Part 11

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Finnaly it's RishIka(?)

A:me ye shaadi karungi. (Rishi's eyes were shining) lekin me is shaadi ko slow le na chati hu. I want time mujhe sab kuch accept karne me. Ap samj rahe hona me kis bare me baat karai hu.

Rishi was aww with her words.

A:Rishi boliye..

R:(coming out of his world) Annika. Tumne is shaadi k liye haa kaha wahi badi baat hai. Me bohot khush hu. Khush se bhi zyada kush. Aur ha me samj gaya tum kya keherai ho. Lekin me tumse kuch puchna chata hu.

A:hm..?

Rishi was looking deeply into her eyes.

A:ab muh me laddu le k baite ho kya... boliye na.. puchiye..(slightly irritated and nervous)

R: tum mujhpe trust karti ho..?

Annika was silent.

R:trust nai hai tho ye shaadi mat karo Annika.

Annika held his hands.

A:ap mujhe bolne hi nai dete. Aise kaise boldu ha..? Thoda time do. Saas le ne k liye. Bas toot pado. Bolo bolo bolo.(mimicking him)

Rishi left a small laugh.

A:uff ha me trust karti hu.

R:tho kya hum shadi karle usi muhurat me..? Yani ki 3 din baad. Mujhe tumse aur dur nai raha jata. Please.

A:mujhe time chahiye.

R:(sigh) teek hai. Jab itna intezar kiya tho aur sahi. Chahe kahi mahine ya saal lage me intezaar karunga. Zindagi bar bhi intezar karne tayaar hu Annika. I can wait. I will wait.

Annika smiled and mouthed thank you.

R: ab..?

A:order karo kuch. Aise hi bhuke wapis jaouge kya ap..?

R:haan..? Oh haaa ok ok. Kya khaougi..? Ab please dinner k time pe aloo puri mat bolo han..!

A:apko pata hai..?(she looked with her cornered eye)

R:ha bas yehi ek cheez pata hai tumare bare me.(he scratched his nape of the neck and smiled sheepishly and Annika chuckled slightly) matlab pata hai arrey yaar.

Annika left out a laugh.

After this meeting it was a week passed.

But rishi would some how try to meet her. Be it visiting her office or picking her up. This was the daily routine of rishi. Annika was falling for his efforts.

One day Annika had to go to goa for a resaption. But it was 3 days that Rishi was out of station for a business meeting. He was in London. He texted her. To see she was online.

Here as soon as Annika switched on her mobile data her phone pinged. She saw the notification and soon opened her chat box.

Unknown to her she had a smile seeing this.

When he came to know that they couldn't meet his face fell. And here Annika was also quit effected only if she accepts though🙄.

The rest of the day went thinking of each other.

Annika kept on checking her phone if she got some message from him. But no. There were no messages nor calls.

It was 3am and her time to leave to the airport. She packed her stuff. And when she called out vardhan to drop her. Vardhan told her to wait out side.

As she was out she saw rishi standing there. May be waiting for her.

"Ye rishi.. ye tho abi aye hai na. Tho..?" She was not able to register if he was real.? She thought as she stepped towards him.

Then vardhan came out.

V:arrey. Rishi..?

R:sir wo may I drop her.?

V:arrey ha ha. Kyu nai. Waise pehele hi bata dete anu.. meri neend karab kardi.😕

A:papa...🙁

V: ok ok. Chalo jaou ab. It's getting late.

A:um bye. Mamma ko bhi.

R:chale..?(he asked annika)

Annika nodded and she was to open the door when rishi did that for her.

She had some questions to ask. But thought she will do once they get in.

He came to his driver seat and the headed to the airport.

A:um. Ap..?

R:hm. Mein..?

A:wo ap kyu aye. Ap tho abhi abhi aye ho na. Tho phir yehan ane ki zaroorat kya thi. Me papa k sath chali jati. Aur apne mujhe bataya bhi nai. Kab aye..?

R:tho gadi ghuma du..? Tum apne papa k saath hi ajou.(he had a straight look)

A:khadus.😏

R:tho me kya karta..? Tum tho mujhe apna manti hi nai ho abhi thak. Kuch batati nai ho. Ab mujhe pata bhi nai tum kitne din k liye jarahi ho. Wo tho rab di meher ki meri flight delay nai hui. Warna pata nai. Aur kitne din aise chatting pe zindagi guzar ni thi.😐

A:rishiii....

R:what..?

A: me kal hi arai hu wapis. Aur wo sab kuch ready kardiya hai. Wo bas thodi bohot last touch baki tha. Actually unki shaadi hogayi hai. It's more like destination resaption. Tho bas kal ek hi din ka hai. Aur me ne isi liye nai batayi. Kyu ki me kal wapis arai thi. And me apko mere life ki bate bata k I didn't wanted to disturb you.

R:Annika are you for real..? Me tumari bato se disturb hunga..? Ye kisne kaha tume..? Anyway Jan k acha laga ki thodi hi sahi. Tume meri parva tho hai. Halaki wo sach nai hai ki me tumari cheezo se disturb hu.

The rest of the journey was quite. Both of them didn't speak.

Rishi applied the breaks. Annika looked at him with "What happened look"

R:hum pohonchgaye hai.

Then she looked out side.

She got down the car. Took her luggage.

A: thank you.

Rishi wanted to spend time with her as much as possible but one or the other thing was not letting that happen. First he had to go to London and now Annika is leaving. He stood there thinking all these. When Annika again called him.

A:Rishi. Me jarai hu.

R:hm bye. Take care. Please msg karna.

Anika nodded and stepped to leave.

"Rishi kuch kar,kuch bol. Rok use. Ya tu ja. Kuch tho karo" said his inner voice.

R:Annika.!

She turned back. Soon he ran to her and stood at minimum distance. They were looking at each other both wanted to talk but none of the voice came out.

And soon with a bit of hesitation and being not sure he hugged her tight. And for his surprise after a second or two she reciprocated.

R:I'll miss you. I'm already missing you. Please mat jaou.

A:take care. Dyan rakiye apna.

She broke the hug.

R:hmm.. bye.(He know how dedicated she is towards her work nobody would stop her now. And somehow he managed himself saying she'll be back Tomorrow.

Annika again turned to leave. But stood and tilted her head to see him.

A:kal aouge pick karne...?

Rishi smiled as if won a battle. Of course for him it was not less then a battle. Annika asking him something and that too with this much of rights. Ufff...

R:ji zaroor. Time msg kardena.

Annika nodded and left.

The next day rishi was waiting for her message. He had texted her good morning but she was not online and didn't reply and now it was afternoon around 3pm.

Annika was in her room at Goa.

"Mujhe laga unko farak hi nai pada leki mujhe khud nai pata tha ki unko itna farak pada ki wo ate hi seeda mujhse milne aye wo raat k 3 baje. Kya me... arrey Annika ye tu kya sochrai hai...? Haa boldena.. wo kitna pyaar karte hai hai tumse ki utni der raat bhi tumse milne aye. Chahe tho wo mana jarsakte the ya bahana kardete. Lekin... phail gaya raita. Kahi mujhe unse pyaar tho...?" She thought while packing her stuff.

He was in his meeting when his phone buzzed. The caller ID he saw, didn't let him hold back.

R: please excuse me. (He rushed out)

On call.

R: Annika..?

A:um..wo ap busy tho nai the na.?

R: nai bolo.

A:wo me arai hu. 1- 2 ghante me pohonch jaoungi. Ap..? Wo..

R: ha ha I'll be there.

A:teek hai. Me.

R:oh OK. Aur Dyan rakna. Please. Aur jaldi ana..

A: ha flight tho meri papa ki hai na... jaldi ajaoungi😏

R:tum Har baar itna hyper kyu ho jati ho.

A: ap hi mujhe gussa dilate ho.

R: me ne..? Me ne kya kiya. Peheli baar tumne call kiya hai wo bhi khudse tho me baat karna charaha tha. Aur tum ho ki...

A: ha tho kya ap roz baat nai karte mujhse...?

R: use baat nai chat bulate hai.

A: whatever.

R: dono me bohit difference hoti hai. Tum kya samjogi.

A: actually mujhe call karna hi nai tha.

R: arrey ab kya hai.. me tumse milne taras raha hu.. pata nai kaise kaise bahane banata hu tumse milne.

A: ap na bohot chant ho. Nai puri ki puri chanto mayi ho..

R:tum arai ho na. Ajaou. Dikata hu ki me kitna chant hu. Ab tum dek na.

A:chepde ho ap.

R: kya hu..?

A: CHEAPDE.

As she reached Mumbai and as expected Rishi was standing there.

Seeing her he had a bright wide smile.

R:Annika.. (he was about to hug her but Annika glared at him and he like a puppy put her luggage in the dikki. They drove to her home.)

R: waise ani..(annika's glare) ka🙊 wo tum itni jaldi kaise. Reception tho aj raat ko thi na!

A:hm

Rishi was silent.

A:arrey.. bat karo.

R:ab me tumara "hmm" ka kya jawab du..?😏

A:ok. Wo ajj rat ko hi tha par mujhe yehan pe kuch kaam tha tho me wapis agayi aur waise bhi waha sab set hai tho meri koi zaroorat nai hai. Meri team hai wahan pe.

R: tho tum gayi hi kyu..?

A: I thought ki thoda kaam k saat enjoy karlu.

R:phir..?

A:me wahan enjoy nai kar payi mujhe ap k sath(she stopped when she realized)

R:mere sath kya..?

A: kuch nai wo apko tang karna tha tho agayi. Ap apne office me the na.

R: really...? Koi acha bahana dundo.

Annika blushed a little after being cought.

Soon they stood in front of her house.

Rishi stood there near the passenger seat door facing Annika!

A:andar nai ayenge..?

R: nai thank you. Mujhe jana hai.

A:kya me ek baat puchu...?

R:ji!

A:ap hamesha aise hi rahoge na..? Paltoge tho nai..? Hamesha mujhe aise hi pya. Aise hi...

R: nai Anika me hamesha aise thodi na rehe sakta hu..! Me bhi badlunga. Aur jaise me aaj tume pyaar karta hu na waise kal nai rahega.(Annika was sad) isse bhi zyada hoga. Me jab bhi tume dekta hu mera pyaar badta hai. Me roz tumse zyada pyar karne laga hu.

Annika was starting him.

R: take care me chalta hu. Aur kal suba me aounga tume pick karne please undan-chu mat ho jana.

He was leaving when Annika held his left wrist with her left hand. She Saw to her left and right when she saw nobody was there she hugged him tight. And with no time rishi wrapped his hands around her waist.

A:I missed you(she confessed honestly) itne din se. Isi liye wapis agayi.

R:I missed you too. I missed you three (he said making Annika chuckle)

Soon they broke the hug.

R:aaj rest karo. No kaam. Ok!(he said removing his hands from her waist and tucking her hair strands behind her left ear.)

R:bye. (He bit his tongue) see you. SOON.

He left after that and Annika entered in.

Thank you.