Kiska Hai Tumko Intezaar

Shaadi wala pyar

Naina had been working for a long time when she got stuck at one particular point. She wasn't sure which product had to be highlighted for that sequence.

'Munna se puch leti hun.' She quickly placed the call.

'Hi Naina, is waqt kaise call kiya?' Munna's voice held a tinge of surprise.

'Mujhe puchna tha ki Bestsellers of the Year ki list mein jo products hain unhe kisi particular order mein lena hai kya?' She put up the question that had halted her work.

'Tum ghar jaakar bhi isi mein lagi ho? Don't stress. Kal dekh lenge. Ek do din late hone se kuch nahi hota.' Munna felt guilty for not telling her beforehand that this specific client's mail was always drafted like an urgent, pressing matter but it wasn't that way.

Naina was surprised, 'Main ghar se nahi office se bol rahi hun. Bas thoda sa kaam bacha hai, usey khatam karke nikalti hun.'

'Arey tum abhi tak wahan kya kar rahi ho?' Munna exclaimed as he checked the time, 'Aath baj chuke hain. Ghar jao Naina. Report kal kar lenge. Tumhe itni late tak rukne ki zarurat nahi hai.'

'Oh!' Naina glanced at her watch and was surprised, 'Maine time dekha hi nahi. Okay, main ab nikalti hun. Baaki ka kal hi karungi ab.'

She rolled her eyes after hanging up, 'Pagal hun main bhi. Time hi nahi dekha.'

She collected her things, switched off the connections and walked towards the elevator. Only then she noticed the silence in the office. The surroundings that were bustling with people during the day looked eerie when vacant. It was well lit, yet it made her shudder.

As she walked towards the main door of the building, another hiccup presented itself. It was raining heavily outside.

Naina let out a frustrated sigh, 'December ke mahine mein baarish kyon hoti hai yaar. Ek toh thand lagti hai upar se geele kapde sukhte nahi.'

She waited for a while at the door, checking for cabs. That was another reason to worry. It had been probably raining for quite some time because now the app showed no available cabs. She postioned her bag over her head and sprinted towards the cafe.

Once inside, she brushed off the water from her jacket sleeves, looking around. The cafe was empty.

'Lagta hai mere alava sab time pe nikal gaye aaj.' She muttered in frustration, 'Aaj hi late hona tha aur aaj hi baarish aani thi. Mere saath kuch sahi toh ho hi nahi sakta.'

She went to the counter and ordered a coffee, then looked at the array of eatables. Natasha had gone for a flight today afternoon. She would be back only in the morning. Naina was in no mood to cook after reaching home. She asked the boy to pack her a sandwich. She could heat it up and have at home for dinner.

Twenty minutes later, her coffee was over but it was still pouring outside. She checked the app for cabs. Luckily, she could book one after a while. Because of the hazy visibility combined with the murkiness of the hour, she couldn't clearly see the road from cafe. Though the app showed the cab to be nearby, she did not get any message of arrival. When she called up again, the driver did not answer and cancelled the ride.

'Damn.' She muttered in frustration, 'Sab kuch aaj hi hona hai. Ab kya karun?' She then turned to the boy at the counter, 'Tum cafe band karne ke baad ghar kaise jaate ho?'

He checked his watch, 'Ma'am, abhi toh closing mein time hai. Main metro leta hun lekin aaj itni baarish hai toh peeche ke auto stand se auto le lunga.'

Naina asked him for the directions, and decided to go out to the stand. It seemed to be the only way as the boy did not have any number to contact any specific auto driver.