Kuch Luv Jaisa - Part 3

‘Rhea, dinner time.’

Rhea was busy watching a cartoon channel on the TV when Smruti called her for the dinner. Rhea was just four-years-old but very sharp and smart like her mother. She loved to watch cartoon and cricket too. Cricket came in to her list because of her father. Dev was very fond of the sport and played it himself on Sundays with friends.

Rhea had many traits of her mother. She used to play with her friends every time. She loved being with people. Small children, anyway, like to be with their friends. But Rhea never liked to be alone. It often happened that Smruti had to be a bit late at QIT due to some work. Hence, after coming back from school, Rhea had to be at home alone with the house care taker, Daaiji. But, she used to hate it as Daaiji was often busy with the household chores. Rhea had to spend time either playing alone or watching TV. But she had found a solution for it and used to call her friend, Shalaka from neighborhood. Then both the girls used to play, laugh and fight and make a lot of noise.

Daaiji was working as a house care taker with Deshpande’s since Rhea’s birth. Dev’s mother had sent her from Pune to be with Dev, Smruti and the girl and take care of the house. Though in her fifties, Daaiji was a workaholic. Right from getting up as early as 4.30 in the morning and making breakfast for the family, dropping and receiving Rhea to and back from the school to washing clothes and making food, every possible thing was taken care of by Daaiji. She was one of the greatest strengths for Dev and Smruti. They always looked up to her with a motherly affection. Dev’s mother had a grocery store at Pune, due to which it was not possible for her to come and stay with him and take care of the family. She had set a very strong base at Pune and the grocery store was working really very well. Daaiji used to assist her initially at the store but later, she was replaced by another lady as she had to be sent to Mumbai to be with Dev and Smruti.

‘Oh, enough, Daaiji. Do you know you are making me fatso?’ Smruti said as Daaiji was serving rice on the plates.

‘Shut up. You will not be fat by eating only this much. Look at yourself. All you girls of today are just trying to be, what they say, zero number?’

Smruti started laughing. ‘It is size zero, Daaiji.’

‘Yes, whatever.’ Daaiji was her natural self.

‘Smruti, your cell phone is ringing since last few minutes. Just check out.’ Dev said as he joined everyone at the dining table. ‘Papa’. Rhea hugged her father. Papa Dev planted a kiss on his daughter’s lovely cheeks.

‘First let us have dinner. No calls while having food.’ Daaji ordered. And everyone obliged.

The cell phone was ringing again. ‘Daaiji, I will just check out who is it. It is ringing continuously.’ As she came inside her bed room to check out her phone, she saw five missed calls. All of them were from Samrat.

‘Sam, what is it? I was having dinner. I am not done yet. Anyway, tell me what happened?’

Her soft voice was making his heart beat faster. She has done a real magic on him that now every aspect of her is leaving a long-lasting effect on him. Listening to her voice on the cell was making him dance with joy. ‘Oh, I am really sorry, ma’am. You’re having dinner so late today? It is already ten.’

‘Yes, I know. Actually, Dev was late today. So it became a bit late. But why were you calling?’

‘Well, no particular reason as such. I was out with Kunal and then was thinking about you. So thought of talking with you.’

There was a silence for a few seconds. Smruti knew that Samrat will have some or the answer ready. He called her often without any specific reason and just to talk with her. Actually many students did. They all loved their Smruti ma’am and always were in touch with her. But it was a privilege only for Samrat to call her at any hour of the clock. Initially, Smruti used to find it odd as Samrat had many friends but still he kept calling her even though they meet in college. She got used to it with time.

‘Haha.. well I’ll go now as Daaiji is really angry on me and Dev. Before she gets more upset, let me have dinner.’

‘Of course. Sorry to disturb, ma’am. Give my love to Rhea. Bye.’

‘Yeah, sure. Take care. Bye.’

Dev, Rhea and Daaiji were almost done with their food. Rhea ate less but used to eat with her own small hands.

‘Who was it?’ Dev asked.

‘Sam.’ Smruti said while starting to eat.

‘These students, I tell you. They cannot live without her. Smruti, why do you give your numbers to everyone? One should have some privacy, at least, at home.’

Daaiji had a point. ‘Leave it, Daaiji. Give me more rice. Your food is the best in the world. Do you know it?’ said Dev to change the topic.

‘You people know it very well how to make me quiet,’ Daaiji said while serving some more rice on his plate. Smruti and Dev winked at each other.

Here Kunal and Samrat were having their night walk on a quiet road near to their society. Kunal and Samrat stayed in the same housing society. Even Pooja used to stay there but she had to shift to another location due to her dad’s transfer of working location.

‘Hey, look on your right. What a babe, man!’

Samrat was indifferent and was looking straight while Kunal was pleasing his eyes.

‘What happened, Sam? I am observing a lot of changes in you these days.’ Kunal thought that it was the right time to ask him.

‘What changes are you talking about?’

‘You seem to be lost somewhere. Who were you talking to right now? Smruti ma’am?’

Samrat was quiet. And Kunal got his answer.

‘Dude, what’s up?’

‘Nothing. Should we go home now? I am feeling a bit sleepy.’

‘Ok.’ Kunal knew that there is definitely something wrong and it is related to Smruti ma’am. But Samrat will never open up his mind completely to anyone other than Pooja. He knew that only she would be able to talk to him regarding it.

Samrat’s mother was a psychiatrist. His father was a professor and had expired when Samrat was just ten-years-old due to a heart attack. Since then, it was his mother, Dr. Heena Joshi who took care of him and her demanding career.

Samrat came back home and went straight to his bed room.

‘Sam..’, Heena felt like talking to him. Mothers know it instantly by just looking at their child’s face if anything is wrong with him or her.

‘Yes mom?’

‘When are your placements going to begin?’

‘Most probably, by this month end.’

‘Ok. Do prepare for it, dear. Do not be overconfident.’

‘Yes, mom. I will. Anything else?’

Heena wanted to ask but then decided to let him go. ‘Well, nothing really. Go and sleep now.’

‘Good night.’ Samrat said.

‘Good night,’ said Dev and planted a kiss on her cheek. Smruti was very tired and about to sleep. Dev had some calls from his patients and so he was awake for a while.

‘Not sleepy?’ asked Smruti.

Dev, too, relaxed on the bed. ‘Yes, I am sleepy but how can I sleep before kissing my darling?’

Smruti smiled. ‘Had lot of patients today, right?’

‘A hell lot of them. I was just talking to one of them. Good that you are not a doctor.’ Dev.

‘Doesn’t matter. Being a professor is equally tiresome. Be one and you will know.’

‘Right now, I just know that I want to be with you.’ He said and kissed on her lips.

‘Let us sleep now. It is too late, dear.’ Smruti said.

‘Wait for a while. Just let me be like this for some time. I will get a good night’s sleep.’ He said while hugging her tight. He loved being in her arms and in her world. This was the only time they get to be together.

Both of them slept soon. However, a beep on her cell woke her up just when she was about to go in a deep sleep.

Good night and sweet dreams.

It was from Samrat. Suddenly she felt a bit uncomfortable. A bit lost. She looked at her husband who was lying near her, in a deep sleep now. And read the message again. She decided not to reply. Dev was having a really good sleep while she was trying to sleep but somehow, tonight, she was not getting a sound sleep.

It was the winter time and the cold breezes were making their way through the window. Smruti’s eyes were transfixed on a small part of the beautiful sky which was visible from her bed. It was dark but the moonlight was bringing in some brightness. The brightness made the stars fade away from the sky. How rude of the moon, she thought. Because of him, the stars are fading away. The moon wanted to be with the sky and hence, was casting his spell. She looked at her cell messages again. What is Samrat really up to? What is going on in his mind, she thought.

Samrat was waiting for her reply but somehow he felt that he will not get any. Samrat didn’t know what exactly is going on with him. Have I fallen in love, he thought. But they say that life is a real puzzle. Everyone tries hard to solve it and in the process, get entangled in it.

How can I fall in love with a lady who is not only my professor but also ten years older than me and married? Why am I constantly thinking about her when she doesn’t even know about it? Or has she got an hint? This is not right. But it is making me uncomfortable. I am thinking about her every moment. Why has life brought me into this phase of life? Why? Samrat had many questions but no answers. He just knew that he was getting increasingly attracted to her. 

He knew that he was falling in love with her.