Guddan and Akshat - Made for Each Other

Chapter 8 - The Loan

Guddan is about to go downstairs for breakfast when her phone rings.

Guddan - Haan bol Chhutki, aaj bahut dinon baad yaad aayi apni Guddan Di ki. Bhul gayi thi na tu humein.

Revati (mellow voice) - Nahi Di. Aisa kuch nahi hai.

Guddan - Kya hua? Itni chup chup kyun hai. Koi baat hai kya? Bol na.

Revati - Haan Di, ek bahut badi problem ho gayi hai. Papa ne mana kiya tha aapko batane se par........

Guddan - Aare bol na. Humse kya chupana?Jaldi bol na.

Revati - Di, woh Mummy ne jo paise lagaye thhe na Mutual Funds mein, woh saare shares loss mein hai kai mahino se. Ab recover hone ka bhi koi chance nahi. Papa ke retirement ke saare paise doob gaye usme Di.

Guddan - Kya? Yeh Mummy bhi na. Papa ne kitna mana kiya tha ki bank mein paise rehne do, yahan wahan mat lagao, par Mummy kahan kisiki sunti hai. Gaye saare paise paani mein.

Revati - Haan aur jo loan liya tha Papa ne ghar banwate time, ab uska interest jama karne ke bhi paise nahi bache. Aur yeh aaj ki baat nahi hai, kab ki baat hai par Papa ne kisiko kuch nahi bataya tha. Woh to aaj maine unhe Gulati uncle se baat karte hue sunn liya, toh pata chala. Aur Papa keh rahe thhe unse ki kuch aur din aisa chalta raha toh bank shayad ghar bhi seize kar le.

Guddan - Mar gaye, ab kya karenge Chutki. Sach mein unn bank walon ne ghar pe kabza jama liya toh? Nahi nahi, hum aisa nahi hone denge.

Revati -  Di, aap Jiju se baat karo na. Unki toh itni jaan pehchan hai. Shayad wo kuch kar paayen.

Guddan - Bilkul nahi. (thinks) Ek toh humari choti si galti pe itna sunaate hain, iss baat pe toh pura ka pura lecture hi sunaenge. Aur agar Mummy Papa ke baare mein kuch ulta sidha keh diya toh hum nahi sun payenge. (says loudly) Jo karna hai hum khud hi kar lenge. Aur khabardaar jo tune Khadoos ko, humaara matlab hai apne Jiju ko kuch kaha toh.

Revati - Par Di. Hum karenge kya?

Guddan - Woh toh abhi pata nahi, par kuch na kuch toh karna hi hoga.

Later that night -

Revati calls Guddan. As Akshat is in the room, Guddan goes to the balcony and talks in low voice.

Revati - Pata hai Di, kamal ho gaya.

Guddan (whispering) - Ab kya kamaal ho gaya. Aur koi nayi problem aa gayi kya.

Revati - Di, aap itna dheere kyun bol rahi ho, gala kharab hai kya.

Guddan - Kuch nahi. Tu bol na. Kya kamaal ho gaya?

Revati - Aare haan Di, woh jo main aapko subah bol rahi thi na, woh Mutual Funds ke baare mein.

Guddan - (loud voice) Haan, aur paise (slow voice) aur paise laga diye kya Mummy ne usme.

Revati - Aare nahi Di, walki dooba hua paisa pure 4 guna hoke wapas aaya hai.

Guddan - Kya?

Revati - Ab toh itna paisa ho gaya hai ki poora loan Papa ek saath hi chuka sakte hain.

Guddan - Nahi chutki, aisa kaise ho sakta hai?

Revati - Haan Di, Mummy ko aaj call aaya tha ki uss company ke shares achanak profitable ho gaye hain. Mummy ki account mein bhi paise aa gaye hain. Papa toh keh rahe thhe ki kal hi jaake loan chuka denge.

Guddan - Humein toh kuch gadbad lag rahi hai. Ek din mein aisa kaise ho sakta hai.

Next morning, Guddan calls Revati and asks her to check the status of the "supposedly-profitable shares" online via her Mummy's investment account.

Revati - Aapka shak toh bilkul sahi tha Di. Yeh shares toh abhi bhi loss mein chal rahe hain.

Guddan - Dekha, humein pata tha. Yeh consultant kaun tha. Mummy se uska address lena zara. Hum abhi uski khabar lete hain. Bada aaya humein bewakoof banane wala.

Guddan and Revati visit the consultant in his office.

Guddan (holding his collar) - Sach sach batana. Yeh koi naya plan hai na paise ainthne ka. Haan? Jo shares abhi tak loss mein hain, unka profit tune humari Mummy ko kaise diya. Sidha sidha bataa do warna abhi police ko bulayenge.

Consultant (removing her hands from his collar) - Chhodiye mujhe. Ajeeb pagal family hai aapki. Aapke pati Mr. Akshat Jindal aake paise dete hain aur dhamkaate hain ki agar kisiko kuch bhi bataya toh police mein de denge. Aur agle din unki patni aake dhamkaati hain ki agar kuch nahi bataya toh police mein de dengi. (folds hands) Aare aap log, yeh apna drama ghar mein kijiye na. Mujh gareeb ko kyun fasa rahe jo beech mein.

Guddan is stunned and stands still. Akshat Jindal? Where did he come into this picture? Just then she remembers seeing him come into the room, after she had talked with Revati. So, he had listened to their conversation.

Revati - Chalo yahan se Di. (outside the office) Jiju kitne achhe hain na Di. Aapke bina kahe aapki pareshsni bhi samajh li aur usse dur bhi kar diya.

Guddan (thinking) - Ab tujhe kya bataun Chutki. Bina apne fayde ke wo insaan kabhi kuch nahi karta. Iske pichhe bhi koi na koi maksad toh zaroor hoga.

Guddan enters Jindal Bhavan, rushes upstairs, storms into the room and closes the door.

Guddan - Samajhte kya hain aap apne aapko? Bahut mahaan banne ka shauk hai na aapko. Kya sabit karna chahte hain ye sab karke. Nahin nahin nahin nahin. Aap toh bina matlab ke kuch karte hi nahi hain. Yeh sab karne se pehle bhi soch ke rakha hoga na ki badle mein kya lena hai.

Akshat - Kya bakwaas kiye jaa rahi to tabse.

Guddan - Koi bakwaas nahi kar rahe hum. Aapne hi uss consultant ko paise diye thhe na taki woh Mummy ko wapas kar sake. Woh bhi 4 guna paise. Kyun kuch galat kaha kya humne?

Akshat is silent. He hadn't expected her to find out about this, ever, but she found out so soon. She is definitely not as stupid as she seems.

Guddan - Ek ehsaan ke badle humse shaadi kar li. Ab iss ehsaan ke badle bhi toh kuch chahiye hoga na aapko. Haan? Ab kya chahiye aapko. Ab bacha kya hai dene ke….....

Akshat (putting his finger on her lips) - Chup. Bina soche samjhe bolna kab band karogi tum. Koi ehsaan nahi kiya hai maine. Jo kiya woh mera farz tha.

Guddan (smiling sarcastically) - Farz? Kaunsa farz?

Akshat - Agar tum iss ghar ki bahu ho, toh main bhi toh uss ghar ka kuch hun na. Usi farz ke naate kiya maine jo kiya. Aur tumhare Papa bahut swabhimaani hain, mujhse kabhi madad nahi lete, yeh main achi tarah se jaanta tha. Isiliye yeh sab karna pada.

Guddan looks on silently. She is speechless right now.

Akshat - Ab agar tumhare sawal jawab khatam ho gaye hon, toh main apna kaam kar loon. (opens his laptop)

Guddan runs to the terrace. She was never so much confused in her life. Who was this Akshat Jindal - that man she made a deal with, to save her sister, demanding her entire life in return for what was a matter of minutes for him; or this man, who selflessly helped her father without letting anyone know, without expecting anything in return, not even credit. She had no answer.