Preeti called up Sameer to tell her plan. He was elated at the chance his saaliji was giving him. The grin on his face after talking to her was visible to all.
"Kya baat hai... thodi der pehle toh chehre pe barah baj rahe the, abhi daant dikha raha hai." Munna raised his brows at him.
"Iski khushi ka ek hi kaaran ho sakta hai... Naina." Rahul winked.
"Nahi, iska kaaran hai Preeti." Sameer beamed.
"Preeti? Uska kaam toh sirf daantna hai... jab dekho tab sar phodne ko taiyar rehti hai." Pandit scowled.
"Nahi, aisa nahi hai... mujhe toh usmein koi kharabi nazar nahi aayi." Rishi contradicted.
"Tujhe kya pata... tu toh aaj mila hai... main bachpan se jaanta hun... sabse zyada uska gussa maine hi jhela hai." Pandit spoke with mouth full of food.
"Mila aaj hun... par lagta hai jaanta pehle se hun usse." Rishi said dreamily.
Everyone stopped eating, turning to look at him.
Rahul tapped his shoulder when he realized Rishi was lost.
"Kya chakkar hai? Yeh sab chal kya raha hai?" He asked his younger brother.
Rishi looked at others, and flushed at their questioning look, "Woh... bhai... woh... achi lagi mujhe."
Sonali pulled his ear, "Tu yahan Sameer ki shaadi mein aaya hai ya apni setting karne?"
"Arre bhabhi, aaya toh Sameer ki shaadi mein hi hu... tabhi toh uski saali se mil raha hun... ab achhi lag gayi toh bata diya aap sabko." He leaned away from Sonali's reach.
"Munna Pandit, tumko pata hoga... Preeti ka koi... matlab kya woh bhi kisi ko pasand karti hai?" Rahul looked at the two.
"Nahi, jahan tak mujhe pata hai, Preeti kisi ko pasand nahi karti." Munna shook his head.
Rahul looked at Pandit.
"Preeti? Woh toh kabhi kisi ki baat tak nahi karti... mujhe nahi lagta usse shaadi waadi karne mein koi dilchaspi hai... woh ekdum mast hai... khana, peena, masti, mazak... bas yehi pasand hai usko... padhai likhai ka bhi koi shauk nahi... college karna padta hai isliye kar liya... kisi tarah gir pad ke... ab aish karti hai... jo pasand hai woh kaam kar rahi hai... bindaas rehti hai... na kisi ki sunti hai... na kisiko sunane se darti hai... koi uske baare mein kya kehta hai usse koi fark nahi padta... par dil ki ekdum saaf hai... muh pe bol deti hai jo bhi hai... majal hai koi usse kuch keh de... rashan paani le ke chad jaati hai sar pe." Pandit went on and on about Preeti.
Munna patted his leg... Pandit looked at him.
"Pandit... Preeti pe essay likhne ko nahi kaha... main nahi rokta toh tu subah tak uska bakhaan karta rehta." Munna gave him a bewildered look.
It did not register to Pandit that he had spoken so much about Preeti... in fact he couldn't comprehend how much he knew his childhood friend.
"Main bas bata raha tha uske baare mein... Rahul ne poocha isliye." He said plainly.
Sameer looked at Munna, with enquiring eyes... Munna shrugged, having no idea.
Later, when the three of them were alone in their room, Sameer decided to talk about it.
"Pandit, sach sach bata... Preeti ke baare mein itna kaise jaanta hai?" He made Pandit sit next to him on the bed, with Munna sitting on the other side.
Pandit looked strangely at his friends holding him captive, "Arre, koi galti kar di kya? Bhai, second class se saath padhte hain... jaanta kaise nahi... roz milte hain itne saalon se."
