तुम सा मिले जो कोई रहगुज़र, दुनिया से कौन डरे?
चार क़दम क्या, सारी उमर चल दूँगी साथ तेरे
mai bhi ready hu chalne ko, le chalo mujhe koi———————————————————————————————————
After the most chaotic dinner the Sharma and the Singhaniya family had ever experienced, they finally decided to call it a day. Everyone retired to their rooms. It was around 2 AM when Mridul woke up feeling thirsty. He drank water from the glass placed on the guestroom's bedside table and lay back down, but sleep had abandoned him. Thoughts of a certain someone had stolen every ounce of his rest.
He quietly got out of bed and walked to the balcony, closing the door behind him gently to avoid waking Yashveer and Aaryan, who were fast asleep. Leaning against the railing, he took a deep breath, letting the cool, moist air wash over him. After all the drama and the unexpected proposal, it finally felt calm. The memory of the proposal brought a shy smile to his lips. Her smiling face appeared in his mind, vivid and beautiful. His smile widened as he imagined her beside him, his gaze soft and dreamy as he stared at the moon.
Lost in his reverie, he felt a quiet presence beside him. It was Aaryan, also gazing at the moon with a soft smile.
“Kyu bhaiya, pyaar ho gaya hai kya jo chand ko nihaar rahe ho?” Mridul asked playfully.
“Kyu tu bhi toh us chand ko hi nihaar raha tha. Kahin tujhe toh pyaar nahi ho gaya?” Aaryan teased back.
“Kuch bhi mat boliye bhaiya. Mujhe kisse pyaar hoga wo toh dur ki baat hai, kisi ko mujhse kya hi pyaar hoga.” Mridul’s voice dipped with sudden melancholy.
“Arey, kyun? Abhi hi toh itna grand proposal mila hai tujhe.” Aaryan said, chuckling.
Mridul stayed silent, continuing his long stare at the moon. Sensing the shift in his mood, Aaryan asked,
“Kya hua? Udaas kyu hai? Tujhe Tripti acchi nahi lagi?”
Mridul sighed deeply. “Wahi toh baat hai bhaiya. Aaj jo bhi hua wo mujhe sach nahi lag raha. Wo mujhse pehli baar mili hai... toh aise kaise unhe pyaar ho sakta hai?”
“Toh jaa, usse baat kar le. Apne saare sawaal puch le.”
“Par ab time kaha hai? Kal subah toh pandit ji bhi aa jaayenge. Main unse baat kab karunga?” Mridul countered.
“Toh abhi jaa.” Aaryan said with a casual shrug.
“Haa abhi jaata hoon, taaki wo mujhe laundiya-baaz ghoshit kar de. Time dekha hai apne? Raat ke 3 baj rahe hai.”
“Ishq samay nahi dekhta, pagal.” Aaryan replied, trying his best to sound filmy.
“Phir bhi bhaiya, wo so rahi hogi. Aur knock karne ki awaaz se agar koi uth gaya toh?”
“Tereko bol kaun raha hai ki tu darwaze se jaa?” Aaryan said with a smirk, clearly up to something.
“Kya matlab? Darwaze se nahi, toh kahan se jaaun?”
“Balcony se.”
“Bhaiya, main maanta hoon ki aap mujhse pyaar nahi karte ho, par ye zyada ho gaya. Ab aapko mere jeene marne ki bhi fikar nahi hai.” Mridul replied dramatically.
“Tu jaa re.”
“Main nahi jaunga. Main pagal nahi hoon jo raat ke 3 baje ek ladki ke room mein balcony se jaaun. Samajh mein kya muh dikhaunga main?”
“Tera muh dekhne layak hai bhi nahi. Aur wo ladki most probably teri hi hone wali biwi hai. Dekh, waise bhi 3 baj rahe hain. Kuch der mein hi mataayein uth jaayengi. Phir tereko koi chance nahi milega. Isiliye bol raha hoon ki jaa aur apne saare doubts clear kar le, taki future mein jaake tujhe koi regret na ho.”
Mridul paused. His heart agreed, but his mind wanted one final confirmation.
“Pakka?”
“Haan, ab jaa jaldi.”
“Thik hai, par kaise?” he asked, confused.
Aaryan took a breath. “Humare balcony ke just neeche hi toh unki balcony hai. Kud jaa.” he said with a beaming grin.
“Thik hai, bye.” Mridul muttered and jumped.
“Abey pagal! Mar jaayega!”
“Sahi salamat pahuch gaya. Do not worry bhaiya ji.” Mridul called out from Tripti’s balcony with a smirk.
Relieved and still stunned, Aaryan went inside to finally sleep. Yashveer, who had silently witnessed the entire exchange, also turned in with a faint smile.
Meanwhile, Mridul knocked twice on Tripti’s balcony door. Hearing no response, he lifted his hand again when suddenly the door burst open. Tripti stood there in her nightwear, holding a flower vase, eyes tightly shut, ready to attack. But before she could, Mridul caught her hand mid-air, gently yet firmly twisting it behind her.
“Bachao bachao chor daku khuni jo bhi hai yeh, isse mujhe bachao! Haye bhagwan mujhe bacha lijiye! Abhi toh meri zindagi ki udaan baaki hai, aur abhi toh meri shaadi bhi nahi hui hai! Aaj hi toh apni life mein pehli baar kisi ko propose kiya, aur answer sunne se pehle hi main kaise duniya ko alvida bol du! Hey bhagwan, aap nahi toh mere hone wale pati ko hi bhej dijiye! Issi bahaane dekh bhi lungi! Anyways bachao bach—”
Her rant was silenced by his hand covering her mouth.
Mridul pulled her into the room and shut the balcony door behind him. He finally let go of her.
“Tum kaun ho aur maine tumhara kya bigaada hai? Main toh ek masoom si ladki hoon jiski abhi tak shaadi bhi nahi hui hai! Dekho, please mujhe jaane do aur hamare pados waale ghar mein chale jao! Wo log bahut ameer hain, hamare paas kuch bhi nahi ha—”
She was cut off once again as Mridul turned her around, revealing his face to her.
Tripti fell completely silent. She stared at him wide-eyed and muttered,
“Lagta hai main darr se pagal ho gayi hoon... warna mujhe Mridul ji kyu dikh rahe hain? Wo bhi mere room mein, mere saamne? Lagta hai mera time aa gaya hai.”
“Ek baar mein exactly kitna bol leti hai aap?” Mridul said, eyebrows raised.
“Oh ab toh mujhse baat bhi kar rahe hai.”
“Main yahi hoon, aur asli hoon.” Mridul said gently, touching her index finger with his.
Tripti blinked, realization hitting her.
She looked at him again, this time poking his bicep with her finger—just to be sure.
Then her jaw dropped. “AAP???”
———————————————————————————————————
BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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