Chapter 350: Asli Duniya

Haan toh hum kahan the? Arre haan, Punya blush karti hui college ja rahi thi, hai na?

Punya had a smile on her lips and her heart was soaring while she looked around for Vinay. She looked around searchingly, she was sure she heard his voice, yes she decided, that was him behind the pillar talking to Ajay. She tiptoed towards them intent on scaring them with a big Boo, “Come on Vinay,” Ajay’s voice clearly carried over to her, “don’t tell me you really like that mousy Punya! Gosh naam se hi pata chalta hai how boring and insipid she must be and on top of it, sheee,” he made a disgusted sound.

Punya froze, for the life of her she couldn’t move, she wanted to run away but she just couldn’t, was that how the others too thought of her? Surely Vinay would defend her, her heart thudded fiercely and she held her breath, “Relax Ajay, you are basically a fool, life is all about strategic alliances, especially if you are interested in politics,” Vinay’s voice was full of scorn as he derided his friend.

“Strategic alliances?” Ajay was surprised, “and pray what is the connection between Punya and politics?”

Punya didn’t want to hear any further; her instincts were screaming that whatever it was – it was sure to be something ugly – she was sure of it; as sure as she was of the ugly face that greeted her each morning in the mirror, but Punya stood rooted to the spot, “Idiot,” scoffed Vinay, “I dug around and guess what I found – Punya is the adopted sister of ASR, you have heard of the Arnav Singh Raizada right? He is rolling in money,” Punya could hear the lascivious greed in Vinay’s voice as he rubbed his hands in glee, “Bas uski sister ko patana hai, phir my life is set, I wont have to worry about money for the rest of my life!”

“Wow! But…” Ajay was clearly impressed and taken aback, “But…what about Punya?”

“What about Punya?” shot back Vinay aggressively, “She is nothing, she means nothing, look at the bigger picture man,” Vinay drawled scornfully, “she is just a pawn in the game, just a rung on the ladder to my success,” he gloated, “from which I am just this far, she is ready and ripe for picking,” he said gleefully, “poor thing is so desperate for the attention of a man, and itni bewakoof hai that she thinks I, Vinay Kumar, actually believe all that bullshit about ‘meeting of minds’ ‘ do jism magar ek jaan’ he laughed crudely.

“But man, that’s awful!” even Ajay was horrified, “how can you do that to her? You can’t just use her and throw her away like a used napkin or something, what if ASR insists that you marry her?”

“Exactly what I am angling for!” came the triumphant response, “yehi toh main chahta hoon, I will marry her in a jiffy, lay my hands on her millions aur phir main karoonga aish,” he sighed in pleasure at the image he had conjured up for himself, “Waise bhi I intend to go into politics and it will be good for my image as a zimeddaar neta of the country to pick an unfortunate kismet ki maari abla naari as my life partner,” he had it all worked out.

“Par yeh galat hai,” burst out Ajay, “Do you have any idea how awful you sound? Something straight out of those saas-bahu serials! Yaar Vinay kuch toh socho uss bechari Punya ke baare main, you cant play such a terrible underhanded trick on her, really it is too bad of you!” Ajay was horrified.

“Mahan lekhakh Shakespeare ne kaha hai – nothing is good or bad, only thinking makes it so!” Vinay was unrepentant, he was set for life and he was loving it, “Waise bhi am I not doing that unfortunate girl a favor? Kaun karega usse shaadi?”

Horror and shame engulfed Punya, she wished the earth would open and swallow her – so that was the reason for the sudden turnaround of her classmates! They had gotten to know that she was ASR’s sister – more fool you, she berated herself fiercely as she stood there shaking, trying to absorb the full impact of all that she had just overheard. She had the sudden urge to turn tail and run away – as if that would rewind the clock and she could go back to life as it was just a few moments ago.

But she couldn’t rewind the clock, life would never be the same again yet one thing was clear, she was better off knowing the harsh truth rather than have a leech like Vinay in her life, sucking on her family’s blood for his sustenance – she shuddered.

A sudden fierce anger invaded her being as years of bottled up anger came to the fore – ‘fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’ she stiffened and marched up to the two men.

Their ludicrous expressions as they registered her presence and expression was almost too much for her gravity – if Poo had not been so shocked and stunned, she would have burst out laughing – but she stored up the scene in some corner of her mind; for the moment, she had other more urgent pressing matters to attend to, she held out her hand to Ajay, “Thanks Ajay, you are good guy,” she nodded pleasantly at Ajay who just stared at her dumbly, Punya shrugged and turned to face Vinay, “And this is what you get for making the mistake of thinking of me as a ‘kismet ki maari bechara abla naari.’

There was a distinctive crack as her palm connected with his cheek. She waved her finger threateningly at him, “ Aur ek aur galati ki tumne, I am no shrinking violet that I will hide myself in some God-forsaken corner sobbing my heart out for you and bear my misfortune in stoic silence,” she shook her head decisively, her eyes blazing with anger, “No no that’s so not me, you just wait and watch, before the day is over, I will make sure that the entire college knows exactly how ghatiya is your soch,” she turned away and walked off her head held high.

Vinay was still staring after her dumbly when she turned back and came back to him, “And finally, wait for the day when I tell ASR about your grand plans for the future,” a genuine smile lit up her face as she contemplated the pleasant images that were instantly conjured up. Pleased with the way his face paled and his mouth opened and shut like a goldfish, she sashayed off.

As she brushed away angry tears, she finally knew what she wanted as a gift from Arnav bhaiyya this Rakhi.

Achcha achcha theek hai theek hai, keep those bricks to yourselves – ghar banane ke kaam aayenge 😛

Kuch aur expect kar rahe the kya?

Hmm, hota hai hota hai, reality often doesn’t match up to expectations does it?

Jaise nobody noticed it was the 350^th chapter. Or did you? Come on now be honest.

Anyway I hope you people will be kinder and equally forgiving towards friends, family and especially spouses if they forget dates, which maybe important to you. After all it isn’t really possible to be on the same page with everyone ‘always’ right?

Click here for Chapter 351