaroorat nahin hai. Yahan ek capable team hai.”
“KKN mein har capable insaan ki zaroorat hai, Malvika. Lekin agar tumhein yahan satisfaction nahin mil raha hai, to tumhein zaroor kuchh aur try karna chahiye.”
“Yahi sahi. Tumhein kya lagta hai, kise handover karna chahiye mujhe operations?”
“I think tumhein pata hai,” he smiled.
“Ronnie.”
“Maine promotions waali meeting mein bhi kaha tha ki he is ready for more reponsibilities. Capable hai, dependable hai, smart hai, aur hard-working bhi.”
“Theek hai. To hum ek meeting mein promotions announce karte hain, aur wahin par mera jaana bhi.”
“Khalid se baat kar li hai?”
“Abhi hi kar leti hoon.”
—
To be continued