"Montu bhaiya!" Shehnaaz woke up from her slumber to find someone banging the door of their flat. It was a Sunday but Sidharth was working. Her mother and daughter had gone to the park. Finding the opportunity to relax, Shehnaaz had slept like a log.
She opened the door to find an old man, possibly in his sixties.
"Montu bhaiya se hi baat karni hai!"the short old man said as Shehnaaz opened the door.
"Woh toh office gaye hain!Aap?"Shehnaaz said.
Before the old man could answer, the watchmen came running.
"Bibiji, zabardasti aagaya tha!"the watchman said and tried to take the old man away.
"Mujhe Montu bhaiya se milna zaroori hai!"the old man cried.
"Ek minute!"Shehnaaz told the watchman.
"Kaka aap kahan se aaye hain?"Shehnaaz asked nicely.
"Beta main taxi chalata hoon!"the old man told her.
"Aap andar aao!"Shehnaaz sent the watchman away and made the old man sit.
"Kuch problem hai kaya?"Shehnaaz asked the old man, who looked completely frazzled.
"Beti, maine paise jod kar Montu bhaiya ki CNG ki kit lagwai thi...ek mahin atheek chali phir bigad gayi! Baar-baar workshop main jana padta hai. Koi sunta nahin. Taxi 10 din se band padi hai,"the old man cried.
"Aap Sidharthji se nahin mile?"Shehnaaz asked him.
"Koi milne hi nahin deta!"the old man complained.
"Aap rukiye, main unko phone lagati hoon,"Shehnaaz told him and called her husband.
"Woh ghar ke liye nikal gaye hain...aap yahin rukiye, main chai nashta lati hoon,"Shehnaaz told him and went to make something.
After waiting an hour, Sidharth finally returned home and met the old man. He left with the old man and returned very late in the night.
Lines of worry were etched deep in his face as he was shaking his leg while thinking.
"Sab theek hai?"Shehnaaz asked her husband.
"Tu zyada tension na le...so ja!"Sidharth smiled and tried to ignore her question.
"Sab theek nahin hai ji! Aapko meri kasam!"Shehnaaz told him.
Sidharth looked at her and sighed.
"Shehnaaz mujhe lagta hai tu jo bol rahi thi....woh shayad sahi tha!"Sidharth said softly.
"Main toh bahut kuch bolti hoon...sab sach tha?"Shehnaaz said innocently.
Sidharth laughed loudly.
"Shehnaaz....you are so cute!"Sidharth said endearingly.
"I know that!"She said playfully.
Sidharth laughed again.
"Ab bataoge kya hua?"Shehnaaz asked him.
"CNG ke business main bahut gadbad ho rahi hai! Ghanshyam ke brother-in-law ne jo CNG kits mangavai hain...usme se kuch kharab hain,"he said anxiously.
"Toh change kar do kits!"Shehnaaz suggested.
"Haan wahi karna padega!"Sidharth said.
"Mangu bhaiya kab aarahe hai jatra se?"Shehnaaz asked.
"Mangesh will return in another two weeks!" Sidharth replied.
"So jao ji...sab theek ho jayega!"Shehnaaz gently patted her husband's upper arm but for the first time she didn't believe herself.
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YOU ARE READING
TAXI No: 1212
FanfictionCompletely filmy story, set in Bombay,1992. Shehnaaz Kaur Bajwa spends one day in Bombay and falls in love with a handsome Taxi driver who saves her from the goons. Will they ever meet again?
