A LOVE BEYOND LOSS

"Ek Anjaani Muskurahat" (An Unknown Smile)

This is the story of 19-year-old Tushar Anand, who came to Kota to prepare for his CA exams. He was admitted to a renowned coaching institute. Two months into his preparation, Tushar performed exceptionally well in exams, which earned him a lot of friends.

In July, at around 7 p.m., Tushar was returning to his room from coaching with his friends, Kunal and Parth. Parth received a call from home and had to leave in a hurry, so they dropped Tushar off at a crossroads near his room and went on their way.

As Tushar took a right turn and started walking towards his room, a bus pulled up, and a beautiful girl stepped out. She wore a white T-shirt, a pink jacket, and blue jeans. As soon as she stepped off the bus, it drove away. Seeing her, Tushar was mesmerized. Her beauty was such that he felt as though time had stopped, leaving him with nothing else to do but gaze at her.

Her hair blew in the breeze, her nose was delicately shaped, and her cheeks held a shy smile—she was captivating, and Tushar couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Lost in a trance, he began to follow her. After a short while, she entered a house, and Tushar stood there, watching her disappear. He then looked around and realized he had wandered quite far from his room, so he turned and headed back. Once he returned to his room, thoughts of her filled his mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else. His roommate, Ravi, watched him curiously, wondering why Tushar was acting so strange—lying on the bed and smiling one moment, pacing around the room the next, or checking his reflection in the mirror repeatedly.

Ravi asked, "Kya baat hai, bhai? Aaj toh bada khush lag raha hai!" (What’s up, man? You look so happy today!)

Tushar replied, "Haan bhai, tere liye bhabhi dhoond li maine." (Yeah, I’ve found a sister-in-law for you.)

Ravi, curious, asked, "Kaun hai bhai? Kab milwaega humein?" (Who is she? When will you introduce us?)

Tushar laughed, "Ek baar baat ban jaaye, phir pakka milwaunga." (Let me win her over first, then I’ll definitely introduce you.)

That night, Tushar went to bed, but even then, thoughts of the girl lingered, keeping him up.

The next day, he wandered around the same area, hoping to see her again, but there was no sign of her. In the evening, while standing on the balcony, he saw her walking out with some bags. Suddenly, a few stray dogs started barking at her.

Without thinking, Tushar rushed downstairs, chased the dogs away, and said, "Namaste, main Tushar hoon. Lagta hai aap nayi hain yahan, tabhi yeh kutte aap pe bhonk rahe hain." (Hi, I’m Tushar. Looks like you’re new here, which is why these dogs are barking at you.)

The girl smiled and replied, "Shukriya, hum Sapna hain. Hum yahan NEET ki preparation ke liye aaye hain." (Thank you, I’m Sapna. I’ve come here to prepare for NEET.)

Tushar offered, "Agar aapko koi aitraaz na ho, toh kya main aapko ghar tak chhod doon? Kahin yeh kutte phir se peeche na pad jaayein." (If you don’t mind, can I walk you home? These dogs might chase you again.)

Sapna laughed and said, "Theek hai, is bahaane mohalle ki bhi thodi sair ho jayegi." (Sure, I’ll get a chance to see more of the neighborhood.)

They both smiled and began walking together.

As they walked, Tushar said, "Waise, main bhi yahaan CA ki tayari karne aaya hoon. Aap kahaan se hain?" (By the way, I’m here for CA preparation too. Where are you from?)

Sapna replied, "Hum UP se hain. Yeh sheher bilkul naya hai humare liye." (I’m from UP. This city is completely new to me.)

Tushar chuckled, "Aapke bolne ka tareeka dekh ke laga ki aap UP ya Bihar se hongi." (The way you talk made me guess that you’re from UP or Bihar.)

Sapna laughed, "Acha? Aap toh bade samajhdar lagte hain." (Oh? You seem quite observant.)

Tushar, with a hint of flirtation, said, "Samajhdar toh tab kahlaoon, jab aapko yahaan achhe se ghooma kar dikhane ka mauka mile. Main bas 2-3 mahine se yahan hoon, lekin aap aaye ho toh lagta hai yeh jagah aur bhi khaas ho gayi hai." (I’d call myself observant only if I get the chance to show you around here. I’ve been here for only 2-3 months, but now that you’re here, this place feels even more special.)

Sapna smiled slightly and said, "Acha, toh aapka matlab hai ki aap humare guide banne ke liye tayaar hain?" (Oh, so you mean you’re ready to be my guide?)

Tushar replied, "Jab client aap jaise haseen ho, toh guide ko kya aitraaz ho sakta hai. Lekin ek dikkat hai." (When the client is as lovely as you, how can a guide refuse? But there’s one problem.)

Sapna, curious, asked, "Kya dikkat hai?" (What’s the problem?)

Tushar, grinning, said, "Agar client itni khoobsurat ho, toh guide bhi rasta bhool jaata hai." (If the client is this beautiful, the guide might lose his way too.)

Sapna, hiding her smile, said, "Aap toh bade tez hain. Lekin naye sheher mein sambhal ke rehna padta hai. Baba kehte hain, naye sheher mein kisi par jaldi bharosa nahi karna chahiye." (You’re quite sharp. But in a new city, one has to be careful. My father always says you shouldn’t trust people too quickly in a new place.)

Tushar, now a bit serious, replied, "Aapke baba bilkul sahi kehte hain... lekin kabhi kabhi, rishtein dil se bante hain. Waise bhi, main toh sirf aapki madad karne ki koshish kar raha hoon. Aap chahein toh mujhe aaj se apna dost samajh sakti hain." (Your father is absolutely right… but sometimes, bonds are made from the heart. And besides, I’m just trying to help. If you’d like, you can consider me a friend from today.)

Sapna, a bit shy, replied, "Dost? Itni jaldi? Hum aise hi kisi ko dost nahi banate." (Friend? So quickly? I don’t befriend just anyone.)

Tushar smiled and said, "Confidence nahi, bas aapke saath waqt bitane ka mann hai. Waise bhi, dosti ki shuruaat ek chhoti si madad se hoti hai. Ab main aapko safe ghar tak chhod raha hoon, yeh bhi toh dosti ka ek hissa hai, hai na?" (It’s not confidence, just a desire to spend time with you. Besides, friendship often starts with a small gesture of help. I’m making sure you get home safely—that’s part of friendship too, isn’t it?)

Sapna smiled back, "Chaliye, hamara ghar aa gaya." (Well, here we are at my home.)

Holding back a smile, Tushar said, "Arre, aap toh badi ehsaan-faramosh hain. Main aapko ghumana chahta hoon aur aap bina jawab diye bhaag rahi ho." (Hey, you’re quite ungrateful. I wanted to show you around, and you’re running off without an answer.)

Sapna laughed, "Humne kab mana kiya? Kal subah 8 baje yahin milenge. Hum aapka intezaar karenge." (When did I say no? Let’s meet here tomorrow morning at 8. I’ll be waiting for you.)

Tushar, full of excitement, replied, "Sach mein? Thik hai, kal milte hain." (Really? Okay, see you tomorrow.)

Sapna entered her house, and Tushar returned to his room, practically dancing with joy.