Thanks A Lot Everyone: Nissar Parvez!

When you are a master at your art, and are loved for the same, it takes a lot of courage for one to take a risk and enter an arena that is untread. For Nissar Parvez, who has delivered hit shows like Dil Mill Gayye, Miley Jab Hum Tum, and Geet-Hui Sabse Parayi, it wouldn’t have been hard to don the mantle of a Director yet again in another project! But the man chose to think and act differently, just the way he does with all his shows! 

When fans learnt of Nissar producing Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon on StarPlus, they were rest assured, this was definitely going to be something to watch out for. Nissar chose to move out of his comfort zone, replaced the Director’s cap with that of a Producer and decided to explore his fortunes with a new venture in a new role. Needless to say, the risk has paid off, with Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon having successfully completed 100 episodes today and also reaching the No. 2 spot on Star Plus recently! 

We congratulated Nissar over the double victory and here is what he said to the viewers…  “Hey everyone, this really wouldn’t have been possible without the immense love that you as audience have shown towards our shows. You’ve have seen it, lived it, and loved it.” 


He  further went on to say “This one really feels special because scoring a century seemed very challenging keeping in mind the tough competition we had in front of us. Gul, Rajesh and I had to literally rack and put our brains together to bring the show out the way we had all visualized it. I must say, it has not been easy. Now as we look back, we gladly smile at all those maddeningly tedious days. We are now gearing up and looking forward to another century, because we hate to get out. We are all fighters and we love being that.”

“At this point, I would really want to mention a few names without whose support, this journey wouldn’t have been possible. 

Lata, Megha, Ajit, Anand, Pushpa, Shadaab, Kiran, Alok – These are the names of some of the people who silently work at the back end. To me they are the real heroes without whose support, you would not be watching this show on time each day.”

“Thanks a lot everyone. Keep watching.”

We at Rangmunch.TV, wish Nissar Parvez and his entire team Good Luck and hope they continue to entertain the viewers.

Interviewed by:
Swati Ghosh

Edited by:
Niharika Vidya Sagar 


Rangmunch.TV

 

We started shooting for Iss Pyaar Ko….in flat 8 days- Rajesh Chadha!

Rajesh Chadha, the Producer (Panglosean Entertainment) of Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon, is in the seventh heaven with his show touching a century  . The show has become a craze with the youth with the amazing chemistry shown between Barun and Sanaya who play Arnav and Khushi on the show. The freshness, the innocence and the mass appeal drama has made it No. 2 in the TRP list. We at Rangmunch contacted and congratulated  Mr. Chaddha  on having touched this milestone and asked him how he feels about the show , the cast, the crew and overall euphoria .

“I’m extremely happy and proud of my team and my viewers for having touched 100 episodes today. Its always an honor to be appreciated . The audience have given us much love in accepting this wonderful story. I always thank my team before I thank anyone else. Without them , nothing would have been possible. Let me tell you that this show came through in flat  8 days. We got confirmation to start the show on 7th April and and by 15th April we started shooting at an outdoor location with choppers. In seven days if we could  pull off such a start to the show, its because of the team I have. The patience and all hard work they have put in this is  commendable. People tend to leave under pressure, but my team stuck on with each other from then till now.”


“One person I would sincerely like to thank is “Nissar Parvez”. Nissar is a great guy. He helped us immensely in setting  up the show in the start. He is the one Director I really look up to. He is an ace when it comes to such intense subjects. The writers also have put in their efforts in coining different phrases and lines for the actors. The different departments have worked more than their share and gave it a No 2 position in such a short span.”

“One person who has pleasantly shocked me is “Sanaya”. I was a bit skeptical initially as she had worked in Mile Jab Hum Tum, where she played a diametrically opposite character. I was  with  Endemol when that show aired. I was not sure if she could do Khushi convincingly but she has gotten into the skin of the character so beautifully, that its  truly amazing. She is a stunner and has given more than herself to this character. The jalebi bit has its own history too. In fact my mom is diabetic and when so much jalebi is shown, she complains of how she cant have it, and we have only added on to her craving levels”

“It feels great to touch such heights in such a short span and we promise to give more to the viewers in the future.”

We at Rangmunch congratulate the team of IPKKND once more on completion of 100 episodes.

CHEERS Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon….!!!!

Interviewed by:

Niharika Vidya Sagar

Edited by:

Navyanka Varma

Rangmunch.TV

 

An Institution in Herself – Surekha Sikri!

Surekha Sikri, an alumni from National School of Drama and two times National Award Winner,  has carved a niche for herself both on Television and Silver Screen with powerful roles and impactful acting.

With her brilliant portrayal of characters in films like Tamas, Mammo, Zubeida, Sardari Begum, she has time and again proved that she is not only VERSATILE but is a BORN actor. Her role in Banegi Apni Baat on Zee TV is fondly remembered by audiences even today.

Last three years her character as Dadisa in Balika Vadhu has become extremely popular and a household name. When we met Anandi’s Dadisa aka Surekhaji on the sets of Balika Vadhu, we were awestruck with her humble and down to earth attitude. Believe it or not, its just not us who are in awe of her, but every co-star of Balika Vadhu including the Director himself is completely smitten by Surekha Sikri, the Actor.

Rangmunch.TV brings to you some of the comments straight from the cast and crew of Balika Vadhu.

Siddharth Sengupta (Director): “The first time I was shooting with Surekhaji, I was very apprehensive. She is a University of Acting. Sometimes without uttering a single dialogue, just her mere presence and the way she looks, enhances the entire scene. She gives acting tips to her co-actors.

I have worked for nearly 15 years in this industry and with almost 5000 actors, most of them very good actors. I have even worked with Seema Biswas but she has been the best so far. There is a difference between dedication and devotion. She is devoted to acting. She does her homework. I have not seen this kind of homework being done by anyone. You take all the actors on one side and keep Surekha Sekhri on the other side, that is the equation. I have not worked with anyone like Surekhaji. What she does on screen is magic. You have to explain what the scene is and then after ten minutes, she comes to perform and you see magic on screen.

Balika Vadhu wouldn’t be the same without Surekhaji. It is an honor to work with her. She is somebody you can learn from.”

Anup Soni (Bhairav Singh): “Surekhaji is too senior to me. So when I and Satyajit joined National School of Drama Delhi, we did hear about her. But this is the first time I am working with her, and I can vouch that one can see a mark difference in the way she performs vis-a-vis those in other shows. Its actors like Surekhaji who have given variety to audience in terms of acting and have made them realise that what they have been watching on other shows is not the ultimate acting. Also her presence has enhanced the performances of all the new comers who have joined this show. I strongly believe that when you are in the company of brilliant actors, you will always perform good, provided you are eager to learn and grow.”

Shashank Vyas (Jagiya): “To be honest I was not happy when I got selected to play the lead role in Balika Vadhu. I was extremely nervous since it was already a very popular show and was worried as to how I would perform before such Veteran actors who are former students of National School of Drama. I still remember, when I came to the set, the first person I met was Surekhaji. I touched her feet and asked for her blessings and she very humbly said “ok do it, all the best. Set pe miltey hai (will meet on the set).”

This place is nothing less than an academy for me where I get to learn the nuances of acting and emoting on a daily basis, which further helps me to be a better actor. I really feel blessed to get Balika Vadhu at such an early stage of my career.”

Pratyusha Banerjee (Anandi): “Surekhaji is a sweetheart. She has mood swings but is the best person to work with. When doing scenes with her I have to ensure that I give it my best inorder to match up to her calibre and to get noticed.”

Neha Marda (Gehna): “It was a privilege to share the screen with Surekhaji. Even if the scene is not hers, she always walks away with the cake and the cherry at all times with her mere presence. Even without saying a single dialogue, and with expressions alone she does miracle. I really feel blessed for getting an opportunity to do Balika Vadhu and I would like to thank Surekhaji for being so supportive and positive while doing the scenes. Its been an amazing journey so far working with her and as everyone says, “she is an institution in herself” holds true.”


Having heard such delightful things about her from her co-stars and people who have worked with her, we are more than happy to have got a chance to  meet her and spend some time around her! Rangmunch.TV takes it as a privilege to be publishing this write up for its fans. 

Interviewed & edited  by:

Swati Ghosh &

Niharika Vidya Sagar 

 

Hawan: Divine Beginning

The calm smile , the soothing eyes and and  the aura around  him makes Baapji  the Godly saint that he is . He is a person who believes in goodness  in human and somehow  connects  with his devotees through his mind and heart. The story  in Hawan so far has shown Baapji as a supreme power who with his touch can turn bad to good. Baapji  with his subtle sayings has managed to win  the hearts of people and restore the faith in humanity..Presently  he is  on a mission to get his son  Atharva (played by Kunal Verma)  and his devotee Aastha  (played by Shrenu Parikh) to bond in holy matrimony . The beauty with which he did has  left me spell bound. When  Atharva’s pranks  and jokes hurt Aastha , it is Baapji  who with his soothing vaani  tells   Chaturvedi ji  that a beautiful relationship has begun  to blossom. When you think that things cant be improved and have been messed up beyond repair  , it is  then , that  faith plays an important role.

The ease with which Atharva tells Aastha the truth about himself completely left me wanting for more. The scenes further between the leads have been so well enacted that it reminded me of movie  “Vivaah “.The innocent beginning  of  love between Atharva  and Aastha is all similar to Prem and Poonam’s  in Vivah . Atharva  telling Aastha to put mehendi on her palm in case she misses him, and further  giving her a mobile so that can talk to each other  whenever  they want too shows how deeply Atharva  has fallen in love with  Aastha.  Aastha  on the other hand  with her coyness  and innocence  reciprocates  each look, each touch with warmth and love.

The waiting period  between the leads  or rather the courtship as we can safely say  has  now started . One must applaud Rajan Shahi for beautifully weaving in the fresh love  story between Atharva and Aastha with Baapji supporting  them. The way he has intermingled new relationship with divine beauty leaves you craving for more.The enchanting and mesmerizing  background score only makes it better.

Looking forward to a lovely beginning   between Atharva, Aastha and Baapji .

Navyanka

Rangmunch.tv

 

Happy Birthday Soumya Seth!!!!

If you think, Navya is sweet, you must meet Soumya to know why it is so! Soumya inherently is a warm friendly person who makes friends with great ease. At least thats what we felt when we met her for the first time. Soumya totally loves chocolates and she can trade anything in the world for them! She is as connected to her family as the character in the show is. She has best friends like Appy and Ritz in her real life too. 

Today as Soumya celebrates her birthday, we would like to wish her the best of health, wealth, happiness, luck, love and work in abundance. 

We called Soumya to wish her on behalf of Rangmunch.TV, and that is when we got to know she has taken a couple of days off and is out to town. Like any other girl her age, who loves celebrating birthdays and hanging out with friends, Soumya is doing just that today. 

We hope you have a great day and rocking year ahead Soumya! Happy Birthday once again! Come join in and wish Soumya a very Happy Birthday! 

Niharika Vidya Sagar

Rangmunch.TV

 

News Bar: The Week Back and Forth…

Saas Bina Sasuraal(SONY TV)

With Tej wanting to start his own shop, and Toasty not very approving of the same against his own family, will we see another rift in the household? Chedi agrees to the offer, and tells him he will give him a place to set up the business, but will not help him financially. Tej on the other hand is confident he will be able to make it on his own. Will he be? We will know soon.

Kuch to Log Kahenge (SONY TV)

Was Dr.Ashutosh’s tie landing in Nidhi’s hands a stroke of destiny? Is this a hint that their lives are now intertwined with one another. It would be interesting to watch how their paths cross yet again. Unknowingly something has sparked the flame off between Nidhi and Ashutosh, and we know Nidhi has to eventually come back. How else is her heart going to echo Saiyan Naino ki Bhasha Samjhey na yet again…

Is Pyar Ko… Kya Naam Doon? (Star Plus)

With Shyam trying to kill Shashi, since he now knows the former is married, the story has taken an interesting turn. Unknown to Shyam, his threat is more from his own brother-in-law, who has slowly started feeling something for Khushi.In the week that went by, we saw how both these men, proved they can go to any lengths for the woman they love! The pre-cap has promised a hug between Arnav and Khushi. We only hope it doesn’t turn out to be a dream and we also pray Babuji shows Shyam’s true face to the world!

Navya (Star Plus)

Anant and Navya are now engaged, and they find themselves in a totally new awkward world. They are the same, but the circumstances around them might change. With Navya fasting for Anant, she has already started following the duties of a wife to be. With the marriage process expedited, will all be well in Anant and Navyá’s world?

While we are at it, we would like to wish Soumya Seth aka Navya a very Happy Birthday from Rangmunch !

Humse Hai Liife (Channel V)

With the revelation that Sia indeed is the she boxer that Raghav has been wanting to know of, all these days, and a lot tension building up post the mobile phone stealing fiasco, this indeed is an interesting week ahead for Humse Hai Liife. Coach, is brutal, and Sia doesn’t get to know why, and the rest of the students around her don’t help either. How will Sia cope with the Elite’s this week?

Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein (Star One)

StarOne’s Dhoond Legi Manzil Hume wrapped up last friday, with Chander returning leaving Alka elated. The show started off as the journey of Alka from not wanting to embrace politics to becoming a leader eventually. Her lover Chander, whom she presumes to be dead until the last episode, also is instrumental in her journey, in making her who she is. With the story wrapping up, we would like to congratulate the entire team for making an effort in attempting something that was totally of a different genre.

Compiled by:

Niharika Vidya Sagar

Rangmunch.TV

 

Kareena Kapoor says NO to RED!!!

Well, Kareena Kapoor who was present for the shoot of Diwali Rishton Ki Mithas on STAR Plus refused to wear a shiny, blood-red sari for the event that will be aired on 21^st and 22^nd October at 8 pm. 

Wondering what made her angry or was she too shy? Well, she was neither angry nor shy. Humble Kareena reasoned that her beau Saif Ali Khan’s dad Nawab Pataudi has recently passed away, and it would be extremely insensitive on her part to dress up in bright colours for a public event. Therefore, she asked the Designer working on her costume to choose more subtle and light colours. 

Now we know what makes Bebo so lovable, and why our Chote Nawab, Saif Ali Khan is Kurbaan on her.

So catch the gorgeous yet simple Kareena on Diwali Rishton Ki Mithas on 21^st & 22^nd October at 8 pm only on STAR Plus!

Edited by:

Swati Ghosh 

Rangmunch.TV

 

Wish a star: Happy Birthday Rajeev Khandelwal

It takes him less than 10 seconds to make any woman go weak in her knees! He has made a name and a mark for himself both in the TV and Movie industry. With an unconventional debut Aamir behind him and a more recent Soundtrack to follow up, after a hit TV series like Kahin Toh Hoga where he had women of all ages go gaga over him, Rajeev Khandelwal is all set to blaze up the screens with the second season of Sach Ka Saamna on StarOne.

Rajeev celebrates his birthday today and we at Rangmunch take this opportunity to wish the star a very happy year ahead!

Niharika Vidya Sagar

Rangmunch.TV

 

Anjali an anti-thesis of Arnav: will tables turn?

She has been a loving sister, an obedient, dutiful and daughter of the household and most importantly an understanding and caring wife. Everyone who meets Anjali on Iss Pyaar ko kya Naam Doon? falls in love with her sweetness, simplicity and her accommodating nature.  She has been that string that has held the entire Raizada family together. Arnav totally dotes on her and treats her as a mother figure, and someone who is an indispensable part of his life. Anjali also shares a wonderful rapport with Khushi and Payal. 

She has been shown as a religious person, with immense faith in god and things around her. So the question arises, what will happen when the world around her changes, since its most likely to happen in the days to come. Anjali has shown so much faith in husband Shyam and what his says and does, that your heart goes out to her when you think of what he is doing behind her back. Anjali is that one factor that binds almost every character on the show to another, so much so that the other day when Payal was hurt, she actually was strong willed enough to go against her own mami and tell her she was wrong! The subtle yet strong actions from time and again is what makes Anjali a true sister to ASR in every respect! Don’t forget she was the very same girl who struck a deal with Khushi, when it came to working in their house!

Having said all this, in my opinion, Anjali is one such character that has the makings of a person that can undergo a total sea change! If we look at the current scenario, she has realized Khushi is that one person who can influence Arnav’s life. Anjali may even be smart enough to gauge there is more than what meets the eye! She may encourage it too knowing fully well, this could be a road to her brother’s happiness. She will leave no stone unturned to find the key to her brother’s heart! 

What will happen however, when she learns this very Khushi has been the reason for her marital turmoil that she has been blissfully unaware of? They say, a known devil is better than an unknown angel. Anjali loves her husband to death, but is totally oblivious to the occurances and the feelings of his heart ! The amount of faith she has in him, could also for a moment lead her to believe he cannot possibly be wrong! Love loves denial and make belief realities and Anjali has every reason to blame Khushi for the same, if Shyam pushes the blame on Khushi to save his face!

However, a thought that has been playing in my head for a while, asks … What if tables turn? We know Arnav is a cold, brutal cynical man who has no faith, trust or belief in anyone. This however is now perhaps slowly changing with Khushi gradually making her way into his heart. There could be a day, in the near future when he starts to give life a chance again and live it the way it needs to be lead. He may start smiling more, giving more, loving more! At this point in time, what if Anjali learns, her husband has been cheating on her without knowing who the woman is? She may start to hate Khushi anyway, knowingly and unknowingly! One, for having lost her brother’s attention and affection to another woman, and two for being that unknown other woman in her husbands life! Would this lead to Anjali turning into another ASR while the sibling dons the role of an Anjali? Sounds too drastic doesn’t it? Well, I don’t know ! With whatever little I have gathered of Anjali, and how the story primarily focuses on how much she means to Arnav, and how much Shyam means to her, I am only forced to believe, anything changing drastically in their world could change Anjali as a whole! 

We know the worst is on its way, and hope she as a character gets the strength to handle this tsunami and portray consistency in character. After all, no one wants to see people losing faith in humanity, relationships and optimism! You just stop living then right?

These two indeed are perfect brother and sister and their characters have been etched with extreme depth and they have been interwoven with one another to the minutest of detail!

Niharika Vidya Sagar

Rangmunch.TV

 

Fida’s Corner: His Wife, Mrs. Khurana!!! (Chapter 21)

Chapter 21

Geet walked into the study and sat in a corner of the leather sofa, drawing her legs up underneath her as if to make herself as small as possible.

He sat watching her; unable to think of any reason why she would forgive the man who had hurt her so much.  After a moment, the familiar urge to be near her overcame his anger; he stood and walked over to where she was sitting.  He sat next to her, close but not touching; a moment later, he felt a touch on his hand and looked down to see that Geet had laid her hand over his.  Turning his hand over, he interlaced his fingers with hers, then waited for her to speak.

“Maan, main samajh sakti hoon ke aap ko kitna ajeeb lagta hoga ke main Dev ka yahan rehna bardaasht karti hoon, ke main uss se baat karti hoon, ke main uss ke saath acchi tarha peysh aati hoon. Main agar sochoon ke ussne mere saath kya kiya, to main bhi nahin samajh sakti ke main uss ko kaise bardaasht karti hoon.

“Maan, I can understand how strange it must seem to you that I can tolerate Dev’s presence in this house, that I talk to him, that I’m nice to him.  If I let myself think about what he did to me, then I can’t understand it myself”

“Magar sach to yeh hai ke main woh sab baatein apne dimaaq ke ek aise hisse mein band karchuki hoon jahan woh hamesha dabi rehti hain.  Woh mera guzra hua kal hai.  Humari shaadi ke baad maine chaaha ke woh sab baatein bhool ke hum ek nayi zindagi shuru karein.  Maine sirf yeh chaaha ke aap aur main apni zindagi khushiyon se bharein, aur agar main apne dil mein yeh kadwaahat bhar ke rakhti, to main kabhi aage nahin badhsakti.”

“But the truth is that I’ve locked all those memories away in a box in the corner of my mind, somewhere where they will always be suppressed.  That’s my past.  After our wedding, all I wanted was to leave the past behind so that we could start a new life together.  All I wanted was for you and me to fill our life with happiness, and I knew that if I kept my heart filled with this bitterness, I would never be able to move forward”

They sat there in silence for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts, until she finally said “Sach yeh bhi hai; main aap ke saath itna khush thi ke main apni nayi khushi mein thodi si bhi purani kadwaahat nahin milaana chahti thi.  Woh meri zindagi ek dafa barbaad ka chuka tha; main kyun usska asar apni nayi zindagi pe hone deti.”

“It’s also true that I was so happy with you that I didn’t want to mix even a drop of bitterness into our new happiness.  He destroyed my life once; why should I let him affect my new life as well.”

“To maine woh sab baatein bhula deen, aur sirf ussko ek badi bhabi ki nazar se dekne ki koshish ki.  Aur sach yeh bhi hai, jiss din se woh meri zindagi mein lauta, humari mangni ke din, uss din se aaj tak ussne sirf ek devar ki tarha hi raha hai, ussne sirf mujhe apni bhabi ka darja diya hai”

“So I made myself forgot everything, and tried to look at him as if I had only ever been his elder sister-in-law.  And the truth is, from the moment he came back into my life at the time of our engagement, from that day till now, he has always behaved the way a younger brother-in-law would, he has always given me the respect due to an elder Bhabi”

Geet was silent for a while, then spoke again.

“Maan, Dev badal bhi gaya hai; agar woh wohi aadmi hota issne mere saath itna bada dhoka kiya tha, to shayad main itni jaldi apni kadwahat nahin bhula sakti thi.  Magar jab se ussne aap ko khoon diya hai, jab se woh iss ghar mein laut ke aaya hai, mujhe badla badla sa lagta hai.  Jiss aadmi nein mujhe apne jaal mein phansaya tha, yeh Dev won nahin hai.”

“Maan, Dev has changed; if he had been the same person who deceived me, then perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to forget my bitterness so quickly.  But since he turned up to donate blood to you, since he came back to this house, he seems to have changed.  The man who trapped me in his web, this Dev is not the same man”.

“Kya woh itna badal gaya hai ke tum ne jaake kissi aurat se usske liye sifaarish ki?  Priya Paatil se jaake Dev ki acchaiyyaan karsakti theen tum?

“Has he changed so much that you can go and plead his case to another woman?  How could you go and say anything good about Dev to Priya Paatil?”

She looked at him with a spark of anger in her eyes, then said, “Do you honestly think I would lie for anyone?  Do you think I would lie for him?”

She tried to pull her hand away but he held on tight, unwilling to let her pull away.

“Geet, I’m sorry.  Look, I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.  I just can’t understand what you could have told her that didn’t make her hate Dev”

She continued to try and pull her hand away for a moment then gave up, leaving her hand trapped in his.

“Pata hai Maan, I think she really loves him.  I told her everything, everything; every detail, the way he charmed me, the way he wooed me, the way he destroyed me simply because he couldn’t control his lust……owww”

He jumped as she let out a cry of pain, then realised he had almost crushed her fingers in his as she had been speaking.  Pulling his hand away, he stood and walked away from her, aware that his anger was still far too close to the surface.

“Maan, I told her every possible detail, and at the end of it, she asked me the same thing you did; how could I bear to be around him.  I told her the same thing; that I did it for myself, did it for my own happiness, but that I also thought that Dev wasn’t the same man he had been then”

As he turned to look back at where she was sitting, Geet looked up at him and said “You know what she said to me?  She said that his past actions were abhorrent and that she had told him that already.  Then she said that the man she knew now would never do anything like that again; that she wouldn’t let him.  If she was in his life, she would make sure that he never got the chance to give into his weakness ever again.  She loves him, with all his flaws and weakness and with everything he’s done, she still loves him”

After a moment, she said “Maan, how do you know about Priya?  Why were you asking me about Dev today, after such a long time?”

“Uss ne aaj mujhse baat ki, Dev ne.  He wants me to talk to Dadi, to ask Dadi to back off and stop talking about his shaadi.”

“Did he say why?” she asked

“He doesn’t think he deserves any happiness.  I can’t say I disagree with him.”

He heard a little sound escape her lips, then saw her expression.

“You think I’m wrong?  You think he deserves happiness after what he did to you?”

As she hesitated, he said “Geet, tum batao na, kya soch rahi ho?” “Geet, just tell me, what are you thinking?”

“I don’t think you should get involved.  I think we should just stay out of their lives and let them sort it out.  Sawaal ye nahin hai ke whether I think he deserves happiness or not, sawaal sirf yeh hai ki usski qismat mein kya hai.  Humein beech mein nahin bolna chahiye.  Oopar wala sab sambhalta hai; usske paapon ka praschit to usse karna hai, par sirf oopar wala jaanta hai ke kab, kahan aur kaise.  Humein sazaa dene ki zaroorat nahin hai, oopar wala sab khud sambhaalta hai.”

“I don’t think you should get involved.  I think we should just stay out of their lives and let them sort it out.  The question is not whether I think he deserves happiness or not, the question is simply what is written in his destiny.  We shouldn’t interfere.  God manages everything; Dev will pay for his sins but only God knows where, when and how.  We don’t need to punish him, that’s not our job.”

Their eyes met and held as she spoke; he could see her belief in her eyes and knew that somehow she really had reached a place in her life where Dev meant nothing more to her than simply her devar.  Her wishes meant more to him that his desire to punish Dev, so he took a deep breath and nodded.

“Theek hai, Geet.  Agar tumhari marzi yeh hai, to yahi sahi.  Maine tumse pehle bhi kaha hai, tumhari khushi meinhi meri khushi hai”

“Alright Geet, if that’s what you want, then that’s what will happen.  I’ve told you before, all I want is you happiness, that’s all”

Their eyes met and held again, but after a moment her eyes dropped as if unable to bear his scrutiny for another moment.  As she went to stand up he came close to the sofa, blocking her escape route.  She blushed and sat back again, refusing to meet his eyes as he crouched down in front of her.

“Geet” was all he said.

He waited (and waited) till she finally looked up at him.

“Geet”

As their eyes met and held, a thousand messages flowed between them.  He brought his hand up to stroke her cheek, relieved when she didn’t flinch away.

“Geet, tum mujhse kyun door rehne ki koshish karrahi ho?  Kya tum mujhe maaf nahin karsakteen?  Kya tumhare dil mein mere liye thoda sa bhi pyaar nahin raha hai?”

“Geet, why are you trying to stay away from me?  Can you not forgive me?  Isn’t there even a tiny bit of love left for me in your heart?”

Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over and rolled down her cheeks; he brought his other hand up so that he was cupping her cheeks and used his thumbs to wipe her tears away.

“Geet, aansoo nahin.  Please aansoo nahin.  Tumhara ek aansoo dekhke main kamzor padjata hoon.  Main tumhari khushi ke liye kuch bhi karsakta hoon, main tumhara zindagi bhar intezaar karsakta hoon, bas tumhare aansoo bardaasht nahin karsakta hoon.”

“Geet, please no tears, please no tears.  Even one of your tears is enough to weaken me.  I can do anything for your happiness, I can wait for you for the rest of my life, but I can’t bear your tears”

He took a deep breath; somewhere inside him a quiet voice whispered over and over “why not, just tell her, she deserves to know, just tell her, just tell her”.

“Geet, I love you, you have to know that.  I know I hurt you, I know you might never forgive me for forgetting you, but I love you.  I love you now, I love the woman I know now, even though I don’t remember anything about before.  Main yeh wada to nahin karsakta ke main phir nahin bhooloonga, magar main ye wada to karsakta hoon ke main hamesha hamesha tumse pyar karoonga, hamesha.  Kabhi to ye lagta hai ke main apne aap ko bhool sakta hoon magar main tumse pyar karna nahin bhool sakta.”

“Geet, I love you, you have to know that.  I know I hurt you, I know you might never forgive me for forgetting you, but I love you.  I love you now, I love the woman I know now, even though I don’t remember anything about before.  I can’t promise never to forget you again, but I can promise that I’ll always love you, always.  Sometimes I think that I could forget myself, but I can’t forget how to love you”

He realised he was begging, begging her to love him and for a moment he couldn’t believe how far he had fallen; it took less than a heartbeat to realise that his pride meant nothing if he didn’t have her.

“Geet, apne aap ko mujhse door mat rakho.  Mujhe mauqa de do ke main tumhara pyaar phir se paaloon.    Itne dinon se main dekhraha hoon ke tum har waqt mujhse door jaati ho, aisa hai jaise tum apne dil ko bacha ke rakh rahi ho.  Main jaanta hoon maine tumhe bahut dukh pahonchaya hai, magar Geet, just give me a chance to make you believe how much I love you.  Just let me in Geet, let me in, give me a chance”

“Geet, don’t keep yourself away from me.  Give me a chance to make you love me again.  It’s been so long and all I can see is that you’re always trying to get away from me, it’s almost as if you’re protecting your heart from me.  I know how much I’ve hurt you, but Geet, just give me a chance to make you believe how much I love you.  Just let me in Geet, let me in, give me a chance”

He crouched there for long moments, her face in her hands, his eyes searching hers for any sign that she had heard him; for a long time he thought that he had made no impression on the high walls she used to guard her heart.

But then, in a gesture that reminded him of the moment in the rain when he had kissed her last, she brought her hands up to cover his before bringing them down, then leaned forward to lay her lips on his.

It was the lightest of kisses, more an acknowledgment that she had heard him than a declaration of love, but it was enough for him.  He fought the need to pull her close, to crush her in his arms and never let her go, knowing that he couldn’t move too fast.

Instead he cupped her face again and leaned forward slightly, deepening the kiss just enough to give his starving heart something to hold onto.

When she pulled back, he longed to pull her close again, but he held back.  He was rewarded when she said “Main darrti hoon ke aap mujhe phir chod denge.  Agar aisa phir hua to mera dil toot ke bikhar jaayega; main phirse apne dil ko sambhal nahin paaongi.  I’ve wanted so much to let you close, but I’ve been so scared.  Main aap ke baghair rehte rehte thak gayi hoon Maan, thak gayi hoon.  Main koshish karoongi.”

“I’m so afraid that you’ll leave me again.  If that happened again, my heart would shatter, I wouldn’t be able to put it back together again.  I’ve wanted so much to let you close, but I’ve been so scared.  I’m so tired of living without you Maan, so tired.  I’ll try”

She smiled through her tears at the look in his eyes, but before he could kiss her again, her stomach growled loudly.   The tension between them dissolved as they both burst out laughing; he looked at the clock on the wall and realised that they had been closeted together in his study for over three hours.  He gave silent thanks that Dadi was out of town this weekend, visiting a friend, otherwise goodness only knew what she would have thought.

Taking Geet’s hand, he pulled her to her feet, feeling strangely light-hearted even though all she had agreed to was to try and let him in.

“Chalein Mrs Khurana, mere khayal se naashte ka waqt hogaya.”

“Let’s go Mrs Khurana, I think it”s time for breakfast.”

All the questions between them had been answered; every card was now on the table.  All he had to do now was convince his wife that she had no reason to fear his love; an anticipatory smile crossed his lips as it occurred to him how enjoyable that task could be.  At that moment, life was good.