... Saturday, around 5:30 pm, I was driving and Jagjit Singh ushering his best of the best... track change... and my favourite gazal began... "huzoor aapka bhi ehteram kartaa chalun, idhar se guzraa thaa soocha salaam karta chalun"...
Few thoughts ran through my mind & I made a left and headed to Aarti's house. The last week's tea invitation SMS was still seated in my inbox. I thought, let me call, just dropping in without informing will look impolite.
"Hi, this is Nitin". "Hey.. no need to identify yourself, I have your number stored, Kaise yaad kiya?" the voice has a visible sparkle and delight. "umm.. actually...I am in the parking area of your apartment, is it a good time to drop in?", I murmured. "Ofcourse yaar, ye bhi koi poochne ki baat hai, aur haan... apnee chai is overdue for over a week now." she giggled. I smiled too and proceeded to the elevator.
Before I could reach out the bell.... a gorgeous lady opened the door at 100 miles an hour, the gust of wind blew her well styled hair, a big hug and a even bigger Hi (i could not count the i's this time) followed. All this happened in a whirlwind, giving me no time to react. Come on in... It was Aarti... in her non-messy best... :)
The interior was fabulous, off white walls, with chestnut brown furniture...that's my favorite too!! I sunk myself in sofa and looked around to have a feel of the house and also looking for other probable occupants. "Pehle chai bana ke laati huun, fir dher saari baatey karenge". Chai was awesome; had to be; a gorgeous lady had made it. "achhi hai?", "perfect" said I. "Let's sit on the jhoola in my balcony, its raining, maaza aayega"... I followed her to the balcony.
In the due course of our interaction, we discovered many common interests, travel, photography, reading, eating etc etc... but love for Gazal gelled us most. Mehndi Hassan to Ghulam Ali to Jagjit Singh to Hariharan, we knew almost all their recitals by heart.
As we sipped tea, she said...
"Wo toh Baarish ki boondain dekh kar khush hota hai,
Usko kya maloom ke har gir-ney wala qatraa Paani nahi hota …"
"Aa gayi thee ik din tanhaye bhi jazbaat mein
aank say bhi chand boondein gir padi barsaat mein."
was my answer...
... and this continued for an hour.
We chatted for almost 3 hours, on everything. She was a great company, a great Human being, I found a good friend in her.
"Its 9, I must leave now". "Oh shuks... 3 ghante beet gaye, pataa hi nahi chala." "I know".
... she led me to the front door, I swung my had for a shake, but she hugged me instead. "Doosti dil se hooti hai fir haat kyun milana?" aaur haan, aglee baar parking may aake call mat karna, sidhe ghar aa jana, khana khayenge." "yes, sure". I hugged her back and walked to my Car.
Wonderful soul, wonderful heart making her a wonderful person.....
Lunch is scheduled this Saturday....
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
... i got a call from my sons school that the bus has stuck at some place and I will have make own arrangements to drop him l!!!
i got ready, ran down the staircase from 5th floor and zoomed to his school. The overnight rain had played its part well... major roads leading to school were waterlogged. I some how managed to be there on time. It was chaos, as all parents were there to see their wards off... on way back i took another route.
...driving for a few 100 meters there was a long lane, full of water, children playing and splashing. I could guess that water was deep, if I am careless, i will be stuck... ruining the interiors & engine as well... i stopped and thought what to do... suddenly a lady zoomed past, slashing water in my (closed) window and tried a 100 meter dash through the puddle... 20 meters in... the vehicle, a Santro, gave way and stopped right in the middle... i could see the helpless lady having no clue at all... i murmured a few 'gaalis' and waited...
... then I saw her looking back and waiving to help her !!! I took of my shoes... and came out to help her... good that I was in my shorts... I managed to wade way through knee deep water and reached her. Water had entered the car floor, she was scared... saying, 'shit !! what if it does not start?'.. Don't worry...dis-engage it to neutral and come out... we will push it to safety. "Its another 80 meters!!" she said. "yeah... we do it together... please come out", i said...
By now the lady was shade better, looked more composed. Pushing a dead car, in water was one herculean task... a few kids helped me.. though their contribution was almost negligible...
Scene II
... two days later... I got a call from an unknown cell number... hello... is that Nitin? Yes it is...! Hello... how are you? WHO are you? .. sorry, I didn't recognize you !!! It was a lady in the other side !! Its me Aarti... didn't you recognize my voice? "Nope!!!... I think I am listening to you first time !! Do we know each other?" Well... you helped me pull out my car the other day!!! Ohhh.. yeah.. i remember now!!! I am good, how are you... how do you have my number? Well... i got it from the school records, I searched it from your car number!!! I just wanted to thank you... you know... I was so scared, in a hurry and all drenched and messed up the other day... that I just zoomed home. I was puzzled... she noted down the car number... nice lady, courteous enough to take the pain and calling back to thank an unkown. As every gentleman, I too said... no problem... if not me, someone else would have... everything was well in the conversation till this point... the lady answered... "No... actually... I am glad that it was you who helped me in distress!!!!!!!!!!!" I though, the lady was too generous and wanting me to thank from the bottom of her heart... i just laughed and said.. you take care... bye! and hung up...
Scene III
.. another call... ummm hiiii... the number if i's here... were more that required :) ... what are you doing ? Nothing... in fact.. going to a friends' place... and then we would head for a chai somewhere. Oh.. wow... I make real good tea you know! why don't you drop in... it will be great. You can have chai & see my place as well. I paused for a few seconds... my gray cell working full capacity. What to answer... yes or no? "ummm some other time... won't be possible today"... I could guess she was a bit upset... "Ohh.. that's okay." and in next few minutes her address beeped on my cellphone... scaring me this time !!!
Scene IV
... her last call (the latest) was on Sunday evening.... I was off to receive my cousin from Indore... she said... 'Happy Friendship Day'.... I reciprocated the sentiments. ... "I guess.. you got me wrong... I am not trying to invade your life... all I wanted to say was I just saw a great friend in you... like people have love at first sight... i had a similar .. 'friend at first sight' kind off feeling !! I... am... sorry if I have bothered you in last few weeks... please do not misunderstand me please... you have my address... if you like... do drop in some day... bye ... take care.... i love you !! happy friendship day.. again"... She hung up not giving me a chance to clarify... I had nothing to say... I actually had misunderstood her approach... She tried to make it simple... be friends... lead separate lives... grow up... stay connected !!! I declared myself a 'desi.com'... who thought and thought and made simple thing complicated....
Shitttt !!!! I was so wrong... I felt like kicking the butt of my 6th sense... it deceived me.... I was feeling soooo ashamed and my power to think vanished for a few minutes !!!
I may see her this weekend... not sure... still confused !!
i got ready, ran down the staircase from 5th floor and zoomed to his school. The overnight rain had played its part well... major roads leading to school were waterlogged. I some how managed to be there on time. It was chaos, as all parents were there to see their wards off... on way back i took another route.
...driving for a few 100 meters there was a long lane, full of water, children playing and splashing. I could guess that water was deep, if I am careless, i will be stuck... ruining the interiors & engine as well... i stopped and thought what to do... suddenly a lady zoomed past, slashing water in my (closed) window and tried a 100 meter dash through the puddle... 20 meters in... the vehicle, a Santro, gave way and stopped right in the middle... i could see the helpless lady having no clue at all... i murmured a few 'gaalis' and waited...
... then I saw her looking back and waiving to help her !!! I took of my shoes... and came out to help her... good that I was in my shorts... I managed to wade way through knee deep water and reached her. Water had entered the car floor, she was scared... saying, 'shit !! what if it does not start?'.. Don't worry...dis-engage it to neutral and come out... we will push it to safety. "Its another 80 meters!!" she said. "yeah... we do it together... please come out", i said...
By now the lady was shade better, looked more composed. Pushing a dead car, in water was one herculean task... a few kids helped me.. though their contribution was almost negligible...
Scene II
... two days later... I got a call from an unknown cell number... hello... is that Nitin? Yes it is...! Hello... how are you? WHO are you? .. sorry, I didn't recognize you !!! It was a lady in the other side !! Its me Aarti... didn't you recognize my voice? "Nope!!!... I think I am listening to you first time !! Do we know each other?" Well... you helped me pull out my car the other day!!! Ohhh.. yeah.. i remember now!!! I am good, how are you... how do you have my number? Well... i got it from the school records, I searched it from your car number!!! I just wanted to thank you... you know... I was so scared, in a hurry and all drenched and messed up the other day... that I just zoomed home. I was puzzled... she noted down the car number... nice lady, courteous enough to take the pain and calling back to thank an unkown. As every gentleman, I too said... no problem... if not me, someone else would have... everything was well in the conversation till this point... the lady answered... "No... actually... I am glad that it was you who helped me in distress!!!!!!!!!!!" I though, the lady was too generous and wanting me to thank from the bottom of her heart... i just laughed and said.. you take care... bye! and hung up...
Scene III
.. another call... ummm hiiii... the number if i's here... were more that required :) ... what are you doing ? Nothing... in fact.. going to a friends' place... and then we would head for a chai somewhere. Oh.. wow... I make real good tea you know! why don't you drop in... it will be great. You can have chai & see my place as well. I paused for a few seconds... my gray cell working full capacity. What to answer... yes or no? "ummm some other time... won't be possible today"... I could guess she was a bit upset... "Ohh.. that's okay." and in next few minutes her address beeped on my cellphone... scaring me this time !!!
Scene IV
... her last call (the latest) was on Sunday evening.... I was off to receive my cousin from Indore... she said... 'Happy Friendship Day'.... I reciprocated the sentiments. ... "I guess.. you got me wrong... I am not trying to invade your life... all I wanted to say was I just saw a great friend in you... like people have love at first sight... i had a similar .. 'friend at first sight' kind off feeling !! I... am... sorry if I have bothered you in last few weeks... please do not misunderstand me please... you have my address... if you like... do drop in some day... bye ... take care.... i love you !! happy friendship day.. again"... She hung up not giving me a chance to clarify... I had nothing to say... I actually had misunderstood her approach... She tried to make it simple... be friends... lead separate lives... grow up... stay connected !!! I declared myself a 'desi.com'... who thought and thought and made simple thing complicated....
Shitttt !!!! I was so wrong... I felt like kicking the butt of my 6th sense... it deceived me.... I was feeling soooo ashamed and my power to think vanished for a few minutes !!!
I may see her this weekend... not sure... still confused !!
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