Part 42
Khanak snapped her fingers before Shaantanu's eyes to get his attention and signaled a "What happened?" by raising her eyebrows.
Shaan quickly recomposed himself and blabbered an unconvincing, "Kuch nai." And then added "Tum mere peechay kyun parhi ho?" for further effect.
"Mein peechay parhi houn?" asked Khanak mockingly. "Aadha din tou aap ye role ada kar rahe thay."
She has said this in a calm voice, not as a taunt or in a displeasing manner. It reminded Shaantanu of why he wanted to talk to her. For this he was glad, but the mere thought of Khanak labeling him wanting to talk to her as him following her seemed to frustrate him so he diverted for the actual topic.
"Haan, meine socha ke aap ki asthetic sense itni brilliant hai ke event organizer ke hote huwey bhi my dad wanted your advice on the dcor so I thought I'd ask you how you are so brilliant at everything you do? And of course thank you because everyone is really pleased with the arrangement."
Khanak smiled and turned to leave.
"Oye..I'm talking to you stop being rude. Kuch tou kaho."
Khanak turned around and said "You're a really bad liar!", smiled and left while a puzzled Shaantanu stood where he was.
A few minutes later, Shaan was joined by Rahul who unwittingly echoed Khanak's words, "Kamal hai Shaan. Tu apne hi bhai ki sagai pe inta bored hai. That's so not on man! Where's the Shaan who used to party all night?" Rahul lightly boxed Shaan's arm.
"Come on yaar, I never used to party all night!"
"Selected logoun ke saath hi sahi but you used to like partying with us yaar. At least close friends and occasionally Akshay bhai."
Shaantanu just shrugged his shoulders and sipped from the glass of pepsi he had picked up a while ago. A few minutes of silence passed between the two friends where one uninterestedly looked around the gathering and the other observed him doing this. Eventually, the latter broke the quiet.
"Hadd hai yaar Shaan. At least aaj tout u normal ho sakta hai. I seriously don't get you. Tujeh ho kya gaya hai. You seem like a different man now!"
"I AM a different man now," Shaan replied, admitting for the first time that something indeed had changed in the recent past.
Rahul didn't know whether to take this as a good sign or a bad one so he took the safe approach, "And why do you think that is?"
Shaan shrugged again. "I just am."
Rahul jolted the glass out of Shaan's hands and kept it on the nearby table. He now had Shaan's full attention- or so he thought- now that the glass which had helped him seem occupied was out of the way.
"Tu khul ke kyun nai bolta Shaan. Jab tak tu apni problem kisi ke saath share nai karey ga aur na khud unhein solve karne ki koshish karey ga, tou teri problems wahi ki wahi rahein gi. In fact, they'll simply keep on piling up. Kab tak bhaagey ga tu?"
"This is seriously not the time to talk about this stuff Rahul."
"I know. But mein kya karoun yaar Shaan. You've changed and not for the better, mind you. And even if it's for the better tu mujeh bata hi nai raha ke what has happened. And today is your brother's engagement and tu yahan side pe khara huwa hai like an idiot!"
"I just don't feel like being all dancey and smiley and all that stuff yaar. Mein theek houn bilkul but I'm just not up to the festivity mood. Har cheez ko tu London se relate na kiya kar."
"Meine kab London ka naam liya?" Rahul interrupted.
"Nice try man. But ye 'Shaan tu change ho gaya hai' talks all seemed to revolve around London for you. Ab itna bhi idiot na samajh mujeh," replied Shaan.
"Hey guys! Tum dono yahan kya kar rahey ho yaar? Chalo let's sit with Di and Jiju yaar!" Natasha came hopping in, interrupting the serious conversation the guys were having. She seemed blissfully unaware of it though.
Rahul hugged Natasha and asked her how she was doing while Shaan looked around the area. He was smacked out of his wandering thoughts by a friendly slap on his arm by Natasha.
"Dekho tou sahi sahib ko, dost tou dost, ab rishtedar ko tou insaan mil hi leta hai," Natasha taunted Shaan jokingly and moved forward to hug him.
Having no choice but to hug her back, Shaan bended downward and caught Khanak glimpsing in his direction. The prospect made him smile as he hugged Natasha and felt Khanak's eyes on them.
"Ab chalo bhi yaar," Natasha tugged both Rahul and Shaan towards the place where Khushboo and Akshay were seated.
"Haan tum chalo hum abhi aatey hein," replied Rahul.
When Natasha had left, Rahul spoke to Shaan "Kya huwa?"
"Kuch nai," Shaan replied.
"Tou tu ek dum se energized kyun lag raha hai?"
"Rahul," Shaan kept a hand on his friend's shoulder, "stop hallucinating!" And then Shaan started moving towards the sofa where his brother sat.
"So you like her but now that she's practically family you don't think it would be right to confess? Or at least confess so soon?" Rahul called after him, thought in a low voice so nobody heard them since Shaan wasn't that far off.
Shaan halted in his steps and turned around with a confused look on his face. Rahul gave him an eyebrow raise suggesting the person he was talking about had just left in the direction Shaan was now headed to. It took a few moments for Shaan to register what Rahul implied but when he did, she strode up to him and said in an amused hushed voice, "Me and Natty?"
"Natty," Rahul nodded with a teasing look on his face.
Shaan burst out laughing, "Pagal na ho mere dost, relax."
"Ab chalein?" asked Shaan.
"After you tell me what's disturbed you? Teri problem kya hai?"
"Yaar Rahul-"
"Just one word," Rahul interrupted.
Shaan shook his head and then raised it with a defeated look on his face, and replied with his lips pursed: "Khanak."
Awesome!!! 👏Love your style of writing!!! 😊especially the way you include readers like by posing questions,etc..its unique!!!👏
Shaan caught by Khanak for following her but he bluffed nonchalantly..😆but she knew him well (though not completely) that she immediately understood he is fibbing..😆
He is totally not interested in the function..just wanted to talk to Khanak..😉Rahul is such a lovely character here😊 unlike RBO..😡he is right Shaan changed a lot after his London trip..😉who can better understand that than his best friend Rahul..😊
Natasha..do she ve any soft corners for Shaan??? wish not.. Khanak too noticed her with him..but I guess she'll not ve any misconception regarding them..😊
Its one and only Khanak who is disturbing Shaan..😳
Looking forward and thanks for writing..😊
Edited by poo_j - 11 years ago
