Early at dawn, Pratap's black Sedan honked at Ajabdeh's front door. She walked out, trolley in hand, wearing brown Skinny Fit Trousers paired with a white net top. Her hair was open, and the glasses acted like a hairband, much like their first meeting at the airport. He kept staring as she realised it and avoided eye contact.
" Wah, you are looking... elegant today."
" Yup, trying something different." She shrugged.
" Why? Neons are out of fashion?"
" Elegant is in!"
" Kiske liye itna sab?"
" Tumhare Liye. " He stared at her as his heart skipped a beat, and she burst laughing.
"I'm joking! Look at your face!"
"Of course, you are joking." His tone changed.
They reached Udaipur with Ajabde constantly talking about what one must do when one goes to Delhi.
" Ajab... we are not..."
" I know, I know it's work work work! But still, you know..." She continued her list as he looked at her excited face. His stare made her as she spoke more nervously.
They reached the airport.
" Mujhe window wali seat chahiye."
" Thik hai, calm down." They had a sandwich each at the airport before takeoff.
" Princy dekho Pahar, wow dekho dessert dikh raha hai... Paani... Blue hai paani paani paani...Tumko pasand hai?" She turned to see that he was asleep with his headphones on. She frowned. Then smiled, looking at his sleeping face.
He woke up a little before landing and saw her reading, or rather trying to decipher a business magazine in vain.
" Uth gaye tum? Chalo selfie lete hai!"
" What the..." FLASH!
" #flight #delhi #work #Boss #Princy #yayamback " She went on.
" Tag me."
" You sure?"
" Haan."
" Okay!"
They took a cab from the Airport to the hotel as Ajabde got lost in her " Shortest route to the hotel", and the driver got them there in an hour. Pratap was talking to the receptionist while Ajabde was looking around.
" Two Single rooms, on the 11th floor, thik hai?" He said as she nodded.
" Go and get ready, we will leave in an hour for the meeting."
She was wearing a corporate grey skirt and a white blouse, as he came out in his blue suit and aviator glasses.
" Don't talk much, okay, let me do the talking."
" Yes, Sir!"
"Shut up!"
She walked out as he followed her to the hired car. They went to the Government office and were led to the Government Officer who was in charge of the Welfare Funds.
" Good morning, Mr Pratap Singh, you are very famous."
" Morning, Mr. Agarwal, this is Ms. Punwar." Pratap didn't like the way the young man stared at Ajab.
" So, what is your college going to feature? Why should we fund you?"
" You see..."
" Not you, her!"
" Pardon?" Ajabde looked up at the man looking at her lustily. She shifted uneasily.
" You tell me, Madam ji."
" She won't tell, I will." Came a determined reply.
" Mr Singh, you brought an employee who doesn't know..."
" She is not my employee, she is ... family. Ajabde, leave the room."
" What?"
" Leave the room right now, I'm going to talk here, man to man."
" Mr. Singh, don't create ..." Ajabde walked out as the door shut behind her. She is... family. A smile crept in.
He walked out, annoyed, saying, " Let's go back." She followed him quietly. He appeared a bit disturbed.
" Ajab." He spoke up after 15 minutes. "I'm sorry you had to face this. I shouldn't have brought you..."
" No, no, if he were not the fund chief or something, I would have punched him in the face!" A smile appeared on his face when he heard her.
" You are okay?"
" Pretty good!"
Reaching the hotel, he said, "Change and come down, we will have dinner early. Waise bhi lunch skipped."
" Princy... Ummm... the fund..."
" They will let us know by tomorrow."
" What do you think they will give to the fund?"
" Well... yes, he knows my holds, and I kind of might have scared him a little." He smiled at her.
She got dressed and went down for dinner in a floral knee-length dress.
" I guess the bright colours are back!" He smiled.
" The plain ones seem unlucky." She shrugged.
" If they approve the funds, we are leaving for Nainital tomorrow evening. If they don't, I need to give him a piece of my mind, then leave the next morning!" He said, eating. She looked up at him and then back at her plate. Woah! Yeh Princy toh Knight in shinning Armour nikla!
" You said something?"
" No... The food is good."
He was in his room, in his bedtime boxers, the TV on, and looking through his emails on his phone when a knock resounded. He looked at the watch. 11.38PM. He frowned and opened it to find Ajabde Punwar, laptop in hand, pink pyjamas, black teeshirt, standing at the door.
" Ajab?"
" Princy, Mere room mein Ghost hai!"
" Kya hai?" He asked, startled.
" Ghost!"
" Kya hua?"
" I feel like I am being watched, strange noises. She sat down on the couch.
" Dekho, aisa kuch nahi hai. Go back!"
" Ajeeb ho, maine bola na Ghost hai."
" Okay, ek kaam karte hai, you stay here, main jaa raha hoon tumhare room mein." He was about to leave when she shouted, " Ruko!"
" Kya hua ab?"
" Agar ghost mere piche yaha aa gaya toh?"
" Kya plan hai tumhari?"
" Tum so jao, main couch pe baithke movie dekhti hoon lappie pe."
" What? Yaha? In my room?"
" Haan, ab dekho, mere aur tumhare sivae kisko pata hai main kaha hoon, toh problem kya hai?"
" Yeh tum pehle bhi kar chuki ho?"
" Nahi, yeh first time hai, pehle I always travelled with mom, ya friends."
" Uff thik hai!"
" Usko Bura lagega kya?"
" Kisko?"
"You're someone." She made him laugh.
"Hassee Kyun?"
" Kuch Nahi."
" Umm... Princy... "
" Kya?"
" I don't mean to embarrass you, par you shouldn't be in boxers, you know, ladki ke samne, not that I mind, log galat sochenge." He turned red, hurrying to get his track pants while she set up her movie playlist.
At 3AM, he woke up hearing her voice.
" Kamine, tujhe kya laga, tu mujhe chod dega toh main zindagi bhar tarapti rahungi? Tarpega tu...."
He stared wide-eyed, watching her move her hands and say the dialogue loudly. She was watching " Jab We Met" with headphones on!
" Ajab!"
" Kya??"
" Hushhh!"
" Oops, sorry!"
He woke up at 5.30 AM for a jog and saw her asleep on the couch. He took the blanket from the bed and put it on her. He jogged and came back, watching her still asleep. He dressed in his formal. He went out, leaving a note, " I will be back by Lunch, will have lunch together."
She woke up at 8.30 AM, looking around, and her eyes fell on the note.
She saw the blanket on her and, with a sleepy smile, she walked with it to his bed and fell asleep.
He came back and saw her still sleeping, this time on his bed. He ordered lunch and decided to call her when it arrived.
Ajabde opened her eyes to see Pratap working on his laptop on the couch, still in his formal. She suddenly jumped up, saying, " What the hell am I doing in your bed?"
" Pagal ho? Khud jaake leti!"
" Ohh haan!!!" She scratched her head.
" Jao fresh hooke ao, I ordered lunch here."
" Yaaa!"
" Ohh, Approval aa gaya, I booked a car to leave at 4PM."
" Yay! Darr gaya woh crap tumse!" She laughed.
At 4PM, he went out to the rented car and saw Ajabde standing there trolley in hand, in a rosy pink Anarkali, her hair braided. Her kohl-smudged eyes didn't fail to make his heart skip a beat.
They got into the car, and she caught him staring.
" Kya hai?"
" Kya hai?" He repeated as she looked away. He bit his tongue.
" Dekho kitna sundar jagah hai! Hills! Lakes. Beautiful!"
" Haan, it's good."
" Main na yaha ek ghar kharidungi kabhi by god."
" Tumhara sweeper kharidega!"
" Sweeper?"
" Sweep me off my feet!"
" Uff kya galti ki jo bola maine!" He laughed.
" Waise..." She asked, " Woh kaisi hai?"
" Kaun?"
" Tumhari waali."
" She is like... Paani."
" Matlab?"
" She is everywhere in my world!" He stared at her eyes, saying this, but something made Ajabde sad.
"Whoa, Princy is in Loveland!"
" You are never in Loveland?"
" Never, Ajabde Punwar ko pyaar hona aasaan nahi hai! 21 saal mein nahi hua!" She said it like she wanted to believe it. He looked away, a little restless.
They reached the hotel, and this time Pratap booked a suite with two single bedrooms. Reaching the suite, she said,
" Suite Kyun?"
" So that you sleep in your own room and adhi raat ko bhoot banke darao na...Darwaza khula rakh k apne kamre mein so jana"
" Maine na Zindagi mein na socha tha k suite pe rahungi."
" Accha? Zindagi abhi bohot baaki hai."
" Haan par hum kaha affort kar paate waise, kitne dreams hai, wishes hai..."
Tum bata ke toh dekho tumhari saari wishes puri karunga. He stared at her babbling.
" Tumhare bacche le jaenge tumko suites, foreign tours n all!"
" Tum kya mere baccho ko adopt kar loge jo yeh saab..."
" Shayed uska zarurat nahi..."
" Kya matlab?"
" Kuch nahi, Nanaji se kab milne jana hai?"
" First thing in the morning!"
" Then dinner order kar do, main car ki baat karke aata hoon, l leave at dawn."
" Haan time bhi hai na, we can roam a bit in Nainital."
" Great! Done!"
" Wah, you are looking... elegant today."
" Yup, trying something different." She shrugged.
" Why? Neons are out of fashion?"
" Elegant is in!"
" Kiske liye itna sab?"
" Tumhare Liye. " He stared at her as his heart skipped a beat, and she burst laughing.
"I'm joking! Look at your face!"
"Of course, you are joking." His tone changed.
They reached Udaipur with Ajabde constantly talking about what one must do when one goes to Delhi.
" Ajab... we are not..."
" I know, I know it's work work work! But still, you know..." She continued her list as he looked at her excited face. His stare made her as she spoke more nervously.
They reached the airport.
" Mujhe window wali seat chahiye."
" Thik hai, calm down." They had a sandwich each at the airport before takeoff.
" Princy dekho Pahar, wow dekho dessert dikh raha hai... Paani... Blue hai paani paani paani...Tumko pasand hai?" She turned to see that he was asleep with his headphones on. She frowned. Then smiled, looking at his sleeping face.
He woke up a little before landing and saw her reading, or rather trying to decipher a business magazine in vain.
" Uth gaye tum? Chalo selfie lete hai!"
" What the..." FLASH!
" #flight #delhi #work #Boss #Princy #yayamback " She went on.
" Tag me."
" You sure?"
" Haan."
" Okay!"
They took a cab from the Airport to the hotel as Ajabde got lost in her " Shortest route to the hotel", and the driver got them there in an hour. Pratap was talking to the receptionist while Ajabde was looking around.
" Two Single rooms, on the 11th floor, thik hai?" He said as she nodded.
" Go and get ready, we will leave in an hour for the meeting."
She was wearing a corporate grey skirt and a white blouse, as he came out in his blue suit and aviator glasses.
" Don't talk much, okay, let me do the talking."
" Yes, Sir!"
"Shut up!"
She walked out as he followed her to the hired car. They went to the Government office and were led to the Government Officer who was in charge of the Welfare Funds.
" Good morning, Mr Pratap Singh, you are very famous."
" Morning, Mr. Agarwal, this is Ms. Punwar." Pratap didn't like the way the young man stared at Ajab.
" So, what is your college going to feature? Why should we fund you?"
" You see..."
" Not you, her!"
" Pardon?" Ajabde looked up at the man looking at her lustily. She shifted uneasily.
" You tell me, Madam ji."
" She won't tell, I will." Came a determined reply.
" Mr Singh, you brought an employee who doesn't know..."
" She is not my employee, she is ... family. Ajabde, leave the room."
" What?"
" Leave the room right now, I'm going to talk here, man to man."
" Mr. Singh, don't create ..." Ajabde walked out as the door shut behind her. She is... family. A smile crept in.
He walked out, annoyed, saying, " Let's go back." She followed him quietly. He appeared a bit disturbed.
" Ajab." He spoke up after 15 minutes. "I'm sorry you had to face this. I shouldn't have brought you..."
" No, no, if he were not the fund chief or something, I would have punched him in the face!" A smile appeared on his face when he heard her.
" You are okay?"
" Pretty good!"
Reaching the hotel, he said, "Change and come down, we will have dinner early. Waise bhi lunch skipped."
" Princy... Ummm... the fund..."
" They will let us know by tomorrow."
" What do you think they will give to the fund?"
" Well... yes, he knows my holds, and I kind of might have scared him a little." He smiled at her.
She got dressed and went down for dinner in a floral knee-length dress.
" I guess the bright colours are back!" He smiled.
" The plain ones seem unlucky." She shrugged.
" If they approve the funds, we are leaving for Nainital tomorrow evening. If they don't, I need to give him a piece of my mind, then leave the next morning!" He said, eating. She looked up at him and then back at her plate. Woah! Yeh Princy toh Knight in shinning Armour nikla!
" You said something?"
" No... The food is good."
He was in his room, in his bedtime boxers, the TV on, and looking through his emails on his phone when a knock resounded. He looked at the watch. 11.38PM. He frowned and opened it to find Ajabde Punwar, laptop in hand, pink pyjamas, black teeshirt, standing at the door.
" Ajab?"
" Princy, Mere room mein Ghost hai!"
" Kya hai?" He asked, startled.
" Ghost!"
" Kya hua?"
" I feel like I am being watched, strange noises. She sat down on the couch.
" Dekho, aisa kuch nahi hai. Go back!"
" Ajeeb ho, maine bola na Ghost hai."
" Okay, ek kaam karte hai, you stay here, main jaa raha hoon tumhare room mein." He was about to leave when she shouted, " Ruko!"
" Kya hua ab?"
" Agar ghost mere piche yaha aa gaya toh?"
" Kya plan hai tumhari?"
" Tum so jao, main couch pe baithke movie dekhti hoon lappie pe."
" What? Yaha? In my room?"
" Haan, ab dekho, mere aur tumhare sivae kisko pata hai main kaha hoon, toh problem kya hai?"
" Yeh tum pehle bhi kar chuki ho?"
" Nahi, yeh first time hai, pehle I always travelled with mom, ya friends."
" Uff thik hai!"
" Usko Bura lagega kya?"
" Kisko?"
"You're someone." She made him laugh.
"Hassee Kyun?"
" Kuch Nahi."
" Umm... Princy... "
" Kya?"
" I don't mean to embarrass you, par you shouldn't be in boxers, you know, ladki ke samne, not that I mind, log galat sochenge." He turned red, hurrying to get his track pants while she set up her movie playlist.
At 3AM, he woke up hearing her voice.
" Kamine, tujhe kya laga, tu mujhe chod dega toh main zindagi bhar tarapti rahungi? Tarpega tu...."
He stared wide-eyed, watching her move her hands and say the dialogue loudly. She was watching " Jab We Met" with headphones on!
" Ajab!"
" Kya??"
" Hushhh!"
" Oops, sorry!"
He woke up at 5.30 AM for a jog and saw her asleep on the couch. He took the blanket from the bed and put it on her. He jogged and came back, watching her still asleep. He dressed in his formal. He went out, leaving a note, " I will be back by Lunch, will have lunch together."
She woke up at 8.30 AM, looking around, and her eyes fell on the note.
She saw the blanket on her and, with a sleepy smile, she walked with it to his bed and fell asleep.
He came back and saw her still sleeping, this time on his bed. He ordered lunch and decided to call her when it arrived.
Ajabde opened her eyes to see Pratap working on his laptop on the couch, still in his formal. She suddenly jumped up, saying, " What the hell am I doing in your bed?"
" Pagal ho? Khud jaake leti!"
" Ohh haan!!!" She scratched her head.
" Jao fresh hooke ao, I ordered lunch here."
" Yaaa!"
" Ohh, Approval aa gaya, I booked a car to leave at 4PM."
" Yay! Darr gaya woh crap tumse!" She laughed.
At 4PM, he went out to the rented car and saw Ajabde standing there trolley in hand, in a rosy pink Anarkali, her hair braided. Her kohl-smudged eyes didn't fail to make his heart skip a beat.
They got into the car, and she caught him staring.
" Kya hai?"
" Kya hai?" He repeated as she looked away. He bit his tongue.
" Dekho kitna sundar jagah hai! Hills! Lakes. Beautiful!"
" Haan, it's good."
" Main na yaha ek ghar kharidungi kabhi by god."
" Tumhara sweeper kharidega!"
" Sweeper?"
" Sweep me off my feet!"
" Uff kya galti ki jo bola maine!" He laughed.
" Waise..." She asked, " Woh kaisi hai?"
" Kaun?"
" Tumhari waali."
" She is like... Paani."
" Matlab?"
" She is everywhere in my world!" He stared at her eyes, saying this, but something made Ajabde sad.
"Whoa, Princy is in Loveland!"
" You are never in Loveland?"
" Never, Ajabde Punwar ko pyaar hona aasaan nahi hai! 21 saal mein nahi hua!" She said it like she wanted to believe it. He looked away, a little restless.
They reached the hotel, and this time Pratap booked a suite with two single bedrooms. Reaching the suite, she said,
" Suite Kyun?"
" So that you sleep in your own room and adhi raat ko bhoot banke darao na...Darwaza khula rakh k apne kamre mein so jana"
" Maine na Zindagi mein na socha tha k suite pe rahungi."
" Accha? Zindagi abhi bohot baaki hai."
" Haan par hum kaha affort kar paate waise, kitne dreams hai, wishes hai..."
Tum bata ke toh dekho tumhari saari wishes puri karunga. He stared at her babbling.
" Tumhare bacche le jaenge tumko suites, foreign tours n all!"
" Tum kya mere baccho ko adopt kar loge jo yeh saab..."
" Shayed uska zarurat nahi..."
" Kya matlab?"
" Kuch nahi, Nanaji se kab milne jana hai?"
" First thing in the morning!"
" Then dinner order kar do, main car ki baat karke aata hoon, l leave at dawn."
" Haan time bhi hai na, we can roam a bit in Nainital."
" Great! Done!"
