First meetings are generally not much interesting because either boy or girl shies to be free mind in just one meeting. Although our first meeting ended with a normal hi-hello; it left a remarkable flash on my mind. Physically, I had returned back to my college but my heart was somewhere around her. I was totally changed. My brain was enjoying literature & poetry rather than PCM. I was not so before, but she had made me so. Every face was appearing like Nikita's face. Every sound was overhearing like Nikita's voice. I had become crazy about her. In all this, the hoodoo was that my mind was experiencing excellent tourbillons of emotions & she, the poor devil, hadn't any presentiment too!
Anjali couldn't control her laughing; She smiles lovely. I asked, "What happened?" She said, "Nothing! I'm just thinking about a twenty two years old guy who is in luv with a fourteen years old cute girl." Then, Controlling the laughing, she continued, "You really luv her a lot, don't you?" I gave an eye contact. She asked, "When did you meet her again?" I beamed.
There was a traditional ceremony (Pooja) at our home. Mummy-Papa had gone to the market to get busy in shopping some grocery; Relatives of Papa's side were busy in decorations & kitchen works & I was extremely busy in waiting for her. My Bua had offered me a task of winnowing rice. I made a call to mummy & asked, "Have you finished?" She replied, "Yes, we've! Papa will be reaching soon. I'm coming with mamma, Didi & kids, okay?" I said, "Okay, come soon!" & ended the call. Bua asked from kitchen, "Karan, is your father come?"; soon I heard the sound of Papa's bike. I answered to her, "Yes, he's!"; soon I, again, heard a sound, "Uncle, where to keep this?" My mind approached the climax of joy. I ran to the door & got disillusioned. There was someone else. Papa said to her, "Hand over it to him." I came to sense. She came to me & handed me that heavy bag saying, "Hold this!" I took it inside. She asked drinking the water, "You're Karan, right?" I enquired, "You know me?" She said, "Nikki di had mentioned you!" I walked on air. I asked, "Really? What else she mentioned?" She said, "She said that you talked like our Mama." & turned to go. I smiled; suddenly I remembered. "Hey...", I stopped her. She exclaimed, "Huh?" I asked, "Your name?" She said, "My name is Neeta." & left. God, I was forgetting everything in her! Neeta handed me a wreath & said, "Your Bua wants you to hang this at the door." Why was she handing me everything? I took a stool & stood up on it. I opened the wreath in the door & at the same time, Nikita came in front of the wreath. I kept looking. That scene was completely filmy. Nikita said, "Hang it well, understood?" & I nodded my head. She went inside. Mummy came with her mumma (my Nani), Didi (my Mausi) & her daughter- priyanka (my first cousin). Priyanka said, "Hi Karan!", Nani asked, "Everything fine, son?" Mausi said, "Be careful with stool, huh?" as we had met before. I did my work & came to hall where Nikita & Neeta were playing with my cellphone sitting on the bed. I asked, "Hey, what are you doing with my phone?" & grabbed Nikita's hair. She screamed & said, "Stupid!" Stupid! I liked that clean chit. Whole the function, I was following her as a mental & my parents were watching all that silently.
At evening, all the ladies had sat for dinner after gents. I was serving them. Nikita demanded for a roti. I took the tiffin box & served one, two, three.... Nikita tried stopping me & all laughed. Nikita complained, "Bu, see na!" My Bua said, "Seems they're your sisters-in-law!" I smiled. After the dinner, a spate of chitchat had taken place in front of our house in the free air. Mausi said, "what a refreshing air it is! And why is Nikita sitting inside?" Priyanka answered, "She's playing games mamma!" Mummy said, "That cellphone has become headache for me today." I made an excuse of drinking water & came inside. Nikita asked, "How much have you cleared out of these?" I said, "Not much! I usually don't get time for it." She said, "I'm about to finish it." I advised, "You can play it outside too." She said, "Your battery is low." She has answer for every question. I smiled. She asked, "Stupid, why is uncle so shying?" I asked, "Means?" She explained, "Means whenever I speak with him, it looks like he's speaking in a coercion. But with you..." I asked, "Me?" She said, "I like to talk with you." I asked, "Why?" She objected, "Why means? I like to, that's it!" I asked, "But there must be a reason behind it na?" She asked looking into my eyes, "So shouldn't I talk with you?" I corrected, "No no, I didn't mean so..."; soon Papa entered. We kept silence. He stared at us in a sceptical view for an instance & then went into the kitchen. I snapped my tongue.
( To Be Continued... )
