Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 103- Trials Of Love

CHAPTER 103

TRIALS OF LOVE

Sid stared at the floor of the room, a miserable look on his face. He missed Sanju. She had been gone for like a week or so and he missed talking to her, looking at her, laughing with her, even getting hit by her. Why did she have to leave?

"Bhai ji?" Bala said and he let out an answering hum, the sound more of a miserable grunt. He sighed. "Bhai ji, 15 minute hue hain."

Sid sat up, glaring at him. "15 din", he corrected.

Bala threw the clock over to his bed. "Dekh lo dhyaan se. 15 minute. Abhi tak Deolali ke bahar bhi nahi pahunche honge", he argued back. The door was thrown open, and their subgroup strolled in, most engaged in some discussion or another. Vaguely, he heard Chitra and Parikshit arguing in the back, about whether the weather could be described as 'hot' or 'scorching' with Monami piping in to throw in more synonyms when their argument has started to simmer down.

"Ise kya hua?" Koel asked, finding a spot and settling down.

"Sanju madam ko lekar ro rahe hain", Bala filled in. The others rolled their eyes.

"Thodi sympathy dikhao, yaar", Sid protested.

"1 din toh hone de", Suman ji said. "Thoda dukhi dikhega toh aayegi sympathy. Abhi Suman ji ko ittu si bhi sympathy nahi aa rahi hai." He glared at her, grabbing a pillow and hugging it, a pout on his face.

"Aww, Sid", Chitra said, hugging him. "It's okay. It's #sweet tum itna miss kar rahe ho." He smiled, hugging her back. Chitra, at times, reminded him of a more outgoing Monami, of her when they were younger, before everything in their lives have gone to hell. Often, he caught himself staring at her, wondering if things had turned out better for them, would Monami be this open? He smiled slightly, hearing Monami smack Parikshit for a meaningless comment. He always got thrown around by Koel and Monami.

"Achha, listen", Parikshit said. "Iss weekend ek extra chhuti hai. Monday ki. Trainers kisi convention mein busy hain. So, how about we have a small trip? Saturday ko jaate hain, and Sunday evening tak waapas? Monday ka rest day."

They all tilted their heads, contemplating. "Kahan jaayenge?" Koel asked finally.

"Woh toh dekh lo. Naashik? Wahan ek chhoti si exhibition market bhi lag rahi hai."

They all hummed finally. "I am in", Sid said. The others all threw their agreement one by one and they looked around, cheering lightly. A weekend getaway, it was.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Pata hai? Papa still hasn't asked about who is my boyfriend", Monami said, and Karan looked up, humming. "I... I th-think he knows."

"Could be", he acknowledged, typing on his phone.

She frowned. "Main baat kar rahi hoon aapse."

"Haan, sun raha hoon", he said, not looking up.

She sighed, shaking her head and curling up in her bed. Now that Sanju was gone, Karan had come to meet her, rather than the other way around, and Faizi, for now, kept his room happily without being kicked out. "Mujhe nahi baat karni. Aap saara attention phone ko hi do. Apni girlfriend ko dene ki bilkul zaroorat nahi hai."

He glanced up, chuckling and clicking it shut. "Achha, theek hai, rakh diya side par", he said, keeping it aside on Sanju's nightstand. "Boliye. Aapko lagta hai, Rani Sahiba, ki aapke Dad ko pata hai main aapka boyfriend hoon. Aage?"

She sat up, staring at him. "Do you have any... any pr-problem meeting Papa... agar... agar unhe m-milna hoga?"

He shook his head. "Mujhe kyun hongi?"