RAABTA : A collection of short stories

R7

"Imran...yeh kuch papers hain jisse tumhe presentation me madad milegi" Haider was briefing one of the interns and was trying to avoid the naughty gaze his cousin had been passing to him since the time she arrived in the cabin.

"Thank you Sir" Imran put the papers in a file and sauntered out and next second Jannat sat on the seat with a teasing smile "Bhai suna hai aapki shaadi ki baat chal rahi hai..."

Haider got flustered

"Arre aap toh chhupe rustam nikle..matlab bhabhi bhi dhund li aur bataya bhi nahin...woh toh Adnan ne mujhe phone kar ke bataya"

"Aur usne exactly kya bataya" Haider knew that his brother couldn't be trusted in these matters.

"Yahi ki ... hamari hone wali bhabhi bahut khubsurat hain aur aap unke mureed hain" Jannat wiggled her eyebrows at the end making Haider squirm in his place

"Naam nahin bataya usne" Haider rubbed his neck feeling conscious and poured some water in his glass

"Nahin..bola aapse khud puchne"

"Batayein na bhai...kaun hai....office me hai koi........Adnan bata raha tha ye Love marriage hai"

Haider choked on  water  "Bakwas kar raha tha wo.."

Jannat was about to say something when her phone started ringing..
"Arre ye dekhein Adnan ka hi phone hai"

"Loudspeaker par karo" Haider said

"Hello...Aapi...toh Haider bhai ne muh khola"

"Kis bare me..."

"Arre humari hone wali bhabhijaan ke baare me batane ke liye" Jannat passed a teasing look to Haider who averted his gaze

"Bhai toh sharma rahe hain" Jannat said looking at Haider who had turned a little red

"Arre re hamare Haider bhai hain hi sharmile......but manna padega .. apni sharm chhod kar jis tarah wo Ammi ko mana rahe the shaadi ke liye..I swear"

"Kaise mana rahe the Adnan miyaan..." Haider's honey coated voice made the noise coming from  the other side vanish for  a few seconds but then a string of words came without any interruptions

"Hello"
"Hello"
"Awaaz nahi aa rahi hai"

"Haan but shaam me aane wale tamachon ki awaaz mujhe yahaan tak aa rahi hai" Haider who was very well versed with the nautanki of his brother warned him and cut the call..

"Aur tum in logon ki baaton me mat aaya karo..aage chal kar bahut pareshani hogi" Haider said giving the phone back to Jannat

"Huh....aap apni hone wali wife ko ye advice dein Bhai....unka samna hone wala hai is paltan se " Jannat chuckled

"Warning jise deni chahiye thi..maine de di..."

"Oho..bhai.." Jannat hooted

"Mujhe bhai mat bulaya karo.." Haider was not liking the word repeatedly coming out of his prospective wife's mouth

"Oh ok....I understand ....I will take care of it from now on..Sir" Jannat gave an understanding smile

"Nahin..mera wo matlab nahin tha"

"Arre it's fine ... we should be professional ... par fikra na karein aap ke ghar aaungi toh aapko bhai hi bulaungi"

"What the hell...no" Haider just imagined the scenario where Jannat after marriage called him Bhai and that crazy bunch of musketeers surrounding him and laughing at him like hyenas.

"No....wahaan bhi Sir bulana padega.." Jannat pouted to which Haider rubbed his face..."Baitho"

"Lekin mujhe kuch kaam tha" Jannat said looking at the file in her hands