Ek Ajnabee Haseena

chapter 1

The clock had struck fifteen minutes to midnight, the hall lights were starting to go off, and the nurse had seated herself at the main desk, already calling it off a day. But she still sat right by his bed, not letting go of his hand, her moist eyes looking helplessly at him, as he was unmoved, still unconscious. 

suddenly, the door opened, as she immediately got up in a jerk, the nurse, looked at her with pity, but she had to say this. 

"tarika, visiting hours khatam ho gaye hai...tumhe jaana chahiye..." stated the nurse, as tarika looked over to the clock on the wall. 

"abhi 15 minute hai, please..." requested tarika, as the nurse just opened the door wide, getting aside, letting tarika know, that her request was declined. 

                                                                     ***

She placed the tub of ice cream on the nighstand beside her bed, but it shouldn't even be called that, considering it had only left with it some ounces of the ice cream, in that empty tub. 

"yaar this is not fair, saari ice cream toh tumne khaali..." he protested, as she glared at him, with the sheer disbelief, chuckling, while slapping his arm. 

"acha! mujhe utha diya, ab main ice cream bhi na khaon!" she argued back, as he shook his head at her comment. 

"maine nahi uthaya tha, tum bhi uthi hui thi.." he corrected, as she couldn't help but nod in agreement, wrapping her arm around his, and placed her shoulder on his head.

"kavin, can you believe it, kal shaadi hai humari!" she exclaimed, as he pulled her in for a side hug. 

"purvi, shaadi hai, bhoot nahi hai, ki uski existence pe doubt ho raha hai tumhe.." remarked kavin, as she first gave him a look, as if saying 'seriously', but couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

"waise na, tum bhi jab nahakar nikalte ho na, toh bhoot hi lagte ho...shukar karle tumse shaadi kar rahi hoon  main, aur koi nahi karega!" retorted purvi, as he couldn't help but look at her with adoration. 

"koi karti bhi na, main tumse hi shaadi karta hai..." stated kavin, as purvi just seperated from him. 

"kitne corny ho yaar!" grumbled purvi, as he grabbed hold of her. 

"abhi corny baat kahan boli hai, sabse corny baat toh abhi rehti hai..." informed kavin, as she waited, to listen what he had to say, while he moved closer to her. 

"tum jab bhi paas aati ho na, dil badi zor se dhadakne lag jaata hai!" he said with such an exaggerated earnestness, that she just got up, laughing hysterically. 

"aisi baatein tumne honeymoon pe ki na, tumhe wahi chodke aa jaungi!" exclaimed purvi, picking up the ice cream tub with the spoons, as even kavin couldn't help but chuckle. 

"arre! woh tub rakh le na! angoor rakhne ke kaam aayega!" reminded kavin, as purvi was already in the kitchen. 

"isliye dho rahi thi!" replied purvi from the kitchen, as kavin reclined back on the bed, looking at the clock, which struck 12 at midnight. 

                                                              ***

Tarika sat outside the ward, on a seat, munching on some chocolate bars from the vending machine, as the nurse came back. 

"maine tumhe yeh sochke diya tha ki jaldi khalogi!" she remarked, as tarika chuckled, with a smirk of sorts, the gloominess still looming over her. 

"khaana utarta nahi hai gale se ab..." informed tarika, as she placed the bar on the chair next to her. 

"raj thik ho jayega..." assured the nurse, as she placed her hand on tarika's shoulder. 

"i hope so..." stated tarika, when suddenly, a man came out from another ward. 

"sister woh..." he attempted to inform but she interrupted. 

"i know, sponging apne kardi hogi..." she intervened with a smile, as he flashed it back at her. 

"bas khayal rakhna huh." he requested, as she nodded in agreement, he smiled at tarika, before leaving. 

"yeh kaun hai?" asked tarika, as the nurse just smiled at the question. 

"uhh, yeh abhijeet hain, inki wife haina, she also suffered from a severe accident like raj...woh bhi coma mein hai..." informed the nurse. 

"yeh bhi hamesha yahi rehte hai?" asked tarika. 

"haan, tumne kabhi dekha nahi..." replied the nurse, surprised, as tarika just shook her head in no. 

                                                             ***

There was constant noise of the keys of the typewriters, accompanied with the noise of wedding bands, and chattering of people. It was, just another day, for the marriage court in janakpuri. 

A couple stood outside, waiting for their names to be called, as everyone seemed to be going in and coming out in mere five minutes. suddenly, someone came in front of them. 

"namaste bhaiya, namaste bhabi!" he greeted, as they too gave him a nod. 

"kya baat hai, aap dono bas akele aaye hain aaj?" he asked, as they both looked at each other before nodding in agreement. 

"lekin, shaadi ke liye aapki dono taraf se gawah lagega...warna, formalities nahi ho payengi..." he informed, as they were worried. 

"par chinta na karein, main gawah ban sakta hoon aapke liye...aur aise sunni se shaadi kaisi, band banja bhi le aaunga, bas, 500 mein..." he informed, as they seemed to be a bit reluctant. 

"arre isse zyada hai ulta yahan ka rate! main toh phir bhi sab include karke de raha hoon! baaki aapki marzi..." he stated, as they both decided to agree. 

"bas abhi aaya!" he exclaimed before leaving. 

                                                                        ***

three men, with trumpets and shehnais, sat around a tea stall, as he looked at them admantly. 

"yaar 300 se zayada kaun dega yahan! baaki ab toh main tumhe unse paise bhi lene deta hoon!" he argued. 

"dekh dushyant tu humein nahi ullu bana sakta...humein pata chala hai savita tai se, kaise tu varmaala ke liye unse aise cheating karta tha..." informed one of them. 

"arre yaar, tum toh mere bhai log ho, tumse kya cheating!" stated dushyant, as the three of them exchanged glances, seeming somewhat convinced. 

"chalo tumhara 40%..." offered dushyant, and now they were completely convinced. 

                                                           ***

Dushyant came outside, counting the money, as the couple left happily, with the noise of band baaja playing around  them. 

A lawyer got up from his seat, walked over to dushyant, as he shook his head in disbelief. 

"5 saal se tu kaise inhe ullu bana raha hai, meri samajh ke pare hai!" he exclaimed, as dushyant smiled. 

"bas, yeh samajhlo kise kya kehna hai, hogaya kaam." replied dushyant, as he chuckled, when dushyant's gaze, fell on a girl, seated at a bench, with her suitcase, seemingly ready to get married. 

"yeh yahan kabse hai?" pointed dushyant to her, as he looked at him closely, to identify her. 

"arre, yeh ladki toh kabse baithi hui, hai iska number toh kabka aa gaya tha...par jiske iski shaadi honi thi na, bas wohi nahi aa raha..." he informed, as dushyant nodded in agreement. 

The peon came out, as he looked over at her. 

"ishita pathak?" he confirmed, as she nodded in agreement. 

                                                                  ***

author's note: hey guys, i'm so glad from your response, so here's the story, please vote, comment, would love to know what you think.