So I ask him, when a guy and girl love each other and are best friends, how the hell do you get the guy to understand that he is in love with the girl? Silence. I wait. More silence.
Mayank?
MAYANKKK, I scream, I hear and uh oh on the other side, ok I shouldn't have screamed now he is gonna lecture me on decency and decorum and some such boring stuff and make me really regret screaming. I waited but even that dint come, the lecture that is.
Who are you talking about?, I heard a low voice at the other end. What? No lectures, no replies? Whats wrong with THE Mayank Sharma today.
About us ofcourse! I replied, waiting for his outburst. Nothing again. I got worried, I hope he din't take my joke too seriously. Mayank, I'm talking about Samrat and Gunjan. More silence.
Mayank? Are you listening to me or are you busy reading some book or completing some assignment?
No, I am here. His voice sounded ..low? As in not the volume of his voice. He sounded a little upset, OMG, I hope he is not mad at me. Mayank I'm sorry, are you ok? I was kidding about us!! I know you love me. (I couldn't stop myself, eek Nupur Bhushan you are so dead!!) I laughed. Ok Ok, I'll stop kidding ok? Promise! Pucca!
Nupur, he said my name in a whisper. Suddenly, I wished what I said was true. I wished he was not upset with me and that he loved me and he was about to confess to me. I could imagine him on a white horse (safed ghoda people ' attention to the story!) and all that. You get what I mean? My Prince charming (Raajkumaar yaar!) was just on the other side of this phone line and calling my name out in that romantic manner and I can't even be happy about it. How miserable can things be! Sigh!
Nupur? His voice was clearer and I was out of my delusional world by then.
Haan Mayank, I replied, trying to inject some confidence into my voice.
From there on it was routine drill or droll, however you see it. Mayank lectured me about being overtly interested in Samrat and Gunjan's life, he wouldn't even listen when I said she was my own sister, like my daughter infact to which he simply asked me to stop being overdramatic . Then he wanted me to let things be for Gunji and he was sure that Samrat would realize on his own without me interfering and making things worse for them. Last but not the least he wanted me to concentrate on my studies. Sigh.
I said ok to everything and cut the call. Sometimes I wonder why I was in love with this akdu sadu guy. He makes me so angry sometimes. Right now I want to wring his neck. With my bare hands.
I get a call, its him, I won't pick it up, I think stubbornly. Dil kyun ye mera shor kare..idhar nahi udhar nahi'teri ore chale.. That's my ring tone for Mayank and when I hear this, my heart just gives in and I pick up the phone.
Hello ? I say uncertainly. The next few minutes is the best few minutes of my day as Mayank lovingly convinces me with a sorry and sweet nothings. Sigh. He even called me a sweetheart you know, for the first time ever. For that alone I could forgive him another 10 times and listen to another hundred lectures from him. So what if he said that in between the conversation, ok something like, I'm such a sweetheart to tolerate him etc etc but my mind stopped at sweetheart and started dancing around it.
I love Mayank.
Then he even told me a way to get Samrat and Gunjan together. Who would've thought the padaku Mayank had love guru qualities hidden in him. He said the best way for Samrat to realize is to have the fear that he would lose her. That can happen if he sees her around another guy. A guy whom he would deem to be a threat.
Wow Mayank, that's a smashing idea, I love you Mayank you are just the best! (see how I secretly and smartly told him the magical 3 words without eliciting suspicion! *raises imaginary collar*).
Ya ya I love you too he replied sarcastically and laughed.
My heart stopped. Did he say I love you? OMG I am gonna have an heart attack, I'm gonna die. I swear I'm. Somebody attend to me. Breathe in breathe out Nupur. Fine, I get it he said it in jest, just the way I did. Well I dint really say it in jest, but obviously he doesn't know that. How complicated. No, how stupid. This is ridiculous, ok stop Nupur Bhushan get down from the high horse you are on and talk. Talk? What talk? Talk to Mayank silly. Oh ya that, ok.
In that case we should get married to each other, I told him. WHAT? Did I just say that? I hear a What ?? from the other end of the phone. You love me, I love you, we should just get married you know. Obviously my brain has gone for a walk and whatever is left in the head is not coordinating correctly with my speech glands (or whatever it is called).
Nupur, I heard him say. I groaned, have I unleashed the monster again? No, he wasn't lecturing me instead he just said, sure ' why not, elope with me the next time I come to Mumbai. What?? Now this is a shock, Mayank Sharma is playing along?
No, Mayank, I can't elope with you, you'll have to take my Bauji's permission first.
He laughed DDLJ eh?
Ya I said stubbornly, you have to be on a safed ghoda and all that! I'm sure he was rolling on the floor by then.
Nupur, can you stop being so filmy? We can have a simple marriage you know without the band baaja stuff.
NO WAY..I love that stuff, that's what makes a marriage a marriage, otherwise it wouldn't feel like I got married.
Don't worry I'll make sure you feel "married" after the marriage. He said slyly and stopped suddenly.
I stopped too, what the heck were we saying? We had never said such things to each other, ever! We were not the flirty flirty kind of friends you know, that was how Samrat and Gunjan were.To be accurate, Samrat flirts with Gunjan. Mayank ? no way, though he did act all lovey dovey during the play rehearsal, that was to prepare for the character in the play! Before you say anything let me clarify, no I'm not in denial!
We changed the topic at the same instant and blabbered on for some more time as if nothing unusual happened.
Why are you guys so obsessed with Mayank and Nupur? It was Dia's shrill voice. Ok I have to listen to this conversation. I hurriedly finished off my call with Mayank and removed myself from their vicinity. There was Dia, Benji and Uday bhaiyaa with Ash and Rohan following them. Benji was holding onto Dia's books and giving her a puppy dog expression (ha ha that guy is soo in love with Dia!) Uday bhaiyaa was as usual busy with his packet of chips. Dia looked exasperated at Ash and Rohan for tagging along.
No di. Rohan began. Don't call me Di , Dia screamed. Do I look like a behenji to you? Call me Dia, she said nose in air. I tried to imitate her style from my hiding spot, Dia is such a diva, I love her style, suddenly I heard a voice in my head that said it liked me the way I was. Mayank of course, uff whats the point of him being away, he still keeps a check on me through my OWN thoughts.
Yes yes Di..a. that was Ash. Actually, we think Nupur di loves Mayank. What? I nearly screamed out (but I dint!). Dia and Benji stopped in their tracks. Uday bhaiyya who clearly wasn't paying attention walked on and stopped noticing nobody was walking with him. Dia and Benji were exchanging meaningful looks. Well? Dia said evenly, why would you think that?
See, Nupur di always talks of Mayank or talks to Mayank. So there must be something there right? Ash asked cleverly. You guys are just seeing too much into it. You don't know Mayank, he would never love a girl like Nupur. Besides, Mayank is nothing like Nupur's dream guy and all.
You never know Benji, Nupur may have fallen for Mayank you know. Dia sounded thoughtful , she does spend and awful lot of time talking to him. Besides, Mayank is always nice to Nupur.
Oh yeah Nupur thinks Mayank dances well, fights well , looks good and has wonderful dimples, it was Uday bhaiyya, counting off from his fingers as if it were a lesson he had learnt by heart.
Dia and Benji looked at him in surprise. Arrey, Nupur had told me..long back. Uday bhaiyya looked happy with his own memory.
They continued bickering about whether it was possible that Mayank could ever love me or I could ever love Mayank . Sigh, I don't know if he could ever love me, I surely love him. Very much.
Part 6 - Page 21
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