Juda Hoke Bhi Tu Mujhme Kahin Baki Hai

Part 5

Knock Knock

"Ishu khidki kholo...Mai hun...Subbu" he kept knocking frantically.

Everyone with raised eyebrows looked at Ishu. Ishu just shrugged her shoulders as if to say I am not guilty.

"Ishu...koi aur hai kya kamre me?" Subbu asked impatiently.

Mihika covered Ishu's mouth before she could reply and took her away. Bala signalled everyone to keep quiet.

Cluck opened the window and in came Subbu in his sherwani huffing and puffing. He checked around and found no one but his bride covered in ghoonghat facing the opposite direction.

"Thank you Murugan kisine dekha nahi. Finally mai apni Dulhan ko dekh paaoonga. Ye Punjabi rasmein na, I tell you, Dulhe ki band baja dete hain. Do din se tumhara chehra nahi dekha" He went close to her

"Arrey ye ghoonghat. Let me take this away" he was about to hold ghoonghat but he withdrew

"Oops! No touching before marriage. Tumhare Ravan Kumar ne warning di hai. Agar unko thoda sa bhi idea mila k maine tumhe touch kiya to mujhe zinda gaad denge. Mujhe itni jaldi shaheed hone ka shouk nahi hai. Ek kaam karo tum hi apna ghoonghat khol do. Mai apni ankhein band kar leta hun. I want this moment to be special" sayin so he closed his eyes anticipating to see his beautiful bride.

And when he opened his eyes Aaawww he screamed instead of Woww.

It was not his bride to be but his Aunt who was in the ghoonghat and she pulled his ears "Periammmaa aaap?"

"Badmash! Yahan kya kar raha hai?"

"Wo mai...mai"

"Mai mai kya kar raha hai. Patha hai tu aaj bali ka bakra bana hai. Par itna bhi character me ane ki zarurat nahi ke bakre ki hi bhasha bole" Vandu teased

"Wo Periamma actually Periappa...haan...Periappa ne mujhe kaha tha" he said confidently as he was sure his uncle would be too busy looking after the wedding preparations.

"Bala..." Vandu called out for him. "Ouch" another ear was being pulled mercilessly by his uncle. "Jhoot bolta hai. Yahi sanskar diye humne tujhe?"

"Nahi Periappa...aapne meri poori bath nahi suni...mai to ye kehna chah raha tha ke Periappa ne mujhe Ishu se milne se mana kiya tha"

"To phir kyun aya yahan?" Vandu and Bala enquired.

He looked around nervously. Ishu was nowhere to be seen. He assumed he had entered the wrong room. Ishu must be in the other room. He decided to use the best known excuse to him.

"Wahi to...Mai to aana hi nahi chahta tha...Par aapki honewali bahu hai na...Daayan hai...Daayan...Usne mujhe dhamki di thi ke agar mai usse milne nahi aaunga to mujhse shadi hi nahi karegi...Mai tehra maasum, sanskari...mujhe apne parivar ki izzat pyari hai...maine socha ki bekar me sabki badnaami ho jayegi...isiliye aya tha usse milne keliye" he shrugged proudly.

From behind the curtain emerged Ishita Raman Bhalla in full JKR mode hands on her hips "Kya kaha? Mai Daayan? Mujhe Khandan ki izzat ki parwaah nahi? Shadi na karne ki dhamki di maine tumhe? Ab tak to shadi karne ka poora irada tha. Par ab tumhara ye roop dekh kar kehti hun MAI TUMSE SHADI NAHI KARUNGI"

"Oh God! Kis paap ka badla le raha hai?" Subbu mumbled looking towards the sky.

"Ishu meri jaan...mera wo matlab nahi tha...tumhare sunne me galti hogayi...mai tumhe Daayan nahi Darling keh raha tha. Hai na Periamma?" He begged and signalled his Periamma to support him with folded hands and mouthing a please.

"Peri amma...Isne aisa kaha tha?" Ishu asked.

"Mujhe to Daayan hi sunayi diya" Vandu said nonchalantly "Mujhe bhi" Bala piped in.

"Sorry Jaanam...Mujhe maaf kardo...mai tumhe milne aya tha...tumhe dekhe bina bechain horaha tha...please yaar" he silently thanked Murugan on seeing her blush. He looked at his guardians with puppy face and they smiled. He knew he was forgiven.

He smiled and said "Please koi bhi Raman uncle ko mat batana ke mai yahan aya tha. Please. JKR ko to mana liya but Hitler nahi maanenge"

"Koi nahi batayega" came a voice from behind. Subbu was baffled Not Again! He thought and turned towards the source of this voice Ayyo!

"Sharam nahi ati tujhe. Apne honewali biwi ko Daayan aur Sasur ko Hitler bulata hai. Tujhe to mai dikhata hoon ke Hitlergiri kya hoti hai" he twisted his ears.

"Hogaya ya aur koi hai jo mere kaan kheenchna chahta hai"

"Itni jaldi kahan? Yahan par to poori toli hai" Mihika said and one after another everybody came out from their hideouts. Everyone started teasing him and pulling his ears.

"Kaan kheenchne ki competition chal rahi hai yahan? Mai bhi participate karungi" said Rinki walking in and pulling Subbu's ear.

"Please mere kaan ko baksh do. Aisa hi raha to shadi ke mandap me PK ka Amir Khan lagoonga" Subbu whined

Everyone laughed at his antics.

"Hmmm...ye achhe chakrvyuh me phasa diya? Mai shadi karne aya hoon ya Kurukshetr ke maidan me? Kam se kam Mahabharat me to koi Arjun ka saarthi bana tha. Mere liye bhi ek saarthi bhej de" Subbu started praying.

"Ab baksh bhi do mere dewar ko. Kyun ched rahe ho use? Apni dulhan ko dekhna chaha to kya galat kiya?" Ruhi stated rubbing Subbu's reddened ears.

"Bhabi! Aap hi to is Arjun ke sarthi ho. You are my saviour. Please bhabi yahan se bacha lo"

"Chod na nahi Ruhi isko. Bada bhola banta phirta hai. Isko to mai aaj dekh lunga" Shravan entered folding his sleeves ready to punch his favourite cousin.

"Anna aap ko koi haq nahi mujhe rokneka. Apni shadi me khud bach gaye to meri class lene keliye aye ho? Bata dun sabko kaise Bhabhi ke kamre me ghus gaye the Mehendi wale din? Aur band kamre me pata nahi adhe ghante tak kya kar rahe the?" Subbu expanded his chest and was proud that he caught his brother in his own words. Ruhi blushed on remembering that night.

"Shravuu..." everyone turned towards him. Subbu was glad that he had diverted the accusing glances from him to his brother.

Shravu gave Subbu an I will kill you glare. He was trying to find some excuses when Mihir entered.

"Hello Everyone! Agar aap log bhool gaye hain to yad dila dun ke 10 min me muhurat hai aur mehman neeche intezar kar rahe hain. Aap log bolein to Panditji ko yahin bula loon? kyunki Dulha Dulhan aur poori family to yahin hain" Mihir exclaimed sarcastically.

"Rinki tujhe maine sabko bulane keliye bheja tha na aur tum log yahan family get together kar rahe ho?"

"Chalo chalo Muhurat nikal gaya to ashubh hojayega" said Mrs.Bhalla and others followed her.

"Ishu ko koun neeche layega?" Vandu asked.

"Don't worry Periamma. Mai lekar ata hun" Subbu said excitedly.

Raman gave a deadly glare to him. Shravan whispered in Subbu's ears "Apni jaan pyari hai na to yahan se kat le warna Chittappa to..." that was enough for Subbu to understand and he escaped from there.

"Periamma aap jaao. Mai Ishu ko lathi hun" Ruhi said.

The wedding was a grand affair. Raman smiled looking at his happy family. He had found perfect match for his daughters. Vandu and Bala were an ideal couple in his sight. So he didn't have to think twice before giving off his daughters to the two boys raised by them, Shravu their only son and Subbu - Bala's nephew. The trip back from hospital after little Subbu's birth had ended in a deadly accident taking away the lives of Subbu, his wife, their elder son Kartik and Bala's Mom. Little Subbu, Bala, Vandu and Shravu were saved miraculously.

They were a happy family now.
Adi was there for them whenever the need be.

Raman owed all his happiness to Ishita. He missed her a lot but he knew she was with him rather within him. A lone tear escaped his eye.

Juda hoke bhi
Tu mujhme kahin baaki hai

Ankhon me banke ansoo
Tu chali aati hai

--------TBC-----

How was this part?