Continued from Part II – Was She Playing
Tapan closes his eyes trying to relax as the soulful music from movie खिलौना (Khilona) – “खिलौना जान कर तुम तो मेरा दिल तोड़ जाते हो………” The songs keep changing from one to other and Tapan drifts to sleep on the sofa comforter itself while the Song from movie दिल चाहता है (Dil Chahta hai) – starts on the music and the song plays on –
तन्हाई, तन्हाई (Tanhaai, tanhaai)
दिल के रास्ते में किसी ठोकर मैंने खाई, (Dil ke raaste mein kaisi thokar maine khaayi)
टूटे ख्वाब सारे एक मायूसी है छाई (Toote khwaab saare, ek maayusi hai chhaayi)
हर खुशी सो गई, जिंदगी खो गई (Har khushi so gayi, zindagi kho gayi)
तुमको जो प्यार किया मैंने तो सज़ा मैंने पायी (Tumko jo pyaar kiya maine to sazaa main paayi)
तन्हाई. तन्हाई, मीलों है फ़ैली हुई तन्हाई (Tanhaai, tanhaai, milo hai phaili hui tanhaai)
…………………………….
It’s Saturday morning and Tapan wakes up to the sound of call bell. He gets up from the sofa comforter and opens the main door to find his house maid at the door. The house maid looks at Tapan and says “क्या साहेब, फिर से इधर सोफा पे सोये थे, मेरेको लगता है कि माँ जी को फोन करना पड़ेगा| ऐसा क्या हुआ कि आप ऐसे कहीं भी सो जाते?” (So, sir, you again slept on the Sofa itself? I guess I would have to call your mom to tell her your case. Tell me what’s wrong with you that you just sleep anywhere in the house?). Tapan just shrugs off her question as she is an elderly female, who is trusted a lot by his family. He just walks back to his room and gets to the wash room to freshen up. The house maid gives a look at Tapan’s back as if she is disgusted with his disturbed routine and gets on with her work. She knows that she would have to clean the house first and then prepare Tapan’s breakfast. Her routine was set from years and so she knew that by the time Tapan would be back from Shower and will be ready for his breakfast, she will be done with her routine work.
As the house maid arranges Tapan’s breakfast on the table, Tapan walks to the Dining area, picks up the newspaper and settles to have his breakfast. As he was having his breakfast, he calls for his maid and tells her that the dinner is not to be prepared for he has an invite for the party. She listens to him, nodes and then asks him about his lunch. Tapan tells her to cook anything she wishes. Main again gives him look as if she is really disgusted with him and walk back to kitchen. Tapan finishes his Breakfast and heads back to his room and settles on his study table dwindling between “whether to open his personal laptop or to open his official one?” He throws his head back and straightens up to open his official laptop and gets on to his work. Tapan breaks in between to have his lunch and then again gets on with his work.
As Tapan was engrossed in his work, his maid knocks at the door of his room and asks him if he would keep working of better get ready for the party that he is to go, else she would need to know what she needs to cook. Tapan looks at her and thanks her for the reminder. He then tell her to get him a strong tea while he would get ready and have tea before leaving for the party.
The expression of pain and distress again surface on Tapans’ face as he forcefully pulls himself out from his seat and heads to washroom. He then gets ready and while having tea tells his maid to leave for the day. His maid leaves but not before telling him to sleep properly in his bedroom. Tapan gives her a sly smile and just nodes. Once the maid had left Tapan again sits on the sofa comforter while having tea and his facial expressions change reflecting the thoughts of pain and distress in him. He finishes his tea and leaves for Shivangi’s party at Shangrila.
While driving also, Tapan had mixed emotions and he escaped two near collisions. He somehow reaches Shangrila and pulls his car over for the Valet parking, getting down there and handing over the keys to the Valet.
As he walks in, he hears soft music playing and couples dancing to the soft tune. His eyes search for Shivangi and get fixed on a Silhouette at the other end of the hall. Yes it was Shivangi dancing with a male partner. her hands were on his shoulders and his hands were on her waist. they were dancing slowly as per the soft music that was being played. Tapan feels dejected and looks around for finding himself a corner to settle down. He finds his table, walks up there and keeps the bouquet on the table before making himself comfortable on the chair. All the while his eyes were fixed on Shivangi dancing with her male partner.
To be Continued……………………
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Ok, now there I know you were expecting me to conclude this story here only, but I guess the flow of my thoughts has made me write this stuff up a bit more nicely. I am still not sure where would this go and I am actually thinking on three different set of climaxes. I am not able to decide between a happy ending or a sad ending or may be just let it go for few more parts. If I would end it in the next part itself, I would have to choose between Happy or Sad ending. However, there could be another treatment to this fiction where it goes around for another few parts and then ends up in another fashion…..please tell me what would be your choice??
Mayank
