Na Jaane Kyon...

Jag soona soona laage

Sameer sat in his car, clutching the wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white. He couldn't believe his love story had ended even before it could begin.

The shortest love story in the history perhaps.

"Bhaiya, aap gaadi nikaal rahe hain kya? Doosri car wait kar rahi hai parking ke liye?" The attendant knocked at his window.

"Sab jagah se nikal jaun kya? Saari jagah doosre logon ne book kar rakhi hai?" Sameer snapped at the parking attendant.

The man was visibly scared. He took a step back and pointed behind his car, "Nahi, main bas isliye puch raha tha ki woh babu..."

Sameer banged his fist harshly on the wheel, causing a loud honk, "Yeh babu shona jaadu tona jo bhi hai na, usse keh de rehne nahi aaya hun yahan. Jaa raha hun. Aur dubara aaunga bhi nahi. Koi shouk nahi hai mujhe yahan baith ke har kisi ko baby babu karte hue sunne ka."

Swerving his car sharply, he drove out, leaving a confused attendant.

"Yeh itne gussa kyon ho gaye? Main toh sirf yeh puch raha tha ki doosri car wale babuji wait karein ya kahin aur park karwa dun... koi jaadu tona thodi kar raha tha." He scratched his head, watching the car speed away.

When Sameer reached home, nanu was reading the newspaper in the garden.

"Arre waah mere sher, subah subah sehat ka khyal. Yaar Sameer teri yeh baat mujhe bohot pasand hai... chutti ke din bhi jaldi uth ke time ka sahi upyog karta hai. Rohan aur Deepika ki tarah 11 baje tak sota nahi rehta." Nanu gave him a bright smile.

"Achha hota agar soya rehta aur kahin jaata hi nahi. Kam se kam hopes toh rehti." Sameer muttered under his breath.

"Kya kaha?" Nanu narrowed his eyes, seeing his lips moving.

Sameer forced a smile, "Kuch nahi, nanu. Kal raat theek se neend nahi aayi isliye socha aaj achhi tarah exercise kar lun."

Nanu observed his forlorn eyes, drooping shoulders, tired face and sad voice. Before he could ask anything, Sameer left, saying he needed a bath.

"Hain? Yeh ek raat mein aisa kya ho gaya? Kal jahan umeed ki kaliyan nazar aa rahi thi wahin aaj bilkul ujda chaman dikh raha hai." Nanu wondered at the changed demeanour of his grandson.

Sameer did not come down for breakfast nor lunch, saying that he had a lot of work. Though the breakfast plate came back to the kitchen untouched, nanu was a little relieved when Ramdhari told him that Sameer had eaten his lunch.

Alone in his room Sameer replayed the incident in the mall several times in his mind. And each time he wanted to punch that boyfriend of Naina. Even that day, when he didn't know her, he found it odd that she was being a puppet at his mercy... getting ice cream, listening to his complaints, pampering him, opening the car door for him, even carrying the heavy bag that he saw on her shoulder.

"Kaisa kaddu insaan hai, aisi nazuk si ladki pe saara burden daal diya. Kam se kam bag toh utha leta. Maine toh suna tha ladkiyon ko aise ladke pasand aate hain jo unke peeche peeche ghoome yeh toh Naina ko apne peeche ghuma raha hai." Sameer paced in the room in frustration, hitting his palm with a fisted hand.

Suddenly he stopped, running his fingers through his hair, "Naina ne aisa kya dekha usmein? Bohot handsome hai kya?"

He quickly went to the closet area to look at himself in the mirror, "Main konsa kam hun. Achha khaasa toh dikhta hun. Ghar pe sab kehte hain main bhi bohot handsome hun. Mummy toh hero bolti hain. College mein kitni ladkiyon ke request aur messages aate the. London mein bhi kitni saari girls ne date ke liye pucha tha. Aur nanu... jahan bhi hum log jaate hain nanu hamesha point out karte rehte hain ki woh dekh woh ladki tujhe dekh rahi wahan dekh woh bhi dekh ke smile kar rahi hai."