CHAPTER 1

 

“Stretch your hands as much as you can and extend your legs backwards”

“Oh…but I am not able to

“See…it was so…” Rohit’s words stopped, as he started a little trembling. He got lost in the ‘touch’ of Manjot, looking into her eyes and holding her. Slowly, the two took each other into each other’s arms, they embraced each other, and slowly they got closer…closer…closer.

CUT….it was followed by a series of claps as the rehearsal of the scene was over.

Both Rohit and Manjot came off the stage, and everybody scattered into different places. While Manjot got into the changing room, Rahul kept on standing there, lost in an ocean of thoughts.

This was not the first time, that college-boy Rohit felt something like this for Manjot. Right from the day, Rohit saw Manjot, he has been in awe of her. Even after his rehearsals ended, he would wait for watching hers as well. All the while, he couldn’t help but just keep on looking at her with his deepest emotions. The day they were cast into the play, Rohit didn’t let it come out, but he was in the seventh heaven.

 

CHAPTER 2

After a while, Manjot was having lunch at the canteen. Suddenly, Rohit comes waving.

“Hi…today’s rehearsal was nice. I am pretty sure that we will be presenting a great play on Sunday,” she said.

“Ya…I too think so. If…you don’t mind…can I say something to you…” Rohit said grabbing the chair in front of her.

“Well…why would I mind?” Manjot said though she felt a little awkward.

“I know…it is very awkward…b…but…I…I have started loving you Manjot!!!”

Manjot wanted to burst out laughing, but looking at how nervous and deep Rohit is sounding, she controlled herself.

“See Rohit…I really don’t think you are in your proper senses.”

“No…no…please hear me out…right from the first day I saw you, I have been in awe of you. Every time, I have touched you for the play, I have felt I am losing my senses. I…I…”

“Oh come on Rohit…I think you have just gotten carried away with your character a little bit. Let’s meet on the day of the play.”

“No Manjot, this is not the first play that I have done…I have worked with many girls, but it was the first time I felt anything like that…”

CHAPTER 3

Manjot comes back to her house. Her husband has already come back home and is watching TV with their daughter.

“Mummy,” said Chutki as she came running towards Manjot. She took her into her arms and then the three went to the dinner table.

“Mummy when is your play?” asked Chutki.

“It’s on Sunday, you will come to watch it…right?”

“I want to but Papa…” suddenly she was interrupted by Kuljeet

“No…we won’t come…Both of us will be going to watch PATHAAN”

“I also want to watch it…we can go after the play…you both should come”

“By the way, I hope this is your last play, and you are leaving the theatre after that, as you promised.”

“See…Chutki goes to school, and you go to the office. I am all alone, and I get bored. It would be very good if I…” she was interrupted.

“Hey…I am not in any mood for a joke or anything. I don’t like you going and doing plays with stranger men. You told me that it’s your old theatre group and you want to do this one play. That too I allowed only when you told me that it is NOT a romantic story. I hope you stay on your promise.”

Not a word more was spoken on the table. Everyone ate, got up, and went to their bed. Manjot however, was left with a lot of questions pondering her mind.

 

CHAPTER 4

“No…No…let me prove to you, why you should divorce your husband and make a life with me,” said Rohit, as Manjot tried to get up from the chair.

“WHAT…are you mad Rohit…what’s wrong with you?”

“Listen…you are not happy with your husband…I heard you complaining about him…that he doesn’t support your career and also doesn’t spends time with you…I promise I won’t give you a chance to the complaint.”

“SHUT UP…not one more word Rohit!!! There are differences between me and him…it doesn’t mean that I will divorce him…and neither does it give you any right to comment on him…this is my last warning to you…after this, I will complain to the police.”

Manjot got up and left angrily as Rohit kept sitting thinking he has messed things up.

 

CHAPTER 5

It’s Sunday and the play has started. After the whole series of events in the play, here comes the climax.

“Stretch your hands as much as you can and extend your legs backwards”

“Oh…but I am not able to…”

“See…it was so…” Rohit gets lost in Manjot, looking into her eyes and holding her. Slowly, the two took each other into each other’s arms, they embraced each other, and slowly they got closer…closer…closer.

The whole auditorium underwent a huge applause and the play was a smashing hit.

After the play, in the changing room, Rohit was packing his stuff, thinking it might just be the last time he has seen Manjot. He has prepared a beautiful card for her but is not able to gather teh courage to show it to her.

Now, as he turns to get outside, he sees that Manjot is standing in front of him. Rohit goes speechless, somehow trying to say his feelings.

“Rohit…that day you told me about your feelings…how you felt after the play”

“Yes…I did…am sorry” he was interrupted by Manjot.

“Today, I also felt the same feelings for you Rohit. My hands and lips were trembling. I think I have fallen in love with you Rohit…” this time she was interrupted as Rohit took hold of Manjot’s lips through that of his.

Rohit kissed Manjot with all his might, while he grabbed her back. Manjot tightened her grip over Rohit’s hair and crossed her legs over his hips, as she dived deeper into the kiss. The two got inside the changing room, and the door got closed, with some clothes coming off.

 

CHAPTER 6

Now, Manjot was not coming into the theatre, and the two started meeting outside. After Kuljeet and Chutki would go to the office and school respectively, Manjot would go out and meet Rohit, sometimes in a cafe, sometimes in a park, and sometimes even at her own place.

One day at Manjot’s place, Rohit and Manjot were sitting together holding each other’s hands. Manjot went and brought some snacks. Rohit noticed that she is looking very lost and sad.

“Manjot…is everything all right”

“Yes…why?”

“No…Manjot…you’re looking very disturbed and sad…tell me what’s troubling you”

“Rohit…I am thinking…what are we even doing?”

“I couldn’t get that…we are just in love…right?”

“Rohit…you know that I am married”

“As if I care” Rohit held her shoulders with his hand.

“Don’t you know I am over a decade older than you”

“As if I care” Rohit brought her other hand on her other shoulder.

“So what do you care for…huh?”

“You…just you…the only thing I care about is you…in all forms…in all ages…I love you more than anything else…Please be mine forever.”

Manjot had tears in her eyes, and she gently pushes Rohit a little back. She holds both of his cheeks and kissed him as passionately as her lips could have allowed her to.

As Manjot tried to open Rohit’s shirt he said “Manjot…tell me honestly…does it feel wrong to you?”

“No…Rohit…never…I want you in my life…please remain mine and come here”

Some more sets of clothes got off, as the two indulged in several sets of passionate lovemaking.

 

CHAPTER 7

Just after a normal day, Manjot enters her house and sees a sight that she wasn’t expecting.

Kuljeet is standing with Chutki along with a set of lawyers and papers.

“What happened Kuljeet? Is everything alright?”

“No…I am divorcing you out!!!”

“Why? What happened?” Manjot

“I stopped your theatre…so to take revenge on me…you started sleeping with other men?”

“Kuljeet…what are you saying…in front of Chutki…I can explain everything…it’s nothing like what you are thinking.”

She tried coming towards Kuljeet, who in return put a tight slap over her face.

“Get the hell out of this house…and dare not come here…and Chutki will be staying with me!!!”

“NOOO…NO NO…Please…Please” Manjot tried to run toward him, but the lawyers stopped her.

The formalities were done at a quick pace. Soon, the matter reached the family court, and time came for the decision

“The child will be staying with her father because here it is the mother who has got into a relationship outside the marriage and compromised teh very institution. The Court finds it highly doubtful that she can take care of her child. She can, however, meet her child sometime with the due consent of her ex-husband,” the Court directed.

“NOOOO…please sir..please Kuljeet don’t do this to me…I am sorry…I am sorry…Chutki…Chutki…!!!!!” Manjot broke into tears and was inconsolable to the extent that people had to take her out.

 

CHAPTER 8

Kuljeet had forgotten some of his papers at the office, so he came back home to take them. Before knocking, he notices a beautiful butterfly. He decides to catch it for Manjot and starts running behind it. Running after 2-3 minutes brings him to the other end of the house, where he finally is able to catch it. He is in front of the window of his house, and he peeps into it. The sight he looks at leaves him broken and raging in hell.

He looks at Manjot and Rohit making passionate love at each other. He mashes the butterfly he has just caught, and leaves angrily. Manjot pauses lovemaking, as she feels some noise, but upon finding nothing, the two resume.

 

CHAPTER 9

As Manjot reached her house to take all her stuff, before finally leaving, she found Rohit standing just near her house.

“Hey…how are you doing…you were not replying to my messages…nor picking up my calls…why you’re looking so worried?”

Manjot was filled with rage, after what she had gone through in the last few days, maybe it was not meant for Rohit but it had to come out on him only.

“Get out,” she said.

“What…what are you saying?”

“You know what…my husband has divorced me…my daughter is snatched away from me?”

“OMG…but we can marry now…right?”

“SHUT UP…my life has become a hell…all because of you. I don’t know why I even decided to fall for you?”

“But…we haven’t done anything wrong…we just”

“Please…I beg of you…get out of my life…GO GO!!!!”

Rohit stood there shaken and broken. From his point, he had not done anything other than fall in love, and if it is so wrong, then let be it. The very next moment he turned and went, while Manjot continued her distraught crying.

 

CHAPTER 10

After a while, Rohit stops after a car comes horizontally in front of him. Suddenly, a group of men comes out. Before Rohit can understand anything, he is punched in the face by a bouncer, which throws him away. Before he can get up, 8-10 people continue knocking him with kicks and blows. Rohit is in a miserable situation, and he is not even able to get up. But the men around her don’t feel satisfied.

As Manjot has taken all her stuff and is getting into a car, she hugs Chutki.

“Mummy…why are you leaving…no one has told me anything”

“Beta…your Mummy did some mistakes in life…but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love you…I love you beta…take care of yourselves and study well…I will come to meet you soon…Bye beta” Manjot gave her a tight hug and left.

She also turned towards Kuljeet and said “Sorry”, and she started getting out of the house.

“By the way, that skinny bastard you lover, was near this house, and I got him the treatment he deserved”

Manjot turned back, and her bags fell down her hands.

“What? Kuljeet…you had the right over me…and you exercised it to divorce me…but you don’ have ANY right over Rohit..how dare you hit him…answer me!!!”

Kuljeet got inside the house along with Chutki, as the guards encircled the gate and directed Manjot to get out of the house.

 

CHAPTER 11

Manjot goes out and sees that something has been kept in teh post box. Suddenly, she takes it and finds that it is a beautiful card, made for her. She looks at the pictures, reads everything written. After a long time, she feels truly special. Though she had anticipated who teh creator is, she looks at the name at the end…and it is…Rohit.

The very next moment, she enters the cab and directs it to reach teh destination. She reached teh park, where Rohit was being beaten by the bouncers. As teh car stops, she comes out and runs shouting “Rohit!!!”

As Rohit tried to get up to look at his love, he faces a kick on his face, making him fall again. He again tries to get up, but this time another bouncer pulls his hair and smashes him to the ground.

Manjot holds her tears and stands firm

“Hey…madam…what are you doing…we can smash you as well…don’t you know…”

“Leave him…right now…I am calling the police”

Suddenly, they all hear a police van passing by, although just for normal patrolling.

The bouncers immediately leave Rohit and leave on their bikes.

Manjot comes towards Rohit and takes his head on his lap. She is crying, thinking that she shouldn’t have said those words to him. While, Rohit although injured, is able to convey through his eyes, that it’s all fine.

“I am sorry”

“Don’t be…I’m not…I’m blessed for everything that has happened to me after meeting you…yes including these blows”

“Rohit”

“Manjot”

The two hugged each other gently, as displaying more passion here would have been hurtful for an injured Rohit.

Although the two can have a life together now, they hadn’t wanted any of the repercussions that happened before this. Well in the whole story, is Manjot wrong or Rohit? Well…no one. Love is Blind, and can happen to anyone with anyone.

Manjot didn’t do anything intentionally, and nor did Rohit…all they do was fall in love, which happened to be outside marriage in Manjot’s case. But, does it put anyone to blame…well no. In Love, there are no boundaries, and hence, no regrets, just cherishing what you have, which Rohit and Manjot will.

 

THE END