Aiyoo Ayyappa- MaNan FF

Chapter 31 Roop tera.

Sweet corn soup for starter, aur phir uske baad, Aloo gobi, channa masala,  dal tarka, rice, roti, dahi curry, masala pappad, pav bhaji, malai kofta, strawberry icecream!" Navya read out her selections from the menu. "Ye sab laao waiter bhaiyya! Aur aap Kabirji? Aap kya khaaooge?" Navya asked Kabir looking at him with a curious look on her face. 

Kabir was speechless and heart-broken.  "God! I hope that my account has some money left after paying her bills. Already beauty parlour aur necklace pe kharch ho chuke hai..abhi baakki kuch hoga kya?" Cabir thought as he looked at Navya with a blank look on his face. 

"Kya hua, Cabirji..select karo na?" Navya said with a sweet smile on her face. 

"Navya...ye sab kuch tum akele khaaoogi?" Cabir asked 

"Haan...main akele khaaoongi! Aap apne liye aur kuch order karlo!" Navya said and noticed that the waiter was trying to suppress a smile. 

"Kyon bhaiyya? Aap kyon hans rahe ho?? Hum kya joker lagte hai?" Navya asked looking with a bit angry expression on her face. 

"No..No..madam" The waiter suddenly was caught off-guard. 

"Chuck it, yaar..abhi waiter ko jaane do!! yaar..mere liye ek glass pani aur ek aloo sandwich laao" 

"Yes sir" the waiter replied jotting down the order on his tiny book as he looked with a relieved and thankful expression at Cabir and left to bring the food.

"Achcha..ye bataao...when did U meet that friend of yours?" Kabir asked with a curious look on his face. 

"Kaun?? Nandu?? Arre...wo tho meri school ki friend hai! U know...pehle jab main Mumbai se Chennai gayi thi na...I didn't have any friends at first. Then Nandu became my friend!" Navya said with a nostalgic smile on her face. 

"Achcha?? Nandu ke baare main aur bataao..." Cabir said with a little smirk on his face. 

"Nandu aur main hamesha Diwali pe ek saath crackers khareedti thi aur bahut saare jalaati thi! But ek baar Nandu ne ek pigeon ko pataakhe ke sound ke shock se marte hue dekh liye..uske baad se, she decided not to use crackers. Wo bahut kind-hearted hai...animals..birds ki bahut care karti hai and main bhi uske baad uske tarah ban gayi. I too never burst crackers. Aur abhi tho Diwali aa rahe haina do din baad...tho main bhi full-on happy mood main hoon! Hum ek saath bahut saare diye jalaayenge aur sweets bhi khaayenge!" Navya said with a huge smile on her face. 

"Oho? U guys don't use crackers? That's sad man! Without crackers what's the fun?" Kabir asked with a questioning look on his face. 

"Kabirji...duniya jo karenge..wo hum kyon kare? Hum apne life main wohi karenge jo hamare dil kare. Hum nahi chahte ke pataakhe ke sound se animals aur birds darr jaaye...isliye humne ye decision liye!" Navya said with a confident look on her face.

"That's cool, man! U really rock!" Kabir said with a new admiration on his face. "U are amazing, Navya..tum jaanti ho? U are different!" Kabir said with a smile which made Navya's heart thump against her chest. What was this new feeling forming within her?? Navya thought as she was distracted by the plates that were placed in front of her. 

"God!! How am I going to pay for all this? Hope there's balance amount remaining in my credit card!" Kabir prayed as he looked at the aloo sandwich kept in front of him.

Manik sat in the front seat of the car and Nandini heard the sound of the car coming alive as Manik started the car and put on the 1st gear. Nandini was lying on the backseat of the car with her eyes tight closed and gripping tightly onto her bag. The car was rushing past lonely streets and Nandini opened her eyes to look through the glass of the window. She could see the tree tops and street lights whizzing past as the car continued to go through a lane unknown to her. "Where is he taking me?" Nandini thought as she looked sideways at Manik. Manik was busy looking at the street ahead of him and suddenly he switched on the radio as the sweet voice of the female presenter resounded through the enclosed car. 

" agla gaana jo aap sunne jaa rahe hai uski farmahish kiye hai Dilli se Tunnu, Munnu, Sonu, Monu, Vidya, Rajesh, Rajendar singh aur unke parivaar ke sabhi sadasya! Ye gaana likhe hai Anand Bakshi ne aur sangeet diye hai R.D. Burman ne..ye 1969 main release kiye gaye 'Aradhana' movie se hai. Suniye ye pyaara sa gaana. " Manik listened to the radio and continued to drive. Manik's eyes trailed to the rear view mirror and he noticed Nandini gazing at him for a moment. Manik tilted his head a bit to the side and suddenly Nandini closed her eyes tight shut and continued the acting of fainting. With a shock she listened to the lines coming from the radio:~

Roop Tera Mastana Pyaar Mera Deewana
Roop Tera Mastana Pyaar Mera Deewana
Bhool Koi Hamse Na Ho Jaye
Roop Tera Mastana Pyar Mera Deewana
Bhool Koi Hamse Na Ho Jaye

Raat Nasheeli Mast Sama Hai
Aaj Nashe Mein Saara Jahan Hai
Raat Nasheeli Mast Sama Hai
Aaj Nashe Mein Saara Jahan Hai
Haan Ye Sharabi Mausam Behkaye
Roop Tera Mastana Pyaar Mera Deewana
Bhool Koi Hamse Na Ho Jaaye

Nandini tilted her head a bit and with one eye opened her bit and her gaze met with that of Manik in the rear-view mirror. His gaze had intensity..passion and a strange lust in them as if they were drunk by Nandini's beauty as the song continued to fill the mood of the silence within the car...

Ankhon Se Ankhen Milti Hai Aise
Bechain Hoke Toofan Mein Jaise
Ankhon Se Ankhen Milti Hai Aise
Bechain Hoke Toofan Mein Jaise
Mauj Koi Saahil Se Takraaye
Roop Tera Mastana Pyaar Mera Diwana
Bhool Koi Hamse Na Ho Jaaye

Nandini continued to lay on the seat with her eyes tight shut...was it minutes that passed by or hours? She didn't know...one song after another played on the radio and Nandini couldn't open her eyes anymore. She didn't want to meet that intense gaze of Manik anymore. Her heart was beating faster than ever..her breathing felt like it stopped or was faster than her heart beat rate..she didn't know anything anymore. 

Nandini felt the car brakes screech to a halt. "Where am I??? Ayyappa...where did he take me to?" Nandini asked Ayyappa...she met with silence from Ayyappa but just heard the sound... the sound of the back seat door click open. It was Manik..what will happen next? Only Ayyappa knows...