Her eyes, as beautiful and bright as sun, closed and a smile, as soothing as the wind tickling her cheeks, crept on her lips. She looked up to the sky and let out a deep sigh.
She smiled and moved in the house from the verandah, where she stood.
She heard her parents talking and she tiptoed to their room's closed door and stuck her ear to the door.
Inside the room,
Woman (excited): Salukhe ji, main toh bahut khush hoon ki Rajat ke saath- saath uske senior aur baaki dost bhi aa rhe hai. (Dreamingly): Zara sochiye, agar unke senior… kya naam tha unka.. haan, Abhijeet ke saath kisi beti ki baat ban jaye toh.
Salukhe looked at her excited wife, then back to the newspaper he was reading.
Salukhe (smiled lightly): Haan Sonali ji, maine suna hai ki Abhijeet bahut hi accha ladka hai, ek dum shaant aur khush mizaj. Agar humaari kisi bhi beti ke saath uski baat ban gyi mujhe bahut khushi hogi, khaskar ki Shreya ke saath.
Sonali (made a face): Nhi, Shreya ke saath kaise ho sakta hai. Meri saari betiyaan sundar hai, lekin Shreya… haan, mana ki voh bahut samajhdar hai aur uska dil bhi saaf hai, lekin Tarika aur Ishita sabse acchi hai.
Salukhe (smirked): Toh ab aap kya chahti hai, main kya karoon Sonali ji?
Sonali (smiled): Main chahti hoon, ki aap Abhijeet apna baat- cheet badhaye.
Salukhe (looked at her): Lekin Sonali ji, Rajat ka dost hai voh.
Sonali (stubbornly): Voh sab main nhi jaanti, bas baat badhayiye.
She smiled and giggled listening to their conversation. She backed and twirled dreamingly. She kept the book, which was in her hand, near to her heart and blushed for her sisters.
She ran up to her room.
A lady could be seen in a bedroom, playing her fingers on the sitar, sitting on her bed.. The tune coming out was so beautiful that it can even hypnotize anyone.
The lady cam almost running and saw her sister lost in her instrument. She smiled and went near her.
She hugged her from behind, climbing up the bed. The other lady smiled and stopped playing.
Lady (sitting beside her): Tarika di, aap yeh sitar kyun bajati ho?
Tarika (smiled): Shreya, yeh mujhe bahut pasand hai. Jaise tumhe sair karna aur kitabe padhna pasand hai waise hi.
Shreya smiled.
Shreya (excited): Accha, di, aapko pta hai, Rajat aa rha hai, aur mummi papa baat kar rhe the ki unke dost bhi aane wale hai.
Tarika (held her ear): Tune unki baat chhupkar suni.
Shreya smiled sheepishly.
Shreya (made a face): Par aage toh suniye na.
Tarika (chuckled): Bol meri maa.
Shreya (kept her head on her lap and laid): Unmein se ek hai Abhijeet ji… aur maa chahti hai ki humein se ek ki baat unse ban jaaye.
Tarika (caressing her hairs): Tab toh tu hi unki patni banegi, akhir itni sundar aur samjhdar ladki ko kaun apna jeevan saathi nhi bnana chahega.
Shreya's smile faded. She stood and went to the window.
Shreya (closed eyes): Nhi mujhe koi shauk nhi hai, aap mein se hi ek ki baat ho jaye toh main bahut khush ho jaungi, mujhe in sab mein abhi nhi aana.
Tarika felt fishy but said nothing.
Shreya composed herself and smiled. She turned to her.
Shreya (changing the topic): Di, chaliye main bahar ho kar aati hoon.
Tarika smiled and nodded.
Shreya took her book and went out.
It was almost evening and she was still walking with book in her hand. She looked as if too indulged in the book but she was cautious enough not to bump into someone.
She was now inside her house's gate. She was in her lawn. She sighed and sat with the support of a tree behind the bush.
Her book was lying and she was reading it, lying on the green grass and propped with her elbow on the book's side.
She sighed and laid herself straight. She looked at the sky and got lost in her thoughts.
Shreya (thinking): Maa mujhe pta nhi kyun pyaar nhi karti jitna voh baakiyon se karti hai. (after a thought) shayad kyunki main baakiyon jaisi nhi hoon, main apni baak rakh deti hoon aur bahut khule vicharon ki hoon. Shayad main ek gaon ki aam ladki jaisi nhi hoon balki bikul alag hoon. (smiled) Par papa kehte hai main jaisi hoon, waise hi acchi hoon aur voh bhi toh mujhe waise hi pyaar karte hai. Papa ke liye main ek acchi ladki hoon, (smiled faded) Par maa, unka kya? Voh toh…
Her thoughts were disturbed by her younger sister's voice.
Shreya (coming back to reality): Haan, kya huya Ishita?
Ishita (smiled): Shreya di, maa apko bula rhi hai.
Shreya got up and nodded. They both went inside the house.
Soon, that night….
They were having dinner.
Sonali (suddenly): Tarika…
Tarika (softly): Haan, maa
Sonali (smiled): Kal tum acche se taiyaar ho jaana aur Tasha aur Kajal ko keh dena voh tumhaari madad kar denge.
Tarika (glanced at Shreya, who smiled naughtily which Salukhe noticed): Par kyun maa?
Sonali (smiled): Kal Rajat apne kucch senior aur doston ke saath aa rha hai.
Shreya (trying to be unaware): Phir taiyyaar hone wali kya baat hai, maa ismein?
Salukhe (smiled): Jab pehle se pta hai, toh apni behen ko kyun chhed rhi ho?
Shreya giggled while Tarika turned all red.
Roma (confused): Kya maa?
Sonali told her.
Roma (jumped in excitement): Wow! Kitna maza aayega. Itne saare officers.
Shreya rolled her eyes and sighed while Salukhe shook his head in disappointment.
Shreya (murmured): Bechare voh officers, Roma kechangul mein aa gye toh…
Roma (suspiciously): Aapne kucch kaha kya Shreya di?
All looked at her, while she glanced at everyone.
Shreya (stammering): N-nhi toh…
Shreya shrugged her shoulders and concentrated on food while Tarika giggled, who heard her words.
At night…
Shreya was lying on the bed, while Tarika had just came from a shower.
Shreya was staring towards the ceiling. Her corner of eyes was moist. Tarika looked at her and sat on the edge of the bed, Shreya automatically shifted her head to her lap.
Shreya (lost tone): Di, maa mujhse bilkul nhi pyaar karti na?
Tarika (shocked): Shreya, yeh tum kaisi baate kar rhi ho?
Shreya hid her face on her stomach, and she knew that her sister was crying as she felt her warm tears on her stomach.
Her sister poured her heart to her and also told the morning incident.
Shreya (sat, facing her): Mujhe isliye nhi bura laga ki Abhijeet ji ke layak unhone mujhe nhi samjha, mujhe sach mein unse koi Matlab nhi hai. Par ek maa ho kar apni beti ko kaam aakna kya accha hai?
Tarika said nothing, but looked down.