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They say that there are at most 6 degrees of separation between everyone. This is a glimpse into our interns' past...can you guess how they are all connected?
******PAST******
DELHI 1992 DIWALI
A 5-year old girl with curly hair, wearing a shocking pink shalwar kameez holding a patakha. She's between a pack of girls and boys her age who seem to be hanging on to every word she says! They head to their houses and she runs into the circle to play around with the phooljhari. It's Muskaan. She bumps into a 6-year old boy who was just moving in...our Rahul.
Mus - OYE!!! Tujhe tho yahan kabhi nahi dekha...kaun hai?
Rah - Tu kaun hai?
Mus - Maine pehle kiya tha question!
Rah - Tho...javaab bhi pehle de do ya phir hato! (starts walking the other way)
Some other 8-year old boy comes and snatches the phoolghari from her. She starts crying. He runs towards the boy and jumps up and snatches the phoolghari from him.
Rah - Ajeet bhai! Don't be so greedy! (and he runs towards Muskaan)
Mus - (eyes closed, crying)
Rah - (he taps on her shoulder) Suno.
Mus - (she looks up) Kya hai (angry)
Rah - Ye lo (he hands her the phooljhari)
Mus - (takes it and a smile appears on her face as it lights up) Mujhse dosti karoge?
1999
Ajeet is packing his things in a hurry. It's midnight. He'd have everything packed by 2 and he'll be out of here in no time! He had enough of this middle-class life. He'd packed money and some other valuables. He keeps looking up at the door nervously. There! He was done packing.
Rah - (rubbing his eyes, heads to the get a glass of water, he sees light open in Ajeet's room) Ajeet bhai, what are you doing up so late at night?
Aje - (he doesn't say a word. He had made his decision and intended to go through with it. He pushed Rahul back hard and picked up his bag and dissapeared into the dark of night.)
Rah - Ajeet bhai? (gets up, runs after him) AJEET BHAI!!!!! Where are you going? MAA!!! (he runs to get his mother. His mother ran after Ajeet along with Rahul, but nothing)
They never saw him again.
MUMBAI 2002: MUMBAI'S TOP BOARDING SCHOOL
Atl - (watering plants outside, it was his part-time job and part of the way he paid for his own education...he wanted to become a doctor someday)
Some guys are playing around and one guy bumps into him. Even though it's the guy's own mistake, he blows up at Atul.
Guy1 - OYE! Dekh ke chal!
Atl - Main tho bas paani deraha tha...vo tho..
Guy2- ABEY! Zabaan larata hai, tu ye bolraha hai ye jhoot bolraha hai?
Guy3- Tu jaanta hai isko, tere baap ko bhi khareedsakta hai yeh!
Atl - (how does he explain to them...he didn't have a father, neither a mother...he was an orphan...tears started to form in his eyes)
Guy1- (Throws a scrunched up paper at him) Thik se paani de...apna kam sahi se kar, varna naukri se nikaal dengay!
Atl - (got back to work. He had moved around so much since they let him out of the orphanage, he had seen it all, rode on trains without tickets, been a coolie carrying people's luggage...that's how he paid for school, even there, everyone knew how poor he was so he would always be embarassed in class and stay very reserved. But he loved watering plants. There was something about watering a plant, helping it live so it could grow...he loved being needed)
Guy2- Pagal! Kya idiot hai!
Armaan taps on the shoulder of Guy1.
Arm - Dude...at least give some respect to the guy (he said referring to Atul). At least vo apne mom and dad ke paise paani ki tarha kharch karke dusron ko insult nahin karta...teri tarha.
After awhile of arguing, a fight was about to break out, when the peon separated them. Armaan went to Atul who had his back to them, he was still turned around doing his job. Armaan put a hand on his shoulder.
Arm - Hey buddy...don't mind yar...kuch log tho...anyways, keep up the great work man. (walks off)
Atl - (he smiled to himself. They actually noticed his work, he thought. 'You're welcome' he thought)
He especially remembered this one time a few years ago when he was smaller and carried some luggage home for a family. They had a small daughter and they kept her under their watch constantly, the whole way through. Even when they got home, they did not let her out of their sight. It was Holi that day and she had wanted to see the fireworks soo badly.
girl- Tum ne kabhi fireworks dekhe?
Atl - Bohot baar...(he was counting his money)
girl- Maine tho kabhi nahin dekhe.
Atl - (he looked at her...she must have...they're on every year he thought) kyun
girl- Bass...mummy-ji aur papa-ji nahin jaane dete (sad face)
Atl - (he had an idea) ek kam karo...(he took her veil and sat down wearing it on top of his head and handed her his scarf) jao...dekhne jao!!
girl- (was excited beyond bounds. She was suffocated with the constant watching and not being able to go outside like all the other kids) Thank you!!!! (and with this she ran out to see the light show. She came back minutes later with a satisfied look) It was beautiful!
CANADA, 2006, IB SCHOOL
Anj - Ridzi, walk faster!(she says with a bunch of books and papers)
Rid - Di, I am, aap mujhe jogging sikhadogi?
Anj - You already know how to jog pagli!
On their way, Anjali gets stopped by a guy in the hall.
Guy - Yo Anji!
Anj - Hey Larry, haven't seen you for so long!
Guy - Yeah! Italy was awesome! You got the posters for music club?
Anj - Yup! Got them here (she hands him a bunch of posters)
Guy - And Ridzi...you got those charitable donation forms?
Rid - That I do (she takes them out of her bag and hands them to Larry)
They walk further and reach their destination. Anjali was head of student council so they had all student council members gathered. Riddhima was a junior, so she was the secretary. They finished their meeting. They always kept busy with school activities, naani and dad and their friends.
They were the two most popular sisters in school. Everyone loved both of their friendly natures. They hardly had some time alone, but when they did, they loved conversating with each other.
Anj - Riddhima, I have to tell you something really important!
Rid - What is it?
Anj - (she brought her outside in the backyard when everyone had left. She held her arms out to the sky) RIDDHIMA! I'm in LOOOOVE!!!!!!!!
Rid - Oh my god di!!!!! Tum abhi batarahe ho? OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!! (They held each other's hands and jumped up and down in joy and hugged each other. Riddhima loved seeing Anjali so happy because Anjali had taken care of her so much...she had always treated her as even more than a real sister...even if Riddhima was adopted.
When she was two, she faintly remembered her being picked up in a mother's arms. As she was picked up from a place where there were a lot of children. She had grown up there. She didn't know what a true family was. She had even made a friend. Everyone called him Aloo. He was a smart and caring little boy.
Rid - Aloo! Aloo (she remembered screaming out...she was a child...hardly knew how to speak...that was her first word, for the longest time the Gupta house thought that she was asking for aloo (the vegetable) but...she just missed her friend). She didn't remember much about him now, and never knew his real name. But she did know that she had called for him a lot and even cried once she got to the house. But in return, she got the love and care of a sister, a mom, a dad, and a naani. So much love.
Anj - Riddhima! Uss ne mujhe propose kiya! It's been three years we've been together! Mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai, jab hum pehli pehli baar mile the! I love him!! Riddhima, he got down on one knee and proposed, Ab se main Anjali Garewal hone vaali hoon!!!I just love him!
They had been going out for three years. Ajeet had proposed to her and Anjali was a girl in love. 10 days after the proposal, She was lying in a hospital bed.
Anj - Riddhima...(she was broken. She had cut her wrist, tried to embrace death, because she didn't want to live. She was crying insesantly)
Rid - (in tears) Di, don't cry..please di (she cried as she said this herself)
Anj - Vo mujhe chod ke kyun chalagaya? Main itni buri hoon kiya Ridzi...that I don't deserve him? (tears rolling down her cheeks)
Rid - Nahin Di, Aap bilkul buri nahin ho...bohot bohot achi ho aap! Bura tho vo Ajeet tha! Acha hua ke aap ko shaadi se pehle pata chalgaya...I just can't believe it...ke vo itna bada schemer niklega! Pehle itna sweet lagta tha, lekin acha hua humey pata chalgaya ke vo ek dhokebaz aur chor hai, cheat hai, jhoota hai...aap bohot achi ho di, he didn't deserve you! Not even one bit! (she hugged her tight)
Anj - (head resting on Riddhima's shoulder) Ridzi, don't ever fall in love...Ever (she said with tears streaming from her eyes, and she hugged Riddhima tight)
Riddhima had from then on watched Anjali change. Anjali had stopped believing in love and became cranky, rude and was angry all the time. She fell out of student council and all the other clubs. She lost many friends because of her behaviour. She appeared to have become a rock. The only thing that gave Anjali peace was when she went to the hospital with her dad. It was away from everyone at school, whom she did NOT want to see because all they would do is gossip about her.
In this time, Riddhima found a friend in another girl at school, Anila. She went to her house quite a lot. Anila's mother reminded her of what her mother would be like. She felt sad everytime she thought about how her mother had saved both Anjali and Riddhima, and sacrificed herself for them in that fire in their Mumbai house. She picked up a family photo.
Rid - Anila, ye kaun hai?
Ani - Yeh? BigB! (she said, eating a chocolate and as she jumped on a counter)
Rid - BigB? Like Amitabh Bachan...tum uske bachpan ki ho?
Ani - Mera mazakh uda rahi ho? (she says in fake anger. She took the frame from her.) Yeh hai mera big bro! Hamari bachpan ki picture hai.
Rid - Lekin ye bachpan ki picture hi kyun?
Ani - Hmm...BigB hai na...when he was leaving for Mumbai, he took all of our family pictures. Kehta hai, ke tum sab ke paas tho ek dusre ka saath hai, lekin mere paas kuch nahin. Aur saari tasveerein legaya. You know I went to visit his boarding school in Mumbai...obviously THE best for my BigB, tho I saw...he's hung all our family pictures on his wall and taped them all over his appartment. He's the best bro!
Rid - Tho how come he's in Mumbai?
Ani - Mere papa ki posting Mumbai me hui thi. Tho BigB said he didn't want Papa to be alone, lekin phir papa ne kaha BigB se ke uski education pe farkh nahin aana chahiye. Tho un dono ne decide kya ke vo abhi ke liye Mumbai mein rahenge and luckily BigB got the marks for Mumbai's top boarding school. Aise, vo ek hi sheher mein hain, but education wasn't affected.
Rid - Tho tum aur auntie nahin gaye?
Ani - Nahin. Vo kya hai na, hamare saarey relatives yahan Canada mein rehte hain. Tho Papa ki posting khatam hui, tho vo Canada vapes aagaye, lekin BigB couldn't leave his friends, actually vo aa bhi raha tha yahan, lekin uske friends...na...uff...they did all you can possibly think of to stop him...akhir mera bhai college ki jaan hai...apparently (she said smiling and rolling her eyes)
Aun - (walks in their room) Riddhima beta, hamari beti tumhe bore tho nahin karrahi?
Ani - Haan haan...main tho boring hun na (she said pouting)?
Rid - Not at all auntie! Aap ki family ki itni tasveerein lagi hui hain, you have quite a big family!
Ani - Haan...aik baat boloon (whispering) mujhe tho apney saarey cousins ke naam bhi yaad nahin rehte.
Aun - (lightly holds Anila's ear) hmmm...sab sun rahi hoon!
Rid - (laughs) tum bohot lucky ho Anila! It must be so nice to have such a big family. (she missed her mom)
Aun - Beta...tum bhi hamari family ka ek hissa ban chuki ho(sitting down, she says with a hand on Riddhima's head) bilkul Anila ki tarha(smiles).
****************************************PRESENT**************************************
Armaan's cellphone (phn) rang. All the interns were finally in one place.
Arm - Hello
phn - Hello? (girl's voice)
Arm - (he quickly hid the cell phone and walked to an area where he could get somewhat of a clear reception because of all of the networks set up near the tents...and of course away from Dr. Keerti) Oh hey little Annie!!! (he says joyfully, it's been awhile since he's spoken to her)
phn - Little Annie My foot!! Tumse itna bhi nahin hua ke ek short si phonecall kardo?? You know PURA EK mahina hogaya hai, aur I tried your phone...
Arm - (pulls the phone away from his ear and puts a finger on his ear and shakes his head) Kitna chillathi hai!
phn - Tum nahin sunrahe ho na...you've pulled the cellphone away from your ear haven't you??
Arm - STOP THAT!! You know I get freaked out when you can tell what I'm doing! (he pulls his phone away from his ear again and this time checks if he's streaming live to her or something...'freaky' he thinks and shudders. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Dr. Keerti heading his way) Man, I really gotta go now...
phn - Acha acha SUNO THO!! Tumhe ek AWESOME news batani hai!
Arm - Jaldi bolo (looking at Dr. Keerti, she's stopped to talk to another doctor, he takes a breath of relief)
phn - remember Sumaira?
Arm - Sumaira...Sumaira...(he thinks back...way back) Are haan...vo Somi?
phn - yup..guess what, she's getting MARRIED! And you have to come!! Kyunki we're here for her wedding too!!!
Arm - Kiya...I thought (screaming in surprise...then he remembers Dr. Keerti, so he speaks lower) I thought you guys were in Canada...
phn - Mila na surprise? (she laughs) Ab promise karo aogay!
Arm - Dekho, I can't promise anything...I...
phn - NO WAY!! You're coming and that's FINAL!!
Arm - Zabardasti hai...dekho, I'm a doctor aur tumhe nahin pata ke...
phn - tho kya? tum doctor ho, pilot ho, lawyer ho ya bartan dhonevaale chapraasi ho...TUMHE aana pareyga! (the phone shuts off)
Arm - (Hides his cellphone just in time from Dr. Keerti and thinks 'Issey kaise bataaoon...yaar')
They had all freshened up for the night and gone to sit near a campfire after an exhausting day.
Sap - Arey, suna tha tum log bohot khatrey main aagaye the? Kya hua tha?
Mus - (eager to tell her story) Abey yar! Ab kya batayen Sapna! Pata hai humari patient, she was lying in a pool of blood aur uska chacha hai ke humay usko bachane hi nahin dera tha!
Atl - Aisa kyun guys? (he was sitting near Anji and Sapna, across from Rahul and Muskaan)
Mus - Kyunki vo anab shanab bakraha tha ke uss ne bhag ke shaadi karli thi, aur ab vo vapes ayee hai, tho uss ki saaza ke liye...
Rah - Aur phir uss ne gun nikali aur...
Mus - Ruk na Rahul! Phir na, main towels nikal rahi thi
Rah - Aur main...
Mus - (speaks over him) Ther na!! (back to telling her own story) Aur uss ne mere sar pe gun rakhi.
Rah - Pata hai Muskaan, main bhi tha vahan ! Sirf tu hi nahin thi! Chod...tu hi sab kuch batade! (and he gets up angrily and turns to leave)
Mus - (keeps talking) Aur phir...Rahul ne ekdam se mujhe bachaliya! Agar vo nahin hota na guys, tho main tho chali thi upar.
Sapna, Atul and Riddhima - Kaise (all holding their breath)
Rah - (turns back around and sits down) Well...maine socha ke he was holding a gun and wanted to see the patient dead, tho maine patient ka portable monitor uske bed pe clip kardiya.
Mus - And of course...bed ki tho heartbeat hoti hi nahin hai...tho it flatlined and the gunman left because he thought she was dead!!!
Rah - (looks at Muskaan with a smile as he sits with his elbows resting on his knees...she was so happy telling the story...and made him sound like a hero...'pagal, chahti tho pura credit khud lelethi...main tho jaane hi vaala tha')
Arm - (finally comes after finishing that phonecall...he could hear Muskaan's story all the way there where he was standing) Arey yar, tu tho bada hero nikla Rahul. (they left a spot for him across from Riddhima, so he sits there. He looks at her sitting on the other side of the bonfire, she looks his way and he smiles at her, she quickly looks away).
Sap - Aur Anjali, ye sab baby cradle kya hai? (she said looking at a cradle sitting near Anjali, inside was a sleeping baby).
Anj - (she looked at Atul...'I don't want to do this', she thought)
Atl - (looked at her and took over the talking) Guys vo jo tum logon ki patient thi, uska hi bacha hai. When the car crashed into us, tho jo gadi thi, uss main ye bacha bhi tha...driver ko hum bacha nahin paye. Lekin Anji ne iss bache ko bacha liya.
Anj - (finally spoke) Aur Atul ne mujhe bachaliya.
They all looked at her, especially Atul.
Anj - Thanks Atul. (she said frankly)
Atl - (Atul's happiness knew no bounds) Aur uss patient ne Anjali se bohot pakki request ki hai ke jisne bachaya hai, vo hi uskey bache ka khayal rakhega jab tak vo thik nahin hojathi.
Arm - (taps Atul and Rahul's shoulders) Vaa yaar! Two heroes hamare beech main hain aur hamney koi party varty bhi nahin rakhi inn ke liye?
Rid - Sirf two heroes? ('that's not fair, jo khud ne kiya hai, vo kyun nahin batata, bina apni jaan ki fikr karke itna sab kuch kiya uss TB ke patient ke liye, aur ab kuch bolta bhi nahin hai ke kuch kiya hai...mujhe hi kuch kehna padeyga) Guys, Armaan ne bhi...
Arm - (Armaan hears his name uttered from Riddhima's mouth, he looks her way and thinks that it was such a blessing, everything went so well, varna uss ki jaan mein jaan aagayee thi when he turned around to see Riddhima in that room with him and the TB patient. 'Thank god saare tests negative aye...aur ab...she's safe and sound'...he thought with his cute dimpled smile...and hearing his name uttered from her mouth was enough to keep him awake the whole night he thought 'she's thinking about me...')
Mus - (speaks loudly to Rahul) OYE! Ab itna bhi bhao mat kha! Humney bhi tum ladkon ki BOHOT baar madat ki hai.
Rah - Kya? Kab?
Mus - Oye khote! Yaad nahin hai jab tu mujhse school mein notes likhvaata tha? Chutti ki tho "Muskaan, notes de do" "Muskaan ye kardo, vo kardo".
Armaan taps Rahul's shoulder
Arm - Abey, tujhe sharam nahin aati? Ladkiyon se notes leta hai?
Rah - Yaar...bas ek baar kiya tha...
Mus - Dekh rahul! Jhoot mat bol!
Rah - Acha yaar, bas 4 bar...bas notes hi maange the.
Atl - Haan tho...notes...notes hi maangey the na, tho uss me kaunsi hero vaali baat hai?
Anj - Aur jo maine tumhe samples tayar karke diye the taake Dr. Keerti se tum bachjao...vo?
Atl - Anji...mera yeh matlab nahin tha ('uff the pressure, ek taraf Anjali, dusri taraf Armaan aur Rahul...forget it, they'll understand, Anjali ko ghussa nahin karna hai bass')
Sap - Vo tho kya? Tumhara matlab ke hum yun hi jhak marte hain?
Arm - Haan...vo...
Rid - (Riddhima didn't know that Armaan wasn't replying to Sapna's question, but just happened to remember something else he wanted to say) HAAN? Matlab hum ladkiyan faltoo hain?
Arm - Nahin...m...mera yeh matlab nahin tha Basket...
Mus - Bas (stands up rapidly) Bohot hogaya! Hum tum ladkon ko thoda sa bhi bhao dete hain to sar pe chadjate ho...aur humey kuch bhi nahin samajhte!
Sap - (stands up with her) Haan! Ab dekhna humse koi madat nahin mileygi tho tum logon pe kiya guzregi! Tum ladkon ko sab kuch akela karna pareyga tho pata chaleyga.
Rah - Oh hello! hum koi bikhaari nahin hai jo haath phela ke madat mangte rahein. Vaise bhi, tum ladkiyan tho bahar sabzi khareednay jaati ho, tho 4 ghante lagathi ho tayar honey mein, madat tho tum logon ko chahiye! (stands up facing her)
Mus - Aur tum ladke, khana aise khaate ho ke pata nahin 400 days se bhuke ho! (faces him)
Sap - Aur kaprey aise pehenthe ho ke ulte seedhe hote hain.
Arm - (standing up...he totally thought back to the incident where he was wearing his shirt inside out, he had to defend himself) well at least hum restaurant jaakey sirf salad nahin order kartey...(turns to Atul)...Atul, would you like a Salad?
Atl - No way!
Anj - Oh...seems like you know a lot about different girls ordering that kind of food...itna experience hai ladkiyon ke department mein?
Rid - (stands up) Ladke hotey hi aise hain di (shoots a killer look at Armaan, she crosses her arms)
Atl - Yaar, Ridz, saarey ladke ek jaise nahin hotey.
Arm - Haan...what Atul said...
Rah - Lekin saari ladkiyan ek jaisi hoti hain!
Anj - That's it! This means WAR!
And all the girls walk away and into their tent and Anjali carries the baby cradle in. The boys are left standing there. Armaan is thinking how he shouldn't have said what he said. 'Damn it, apna mooh band nahin raksakta tha?' while Atul is thinking 'Inn logon ki vaja se Anjali ghussa ho gayee jab ke aaj mujhse kitni khush thi!' And Rahul is thinking 'Yaar...ghalti ho gayee...Muskaan ne tho mujhe itna sab kuch kaha acha...aur maine...shit'.
The boys look at each other...of course, they didn't want the other to know what was going through their head, so they resorted to being all macho and pretend to be angry in front of each other. They look towards each other for signs that would tell what they're thinking or want to do now.
Arm - The girls...are...uh...
Atl - Haan...they're
Rah - (inquisitively in the form of a question) going...down?
Arm - Yaa...YEAH right! (he didn't want to seem that he fell weak and is giving up on the boys' side)
Atl - (he also didn't want to show that he fell weak and was giving up on the boys' side) They're...they're going down!
Atl, Arm and Rah - Boo girls..(hesitantly look at each other...and start chanting it louder, although they really believed the opposite)
Muskaan, Sapna, Riddhima and Anjali peer from the tent in that order starting from the bottom up.
Anj - (looks down at them) lagta hai...ke inn ladkon ko lesson sikhana pareyga.
Mus - Sahi kehti hai Anjali.
Rid - Hmm...lagta hai you're right di...once and for all, dikhadete hain inn ko...
Sap - Ke girls are THE BEST
All the girls high five.
Armaan, Atul and Rahul expressed fake joy while looking at each other and seeming all macho and booing girls...while in their heads...they were thinking how they were gonna save their respective girls from the prank they're about to play...YET AGAIN!
CONNECTIONS WITH PAST************************************DID YOU GET ALL OF THEM?
Alright you may have guessed it already...but the person who was on the phone with Armaan...IMPORTANT character (for upcoming parts)...make the connection with his past (I'm sure you have already :D)
The second connection is Ajeet. If you paid attention...the Ajeet Anjali fell in love with who later deceived her, his last name is Garewal. That's right...he's the same Ajeet...Rahul's brother.
The third connection is the little girl whose mummy-ji and papa-ji didn't let her out to see the fireworks...did you guess that it was Sapna? Almost...it was Sapna's little sister. Sapna was too busy carrying the things inside the house...remember connections through other people count too!!
What about Aloo? Did you guess who Aloo was?? Atul of course...orphanage mein Riddhima met Atul and he cared for her a lot...which is why they have a subconscious level of friendship...but they're both unaware that they knew each other in childhood.
COMMENTS*****************
@Chatterbox: thanks sooo much for your comment! It gives me the motive to keep writing and of course I just do it for fun...but I get even happier seeing that someone is reading my story :) Ye bataana ke ye part kaisa laga, I'll be waiting! :D
