"Yeh achanak se kya ho gaya jijaji ko... aisa kya kha liya unhone jo aur kisi ne nahi khaya?" Preeti gave a worried look to Munna, avoiding to look at Pandit.
Munna's serious face slowly relaxed, a smile appearing on his lips.
Preeti stared in confusion... and then her eyes widened.
"Aapne jhooth bola? Pata hai Naina ki kaisi haalat ho gayi thi?" She gritted her teeth, trying not to scream in the market area.
"Zara sa pet dard hi toh kaha tha... kaunsa heart attack keh diya jo itna gussa dikha rahi hai tu." Munna pouted.
Preeti smacked him on the head, "Gadha hai kya? Akal nahi hai bolne ki... kuch bhi bole jaa raha hai... Pandit isko samjha de warna pit jayega aaj mere haathon se."
In her anger, she turned towards Pandit and blurted... only to realise the changed equation when both Munna and Pandit looked at her with a hint of smile on their faces... Munna was no longer her same school and college friend, he was jijaji now... and Pandit was... she wasn't sure what he was, but he wasn't the same either...
She instantly turned her back towards them.
"Sorry jijaji, main... ekdum se gusse mein bhool gayi ki ab aap... main bas itna keh rahi hun ki aisi ashubh baat kyon muh se nikal rahe hai... woh bhi aaj ke din..." She shut her eyes.
"Toh udhar dekh ke kyon bol rahi hai... daantna hai toh mujhe daant... Preeti, dekh, tu meri aur Sameer, dono ki saali hai... lekin meri dost bachpan se hai... Sameer ko tune shuru se jijaji hi maana hai... par main toh dost hun pehle... tu mujhse jo chahe bol sakti hai... mujhe bilkul bura nahi lagega... balki aaj apni purani dost ko dekh ke khushi hi hui." Munna said in a soft voice.
Preeti turned, and smiled at him, "Lekin ab meri behen jaisi saheli ke hone wale pati ho aap... toh jijaji hue na... isliye aapse badtameezi nahi kar sakti."
"Tujhe kisne keh diya yeh badtameezi hai... abe Pandit, zara bata isko, yeh toh hamari Preeti ka style hai... shuru se... aise hi thodi darta tha aadha college tujhse." Munna said with his usual drawl.
Pandit had not taken his eyes off her, "Kuch log toh abhi bhi darte hain."
Preeti stayed quiet, looking at some point in a distance, then said in a low voice, "Ab Naina ko bulana hoga... der ho gayi toh ghar pe mushkil na ho jaaye."
Munna glanced at Pandit... he blinked once... and Munna started to move towards the lane where he had parked the car.
"Aap... aap kahan..." Preeti raised her hand to stop him when Pandit cut her sentence.
"Bulane jaa raha hai... abhi aa jayega."
Preeti stood chewing her lip, hoping he doesn't ask about the gift that she hadn't yet opened.
He didn't.
Munna entered the lane to see Naina walking towards him, while Sameer stood leaning against the car.
"Sorry bhabhi, maine tumko pareshan kar diya... mujhe pata nahi tha sirf pet dard ka sunke tum itni darr jaogi." He scratched his head apologetically.
Naina glared at him, "Aage se kabhi Sameer ki tabiyat ke baare mein jhooth bola toh... "
He gulped.
"Toh main Swati se pitwaungi." Her face broke into a smile.
A small laugh spurted out of him, "Woh toh roz hi pit ta hun."
She looked back at Sameer and waved. He waved back.
They reached where Pandit and Preeti stood in awkward silence.
