Kyun uthe dil chor aaye ff - BANI MAIN HEER USKI

Chap 16- Gupchup

Vashma was dancing wearing her ghungroo. She twirled round and round thinking about the time she had spent with Uday. She recalled the time they had spent together, all the bittersweet moments flashed in front of her eyes. Twirling around, she lost her balance and fell to the ground sobbing.

CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY

Amrit was sitting in her room completing her notes. Her roommate Chitra walked out of the washroom and turned on the radio.

Chitra started humming the song playing on the radio. Amrit sighed. Lalaji had been pretty strict about what would play on the radio. So much so that anything other than news or bhajans was completely banned. But Amrit would often sneak into the radio station after school to listen to her favourite songs.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Chitra opened it while drying her hair with a towel.

"You wont believe it Chitra," said Bondita walking in," my pati babu came to visit me this afternoon. He is so proud of me! He says that I have added sparkle to his family name."

"Haye rabba," Amrit said," you are blessed with a wonderful husband Bondita."

FLASHBACK

Amrit was reading the local newspaper when she heard footsteps approaching her. She saw that it was Veer who had come to meet Bhanu due to some business related work.

She covered her head with her dupatta and stood up. Veer eyed her angrily looking at the newspaper in her hand.

"May I have some water Bhanu?" Veer said.

Bhanu nodded and went inside to fetch some water. Meanwhile Veer walked upto her and snatched the newspaper from her hands.

"Why are you so interested in whats going on in the world Amrit? Better stick to your household chores. Thats what all women do."

Saying so, he tore the newspaper into bits and pieces.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Amrit smiled on seeing Bondita so happy.

"Amrit," said Bondita sitting down beside her," I have always dreamed of walking hand in hand with pati babu. Not one step ahead, not one step behind. Like Shiv-Parwati, I wish I manifest him in every birth. If I ever get a chance, I will make both of you meet him."

Hearing Bondita's words Amrit was all the more convinced that Veer was not the right partner for her.

Amrit had forgotten to put paper weight on the loose sheets of paper in which her notes were written. The sheets flew out of the window.

"Haye rabba," she said and rushed outside. She ran out into the empty corridor and rushed down the stairs where the sheets were lying. She began collecting them. At that very moment, she heard Randheer's voice. She looked up and saw that he was standing outside one of the rooms on the ground floor.

"What is he doing here?" she thought,"how can boys be allowed in the girls hostel?"

She covered her face with her dupatta and walked closer. She hid behind a pillar and soon found out that Randheer and his friend Ayan had sneaked in so that Ayan could apologise to his girlfriend Debina for some fight they had.

"Baba was not at all happy when I mentioned your name," Debina said to Ayan," he is looking for a suitable boy for me. What shall I say now?"

As Amrit decided to walk away, Randheer heard the sound of her bangles and looked in her direction. Seeing Randheer look in her direction, she hurriedly left from there. As she ran up the stairs, her payal got left behind.

Randheer picked it up and thought," I must give it back to her. But.....I dont even know who she was and I am not risking going up there. The other girls might complain about me."

Amrit reached upstairs and stopped to catch her breath. Chitra and Bondita were now sitting outside in the corridor and had turned on a table fan. As the table fan changed its direction, its strong gush of air blew Amrit's dupatta from her face and off it flew away and landed right on Randheer's shoulder.

"Its the same color that girl was wearing," he thought," she will surely come to take it back. I will wait here and return her payal once she comes."

Amrit looked down and saw that her dupatta was lying on the stairs. Randheer was nowhere to be seen.

"He must have left," she thought and rushed downstairs. Just as she was about to pick up her dupatta, she saw a shadow on the wall in front of her.

"You dropped your payal as well," said Randheer standing right behind her.

Amrit covered her face with her dupatta and turned around. This time she did not look into his eyes like the last time at the radio station. Hence, he wasnt able to recognise her at all.

She took the payal from him but said nothing. Assuming that she was too shy, Randheer returned her the payal and was about to walk away when he saw the loose sheets of paper in her hand.

"Handling those loose sheets of paper must be troublesome," he said to her,"if you dont mind me saying this, but there is a binding shop just outside the university. It just keeps the notes in place."

Amrit nodded without saying anything. As he walked away, she saw that he was still wearing their engagement ring. She recalled the day he had made her wear the ring.