Dusk was approaching slowly as the sun dipped into the sea...The old lady was lying on her couch denying to lie in bed..Since the morning she had been becoming increasingly cantankerous..Her grand-daughter's mercurial behaviour was difficult to be dealt with specially coming at this age when impatience frequently nudged one..She kept grumbling inside her with visible petulance about Niyati's sudden departure from the home and then returning back almost in the noon...But astonishingly Niyati kept ignoring her reprimands with sporadic smiles and her blase attitude was what she disliked most and a fiery anger flamed inside her...
:'niniiiiii' she yelled snappily..
After a full minute of silence, Niyati entered smilingly with a trolly containing tea and buscuits making her grandmother astounded..
:'aaj itna jaldi chay?' she still asked a little testily..
Niyati sat opposite facing her nani and in between serving her tea she replied imperturbably,:'tumhe hi to pasand hai jaldi chay peena...' her squinted eyes once skimmed over the choleric feature of the old lady and then she lowered her eyes further concentrating on pouring tea into the cups...
A faint smile appeared at the face of the old lady as she indeed was pleased by the action of Niyati but she still wanted to maintain grouchy mood to punish her grand-daughter..:'mere pasand na pasand ka parwa kaha hai tujhe?' she made a sullen face deliberately to make her annoyed but Niyati was abnormally calm and...now her glance struck at her face which suddenly seemed animated...Niyati raised tea-full cup towards her nani stating in unruffled gesture,:'hai na...'
The old lady waited though still maintaining a sullen face but Niyati served her buscuits with an intriguing smile...
The lady smiled inside herself as the vivacity of her granddaughter delighted her but she said testily,:'mera tape la de mujhe...akele baithe baithe thak gayi hun...'
Niyati's lips pressed to form a bright smile and she temporized,:'tape? us se kya karoge?'
The lady turning her face aside to show anger,answered curtly,:'karna kya hai? gana hi sun ke reh jaungi...'
Niyati stared at her with infinite tenderness for some seconds before heaving a long sigh and then dug her hand in her trouser pocket..:'is se sun lo gana...' A cell phone she raised towards her nani...The lady looked at her with immense astonishment while Niyati assured her with the parlance of her eyes adding more,:'tumhara sare favourite gane ...is me bhar diya...Lo...'
A child-like grin brightened the face of the old lady though at the very next moment she expressed her worry, :'tujhe kitni bar kaha ke ye sab istemal karna mujhe ata nahi...mujhe nahi ata hai phone bone karna...' feigned petulance returned back into her face...
:'abhi ajayega,' replied Niyati imperturbably,:'aur phir tumhe phone karna nahi hoga...bas gana hi sun lo...' she sipped a little tea while the lady asked eagerly,:'ghazal bhar diya na?'
An affectionate smile crossed Niyati's face and she started playing song pressing a button...
Tere ane ki jab khabar mehke...tere khushboo se sara ghar mehke...Tere ane ki jab khabar mehke...tere khushboo se sara ghar mehke...
Faint complacency touched her shy smile as some glimpses of the morning started coming before her eyes...
Shaam mehke tere tasawwur se...
shaam mehke tere tasawwur se...
shaam ke baad phir shahr mehke
shaam ke baad phir shahr mehke...
Her eyes started gleaming without her knowledge remembering the journey of her with the man from his residence to her when he had come to drop her some hours back...A silly smile she couldn't restrain recalling her meaningless perplexity in grasping his shoulder for support..It was scary but at the same time adventurous to travel in bike and she was pleased with herself as she managed it without clasping the man...His shirt was puffing like a balloon as the breeze blew fast...and ...that intoxicating fragrance...Had he applied any after shave lotion?
Tere ane ki jab khabar mehke...tere khushboo se sara ghar mehke...
The corner of her lips curled seeing such mystical smile over her granddaughter's face though she ventured to ask very normally,:'kis ko yaad karke hans rahi hai Nini? kya tujhe kisi ka ane ka khushboo araha hai? mujhe to nahi mil raha hai ab tak!'
Niyati felt erratic beats of her heart though she looked at her nani unflinchingly trying to behave normally,:'nani tum bhi!' little crimson colour of shyness dyed her cheeks before she resumed in a frolicsome gesture,:' bahar lawn me ja ke baithoge?'
The lady concurred immediately as inside her heart she formed a pleasant anticipation that she didn't wish to share with her granddaughter at that very moment...
Rat bhar sochta raha tujh ko...
Rat bhar sochta raha tujh ko...
zahno dil mere rat bhar mehke
zahno dil mere rat bhar mehke...
Niyati's eyes clouded with dim fervour as she clasped the old lady from behind on the way to lawn...It seemed to her as if someone started tickling her mischievously relentlessly and she had lost even a crust of power to stop it...Her logical mind tried to come back floundering within a ocean of surging emotions reprimanding her,:'how can you connect him with everything you stupid silly girl!' She murmured inside, :'I don't have to connect anything with him...but it seems as if everything is connected with him...'
:'kya barbara rahi hai Nini?'
-kuchh nahi nani...yaha baitho...' she whipped her unbridled self to be composed...
Tere ane ki jab khabar mehke...tere khushboo se sara ghar mehke...
:'are magar chay to thanda ho jayega na?' asked the lady trying to figure out the reason of her granddaughter's secretive delight...
:'koi baat nahi nani...phir se banake laungi main...' giggled Niyati a little unreasonably perhaps to screen her thudding heartbeats...
:'itna energy achanak kaha se agaya tujh me haa?' nani teased her with a wry smile...
Niyati with a half smirk shook her head in her effort to dismiss the words of her nani...
Yaad aye to dil munawar ho...
yaad aye to dil munawar ho...
deed ho jaye to nazar mehke...
deed ho jaye to nazar mehke...
A chuckle of bliss appeared on Niyati's face and something kept trembling inside her as the man entered from the tiny grill gate of the garden pasting an ingenuous smile over his face...An ash coloured jeans with lemon yellow full sleeve t shirt blending with his charm made his appearance not only attractive but invigorating too...Niyati's face unconsciously broadened with a grin...eyes misted up with fervour...lips quivered...
When Daya finally reached beside their tea table the old lady exclaimed in joy,:'aya hai tu? abhi yaad aya is buddhi ka?'
Daya stooped down to have a loose hug with the lady still lingering the precious smile over his face while the lady kept prattling on,:'are Niniii...baithne to de Daya ko...'
Niyati as if woke up from a heavenly dream and she was quick enough to erase the lines of embarrassment from her face decking it with a measured courteous smile,:'baithiye please...' She offered him a seat with an ostensibly poised face...Some seconds of awful silence prevailed before Niyati chose to break it with a cynical smile,:'phir? kya sochke humara ghar ka rah yaad agaya aap ko?' Afer throwing the question,she kept looking at her glossy nails though quite flippantly...A faint chuckle crossed Daya's face as he dawdled in answering her...Niyati felt thumping of her heart as she perceived that by throwing that question to him she had catapulted herself in a cloud of confusion...Would he be discreet? Would he be prudent not to reveal before nani that...
:'sach kahu to...' Daya paused glancing at Niyati archly with a cryptic smile,before divulging,:'nani ka bohut hi zada yaad araha tha...waise bhi...kal promise karke bhi aa nahi paya tha...Aaj to ana bohut jaroori tha...' his words were wrapped in unpretentious innocence with a tint of mischief...A tempting smile appeared on Niyati's face before she evaded her eyes...
:'haa beta...Kal mann me bada ummeed tha...ke tu ayega,' the old lady revealed it defenselessly like a child and kept saying,:'kal jab tu na aya to socha ke ummeed karna hi chhor dungi...'
:'naniii,' Niyati tried to reprimand her nani with reproving glance..
:'kyu? tu bhi to kal kitni mayus thi...abhi mujhe kyu chup kara rahi hai?' the lady countered promptly..
Niyati jolted inside with something akin to scare while the lady kept scolding her,:' Daya ko chay na peelayegi kya?Tu to keh rahi thi phir se chay banake layegi?ooooo...kya tujhe pata tha Daya ayega?' Niyati's face turned purple in apprehension and before she could make herself composed to reply back Daya plunged eagerly,:'nnahi nani...mmere sath to...doctor ...I mean...Niyati ka koi contact hi na huya...' his face became more innocent in his effort to marshall a complete lie,:'hai na ..Nniyati?'
Niyati instead of beefing up Daya's words, kept gazing at his flummoxed face with bemused stupefaction..
:'aaur phir...mmujhe to...' he flung his hands perhaps to make his words more plausible,:'khud hi pata nahi tha...ki...mmain aaj...aa paunga...yya nnahi...' he flashed a fatuous smile at the end making every possible effort to persuade the old lady...
An inscrutable smile peeped through the corner of her lips when the lady finally nodded sending Daya at the peak of incredulity, :'phir to meri Nini anjane me hi itna sundar ghazal chalayi hai..kyu Nini?'
Niyati's face hardened in her desperate effort to conceal the storm inside her heart..Sheer astonishment seeped through Daya's face as he looked at Niyati squarely..Niyati sprang up abruptly,spluttering feebly,:'main chay lati hun...aap baithiye..'
A smile of sagacity mingled with amazement waved through his lips before his glance fell upon the old lady as she grizzled pretentiously to punish him,:' is budhi ko kyu yaad ayega? abhi to zindegi rangeen hai tera...Is liye to nani ko aaunga bolke bhi na aya...' Deep contrition crossed his face as he jabbered an abject apology,:'maaf kar dijiye nanijee...woh...kabhi kabhi aisa bhi kaam ajate hai ki...' he stopped as he started hating himself for making such a false excuse and be resolute at that moment in keeping every promise specially where an old lonely woman was involved in it..
Smile slowly brightened the face of the old lady when she melted seeing the rueful repentance over Daya's face and she patted his cheeks with her gnarled fingers affectionately while Daya lowering his face indulged himself in receiving motherly affection...
:'Nini jhagra kiya tha na?' asked the lady making her face mischievous...
:'nahi nanijee...' replied he promptly with a coy smile...
The face of the lady became reflective in a moment as she kept speaking,:'Nini ki jhagra se use galat maat samajhna beta...' she paused looking at some distant object and resumed,:'jiski sar ki upar se...bas bees saal me achanak ma baap ka chhaya kho jaye...' she paused and panted with grief,:' us bechari ko...pure duniya pe hi gussa ane lagta hai...' her eyes moistened in a moment and she daubbed her eyes...Daya was looking at her with a dolorous expression ..
:'duniya ki har aadmi me use fareb dikhti hain aur aapne aap ko bachane ke liye...aisa jhagrelu ban ne ki koshish karti hai...' she added further with a little tremor in her voice...The weight of her frail hand was perceived by Daya as she said in pleading gesture,:'use galat na samajhna beta...'
Daya felt as if he had been thrown into a predicament where he wouldn't be able to resort to silence any more...
Grasping her hand he ventured irresolutely, :'ggalat samajhne ka ...koi...sawal hi...paida nahi hota hai nani...' he floundered as if within the dark ocean to find some word to pacify the old lady and came back,:'niyati...chahe gussa ho...ya...khush ho...kuchh bhi chhupa nahi sakti hain...' he felt a little embarrassed in defining Niyati's feature though,:'aise insan ko...kya...galat samajhna hai?'
Niyati was at the threshold holding a flusk full of tea and a cup in her other hand but she slowered her pace listening to her name from his lips...A strong wave as if flowed inside her body making her standstill...What the man was talking about?
:'bohut jhagarte hai na Nini tujh se?' asked the old lady having been a little relieved by his words
Daya made no reply but flashed a squirm smile making the old lady delighted...
Niyati felt as if she was pursued by a constant scare about the conversation of the two as it sprang up suddenly inside her that her nani would be able to ask Daya something that would only perplex and discomfit him...
:'kya conspiracy ho raha hai mere khilaf?' she said moving towards them trying to maintain a confident and unruffled gesture...The old lady grasped the opportunity to veer the discussion from a sombre one and stated with a child like vivacity,:' plan chal raha tha...beach me jane kaa...' Daya gazed at the revived smile of the lady with amazement while Niyati gave her gentle admonishment,:'nanniiiii!' she sat and poured the steamy tea from the flusk for Daya saying,:'mana kiya na main? kyu bar bar bachcho jaise zid karne lag jate ho?' The ebullient smile dwindled away from nani's face when she protested feebly,:'chal to sakti hun main ...' she paused and then came back uttering the rest,:'abhi bhi...'
Niyati raised the cup towards Daya and a plateful of crunchy biscuits with a decorous smile and thereafter said,:' zid na karo nani...phir waha pe ja ke tumhara tabyat kharab lagega to?'
For some seconds the old lady remained silent before coming back with a stout reasoning,:'Tu hai na? Tu rehte huye tabyat kharab hone ka naam pe kyu darru?' She glanced at Daya seeking his implied support...
Niyati heaved a long sigh perhaps with tiredness and her eyes rolled a little without her knowledge when she was finally going to reamrk then only Daya shrugged with a humorous gesture expressing his implied support to nani's words...Niyati with goggled eyes and parted lips stared at him,:'aaap bhi?' she clipped with staggered expression over her face and added,:'kaha aap nani ko manayenge...us ko mana karenge ...aur...' she flung her hands in a mixture of anger and disbelief before putting more,:'aap do milke karte rahiye mujhe pareshan aise...' reddish hue of displeasure touched her cheeks..
:'thik hai...' chimmed in the old lady,:'maan leti hun ki main tujhe pareshan karti hun...' she confessed hurriedly and her eyes were gleaming with mischeif to finish,:'magar Daya kaise pareshan kiya tujhe haa? zara bata to mujhe...'
Niyati felt a sudden jerk inside her and felt that uprush of shyness was trying to descend upon her which she couldn't resist...How could she now manage to maintain a sombre & normal face? How would be able to show a careless nonchalance conveying the message that she hadn't been mortified by his absence...
Daya though in between two sip of tea, clarified it with a frank laugh,:'nanijee aap bhi...waise hi Nniyati pareshan hain...aur aap...' he paused and his glance fell at her as he ventured,:'waiseee...'
Niyati's frizzy hair screened her face as she cowered looking at the small round table with a visibly annoyed face...
Daya mustered his thoughts before revealing, :'waisee...hum beach me ...ekbar ja to sakte hain...'
Niyati looked at him sharply,while Daya hastened with a little frightened gesture, :'agar...agar...aap ka koi aitraaz na ho to...'
Niyati forcefully evaded her glance indicating her displeasure while Daya persisted trying to persuade her,:'nanijee ka itna mann hai ...' he was interposed as Niyati fumed in rage,:'aur un ka mann ka ichchha puri karne ke liye agar koi nuksan pauche to? do din pehle girke sar phata liya...stiches huya hai...abhi un ka mann ka sun na zada jaroori hai ya unko mera baat maan na?'
Daya's face turned initially like a school child upon whom teacher's unrelenting reprimand showered and when she finished serene smile appeared at his lips...Though Niyati felt as if her heart would stop beating any moment as the child like fright outpoured through his face...Her glance locked with his face unknowingly with a captivating effect until he said concurring with her,:'aap ki baat bhi sahi hai...' he shrugged again forcing a smile, :'kaffi practical bhi hai...' he elongated the smile for few seconds before venturing to swerve the topic away,:'to nanijee...kuchh din aap ko...bas gana sun ke hi guzara karna hai...waisee...' his glance once fell archly at Niyati before he divulged,:'aap ko shayad...ghazal bada pasand hai...'
Niyati looked at him with slight astonishment while Daya asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes,:'Niyati aap ko daat nahi lagati hai? aise nahi kehti hai ke...kya anab shanab sun rahe ho?'
Sheer stupefaction reflected through the face of the old lady as she replied astoundingly,:'haaa...lagaya to karti thi bohut saal pehle...magar abhi to dekhti hun ki...' she was interposed as Niyati gave her mild reproof once again and this time with a petulant face,:'naniiii!'
The old lady with a wry smile resumed, without paying much heed to her granddaughter's reproving glance, :'abhi to dekhti hun ghazal hi ghazal sunti rehti hai...pata nahi...' she added in a mincing voice,:' shayad...koi gehra raaz hoga is ki ghazal sun ne ke peechhe...'
Daya looked at her with a staggering confounded smile while Niyati countered in thick voice defending herself,:' kya aise hi anab shanab baatein karke aap log is shaam ko barbaad karenge?' though she was desperate to maintain a grim feature but it was appearing almost impossible to her as it seemed as if the flowing blood was tripling and dancing with increased force within her body...A frisson of fright blending with pleasure pain and anger waving through her whole body relentlessly making her perplexed and discomfited...
:'is se to achcha tha...' she resurrected with a comparatively low voice, looking hazily at some unknown object,:' beach pe ja ke baithna...'
:'chal Daya...' said nani promptly, :'beach pe ja ke humara anab shanab baatein sun ne se...chhutkara milega ise...' the old lady said it with feigned repentance though her gleaming eyes couldn't conceal the mischief inside her...
:'haa..' Daya nodded in concurrence, :'abhi kaise beach pe jane se mana kar sakta hun?' he said it in a way as if he hated the idea of visiting beach...
A mild smile of affection rippled in Niyati's lips as she swore beneath her breath, :'you would never know Daya...why I am daring to take nani into the beach...'
:'waise...' Daya's comical smile ebbed away as he asked quite practically, :'aap ke pas koi wheel chair hai?'
Niyati nodded saying,:'haaa...magar nani use nahi karna chahte hain us ko...'
Daya looked at the old lady wih a reproving glance though a tinge of caring smile fastened over his face...
...
...
Daya and Niyati reached at the beach bringing nani though she was persuaded after a long session to sit on the wheel chair instead of going there by walk...
Cool onshore breeze was fanning their faces wringing their weariness out from their hearts and bodies...
Not many had come to behold at the waving orange sea as it was almost a recluse beach...With sluggish steps as they moved towards the sea,it seemed to Niyati that she would have been deprived of getting such a serene atmosphere if persisting with her decision not to come...Her glance slowly turned to the man who was pushing the wheel chair with a placid smile over his face...His hair buffeted and perhaps it was the salty air that made his face more charming than ever...The opalescent shadow reflected over his face impelling Niyati to gaze at him with rapturous eyes...A rhythmic tingling she perceived within herself as an effect of the incessant lullaby of the waves...She trembled feeling that as if copious caresses had been showered upon her sending her in a frenzied state where she was incoherent and...struggling to manage her unbridled emotion...
Her well shaped nails hurt her palm as she clenched her fists burying her straying fantasy there...She was awakened and simultaneously felt a frisson of excitement went passed her spine getting the voice of Daya,:'nahi Nani...zid nahi...' he admonished with his gentle care,:'chaliye hum us rock ke pas jake baithe...' he added further and then hunched towards the old lady as she was perhaps getting stubborn for something...
A silent inquiry was born in her eyes and persisted until Daya said something inaudible...It was the sound of the waves that was erasing his voice and she yearned to reprimand the waves at that moment for making his words inaudible...It was not only fervent...but also outlandish for a woman who once considered herself as a practical and logical one...but...A faint shy smile touched her lips failing miserably in defining and explaining the reasons of her own stupidity...
She could advance towards him to get in close propinquity but every time she trembled with a maddening fright-fright for doing a blunder, fright for committing such a mistake that could lower her dignity...
Daya though astounded to experience such a cold apathy of Niyati specially when she had the responsibility of an old lady, he managed to hide his thoughts well and coming a little closer he divulged further with a comparatively louder voice, :'nani aapne hatho se chair ko chalana chahte hain...'
Waves of tingling pleasure started flowing inside her as he, perhaps for the first time came so closer even if it was just to make her understood about the situation...
Her gaze slowly flew to him, tantalizingly as she remained silent..
It was a brief yet intense moment when Daya stared at her with expectancy but she clammed up, holding her breath and locking her eyes with his...But the moment broke as Daya in a bustle advanced towards the moving wheel chair to handle the whimsical childish crave of the old lady...
Niyati returned back into the harsh reality and with a faded smirk she accepted it and advanced towards them...