The announcement of the promotions made everyone happy. Ananya was promoted to be a senior reporter. She had the option of being an editor, but she preferred to be on the ground, especially for the investigative stories. With his editor-in-chief’s reposnibilities, Manav was happy to let Richa own his popular “Aath ki baat” bulletin. Ronnie was made the chief producer. And many other people also received promotions and raises, including Sunny. The announcement of Malvika’s exit elicited a reaction of surprise; everyone was used to her being there;  and as the owner’s daughter nobody ever expected her to leave, but she noticed that it didn’t displease anyone. Even Kabir’s predecessor, whose utter failure at his job had been for all to see, had evoked more emotional reaction from people. Trisha, who was only a weather news reader, had also had more people regretting her exit than Malvika seemed to be having.

“Yahi problem hai na meri, Kabir?” she asked him later, “Ki main kissi ko positively affect nahin karti.”

“Koi deliberately kissi ko affect karne ki soch kar roz subah ghar se nahin nikalta, Mavika. Lekin jab hum kuchh constructive karte hain, and it doesn’t have to be something big, something professional, kuchh aisa simple sa bhi jisse log ek baar khul kar hans dein, to apne aap log positively affect ho jaate hain.”

“Aur main yahan kuchh constructive kar nahin payi.”

“Kyonki shayad yahan ke kaam mein kabhi tumhara dil nahin laga.”

“Bade baap  ki bigdi hui aulaad hoon na,” she laughed, “Anyway. Thanks for the insight, Kabir.”

“Malvika. Tum smart ho, young ho. Poori zindagi hai tumhare saamne aur tumhein kabhi resources ki kami nahin hone waali hai. Tumhein kuchh constructive karne se kaun rok sakta hai?”

She nodded, then planted a chaste kiss on Kabir’s cheek and left.

Ananya came soon afterwards.

“Malvika ko kya hua?”

He told her about his two recent interactions with Malvika and added, “Kya pata, uski life ki bhi kya story hai? Kis cheez se dissatisfied hai woh? Bahar se to hamein yahi dikhta hai ki use kissi cheez ki kami nahin hai. Lekin ho sakta hai ki poori zindagi udane ke layak paise hone ke bawzood koi bahut badi kami ho uski life mein.”

“Hmm…” Ananya looked thoughtful, then added cheerfully, “Khair. Main abhi Malvika ke baare mein philosophize nahin karna chahti. I will be selfish and say that I am happy she is going away. Ab woh mujhe pareshaan nahin karegi.”

“That is enough for me too, Ananya.”

“Finally! Things are falling in place.”

“Finally yes.”

They sat smiling, gazing at each other for a few moments.

Then Kabir broke the silnce, “Achcha suno. Ma ko bol do ki dinner na banayen. Aaj hum sab bahar jayenge aur enjoy karenge. Apne doston ko bhi bol do.”

“Okay Boss!”

“Kya hua, Ananya?” he asked when she kept sitting there without speaking anything, only fiddling with a paperweight on his table.

“Maine abhi promotion meeting ke pahle Bhabhi ko phone kiya tha.”

“Kyon?”

“Aise hi. Socha, ek baar haal-chaal poochh loon. Woh log itni raat mein gaye the.”

A slight frown appeared on his face. “Kuchh kaha unhone?”

She sighed, “To mujhe galat nahin laga. Aap bhi jaante hain. Woh mujhe pasand nahin karti?”

“Tumhein uski chinta karne ki zaroorat nahin hai, Ananya. Itni formalities ki bhi zaroorat nahin hai–”

“Formalities ki baat nahin hai, Kabir, lekin agar kuchh problem hai to mujhe pata to honi chahiye. Aapki family kya meri family nahin hai?”

“Kya kaha unhone?”

“Kuchh kaha nahin, really, lekin aisa laga ki woh mujhse baat karna nahin chahti. Kal to ghar par mujhe kuchh aisa nahin laga… Ya shayad maine ye socha ki pahli mulaquaat ki awkwardness hai.”

Kabir looked relieved. “To phir theek hai na, Ananya. Kuchh baat aisi hai nahin. Thoda mood erratic hota hai, Bhabhi ka, kabhi-kabhi. Tumhein unki chinta karne ki zaroorat nahin hai.”

“Aap mujhse shaadi karne waale hain na? Main aapki wife banne waali hoon.”

“Ismein kya shaq hai?”

“To aap mujhe bachchon ki tarah treat nahin karte rah sakte. Har cheez se mujhe protect nahin karte rah sakte. Kam-se-kam apni family ke issues ya aapki kareebi kissi bhi cheez se to bilkul nahin. Share to karna padega aapko mere saath.”

“Kitni ziddi ho tum!”

“Main zidd kar rahi hoon? Aap itne evasive kyon ho rahe hain? Batate kyon nahin mujhe? Ab agar nahin pasand karti woh mujhe, to nahin karti. Lekin iske baare mein baat na karna kahan ki samajhdaari hai?”

“Ananya! Bhabhi to tumhein theek se jaanti bhi nahin hain. Unki pasand-napasand ka tumse koi lena-dena nahin hai.”

“Phir?”

“Woh ek bahut hi seedhi-saadi aurat hain. Unki duniya unke bete, unke pati, unke pariwaar tak seemit hai. Unke apno par koi aanch nahin aaye, isse zyada unhein kissi cheez se koi matlab nahin hai. And it is understandable. Hum sab chahte hain ki hamare apne safe rahein, khush rahein. Lekin iski wajah se shayad baaki ki duniya ko lekar woh koi responsibility feel nahin karti. Unhein mera kaam, meri zidd – sach ko saamne laane ki – kabhi samajh mein nahin aati thi. Aur jab Sudhir ji – I mean Papa – ke case mein unke bete ki jaan par khatra aa gaya to phir unhein is cheez se matlab nahin tha ki kiski galti hai, kiski nahin. Woh bas in sabse door rahna chahti thi. Itne saalon baad bhi unki woh feelings nahin gayi hain aur unki anxiety tumhare oopar bhi transfer ho jaati hai.”

“Hmm…”

“Lekin Ananya, na to ismein tumhari koi galti hai, na hi tum iske liye kuchh kar sakti ho. Kissi ki bhi galti nahin hai, koi kuchh nahin kar sakta hai. Aur isse koi farq nahin padta. Main to ghar jaata nahin.” He stopped for a moment and added with a smile, “Aur Ananya. Woh tumhari saas nahin hain. Tumhein unhein khush karne ke liye tension lene ki zaroorat nahin hai.”

She also smiled at that. “Sab kuchh clear hai na aapke dimaag mein? Kaise handle kar lete hain itni complications? Ek din mein Shreya, Malvika, Bhabhi, aur mujhe bhi?”

“Sab mera hi create kiya hua mess hai. Clear aur kaun karega?”

“Woh ghar aapke parents ka hai na? Jahan bhaiya-bhabhi rahte hain?”

“Haan. Kyon?”

“Aapko wahan jaane ka man nahin karta?”

“Diwaron se mujhe koi pyaar nahin hai, Ananya. Logon se main ab bhi pyaar karta hoon. Lekin us ghar ko meri koi zaroorat nahin hai.”

She knew how much it mattered to him. So she reiterated for him, “Lekin mujhe – aur meri family ko bhi – aapki bahut zaroorat hai.”

“Aur mujhe tumhari. Aur isliye tumhein apni zindagi mein rakhne ke liye, tumhein khush rakhne ke liye, main kissi ko bhi handle kar loonga.”

“Mujhe dar lagta hai kabhi-kabhi.”

“Kaisa dar?”

“Ki main utna pyaar deserve nahin karti jitna aap mujhse karte hain. Aur ek din aapko ye pata chal jayega–”

“Apni taareefein sunna chahti ho?”

“Kabir!”

“To phir tum kitna pyaar deserve karti ho, ye decision tum mujh par chhod do. Aur tum bas ye socho ki main kitna pyaar deserve karta hoon.”

“Achchha! Aap apni taarefein sunna chahte hain?”

“Nah! Mujhe pata hai ki main deserve karoon ya na karoon, jitna pyaar koi bhi kissi se kar sakta hai, usse zyada tum mujhse karti ho.”

She sat back, “Aapse baaton mein kab jeetungi?”

“Kabhi nahin. Ab chalo, jao apni desk par. Aaj hi office mein logon ko hamare baare mein officially pata chala hai. Kahin unhein ye na lagne lage ki hum kaam dhang se nahin kar rahe.”

“Kya ek din bhi Malvika ka departure celebrate nahin kar sakte?” Ananya feigned disappointment.

“Nahin, Ms. Kashyap. Go now.”

“Kitne khadoos hain aap,” she let out an exaggerated sigh, “Abhi se ye haal hai. Pata nahin shaadi ke baad kya karenge. Shakal bhi dekhnege meri ki nahin?”

He leaned back and grinned, “Shaadi ke baad, Ms. Kashyap, aapki shikayatein kuchh different hongi.”

“Kya different hongi?”

“Neend na poori hone ki.”

She blushed furiously as he had expected, then left without any retort. He couldn’t savor his victory though. The sudden change in her coutenance had reminded him how passionately she responded to him in bed.  And now he was taut with desire. But a long working day stretched before him. And the evening was booked with with her family and friends.

Could he possibly whisk her away for a while in between?

– The End –