EK MULAKAAT:

Monami chewed on her lip, sighing for the umpteenth time. Karan glanced at her, finding her fidgeting nervously with her ring. He clutched her hand, squeezing comfortingly.

She smiled a little at him, sighing again. "Karan, agar Papa ne kuch keh diya, toh unki baat ka bura mat maanna, please?"

"Monami, yeh baat tum academy se abhi tak das baar bol chuki ho", he said. "Itni tension mat lo."

"Kaise na loon? Tum Papa ko jaante ho, na?" She said. "And unhe itna badha shock de rahi hoon main."

"Waise, tumne apne Papa ko kya bataaya hai mere baare mein?" He asked.

She turned her head slowly, and Karan glanced at the road before staring at her in surprise.

"Tumne kuch nahi bataaya unhe? Yeh toh pata hai ki tum apne boyfriend ko saath mein laa rahi ho?" She shook her head. He stared at her in shock. "Yeh pata hai ki tum kisi ko date kar rahi ho?" She shook her head again. He sighed, shaking her head. "Kis khushi mein tumne yeh nahi bataaya hai unhe?"

She stuck her lower lip out a little, and Karan turned his attention back to the road. She was getting pretty good at making him melt with her cute looks, and she took full advantage of it.

"Ab bologi, ya guess karna padega mujhe?"

"Papa bahut over-protective ho jaate hain, toh mujhe laga ki milkar bataana better hai."

"Tumhe lagta hai ki unke saamne jaakar agar tum yeh kahogi ki main tumhaara boyfriend hoon, toh yeh better hoga? Main? Wo insaan jisne tumhe goli maari thi, aur phir unhe openly challenge karke tumhe tumhaare ghar se le aaya tha?"

Monami paused, and Karan glanced between her and the road, waiting for her to get it. "I think mujhe pehle bata dena chahiye tha", she said.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Tum karne se pehle cheezen sochti nahi ho, na?" He glanced at her, finding with her with a cute pout. He felt a smile tug on his face, and he chuckled a little. "Koi baat nahi. Sab theek hoga. Tum tension mat lo."

He pushed down on the breaks, stopping outside her huge house. He hadn't taken the time to pause and stare the last and only time he had been here, but it was really a beautiful house, if a tad bit too big for his tastes.

Monami peeked into the house, holding him back and Karan watched in amusement, as her eyes danced around, pausing and inspecting her father. He followed her gaze, finding him sipping a cup of something, as he typed something on his phone.

"Hum andar kyun nahi jaa rahe hain?" He asked.

She kept a finger on his lips, narrowing her eyes at him. "Main mood check rahi hoon Papa ka", she said. "Agar zyaada bura hai, toh tum gaadhi mein wait karoge."

"Monami, unka mood duniya ka best mood ho sakta hai", he said. "Par mujhe dekhte hi kharaab ho jayega."

She shot him an irritated look. "Tum kabhi optimistic nahi ho sakte ho?"

"Tum zyaada hi ho rahi ho", he said. "Chalo, warna tum raat tak bhi aise hi rahogi, aur mujhe bhi ghar ke bahar hi rakhogi."

She scowled at him, hitting him slightly. He watched amusedly, as she took a deep breath, before nodding. "Koi baat nahi, Monami", she said to herself. "Sab theek hoga."

He chuckled, and she clutched his arm, leading him in.

Dr. Mahajan looked up, a smile spreading on his face as he looked at Monami, before it dropped when his eyes fell on him. Anger flashed on his face, and he stood up.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?" He snapped. "Tumhaari himmat kaise hui yahan aane ki? Nikal jaao mere ghar se."

"Papa", Monami said nervously, clutching his arm. "E-Ek baar baat sun lo pehle."

"Kya baat suno, Monami?" He asked. "Tum bhool gayi hogi, par main nahi bhoola hoon. Isne tumhe goli maari thi." He looked at Karan. "Aur tum? Ab kya karne aaye ho yahan? Monami chali gayi thi, na, tumhaare saath waapas academy? Ab kya chahiye?"

It was about as bad of a reaction as Karan had expected on seeing him, and it was only going to get worse when he finds out that Monami was dating and her boyfriend happened to be him.

"Papa, main Karan se pyaar karti hoon", Monami blurted out. "And... And yeh mera b-boyfriend hai."

Karan stared at him, half in anticipation of his reaction and half in concern. His face had been wiped entirely blank, just staring at the two. He hadn't ever grown up watching soap operas or stupid stuff like that, but isn't this the part where the person either gets a heart attack or gives a stupid ultimatum?

The older man turned to his daughter, the blank expression still on his face. "Iske alaawa koi nahi mila tumhe? Ya tumhe wahin karna hota hai jo tum jaanti ho mujhe pasand nahi?"

"Papa, aapko toh p-pata tha ki main Karan ko pasand karti hoon, toh itne surprised k-kyun?" She fumbled, and he immediately clutched her hand, squeezing assuredly.

"Mujhe laga tha ki tum itni stupid nahi hogi ki ek army waale ko date karogi", he snapped.

Karan frowned. "Mere army mein hone se aapko problem hai?" Of all the things, this was the one he was most concerned about?

"Haan", he said. "Nafrat hai mujhe army waalon se."

"Aapki wife, matlab Monami ki mumma, wo bhi toh army mein thi."

He glared at him. "Army waale aage peechhe kuch nahi dekhte. Ek baar uniform pehen li, toh bas, marna aur maarna hi jaante hain. Phir aur kuch nahi yaad rehta. Emotionless machines ho tum log."

His jaw clenched, and he barely restrained himself from punching him. His hands clenched into fists. Monami's father, he reminded himself. You can't punch him.

"Aap use maarna aur marna keh rahe hain, Sir, hum use desh ki suraksha aur uske liye shaheed hona kehte hain", he snapped.

He scoffed, shaking his head. "Naa mujhe tumhaari uss stupid academy mein koi interest hai, aur naa tumhaare yeh self-righteous army ke lecture par." He took a step closer, and Karan narrowed his eyes, staring right back into this eyes. "Meri beti se door raho."

"Wo toh main nahi rahoonga. Ab?" He said.

"E-Ek minute", Monami tried to interject, pausing when her father glared at her.

"Monami, isse door raho", he said. "Tumne soch bhi kaise liya ki isko tumhaare saath main rehne doonga."

"Papa, main K-Karan se pyaar karti hoon", she said. "I love him."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Tum itni stupid kaise ho sakti ho, Monami? Aaj pyaar keh rahi ho, kal jab yeh apne missions ko tumse zyaada importance dega, toh phir isi pyaar ko regret karogi." He glared at Karan. "Break up karne mein tumhaari bhalaai hai."

"Nahi", she said, and Karan was almost surprised at the firmness in her tone. She rarely was able to be firm with her father. "Main Karan se break up nahi karoongi, Papa." She slipped her hand into his, and he looked down at it, and then up at her, and finally at her father.

He stared at the two of them. "Tumhe jo karna hai, tum wahi karti ho ab", he said. "Par jab yeh tumse zyaada apne missions ko importance dega, toh mere paas rote hue mat aana. Waise toh tumhe meri approval ya disapproval ka kuch farak nahi padta, par phir bhi, main iss rishte ko approve nahi karta. Aur naa kabhi karoonga."

"Par Papa", Monami said. He held a hand, shaking his head.

"Nahi, Monami. Ise main tumhaare saath kabhi accept nahi karoonga. Yeh kuch bhi kar le, main kabhi bhi ise nahi accept karoonga."

Her forehead creased into a frustrated scowl, and she turned around, storming out of the house. Karan turned around, but a hand to his shoulder made him stop, looking back up at her father.

"Tumhe toh main apni beti se alag karke rahoonga", he said.

"Nahi hoga aapse, Sir", Karan said. He took a step forward, narrowing his eyes dangerously as he stared into his eyes. "Jab wo sirf meri cadet thi, tab toh aap mujhe use door rakh nahi paaye. Use aapke ghar se academy waapas lekar gaya tha main. Ab girlfriend hai meri. Ab toh aap kya, koi bhi use mujhse door nahi rakh sakta."

He turned around, stalking out of the house.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Karan leaned back on his arms, staring out at the setting sun, as it slowly dipped down into the ocean. Monami sat between his open legs, her head leaning back to rest on his chest.

She sighed, and he tore his eyes away from the sun to look down at her. "Yeh isse bura nahi jaa sakta tha", she said.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Jaa sakta tha", he said. "Tumhaare papa kehte ki break up kar lo, ya wo is rishte ko kabhi accept nahi karenge. Oh wait, wo toh kaha tha."

She elbowed him lightly, and he chuckled.

"Itni tension mat lo. Relax", he muttered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Inke saath kaise deal karna hai, soch lenge. Abhi ke liye, sunset enjoy karo, na?"

A small smile spread on her face, as she watched the dipping sun, and he tilted his head, staring at her. She glanced at him, her smile widening.

Karan leaned forward a little, closing his eyes.

"Itni easily nahi, Khadoos Shergill. Thodi mehnat karo", she whispered.

It took him a few seconds to register what she had said, and his eyes snapped open. She wriggled out of his hold, before he could tighten it, running away, and Karan stood up, chasing her around the beach.

Warm water washed up their feet, as they playfully ran around, the light from the setting sun making their faces glow.