[Niyati's room]
As she pouted prettily to colour her lips,an up rushing discomfort engulfed her...For a flicker of second, it seemed as if she herself scoffed at her own activities,:"you are behaving like a nonsensical idiot...'her dark eyebrows slanted in a frown as she occupied herself in asking whether she had been behaving like a mawkish silly woman? Had she been carried away with her frenzied thought? The lines of worry over her forehead eased soon as the delirious ecstasy that throbbed relentlessly since his coming there unexpectedly, outsmarting her confident self possessed her once again with a hypnotic magnetism...She grinned stealing a furtive glance at the mirror when putting maang tikka over her head...A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as she considered herself fully prepared to face him...A faint smile of bashfulness crossed her face as it suddenly hit her brain that it was her birthday only and she shouldn't behave as if it was the first day of the weird emotion she had been enduring since last ten years...Switching the lights off as she advanced towards the closed door, it seemed as if a gusty breeze dashed onto her bare neck...
:'doctor...' a whisper she heard and felt in her left ear which compelled to close her eyes...Electric pleasure overflowed mercilessly through her body leaving her breathless & transfixed...
:'aap ki churni...'his voice, deep & sensual sent a ripple of exquisite crave through her...
Summoning up every bit of power as she twirled, she felt as if something stabbed at her heart as he indicated towards her dressing table by his gleaming eyes...There was a placid yet skittish smile reflected over his face...Her eyes fell over the churni she left there in her forgetfulness and she hastened in putting it but turning her head she discovered no one there...She was perplexed and even frightened for a fraction of second but after that a coy smile appeared on her face at her bewilderment...
Opening the door she found herself in profound darkness that befuddled her more...Her darting glance flicked here & there for a little light and moving blindly towards the verandah she found it...Flickering flame was getting visible from there...She tiptoed a little more checking back the tinkling sounds that would be associated with her walk now and peeping out from the door her embellished eyes with kohl experienced something which once more took her breath away...The man was kindling diyas one by one on the edge of the verandah...As he poured the oil into diyas with concentration his face transfigured and gilded with a heavenly magic that could freeze Niyati hour after hour to gaze at him,with unfathomable deference..
The tune of a ghazal was floating through along with an aromatic blow of breeze...Had nani been listening to it...or...it was she herself who had been listening such a tune? Had it been intangible and incoherent?
Charage Ishq jalane ki raat ayi hai
charage Ishq jalane ki raat ayi hai..
Kisi ko apna banane ki raat ayi hai...
charage ishq jalane ki raat ayi hai...
Her heart was thudding terribly and pulse was pounding fast...Had she ever experienced anything so captivatingly attractive before? Had she ever discerned before...that within his somber face so very grace had been concealed carefully? A grown up person would gradually and inevitably loss the naivety of his childhood but...the innocence perhaps hadn't been tarnished as he had grown up...
woh aaj aye hain mehfil me chandni le kar...woh aaj aye hain mehfil me chandni le kar...
ke roshni me nahane ki raat ayi hai
ke roshni me nahane ki raat ayi hai...
kisi ko apna banane ki raat ayi hai...
charage ishq jalane ki raat ayi hai...
Niyati felt pressure upon her heaving chest as her eyes had deepened and swelled slowly...Indeed...he came like an angel with his devout respect for her child like grandmother...but...why there a storm brew in her heart to shatter all these happiness? How could she reveal that a maddening cyclone as if arising within her, endeavoured to ooze out through every pore of her body...It was urgent..irresistible and turning her insane in desiring to be close to him...to his mystical yet abyssal deep heart...How could she divulge that all these flooding lamps still would fail to illuminate her life if...the diya he had kindled without his knowledge within her delicately pampered heart wouldn't be shielded by his compassion and care...
Her eyes closed in reflex and some moisture seeped out of her embellished eyes...
Phalak ka chand bhi sharmake muh chhupayega...phalak ka chand bhi sharmake muh chhupayega...
naquab rukh se uthane ki raat ayi hai
naquab rukh se uthane ki raat ayi hai
kisi ko apna banane ki raat ayi hai
charage ishq jalane ki raat ayi hai..
A dizzying current racing through her tried to throttle her breath...Her glossy red lips parted pathetically to say something, but relinquishing the hope, murmured beneath her breath,:'phalak ka chand bhi...sharmake muh...chhupayega...jab...woh aap ko ..dekhega...Aap ka ujla huya chehra aur...hawa me...udte huye...aap ke..kuchh udas baal...mera ...jaan...le raha hai Dayaa...Aisa lag raha hai...aaj ki raat...aap ke jeevan me...udasi ka akhri raat ho..Ishq ki...ek ek bund se...aap ke sukhe huye dil ko...sinch dun...Bas...ekbar aap...mere akho ke andar jhak ke to dekhiye...'
Nigaah e saqi se paigham chhalak rahi hai sharaab...Nigaah e saqi se paigham chhalak rahi hai sharaab...
piu ke pine pilane ki raat ayi hai
piu ke pine pilane ki raat ayi hai...
kisi ko apna banane ki raat ayi hai...
charage ishq jalane ki raat ayi hai...
kisi ko apna banane ki raat ayi hai..
Eyes brimmed with tears-tears of intensifying yearn; tears of horrifying thirst and tumultuous crave...
The overwhelming emotion with which she had been combating, seemed to swathed around her neck forming a lump that she couldn't gulp back...It was beyond her tolerance to be silent...;to behave as if only comradeship was the ultimate border of their relationship; to deck her face with a candid smile yet conceal the impassioned fire that smouldering inside...How would she be able to fend off such a perilous attraction? How long she would have to maintain that pretentious attitude? She kept fighting with the inexhaustible waves of emotions till Daya's glance fell over her..Initially he gave a cursory glance as he was very much absorbed with the lamps but within a tiny second, his glance stuck with her...Niyati felt as if blood coursing through her veins like an awakened river and with a giddy sense of pleasure she let her happiness show as it was the high time she could embolden herself in facing him...She tingled more & more as she approached towards him...Daya's baffled face slowly brightened with an unruffled smile...Tinkling sounds of her jewellery made the atmosphere a little queer as it lasted until she stopped coming beside him, raising her brimming eyes which seemed more intriguing as the kohl smudged with her tears..
Daya shrugged in unpretentious appreciation for the lady as a peaceful affectionate chuckle still lingering on his lips...Some seconds elapsed making her restive to that extent that she couldn't resist herself in asking, gazing at him with a tempting glance,:'kkuchh...kahenge nahi aap?'
Daya heaved a long sigh before displaying his thought,:'kehna...bematlab hai doctor...'he broke off and then returned back to explain,:'ek jharna ko dekh ke...kabhi koi kehta hai kya...ke...jharna tum sundar ho?'
Niyati's eyes lowered as a rush of pink stained on her cheeks...
Daya, maintained serene silence until it seemed odd and stifling,:"bagicha me...kuchh diya...jala dun?'
His deep voice made a rippling sensation through her body though she fought with it to flash a frank smile and ended up flashing a fleeting one at last,:'chaliye...'
Coming into the garden,Daya stooped down with lamps and match box while Niyati felt swirl of hesitation;kept fidgeting with a rare perturbation and finally offered him tardy help, bending herself...Daya was completely occupied with kindling lamp while Niyati started feeling a throttling pant inside her as her fervent eyes covertly showering caresses upon his solemn face...It was inconceivable how much time was getting flowed by,until she grunted in reflex as a painful sensation pricked her palm..
Daya,in a bustle took her palm within his and with a face hetting up with genuine worry,he let out,:'bohut jal raha hai? paani daalu?'
A shudder coursed down her as his touch drugging her sense...
Daya with shaking head,suggested,:'aap andar chaliye...aap ko diya jalana nahi hoga...'gentle admonition percolated through his voice making Niyati enraptured as her longing eyes busied in scrutinising every hue and colour of his face...His nearness was overwhelming...and ineffably intoxicating...How could she move away from there? How could she squander this opportunity? Yes,might she have a minor singe upon her palm...but...it resulted in giving her such a tremor of delight,perhaps she wouldn't ever be oblivious about it..as...it turned out to be...the first ...physical contact with...him...and why first? She wasn't sure...whether ...it was the last too...' A rueful smirk formed on her lips and her vision dimmed as her heart sang beneath her breath,:kaanto ki chubhan payi...phoolo ka maza bhi...Dil dard ke mausam me...roya bhi hasa bhi...'Tears pricked her eyes and didn't take much time to trickling down her pinkish cheeks...
Daya smelled something wrong in her behaviour but doctor pradhan and outlandish behaviour were inseparable -it seemed to him and he further ventured,with a gentle smile:'chaliye doctor...aap...' he had to broke off abruptly as Niyati with a frenetic passion revealed,levelling her glistening smudging eyes with his,:'mujhe...aap ko kuchh kehna hai..'her gasp was visible to him and he was flustered almost being impelled to look into her eyes? Within the darkness of the evening,and flickering lamps they froze as their gazes locked..Daya,putting much effort muttered slowly,being wrapped in profound perplexity,:'kkahiye...'
Niyati's glossy lips quivered;nose flared with the vehemence of emotion as every pore of her body fancied to be crushed within his tight embrace...The tensed silence was unbearable until Daya asked her in sheer astonishment,:'aap...aap ro rahi hai?'A dubious apprehension waved down his spine as his avid eyes were scanning her face till they heard the loud voice of the old lady,:'Daayaaa...Are kaha chala gaya tu?'
Daya awakened and hastened in replying her back,:"araha hun nanii...'he then glanced at her adorned face who still looking at him with mesmerising rapture,murmured,with a little discomfort,:'nanijee bula rahe hain...Hum...baad me...baat karenge?' he paused,giving her time to recover,:'chaliye,'he resumed and waited with worried batting of his eyeslids...Niyati lowered her gaze with a blushing face as the unspoken words kept throbbing inside and advanced filling the garden with the jingling sounds and allowing her fancy to overtake her, regarding the sound as the sigh of dejection of the nature..