Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat

Kehte Hai Opposites Attract

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at Madurai Airport, the local time is 3:30pm and the local temperature is 29 degree celcius. Thank you for flying with Jet Airways, it was a pleasure having you on board and we wish to see you soon.”

The in-flight announcement made by one of the crew members upon landing jerked Tipsy from her spiral of thoughts that were haunting her ever since she boarded the flight without her “Mr.Khanna.” She quickly gathered herself and prepared for the exit along with Sherry and the others.

After deboarding the flight, Tipsy immediately excused herself and rushed to the restroom to get a grip on herself. The web of thoughts that were revolving around her mind had numbed her senses. She just wanted to have a moment alone to collect her thoughts. Sherry who noticed the paleness of Tipsy’s face rushed to accompany her.

S: Behen, tu theek haina? You looked so disturbed throughout the journey. Maine tab kuch nahi bola because I wanted to give you your space. But Tipsy, agar tu Karan ke baare mein soch ke itni tension le rahi haina toh mai tujhe bata rahi hoon that it’s a waste. Don’t overthink yaar. He must be caught off with an important shoot or something, isiliye nahi aa paye humare saath. Also, I think you should give him the benefit of doubt.
T: Benefit of doubt? It’s not about that Sherry.. I just feel ki he is... I mean unhone call bhi nahi kiya, message nahi kiya, yaha tak ki mera phone bhi nahi uthaya. It’s all my fault. Mai Mr.Khanna se naraz nahi hoon. Neither do I have any complaints. Because it’s all my fault.. meri galti hai. Tu sach bolti hai Sherry. Har baar jab kuch achha hota hai meri zindagi mein, mai khud apni khushiyon ke beech mein deewar bann kar khadi ho jaati hoon. Bob the builder ban kar.. yes you were right. *sobbing*
S: Tipsyyy, Shhh. *cupping her face* Rona band kar. Tune hi toh kaha tha that you’ve become much wiser and stronger now. Toh pir? You need to maintain that behen. You need to be strong. And Tipsy, sab log hai yahan par, kisine agar tujhe aise rote huye dekh liya toh sau sawal puchenge. We’ll talk about this later ha? Tu abhi rona band kar.
T: H..haan. *wiping her tears*

V: Vasukka, yeh Sherry aur Tipsy kidhar hai? Abhi tak nahi aaye?
A: Aa jaayenge Vajanti ruko toh sahi.

A: Arre woh dekho, aa rahe dono.
V: Girls, what took you so long? Kaha gaye the dono? Aur woh Sharabi ka Manager kidhar hai?
S: Amma woh..
V: Ek minute, usse yaad aaya. Woh kudikadan nahi aaya kya? Humesha toh tum dono ke peeche pada rehta hai. Aaj kidhar hai? Chalo achha hai. Kamse kam uss sharabi ka utra hua muh toh nahi dekhna padega.
T: Chitti aap..
S: Aah Tipsy, tu chal na mere saath, Vishal has gone to fetch a taxi, let’s help him na.

Sherry dragged Tipsy with her and took her to a corner.

S: Dekh behen, I know tujhe Amma ki baat ka bura laga hai, I’m sorry.
T: Pagal hai kya tu? Yes mujhe bura laga hai. But it’s okay. Mai actually..
S: Kya?
T: I’m missing Mr.Khanna.. *her eyes welled up*
S: Aww Tipsy.. I know. I can understand..
T: Kitni ajeeb si baat haina Sherry, jab humare beech mein sab kuch theek tha, I know we were never a normal couple, but humare beech mein jo bhi tha, woh bohot bohot special tha Sherry..special hai. All this while I could never tell him how much I loved him, woh toh door ki baat hai, I never even properly acknowledged his love for me. Woh baar baar kehte rahe ki woh mujhse pyaar karte hai, lekin mai chah kar bhi kabhi unke I love you ka javab nahi de payi. But you know what? Everytime he said those three words, I felt as if I was the luckiest woman alive. It made me go weak at my knees, yet gave me the much needed strength to carry on. There were times when I almost gave up on my never ending worries and thought of immersing myself in his strong arms to scream and say ki Mr.Khanna, I love you too. But mai nahi kar paayi Sherry. I never had the courage to meet his gaze when he said those words. Not because I doubted his feelings or I was unsure of my love for him, but out of fear. I didn’t want to give into it and submit myself to a person completely...yet again. Mr.Khanna showers so much love and affection on me Sherry, it makes me feel scared. I’m not used to it. I’m not used to being respected by someone so much. I’m not used to being protected by someone so much. And this is why I don’t want to lose him Sherry. Because he is my everything. He has given me a new life. A new Tipsy has taken over the old Tipsy only because of him. He is my Saviour. My Antidote. My Love.

Sherry who was listening to her pareshan, abba jaan cousin, was almost teary eyed hearing her. Without saying anything further, she just hugged Tipsy affectionately.

S: Who would have thought that the Tipsy who used to get annoyed by the mere mention of ‘love’ would one day end up referring someone as ‘My Love’?
T: Socha toh maine bhi nahi tha Sherry. *Smiling through her tears* Lekin, Mr.Khanna has made the impossible possible. And this time I don’t feel uncertain, you know why? Because I know that Mr.Khanna is the right man. He is My man.

*************

4:30PM
Chitti’s Apartment

Tipsy was still trying to contact Karan and find about his whereabouts. Deep down she knew that there must be a valid reason why he is not answering her calls or calling her back. She just hoped and prayed for Karan to be safe wherever he was.

Just then, her phone beeped. Without expecting anything, she glanced at her phone and what she saw on her phone’s screen filled her heart with joy. It was a message from Karan which read “Hi Tipsy, I’m so sorry for making you worry unnecessarily. I’m so sorry for not accompanying you all to Madurai. I was a bit held up with some work. Will see you soon. Take care my love.”

Tipsy read the message over and over again because it had not registered in her mind. Her eyes brimmed with tears when she realized how much of an impact Karan had on her. Just a few hours ago, she was moved to tears because of his absence creating a void in her heart and mind. And now just a text message from him had made her so happy.

She quickly placed her phone on the side table, and went to dress up for Karan. She was never a beauty conscious person, she had never bothered about looks. But today, she wanted to look beautiful..for him.

*******

5:30PM

An hour had passed since Tipsy got ready. She wore Karan’s favourite Red Kurti of her’s with matching golden and red jhumke. He had once told her “Baal khule chod dena, bohot pyaari lagogi” when she asked for his suggestion and help to get ready for a function held by the Rehab Center. Unable to withstand the desire to see him, she smiled at her silly self.

Minutes later, she heard a car’s engine being put off, and without even seeing who it was from the balcony, she just rushed through the stairs. With each step she took towards the car parking area, the pumping of her heart fastened. She had been longing to see Karan the entire day. And now he was just a few steps away.

She reached the parking area and saw a man emerging out of the car. She could only see the man’s back but that was enough for her to know that it was not Karan. She was just about to make her way back, when a familiar voice called out to her.

“Tipsy..”

It was him. She recognized his voice. Because it sent shivers down her spine. She could feel her throat retracting. Sweat buds had formed on her forehead. Not having the strength to face him again, Tipsy decided to move forward and escape from there. But Palash called out to her again and asked her to Stop.

He moved towards her, held her hand and made her face him.

P: Tum mujhse door kyun bhaag rahi ho Tipsy?
T: Pal.. lea..leave my hand
P: Tipsy you don’t need to be scared of me. You know that I love you, right?

Memories of her saying the exact same thing flashed infront of her eyes. It was ironic, she thought, the way he had become a complete replica of the old Tipsy.

P: Tipsy, I’m speaking to you. Say something..

Tipsy remembered what Sherry had told her the night she met Palash. She closed her eyes and thought of Karan. His smiling face appeared infront of her eyes and it was as if it had come in the form of an elixir to give her the strength to face the person who ruined her life.

P: Tipsyy
T: *cleared her throat* Tum yahan kyun aaye ho? Tumhe kaise pata ki mai..
P: Itni jaldi bhul gayi? I’m a Lawyer. Research karke information nikaalna meri dusri aadat hai. Pehli aadat toh tum ho Tip...
T: Just stop it Palash.. Stop it
P: Why should I stop it Tipsy? Can you not see how much I love you? Mai sab kuch chodke sirf tumhare liye yahan par aaya hoon. Tum jis insaan ke liye mujhe chodna chahti thi, do you even know what he was upto? Tumhare peet peeche kya kar raha tha woh tumhe andaza bhi hai? And let me tell you Tipsy, if you are expecting him here, then just forget it. Because he will not come.
T: You really think I would believe you? Tumne aisa socha bhi kaise ki mai tumhare baaton mein aa jaaungi.
P: I’m happy to burst your bubble Tipsy. Karan ne bataya nahi hoga na tumhe.. well, fair enough. That was expected.
T: K..kya? Tum kis baare mein baat kar rahe ho?
P: So, I met Karan last night, at a BAR. I handed over a few legal papers to him, which were connected to ‘Mrs.Khanna’s” Coffee shop and property.. I put forward one condition infront of him, he could either protect Radhika from slipping into depression by accepting my offer to defend them in their legal battle, OR choose you over Radhika and Trisha... And,..
T: Wow! You have yet again proved how disgusting you are Palash. You can never change..
P: Ah-Ah, that’s not important. What’s important is his decision. It’s really unfortunate that, Mr.Karan Khanna chose...

“Tipsy”

Both Palash and Tipsy looked at the direction of the voice. Tipsy beamed with joy when she saw Karan approaching them. All she wanted to do was put her arms around him and hug him tightly, letting go of all her sorrows and fears. But her imagination and the smile on her face faded away when she realized and became aware of the situation that they were caught in.

K: Palash, what the hell are you doing here?
P: Excuse me, who do you think you are? I don’t need your permission to meet Tipsy. We were each others first love.. we..
K: Just shut up!
P: Why? Oh..they say na the truth is always bitter. It’s true. You don’t have the strength to hear Tipsy and my beautiful love story..do you? Waise kal raat maine yeh toh bata diya that I know Tipsy since 10years. Hum dono ne kaafi time spend kiya hai saath mein..haina Tipsy?

Tipsy who was totally numb at the moment could no longer utter a single word in defense. Her beautifully kohled eyes had reddened because of the nonstop warm tears making their way down her cheeks.

K: Okay, one second Palash. Hear me out. Please get this straight in your head. I don’t care about anything. You know what, I don’t give a damn. You thought you would narrate your version of stories to me and my blood would boil hearing that bullshit? You’re mistaken then. There is a reason why you are referring to your beautiful love story in past tense. Because it belongs in the past. And Karan Khanna never reopens chapters from the past. For now, I’m warning you. If I ever see you near Tipsy, I will bloody kill you. Don’t you dare come near her.

Palash who felt dejected and deflated, gritted his teeth and made his way out of the parking area. But before walking away, he moved closer to Karan and warned him saying “You better watch out.”

K: Palash ek minute.. jaane se pehele yeh zarur yaad rakhna ki ainda bhi, don’t ever try to test my love and trust for Tipsy. Because it’s too strong and firm to be scratched by your futile efforts.

Tipsy who was witnessing all this, just ran into Karan and fell onto his chest, hugging him as tight as she could.

Seeing them hug, Palash clenched his fists and turned his face away, thinking.. “I will destroy you Karan Khanna. You have no idea who you’ve messed with.”

Karan was stunned. He wanted to hold her back and give her all the love, but he wasn’t sure..deep down in his heart, an ounce of guilt had formed which he feared would break Tipsy if she gets to know about it.



********************
After a few minutes when it actually struck Tipsy what she had done, she broke the hug immediately and stood there awkwardly, averting Karan’s gaze out of embarrassment. Even though she did not feel guilty for her impromptu action, she was slightly embarrassed and shy.

K: Tipsy are you okay?
T: Ha..
K: Tum theek ho?
T: Yes Mr.Khanna, mai bilkul theek hoon. Lekin aap bataiye, aapne mera phone kyun nahi uthaya? Mai kabse phone kar rahi thi aapko. Subah se call kar rahi thi messages kar rahi thi. Pata hai kitna darr gayi thi mai. Ajeeb khayal aa rahe the mann mein.. ki kahi aapko kuch.. *her voice broke off*
K: Tipsy..tum kitni parwa karti ho meri..you are always concerned about me. Mujhse judi har baat pe overreact karti ho, mere liye pareshan rehti ho, is this not love? Agar yeh pyar nahi hai toh aur kya hai? Lekin tum itni ziddi ho na ki tum maanogi nahi. But it’s okay. Tumse pyar karta hoon, itni aasani se haar nahi maanne wala. *grinning*

Tipsy was lost in his eyes when he spoke, because every word that he said was true. She loved him so much to even imagine something bad happening to him.

Karan snapped his fingers to bring Tipsy out of her trance.

K: Kaha kho gayi? Waise toh you’ve always been conscious about your surrounding, ki koi dekh na le, humari baatein sun na le, ab kya hua meri pareshan abba jaan Tipsy ko? Dekho tum agar muje itni pyaar se dekhti rahi na toh mai apne aap ko rok nahi paaunga! Soch lo!
T: Wh..what? Behave Mr.Khanna! Mai kaha aapko dekh rahi thi..mai..mai toh bas aapki baate sun rahi thi..kuch bhi soch lete hai aap sach mein.
K: Aayee look who’s blushing.. you look even more beautiful when you blush Tipsy. I’m serious. And it feels so good knowing that the reason behind your blush is..
T: Kya?
K: Batau?
T: *blushing* Nahi koi zarurat nahi hai. Mai upar jaa rahi hoon, aapko aana hai toh aap aaiye warna..
K: Warna kya?
T: Kuch nahi..

She tried so hard to hide her smile yet failed to do so, hence rushed upstairs to save herself from getting embarrassed for the second time.

*****
On her way upstairs, she collided with Sherry who was standing on the stairs witnessing the lovebirds and smiling profusely.

T: Aah sorry Sherry I didn’t see you..
S: That’s fine behen but tu itna muskura kyu rahi hai? Karan ne call kiya kya? *Trying to act oblivious*
T: No no..he didn’t call.. Woh toh..

“Hiii Sherryyy”

Sherry’s smile widened when she saw Karan waving at her.

S: *Whipering to Tipsy* So this is why you were and still are blushing so much..

Tipsy’s cheeks turned crimson red by then. She knew she could no longer take it so she excused herself and ran to the kitchen.

*****
S: Welcome to Madurai Karan! How was your journey?
K: It was good but now that I’m here, I’m going to get tortured by your Amma again. Haina?
S: *Laughing* Don’t worry Karan! You are safe till tonight. Amma and Chitti have gone to a relative’s place, and they’ll return a bit late. Infact, Vishal has gone with them too. Amma wanted him to accompany them so!
K: Woah! That’s good news. *smiling to himself*
S: Ahem.. *coughing* Karan, why don’t you freshen up a bit, Tipsy has gone to cook something for you.
K: Arre Sherry you tell her it’s not needed.. mai khaa ke aaya hoon. Yeh Tipsy bhi na..
S: Let her do it na..Tipsy jo bhi karti hai, bohot mann se karti hai Karan. So please let her do it, usko achha lagega.
K: I know Sherry..your cousin has got the purest heart.
S: Haan!
K: So I’ll freshen up and come! Can you please guide me to the room? Kaha rakhun yeh bag?
S: Tipsy ke kamre mein rakh do for the time being. We’ll make the necessary changes once Vishal is back.
K: Okay!

*********
In the kitchen

T: Sherry kitna time hogaya hai. Abhi tak Mr.Khanna bahar nahi aaye. Muje unko yeh juice dena hai. He must be tired and hungry na after such a long journey?
S: Badi fikar ho rahi hai tujhe unki aaj? Kya baat hai behen..
T: Sherry jo puch rahi hoon uska jawab dena please. *hiding her grin*
S: Achha toh sun! Tu ek kaam kyun nahi karti..why don’t you go inside and give him the juice?
T: Nahi yaar..maybe he is not done yet!
S: Tujhe kaise pata? Maybe he is resting? Maybe he is on a call? Andar jaa ab! Jaake juice deke aa! Bhaag ab!
T: H..haan!
S: Ek minute..sun
T: Ab kya hai Sherryy
S: All the best!
T: Kis baat ke liye?
S: Aaj tu unko apni feelings ke baare mein bata hi de! Kab tak chupayegi behen?
T: You are right Sherry! Now that I’m completely sure of my feelings for him, it won’t be right to hide it from him na? Afterall, he deserves to know the truth too. *tearyeyed*
S: Aww..haan Tipsy! He’ll be so happy.
T: Haan..
S: Yayy I love you behen, and all the best! *hugging Tipsy*
T: Pagal ladki..chod ab, jaane de.

******
Tipsy could feel her heart beating faster than usual..she was nervous, yet excited. She couldn’t wait to see Karan’s shocked and happy expression when she confesses her feelings to him.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she opened the door of her room without knocking. And the sight infront her made her feel embarrassed for the third time in a row. She cursed herself for entering without knocking.

Tipsy quickly turned around and shut her eyes. Seeing Karan almost bare chested with his shirt unbuttoned made her feel shy to the core.

Karan who was studying each and every action of Tipsy’s, could not stop grinning!

K: Tipsy, why did you turn around aise?
T: Mr...Mr.Khanna, are you done? Mai aapko yeh juice..juice dene aayi thi
K: Haan baba I’m done now. You can turn! Tum bhi na

Tipsy turned around to say sorry for barging in abruptly, but her senses stopped working when she noticed Karan properly. His hair was all wet and it made him look even more handsome and charming than usual..the water droplets that were making their way down his cheeks was a sight to behold. Tipsy was stunned seeing her man looking so attractive and fine.

K: Tipsy? Tum kuch keh rahi thi?
T: Ha..haa Mr.Khanna..mai keh rahi thi ki.. I have brought juice for you, aap yeh pi lijiye, you must be tired. And I’m so sorry for coming in aise, without knocking.
K: Arre come on yaar! You don’t need to say sorry for that. This is your room, remember?
T: Haan room toh meri hai, but aap..
K: *scratching his temple*
T: Mr.Khanna, yeh juice..
K: Haan do, I was thirsty anyway.. thank you Tipsy
T: *smiling*
Mr.Khanna, I..I need to to talk to you..
K: Haan, bolo


“Tipsyyyy”

T: Sherry bula rahi hai, mai abhi aayi Mr.Khanna..
K: Okay

*******
S: Behen..itni der se kya kar rahi thi tu andar? And did you tell him? Kya kaha unhone? What was his reaction? Bata na.. I’m so excited

Tipsy placed her hands on her waist and gave a “Really Sherry” look to her cousin

S: Kya? Tu aise pandu hawaldar ki tarah kyu khadi hai, bata na kya hua andar!
T: Kuch hua hota toh batati na mai
S: Matlab?
T: Matlab yeh ki I haven’t told him yet!
S: What? Pagal hai kya tu? Kyun nahi bataya? Did you change your mind again? Please yaar Tipsy
T: Sherryy shushh! Kaise batati mai unko? Mai batane hi wali thi ki tune bula liya
S: Oops *sticking her tongue out* I’m so sorry behen..
T: Haan!
S: Chal tu jaa abhi! Iss baar batake aana
T: Only if you don’t call me again na
S: Haww Tipsy..so mean you are!
T: Mazaak kar rahi thi! Ab jaa sakti hoon mai?
S: Haan bindaas jaa!

******
Karan who gulped down the entire glass of juice in one go, was about to place the glass on the side table when his attention fell on Tipsy’s phone which lightened up with “1 new message from Palash”. He quickly put the glass down and took the phone. Nervousness and fear engulfed him and his fingers started trembling. He did not have the courage to click on the message. His mind travelled back to Palaash and his conversation of last night.


Flashback
P: *Showing Karan the video of Radhika and him holding hands*
K: I don’t believe this! What the hell are you trying to do?
P: Tipsy is quite sensitive, isn’t she?
K: What? Tipsy ko beech mein laane ki zarurat nahi hai Palash, I will kill..
P: Umm, you see, I’ve heard that sentence a million times. So it doesn’t affect me much. Let’s come to the point. Yeh tum bhi jaante ho ki if Tipsy sees this, she’ll be broken.. And..
K: Jesus.. Are you even a human? Don’t you have emotions? First you tried to blackmail me, ab yeh! Tu samajta kya hai khud ko?
P: A destroyer! That’s what I think of myself! Anyway, I just want to tell you ki ulti ginti shuru karde! Because very soon, your perfect dream is going to get over. This is my way of making you smell the coffee!
K: *clenching his fists*
P: Aah, please save that anger for future Karan. You might need it more then.

*******
Karan absentmindedly clicked on the Whatsapp message. It read, “Tipsy how can you be so blind? Have you forgotten your past so easily? Have you not learned anything? I’m a changed man now that’s why I’m saying this, it’s not good to trust anyone blindly. Please open your eyes and face the truth. Please Tipsy.” Karan’s blood boiled reading the message. He scrolled up on the chatlog and what he came across next stunned him. He could not believe Palash had really done it. He had sent the video to Tipsy, that too last night. And what shocked him even more was the fact that Tipsy had seen it. All this while Karan was feeling guilty about the whole thing, he was scared, afraid, nervous..he was waiting for the right time to explain everything to Tipsy. He wanted to tell her that there was nothing of that sort between Radhika and him. He was merely helping her. That’s it.

“Mr.Khanna”

Karan turned around and faced Tipsy with a shocked expression. Tipsy knew something was wrong when she noticed him holding her phone. She closed the door behind her and went towards Karan.

T: Mr.Khanna are you okay? Kya hua aapko? Why are you looking so upset?

When Karan did not respond, Tipsy grabbed the phone from Karan and glanced at her phone. Seeing Palash’s message, she realized that she had forgotten to block his number.

T: Mr.Khanna..I’m so sorry.. I was going to block his number but I was too occupied with your thoughts the whole day that I couldn’t...
T: Mr.Khanna, say something.. I’m sorry Mr.Khanna
K: No Tipsy.. I’m not upset with you for that..
T: Then why Mr.Khanna? Kya hua?
K: You have seen the video?
T: Haa..kal raat jab mai aapko phone karne wali thi, tab Palaash ka message aaya aur..
K: Tumne react kyun nahi kiya? Bataya kyun nahi mujhe? I know you must be upset because of it Tipsy, I’m so sorry..
T: Mr.Khanna, mai nahi hoon aapse naraz. Sachhi
K: No but I need to explain.. jo tumne dekha woh sach nahi hai Tipsy.. it’s not..

Tipsy silenced Karan by placing her index finger on his lips. “Shhh”

T: I don’t need any explanations..
K: Kyun Tipsy?
T: Abhi thodi der pehele jab Palaash mere baare mein woh sab bol raha tha toh aapne use ekdum se rok diya, bina uski baate sune aapne yeh keh diya that you trust me. Kyun?
K: Because I..
T: Yes! Me too.

Karan’s eyes moistened hearing that. He could not stop himself from giving a quick hug to Tipsy. He felt so relieved at that moment. All his fears were put to rest.

“Thank you Tipsy.. I love you.”

********

T: Mr.Khanna, I need to..
K: Haan, you told me na you wanted to talk to me. Batao Tipsy what is it? Kya hua?
T: Promise me that you won’t stop me in between..promise me that you’ll listen to me till I finish talking..
K: Tipsy..are you okay? Is something bothering you?
T: Mr.Khanna please, promise kijiye na!
K: Okay okay, I promise!


“Aapko yaad hai jab hum ek dusre se pehli baar mile the, tab humari pehli mulaqat jhadge se shuru hui aur jhadpe pe khatam hua. I used to hate you Mr.Khanna. I used to hate everything about you. Aapki baatein, aapki bachhon jaisi harkatein, sab. Mujhe humesha lagta tha ki aap ek bohot badtameez aur rude insaan hai. But my opinion about you changed when I saw you with Trisha..with Vishal..Amma. I was finally able to see the loving and doting father in you. The helpful and supportive friend in you. The respectful and giving nature of yours. I realized ki there is a completely different human being hidden behind the fake mask that you put on to showcase to the world. Mai kehti thi na aapko ki aap jo hai woh duniya se chhupate hai, aur jo aap nahi hai woh aap sabko dikhate hai. Kyun karte hai aap aisa Mr.Khanna? Aap mein bhi feelings hai. Emotions hai. Shayad humse kahi zyada. You are sensitive. Emotional. Uss din aapne kaha tha na mujhe ki meri sabse badi problem yeh hai ki I feel too much. Toh aaj mai aapko kehti hoon ki you feel too much too Mr.Khanna. And that is your speciality. That is what makes you so special and so good. Because you feel. You feel for everyone. Aapke dil mein hum sab ke liye kitna pyaar hai Mr.Khanna. Lekin aapne uss pyaar ke badle mein humse kabhi kuch nahi maanga. You have been showering love and affection upon us selflessly, without asking anything in return. Kaise karte hai aap yeh sab? How can you be so good? The whole world thinks that I have helped you to overcome your alcohol addiction. Aapne apne speech mein bhi yahi kaha tha na? Ki maine aapki help ki? But do you want to know the truth? The truth is that it’s you who have helped me Mr.Khanna. You have helped me in ways you can’t even imagine. Bhale hi aapne sab kuch anjaane mein kiya ho, but you are my Saviour Mr.Khanna. Aapko pata hai mai Palaash se itna kyun darr ti hoon? Because he was a Monster. A destroyer. He was the biggest source of grief in my life. But sab kuch jaante hue bhi, mai har baar lautke uske paas jaati thi. I killed my self-respect, dignity and self-esteem for him, and because of him. I’m so ashamed of myself for doing that Mr.Khanna. Isiliye woh sab hone ke baad I built up a wall around myself. Because I did not have the strength and will power left in me to face something similar. For months and years, I kept isolating myself. I kept myself busy in work to overcome the heartbreak and grief. I kept shielding myself from everyone I came across. Because..mujhe logon se darr lagne laga tha Mr.Khanna. Uss raat mere haath mein taser dekh ke aapko bura laga tha na yeh sochke ki I kept that for my safety and precaution, from you? But galat socha tha aapne Mr.Khanna. Sach toh yeh ki muje unn sab ki itni aadat ho gayi hai ki mai khud ko nahi sambhaal paati. Aur ek sach yeh bhi hai that you make me feel the safest. You make me feel protected. Toh uss insaan se mai kaise darr sakti hoon, jo khud mujhe sabse zyada safe mehsoos karwate hai? Log sach kehte hai Mr.Khanna. Sometimes in life, you come across that one person who changes your life forever. Waise hi aapne meri zindagi badal di Mr.Khanna. Jo Tipsy logon se darr ke door bhaagti thi, aaj aapki wajah se bina dare logon ka saamna kar rahi hai. Aap nahi hote toh yeh sab kabhi nahi hota Mr.Khanna. Aapko paane ke baad mujhe realize hua ki pyaar kya hota hai. And being confined to a cage and dancing to the tunes of someone is not Love. Love is a feeling. A feeling that frees you from all your worries, sorrows and fears. A feeling that adds colors to your dull life. A feeling that makes everything look vibrant and colourful. A feeling that gives you freedom. A feeling that gives you a sense of satisfaction and a sense of entitlement. And yeh sab aapne mehsoos karwaya mujhe Mr.Khanna. Kabhi kabhi mai sochti hoon ki maine aisa kya kiya hai jiske wajah se Bhagwan ne aapko mere paas bheja? Mere liye.. He must have sent you to me in the form of an Angel. Because aap hain mere Angel. You have given me wings. You have given me a new identity. Aapne mujhe mere darr se saamna karwaya. And sirf aapki wajah se, mai poori tarah se badal gayi hoon Mr.Khanna. Itne dino mein mai chahkar bhi aapke I love you ka jawab nahi de paayi. Lekin mai aaj kehna chahti hoon Mr.Khanna.. for all the love that you have been showering upon me, for the immense respect that you have given me, I’m so thankful to you. I know you would not want me to say thank you.. but still.. thank you Mr.Khanna. For everything. Aap meri zindagi hain. Meri sabse badi khushi. Mera sab kuch. And I.. I love you. I really really do Mr.Khanna. I really love you.


Karan who was standing there hearing everything, was speechless. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was overwhelmed. Numb. Frozen. He noticed Tipsy shivering and trembling so he slowly pulled her towards him and their foreheads rested on each other while his hand gently caressed the back of her head. Tipsy who felt extremely weak at the moment, placed her hands on his shoulders and closed her eyes to live in the moment. They stood in the same position for quite sometime to absorb the love, warmth and presence of each other.

*********
K: *holding Tipsy’s hand* You have gone through so much and I had no clue about this. It kills me to know that you’ve gone through all this Tipsy. I know I cannot change the past, but I promise you, this Mr.Khanna of yours will never let a single tear fall down from your eyes. Because they are too precious. Jo bhi tumne suffer kiya, uske badle mein mai tumhe duniya ki saari khushiyan doonga Tipsy. Because you deserve every bit of that happiness.
T: Mr.Khanna, duniya ki saari khushiyan mujhe already mil gayi hai.... Aap. Aap ho meri sabsi bade khushi. And aapke alawa mujhe kuch bhi nahi chahiyeh. Koi bhi khushi aapse badhkar nahi ho sakti mere liye.
K: I love you Tipsy.. I love you.. *his voice shaking*
T: I love you too, Karan..


Before Karan could register the fact that Tipsy called him by his name, Tipsy encircled her arms around Karan and tightened her grip. Karan held her back and tightened his grip too. He placed a soft kiss on her head, smiled through his tears and closed his eyes to feel the moment.



“Hai tujhe bhi ijazat..karrle tu bhi mohabbat.” ❤️

Author's Note

Similarity to any of the reader’s work is purely coincidental.