"Phuphi, boutique se call aaya hain. Mujhe wedding dress ki
fitting ke liye bulaya hain. I will go now, okay?" Zoya was already near the
door.
"Ruko, Zoya, Ruko. Itni dopahar ko dhoop main kaise jaogi?
Asad...Asad..."
Asad was working in his room.
"Jee, Ammi?"
"Zoya ko dress ki fitting ke liye jaana hain. Tum leke jao."
"Ammi, I have got work."
"Kitni baar kaha hain. No work for these ten days. Abhi Zoya
ko leke jao. Car main jaldi wapas aa jaoge or dhoop bhi bahot hain."
Asad had no choice. Soon they were on their way to the
boutique.
"Aap ko abhi boutique jana tha? Shaam ko nahi ja sakti thi,
jab dhup kam ho. Mujhe bhi apne saath drag kiya."
"Mujhe aapko saath lane ka koi shauk nahi hain. Aur, agar
sham ko main fitting ke liye gayi to hamari shaadi ka function kaun attend
karega?" Zoya answered, folded her hands and looked out of the window. They
kept quiet for the rest of the way.
Boutique was in the tallest building of Bhopal in one of the
top floors. Zoya and Asad reached. Zoya took trial of her dress and they were out
of the place in 20 minutes. They entered elevator (lift). Elevator moved
one floor down and then there was a jolt, lights went out and it stopped.
"Allah miyan, what is wrong? Ye elevator kyon ruk gayi?
Lights ko kya hua?" Zoya wondered aloud. She held onto Asad's arm. "Mr. Khan,
you don't worry, haan? Let me figure out what is wrong." She kept talking. Asad
sensed her nervousness behind all the babble.
"Ye sab aapki vajah se hua hain."
"Meri vajah se?" Zoya let go off his arm.
"Haan...naa aap abhi boutique aati, naa hum yahan faste."
"Allah miyan, what is wrong with this guy? Mujhe kaise pata
tha ke elevator abhi kharab honewali hain." Zoya got very irritated. Asad
smiled inwardly as he was able to distract her.
"Emergency button, Miss Farooqui."
"Yes, emergency button..." Emergency button was pressed and
they waited for few minutes.
"Let me call the boutique. They will get in touch with
building maintenance staff," Zoya was back. She talked with the staff, and they
informed that maintenance staff was already at work. They got lights back in
few minutes, but the elevator wasn't moving yet. As soon as lights were back,
Asad saw Zoya giving him a hard stare.
"So, you think I am behind all this."
"Woh actually..."
"Rehne dijiye. Elevator atak gayi – Blame Zoya. Tanveer ko
kuchh hua – Blame Zoya. Global warming – Blame Zoya. Main to super woman hoon
with super powers. Main chutki bajake kuchh bhi kar sakti hoon. Wait... aap ka
manna hain ki main super woman hoon. Kya aap mujhe compliment de rahe hain? Yes.
Hain naa..Mr. Khan, aap mujhe apne weird tarike se compliment kar rahe hain?"
Hard glare in Zoya's eyes got replaced with mischief. Asad was completely
baffled at change in her chain of thoughts. "Huh...?" is all he could utter.
"Zoya Farooqui – the super woman." Zoya mused. Just then the
boutique called back and informed that it will take about 15-20 minutes to fix
the elevator and they were sorry for the inconvenience.
"15-20 minutes?" Asad groaned.
"Mr. Khan, let's play a game. Time pass kaise honga?"
"Game. Is elevator main? Yahan pe kya khelenge?"
"Cricket." Asad was bewildered now. Zoya was capable of
anything.
"Of course, we will play some game that can be played in elevator.
Seriously, Mr. Khan, many a
times, you make me question your intelligence."
Asad was miffed now, "Ye bachkani harkatein bandh kijiye."
"Aur, aap ye buzurg banna bandh kijiye."
"Kya khele? Truth and Dare. Antakshari."
"Mujhe kuchh nahi khelna."
"Chalo antakshari khelte hain. Baithe baithe kya karein,
karna hain kuchh kaam..." . Zoya was unstoppable. Asad got visions of Zoya
making him sing, and he quickly said, "Mujhe nahi khelna hain. Teenage passed
both of us long time ago."
"It is just a game, Mr. Khan. For 15 minutes, please..."
Zoya made a puppy face.
"Ok...but not antakshari. Let's try truth-and-dare, but I
will refuse to answer a question, if I feel so. No arguments, okay?" Zoya
nodded.
"So, truth or dare?"
"Truth." Asad said in a resigned tone.
"Let's start with an easy one. What's your favourite food?"
"Chicken Biryani."
"My turn. I will take truth."
"Which is your favourite place in the world?"
"New York City. Mr. Khan, you have no idea how much I love
that city. It is the best place in the world and I am so proud that I am a New
York girl." Zoya said happily.
"Aur phir bhi, aapko Bhopal main rehna qubool hain?" Asad
asked in an earnest voice which was not lost on Zoya, but she dodged the
question by saying, "It is my turn to ask questions, not yours. Truth or dare?
Of course, truth. Hmmm... Ayaan ko khidki se andar aana kisne sikhaya? Aapne?"
Asad chuckled, "Do you think Ayaan needs any teaching in
this area? But, it's true that the first time Ayaan tried it, I liked the idea
and asked him to visit my room using window. How I regret it now!" Asad shook
his head.
"My turn. Aapko buri shayari kehni ki bimari bachpan se hain
or it is a newly acquired trait?" Asad teased Zoya.
Zoya narrowed eyes at him and answered, "My shayaris spread
cheer; they make people laugh. Aur, main to hamesha se hi aisi shayaris karti
hoon. And, now you don't get to say truth, Mr. Khan. I give you a dare."
"Dare – yahan pe, 4 X
6 ki elevator main?"
"Haan...aur aap ka dare hain – aap ek joke sunaiye."
"Joke?"
"Haan..joke, chutkulla. You know jise sunke log haste hain."
"Mujhe pata hain joke kya hota hain."
"Oh..That's a revelation. To sunaiye." Zoya's tone dripped
sarcasm.
Asad moved a bit, his hand adjusted his collar and then he
cleared his throat and started speaking in a very flat tone. "Haan...yaad aaya.
Once there were three men in a boat. The boat was in the river." He stopped,
"No, they were in a lake...or was it river? It was a lake. So, as I was saying
three men were in a boat in a lake. No... wait...what happens next could not
have happened in a lake, so it has to be a river. Yh...so the boat was in a
river."
By now, Zoya was giggling. Asad stopped and asked, "Aapko
abhi se hansi aa rahi hain? Pehle joke to suniye."
Now, Zoya was laughing. "Mr. Khan, log aapke joke pe hanse
na hanse, aapke joke sunane ke andaz pe zaroor hans denge." Zoya said in between
her laughter.
Now, Asad crossed his hands. "I am not telling you the
joke."
"Koi baat nahi. Aapka dare ho gaya. Lake tha ya river
thi..." Zoya kept laughing.
Asad glared at her. "Now, your turn for dare. Aap ek gaana
sunaiye." And, Zoya stopped laughing.
Asad had heard her talking with Najma
that she didn't sing well and avoided singing and now he was using this
information to get back at her.
"Mr. Khan, gaane main kya hain. Koi aur dare dijiye. Zoya
Farooqui kuchh bhi kar sakti hain."
"Nahi, aap gaana hi sunayegi. Chalo, be a sport and sing a
song."
Zoya was hesitating, but suddenly her face brightened. Asad
noticed the change in her expressions and wondered what was coming next.
Zoya started in an out-of-tune yet sweet voice, "Main kya
karoon ram, mujhe budhha mil gaya..., Main kya karoon ram, mujhe budhha mil
gaya..."
"Main Buddha hoon?" Asad interrupted.
"Maine aisa kab kaha? Main to sirf gaana ga rahi hoon. Vaise
bhi aap mujhe kahan mil gaye hain." Zoya started the sentence in mischievous
tone, but ended in a sad tone.
Asad understood what she meant to say. He had failed again
and again to tell her what was in his heart. But, he can't tell her now, in an elevator,
where they could be interrupted any moment.
"Miss Farooqui, your turn. Poochhiye, jo poochhna hain." He
said in a pacifying voice.
"Aapki school days ki
favourite memory kaunsi hain?" Zoya asked looking down.
"A school trip to Fatehpur Sikri." Zoya looked up.
"Actually, it was a weeklong trip to Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur
Sikri, but I remember Fatehpur Sikri the most. I was 12 then. One of the
teachers with us taught us history. He also had a keen interest in
architecture. He told us detailed history of the place and explained
architectural details. Do you know the city is the finest and best preserved
example of Mogul architecture in India? You would say it is too much of history
and details for a 12 year old, but I was fascinated. I was amazed how men had
created this beautiful place. The trip was a year after Mr. Rashid Ahmed Khan
left us. That place, its wonderful structure, its architectural beauty, it made
me forget everything else that was going on in my life. It also had a
melancholy air about it. The place was abandoned soon after it was ready. I don't
know I felt a connection even with the melancholy of the place." Asad was
looking straight ahead as if seeing the place before his eyes.
"Is that why you decided to become an architect?" Zoya
whispered.
"There were many reasons, but yes, that trip and the city
surely planted the seeds for this profession in my mind." Asad answered looking
at Zoya. Zoya nodded.
"My question. Why did you choose to study computers?"
"Why computers? Actually, I wasn't very serious about
anything. Though I was a very good student, keep that in mind, haan. Jeeju
suggested that I should study computers. I followed his suggestion and learned
that I really liked it. I could implement all the crazy but creative ideas that
came to my mind using computers. Aap to jaante the, mujhe experiements karna,
cheezein fix karna pasand hain. I get to do all these things being in this
field. Sometimes, Jeeju understands me more than myself. He knew this long
before me. So, I should thank Jeeju." Zoya had a big smile remembering his Jeeju.
"You are very close to your Aapi and Jeeju, right?"
"Yes. They are my only family. I am more attached to Jeeju.
He understands me like no one else. And, that reminds me that I have to give
him a call and give him an earful for not coming to attend my nikhaah." Asad
smiled at the change of expressions on Zoya's face.
"So, whose turn it was?" Asad asked.
"Huh...?" Zoya uttered.
"Whose turn for truth or dare?" Asad answered.
"Don't know, but I will ask." Zoya said. Asad gestured with
her hand to go ahead.
"Who is your favourite super hero?"
"That is easy – Batman."
"Why do so many people like Batman? He is not actually a
super hero."
"That is what makes him special."
"But, superman is a super hero with real powers and still he
is humane. That is the best thing about him."
"Superhero that becomes powerless in the presence of a
little green rock."
And, the elevator started moving and they reached ground floor.
Their bickering about who was better - Batman or Superman continued all the way
home.
