"Mere dost ki cousin"
Daya was driving through heavy Mumbai traffic. He was going to attend a party thrown by his childhood buddy Jay to celebrate the startup of his new business. Jay had invited all his college friends but still the crowd was mostly because of his own family members and relatives including both the close ones and far ones.
Daya reached and found the hall filled with plentiful of guests. The most popular band of the city was hired to perform.
Jay spotted daya and moved to greet him. Daya congratulated him.
"Thanks daya. Bahut der laga di, I was waiting for you" Jay said starting the conversation.
Daya explained about the traffic jams and asked an excuse. He met with his old group of friends of college time. They all had met after so long so they became engrossed in their conversation.
Meanwhile Jay was called by his father to get introduced to some renowned business personalities. He moved from there. Daya got a drink for himself and was moving towards his friends when his eyes caught a glimpse of a pleasant face in a corner of the hall.
Daya just stopped on his place as such. In a corner a girl was silently sitting on a sofa eating ice cream. She was so much engrossed in the ice cream like she doesn't has anything to do with the party and the guests. Just beside her a group of girls were chatting merrily but she had no interest to join them. She seemed lonely in the hall filled with guests, but she was happy.
Daya was staring at her totally lost. Suddenly the girl finished her ice cream and she got up from her place. When she looked towards the guest her eyes met with daya who was staring at her dreamily. The girl threw a glance at him and moved from there.
Now daya came out of his trance and started thinking whether she just looked at him. He moved ahead to find her among the guests but she was nowhere to be seen.
He was searching her when Jay came to him.
"Kya baat hai daya? Kuch dhundh rahe ho tum?"
"Han actually wo ek... Daya abruptly stopped as he spotted her standing alone near the curtains and slowly tapping her foot on the floor enjoying the music.
"Jay wo ladki kaun hai?" Daya asked pointing towards that girl.
Jay looked at the girl. "Wo...are wo Dad ke kisi dost ki beti hai."
"To wo is terah se akeli kyun khadi hai? I mean main kab se dekh raha hu na kisi se baate kar rahi hai na kisi se mil rahi hai, apni hi duniya me hai wo to" daya said staring at her.
"Actually wo bechari chah kar bhi yaha kisi se baate nahi kar sakti." Jay said sadly.
"Kyun? Gungi hai?" Daya asked surprisingly.
"Are nahi nahi, gungi nahi hai. Darasal language problem hai. Use humari language nahi aati?" Jay told.
Daya was confused, "language nahi aati kyun kahi bahar se aayi hai?"
"Han, wo India ki nahi hai? Use Hindi nahi aati" jay told.
"To English to aati hogi?" Daya asked.
"Nahi wo bhi nahi aati."
"To kya language hai uski? Kaha se aayi hai wo?" Daya asked curiously.
"Wo na Torocco se aayi hai aur use bas waha ki native language hi aati hai." Jay said.
Daya stressed on his brain, "Torocco? Ye kaun si jegah hai. Maine Morocco suna hai. Africa me koi nayi country bani kya? Meri GK thodi weak hai."
Jay giggled, "nahi nahi, Morocco nahi, its Torocco. Ye north west Africa me ek island hai, wahi pe ek chota aa desh hai."
Daya glanced at the girl who was smiling to herself. "Achha? But Jay, wo to kisi bhi angle se African nahi lagti. She completely looks a pretty Indian face."
"Han to uske parents Indian origin ke hain na that's why. Uska DNA to Indian hi hai. Uske dad Torocco ke sabse bade businessman hain. " jay told.
Daya sighed, "but tum log conversation kaise karte ho phir?"
"Mujhe thodi bahut uski language aati hai. If you want to talk to her I can be a translator for you." Jay said.
Daya smiled excitedly, "yes, of course, but uska naam kya hai?"
"Wo tum usi se puch lena" Jay said and led daya towards the girl.
Jay said something to the girl, "dace safh leinb entimira thout giyn."
The girl smiled and looked at daya, "Mintalavajokumasaanchaba"
Daya's smile vanished. He nudged Jay, "What is say saying?"
"Apna naam bata rahi hai yaar!" Jay whispered.
"Naam?" Daya was hell shocked, "ye uska naam tha, Mintaalav...what?"
"Shh...ise bahut jaldi gussa aa jata hai. Agar use pata chala ki koi uske naam ko pasand na kare to bahut bura maan jati hai." Jay whispered.
"Ok ok... Koi nickname ya pet name nahi hai?" Daya asked sheepishly.
"In logo ke yaha nickname ya pet name jaisa koi concept nahi hota." Jay said.
Meanwhile Jay got a call from his mom.
"Ok daya tum baate Karo, main bas abhi aaya!" Jay said and moved winking at the girl which went unnoticed by daya.
"But Jay main kaise...? Daya said but Jay had gone.
"Daya?" The girl said with a smile.
Daya smiled hearing his name from her mouth.
"Jemo tolopa chaligam sevajo?" She said.
Daya scratched his head. Seeing him helpless the girl signalled through her hand towards the terrace.
"You want to go on terrace?" Daya asked through his hands.
The girl nodded in yes. Daya smiled and moved with her to the terrace.
They reached on the terrace away from the noise of the party.
The girl was wearing a maroon silk full length gown with lace sleeves and back. She was looking totally stunning yet elegant with a little makeup.
"You are looking very beautiful" daya said through hand gestures.
The girl narrowed her eyebrows as she didn't understand him.
Daya got nothing what to say. He looked here and there and found a flower pot having a rose plant with only one flower.
Daya signalled her towards the flower and then towards her saying that she is looking just like the flower.
The girl got his meaning and smiled.
"Anbose melogo jomina" she said.
"Shayad thank you bol rahi hai" daya thought and smiled.
"Why you took me here?" He asked by signs.
"Gemo chomo lemineto chogi matelara semoni hadimeda" the girl said in her language and used some signs, through which daya got her meaning that she doesn't like partying, she loves to be alone.
Daya smiled. "So did you like India?" Daya asked using signs.
The girl smiled and nodded in yes.
Daya sadly looked at her who was saying something in her language.
"Kamaal hai, pehli baar ek ladki mili jo dekhte hi dil me bas gayi lekin meri kismat? wo meri bhasha hi nahi samajhti. Usse kuch kahu bhi to kaise? Dil ki baat samjhaun bhi to kaise?" Daya murmured.
The girl heard him and turned to him, "amsoko jamolobata saubayra gajo molva emanoka jemitira?" She asked through signs that if he wants to say something to her.
Daya nodded in yes. He made some signs from his hands and fingers. "If you like India, Don't go back to Torocco. There's someone in India who has fallen for you at the first sight. Someone loves you!"
As daya finished he found her staring into his eyes. "Torocco...basiglota enlota jekorat sumachala mahijo eme bahima nemojato" She told him with her gestures that there is someone in Torocco also who loves her.
Daya's face fell down, "Torocco me koi hai jo tumse pyar karta hai? Do you also love him?" He asked through signs.
The girl nodded in yes with a smile.
Daya closed his eyes for a second and looked away. Then he turned to her with a sad smile, "that's really good. He is really lucky. You are the most beautiful girl of this world. keep smiling. God bless you!" He said without using signs this time. He turned his face and started looking towards the stars.
The girl's smile vanished. She stared at him sadly.
Meanwhile a girl came there.
"Offo Shreya, tum yaha ho? Kabse dhundh rahi hu tumhe?"
Daya immediately turned and shockingly looked at both of them, "Shreya? Who?"
The girl looked at Daya and said in a low voice, "main Shreya".
Daya stared at her in disbelief with his mouth opened. The girl stared into his eyes with the same smile and left from there.
Daya realized that she was just making him fool all the time. "Hey ...stop!" He tried to stop her but she had left.
Daya came down in the hall. Jay came to him, "arey kya hua daya baate ho gayi? I hope tumhe jyada dikkat na hui ho! Waise abhi main free hu aur kuch help chahiye to batana!" Jay said placing his hand on his shoulder.
Daya smirked, "han, mujhe Torocco ko ticket chahiye, tu book karwa dega?"
Jay started laughing, "hahaha... Kyun Torocco kyun jana hai tumhe? Wo Torocco wali ladki itni pasand aa gayi tumhe?" Jay was laughing when shreya came there.
"Jay... Jay stop it, humara prank khatam ho chuka hai. He knows everything." She said looking embarrassed.
Jay was shocked. He found daya glaring at him.
Daya started moving but Jay stopped him, "Are daya, I am really sorry, wo bas majak tha. Tu to bura maan gaya. Aur waise bhi ye idea mera nahi Shreya ka tha, She is my cousin."
Daya jerked his hand when Shreya came in front of him, "please listen to me. Wo kya hai na jab log mujhe ghurte hain na to mujhe bahut gussa aati hai. I found you were staring at me for a quite long time. I knew that you will surely try to approach me and then flirt with me like Jay's all other friends do. Isliye maine socha kyun na thoda drama kiya jaye, aur thoda maja chakhaya jaye"
Daya looked at her angrily and tried to move but shreya again came in front of him. "But I am really sorry. I know you are not like others. You are so innocent, humari sari bato ko sach maan liya? I am so sorry!"
"It's alright" daya said coldly and turned to Jay, "Jay, I am leaving" daya said and moved outside.
Jay was about to stop him but Shreya asked Jay to let her go and see. She moved behind daya.
Daya came near his car.
"Daya suno to" shreya said running behind him.
Daya looked at her and sat in the car ignoring her.
Shreya came and peeped inside the car through the window, "dekho main janti hu tum mujhse naraj ho. Tum mujhe maaf nahi Karna chahte, that's ok. But please jane se pehle itna to bata do ki, that someone who fell for me at the first sight, that someone who loves me, wo India me rehta kaha hai?"
Daya looked at her.
"Please" shreya said looking into his eyes.
Daya's anger vanished seeing her cute expressions. He got down the car, "bata dunga, pehle mujhe ye bata dena ye Torocco map me kaha pe hai?"
Shreya looked down biting her lips, "kyun?"
Daya caught her arm and pulled her closer, "waha pe bhi koi hai na jo tumse pyar karta hai, waha jakar uska khoon Karna hai" he whispered into her ears.
Shreya blushed and looked into his eyes. Daya was leaning towards her but he stopped at some inches away and started laughing, "hahaha... Torocco? Really?"
Shreya too burst out laughing.
**** The End ***