get-6-gether.!..

With pre-test over & Durga-Puja ahead, we were looking forward for some more fun…….away from books!! ( though syllabus-books were always out and fun was always in ! )

On ‘panchami’, we decided to have a get-together at Niky’s place ! just the night before our get-together , Gujju rang , “ Sim…!” she was sobbing furiously !
“ you crying??!!” I was puzzled !
“Sim…!...mom rang Dev and she knows all about it now!”
I was shocked !
Gujju was sniffing on the other end of the phone !
“Don’t cry Gujju….what does your mom say??”
“She wont talk to me now ! … she is angry that I always lied to her about Dev !”
“Hey Gujju..dont cry..look,aunty’s anger is very much justified !..no?..you got to control now..”
“I am afraid, Sim !”
“Come on!..shaggu…you got to be strong!..tell her you are feeling sorry..and you will never repeat it again…..you know you wont …no?...she will be okay…trust me..and don’t cry..come on…it wont help!” I was really feeling very bad for Gujju. She was crying like anything and I have never seen her break like this !
“Tomorrow I have to skip that get-together, I guess !” she sounded sad !
“No!. you wont …you talk to your mom!...& I bet…it will be all right !..”
She was some what pacified !
The very next morning she came to my place , looking composed ! She was ready for the get-together and even managed to smile though it was clear she was making a tough effort for that ! I couldn’t but admire her guts!!

Niky’s place was fun!
We were playing rapid-fire rounds!
1st question was to san----- “ most romantic of your life….with Karan of course ! ...or is there anyone else as well???”
Avoiding the last part of the question…San started---- “ ummm…well actually…..you know that day …it was like…..I mean…he was looking at me…..and I just cant explain it to you people ……it was something………..something that changed my life …i mean……”
“ precisely , he looked at you …and you went dead……….he killed you with his eyes !!”
“ well..yeah…something of that sort !”
“ SAN ! …this is some sort of joke or what!” we were rolling with laughter, on the floor ! .. “Hey guys !..just imagine the scene !!..god!!..” I tried to enact! And another round of laughter followed !
San snapped !. “ I told you!..you guys wont understand!..it was not that stupid !..oh!..stop that!..” she was red ..either with anger or with embarrassment !..We did not bother to find out which ! We were too busy laughing !
“Okay! Okay! Now next question to Gujju”
“Which one you would choose between your family and boy-friend ??”
“Heyyy!...I wont allow such a situation ! no ! never !” she was trying some mock-crying !
“But suppose such a situation arises !..come on…”
“Well…I think family only….but again …oh no !...not fair you people cant give me such a confusing question !”
“Family should be the first priority ..always!” Anu declared ! She is always a family girl !

Akansha was our new friend for the day!..her question was ---- “idea of happiness”
“Well……to me…… its when you can live, laugh and love from your heart !” this was my staple one-liner and my principle since when I myself don’t remember !
“Well….it is when you know yourself and can reach your peak!” this was san, sounding ambitious always !
But Akansha’s answer was the strangest !
“Happiness to me is being married to a handsome man ..and having five children !” she declared proudly !
“Man! Am I having fever…or is it really hot today?!!.....this is your idea of happiness !!!” I couldn’t help laughing !!
“O yeah!..it is !” she had an unwavering faith in her happiness !
“Well!..atleast don’t try achieving this happiness in India…five children and all!...India is already over-populated , you know!” Niky advised !
“Okay!...so now, I know the secret of such huge population is India !!” I grinned at Akansha !

Suddenly San became very serious !..She was like that…could bring a hell of seriousness all of a sudden when every one else is having fun! She would turn her grave black eyes, sounding none other than granny and would continue to deliver her weird observation of the moment, wrapped in her favorite psychological explanation !
She started----- “Sim, I have been noticing you for the past few days…”
O god! So I am the victim this time !!
“………its not that I dint notice you before…but these days you seemed to strike me a lot !...you have changed Sim…yes, you have changed ! ………”
No one ever interrupted when San started speaking !..It was either her excellent ability to deliver speech that numbed others or may be people felt too lazy to interfere her lectures because that could call for a lot of explanations from her side !
Hence she went on ---- “ …I don’t say you have changed for bad !...its not that you have lost your qualities….but you have grown to handle certain issues differently !...like nowadays sometimes you lose your temper which you never did before ………and at the same time you have become a lot more sensitive about everything...and that includes your friends as well…”
“I always was , dear” I gave her a small hug , thinking that could end it here !..
“…and you know what…what I like the most in you……….you are serious and funny at the same time ….a quality that’s so rare !!...”
She was in one of her best lecturing moods, with all her philosophy and psychology beaming in her eyes !!
“ Hey ! you mean multiple personality???!!” Niky suddenly regained her enthusiasm !
“ O yeah!.i need that Sydney Sheldon book… about multiple personalty!..what was the name??”
“Anu!...you haven’t read ‘tell me your dreams’ yet??....go to hell…..read it yaar!...its too good!..” and with that San was stopped !

We gossiped and gossiped ……sometimes serious, sometimes funny……..sometimes mischievous !
We even had a dress session !!
Niky was wearing a cute pink three-quarters ..I tried that ! San took a chance with that too ! She was wearing a baggy trouser …it was so big that I could wear it putting two trousers underneath !! We danced to the tune of ‘shakira ! shakira !’ and Akansha was a wonder on the dance-floor !!

In the afternoon, we went out for some ‘pandal-hoppings’ ! At one place there were a number of buffaloes crossing the road in groups….perhaps on their way to ‘pandals’ ! …we stepped aside, leaving their way ! “No mess with buffaloes !” Niky warned us! Why cant she stop being our mom !
We were standing on a door-way of a house, waiting for the buffaloes to move. An old man came out of the house. He asked us our names and whereabouts and gave us chocolates !! “Hey! he is like the reformed ‘selfish giant’ !” Anu whispered !
Again at one place, there was a low boundary wall. We decided to climb the wall and jump over it ! We were just about to cross it that Niky’s mom caught us red-handed !

We did a lot of fun ! And ultimately came back home !!