ARJUN vs ZAHEER

[Greenwood]

Update 4

New academic year start ho chuka hai. Campus mein freshers ka halka excitement, seniors ka thoda attitude. Corridor thoda zyada loud, reception pe rush. Posters, fest announcements, chai tapri ke new juniors.Arjun aur Zaheer college ke andar walk karte hue dikhte hain — dono mein final year ka confidence hai, lekin chilled out vibe ke saath.

Arjun:Last year bro. Ek taraf placement ka stress, aur dusri taraf woh same canteen ka stale patties.

Zaheer:Tu toh pehle hi fail karke apna bonus year arrange kar le... scene sorted.

COLLEGE CLASSROOM LOBBY
Class ke baad ka time. Students idhar-udhar baithke chill kar rahe hain.Shanu aur Ammu dono naye admission le chuki hoti hain. First year ka nervous-cool combo. Yeh dono college ke ek kone mein khadi hoti hain, ek dusri se notes discuss karte hue. Dono ke paas woh naya-bag-new-energy vibe hota hai.

Zaheer ki nazar door se jaati hai, but koi obvious reaction nahi. Shanu bhi casually dekhti hai par awkward avoid kar leti hai.

Monsoon ka mausam hai. Aasmaan pe badal chhaye hue hain, lekin koi serious warning nahi. Campus mein sab apne apne kaam mein lage hote hain. SHANU library se nikalti hai, haath mein books aur ek chhoti si chips ka packet. ZAHEER bike stand ke paas khada hai apna raincoat dhoondh raha hai, lekin bag mein kuch aur hi cheezen mil rahi hain.

Pehla boond girta hai.

SHANU (sarcastic):-Wow, weather app ne toh dhoop bola tha.

ZAHEER (bag mein jhaankte hue):-Mujhe laga main raincoat laya hoon…

Tabhi zor se baarish start ho jaati hai ekdum se sab bhaagte hain. Shanu aur Zaheer nearby ek chhoti chai tapri ke tin roof ke neeche jaa chhupte hain.Tin roof pe baarish ki tap-tap sound ho rahi hai. Shanu aur Zaheer dono bheeg chuke hain thoda kapdon se paani tapak raha hai, haath mein chips ki packet chipak chuki hai.

SHANU (looking at chips):-Khaane laayak nahi bacha.

ZAHEER (tapri wale se):-Do chai. Adrak waali.

Shanu thoda surprised hoti hai Zaheer ke tone mein ek calm confidence hota hai jo usually dikhai nahi deta.

SHANU:- Tum hamesha aise calm rehte ho?

ZAHEER:- Nahi… bas baarish mein sab kuch thoda slow ho jaata hai. Main bhi.

SHANU:-Hmm. Mere saath toh baarish mein zyada thoughts aate hain.

ZAHEER:- Toh aaj kya thoughts aaye?

SHANU (shrugs):-Ki shayad sab log waise nahi hote jaise dikhte hain. Tum jaise…

Zaheer thoda confused dekhta hai, but kuch nahi bolta.
Tapri wala chai dete hai. Ek sip ke baad chhoti si silence hoti hai.

ZAHEER:- Main boring hoon, na?

SHANU (thoda smile kar ke):-Boring, but useful. Tum woh pen jaise ho jo hamesha likhta hai… but kabhi dhyan nahi jaata uspe.

Zaheer hasta hai a light, genuine laugh. First time dono ke beech ek warm silence banta hai, bina awkwardness ke.

Ammu apne bhai ko dhundhte huye arjun ke paas aati hai,dono ke paas hi chhata nahi hota or ammu arjun ki taraf dekh kar bolti hai

AMMU:-Itni tez ho gayi, mujhe laga main library mein phas jaungi.

ARJUN:-Come, drop de deta hoon. Free mein sarcasm bhi milega.

AMMU smile karti hai
Arjun apni scooty start karta hai. Ammu baithti hai don’t-touch-me posture mein. Lekin baarish aur thand badhti jaati hai.
Half ride ke baad Ammu thoda Arjun ke peechhe lean kar leti hai not romantic, just comfortable

AMMU (softly):-Barish mein road pe bhi kar leti hoon… tum toh fir bhi insaan ho.

ARJUN (witty):-Philosopher alert.

Barish ki boondein Arjun ke haath pe girti hain, Ammu ke baal uske kandhe se lagte hain. Ek do moment silent hote hain. Dono kuch nahi bolte. No flirting, no tension. Bas feel.

BACK TO TAPRI

Shanu aur Zaheer ek chai aur manga lete hain.

Zaheer apna wallet kholta hai par usme 10 rupaye kam hota hai.

SHANU (teasing):-Dekha… boring ho, lekin broke bhi.

ZAHEER:-Bacha le tu,nahi toh chai waala bhi mujhe reject kar dega.

Dono hans padte hain.

Barish ab halki ho rahi hai...patli road or paani bhara hone ki wajah se aage traffic zam milta,arjun bike rok leta hai

ARJUN:-(helmet nikaalte hue)

Yahaan thoda ruk jaayein,Aage full jam hai.

AMMU (thoda hesitant, phir halki si haan mein sir hilaati hai):-Okay.

Wo dono bike pe hi baithe hain. Barish ke boondein tin shed pe tapak rahi hain. Quietness mein bhi ek sukoon hai. Koi jaldi nahi hai.

ARJUN:-Tu bohot controlled rehti hai na,Jaise har baat pe break laga ke chalti hai.

AMMU(dry tone):-Kya karoon,Agar nahi lagaun, toh kaun sambhalega ?

ARJUN:-Kabhi kisi aur ko sambhalne do na. Tu thak gayi hai, ye aankhon mein dikh jata hai.

AMMU (thoda uncomfortable):-Main theek hoon.

ARJUN:-Theek hona aur zinda hona alag cheez hoti hai.

Ammu uski taraf dekhti hai. Arjun ki voice mein judgement nahi, sirf gentle honesty hoti hai.

ARJUN:-Tu jaanti hai, log tujhe samajhte nahi.

Par tu khud bhi kabhi kisi ko chance nahi deti.

AMMU:-Because chance dena matlab vulnerable hona… aur vulnerable hona matlab...

ARJUN:-...matlab ki log hurt karenge?Maybe.

Lekin kya pata koi ek banda hurt na kare, balki heal kare?

AMMU (softly):-Mujhe darr lagta hai.Ki agar main khud ko khol doon… toh main wahi sab ban jaun jisse main door bhaagti hoon.

ARJUN:-Toh main bolun kya dikhta hai mujhe?

AMMU:-Bol.

ARJUN:-Mujhe lagta hai tu duniya ki sabse zyada ‘put together’ ladki hai jo raat mein sabse zyada broken feel karti hai.Jo sabke liye strong banti hai, but khud ke liye kabhi roti bhi nahi.

AMMU (voice breaks slightly):-Tu mujhe itna kyun samajhta hai?

ARJUN (light smile):-Kyunki tu samajhne layak hai. Tu feel karne layak hai.Tu bas koi aur version ban gayi hai, jisme emotion ko luxury samjha jaata hai.

AMMU (looking down, whispering):-

Main waise rehna nahi chahti thi…

ARJUN:-Toh fir mat reh.

Tu jaisi hai, waise hi mast hai.

Suniye madam… tumhari aankhon mein andar ka raag hai  just music chalu karne ki der hai.

Ammu finally halki si smile karti hai  pehli baar bina guard ke.

Wo Arjun ki taraf dekhti hai… completely open nahi, less closed.

AMMU:-Kya main kabhi confuse ho gayi, toh tu mujhe yaad dilayega na ki main kaun hoon?

ARJUN:-Hamesha.Aur agar tu bhool gayi… toh main phir se introduce kara dunga.

Bike chalu hoti hai.

Barish ruk chuki hai… lekin andar kuch baaki chalu ho gaya hai.

Ammu ride ke dauraan peechhe se Arjun ke kandhe pe lightly tik jaati hai  not romantic, bas ek safe spot mil gaya ho jaise.

Arjun kuch nahi bolta or carefully smile karke bike chala raha hota hai

Barish ab halki halki ho rahi hai,shanu or zaheer abhi bhi usi chai ki tapri ke andar hai.TAPRI wale ne extra stool nikal diye or dono relax hoke beth gaye. Shanu chai ki sip le rahi hoti hai or ek aankh se casually zaheer ko dekh rahi hoti hai.tabhi paas se ek choti bachi or uski maa gujar rahe hote hai,dono ek hi chhate ke niche hote hai or tabhi bachi ka sleeper nikal jata hai.bachi zaheer ki taraf dekhti hai zaheer smile karke slipper uthata hai or bachi ko thama deta hai

shanu:- tu har chiz par perfect reaction deta hai, no seriously tu kabhi haste huye over react nahi karta hai, na gusse me koi gaali deta hai na kisi ko nicha dikhata hai

Zaheer uske tone pe thoda unsure hota hai samajh nahi paata compliment tha ya leg-pull.

ZAHEER:-Mujhe laga tu mujhe sirf used pen types samajhti hai?

SHANU:-Haan… but useful pen toh syllabus pass karwa deta hai.

Tu shayad woh insaan hai jo hero dikhne mein nahi, par kaam karne mein busy rehta hai.

Zaheer kuch nahi bolta. Uska dhyaan ek pass wale uncle pe chala jaata hai jinke haath mein bhari samaan hota hai.

Wo utth ke unki help karne lagta hai  naturally, bina kisi show-off ke.

Shanu chup rehti hai. Uska expression soft ho jaata hai  jaise kuch feel hua ho, jiska wo khud bhi naam nahi de paayi.

Zaheer help karke lautta hai. Thoda bheeg gaya hai shirt se paani tapak raha hai.

SHANU:-Tumhare jaise log kam hote hain.

Aur tumhe khud bhi nahi pata hota ki tum ache ho.

SHANU (halki si smile, looking away):-Kuch nahi. Baarish mein log emotional ho jaate hain.

Main bhi thoda paagal ho jaati hoon.

ZAHEER:-Matlab… tu barish mein mujhe ache adjectives dene lagti hai?

SHANU:-Sirf baarish mein. Kal se tu fir boring hai.

Dono hans padte hain. Lekin Shanu thoda awkwardly dusri taraf dekh leti hai, jaise kuch chhupana chahti ho. Zaheer ke jaane ke baad wo uski chai ki empty cup ko dekhti hai — fir casually pocket mein ek chhota tissue paper nikaalti hai aur us cup ko dustbin mein daalti hai.

SHANU (under her breath, soft tone)

Tu sach mein… alag hai.