Expectation Versus Reality
Shreya was in canteen along with Tarika and Purvi. She was sneezing frequently.
"Kya baat hai shreya, tum itna sneeze kar rahi ho aaj, flu hai kya?" Tarika asked.
Before shreya could open her mouth Purvi spoke up.
"Arey tarika you know, aaj subeh se Daya sir bhi sneeze kar rahe hain. Interesting na?" She said eying at shreya.
"Wo actually kal raat ko barish hui thi na aur main bheeg gayi, to bas jara sa jukaam ho gaya." Shreya said rubbing her nose with the handkerchief.
"Oh han yaad aaya, shayad Daya sir bhi yahi bol rahe the ki kal raat barish me wo bheeg gaye the!" Purvi chuckled.
"Ooooo" tarika exclaimed, "Shreya, kahi tum dono sath me to nahi bheege the, hmm?" Tarika said teasingly.
Shreya glanced at both of them and lowered her head smiling shyly, "ab tum logo se kya chupana, actually han, kal hum dono sath me bheege the."
Tarika and Purvi exchanged looks.
"Really? Kaise?" They asked in amazement.
Shreya moved her hand through her hair. "Kal mujhe Daya sir ko ek important file handover karni thi. Aur ye baat mujhe raat ko 8 baje yaad aayi to main turant file lekar unke ghar pahunch gayi."
Daya opened the door and found shreya standing there.
"Are Shreya, tum is waqt? Is everything alright?" Daya asked letting her move inside.
"Yes sir, bas main aapko ye file dene aayi thi" shreya said.
Daya took the file from her hand, "itna bhi urgent nahi tha shreya, kal subeh de deti. Anyway tum baitho main coffee lekar aata hu tumhare liye."
"Nahi sir, don't bother please, main chalti hu, mausam bhi theek nahi hai shayad barish hone wali hai." Shreya said looking outside.
"Are bas 2 minute shreya, aise kaise jane de sakta hu tumhe, tum kaun sa roj roj mere ghar aati ho!" Daya said fixing his stare on her.
Shreya looked at him and they kept staring at each other for a few seconds. Shreya smiled looking away.
"Sir actually main taxi se aayi hu na, barish hone lagi to taxi bhi mushkil se milti hai."
"Don't worry, main hu na, main ghar chod dunga tumhe. Aur tum chaho to aaj raat yaha bhi ruk sakti ho." Daya said playfully.
Shreya looked at him surprisingly. Daya laughed at her expressions.
"Anyway tum baitho, main bas 2 minute me coffee banakar lata hu." Daya said and moved into kitchen.
Shreya grabbed her seat on the nearby couch. Suddenly the electricity went out.
"Shreya, are you fine? Stay calm, main candle lekar aata hu." Daya said loudly from the kitchen.
"Ok sir" shreya responded sitting in the dark.
Daya lit a candle and came in the hall near shreya holding the candle in his hand.
They got to looked into each other's eyes in the dim yellow light of candle. The surrounding was automatically turning romantic.
Daya put the candle on the nearby table. "Don't worry, thodi der me light aa jayegi." Saying this he turned and bumped into shreya standing just behind him. They couldn't balance and fell together on the couch. Shreya was on the couch and daya above her.
They again stared at each other and got lost in the moment. Daya's one hand was on shreya's waist and another one on her shoulder. Shreya was clutching his shirt in her hand. Daya traveled his gaze on her lips and started leaning towards her. Shreya closed her eyes letting her hand move on back of his head.
Purvi and tarika were listening to shreya with their mouths wide opened.
"Oh my god! Phir kya hua? Did You both kiss?" Purvi asked in a low voice.
Tarika was too shocked to utter a word.
Shreya nodded her head, "guys, wo suspense hi rehne do na. But still you can guess ki kya hua hoga? We both were carried away with the moment. So..." She said blushing.
"Wow shreya, kya baat hai? How romantic! Achha phir kya hua?" Tarika asked out of excitement.
"Phir...phir thodi der me light wapas aa gayi aur" Shreya continued
Daya and Shreya separated from each other as the power came back on. Shreya was blushing and was not able to meet his eyes.
"Sir I think ab mujhe chalna chahiye, coffee phir kabhi" shreya said and began to move.
Daya caught her hand, "main to keh raha tha tum aaj yahi ruk jao but jaisi tumhari marji, chalo, main drop kar deta hu tumhe."
Shreya agreed. Daya started his bike and shreya sat behind him.
They had reached just a few meters when it started raining with lightening and thunderstorms.
Shreya hugged daya tightly from behind.
"Don't worry shreya, I'll drop you safely" daya said holding her hand placed on his chest.
Suddenly the engine went off. Shreya descended down the bike. Daya made some efforts but couldn't restart the bike. Luckily there was a motorcycle garage at a little distance. Daya left the bike there and moved towards the tea stall just opposite the garage. He ordered two cups of tea.
Shreya grabbed her cup and they enjoyed the hot tea in that rain.
The bike was repaired within some minutes.
"Chalo shreya, bike theek ho gayi" daya said moving towards the bike.
Shreya began to move but slipped on the muddy slippery road. But she didn't fall as daya held safely in his arms. They again got lost in each other.
Shreya blushed and looked away. Daya left her, "sambhal ke"
"Aaaaccchii" shreya sneezed.
"Tum to kuch jyada hi bheeg gayi shreya, see you are sneezing" he said and, "aaaccchiii" he too started sneezing.
They looked at each other and laughed.
"Chale?" Daya asked holding her hand.
Shreya smiled and moved with him. Daya dropped her at home safely.
"Bye shreya" daya said.
"Bye sir, and take care, aap bhi kafi bheeg gaye hain to cold aur fever ho sakta hai." Shreya said moving inside but daya pulled her back holding her hand.
She looked at him shockingly.
"I am really feeling cold, so can I have something warm..." Daya said staring at her lips.
Shreya blushed moving closer to him.
"And you guys again... " tarika asked with widened eyes.
Shreya blushed and looked down, "you guys can guess!"
"How romantic!' Purvi exclaimed rubbing her palms in excitement.
Just then tarika got a call from Dr Salunkhe and she left.
"Main bill de kar aati hu" purvi said moving towards the counter.
Shreya was left alone on the table. She recalled the previous night.
Shreya reached at daya's home with the file. Daya opened the door.
"Are shreya, tum is waqt?"
"Sir, main ye file dene aayi thi, it's urgent na" shreya said showing the file to him.
"Oh yes shreya, it's really urgent. Main tumhe call karke iske bare me puche hi wala tha." Daya said and took the file from her hand.
Shreya looked at him but he started reading the file not bothering to ask her for a coffee.
"Sir, coffee ke liye nahi puchenge? Kaun sa main roj roj aapke ghar aati hu." Shreya said innocently.
Daya was embarrassed, "oh I am sorry, baitho na, main bas abhi coffee banata hu." He moved into kitchen.
Shreya smiled and sat on the couch. Suddenly the power went off.
"Sir, light chali gayi, aapke paas candle hai?" Shreya asked in a loud voice.
"No shreya, I don't have candle but I have inverter, main abhi on karta hu, wait!" Daya said and switched on the inverter.
"Oh thank God! I don't like darkness!" Shreya said smiling.
Soon daya arrived with two cups of coffee. They had coffee with normal chatting.
"Ok sir, ab main chalti hu." Shreya said and stood up to go. She stopped and turned to him "Kya aap mujhe ghar chod sakte hain, mere paas taxi ke liye paise nahi hain." Shreya said requesting to daya
"Yeah, why not?" Daya said like a gentleman.
They left on daya's bike. They had reached a few meters when the engine went off and daya was failed to restart. He found the bike garage at roadside at some distance and approached it.
Suddenly it started raining.
"Shreya, come under the shed, dont get drenched." Daya called shreya.
Shreya moved under the shed of the garage to save herself from the raindrops. She was loving the beautiful rain. She spotted the tea stall in front of the garage.
"Sir, chaliye na waha jakar chai peete hain. Barish me garama garam chai ka maja hi kuch aur hota hai." Shreya said excitedly.
"Oh come on shreya, abhi thodi der pehle hi humne coffee pi hai. Waise bhi main chai nahi peeta. Tum chaho to pi sakti ho." Daya refused her politely.
Shreya became sad, "no sir its ok."
The mechanic told daya that it will take some time to repair the fault in the engine.
Daya turned to shreya, "Shreya, lagta hai bike theek hone me kafi time lag jayega. Tum kab tak khadi rahogi. Ek kaam Karo, taxi lekar ghar chali jao. Jab bike ban jayegi to main bhi wapas ghar chala jaunga."
Before shreya could say anything, daya stopped a taxi for her.
"Suno, ye madam ko ghar chod dena, ye lo paise!" Daya said giving the money to the driver.
"Sir, rehne deejiye, paise main ghar pahuch kar de dungi" shreya said.
"It's ok, Shreya, chalta hai. Tum ghar jao, bye!" Daya said smiling.
"Ok sir, aur aap barish me bheeg kar ghar mat jana, barish ruk jaye tabhi jana. Bye!" Shreya said and left from there in the taxi.
"Shreya" purvi called her loudly, "kaha kho gayi, kab se chilla rahi hu main?"
Shreya returned in the present. "kya hua purvi, main kaha kho gayi, main to yahi hu!"
"Hmm...sab pata hai, kal ki romantic raat ke bare me abhi bhi soch rahi ho na!" Purvi teased her with a mischievous smile.
Shreya smiled, "nahi yaar, wo main..." They walked outside.
"Samajh me nahi aata, hum dono ko ek sath jukaam kaise ho gaya jab hum ek sath bheege bhi nahi!" Shreya was wondering on her way.
o-o-o-o