An Unfading Desire

The Mango Tree

After the lecture ended, Saaz and Aahan meandered down the corridor. Suddenly, Anjali came from the group of students, her eyes searching for Aahan. 

She hurried towards them, stopping in front of Aahan, she blurted out, "Umm... Saaz, could you please explain to your friend? I know I made a mistake, but at least he could acknowledge my existence, I'm not asking for a chance to talk"

Aahan, however, didn't offer her the courtesy of a reply. He disappeared down the hallway, leaving Anjali and Saaz standing awkwardly in his wake.

Saaz sighed, the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. "Dekho Anjali" he started cautiously, "Arey Anjali, galti kiski thi, yeh to tum bhi jaanti ho. Ab yeh maafi ki raah tumhein hi taalaash karni hogi."

[Oh Anjali, you know yourself whose mistake it was. Now you'll have to find the path to forgiveness]

Saaz said something that made Anjali's heart sink. The weight of her fault fell on her like a heavy cloak. 

Aahan's silence dismissing her was still in her ears, making it clear how much pain she had caused. With no second thoughts and the sneakers squeaking against the polished floor, she bolted after his retreating figure.

Simultaneously, he watched her leave with a worried frown on her face going to chase Aahan, he knew Aahan well enough to know that he needed space right now. 

With a sigh and lifting his bag onto one shoulder, Saaz planned to go to college park. 

*********************************

Saaz, lost in thought about Anjali and Aahan, sat on a park bench. A soft jingle, like wind chimes, startled him from his reverie. 

He looked up to see a flash of movement under a tree. It took him a moment, but then the telltale sound clicked – the tiny bells on Ehsaas's anklets! He couldn't help but smile as he watched her futile attempts to snag a particularly high mango.

With a playful lilt in his voice, Saaz approached her. "Looks like someone's having trouble reaching a tasty treat."

Ehsaas, startled and slightly flustered, stammered, "Nahi...woh bas...aam khana chahti thi."

(No...well...I just wanted a mango.)

"Maybe I can help?" he offered kindly.

Ehsaas shook her head vigorously. "Nahi, rehne dijiye. Bahut zyada aam khaane se...dimaag ghoom jaata hai, ji michalata hai, aankhon ke aage andhera cha jaata hai, baal jhadte hain... aur bhi bahut bimariyan ho jaati hain." 

(No, please don't bother. It's not good to eat too many mangoes. You can get dizzy, nauseous, blurred vision, hair loss... and all sorts of other problems!)

Saaz chuckled, impressed by her litany of potential ailments. "Tum toh hakim lagti ho mujhe toh yaqeen ke tum behtareen hakim banti, Kahan BSc ki daldal mein phans gayi ho"

(You sound like a doctor to me! I'm sure you'd be a great one. Why are you wasting your time studying for a BSc?)

Ehsaas's eyes widened. "Hakim? Matlab?" 

(Hakim? What do you mean?)

"You don't know what a hakim is?" Saaz teased, a hint of amusement in his voice.

A blush crept up Ehsaas's cheeks. "Nahi..." she mumbled, worried he might think her silly.

"Well, no need to be shy," Saaz reassured her. "Honestly, half the things you say go over my head too. Like that nickname for Aahan? I had to look up 'Shwaan' on Google to understand. Otherwise, I was starting to think someone worshipped their brother an awful lot!" He burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the park.