Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

101: Noor Unleashed

Noor desperately looked around for inspiration. Uh! Oh!

Clu Flu Sanju Arjun Hooda Uncle had also joined their group; drawn in by Abbu's animated and excited state; wondering what was going on. So basically almost everyone was here; senior Habibs and Kapurs included. And their heads would be filled with the story of Arshad the hero and Aditya the villain.

The one woman who could have shut Abbu up was not there. Anjana Aunty was missing.

Adi undefended sentenced guilty!

Not if the suppressed rebel in Noor could help it. An idea was niggling at her brains.

Shyaam: (sounding dramatically disappointed with Adi) Kyaa Adi! (with a dramatically pained expression) Bete, tuney dangey karvaye! (What voice modulation. Uncle deserved a Nautanki Award of the highest order)

Adi did not react, made to leave and then noticed the crowd around. Everyone around tensed. Clu and Flu didn't understand a single word but guessed Adi was in trouble.

Waseem: (grudgingly) I never said that.

Shyaam: Oh! I thought Aditya started the riots so he could call Arshad to the hospital and his men could attack Arshad there but in confusion those people also attacked Zoya who was somewhere else and Arshad convinced the police who were somewhere else to save them and then Adi took you somewhere else to throw stones at you... (Kapur Uncle was out of breath,  looked lost and confused)

Waseem: (embarrassed)I never said that.

Shyaam: (looking very confused and desperate, still out of breath) What did you say exactly?

Waseem: Aditya made the false call that made Arshad leave for the hospital and he was attacked in the riots.

And that did the trick. The narration so far had been different convoluted forms of "Arshad almost died because of Aditya" and "Zoya almost died because of Aditya" and how Arshad the hero and his intelligence had saved the day. Kapur Uncle had forced the simplified version from the horse's mouth reducing Aditya to a minor villain.

Aditya was not alone this time; unlike last time.

Clu and Noor flanked him like his personal bodyguards... simmering... blistering... ready to draw their guns and not the ones to go away quietly but with their tongues blazing... with Flu and Arjun as backups. Sanjana and Hooda Uncle also closed in. The air was charged...

Waseem was smart enough to keep away from direct accusations of Aditya's motives with no real evidence to back him.

Arshad now knew that Zoya was back to defending and trusting Aditya so he wisely kept quiet. She may not have spoken against her father but she wouldn't spare him.

Shyaam: (to Arshad) This false call aside, you must be called to the hospital for extra duty in all such emergencies. And maybe face hostile elements also. But Duty Calls! Tough Life! (turning to Sohail and Ameena) Must be tough time as a parent for you - all his odd hours... especially in troubled times...

This made most thinking heads think; prank call or no prank call, fate would have put Arshad in the hospital that day one way or another.

Noor suddenly felt that she hadn't appreciated Kapur Uncle enough. She loved Kapur Uncle very very very very very very much. She wanted to go hug him. Harsh smiled. He had a new dependable friend. Sanju wanted to hug her dear dear dad. Her dad was best. Arjun wondered why his Dad did not like Kapur Uncle. He was such a fine man.

Noor: (sudden shout out) Noor Siddiqui wants to know!

And she went on to present the riots day like a TV reporter reporting from the field.  She spoke fast with loads of useless metaphors making everything super dramatic.