Aaj jaane ki Zidd na karo.

An inspired Fiction……celebrating 50th article on my blog...

Friends and Mumbai is a very rare combination, but friends in Mumbai are party combination. I really felt that it was the last time we were together. And adding friend’s girlfriends in this group is….. Speechless. Coz travelling in harbour line with girls isn’t a tough task and this is the best part that I like about it. There is no issue if ladies travel with gents in second class gent’s compartment. An idea that would sound very close to suicidal if you consider central line and specially western line even in the non-peak hours. 3 of my diploma friends decided to come to Mumbai with their girlfriends & fiancés(unlucky man) to witness Ganesh Visarjan an event that pump adrenaline and faith into even the smallest of the streets.

But she arrived a Day late……

Technically speaking she was roommate of my friends Fiancé during the entire engineering years until after final year when she moved to Hyderabad for better career options. Thanks to whatsapp even this distance didn’t mattered much, In fact to all of us. Still seeing her after so many year was refreshing. Didn’t knew how. 

3 days zoomed by my side. And it was 9^th September evening….

 The rest had left earlier in the afternoon to their respective destinations following the Ganesh visarjan. But she had to stay back. Her train was LTT-Secendrabad Duranto express scheduled at 22.50 pm in the night from kurla terminus.

We boarded the 9:50 pm CST local from Nerul heading towards kurla in a local which was relatively empty. We sat on the ends side of the 2^nd class boogie because she wanted to see the view. But even though it was late we didn’t feel uncomfortable or scared. In other words we were more comfortable around each other as we sat next to each other closely.

This was what I felt since last evening. We decided to go South Mumbai on bikes to various places like girgaon Chaupati to see ganesh Visarjan. Since all my friends had already brought their baggage or pillion with them I was left to give her company. And trust me it was like an answer to my prayers. I was totally over the moon and even she was happy to sit on my super cool hero Honda hunk.

 It almost felt perfect to be in the city you love on your super amazing bike and with one of the most beautiful and chilled out friend like her. And this unpredictable monsoon just hypnotises you. Like I had said earlier monsoon doesn’t let you to stay alone. The light drizzle on an endless Eastern Express Highway is almost the last thing one can ask for. She was wearing black salwar and everything matching to it.

“You used to look shorter na? How come you grew up so tall?” I said.

“kuch bhi.. I am too screwed up to get any better” she replied.

“I am finding it hard to drive with you sitting back” I said.

“Why so? Don’t you dare tell me ki mai moti ho gayi hu” she said while checking herself.

“no no it not you… it basically your flying black dupatta, your thick dark mascara your black eyes, black bangles and along with it everything in black in my rear mirror is distracting me” I replied with my fingers crossed.

“Hmm” she replied casually.

“Anyways I am glad to see all of you here.” I said.

“So am I…. and how am I suppose to answer it….but actually I am more happy to see you with me” she added.

“Oh ho madam is trying to over smart me???? shyanpatti k mamle me mai pura mumbaikar hu… you know…BAAP hu mai….BAAP…BAAPPP !!!!!” I shouted as she busted into loud laughter. It took just 45 minutes to get rid of all the rust and hesitation. By the time we reached girgam 5 years just seemed to have vanished.

As we sat on chaupati watching waves after waves of devotes bringing idols and submerging them I remembered she used to be very tomboy and chilled out girl. When did she turn into such a beautiful lady?

“How come this happened to you?” I asked her.

“Excuse me?” She asked.

“This… this entire new you” I asked her gesturing my hand from her head to toe.

“You used to be very casual and roadside kind of rebellious girl, suddenly I find you more sophisticated, kisi ke Ishq me padh gayi kya?” I enquired.

“It seems you know very well about it, as if you did love someone too....” and then she stopped after all my friends were laughing over this stupid argument.

“maff kar maa” I smiled and replied.

But in this stupid argument something broke in us. A lock to a deep deep secret locker within our hearts was picked. Although she didn’t tell but her eyes were truly hiding something. I knew that I have cracked that code. And even she felt the same as if I was watching my own eyes in mirror. Our secret was no longer a secret.

And now she is leaving….. again. As we sat next to each other on the wooden seat starring at each other.

“Stop starring at me.. I feel like a weird witch” she shouted.

“Are you stop starring at me” I shouted in return.

“No you stop and by the way I wasnt starring at you I was checking your hair” she replied.

And then somehow something inside me propelled me and moved me towards her. So I just went with my heart, leaned over and kissed her on lips. It just simultaneously happened.

“Why? What wrong with my hair?”  I asked her as I leaned back on my seat as if nothing happened.

“No…..nothing… its ok…no problem” she said without any dramatic reaction.

“Short hair looks good on you” she said as we walked to kurla terminus from Tilak Nagar station 11.00 in night.

“tu zada tension mat le… seriously it’s ok… no problem” she reiterated.

“Are you sure ?” I asked her and she nodded yes.

“I am sorry for last night”.

“So am I for tonight” I added.

“Then we are even”.

Her train was already standing on the platform. As we neared her 3 AC boggie I wanted to hold her back. But it was almost time for departure….

We stood facing each other on the platform as she tried to grab my shirt and even pinched me on my stomach as if trying to say something.

“kisi samajhdar insane ne mujhse kaha tha…. NEVER LET A GOOD THING PASS” I said.

“chal tu abhi ghar nikal.. It’s getting very late” she said as if what I said didn’t matter to her at all.

“Why? Abhi time baki hai na??”

But I didn’t realise that her eye were already moist before I finished my sentence.

And she replied “kyuki Agar tu nahi gaya….. toh mai nahi ja paungi.”

Inspired by ‘Aaj jaane ki Zidd na karo’  a song by Fayyaz Hashmi.