Episode 2

Chandigarh, 2017

Pritika

Lamberghini chalayi jaane o

Lamberghini chalayi jaane o

Saanu vi chutta deh do

Kithe kalle-kalle jaayi jaane o

Reverberating the tune of the superhit, Punjabi song "Lambherghini" with the background music playing on the Radio, I was humming along with my sister-in-law who was focusing on the road, driving our car through the bustling and busy 8'o clock hour-rush of Chandigarh.

One thing I really relished was listening to music and then singing it, how much ever frog-like I might sound, I never heeded about that, I tittered sardonically and resumed my discordant singing along with my sister-in-law.

Changing the gears with her left hand, Simran Pabhi, my sister-in-law asked scampishly, "Preet, how was Meera's engagement ceremony? Noor was cranky yesterday, otherwise even I'd have joined you guys".

Till now I was energised for the imminent day but after hearing the word 'yesterday', only one person started propelling in front of my retina and even if it was just eight in the morning, my face was already showing 12 in full-grown, striking letters along with the numbed hands of mine that were resting on my lap.

Pranking was my favourite pass-time but I had never apprehended that I'd do a caper on a stranger and that too a hippo-like man. What, even Assam Hippo's wrath would be put at shame in front of the raging anger that was broadcasting off that man who was looking no less than a clown in his three-piece suit yesterday. I had never encountered such an offended person in my entire pranking career, I meant in my entire life.

"What happened, Preet?" seeing my ashen-like face, Pabhi asked diligently, studying my features which was loudly vocalising about the terror that I had faced yesterday night.

Swallowing the lump formed in my larynx, I tried to articulate but only contrived to squeak like a first-time babbling baby. "I...I..".

Lamentably, our car too halted at a signal with at least one-hundred-and-eighty seconds of waiting span which felt more like one-hundred-and-eighty years with those scrutinising kernels of my sister-in-law, "You saw some ghost or what? Why sudden change of mood, Preet?", she asked me concerned after putting off the brazen engine.

"Pabhi, yesterday...." I was not looking at my sister-in-law but outside the car's window when my eyes landed on the one sole person because of whom my face was shining like a corpse. He was just adjacent to our car and before I could've dug the road and hidden inside the mother earth, his eyes too caught mine, mirroring my visage. The look of sheer horror, recognition and then irritation started emitting on his face from the galaxy of expressions.universe.

If looks could kill, I'd be already pranking with the gods and the demigods of heaven.

"Who's he, Preet? Why is he staring at you like that? Men, don't they have any shame or what? Haven't they seen a beautiful girl before?" Simran Pabhi kept blabbering and all I could do was to pray for our well-being. Before she could've gotten out of the car to admonish the hippo on 'Feminism and women power' in utter haste and anger, the angry hippo was already knocking on the passenger's side window, browbeating me from so close with his blazing eyes and that soreheaded countenance in front to alarm me more.

Yesterday was just a trailer of his anger, today was the film preview day as well as the review day too, I'd surely write a review but in heaven. Do they provide laptops and gadgets in heaven? I need to find it out, I panicked hysterically moving away from the window towards my sister-in-law. "Pritika, who's he? Tell me? Why is he behaving like this?" Pabhi asked me accusingly as she could sense fishy thing out of every unfishy thing, this was a fully installed fishy-full thing.

"Yesterday night, I had shouted emphatically in his ears but unknowingly, as I was trying to do this with Anchal, not with this fellow whom I have never even seen," I lastly droned the whole grotesque incident, darting away from the glass as far away as possible. But he kept tapping against the window, was he a psycho? He was doing such things with two lonely women in front of the whole traffic around a round-about, how pathetic.

But as if God heard our prayers, traffic police too jumped into the scene, asking the hippo about the scene he was trying to create in front of the traffic crowd. We couldn't overhear much but we could decipher the conversation that was happening outside, the way both the parties were discoursing with each other. In this time, I got to see his car and I was flabbergasted would be a bizarre mistake, he was filthy rich! He had that car which I had always dreamt about.

But he could be a driver too, right? Another part of my mind corrected me cringingly. But no driver would have the attitude and the personality this man possessed, no offence, I mused fervently and glanced at my sister-in-law who was typing something on her mobile phone.

In this crucial and hard time, what was she trying to do with that gadget? I couldn't surmise but all my doubts and self-realisation went downhill when the traffic police knocked on the glass window.

Haaye Rabba! Did we forget anything today? I wish we didn't as the cost of traffic rules' breaking fine is hiked like anything these days, I prayed like a baby and with my shivering hands, opened the glass window through the manual opener.

Removing the shades, the traffic police asked me politely, having a little perspiration on his forehead, "Ma'am, you know this gentleman? Was he bothering you?". I couldn't see any gentleman, who was he referring to? I could only see that hippo sulking in the backside of the traffic police.

With deep frown marring my features, I asked, "Which gentleman, sir?". The traffic police drew out a long breath and pointed towards the hippo. He and gentleman? Really? Like yeah, he was a bit handsome and had a teeny-tiny good personality too but he wasn't a gentleman! No! Who in the right mind knock someone's car like that in the middle of a traffic crowd, I deduced coherently and looked at him who was already glaring at me.

Simran Pabhi too was panicked just like me but she had kept mum, I couldn't really point why and her phone too wasn't with her.

"I don't know him, sir. But yeah, had seen him in a function last night," I never had lied, so continuing my legacy, I answered honestly while keeping my eyes glued to those hostile ones. Suddenly my 'boo' felt like a 'bomb' the way he was reacting or overreacting, whatever 'verb' he was currently trying to personify, that I couldn't comprehend. But here, I melted I don't know why and continued, "And no sir, he wasn't manhandling or teasing us, rather we were asking him the path to a certain road but due to certain mechanical problems in our window opener, I couldn't open it".

Mostly men are blamed and charged if they do something like this with a woman in the middle of a road, but call it my intuition or the third eye, the hippo wasn't here to do hooligan and rowdy kind of stuff rather some reprimanding exhibition of last night. Saying an okay, the traffic police subsequently went away. But the gentleman still was intact to his station scowling at me. So much of fury, I was a victim again but with the open window.

"I know you've got a child-like brain which you had proved yesterday night only, but even toddlers of today's age know about basic traffic rules. Wear seat belt before you become a star in the sky and also before these traffic police charges you a bulk amount for defying the rules. And please, stop watching serials, you overreact a lot, have a good day," he sounded stricter than the manager of the bank branch I visit once in a lifetime, I pondered foolishly.

I was busy in gawking at him, he was here for the seat belt? I surprisingly couldn't gather it, I had presumed he'd rather pull my ears and shout two 'boos' in the name of revenge but here, he was already concerned about my seat-belt and safety and my money.

God, where's your charan?

Before I could've thanked, praised, and blessed him, the signal turned green and like a cheetah on another cheeta, he roared his luxurious car on the smooth roads of Chandigarh and spur away like the wind.

"Pritika, was he the same person in whose ears you had screeched a 'boo'? I cannot fathom this fact, man. Was he for real? Concerned about the same girl who might have already caused a heart puncture and a visit to an ENT specialist? He's super charming," chiding like a teen, Pabhi sang happily, driving the car in a much more imperceptible pace. But my vision was only clouded by his fierce visage, correction, his humble yet fierce physiognomy. When I didn't answer, she asked again, "Oye? Where are you lost, Preet?"

"I should really stop watching serials. Now, no more serials. Only and only good ones," laughing at his intent suggestion, I vocalised making her simper too in return.

"Kuch bhi Keh, banda sahi tha," I don't know why but her statement made a heatness rush to my cheeks like someone just burnt a lighter inside my cheeks and I was blushing like a teen which I wasn't.

"Yes, yes, now drive past, we need to reach the school on time," I chuckled lightly and started my croaking again as another favourite of mine started playing on the radio.

****

"Preet, how many times I have warned and reprimanded you to wear seat-belts? Tell me? Once your father will hear this, he's going to give another two-hours long lecture to you on traffic rules. Please don't do such thing again," the day had finally come to an end, although Veer Ji and Papa hadn't returned yet from the police station we ladies were already done with the cooking.

Kissing my mother's temple, I gushed, "Mumma, don't worry, from the next time I will not duplicate this mistake".

My mother being the Indian mother said: "Tera har baar ka hai". I could only giggle at her rants.

"Simran puttar, kindly bring my tea," I, along with my mother and sister-in-law were inside the kitchen and it was none other than my grandmother who was calling out for her sixth tea since the aurora. After me and my brother, her third grandchild was this British beverage, I tell you.

Simran Pabhi took the tray and left the kitchen followed by me with my granny's favourite, my home-baked biscuits. My grandfather too preferred those.

I hadn't told about the entire 'boo' thing to my mum as she'd worry a lot unnecessarily.

Having a light yet whimsical conversation with my family along with the adorable stunts of our one-year-old Harnoor, ultimately, my day was terminated at a good note.

~**⁕**~

How's their past?

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