Guddan and Akshat - Made for Each Other

Chapter 30 - The Ideas

Guddan is sitting on the bed, unaware of her surroundings, lost in her thoughts. As the family members try to go towards Guddan, Vikram stops them, signalling in "no". He signals them to disperse, also signalling that whatever it is, Akshat will handle it. Everybody leaves. Akshat goes inside the room, near Guddan. She doesn't respond. He calls her name, she still doesn't respond. He shakes her, finally she looks at him, but with a blank expression, as if she is not present there.

Akshat (worriedly) - Tum thik ho?

Guddan (absent-mindedly) - Hmm.

Akshat (worriedly) - Guddan! Kya hua hai? Baat toh karo mujhse. Batao kya hua hai.

Guddan stays silent.

Akshat - Batao toh sahi. Hua kya hai? Kisne kya keh diya tumse?

Guddan (irritated by his repeated questions,  not looking at him) - Kisine kuch nahi kaha. Hum thik hain. Ek baar mein aapko samajh nahi aata kya. Aur kuch hota bhi, toh aapse kyun kehte hum.

Akshat (stunned at the unexpected response) - Kyun............. kyun nahi kehti?

Guddan - Kyun kehte aapse? (turning towards him) Aapko kya farak padta hai? Aapke liye toh humaara rishta bas naam ka hai na?

Akshat looks on, shocked.

Guddan - Aise kya dekh rahe hain, suna humnein, jab aap aaj subah............. Rehne dijiye, kya hi farak padta hai............

Unable to come up with any answer, Akshat stays silent and Guddan goes back to her own world of guilt and self-loathing, silently sitting like a statue, lifeless, unaware of her surroundings, unaware of his presence. She killed her own mother. How could she deserve anything? It was better he didn't accept her as his wife, or else one day her presence will harm him too.

On the other hand, Akshat was running out of patience, seeing Guddan like that. His words were clearly insufficient. And what was he going to say in his defence, he didn't want to upset her further. Words won't work in this situation, so, he decides to distract her from whatever it is that is bothering her, in Guddan's style, the indirect way, hoping that it works. He puts on 80's slow music, on the stereo, hoping that Guddan will shout out "boring" anytime now, but Guddan doesn't react, as if the music wasn't reaching her ears. Akshat looks on, surprised and worried, at Guddan's non-reacting face.

Flashback Starts-----------------------------------------

It's evening time. Guddan enters the room. Akshat is working on the laptop, sitting on the sofa, 80's music playing on the stereo.

Guddan (teasing tone, smiling) - Aare wah Jindal Saab. Kya baat hai? Aaj gaane shaane sune jaa rahe hain?

Akshat doesn't respond, continues working.

Guddan (annoyed face) - Par aise gaane kaun sunta hai. Boring!

Akshat (looking up) - Main sunta hun. Aur boring hai toh boring hi sahi. (and looks down, continues working on his laptop)

Guddan - Nahin, nahin, nahin, nahin. Yeh gaana toh bilkul nahin. Bilkul bhi nahin. (taking the stereo remote placed on the sofa beside Akshat) Jindal Saab, yeh torture hai. Please aap yeh gaane mat chalaaiye na. Agar gaana hi sunna hai toh kuch dhinchak sa bajaiye na. Kuch aisa. (changes to a fast-paced party song and starts almost dancing on the tune)

Akshat (loud voice) - Bilkul nahi. Mera kamra hai, wahi hoga jo main kahunga.

Guddan gives him a deadly stare.

Akshat (slow voice) - Thik hai........ Hum.......... humaara kamra hai. (loud voice) Par gaana toh meri pasand ka hi chalega. Laao remote mujhe do.