Kabhi to nazar milao

Impress

"Bhaiya... bhaiya",  a small hand pulled at his  kurta, dragging Sameer out of the dream world.

He looked down... and remembered why he was here...

Sitting down to come to the child's level, he looked at him, "Main bhaiya nahi hun tumhara."

"Fir kya ho?" Pralay was quick to ask.

"Main... umm... bas bhaiya bilkul nahi hun... toh aage se mat bolna",  he didn't know what else to say.

"Toh aapko kya kehke bulaun?" The child was confused.

Sameer pondered for a while, "Kuch mat bolo... bas Sameer keh diya karo".

Pralay widened his eyes, " Naam se bolunga toh mummy gussa karengi."

Sameer remembered his mother's nagging voice, "Woh toh hamesha hi karti hain."

Pralay giggled, "Haan, hamesha karti hain... aap ko bhi kiya?"

Standing up, he muttered to himself, "Abhi tak toh nahi... par mere iraade pata chalne pe zaroor karengi."

Looking back at the puzzled expression on Pralay's face, he held his hand, "Chalein bahar?"

Naina had already taken the pooja thali and gone out... she had not seen her cousin with Sameer.

As they went out, Sameer looked around for taiji... she was seated with two ladies, animatedly talking to them.

Sameer walked to her and handed over her son, "Auntyji, isne achhe se kha liya hai."

"Haan, theek hai",  taiji pulled Pralay as she answered in the same rough, thankless tone.

"Arre beta, aap toh damadji ke saath hain, fir aap kaam kyon kar rahe hain... baithiye aaram se... hum dekh lenge bacchon ko",  one lady got up immediately, recognising him.

Taiji looked at him in surprise. As reality struck her, she took a complete 180 degree turn.

"Tabhi kahun... ye itna sundar ladka kaunse rishtedar ka beta hai... pehle kabhi nahi dekha... beta tum yahan baitho... main tumhare liye mithai mangwati hun",  her voice dripped honey.

Sameer could not believe what he saw... but recovered quickly.

"Nahi... nahi auntyji, mujhe kuch nahi chahiye... aur Munna ka dost hun toh bhi issi ghar se rishta hua na mera... akhir Munna ka sasural hai yeh... aur aapka toh bachha hun... fir aap kyon mere liye kuch karengi... mera farz hai aapki sewa karna",  he turned his charm on.

How could Taiji remain unaffected.

"Kitne achhe sanskaar hain... bilkul mere Parlay babu jaise... beta, kya naam hai tumhara?" her smile did not falter even for a moment.

"Sameer",  Pandit's voice made him look back.

" Jaldi aa, Munna ko kuch kaam hai",  he shouted.

Sameer looked back at the ladies, "Main aap sab se baad mein milta hun, namaste auntyji."

He ran away.

"Chal Pandit, Munna bula raha tha na", he pulled Pandit when he did not move.

"Munna ko nahi mujhe kaam hai... kya kar raha tha tu?" He glared.

Sameer wondered if he had seen him holding Naina inside the house,

"Kya kar raha tha?" He answered with a question.

"Abe woh aunty jinse baar kar raha tha... woh Taiji hain Naina ki... unke ghar ki Hitler", Pandit tried to put some sense in him.

"Mujhe pata hai woh Naina ki taiji hain... main toh unhe impress karne ki koshish kar raha tha... tune hi toh idea diya tha ",  Sameer patiently explained.