It was midnight..Preeta was on her sleep when she turned to change her side rubbing her eyes n suddenly saw him right there in front of her eyes.
"Aaa" She was about to scream when he covered her mouth with his hands..as usual..
"Shhh..If u scream like this, tumhare ghar wale mujhe chor samajh ke bohot jyadaa marenge..aur mai mar khane ke liye yahaa nahii aaya hu. Tumse kuchh important baat karni thi isliye aaya hu." Karan told her covering her mouth.
She tried to ask something but couldn't because of his hands on her mouth.
"Kyaa?? Samajh ni aa raha hai. Achaa se bolo naa, clearly thora." Karan said that not realizing that he was covering her mouth.
Preeta signaled Karan to remove his hands from her mouth, clearly exasperated.
"Ohh sorry sorry. Haa batao kya bol rahi thi??" Karan now finally removed his hands.
"Pehlii baat tum haat rakhoge toh bolungii kaise haa? Baara aaya 'Clearly bataon' walaa. Aur Dusri baat.." Preeta stood up from the bed looked here n there n whispered slowly. "Tum yahaa kaise aaye aur wo bhi iss waqt??"
"Pipe se Babydoll." Karan smiled and said.
"Kyaaa pipe se?? Matlab puri bandar wali harqat kar hi di naa.. Tum naa pichle janam mein koii..."
"Aare bas bas. Kitnaa bolti ho yaar phirse haat rakh dungaa muh pe." Karan interrupted her words.
"Atchaa fine. Kyaa important baat hai? Jaldii bolo. U need to go from here as soon as possible ok? Thank god Shrishti isn't there today otherwise toh main.."
"Wo i wanted to talk about Sherlin"
"Sherlin...??" Suddenly there was a sound outside.
"Ohhh goddd.. Karan i think mumma ya phir dadi.. main toh gayi. Tum jao..na na.. chup jao yaha..na waha waha..arte nahi idhar..i mean udhar." Preeta started panicking.
"Aare ek min.ek min. Itnaa Hyper kyun ho rahii ho? main bed ke niche chup jata huu yaha.. Ok?" Karan hid himself under the bed.
"Preeta betaa.. Tu soyi nahii abhi tak??" Sarla asked.
"Na maa so hi rahi thii wo main wo..paani..Paani pine aa rahi thi. I mean aa gayi ab so jaungi.." Preeta stammered.
"Ohhh..Atchaa tu kisi se baat kar rahi thii kyaa? Maine kuchh awaazeinn"
"Nahi maaa.. Ab itnii raat ko main kisse baat karoon. Koi insaan bandar ke jaisa thori na ho sakta hai jo pipe se upar aaye..hehe.."The last words slipped out of her mouth without knowledge.
(KARAN'S MONOLOGUE:
"He bhagwaan. Ye dumbo ke vajah se aaj pakre jayenge..")
"Kyaa!? Ye kya bol rahi haii tu? Insaan bandar? Kya?" Sarla asked confused by her words.
(PREETA' MONOLOGUE:
"Aare yaar ye maine kya keh diyaa")
"Maa mera matlab haii ki mujhe bohot jyada neend aa rahi hai aur isliye main ulta sidha bol rahii hu.. Ok Maa.. Goodnight main so rahi hu." Preeta fake yawned infront of Sarla n slept.
"Atcha Atcha So jaa.." Sarla closed the door n went.
"Tum yaahi ho na??" Preeta whispered as soon as Sarla went.
"Haa. Aur kaha jaungaa.." Karan came out of the place.
"Tum naa sacchi mein ek number ki dumbo ho dumbo. Kya jaroorat thi wo sab bataane ki..Ab pakre jaatein tohh..
Waisee pakre jaatein toh mujhe koi problem nahi hotaaa..U know, log humein ek couple samajhtein... Aur phir tum aur mainnn..." Karan went towards her. Preeta retreated her footsteps.
"K..k..Kyaa tum aur mainn haa?? Tum naa jyada bolo mat. Chup chap bataon kya kam thaa.." Preeta pushed Karan aside. His words always had the capacity to effect her. To make her lost into those eyes of him. She knew he had that habit of joking with her but still his words could make her feel something different. Preeta had been never really into anybody's words n actions. But this guy standing near her have impacts on her and she knew that..
"Ohhh mental.. Kya sochh rahi ho? Majak kar raha tha yaar. Kya tum bhi na kabhi kabhi itni serious ho jaati ho" Karan pulled her towards his side n said.
"Ha thik hai thik hai. Bataon ab kya Sherlin?? "
"Haa wo main.."
"Karan. Mujhe nahii lagta tumhe yaha bataana chahiye. Mummy ne awaaz suna na . Agar phirse aa gayi tohh. Chalo bahar chalte hain. Waha baat karte hai.."
"R u crazy?? Hum agar tumhare 'Main Door' se bahar gaaye toh pakka pakre jayenge..Kya bol rahi ho?" Karan disapproved her idea.
"Haa toh maine kab kaha hum 'Main Door' se jayenge.." Preeta said.
"Tohh phirr???" Karan asked her confused.
"Tum jaha se aaye the hum wahi se jayenge.." Preeta smiled n pointed towards the pipe.
"Jaha se aayaa tha matlab? Pi...pe..pipe se? Pagal ho gayii ho kyaa? I should have known before that m dealing with a mental who can do anything abnormal.. Pipe se jana hai.. Koi easy kam lagta hai tumhe? Naa na nahi ja sakti tumm"
"Aare ja sakungi..koi baat nahii..ek kaam..."
"Naaa..nahi matlab nahi. Tum gir gayii tohh" Karan strongly dissaproved.
"Tohh pakar lenaa as usual..hamesha tohh pakarte ho jab girne waali hoti huu" Preeta joked Karan's words.
"Aare wo girnaa alag hota haii.. na na nooo.."
"Atchaa listen.. Lets do one thing. Tum pehle jaao den main jaungii n tum niche ready rehna..agar main gir gayii bychance..jo hoga nahii, phir bhi agar gir gayi toh u catch me..ok??" Preeta said clearly in an excited manner.
"Ha ha. Cricketer hu. Batman Spiderman nahii.. Ball catch kar sakta huu larkii nahii..ok?" Karan was clearly exasperated.
"Aare kuchh nahi hogaa chalo.."Preeta was adamant.
Though after much much denial Karan finally had to agree to this crazy idea of his miss mental. He was sure that today for both of them it might be the last night. One will die by falling from the pipe n the other will die by the beatings of her n his family members for not saving her.
Karan came down from the pipe n waited for Preeta to come down next. Preeta signalled Karan that she'll be coming down now. Karan's heart started beating fast. He never got so much panicked n tensed before. Not even during the final match of World Cup. But this girl could make it happen. Make Karan Luthra crazy.
"Ohh godd.. Ye toh aaj sure gire gi " Karan was visibly tensed.
Preeta was muchh confident before getting on the pipe. But as soon as she got there, she started panicking too..
"KARANNN...Main gir jaungii..oh my godd.. mujhe pakarna.. omg omg.. Ahha.. main nahi aa saktii niche" Preeta was shouting.
"Ab aaya mazaa? How many times did i tell you that u won't be able to come. Badi aayi 'Jhansi ki Rani' banne. Ok now. Don't panic. Dheere Dheere niche aao. Cm'n u can. Come." Though Karan was himself worried but he didn't show that infront of Preeta.
After much struggle Preeta finally came down from the pipe. Both Karan n Preeta gave a big sigh of relief.
"Ufff... Finally.. Tumhe pata hai meri saas ruk gayi thii" Preeta said.
" Meraa bhii. Tumhari upar aur meri niche.Thank god tum niche pohoch gayii.."
Karan n Preeta both looked at each other n started laughing too hard at their childish acts.
"Ohhmygod.. its 2am n we are doing these nonsense things instead of sleeping" Preeta said still laughing. "Maine pata hai zindagi mein itna risk nahi uthaya tha. Aaj tak do baar n wo bhi tumhare saath hi. Ek baar wo hotel mein Sherlin ko pakarne ke liye aur ek aaj..Oh haa.. baton baton mein asli baat hi bhul gayii.. Tum kya batane wale the Sherlin ke baare mein..?" Preeta asked Karan.
"Woo.. Preetaaa.. Actuallyyy..." Karan stammered n looked down.
"Don't tell me tum aise hiii...??"
"Matlab.. Wo..main..."
"Karaannn...i'll kill youu m telling you. Ye majak hai kya.. kya pagal ho kya. Iska kya matlab haii" She started hitting him.
"Aare meri baat toh suno.
Wo mujhe neend nahi aa raha tha aur phone dekhne ke liye mera phone bhi kharab ho gaya tha toh sochaa tumhare saath hi thora time pass kar leta huu..Lekin tumhare iss Pipe wala idea ke chakkar mein main ye bhi bhul gaya ki main aise hi aaya tha yaha pe. Warna toh main tumhe upar hi bataa deta.." Karan said.
"Wowww.. Kya baat kahi aapne. Yaha time pass karne aa gaya. Haa main toh raat ko soti hi nahi hu naa.." Preeta smirked.
"Nahii wo mujhe laga ki mujhe neend nahi aa rahi toh tumhe bhi nahi aa rahi hogi.. u know last kahi baar aisa hi hua tha naa..Tohh main..."
"Toh last kahi baar hua tha toh jaroori nahi hamesha hi hoga. Tum naaa..
Choro!! tumse baat karna hi bekar hai main jaa rahi huu" Preeta turned to leave.
"Atchaa Sorry Sorry. Ab choro naa.. Itnaa risk uthake tum niche aayi pipe se ab aise hi chali jaogi kyaa?" Karan held her hand.
"Haa wo bhi hai. Waise bhi iss sab ke chakkar mein meri neend kahi urr gayi.. Toh ab tumhe mere saath time pass karna hogaa.." Preeta said.
"Ummm...Chalo walk pe chalte hai. Phir baat karenge." Karan suggested.
They started walking through the empty streets.. Both of them started talking about everything n anything.. stories from their school n college days n some crazy incidents to about those days when both of them really couldn't bear with each other n how everything between them has changed within these months.
"Maine tohh kabhi bhii nahi socha thaa ki main tumhare saath kabhi hass bhi sakti huu.. i found youu so annoying.." Preeta smiled.
"Mujhe toh tum pehle din se hi mental lagti thii..abhi bhi lagti ho par thora saa kam. Par tumhare saath dostii..yeh toh kabhi nahi sochaa thaa.." Karan added.
They both smiled at eachh other n walked ahead.
"Preeta wo dekho. Chai. Piyogii??"
"Aare. Haa Kyun nahi. Chalo chalo"
They both sat near a roadside tea stall.
"Aare aap toh wo Cricketer Karan Luthra ho naa?" The man selling the tea asked.
Karan looked at Preeta with a proud expression. Preeta rolled her eyes smiling.
"Jii.." Karan smiled.
"Betaa.. Tum itni acchi cricket khelte ho. Meri beti tumhari bohot bari fan hai."
"Ji Shukriyaa.. Aapki beti ko meri taraf se dher sara pyaar.." Karan smiled n said.
"Waise tum dono ki jodi bohot acchi lag rahi haii.." The man said.
Karan n Preeta both looked at each other.
"Uncle..Nahiii..Wo..hum koii jodi wodi nahi hai.. Hum toh bas aise hii.." Preeta tried to clarify the man n looked at Karan.
"Choro naa. Waise bhi har aate jaate log humein couple samajh jatein hai. Ismein konsi nayii baat haii" Karan whispered to Preeta smiling. "Uncle. Chai peeni thi. 2 cup chai milegaa kyaa?" Karan interrupted Preeta's words.
"Aare beta. Dudh toh khatam ho gaya. Main bandh karne wala tha. Lekin koi baat nahii tum pehli baar yaha aaye ho phir bina chai piye toh jaane nahi dunga. Ruko main ghar se thora dudh leke aata hu. Yahi pass mein. Bas thora sa waqt lagegaa.. Chalegaa??" The man asked.
"Thoraa timeee...??" A confused Karan looked at Preeta.
"Chalegaa.." Preeta smiled n looked back..
And that night stood perfect for the two individuals who were probably..in love..in love with each other..
They didn't mind the late arrival of tea..
They didn't mind if the moment stays a little longer.
They didn't mind this casual meeting in the night..
Afterall they donot require a reason to spend time because that's what lovers do... isn't it?
And they..they were already like lovers. Just not officially..
So here it ends. Hope youu all enjoyed reading this.
