KAREENA: A Love Story

12. Spoken... and Unspoken

'Madam Sir... hum aapse kuch kehna chahte hain aaj...... humein yeh kehna hain ki.. hum aapse........ nahi matlab humare kehne ka matlab yeh hain ki... aap humare liye..... aapse hum yeh kehna chaha reh hain ki aap......

......AARRRGGHHH!!!'

Karishma Singh growled in frustration and banged her fists on the dresser where she was practising in front of the mirror, exactly how she was going to supposedly propose to Haseena Mallik. Supposedly... because apparently she couldn't get one sensible word out.

'BOL NA!!! Kaahe nahi bol rahi hain Karishma Singh?' she rebuked herself. 'Bol de, jo mann mein hain, woh Madam Sir ko bol de!'

She held her head in her hands and paced around the room while muttering, 'Chalo chalo Karishma Singh, ho sakta hain, kar sakti ho tum... kar sakti ho! Bas Madam Sir ke aankhon mein dekhna hain aur bata dena hain ki tum unse bhayankar wala prem kar baithi ho.....
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'Ay ek minute! Ka bakwas hain yeh? Aise koi bolta hain ka? "Bhayankar prem"... bandi ko pataa rahi ho ki bhagaa rahi ho? Nahi kuch aur socho...'

She took several deep breaths and came back to stand in front of the mirror. Her reflection nervously blinked back at her.

'Kaise order mein sajaye hum baat ko? Pehle dil ka baat bole ya pehle humare past ke baare mein bataye unko?' Karishma asked her reflection.

At first, her reflection looked back at her blankly; but after a few seconds, a tiny smile appeared on her face. The reflection stood with her shoulders straightened and her hands clasped behind her. 'Tajurba kehta hain humara Karishma Singh...' Her reflection told her... 'ki manzil milegi zarur, chahe bhatak kar hi sahi.... gumrah toh woh hain, jo ghar se nikle hi nahi! Toh behichak kahe dijiye apni dil ki baat. Dil se kahi gayi toh dil tak pohoch jayegi.'

Karishma glanced at the photo frame on the bureau. And the moment she focused solely on Haseena's face, the words flowed out from deep inside her heart.

'Madam Sir, aapse milne ke pehle na hum ekdum thik the. Bilkul thik. Apni marji ki maalkin, jindagi ko apne hisab se jee rahe the. Humara dil normal rate par dhadak ta tha, saanse normal speed se entry-exit leti thi, fefre damdaar chal rahe the... Biryani pel rahe the, golgappe pel rahe the, bhaukaal macha rahe the.... Haan bohot akele the, lekin phir bhi hum thik hi the. Arrey humne toh socha tha khud par ek kitaab likh daale jiska naam hota "Jindagi Bhaukaal Hain"..................... (sigh)

'... aur phir aap humari jindagi mein transfer huyi. Aur humari puri duniya palat gayi.

'Humein pata chala ki hum thik se jyada ho sakte hain... hum khush ho sakte hain. Isliye ab sirf thik rehna kaafi nahi raha...

'Jab pehli baar aapse nazre mili, uss din pata chala bina koi bhaag daur kiye bhi dil ki dhadkan kitni tej ho sakti hain. Jab duty karte karte aap corona warrior ban gayi, aapki ek jhalak ke liye humara na kaleja aisa phat jata tha. Aur humko samajh nahi aata tha ki yeh sab kya kyun kaise ho raha tha...

'Aur phir woh din aya jab humne aapko dulhan ke getup mein dekha... haan case ke liye hi sahi... par jab aap jeep se utarkar humari taraf chal kar aa rahi thi na.. Uss pal mein humko pata chala ki jinda insaan ki bhi saanse ruk jati hain kabhi kabhi... honth toh sil gaye the lekin dil ne kaha diya... Qubool hain!

'Aajkal aapke bina kuch bhi achha nahi lagta. Chahe biryani chaat khaye, ya koi nayi jagah jaye, ya phir internet par kuch dekh le... har cheez aapke saath share karne ka mann karta hain.

'Toh humko na haq chahiye Madam Sir... haq chahiye ki hum apni jindagi ke chhote bade pal aapke saath share kar sake, bina kisi sawal jawab ke, bina koi justification ke...

'Humko haq chahiye Madam Sir... aapke sang ek aisa rishta banane ka jisme humein apna emergency contact banane ke liye aapko kisise safai dene ki jarurat na padhe.