14
Next day morning, I decided to call Neha.
It was the time to pay back for what she did to MY girlfriend.
"Hey Tarun",Neha picked up the phone in just two rings
"Hi Neha", slowly i said
"What happen Tarun? Why are you sounding so low?"
"Nothing", I said
"NO, tell me what happened. Did your new girlfriend fight with you yesterday? I know, she must have. She is like that only"
"Shut up Neha"
"No Tarun, I won’t. I know you are not at fault. She stole you away. I am repeating it Tarun, you won't be happy with her"
"Listen Neha..." I tried to cut her off
"No Tarun, you listen to me first.", Neha continued to speak, "Remember how happy we were together? How pretty the world was then. A world of just you and me. What happened now?"
"Neha you are married now, and we've broke off.."
Neha stopped me again.. "Hey!!, agreed I am married, but i don't think so we broke off. I never said that, neither you did."
"Come on Neha, why does either of us have to say it? Isn't it a common sense?", I asked
"Why do we have to break off Tarun? Can't we be the same what we were couple of months back?" Neha asked
"What are you talking Neha? Are you forgetting the things lately? You are MARRIED now", I screamed in the mouth piece
"So what Tarun? Can't girls have extra marital affairs? We had decided that we won't get married to each other, which was okay. But we never decided that we can't be the same after."
"Neha you are talking insane. I called you to say something else, but looks like there is no point talking to you", i said, depressed
"You still love me Tarun, don't you?. I know you are not happy with Preeti and her emotional drama. I know you were sad and in grief when i got married. Preeti might have offered her shoulder. She knows how to catch guys with their sentiments.
I don't blame you Tarun, in that situation, any guy could have felled for her trick", Neha kept talking bad things about Preeti, "She is no less than a whore.."
"SHUT UP NEHA", I screamed in the top of my voice. I am sure my whole building and probably a whole Wing would have heard my voice.
I was shivering with anger.
"I am done with you Neha, if this is
what you want to hear. I am breaking it with you for whatever we had in past. Listen to me very carefully. You are my past now, Preeti is my present and she will be my future.
I don't want to hear a single word neither from you nor from anybody against her."
"Tarun please.." Neha was saying something, her voice shaky, but i had already disconnected the call before she could continue speaking her trash.
Phone rang within a couple of seconds. I knew Neha was calling. I picked-up the receiver and put it down again.
Phone started ringing again.
I pulled the phone cable out and threw the telephone on sofa furiously. Then lift the magazines from the center table and tossed them in air.
I was literally frustrated, not sure what to do. I started pacing back and forth in the hall, one hand on my waist, the other on my head, moving through the hair. I was breathing heavily, trying to control my racing heart-beats.
Sound of door-bell halted me. I looked at wall-clock. It cannot be Neha. She won't be able to reach my place so soon. It surely cannot be Mom. She is out to her Sisters' place for preparation of my nephew's naming ceremony. I heard it’s going to be a huge one in next month, as they had a baby after 7 years of married life.
"If it is a sales-man, then he/she is going to have a hard time today", i thought and opened the door
I was surprised to see Preeti standing outside. Pale-yellow Salwar Kameez, Peackok colored dupatta that was well contrasting to her dress, pale rose color lipstic, and usual matching accessories like earrings and bangles to support her get-up. I noticed how stunning she looked even with a simple dress-up.
I was hypnotized that I almost forgot to welcome her home, and stood in doorway.
"Can I?" Preeti asked me
"Oh.. sorry", I said and opened the door for my angel.
She looked around. Various magazines on floor, phone instruments mouth piece, lying on sofa divorced to its base.
"Is Aunty home?", she looked enquiringly
I shook my head
"What happened?", she started picking up the magazines from the floor and arranged them neatly on the center table. Pulled the telephone instrument together, and hooked it to the wire, Rearranged the pillows of the sofa and chairs.
Then she opened her purse and took out a fresh Yellow colored 'gerbera'. The flower was beautiful, but i thought Preeti looked heavenly beautiful in her yellow out-fit.
Poor flower, it doesn’t know with whom it was trying to compete.
I took it from her, not sure what to do with it. She looked at me for a while and then took that flower back and arranged it in the flowerpot, which was lying in the corner.
"Are!!, kya hua? Care to tell me? Why you look so upset?", she asked me while arranging herself with grace on a sofa-chair.
I slid myself on the sofa, not able to decide whether to tell her or not. I thought I should tell her, I don't want to hide anything from her.
"I had called Neha", I said
A hint of irritation flashed on her face and went away quickly
There was a pause for a moment.
She walked up to me and sat on the handle of the sofa, close to me, her toes barely touching the top of sofa cushion.
She was looking at me, aware how upset I was. She was no more worried about her problem. She was worried because i was upset.
"Do you want to talk about it?", she asked me, touching my chin
I nodded.
"Okay, get dressed, i wanted to take you somewhere.", she said
"Where?", I asked
"Get dressed quickly, you will come to know...", she said while turning on the TV set.
I felt good seeing how comfortable she was at my home. If things go good, soon she will be right here as Mrs. Tarun.
I smiled and went inside to change.
Few minutes later, we were standing in front of the gate, a gate of "Gurudwara"
I saw her removing her sandals. She pulled her odhani on her head, then closed her eyes and stood there with her hands folded.
"Is this how fairy's look?", I was looking at her without blinking eyelashes
After a while, Preeti opened her eyes and asked me to follow her.
The moment we were in, instantly i felt quiet at heart. I was feeling better than before. There was so much of calmness around. I was not used to the customs, so i followed what Preeti was doing..
We bent and touched the ground with our forehead. Then we prayed with our eyes closed.
When we were done, we went outside. Preeti took me to a corner of Gurudwara where a very old man white beard was seated with his eyes closed. I thought he might be some priest.
We stood there in front of him without saying a word.
He noticed us and opened his eyes. A smile came on his face when he sighted Preeti.
"Tuhaadaa kee haal hai jee", That priest, or whoever he was, asked to Preeti
" Meraa haal theek hai", Preeti politely replied, then pointing towards me she said "This is Tarun"
"Sat siri akal", he said looking at me
Not aware of what to say in reply, i just bent down with folded hands
Then Preeti whispered something to that Priest. He smiled and then he took out a red-yellow colored thread from his pocket and tied it to Preeti's left hand. Once done, he took out another thread and tied it to my right hand.
We bent down once again, then went to the other corner and sat on a lawn. Preeti sat close to me with her legs crossed.
"What is this for?", i asked Preeti pointing towards the thread
"Nothing, this will protect you from bad things", she said looking elsewhere
I wondered if that bad thing meant Neha.
"So tell me what happened in your call?", Preeti asked me
I told her everything. I thought Preeti will be upset after that. But to my surprise she was cool as usual.
"In the first place, you should not have called her", she said after a brief pause
"I wanted to pay her back for whatever happened yesterday", I said
"And why do you have to do that?", she asked, a naughty smile in her eyes
“Because she abused my sweet-heart who also soon will be my wife.”
I saw Preeti blushing.
"Mai taunu piyar karna", she said looking down on the lawn, her hands busy picking up the tiny grass leafs.
"Now??", I almost screamed
"What Now?", surprised, she said
"The thing you said", I replied
"What did i said?"
"Mai taunu piyar karna, isn't that mean Muze tumse pyar karna hain?? i.e. I want to make love to you?", confused, i asked
"Offoh.. NO Tarun, that means I love you", she said giggling
She kept looking at me, a smile on her face.
"What?" I asked
"Kasla gode aahes tu!!", she said blushing
"Excuse me", my jaw half open, "How do you know marathi?"
"I am learning.." she said
"For what?", surprised I asked
"Because my sweet sweet would-be husband and my would be in-laws speak marathi", still smiling she said
Did anybody tell you that guys never blush? If so, let me tell you, it is completely wrong. Look at me, i am blushing.
