SAU GULAABON KI DASTAAN:

Karan peeked out from behind his coffee mug, staring at Monami as she laughed. Three months in, and their relationship couldn't be better. When the chandelier had fallen, and his world had changed, he couldn't think he could have fallen more in love with her. She was his jaan, his dhadkan, what else could she possibly be? But four months from that night, and he was deeper than ever.

"Janaab, aise mat dekhiye", Faizi whispered, leaning over. "Hum aur Siddharth kab tak bachaate rahenge aap dono ko?"

He tore his eyes away from Monami, narrowing them at Faizi. "Koel ko jab tu date par lekar gaya tha, aur academy ke rules todh kar, use 1 baje waapas lekar aaya tha, aur stupidly Batra Sir se pakda gaya tha, toh kisne madat kari thi?"

"Arey, hum toh mazaak kar rahe the", he said. "Dil par mat lijiye. Dekhiye, dekhiye, aapki hi hai."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"#Wow", Chitra said, and he looked up, finding the cadets staring at something. He followed their gaze, finding an extravagant bouquet, and his eyebrows quirked up in surprise.

The man kept it down on their table, turning it to face Monami. "Monami ma'am", he said. "Yeh aapke liye hai."

Karan's eyes widened, and he turned to his girlfriend, staring at her for an explanation. She was too intrigued by the flowers to notice his silent question, and she reached for the card that was attached to it.

Sid yanked it before she could get it, opening it up. "Dr. Monami Mahajan. Bol toh diya tha wo jo mann mein tha, aur aapne maan bhi liya tha. Par sau baar bol kar bhi mann ko chain nahi milega, toh yeh sau gulaab hi sahi."

"Ooh", the cadets said, almost in sync.

It wasn't signed, but Monami seemed to understand who the card was from. A wide smile spread on her face, genuine happiness reflecting in her eyes. Sid's gaze lifted to Karan, and he quirked an eyebrow up, tilting his head in question. He shook his head, nodding to the flowers and giving him a questioning look back. He shrugged cluelessly.

"Janaab, aap nahi hai, yeh toh hume pata hai", Faizi muttered. "Itne phool toh kya, aap ek nahi dete use."

Karan glared at him. He glanced at the roses, and then up at Monami's smiling and impressed face. His jaw and hands clenched, as Suman ji teased her about a potential boyfriend.

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

The bag swung wildly, the sweat flicking off from his hair.

'Bol toh diya tha wo jo mann mein tha, aur aapne maan bhi liya tha.'

'Kya maan liya tha? Kya bol diya tha?' He thought bitterly, his fist finding the bag again. His jaw clenched tighter, and he hit the bag again.

"Garmi nahi hain iss room mein zyaada?" A voice said, and he turned around, finding her with her sweet smile. She tilted her head, walking closer. She looked him up and down, before fanning her face.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho? Apne gulaab soongne se fursat mil gayi?"

She frowned a little. "Gulaab se kya problem hai tumhe?"

'Gulaab nahi. Jis ne diye hain, usse problem hai. Kya zaroorat hai use gulaab bhejne ki? Hai kaun wo?' he thought. 'Itna kyun khush ho rahi thi tum? Chahiye the, toh mujhe bol deti. Main mana thodi naa karta.'

"Mujhe kyun problem hogi?" He said, ripping the gloves off. "Mujhe koi problem nahi hai."

She blinked, tilting her head as she stared at him quizzically. He threw the gloves to the ground, walking off.

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

"Kya problem hai?" She demanded, barging into the room.

Karan looked up from the laptop he was working on. She took it, keeping it aside as she sat down on the bed across him, before staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Kya hai?"

"Kya kya hai?" She snapped back. "Do din se dekh rahi hoon. Bhagwaan ne itni achhi shakal di hai, par nahi! Tumhe toh sade hue kele jaise expressions rakhne hain us par. Bhagwaan ne muh bhi diya hai, par yeh nahi ki kabhi muh kholkar bol do ki kya problem hai."

"Ho gaya?" He asked. "Ab mujhe kaam karne do." She moved the laptop away before he could take it. "Arey? Kaam karne do na, Monami."

"Kya kaam? Girlfriend saamne hai, aur tumhe kaam karna hai?"

"Tum jaakar apne phoolon se baat karo, na? Waise bhi, pedh paudhe zyaada hi pasand hai tumhe."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Tum dobara un roses par aa gaye?" She asked. "Tumhe chahiye wo phool?"

"Mujhe nahi chahiye. Mujhe kyun chahiye honge?"

"Mujhe kya pata? Par pichhle do din mein yeh panchvi baar hai jab tum un roses ko ghaseet kar le aaye ho. Tumhe roses chahiye, ya phir unse problem hain? Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha hai, Karan."

"Tumhe waise bhi kuch nahi aata samajh. Itne din se samjhaane ki koshish kar raha hoon, par tumhe samajh hi nahi aata!"

Her mouth dropped open, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Tum samjha rahe ho? Oh hello. Jo tum kar rahe ho, use ignore karna kehte hain. Shabdon ke matlab mat badlo."

"Main koi matlab nahi badal raha hoon. Tumhe samajh hi nahi aata."

She took a deep breath, holding her up hands. "Ab tum mere questions ka answer do."

"Main kyun doon?" He retorted.

She gritted her teeth, glaring at him. "Kyunki tum mere boyfriend ho aur tum wo karoge jo main kahoongi, WARNA I SWEAR-" She took a deep breath. "Tumhe un roses se problem hai ya tumhe chahiye?"

"Mujhe kyun chahiye honge? Naa mujhe wo chahiye, naa un roses se koi problem hai. Mujhe problem hai unhe dene waalon se."

She tilted her head. "Kyun?"

"Kya kyun? Jo bhi hai, wo... wo tumhe... wo tumhe phool kyun bhej raha hai? Aur itne saare? Aur tum itna khush kyun ho rahi thi? Phool hi toh the. Agar itna mann tha ki tumhe koi phool de, toh mujhe bol deti. Main hoon, na? Main deta phool. Sau chahiye the, sau deta. Par nahi! Tumhe toh wahi phool chahiye. Aur... aur kya maan liya tumne? Kya bola usne tumhe? Aur yeh kya reaction hai?"

She removed her hands from her face, allowing Karan to see the big smile on her face. She laughed, biting her lip to stifle it.

"Tumhe hasi aa rahi hai?" He said in disbelief. "Mujhe baat hi nahi karni tumse."

She laughed, keeping a hand on her mouth. "Sorry. Par ab main kya karoon? Mujhe nahi laga tha ki Special Agent Karan Shergill ko jealous hote hue dekhne ka mauka milega."

"Main koi jealous wealous nahi hoon", he snapped. "Mujhe bas achha nahi laga ki kisi aur ne tumhe phool bheje."

"Use hi jealous hona kehte hain, Buddhu Shergill", she said, chuckling and hitting him lightly on the forehead. She pulled out her phone. "Ruko. Jisse jealous ho rahe ho, uski photo bhi dekh lo."

"Tumhaare paas uski photo kyun hai? Delete karo! Aur mujhe koi interest nahi hai."

She turned the screen. It was of a kid in a hospital gown, sitting on a wheel chair smiling widely. Monami was kneeling down next to him, smiling at the camera. "Shubham Malhotra", she said. "13 saal ka baccha hai. Mera patient. Accident victim. Bahut saari corrective surgeries karni thi iski. Poora dramebaaz hai. 'Mona Didi' bulaata hai mujhe aur main jab bhi iske paas jaati thi, mujhe thank you bolta tha aur ek rose deta tha. Jab hospital mein mera aakhri din tha, tab isne mujhe promise kara ki jab yeh poori tarah theek ho jayega, tab yeh mujhe hundred roses bhejega academy mein." She pinched his cheek and he batted them away, scowling a little. "Ab tumhe main Khadoos Shergill bulaoon ya phir Jealous Shergill? Ek bacche se jealous ho gaye tum. Bacche ho tum."

"Tum pehle nahi bata sakti thi?"

"Tumne poocha hi nahi." She laughed. She leaned forward, kissing his cheek. "Tumhe jealous hone ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Main sirf tumhaari hoon, Khadoos Shergill."

His lips quirked up in a smile, and he pulled her into a hug, kissing her head.

"Waise... wo phool phenk diye na, tumne?"

"Karan!"

Note: I would love to hear your thoughts so if you have the time and will, do comment. If you like this, do check my other works too. I'd appreciate it.

Also, I have a drabble collection in the drafts that is a bunch of diary entries written from the point of view of Karan, as if he was writing in the diary Monami had gifted him. It'll contain entries from when he rejected her, when she freed him from her love, when he realized his love, and more. Does that sound appealing?