Hamesha, Yours!

-5-

"Cabir yeh lo! Garma garm jalebi!" Navya kept the plate by his side and sat along him on the sofa.

"Cabir!" Navya shook him out of his zone. "Kahan gum hi yeh chota sa dimag tumhara?"

Cabir threw a dagger at her and picked up a steaming hot jalebi. "Ut teri! Madhubala! Yeh garam hi!"he shrieked blowing his slightly burnt hands.

"Of course! Par tumhare kano mein joon tak nahi rengi thi jab humene tumhe bola tha!" Navya laughed and passed him some cold water from the jug kept on the table. "Yeh lo! Dubolo, thandhak mile gi."

"Really?" he questioned. Navya nodded in response and asked, "Kahan gum the tum waise ki jalebi ko dhoka de diya?"

"Kahi nahi! Did I go overboard with him, Navya?" Cabir said thoughtfully.

"No, sirf uski akal mein kuch dala hi hain. There's nothing wrong in that. After all, he is so lost someone has to bring him back."

"Have we lost them, both of them Navya?" An unsettling grim silence indulged both of them rather than the aroma of jalebis and garam chai. Navya stared at the full plate that lied in front and should have been empty by now and spoke,

"Yeh jalebi jante ho kese banti hi?"

"Some what." Cabir replied cringing at her digress.

"Pehle sab bikhara hota hi, then you mix all of it ache se, bring it all together, flip the batter, beat it up, stir it around and then what? You bind it all together, bottle it up. Phir, squeeze it through a tiny hole, very selectively and very precisely. Aur es batter ki zindagi asaan nahi hi. It feels ki acha meri bhi baari aaiegi. I will come out of that nozzle after so much pressure and squeezing but where does it fall?" Navya sighed, "Hot boiling oil. It sizzles, it crackles, it starts to brown and burn but then, after all this, it comes out just like gold. Phir aata hi maharam- the chashani- thodi garam but in the end, a glaze! They 'll be back, Cabir. Both of them will be, they have to be or else I'll still them into the ground together and let then clear out themselves"

"Huh! Ironic ki yeh tumse aa raha hi, Navya. The one who shouted, screamed, scattered all her ties with apparently her once best friend! Itna krodh kahan se jaga aap mein devi!" Cabir laughed at the truth.

That was the thing with them; the two were the most fun, jolliest duo to hang out with for a lifetime and careless of every topic but the darkness and comedy of humor always used to seep in, inevitably.

"Humne kya kiya? Kuch bhi nahi. Kadawi dawai ki ghunt bas beemar doctor ko pilaya hi." Navya shrugged and picked up a jalebi. "Wah, shabash Navya! Kya jalebi hi!", she patted her back.

"Scientifically foodie much!" Cabir joked, "Ek ki zindagi toh sawar di! Yeh waali soft hi!" he picked up a jalebi and broke it into half.

"Ho! Tumhara taste kharab hi! Crunchy and soft jalebi dono achi hoti hi!"

"Acha! Then kadawi dawai ka ghunt bas beemar doctor ko kyu pilai, why not the patient too?" Cabir raised his eyebrows.

"Logical- Jese ko tesa. Do bimaar log apahijoo ka ilaj nahi kar sakte!"

"Par yahan kon bimar tha? Aur kisne thik karne ki himat kari yehi bohot different tha! Then how could you blame Nandini for all that!" Cabir asked curiously.

"Mein aur tum dono Nandini aur Manik ko ache as jaante hi! Then why do you have to ask this?"

"Cause you just burst on her, Navya! And you know Nandini esi nahi hi!" Cabir crossed his legs on the sofa and explained.

"Nahi thi, ab hi! Woh ab kuch aur hi! Tumne dekha aur agar hum galat the, toh es sab mein Cabir, tum bhi koi theek nahi the!" She replied with blame dangling in her voice.