Chapter 1
▶ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|• 0:10ִֶָ
एक लड़की भीगी-भागी सी
सोती रातों में जागी सी
मिली एक अजनबी से
कोई आगे, ना पीछे
तुम ही कहो, ये कोई बात है?
SALONI pov
I looked around my room, taking in the familiar chaos. Clothes were scattered on the floor, and my books were stacked haphazardly on the nightstand. The room is a cozy, well-lit space with a mix of modern and minimalist elements. The walls are painted a soothing white, and the wooden floor is warm and inviting. A large window dominates one wall, offering a view of the city at night. The bed is neatly made, with a light-colored comforter and a few pillows. A desk and chair are tucked into one corner, with a few items on display.
To one side of the room, a comfortable-looking couch is adorned with a throw blanket and a few pillows. My red guitar stood out against the wall, its bright color a splash of energy in the midst of the mess. I felt a pang of affection for the instrument; it had been my companion during many late-night singing sessions.
I rolled up my sleeves and got to work, picking up clothes and tossing them into the laundry basket. I dusted the furniture, vacuumed the floor, and organized my bookshelf. The music on my phone helped distract me from my thoughts, and I found myself humming along as I tidied up. When I finished, my room looked almost unrecognizable - calm, peaceful, and tidy. I stepped back, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
A sudden ringing of my phone caught my attention. I picked it up, seeing my mother’s name on it. I answered the call, hearing my mother’s warm voice on the other end. “Hello, beta! How are you?”
I smiled, feeling a sense of comfort at the familiar greeting. “I’m good, Mom. Just relaxing at home. How about you?”
“I’m fine, dear. I just wanted to remind you about the meeting with... ”
I knew who she was referring to, of course. A meeting with the potential groom.
Mom, I told you, I don’t want to go!” I exclaimed as I laid down on my bed.
“How many times I have to tell you that you’re not a kid anymore! You are 27 years old, when will you stop behaving like this? Kuch salo mai 30 ki ho jayegi fir koyi ladka bhi nhi milega! Puri zindagi akele rehna! Ek dost tak nhi hoga koyi tera!” my sweet mom replied from the other side of the phone to remind me how awful I am in making friends.
“Mom Please! If I am 27 years old doesn’t mean that I should get married now! I just don’t want to marry someone after dating for 1 month and then get divorce after a few months of marriage because he is not what I thought! And I am living just fine by myself, you are just worried for no reason” I said while playing with my hair.
“Beta I am not saying that you should get married right now but at least meet that boy. He is really nice and he is Mrs. Gupta’s sister’s son, at least try and talk to him. If you think he is good then we will see. Aur ab ye mat kehna ki arrange marriage nhi karni. Boyfriend toh dur ki baat h tera toh koyi friend bhi nhi hai.” I pulled away my phone and stared at the screen.
(And don’t say you don’t want an arranged marriage. A boyfriend is a distant dream for you; you don’t even have a friend.)
Itni buri bezatti.
(Such a brutal disrespect.)
“Okay fine! I will meet him!” I replied knowing well that she hasn’t called to ask my opinion but to order me.
“Haan thike I will send you his photo” she cut the call and I didn’t miss her tone telling me that her mission was accomplished.
(Okay.)
Her mission- to get me married. I don’t understand why I have to get married and share everything with a man. A man. I sighed and got up from my bed and went to the kitchen. Opening the fridge I grabbed my unfinished ice cream.
Making myself comfortable on the couch I switched on the TV to watch my favorite k drama for the third time.
People who think that watching the same show again is a waste of time should stay away from me.
After having a session of laughing, crying, blushing and smiling like an idiot I made my way to bed. As I laid down I couldn’t help but think about my life. I have always been an introvert. Not talking much to people always sitting alone. That’s how I have spent my 27 years of life. Well I prefer loneliness over fake company. Life sucks but at least I am not a part of a friend group where everyone secretly hates each other and talks crap behind each other’s backs.
But sometimes I do regret not having friends. I envy people who actually enjoy being around their friends. It’s not that I hate people, I just can’t make friends. I am the type of person who doesn’t get attached to people easily, I always maintain distance with everyone- mentally and physically both.
What if mom is right and I end up being lonely for the rest of my life. What if I really missed the chance of experiencing love.
Love.
It reminds me of something.
Or someone? The little voice in my mind whispered.
I scoffed. Someone? Love? My foot. It’s all delusional! Nothing like love exists. Not at the age of 17, it’s all attraction and nothing else! What else does a 17 year old know about love? Syllabus toh smajh ata nhi hai pyaar kya smajh ayega. Dating in high school was my biggest mistake and I would never repeat that same mistake again.
(Couldn’t even understand the syllabus, how could we know what love is?)
Yeah, surprisingly I dated during school days but it didn’t end up well. Now it doesn’t matter.
And I like being alone. I can buy myself a house near a beach and then I can spend my life and my money all on myself. Yeah, what’s better than this? Hmm. Now I should stop thinking about useless things and sleep.
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Hearing the ringing of an annoying alarm I stretched my hands to turn it off.
Yes. I am not waking up this early.
Of course I would rather be late than waking up from my sweet slumber.
I reluctantly woke up and dragged myself to the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror for two minutes. Questioning whether waking up in the morning and doing a job is really worth it. Well the answer is clear, if I want to keep wearing expensive clothes, heels and treat myself to something sweet every weekend then- yes, waking up early in the morning is worth it.
No matter how tiring it is, I do love my job a lot. I did a lot of hard work. I studied like crazy and didn’t attend any functions. I would have made an excuse anyway to not go anywhere but that’s not the point.
I stood in front of my closet, scanning the rows of clothes for the perfect outfit. I finally settled on a crisp light button-down shirt and a white wide leg pants. The outfit was professional and put-together, just what I needed for a day at the office.
I slipped into the shirt, feeling the smooth fabric against my skin. The sleeves were a bit loose, but the fit was otherwise perfect. I paired the shirt with the white pants- they are so comfortable. I’ve added a black belt around my waist. A simple gold watch on my wrist and a delicate necklace around my neck.
I took a last look in the mirror and grabbed my bag and quickly slipped my black heels. I grabbed my car keys and locked the apartment door behind me, double-checking to make sure it was secure. As I walked out of my apartment, I noticed some movers unloading boxes and furniture into the apartment next door.
I shook my head and stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. As the doors closed, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the day ahead.
Just as I was about to step out of the elevator on the ground floor, I heard a loud voice calling out to me. “Saloni! Beta, wait up!” It was Mrs. Gupta, my mother’s friend from the neighborhood. She was known for her loud voice and nosy questions, and I had a feeling I was in for a grilling.
I turned to face her, forcing a smile onto my face. “Hi, Mrs. Gupta! How are you?”
Mrs. Gupta beamed at me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I’m good, beta. Your mother must have informed you about setting you up with my relative’s son. You are meeting him in the evening right?”
“Oh, um, hmm,” not knowing what to say I nodded my head.
Mrs. Gupta nodded enthusiastically. “Ah, good, good. My nephew is a great man. You’ll love him, I’m sure.”
I smiled politely, trying to think of a way to extricate myself from this situation. Because this woman can talk about anything for hours and I don’t want to drain my energy when my day hasn’t even started - I need energy to survive the whole day in the office and then meeting the potential groom in the evening.
I pretended to look at my watch silently telling her that I am getting late and I don’t wanna talk about anything to her at all.
“Actually I am getting late, I should go” without waiting for her reply I ran away. My mom really couldn’t find anyone other than this woman to make her friend.
I walked into my office, a sense of calm washing over me as I took in the familiar surroundings. As a chartered accountant, I loved the precision and logic of my work. I settled into my cubicle, booted up my computer, and dove into the financial reports and spreadsheets that were my bread and butter.
The day flew by in a blur of numbers and deadlines. By 7 pm, I was wrapping up my tasks and preparing to leave. I saved my files, shut down my computer, and packed up my bag.
As I stood up to leave, I felt a sense of reluctance wash over me as I thought about the blind date. I am not exactly thrilled about it, but knowing my mother it’s better not to disappoint her. I don’t want to die at such a young age by mom’s hands just because I declined to go on a blind date. It’s not that I am scared of my Mom, I just don’t want to disappoint her.
Okay. I am lying, I am actually scared of her. She is sweet but no one can handle her anger, not even dad.
I’d rather be home reading a book or working on my own projects, but look at me going to meet a stranger who is supposedly the potential groom.
I took a deep breath, grabbed my bag, and headed out of the office. The blind date was at a coffee shop a few blocks away, and I decided to walk there. The evening air was cool and refreshing, but my mind was already wandering to all the things I’d rather be doing.
As I approached the coffee shop, I felt a sense of dread growing inside me. This was going to be a long night. I took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and stepped inside, ready to get this over with.
I spotted him- Aakash, sitting at a table in the corner, sipping on a coffee. He stood up as I approached, flashing a charming smile. He was tall, with a mop of curly hair and a slightly rumpled suit. I forced a smile onto my face, trying to look more enthusiastic than I felt.
“Hey, Saloni! Nice to meet you.” he said, extending a hand.
I shook it, trying to make small talk. “Thanks, uh, it’s nice to meet you too.”
He gestured for me to sit down, and I did, trying to compose myself.
We sat down, and Aakash gestured to his coffee cup. “I’ve already ordered coffee. What about you? What sounds good?”
I scanned the menu. “I think I’ll go for the coffee too.”
Aakash nodded, signaling the waiter and ordered the coffee.
As we waited for coffee, Aakash asked me about my job. “So, Saloni, you’re a chartered accountant right? So how’s work going on?”
I told him about my work as a chartered accountant, and he listened attentively. “That sounds tough,” he said. “I’m an engineer myself. Telecom.”
“Oh, really?” I asked, intrigued. “What do you do exactly?”
Aakash launched into a brief explanation of his job, and I listened, trying to follow along. As he talked, I noticed he seemed to relax a bit, his enthusiasm for his work shining through.
Okay, so he’s cute, charming, and seems to have a good job. Maybe I was wrong to stress so much about this whole marriage thing. He’s got that whole “tall, dark, and handsome” thing going on, and he’s actually pretty easy to talk to.
I wonder if we’d be compatible, though. He’s definitely an extrovert, and I’m more of an introverted bookworm. But maybe that’s what I need – someone to bring me out of my shell. And who knows, maybe we’d balance each other out. He’s outgoing, I’m reserved... it’s like we’re yin and yang or something.
I catch myself imagining us together, don’t mind me. I am actually a hopeless romantic at heart and a type of person who imagines having a family with a guy just because he talked to me nicely without expecting me to contribute to the conversation.
As I glance over at him, I notice the way he smiles, Aww his smile is so cute.
Just as I was in my own world thinking about “Pros and cons” of actually getting married. Out of nowhere, he said, “You know, I’ve got a great joke about telecom. Want to hear it?”
I raised an eyebrow, curious. “Sure, go ahead.”
He grinned mischievously. “Why did the telecom engineer break up with his girlfriend?
I asked hesitantly, “Umm, why..?
“Because he wanted a better signal!” he laughs loudly, holding his sides as if he just cracked the most hilarious joke ever.
I laughed, despite myself. “That’s... quite a joke.”
Rohan beamed with pride. “I know, right? I’ve got a million of ’em.”
He started telling more jokes, “Why did the accountant go to the doctor?” he asked, grinning.
I hesitated, unsure of the punchline. “I don’t know, why?”
“Because he was feeling a little off-balance!” He laughed loudly, clearly expecting me to join in.
I forced a laugh, trying to be polite. “Ha ha, that’s...clever.”
From there, the jokes just kept coming. Aakash told joke after joke, each one more groan-inducing than the last. I laughed politely, trying to keep up with his rapid-fire humor. It was... an experience, to say the least.
“What do you call a fake noodle?” he asked me again with the same enthusiasm when he told me the first joke and here I am completely drained out.
“An impasta.” he laughed again.
I smiled weakly, feeling my eyes glaze over. This is worse. I shouldn’t have come. I want to smash my head against the table.
As the date went on, things only got worse. He told more jokes, each one more cringe-worthy than the last. I found myself laughing more and more falsely, trying to keep the conversation going.
“Why don’t eggs tell jokes? They’d crack each other up!”
“What did the kid say to his mom when he left for school?
“Mum bai”
What the fuck!
“Rivers can’t hear anything kyoki wo behri hoti hai!”
“Kash mai bhi behri hoti toh ye bhi sonna padta.”
“What do you call a sick eagle?“....... “Illegal”
“I swear if murdered was not illegal I would have smashed your head against the table.”
“What do houses wear?”
“Address”
“Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself?”
“Because it was two tired!”
“No. Right now I am the one who is two tired.”
I can’t take it anymore. I would go insane if I stayed another minute with this man.
“I think I should leave, it’s getting late.” I said, glancing at my watch.
“Wait... It’s been only one hour, I still have more jokes” he mumbled loud enough for me to hear. Oh God please.
He glanced at his watch as he offered to drop me. No way I am going with him, he will surely kill me with his lame jokes.
“No, it’s alright. My car is parked outside, I will take my leave then.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Saloni,” he said, standing up. “Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
I smiled and nodded, trying to be polite.
As I watched him walk out of the coffee shop, I let out a silent sigh of relief. Meeting you again? Nah! I will rather talk to strangers on the street than meet him again. No wonder he is Mrs Gupta’s relative.
Pura khandan hi dimag khane wala hai.
I unlocked my apartment door and dialed my mom’s number, and she picked up on the first ring. “Hello beta, so how was the meeting? Ladka accha laga tujhe?” she asked, her voice full of hope.
I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see me. “Mom, he was so annoying,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.
“Annoying? What happened?” my mom asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Everything about him was just so...much. He wouldn’t stop telling terrible jokes! Ek ghante tak jokes sunake mera dimag khrab kar diya usne!,” I said, shuddering at the memory.
My mom chuckled. “Oh, Saloni, maybe he was just nervous.”
I sighed. “Nervous or not, Mom, I don’t think he’s the one for me. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready for marriage at all.”
My mom’s tone turned gentle but firm. “Saloni, beta, you know you’ll have to get married one day. It’s just the way things are. Your father and I want to see you settled and happy. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
I knew this lecture was coming. “Mom, I know, I know. But can’t I just focus on my career for now? Marriage can wait.”
My mom’s voice was soft but insistent. “We’ll talk about it later, beta. Just take some time to think about what you want, okay?”
I smiled wryly, knowing I’d hear more about this later. “Okay, Mom. Bye”.
I hung up the phone and flopped on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
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