Kiska Hai Tumko Intezaar

Ek second ke liye bhool bhi jaa usey

As Natasha reached home at a godforsaken hour same night, she shook Naina up from deep sleep, 'Ghode bech ke kya so rahi hai, uth na. Bata tere nakli sasural mein kya hua? Sasural hai ya... matlab koi gadbad toh nahi hui na? Pehle pyar ke pehle natak ki pehli family meeting mein pehla talak toh nahi ho gaya? Naina ki bachhi, uth ja warna paani ki poori bottle udel dungi tere sar pe.'

Groaning aloud, Naina sat up with a jerk when Natasha pulled the warm quilt away from her body. With her eyes still shut, she twisted her mouth, 'Teri saari flight raat ko hi kyon aati hain yaar Nutty? Kya din mein tujhe sadkon pe nazar aana allowed nahi hai?'

Natasha jumped on the bed and held Naina's face in her palms, bursting with excitement, 'Mujhe chorh, Sameer pe focus kar. Matlab uski family pe. Haye Naina, itni bechaini ho rahi hai na mujhe. Jabse tune kaha phone pe kuch nahi batayegi wapas aane pe hi sunne ko milega tabse mari jaa rahi thi main wapas aane ko. Subah tak toh bilkul nahi ruk sakti.'

Of course Naina was aware of that. When she received Natasha's text that she would be reaching home by two in the night, she knew her sleep after that was gone for a six. In fact she had planned to sleep early but the sudden twist in her fake relationship had robbed her of peace of mind. Only after Sameer's call she could breathe easy. The need to get her brother 'from Australia' on phone with Dadaji was gnawing at the back of her mind but she had tried to put it away for a while. The bigger burden was off her chest. Even the thought of getting engaged to someone like Sameer Maheshwari made her shudder.

Another jolt from Natasha made Naina almost fall off the bed. She balanced herself near the edge and shot an irked look to her friend, 'Agar tune ek baar aur haath pair chalaye toh main... main apne muh pe aisa taala laga lungi na... dekhti hun kaise kahani sunti hai tu.'

Natasha immediately sobered up, and smiled gently, 'Meri pyari Naina, sweet si Naina, please behna... kuch toh keh na.'

Before she was killed by Natasha's insufferable poetry if not by her antics, Naina decided to finish with the task... which it indeed was because every few sentences Natasha interrupted her, asking for more minute details. After she had given her an account of her entire conversation with every member of Sameer's family, Naina let out a breath of relief.

'Okay, all done.' Smiling, she bent to drag back her quilt from the other side of bed.

'Wait.' Natasha held her wrist, 'Woh log tujhse ek baar mile aur sagai karne ka decide kar liya? Aise hi? Bina kundli, bina family, bina enquiry ke? Kaunsi duniya ke hain? Inhe shaadi ke rules nahi pata? Agar tum dono sach mein lovers hote toh...' Seeing the ferocious look in Naina's eyes, she quickly clarified,'... agar bola maine... agar hote toh... toh tumhari chaandi ho jaati. Aisi family kiski hoti hai yaar. Love marriage ke naam pe 90s jitney drame na sahi par gharwalon ko do chaar kalesh karne toh compulsory hain. Aur ek yeh family hai, jinka beta ladki ko pehli baar leke aaya toh sagai karne ko taiyar ho gaye, agle hafte kahenge shaadi kar lo aur ek mahine baad kahenge ki humne apni saari property apni bahu ke naam kar di hai. Tu ek jhatke mein Naina Agarwal se Naina karodpati ho jayegi.'

'Oho Rajdhani Express... tham jaa zara.' Naina rolled her eyes, 'na main shaadi kar rahi hun na kisi aur ki property hadap rahi hun. Bas tere flat pe kabza nahi chorungi.'

Natasha grinned, 'Jo mera hai woh tera hai... pilot ko chorh ke.'

With all signs of sleep gone, Naina teased, 'Pilot toh tera bhi nahi hai babydoll. Pata nahi kaunsi flights milti hain tujhe jinke pilot ya toh married hote hain ya booked. Lagta hai ek bhi eligible bachelor nahi bacha iss profession mein.'

Natasha waved a hand in abandon, 'Rahul ne kaha tha... kitne dur dur ho unn dono ke raaste, mil jaate hain jo bane, ik dooje ke vaaste. Bhagwan ne toh sabko jodiyon mein banaya hai, ek na ek din mujhe bhi mil hi jayega jo mere liye unhone decide kiya hai. Abse main khud nahi dhundne wali. Use hi aake mujhe dhundna hoga.'