Kameeni Soch

Preethi ne Google Maps pe Jayanti Mahal type kiya. Jayanti Mahal. Simple enough. Lekin Bengaluru mein 'Jayanti Mangal Mahal', 'Jayanti Mahal' aur 'Jai Mahal' alag alag jagah the — aur woh 'Jayanti Mangal Mahal' mein pahunchi. Andar gayi toh hall thanda tha, decoration beautiful thi, log dressed up the. Preethi ne apne kapde dekhe — green saree, match kar rahi thi. Gift bag tha haath mein. She blended in completely. 5 minute mein hi samjhi — yahan koi bhi jaana pehchaana nahi tha. Yeh Anjali ki shaadi nahi thi. Yeh koi aur shaadi thi. Bahar nakal ne ki koshish ki toh andar se ek mard nikal ke aaya aur bola, 'Arre Preethi! Tum aa gayi! Anjali pooch rahi thi!'

Preethi ne jaana — is wedding mein bhi ek Preethi thi. Different one. Aur woh mard — Sahil — clearly dono ko confuse kar raha tha. 'Main — haan, main kaise hello karu andar wali Preethi se?' Sahil ne kaha, 'Woh mandap pe hai abhi, thodi der mein milwa dunga. Tum baithko.' Preethi baithi — kyunki situation ka control kho gaya tha aur hall ka khaana accha tha. Sahil wapas aaya 10 minute mein. 'Suno, mujhe Preethi ne bataya — tum clearly wrong venue pe ho. Jayanti Mahal?' 'Jayanti Mangal Mahal mein aai hoon.' 'Anjali ki shaadi 3 km door hai.' Preethi ka muh khul gaya. Sahil hasa — full on. Preethi ko bhi aayi — ek second baad, jab embarrassment peak pe hit kiya.

'Main chali jaati hoon.' 'Baithho kuch der. Anjali ki timing pe Uber milega, main check karta hoon.' Sahil ne Uber check kiya. '20 minute ka wait hai surging mein.' Preethi ne sigh kiya. 'Theek hai, kuch khaana leke aati hoon.' 'Main bhi aata hoon. Is wedding mein kisi ko nahi jaanta — cousin ka dost hoon, cousin cancel hogaya.' Dono plate le ke ek corner table pe baithe — technically strangers jo ek wedding mein the jismein dono kisi ke khaas nahi the. Khaana bahut achha tha. Biryani pe dono ek se hue — 'South Indian wedding biryani > North Indian wedding biryani.' Sahil ne add kiya, 'Lekin North Indian mein gulab jamun better hota hai.' 'Fair point.' Baat aise shuru hui.

20 minute Uber 45 minute ho gaya aur dono abhi bhi baar kha rahe the. Tab Sahil ke phone pe Anjali ki side se call aaya — real wali Preethi — ke ka toh uski friends ne delay kiya. Toh Preethi ko aana hi nahi tha abhi. 'Tum yahan raho kuch der aur phir direct jaao,' Sahil ne bola. 'Ya...' 'Ya?' 'Ya yahan ki dessert kha lo aur then jaao. Kheer is wedding mein bahut famous hai apparently.' Preethi ne socha ek second. 'Main ek cup kheer ke liye wrong wedding mein ruk sakti hoon.' Dono phir hase — is baar alag tarah se, woh waali hansi jo pehle se clear hai ki kuch interesting ho raha hai.

Anjali ki shaadi mein Preethi 2 ghante late pahunchi — kheer thhi ruk gayi khaate khaate time pe. Anjali ne baat ki: 'Kahan thi itni der?' 'Galat shaadi mein thi.' Anjali ne camera seekh liya. 'Aur?' 'Aur ek banda tha.' Anjali ne grinned exactly waise jaise Preethi ko pata tha wo karegi. 'Number liya?' Preethi ne phone nikala — ek contact tha: 'Sahil (wrong wedding).' Anjali ne khush hoke waved. 'Anjali waali shaadi 3 km door thi lekin galat waali zyada kaam aayi.' Preethi ne hasa. Funny tha. Aur thoda lovely bhi. Kabhi kabhi maps galat jagah le jaate hain — aur woh jagah zyada correct nikalta hai.