The next day arrived with chaos. By afternoon. Thabal's hostel room no longer looked like a room. It looked like a war zone. Suitcases open, clothes thrown everywhere, snack packets on the bed.
Meera dropped onto the chair dramatically. Winching a bit. She sighed tiredly.
"Devaa!! Finally. Itna thak gayi na mein. Pura body dard kar raha hai" she groaned. Thabal chuckled at her.
"Yeh toh sogayi" she said, indicating towards Shreya who laid sprawled on her bed. Completely drained out.
"Travelling problem hai kya kare. Raaste mein do baar ulti karke aayi hai" Meera shook her head as she narrated.
"Hmm. Tu bhi rest kar le. Thak gayi hogi. Mein baki sab arranged kar dungi" Thabal insisted her but Meera tched and shook her head.
"I am fine. Bas thodi si thakawat hai. Achar wala pass kar toh. Khawungi toh i will feel better" she said, pointing at the jar, filled with mango pickle. Thabal passed her the jar.
"Aai ne banaya tha. She makes it so damn good. Le tu bhi" Meera gave her some of the pieces. Thabal smiled, quietly listening to her.
"Waise how's Mr officer? I mean now that you both are official. Something must have changed. Haina? Men usually change when they are in a relationship or get married" Meera shrugged casually, biting on her pickle. Thabal smiled and shook her head.
"Asa nahi hai. He is the same. Bas thoda sa jyada you know. Meetha meetha baatein bolta hai" she shyly revealed. Meera chuckled at it.
"Yaar tu kitni cute hai. Ase sharmati hai toh aur bhi cute lagti hai. Vikram sir is really lucky. Like seriously. Mein ladka hoti na, tereko pati leti mein" she winked playfully. Thabal groaned and hit her thigh, embarrassed. Meera laughed at her reaction, clearly enjoying it.
"Acha sun waise" she said, grabbing her attention.
"Haan?" Thabal looked at her in curiosity.
"Woh toh tumko itna sara gifts deta hai. Yeah like i understand, you are still a student right now. And Vikram sir toh, woh toh woh hai. Still you know, tu bhi ek chota sa gift de de unko. Budget ke under" Meera suggested. Thabal released a sigh and leaned back on her chair.
"Yaar asa nahi hai ki i didn't think about it ever. But mujhe samaj nahi aata kya gift karu. It's so difficult to decide. Because he has everything. Like every single thing. Kya doon mein fhir" she huffed in annoyance. Meera shook her head and tched.
"Aare pagli. Gift gift hota hai. People cherish the gifts given by their loved ones, more than the things they have, which are brought by them" she explained, Thabal paused thinking about it.
"Tu soch. Tere pass top nahi hai? Earrings nahi hai? Still he gave you right? And you love them more than anything you possess. Yahi hota hai gift. So don't think about unke pass kya hai kya nahi. Just think tumhe kya dena hai" Meera simply shrugged. Sucking the tip of her fingers, as it contains the masala of the pickle.
Thabal took a moment to think. What should she gift him? What would he love? She was hell confused right now.
"Meera. Tu bol na. Tera boyfriend hota. Tu kya deti usse?" She asked for a suggestion. Meera suddenly paused in between chewing the mango pickle. Her eyes alert.
"Mein?" She asked in disbelief.
"Haan toh" Thabal repeated, eyes narrowed. Meera frowned but then straightened herself.
"Well. Agar mera boyfriend hota toh to be honest. Sabse pehle i would give him a......watch. The chain one" she smiled, imagining the scenario.
"A watch?" Thabal repeated, thinking over.
"A watch is something so masculine and romantic you can gift it to your man. Trust me" Meera assured. Thabal paused for a moment before opening her mouth.
"Yaar but i have a fear. I heard it from others. Log apne partners ko watch nahi dete hai as gift. Asa bolte hai ki watch jab kharab hojati hai, and rukh jati hai toh relationship bhi rukh jati" she voiced out her concern. Meera sighed and slapped her forehead.
"Devaaa! Kya doctor banegi behen tu. We believe in science, not such andhbiswasi stuffs. These things are logic less. Like what the hell is watch rukh jayegi toh relationship bhi. Toh watch dekhke relationship chala rahe ho kya? Fhir toh jabtak watch pe battery nahi dal dete tab tak breakup. And then battery dal te hi wapas patch up?? Waah!" She scoffed in disbelief. Angering slightly.
Thabal sighed softly, and patted on her thigh, a signal to calm her down.
"Calm down calm down. Gussa mat kar. Chal le lete hai watch hi" she decided but Meera shook her head.
"Dekh. My opinion doesn't matter. Listen to your heart. Tujhe kya chahiye woh hi le. Mein toh bas idea de rahi thi" she said, this time calmly and in a more understanding manner. Thabal smiled at it.
"Meine soch liya. Mein watch hi lungi" and she had already imagined, how good it would look on his wrist.
🦋🦋🦋-----------------
The mall buzzed with life. Lights, music, people everywhere. The three of them walked side by side, Thabal and Meera were quiet but Shreya? She was babbling non stop.
"Bhai i am so angry with you both. Tum dono ne bina mujhse puche hi ase hi kaise decision le liya. Mujhse toh puchna chahiye na. Yeh Meera ka toh koi aata pata nahi hai. Lekin Thabal tu? Tu toh bol sakti thi" She huffed in annoyance, clearly offended that she wasn't included in their planning.
When she woke up after 3 hours of long rest. She was informed that they were going for shopping, to buy a gift for Thabal's Mr officer. That's it.
From there onwards, she have been fuming all the way to the shopping mall. Her constant rant was then cut off by Meera in annoyance.
"Aye, nautanki. Muh band kar. Shukar mana tereko leke aa rahe hai. Shanti se reh" she snapped with a glare. Shreya glared back.
"Tu chup kar. I am really angry" she huffed, looking away. Thabal chuckled inaudibly at it. She hid her smile and consoled her.
"Tu soyi thi na. Thak bhi gayi thi. Toh kaise uthate tujhe. Chal aab gussa mat kar" she cooed softly. Shreya rolled her eyes, clearly indicating that she was still angry.
As they went to the watch section, Sherya's anger flew away in seconds. She immediately widened her eyes and ran towards the watch in display. Meera chuckled and nudged Thabal.
"Dekha. Khatam iske nakhre" Thabal smiled and hummed.
"Oi Thabal. Come here come here. Yeh wala itna sundar hai dekh!!" She immediately called, signalling her to see a piece. Thabal came near her and saw the watch. It was a titan brand. A gold chain watch.
"Aacha hai par silver chain chahiye. Gold nahi" Thabal thinned her lips and shook her head.
"Ma'am, can you show us some watch which could be worn by men. Also we want a silver chain one" Meera asked one of the staff. The staff nodded in yes, searching for a box containing the details provided.
Thabal tapped her fingers on the side of her thigh, looking around the mall. Just then, the staff showed them various watches. Different designs, and different brands.
"Yeh dekh yeh dekh" Shreya showed her another.
"Naah this one's too flashy" Meera shook her head in no.
"Yeh?" Thabal pointed into another watch.
"Yeh thoda uncle type nahi hogaya?" Shreya frowned. Thabal nodded and went on to look another. The staff meanwhile brought another box containing chain watches. She looked at it too.
And then her eyes stopped in front of a simple, elegant watch. Silver strap. Blue dial. Clean. And absolutely elegant. This caught her attention.
"Yeh dekh" she whispered. The two of them turned their heads towards her. They approached her and glanced at the watch, her eyes have stucked on.
"Wow! Sundar hai" Shreya murmured under her breath. Meera nodded in yes.
"Very him" she said slowly.
Thabal turned to the staff and pointed towards the watch.
"How much is this for?" She asked. The staff walked towards her and examined the piece.
"7,000 only ma'am" and that's it. Their eyes widened collectively. They all turned to see each other in a sync. They conversed with each other through sign. They were doomed for sure.
"Ehh, can't you please decrease the prize? What about 5,000?" Meera tried. But the staff sighed and shook her head.
"No ma'am I am sorry. Yeh already discount pe hai ma'am. It's original cost is 18,000. Durga Puja ka sale chal raha hai. Isliye we are giving in offer" the staff informed. And the three? Their mouth remained opened in absolute disbelief.
"18 thousand?" Shreya whispered yelled looking at Thabal.
"Isse aacha mein ek phone na kharidlu" she muttered under her breath. Meera tched and shook her head, now completely in despair.
Thabal whereas was in a deep thought. She wanted it. She was sure. As she have seen it, now no other piece will attract her anymore. But then it's a bit costly too. Her parents don't provide her much money. Just pays her fees. The only person who gives her money was Nungshi.
"Thik hai. I will take it. Pack kardjiye" she said, looking at the staff. The staff nodded and went away. And as soon as she went, Meera made her towards her.
"Itne paise hai tere pass?" She asked her, looking at her intently. Thabal sighed and smiled, in an assuring way.
"Jyada mat soch. Didi ne issbar 5,000 diye the. Jane ke time. So idhar pe hi sahi" she shrugged her shoulders with a small smile.
"Aare toh pura paisa udhar hi? Haath pe kuch nahi rakhegi?" Shreya intervened.
"Nahi. Hai mere pass. 3,000. Last time ka. Didi ne mere kharche ke liye bheja tha. Meine utna spend nahi kiya. So para hai" Thabal informed. They paused for a bit before Meera spoke.
"Kuch jarurat ho toh humse mang lena" Shreya nodded at it, agreeing. Thabal smiled but didn't said anything. Because sometimes, words aren't needed to express what one feels.
🦋🦋🦋------------
Night arrived soon, Thabal sat on her bed, going through her books. Munching on snacks side by side. The clock ticked to 10:50 pm. Meera and Shreya sat on their beds. With their books open.
"Thabal, page number 78 khol toh. Iska notes hai kya tere pass? Hai toh bhejde" Meera said, eyeing the topic properly. Thabal hummed and unlocked her phone. She quickly took a snap of her notes and forwarded it to the group, they made.
She went back to studying. Murmuring the words under her breath, understanding the words and remembering it too. She picked up her highlighter and marked a sentence.
Just then her phone vibrated. She glanced at it and immediately smiled. Without a second thought, she quickly picked it up and lay on her back, phone pressed to her ear.
"Hi baby" Vikram's voice filled her ears, calm and familiar. She immediately blushed hearing his pet name.
"Asa kyu bula rahe ho" she asked shyly. Butterflies roaming around her stomach.
"Girlfriend ko pyaar se hi bulawunga na" he rasped out, chuckling slightly.
"Whatever" she murmured, cheeks warming. Shreya and Meera looked at her and then at each other. They shake their heads together in sync.
"Shuru iska" Shreya muttered. Meera smiled, but said nothing.
"Din kaisa tha?" Vikram asked. Thabal smiled and turned to the wall.
"Hmmm, aacha tha. I went for a shopping too. Meera aur Shreya aagaye hai, toh went out with them. Aate samme chaat khaya, aloo tikki, pani puri, aur ganne ka juice bhi piya. Itna aacha tha pata hai. Woh bara wala white dukan haina, uske pass" she rambled in a go.
Vikram listened to everything she said quietly. God, he loved hearing her speak, her soft melodious voice, it was so soothing to his ears. All that day's tiredness, frustration and anger just melts down listening to her.
"Aap sun bhi rahe ho kya?" Thabal suddenly asked, frowning. When she realised he wasn't speaking anything at all.
"Haan chand. Bas ek tumhara bolna hi toh pasand hai mujhe. Tumhari nahi sununga toh aur kiski sununga" he said, so calmly and casually that it effected her. So damn bad. There was a pause before on her side.
And Vikram knew better. She must have gone all red by now.
"Don't blush much now. Tab karna when i am there to see" he teased. And Thabal felt her cheeks burn more.
"Chup karo. Kya kya bolte ho" she murmured shyly. Vikram chuckled at it.
"Aare abhi toh we are official. Toh abhi toh flirting allowed haina?" He asked, his tone dripping with playfulness. Thabal couldn't say anything, other than shyly smiling at herself. Vikram smiled on the other end when she went quiet.
"Bolti kyun nahi ab?" he asked softly.
"Sun rahi hoon" she replied, voice low.
"Haan" he said slowly, as if choosing his words with care.
"Kuch baat bhi bolna tha" he added, suddenly remembering the thing to inform her. She shifted on the bed, suddenly attentive.
"Haan?" She urged him to continue.
"There is a party. IGP ka anniversary hai. All the officials of the station are invited with their respected partners or family. Aur, meri toh partner bhi tum ho, family bhi" he said, lowering his voice at last.
Thabal felt her heart skip at it. An overwhelming feeling settled in her chest. Family. This word from him, did something to her. Her heart started thudding fast all of a sudden. The way he said it so simply and without any hesitation, as if she was the only part of his life.
"Tumhe uncomfortable toh nahi hoga na? Agar mann na ho, toh koi zabardasti nahi hai" he suddenly said, assuming her silence to be her discomfort. Thabal widened her eyes slightly at it.
"Aare nahi. Uncomfortable nahi. Woh mein soch rahi thi. There will be other officers too, and their wives" she said, a bit hesitant. Vikram smiled, relief washing over him.
"Tum uski chinta mat karo. No one would say a word to you. And agar kaha bhi toh tell me. I will handle that" he said in an assuring tone. And the way he said, it made her heart squeeze.
"Also mein jawungi kaise. Hostel ka rule hai. No going out after 7pm. Emergency hota hai tab hi allowed hai. Uss din bhi jab hum wapas aaye the, I had to go inside sneakily. Warden milti toh meri watt lagti" she tsked remembering the event. Vikram chuckled at it.
"Uski chinta mat karo. I will talk with her" he said confidently. Thabal hummed, with a smile. He always does handle everything.
"Kab hai waise?" She asked.
"Parso hai" he replied.
"Ohhh. Udhar pehente kya hai?" She asked again, curious. As she have to get everything ready now.
"Hmmm. Hum toh formals pehente hai. Ladies ka i am not that sure. Didn't notice. But they do wear traditional. Saree and stuff" he answered, thinking deeply.
"Achaa. Mein konsi pehenu? Like konsa aacha lagega....." Her rant continue going on. Meera and Shreya looked at each other with a knowing look.
Meera climbed down from her bunk bed and sat on Shreya's. Whispering near her ears.
"Suna tune? Kuch party ka suna meine" She whispered. Shreya furiously nodded at it.
"Haan. And that's our job now. We will get her ready" Shreya grinned and the two did a silent fist bump.
___________🌸___________
Hope you like the chapter
Stay safe sweeties🍁💗
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