Safar

Chapter 8

Bhuvan didn't wait for Babloo Uncle to say anything else. He ran past him and down the staircase, and disappeared after taking a turn at the landing.

"Ye aaj Kaanta Ben bhi nahi aayi, ye kapdo ka kya hoga..." Uncle shook his head and began taking the dried clothes off the washing line.

"Uncle aapko merese kuch baatein karni thi... Bhuvan bol raha tha..." I asked curiously.

"Oh haan haan.." He seemed to not have been aware of my presence before. "Maine suna tumlog Goa jaa rahe ho?" he asked me.

-"Haanji uncle... woh.. " Loud voices drawing closer interrupted me, as Bhuvan, Bancho and Sameer came up. Bhuvan looked very cross while Bancho looked indignant. Sameer was quiet as he followed both of them.

"Arrey tumlog kahaan the?" Babloo Uncle asked, surprised.

"Sameer bahaar tha, aur ye latrine mein so gaya" Bhuvan said, gesturing towards Bancho.

"Hein?" I thought I might have misheard something.

"So gaya tha yeh, tabhi calling bell ki awaaz sun nahi paaya" Bhuvan said, apparently irritated with Bancho's behaviour.

"Chutiya" he muttered when Uncle was out of earshot.

"Kal raat ko foya bhi tha tune?" Sameer asked Bancho.

-"Bancho nahi soya isilye to so gaya" he tried to explain.

"Kya kar raha tha tu kal raat?" Bhuvan's face said he already knew the answer.

-"Raat bhar Sakshi se baat kar raha tha" Bancho got excited again. "Mujhe na lagta hain..."

Bhuvan cut him off. "Pata tha" he told us, smiling sarcastically.

"Bancho woh..." Bancho protested but was cut off again.

"Tu Ayra ko sorry bol pehle. Tere vajeh se woh bohot pareshaan ho gayi thi. Ahuja Uncle tak aagaye the. Zara si bhi responsibility nahi hain ?" Bhuvan told him, still cross.

Bancho looked at me and lipsed "sorry" making a puppy face and touching his right ear with his right hand.
"Nahi nahi theek hain... it's okay..." I said quickly and forced a smile. Inside, a bit irritated I was too, I must admit.

"Refponfibility ki to baat hi mat kariyo" Sameer said. "Parfo ifki doft Meghna ki behen ki fhaadi thi, to ufne ifko bola ki fahi time pe fherwani pehenke aajaana. To ye hutiye condom leke aagaya" Sameer told us. "Fhaadi ki fherwaani ki baat karri thi woh bhadwe, fhaadi mein kya fhirt pehenke jaayega?" he said to Bancho.

I coughed loudly to cover the laughter bubbling inside me.

A call from Bhuvan's mother brought us downstairs.

"Aunty roohafza pila dogi?" Bancho asked enthusiastically.

"Mere liye coffee" Bhuvan said. "Tu kya piyega?" he asked Sameer.

"Hai" Sameer replied.

"Haan bancho hi, ab bol kya piyega" Bancho looked up from his phone.

"Chutiye 'hi' nahi 'chai' bol raha hain woh" said Bhuvan.

"Ye ghar hain, restaurant nahi." Aunty snapped. "Sabko chai hi milega, maine already banaake rakha hain" saying this she left for the kitchen, leaving Bhuvan and Bancho disappointed.

"Tumlog ghoomne jaa rahe ho achchhi baat hain, par Ayra beti, tum ladki ho, apna dhyaan rakhna. Main news dekh raha tha, kya kya hota rehta hain iss desh mein... dekhke dar lagta hain. Saavdhaan rehna..." Babloo Uncle told me.
I nodded, and before I could say anything, Aunty entered with a tray, and keeping it on the table she looked up and said, "har baar ladki ko hi kyun saavdhaan rehna hain?"
My respect for her increased upto a huge extent.

"Haan Janki, par..."

-"Humare desh mein jo hota hain woh ladkiyon ki vajah se nahi hota hain. Logon ko bachpan se sahi ladducation milna chahiye, jo nahi milta. Isilye ye haalat hain yahaan ka"

"Education" Bhuvan corrected.

"Mujhe bhi bohot kuch milna chahiye, par nahi milta" Bancho murmured, sighing. Sameer turned his head to the opposite direction and said "bhofdiwala", probably to Bancho.

"Par haan, apna dhyaan zaroor rakhna. Aur koi bhi zaroorat pade to hume phone karna" Aunty smiled sweetly at me and left the room. I don't think I could've loved and respected her more. She was the sweetest.

"Haan tum humari beti jaisi hi ho, kuch bhi ho to hume bataana" Uncle smiled too.

For the first time since I shifted to Delhi, I felt loved in the same way I used to feel with my parents. It didn't take Bhuvan's parents any time to make me feel at home. I was stunned by their warm behaviour, and the way they treated me like a family member.

* * *

Arpita called me at night, her voice gloomy as ever. She too badly wanted to be a part of the trip, but she couldn't, the reason unknown. After spending an hour comforting and consoling her, she hung up.

I realised it was 13th that day, and we were to leave on 15th. And I had packing to do....