Poora Chand

Dilkashi

// Mast Aankhon ki baat chalti hai
Maikashi karwate badalti hai
Bansawar ke woh jab nikalte hain
Dilkashi saath saath chalti hai //

Noori moved to Waseehbagh, our muhalla two years ago. I and my boys were helping Kareem bhai set up his chai stall. The house 'Mehfil' opposite to us belonged to Junaid dada, and after he passed away it remained empty. It's terrace was our space...I, Ali, Kareem bhai, Rasheed and Junaid dada when he was alive would spend our summer evenings in the open air and would even sleep there at night. In winters we preferred our tea there too, it was Kareem's speciality and that's what inspired him to set up his own stall. So when we saw Shuaib chacha move to Mehfil, we knew that we had lost our hideout.

Noori arrived after ten minutes , with her younger brother on her scooty. She got off and paid the loading truck, she stood there arguing with someone on phone, she was so loud that even those who didn't notice the mehfil being opened again or the family or even the loading truck couldn't not notice her. After a while when she hung up, she realised how she had been entertaining half of Waseehbagh for the past fifteen minutes.
She looked around, people started to look here and there pretending to have not heard anything at all. I too sipped my chai, it was so hot on my tongue that it fell out of my hand on my feet. She seemed surprised but then she smiled and went inside. Attending my feet I looked up slightly at her, her eyes were on me, she was closing the gate and smiling. I was spellbound, right there at that stall. I didn't care about my feet or the kulhad or the chai. There was no hope for me after that encounter. It was that night and every night since then. I stayed at the stall until I saw her closing the gate. Kareem bhai said that she was lucky for his business, he kept serving me chai and adding it to my tab and that's how it became our tradition. No one said anything. I never spoke to her she never spoke to me. But I couldn't sleep the night I didn't see her, and each such night I hoped that she didn't sleep either.

After two weeks of moving in, Shuaib chacha invited us at Mehfil, he thought it would be a fine gathering and he would get to know us well. We told him how much Mehfil meant to us and we are glad it has rightful owners in hopes that he might allow us to use it's terrace atleast but he payed no heed to our indirect request.

Noori was twenty then, I was three years older to her. I had a terrible headache that day, it was almost visible. I thought it would be better if I left earlier for I knew there would be no progress with Noori in our situation, but just when I got up to leave Noori exclaimed.

"Aunty?! I guess you all are a bit exhausted today? Tough day....Will you like to have some tea? "
" Ofcourse beta, we are fine but Yahya is, his head is aching since afternoon. He was studying for his finals all day. "

How did she know? That I was tensed, was it so obvious? I had no clue. She either knew or she wanted me to stay or it was all a coincidence.

Soon we were all leaving, Noori came to see us off she stood facing me with her hands on the latch and her eyes on me and the signature smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile back

"Kareem bhai ki chai fail hogyi aaj!"
I said
She laughed and closed the gate on my face.

'Dilkshi' means attraction, captivation, charmed it's said it is the first step to love. What I felt for Noori, what I knew was between us. Whatever stage it was, it beat in my heart, it flew with my blood. Her sight was my only hope, her voice, my only reassurance that the world is fine, because she lived next door.