Heavy sheets of rain blew across the window and the boy standing behind the glass pane kept looking at it gloomily. Two weeks, two whole weeks had passed since their college had started and he was shattering inside, yet no one could hear the sound of the broken pieces. How could they? He had been smart enough to hide his pain behind indifference. If that caused more hurt to his friends then so be it, he had to do this, for her.
Sameer turned from the window, walked to his desk and opened his drawer to see a photo of Naina. He picked it up, his finger tips trailed over the smiling face, “I am sorry Naina, mujhe yeh sab karna padega”, the whispered apology was accompanied by a lone tear. Unknown to him, this was witnessed by Munna who was just coming in with a plate of snacks. He stopped, eyes narrowed, as he looked at Sameer looking at Naina’s photo with all the love and adoration that everyone had been missing since he had returned from Delhi. Quietly he turned and started descending the stairs, thinking about what he had seen. “Abe Chenu, tu wapas kyun le aaya yeh?”, Pandit asked exasperated.
Munna kept the plate on the kitchen counter, “shh… chup kar Ponga, aur sunn meri baat ko dhyan se.” He told Pandit what he had seen in the room and added, “bhabhi sahi keh rahi thi, kuch to hua hai hamare yaar ke saath. Warna college me itni berukhi aur yahan photo se itna pyaar, baat hajam nai ho rahi mereko to.”
Sameer’s extended family who had been staying with him were away for two days for a relative’s wedding. And Munna and Pandit had decided to keep Sameer company on Naina’s insistence. They had been really angry at Sameer for the way he was behaving with Naina, and had almost stopped talking to him in college, but on seeing how concerned Naina was even after facing such rudeness they had relented and agreed to take care of Sameer.
Pandit rubbed his chin, “baat to tu sahi keh raha hai. Aur bhabhi ne kaha matlab woh sahi hi hogi, akhir sabse pehle yakeen bhi to unhi ko tha ke Sameer Delhi se wapas aa gaya hai.”
“Haan”, Munna agreed, “par hum pata kaise lagaye ke chakkar kya hai? Yeh to devdas bane ghum raha hai room me, humse baat tak nai ki thik se”, he huffed annoyed at his friend.
“Baat kar nahi raha to ugalvana padega”, Pandit snapped his fingers, eyes gleaming with delight.
Munna looked at him suspiciously, “kya matlab?”
Pandit whispered the plan to Munna, and his eyes rounded with shock, “nai nai”, Munna panicked, “tu marvayega Ponga. Aur bhabhi ko pata chala ke humne kya kiya hai to woh hume chodegi nai.”
“Aree to thodi maar kha lenge yaar”, Pandit placated, “par soch, Sameer khud se to bolega nai ke chakkar kya hai, aisai pata lag jaaye shayad.”
After thinking for a minute Munna agreed to follow the plan, and they sneaked into Nanu’s room, to find his secret stash of alcohol. That was Pandit’s plan – to get Sameer drunk and then make him confess everything. They rummaged through the cupboard, and pulled out a bottle of Chivas Regal, they gulped fearing the consequences a bit, but then gained courage from the thought of resolving all the problems. They stopped before Nanu’s photo, folding hands in forgiveness and seeking blessings, before tiptoeing out of the room.
They dumped some ice in bowl, then carried everything to Sameer’s room. Sameer had shifted to the window again, and he steeled himself when he heard his friends entering, “tum log jaao yahan se please. Mujhe baat nai karni.”
“To mat kar baat, dost ka gum to baat le”, Pandit said much to the surprise of Sameer. He turned to look at them and his eyes widened on seeing the bottle of whisky. Before he could say anything, a loud thunder rumbled outside, and the lights flickered off. They stood in the darkness for some time, then Sameer said, “wahin ruko, main torch nikalta hun.”
He opened the bottom drawer on his desk and felt about with his hands for a while before his fingers closed over cold steel, “mil gaya”, he sighed and switched it onn. Munna and Pandit silently came and sat on the floor beside the bed and waited for Sameer to join them. Sameer looked at his friends, trying to understand what was happening, but failed. He didn’t want to talk, yet he asked, “yeh sab kya hai?”
“Batata hun”, Munna said, then added to Pandit, “yaar dekhiyo zara kahin mombatti mile to, yeh torch ki battery chali gai to mushkil ho jayegi.”
Pandit nodded, took the torch from Sameer and went downstairs to get candles. Sameer huffed, sitting on the bed, he was getting curious, but he controlled himself, not wanting to show how relieved he really was to have his friends by his side. He had almost freaked out when Munna and Pandit had been angry and stopped talking properly to him. He had somehow convinced himself to lose Naina forever, and that in itself broke his heart in million pieces, but he couldn’t fathom losing the friendship of his two friends too.
Couple of minutes later Pandit came back with the candles and lighted four of them, drowning the room in a golden glow. He sat next to Munna, then patted his shoulder, “fikar mat kar Chenu, sab thik ho jayega.” This surprised Sameer, he stared at Munna, who looked extremely sad and on the verge of tears. Munna nodded his head and sighed, “meri to koi galti bhi nai thi. Pata nai ab kab wapas baat karegi mujhse.”
Sameer couldn’t hold himself back anymore, “tujhe kya hua Munna?”
Munna didn’t reply, instead sniffed loudly worrying Sameer more. He looked at Pandit for explanation, who replied, “tujhe kahan aaj kal koi dikhta hai. Tu dekh college ki nayi ladkiyon ko aur apne purane dosto ko bhul jaa. Jab pyaar yaad nai to dosti kahan se yaad hogi tereko.”
Something sharp pierced his heart, and he flinched at the words, controlling his reaction, he said “dosti yaad hai mereko. Par hua kya yeh to batao?” Unwillingly he shifted to the floor from bed and looked at Munna’s crying face.
Munna quickly wiped his tears, as if trying to avoid from letting Sameer see them, and whispered, “jhagda ho gaya mera, frock wali pandat se.”
“Swati se?”, Sameer asked surprised, “Kyun?”
Pandit again patted Munna’s arm, then quickly opened the bottle of whisky, “tension mat le, thodi si andar jayegi na to sab dukh bhul jayega.”
Now another question arose in Sameer’s mind, “yeh whisky kahan se mili tum logo ko?”
“Nanaji ke kamre se nikali maine”, Pandit said guilelessly.
“Kya!!??”, Sameer looked stunned.
Pandit narrowed his eyes, “main apne dost ko dukhi nahi dekh sakta”, he nodded towards Munna, “tujhe fark padna band ho gaya hai, mereko nai. Isiliye nikali yeh bottle. Chahiye to hum dono milke baad me iske paise bhi chuka denge.”
Sameer was taken aback, “paise? Main tum dono se paise maangunga?” He couldn’t fathom the reason for this rudeness. Belatedly he wondered if his friends had also felt this sharp feeling of pain because of his rudeness. And if they had, then what about Naina. He had been so rude to her, his heart thumped heavily, as he remembered her fallen face after each of her failed attempts to pacify him.
Munna accepted a glass from Pandit, “chod na yaar. Tu bhi kiske saamne baat kar raha hai. Jiske wajah se saari problem hai woh kya samjhega iss dard ko.”
Now Sameer was burning with questions, and it was getting difficult to maintain the facade of indifference. He slowly placed a trembling hand on Munna’s shoulder, “dekh yaar, mereko khulke bata to sahi ke baat kya hai. Aise chupayega to kaise chalega?”
Pandit offered him a glass, “dost ka gum baatna hai to piyega?”
Sameer hesitated, but when Pandit smirked at Munna as if saying he knew Sameer wouldn’t drink, he quickly took the glass, “haan, dost ke liye piyunga.”
Munna looked at him hopefully and he gulped looking at the amber liquid in the glass, wanting to prove his friendship, he took a large swig of the whisky. The drink seared his throat and burned down his chest, his eyes watered, but he resisted coughing. He missed the triumphant exchange of nods between Munna and Pandit, as he shook his head to get rid of the sudden tingling sensation.
Munna took a small sip, careful not to drink more, “aaj subah jab Naina ro rahi thi to main baat karne gaya tha, wahi mera aur pandat ka jhagda ho gaya.”
Sameer looked at him. Naina was crying today. That information was enough for him to take another swig. Pandit got up and opened the window letting the cool air and spray of rain inside, “kare koi, bhare koi. Hum to sirf Naina se puchne gaye the ke kya hua hai firse. Lekin Swati aur padosi to hum pe hi baras gai”, he pretended to take a generous sip and carefully emptied half the content from his glass dropping it in the rain outside.
“Preeti bhi?”, Sameer asked surprised.
Pandit nodded, sitting back down, “haan. Jabse tu Delhi gaya tha hum sab log saath saath rehte the. Swati bhi Chenu se thik se baat karti thi. Par ab wapas sab kuch badal gaya.”
Munna took the chance to empty his glass in the pot of money plant next to the window, “thoda aur daal yaar”, he extended his glass. Pandit refilled all three glasses.
Sameer took another sip, “kis baat pe jhagda hua?”
Munna sighed, “pata nai kya hua tha. Par Naina bahot ro rahi thi, keh rahi thi ke tu kisi ladki ke saath canteen me coffee pee raha hai. Humne samjhane ki koshish ki to pandat bhadak gaya merepe. Kehne lagi ke saare ladke ek jaise hi hote hai. Bas khelna jaante hai bhawnao ke saath. Dil bhar gaya to chod dete hai”, he heaved pretending to take a sip, “pandat ko lagta hai ke main bhi istamaal karke usko chod dunga, jaise tune bhabhi ko… mera matlab Naina ko chod diya.”
Sameer coughed choking on the sip he had just taken, his eyes watered, as he sat back stunned thinking about what Munna said. He hesitated before asking, “Naina ko bhi aisa lagta hai ke maine use chod diya?”
This time Pandit replied, “woh to itna ro rahi thi ke kuch bolne ke haalat me hi nai thi. Par pichle do teen din se yahi keh rahi hai woh, ke uski Taiji thik kehti hai, usse koi pyaar nai kar sakta”, he cleverly used the taunts he had heard during Pooja di’s marriage.
Sameer didn’t know what to say, he drained the remaining whisky from his glass, then refilled it himself. He was feeling disgusted at what he was doing. How could he tell Naina that he had no interest in any girl except her? This morning when he had seen Naina come in the canteen, he knew she would attempt to talk to him, so he had shifted to a girl sitting alone and started flirting with her. It was an impulsive action and he hadn’t realized how much that could have hurt her. He blinked his eyes, his head was starting to feel heavy, and he hiccuped loudly. The room seemed to be blurry, and he took another swig, trying to chase away the melancholy from his heart.
Munna saw the whiskey taking effect, and he started speaking to make him feel more miserable, “Preeti keh rahi thi ke usne galti kar di tera saath deke Naina ko manane me. Usko laga tha ke tu bahot pyaar karta hai uski behen se aur kabhi uska dil nai todega. Par tune firse uska dil tod diya”, he looked at Sameer who was swaying slightly now, “keh rahi thi ke Naina ne itne dino se thik se khana bhi nai khaya hai. Aur ghar pe usko thappad bhi pade bahot.”
Sameer hiccuped, his eyes narrowing, “thappad, hic! Kishne tha…thappad maara meri Naina ko”, he tried to stand up furiously then plopped down again unable to maintain balance.
Pandit smiled slightly on seeing his plan work, “Taiji ne… aur shayad Safari Suit ne bhi.”
“Saala sasur”, Sameer punched in the air, “main muh… muh tod dunga ushka, hic hic!”
Munna told him how Taiji had suspected of their affair and then about the mishap with college admission fees. Pandit added one or two scenarios by his own to add fuel to the fire. Sameer kept listening, swaying to focus on his friends, and he took sips after sips, thinking of ways to take revenge from all those who had hurt Naina. But then he jerked, as he recalled he too was hurting her, “soowwyyy Nai…naina”, he slurred looking at the whiskey glass, “main… sabko maaalunngaaa…”
He tried to get up again, but slumped against the bed helplessly, hiccupping. Munna steadied him, “tu kyun kuch karega? Tu thodi na ab Naina se pyaar karta hai?”
“Wahi to”, Pandit added, “waise achcha hua tune use chod diya. Uss behenji maniben se kitni zyada sundar sundar ladkiya hai hamare college me.”
This time sheer anger propelled him to his feet, he pushed Pandit, “chu…chup kall! Hic, hic! Apni bhabhi ko maniben bolta hai… tujhe bhi maalunga main…”, his speech garbled.
Munna got up too, and held Sameer, “bhabhi? Naina ab tak hamari bhabhi hai?”, he asked.
Sameer peered at him, “wee…weee…weekyyy de pehle phiilll bataunga”, he swayed trying to push off Munna.
Pandit offered him the glass, he gulped the contents, spilling most of it on his shirt, “I… I loveee N…naina…”, he accepted, “pall usshko bata naaaii shaaakta.”
Curious at the revelation Pandit also stood up, and both of them helped Sameer to sit on the bed, as they plowed him with more whisky. “Kyun nai bata sakta?”, Munna asked.
“Tuu kisshhiko bat…batana mat”, he looped an arm companionably around Munna, “maaainn naa…”, he dropped his voice to a whisper, “main main…manhoossshh hun.”
Pandit sat down stunned, he looked at Munna who looked equally taken aback. They both didn’t know what to do next. Sameer on the other hand, got up from bed, the room revolved, so he threw out his hands to maintain balance, and took stumbling steps to his desk. He pulled open the drawer and took out the photo he had been looking at before, then turned to show it to his friends, “ee dekh… meli…meli Nainaa…”, he slurred happily, then added conspiratorially, “sshhh… ishhne naa… melekkkoo kissy diiyaa tha”, he placed a sloppy kiss on the photo.
Even in his inebriated state his cheeks turned pink as he remembered the flying kiss, the best gift he had received on the very first day of college. Then he became sad again, “pall maine naa ishhko punish..funniish…”, he gave up the long word and sat down on the floor, leaning against the desk.
Pandit slid up to him, “Sameer, tujhse kisne kaha ke tu manhoos hai?”
Sameer squinted his eyes, as if trying to focus on something distant, “wwoohh…”, he sighed, “naam nai…nai, hic, yaad.”
“Delhi ke ghar me se koi?”, Munna asked.
Sameer nodded vigorously, he raised a shaky hand to his hair and tried pulling it, “baaal… nakiii baal…”, he laughed loudly punctuated with hiccups.
“Dadi!!??”, Pandit exclaimed.
Sameer stopped laughing, “waai…wai.. naam hai”, he affirmed, “mummy bimarr pall gai…meli wajah se…aurr nainaa bhi girr gai”, he hugged the photo to his chest.
Munna and Pandit were so surprised that their jaws were hanging open. “Yeh sab uss budhiya ne bola tereko?”, Munna asked sitting next to Sameer.
Sameer had closed his eyes now, “papa aurr naanu chale gaye… meli wajah se… hic hic… main pyaarr kartaa thaa… mummy bahot bimar…”, he continued, tears leaking from his closed eyes, “sabb durr gayye… naina… ushko bhi kuch… meli wajah se…nai…”, he shook his head.
Pandit looked a little confused, but Munna grasped onto the situation immediately, “yeh sab hua isiliye Dadi ne tereko manhoos kaha… aur ab tu Naina se dur reh raha hai taaki usko kuch na ho teri wajah se… haina?”
Sameer opened his teary eyes, “haan…pall naina ko kuch…”
“Haan kuch nai batayenge hum Naina ko”, Pandit assured patting Sameer’s shoulder.
Sameer nodded, before telling them that he had come to school on farewell day and then everything he was doing in college to keep Naina away from him. Munna clutched his head, “pandat kehta hai main bandar hun, lekin mera dost to gadha nikla”, he muttered. Pandit hit the desk in frustration and the candle burning on it fell, rolling to the edge, hot wax dripped on Sameer’s hand and he yelled. Munna immediately jumped up straightening the candle and tried to check Sameer’s hand, but he pulled it back, “Nai… choll meko… naina royyii… meli wajah se…”, he tried to get up, “meleko jaana hai…”
Pandit held him back, “aree kidhar jaana hai itni baarish me?”
Sameer hiccuped, “sowwyy bolnee… Naina see…”, he struggled to get free.
Just then the electricity restored, and Pandit said, “ab aisa lag raha hai ke hamare dost ke zindagi me bhi roshni wapas aa jayegi.” Munna smiled, nodding, looking at his friend’s attempts to get free. The phone rang, and he picked it up, “hello.”
“Munna?”, Naina’s voice came from the other side.
Munna was surprised, “bhabhi!!”
Naina hesitatingly asked, “Sameer thik hai na?”
“Haan, haan woh thik hai”, Munna said not knowing what to say.
Sameer had realized it was Naina’s call and was struggling to get up, “meleko baat karni hai…”, he held on to the desk and stood up.
Munna was thinking whether to disconnect the call or not when Naina asked, “yeh Sameer aise kyun baat kar raha hai? Aur kisse baat karni hai use? Munna kya ho raha hai wahan?”
“Bhabhi woh…”, Munna trailed off looking at Pandit who was signalling him to let Sameer talk. He didn’t know if that would be the right decision, but one thing was clear, Sameer was so drunk, he wouldn’t remember any of it in morning, or at least he hoped so. Before he could decide what to do, Sameer snatched the receiver from him, “Nai..nainaa.”
At the other end, she inhaled sharply, she was hearing him call her name after so many days, tears spilled over from her eyes, “haan Sameer.”
He tried to hold himself upright, “sowwyy”
She frowned, “sorry? Kyun? Aur tum aise kyun baat kar rahe ho?”
He giggled, “weeky pee”, he stumbled banging his knee against the table.
Munna helped him sit, and Naina asked, “Sameer tum thik to ho? Yeh weeky kya hota hai?”
“Weeky… Naina… weeekkky”, he drawled trying to make her understand, “Nanu ki weeky… pall tum daantogi meleko… jai…jaise Mt. Abu me daanta tha…”
She sat down, finally understanding what he was saying, “sharab? Tumne sharab pee hai?”
He shook his head, “shalab nai…weeky… hic… munna aur swati… dadi… Preeti… Pan…pandit… sabb…”, he slurred trying to give her some proper explanation.
Naina didn’t understand anything, she only knew that he wasn’t coherent enough to make sense, but Munna was, so she would ask him what was the matter and why was Sameer drunk.
“Tum…tum daantogi na meleko?”, he asked feeling guilty, “plomise, firr nai…peeunga weeky.”
She laughed a little on hearing his slurred speech, strangely enough he sounded like a small kid, “nai… main nai daantungi tumhe.”
“Pllomisee..?”, he asked swaying.
“Haan, promise”, she said, “lekin ab jaake so jao.”
He shook his head, then realized Naina couldn’t see him, so he said, “nai… pehle woh bolo, hic.”
“Kya bolu?”, she queried.
“th…three magi…magicall wolldd…”, he demanded.
Her breath hitched, how she had longed to talk to him like this, and today he was talking but probably won’t even remember. Should she say it? Would he repeat? Wasn’t it cheating? He wouldn’t even have talked to her if he hadn’t been drunk. But what did it matter? She loved him anyways, whether he did or not.
“Bollooo…”, he demanded again a little loudly.
“I… I love you”, she breathed.
He smiled, standing up, “I lo…love youuu tooo”, he managed to say before slumping down on the chair, falling almost unconscious.
Munna and Pandit rushed to hold him and placed him on the bed carefully. Then Munna took the phone again, “hello bhabhi.”
“Yeh sab kya chal raha hai? Sameer ne itni kyun pee rakhi hai?”, Naina demanded answers.
Munna hesitantly answered, “woh mera aur Pandit ka idea tha”, and he explained their plan about his fake quarrel, and whiskey to find out the reason behind his actions. He also told her everything they had been able to wheedle out of a drunken Sameer.
Naina disconnected the phone and in a daze walked back to her room where Preeti was waiting for her. Preeti looked at her sister, but before she could ask anything, Naina’s face broke in a big smile and she pulled Preeti in a dance. “Sameer badla nai hai, mujhe sab pata chal gaya”, she kept repeating in a sing song voice. Preeti stopped her sister and demanded explanation, so she told her everything that Munna had told her.
Preeti sat on the bed stunned, “yaar yeh jijaji ki akkal ghaas charne gai hai kya?”
Naina flopped down next to her, “aisa hi samajh le… bas ab hume uski akkal thikane lagani hai”, she smiled slyly planning on how she would go about it.