Ishita and Gehna are walking towards their house. Ishita's and Gehna's fathers are brothers and they live together in a joint family.
Gehna is younger to Ishita and very studious and traditional by nature. She has just finished her studies and is looking for a job.
Ishita is a fun loving, tom boy type bindaas girl. She is intelligent but lazy by nature. She never takes anything seriously in life. She has completed her studies but is working as a caretaker for dogs and other animas in the nearby animal shelter.
IshitaM (angry): Ishitaaa….kitni baar bulaana padta hai tumhe…dekho baaki sab log tayyar hai..aur ek tum ho ki…subah se inn gande kapdo me ghoom rahi ho…yeh apne baal dekhe hai…she picks out a leaf from her hair…jaoo change karo..hum sabko mandir jaana hai…aarti ka samay ho gaya hai..
Ishita runs to her room. She opens her cupboard and clothes fall out on her head.
Gehna (checking on Ishita): Ishitaaa…tayyar huyi ki nahi…she cannot see her in the room..Ishitaa…Ishitaaaa..
Ishita (from under the clothes): Main yahan hoon..
Gehna rolls her eyes and picks up the bundle of clothes. Ishita is lying on the floor..
Ishita (breathing loudly): Thank Godddd….warna aaj toh kapdo ke neeche dam ghutke mar hi jaati..
Gehna: acha hota…phir main Dushyant ko patta leti…
Ishita (jumping on her, angry): Kya kaha..chipkali…hamesha Dush ke peeche padi rehti hai….woh sirf mera best friend hai..sirf mera…
Gehna (scared): acha acha…mujhpe se utho toh ab..khaa khaa ke moti ho gayi ho…..
IshitaM (coming inside, pulling her ears): Kya kar rahi hai? Haan? Kabse tere liye neeche ruke hai…tayyar nahi huyi…aur yeh kya….she looks at the mess on the ground….hey bhagwaan…saare kapde mix kar diye…Gehnaaaa…jaa beta…tera koi acha sa salwar le aa…
Ishita gets dressed in Gehna's clothes and the whole family goes to the temple. Everyone is concentrating on the aarti. Ishita is bored. She slips away quietly. She goes to the huge garden behind the temple and spots a mango tree.
There are yummy looking mangoes on the tree and Ishita decides to pick some for her and her 'special friend'. She throws a couple of stones on the fruits but there is no success. She looks around to make sure no one is watching her. She ties the duppata around her waist and climbs the tree. She plucks many mangoes and goes on collecting in her duppata. She feels she has enough and should now climb down, when she spots a juicy mango at the farthest end.
Ishita (licking her lips): yeh kaise choot gaya mujhse…..ruk jaa abhi todti hoon tujhe…she balances her leg on the thin branch and stretches her body to reach the elusive mango. Her fingertips touch the mango but then she feels her feet slipping and she prepares for a massive fall.
Ishita (screaming): ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….Thuddddddd…she falls on something….
Muffled voice (below Ishita): Ishooooo…utgghooooo…..
Ishita (thinking): Yeh kaunsi bhaasha hai….maine kabhi suni nahi hai..
She realizes the weird sounds are coming from below her. She gasps in shock..she has fallen not on something..but probably someone…some man!
Ishita gets up and she sees that the mangoes she has collected have got spilled on the ground. She runs around to gather them and put back in her duppataa around her waist.
Man voice (getting up, angry): Hadh hai Ishuu….mera haal tak nahi poocha…
Ishita turns to see the person with a shock…
Ishita (shock): Dushhhhh….tum yahan neeche kya kar rahe the?
Dushyant (holding his waist in pain): tumhare ghar gaya tha….Kaka (servant) ne bataya tum sab log mandir me ho..toh main aa gaya..tum toh hamesha ki tarah aarti me gayab thi..tumhe dhoondta hua yahan aaya..aur tum mujhpe gir gayi…ahhhhhh..meri kamar..
Ishita: maine thodi kaha tha ped ke neeche rukhne…aur tum chinese me kyun baat kar rahe the?
Dushyant (confused):Chinese? Maine kab chinese me baat ki? Aur mujhe chinese aati kahan hai?
Ishita(confused): acha …toh main jab tumpe giri..tumne kuch kaha?'
Dushyant (angry): Duffer…maine kaha "mujhpe se hattooo…Motiiiii"…he laughs but gets scared as Ishita runs towards him.
Dushyant (scared, going back): Nahi …nahiiii…wahi ruk jaooo…Ishuuu…he cannot complete his sentence as she punches him in his stomach. He falls down and she raises her hand to hit him. Dushyant holds both her hands and turns over, so she is at bottom, he on top of her.
They both are panting for breath, Dushyant gazes into her chocolate brown eyes. They have always fascinated him. He had spent his time abroad all the while thinking how Ishita would have changed, but she is still the same. His heart is glad…she has not changed…she is utterly charming to him.
Her beautiful long eyelashes that constantly blink on her sparkling eyes, tiny freckles on her cheeks, her bangs on her forehead that would sometime hide her eyes…Ishita is irritated with the hairs falling on her face, she blows air on them to scatter them….the gust of air from her mouth falls on Dushyant's face, he feels its coolness and shuts his eyes, feeling it..he opens his eyes and finds Ishita's gaze fixed on him. Ohhh! He would have kissed her then and there..her eyes go wide open, Dushyant is looking at her differently and she feels he is coming way too close to her face. She can feel his breath on her lips..
Dushyant (throat dry, difficult to speak): Ishuu…he whispers…I…I Love you….he shuts his eyes to kiss her, when he feels a pain on his head!
Ishita has banged her forehead to his !
Dushyant (holding his head): Ishuuuuu..kya yaar…har baar mood ki waat laga deti hooo..
Ishita (getting up, confused): Mood? Kaisa mood? Kabse mere upar ho…kitne bhaari ho tum… she dusts her hands and gets up to go..
Dushyant pulls her by her hand and makes her sit next to him.
Dushyant (softly): Baitho naa kuch der mere paas…
Ishita (taking out a mango): aam khaaoge? Iss ped kea am bahut tasty hote hai..
Dushyant (trying to flirt): tum khilaaogi toh kuch bhi khaa loonga..
Ishita: acha? Aisa kyun?
Dushyant (coming close): tumhe bataya toh abhi..I love you…
Ishita (not serious): wohhh..ohhhh…I love you tooo…she blinks her eyes..Dushyant's eyes go wide…
Dushyant (excited): sach….what? I can't believe it…oh god….I am so happy…
Ishita (confused): itna kya uchal rahe ho…maine toh bachpan me hi kaha tha 'I love you'…you are my best friend…
Dushyant (shock): Kya? Best…best friend…Ishu main toh….he cannot complete the conversation as Gehna comes looking for them.
Gehna: Ishitaaaaa….tu yahan hai…hum sab tujhe dhoondh rahe the…chal…she spots a glum looking Dushyant…Ohhh…Hi Dushyant..she waves her hand at him.
Dushyant (waving back, weak smile): Hi Gehna…
Gehna (making eyes at him): Chalo naa..tum bhi chalo…panditji Prasad de rahe hai..
Dushyant tries to protest but Gehna manages to convince him to come along. The three of them walk together and stand in line. Ishita's family smiles at Dushyant and everyone enquires about him and his studies.
IshitaF: arre Dushyant beta…acha laga tumhe yahan dekhke…congratulations…tumhari padhai poori ho gayi…tumhare papa bataa rahe the jaldi unka business join karoge..
Dushyant: Ji uncle…shayad ek-do hafte baad…woh ek naya project hai..toh papa chahte hain main unhe assist karoon..
ishitaM: bahut ache beta…bahut mature ho gaye ho…she looks at Ishita who is eating a ladoo..with her mouth full…
IshitaM(irritated): warna isse hi dekhlo…tum dono ek hi umar ke ho…magar Ishita ka toh jaise bachpan gaya hi nahi..
Dushyant (sighs): haan aunty…sahi kaha…bilkul paagal hai..he recollects how she referred him as her best friend when he clearly loved her!
GehnaM: waise Gehna ki padhaai bhi poori ho gayi hai….apne college me top kiya hai usne…Dushyant smiles at Gehna..
Dushyant: That's nice….which course?
Gehna (smile): Business management..
Dushyant (surprise): Hey…that's same as mine…
Panditji (giving Prasad to the three): aap log bhagwaan se prarthna kijiye..
The three of them pray to god.
Dushyant (mind): Hey bhagwaan…main kaise samjhaoo Ishi ko ki main usse pyaar karta hoon…I want to live with her forever..isko thodi si buddhi dijiye bhagwaan…pleaaseeee…he begs..
Gehna(mind): padhai toh poori ho gayi….ab bass ek achi naukri mil jaaye..aur ek acha jeevan saathi bhi…she opens her eyes and looks sideways at Dushyant..he opens his eyes and looks at his side for Ishita…she is nowehere to be seen..
Dushyant (looking): arre..yeh kahan gayi? Abhi toh yahi thi….
Gehna shrugs her shoulders. He looks at the entrance of the temple- an old lady is being helped by Ishita to get up on the steps of the temple. He smiles as he watches her softly hold the grandmother's hand and support her step by step.
Dushyant walks to help her and together they get the old lady up to the last step.
Old lady (blessing ishita): sadaa suhagan raho….tumhara bacha swasth aur tandoorust rahe..
Ishita and Dushyant (shocked, confused): Bachaaaa?
Old lady: toh tum iss bachi ke pati ho? Bahut sundar Jodi hai tumhari…..bhagwaan tum dono ko hamesha sukhi rakhe.. she walks away, Dushyant looks at her with a smile.
Ishita: arre..aunty…main pregnant nahi hoon…meri toh shaadi bhi nahi huyi hai…aur yeh mera pati…
Dushyant (shutting her mouth): aunty chali gayi..kyun apna time waste kar rahi ho..aunty ne tumhe aashirwaad diya..khush raho naa..
Ishita (confused): lekin aunty ko aisa kyun laga main pregnant hoon? She thinks hard…she looks at Dushyant..he is smiling..he covers his mouth with his hands and starts giggling..
Ishita: bataooo naa…tum jaante ho?
Dushyant doesn't speak but indicates with his eyes to her stomach. Ishita's eyes travel down to her stomach…she then sees its swollen. She had tied all the mangoes in her duppata to her stomach..
Dushyant starts laughing loudly. Ishita gets embarrassed and tries to remove the knot of duppatta with one stroke.
Dushyant (holding her): sambhaalke…hamara bacha hai….he laughs again and watches with amusement as Ishita removes all the mangoes and ties it in a bundle..
Ishita (angry): Mujhe chidhaa rahe ho..dekhna ek bhi aam nahi doongi isme se..sab ke sab main aur 'Chotu da' hi khayenge…aur who bhi tumhare saamne…she shows a thumb and her tongue and walks off..
Gehna: Ishitaaa…Ishitaaaa…paaagal hai yeh ladki…tum isse kaise sehte ho Dushyant?
Dushyant (smile): hmm….hai toh paagal…magar dil ki bahut saaf hai..meri Ishuuuu…he says with a dreamy smile..
Aplogies for the delay..I was busy with some personal things...Hope you guys like this story. I am happy with the response you all have given me...I shall try to keep you entertained...
Many people have placed requests to me to write on various couples. I am humbled that you think I can pull it off...I am considering the requests and plot ideas that you all have given me. please have some patience. Currently I am writing three stories and I can write only one story a day...
But rest assured I am not ignoring anyone...keep giving me your suggestions/ideas/thoughts...
Many of you suggested to keep Ishita as a bubbly girl..well she is!
Love you all...Happy Rakshabandhan in advance to all...Also Happy Onam to all who celebrate it...Keep reading..Love you all :)