Kolkata, In the era of the 1960s.

A woman in her 20s was singing the song for a record in a movie. Her hands were coloured with red alta, beautifully adorning her dusky skin. She had worn a beautiful red saree with wide golden borders. The green jewellery colour contrasted her attire. Her head was covered~ All the things giving the impression, that she is a newly wed.

Haseena- Hogaya sir? (She asks the music director after completing her verse)

Music Director- Perfect Miss Haseena (he says due to his habit as half of the song was recorded before her wedding, a sudden wedding)

Haseena- Mrs. Hai hum

She looks at her husband who sitting in the waiting area to pick her up through a glass partition. He was looking everywhere but her to know her reaction. He feels she is not happy with their marriage which were held under strange circumstances.

He passed her a sweet smile. Dressed in a white kurta set and brown shawl, he looked perfect and handsome.

Crew Member- Madam aapki ek photo leni hai

Haseena- tasveer... (She hesitates and looks at her husband. He blinks his eyes)

Crew Member- aapki nayi shaadi hui hai toh ek aapke sir ji ke saath?

She looks at her but he shies away, denying showing his hand. Her smile drops but she consoles herself. He was already taking trouble to pick her up.

Haseena- chalte hai hum phir sir. Jab ye geet aane ko ho toh hume, bataiyega zarur.
Humare Baba ka number hai aapke paas.

She greets him and leaves standing a step behind her husband.

Haseena- chale Anubhav ji? Shama chahte hai jo aapko humari wajah se intezaar karna pada...

Her pallu slips from her head while speaking. She clicks her tongue and covers her head again. Anubhav smiles looking at her cute expressions.

Anubhav-bahout hi sureela gaati hai aap Haseena ji...

Haseena- Shukriya

Anubhav- chaliye (he carefully holds her hand guiding her the way where the cycle rickshaw was on waiting) pehle aap chadhiye.

She held his hand more firmly and climbed up with support handling her saree.

Haseena- huhh...salwaar hi theek hai, ye pallu kitna sarakta hai (she frowned)

Anubhav- khuch kaha, ji aapne?

Haseena- nahi nahi (nervously)

He looks at her sadly to why she gets so nervous with him at so little things.

Anubhav- woh hum keh rahe the ki humme aapse khuch baat karni hai...

Haseena- boliye Anubhav ji

Anubhav- yun nahi, ekant mein. Abhi agar hum ghar laute toh sabhi rishtedaar hai.

Haseena- toh phir?

Anubhav- bhaiya ji paas wale bagaan me rok lijye 10- 15 minute ke liye.

At a corner of the garden, near a pond.

Anubhav- Dekhiye Haseena ji, hum jaante hai humari shaadi aam tareeke se nahi hui...sadharan vivaah me bhi aaj ka samaj auroto ki razamandi nahi leta...phir ye toh..., Kya aap khush hai is vivaah se?

Haseena- humse zyada aapse ye sawal puchne ko hota hai Anubhav ji, humari toh shaadi hone hi nahi wali thi lekin humari didi ki shaadi me koi adchan na aaye isliye baba ne humme us samuhik vivaah ke mandap me baitha diya. Lekin aapka to rishta kisi or se tay hua tha? Aap khush hai.

Anubhav- sach kahe toh hum unse kabhi mile nahi the bas tasveer dekhi thi ek dafa, phir ek baar ek patr bheja tha unhe lekin kabhi jawab nahi aaya...or hume shaadi ke din akela chod gaye toh kyu hi soche hum unke bare me?

Haseena- lekin (she looks up to his face, which reflected hurt) ek baat kahe.

Anubhav- aap humse yu choti choti baato me ijasat leke humme sharminda mat kijye.

Haseena- aap uski majburi Jaan ne ki kosish bhi nahi karenge?

Anubhav- baba ne puch taach ki thi, woh ladki nahi karna chahti thi humse vivaah. Isliye aap chahte hai Haseena ji...kya aap khush hai?

Haseena- kisi na kisi se toh humme bhi vivaah karna hi tha...aap se hi sahi, hum is rishte ko nibhana chahate hai

Anubhav smiles. Seeing him she too smile lowering her gaze. The setting sun casts an etheral glow to her face.

Haseena- aap...aapko ya aapke bauji ko humare gaane se koi dikkat toh nahi. Dikhye ye jo geet tha uski razamandi hum pehle de chuke the. Kagazo pe dastakhat bhi de chuke the, agar gaate nahi toh pure 100 rupye bharne padte.

Anubhav- aap itna ghabrati kyu hai?

Haseena- (says nonchalantly) aapko jaante nahi hai na ji...

Her speaking without filter makes him chuckle softly.

Anubhav- itni acha gaati hai aap hum kyu rokenge aapko?
(He raises his hand indicating her they should go. She sees her pallu again and then starts to walk)

Haseena- humare Baba ne humme dasvi ki pariksha nahi dene di thi Anubhav ji, woh humme gaane bhi sirf isliye dete the kyuki usse ghar me ache paise aate the. Aapke bauji ko koi dikkat nahi hogi.

Anubhav- naye rishte ki shuruwaat ki hai aapse Haseena ji, jhoot nahi bolenge...unhi paiso ka lalach humare Baba ko bhi hoga.

She looks at him and the focusses on the road, feeling bad on how women were treated in Independent India. Till the age she had access to books and literature, she was always thrilled listening to the stories of strong and independent women, one of the reasons his father discontinued her study. All the money she got from singing for plays, radio or local movies, she gave it to her father. She loved him dearly but did not go well with his ideology.

This time he waited when they reached the cycle rickshaw. But when Haseena raised her hand on accord in air believing he would support her, he held her hand even more tightly.

Few minutes later Anubhav was laughing silently at her.

Haseena- aise kisi pe hasna acha nahi hota ji (she frowns) addat nahi hai humme, agli dafa se pin lagake ayenge hum.

Anubhav- jaane dijye apne pallu ko...jab neeche utrenge tab le lena. Aur suniye, humare saamne yu sar dhak ne ki zarurat nahi hai.

Till this time she was looking away a little angry at him laughing at her but then she looked at him with a bright smile.

Haseena- shukriya

Anubhav- suniye

Haseena- ji

Anubhav- aapka gajra khul gaya hai

Haseena reflexively keep a hand on her braid. She finds it loose but was unable to remove it or tighten it.

Anubhav- hum kar de?

Haseena- ji?

She says in a shocked tone but her voice was so low that he took it as her agreement. Like this, the gajra became the reason of their first close moment.

A day later at night,

Haseena was juggling with the white net parda around the bed.

Haseena- pata nahi inko upar kisne lapet diya...

She peeped outside the room from the door, her husband was talking with his father. When she saw that her father in law had looked at her secretly watching for them she quickly jumped back hitting her head.

Baba- (fakely coughs) bahurani tumhe bula rahi hai

Anubhav- sunha nahi humme (he looked back towards their room)

Baba- toh kya hum jhooth bol rahe hai?

Anubhav- (nervously) jaate hai na...

In these 20 days of marriage, he had always gone to their room after she sleeps, except for their marriage, when they got to know eachother's name.

Anubhav- aap aise sar pakad ke kyu baithi hai (worriedly)

Haseena- khuch nahi bhid ke lag gayi (rubs her head) ye parde neeche kijye humme sone jana hai...aise khambe jaise lambe hona ka faida hai nahi? (She whispered)

Anubhav- aapki baate sun ne ke liye humme apni kaan ki shamtaye bhadani padegi

Haseena- woh...(embarrassed, he chuckled)

Anubhav- so jaiye...shubhratri

Haseena- shubhratri, aap?

Anubhav- hum? Hum aate hai na, kapde badal ke

By the time he returned her eyes were closed, he assumed her to be sleeping. He looked at the removed gajra and pluck a string from it, keeping it in his pocket. He slept next to her looking at her innocent and beautiful face. He smiled at the fact that she keeps her voice low when she speaks the silly things so he cannot hear it.

He raised his hand to hold her but then hesitates. It was now difficult for her to keep her eyes closed.

Haseena opened her one eye peeking at his figure.

Haseena- haash sogaye...kitna time lagate hai. (Turns towards him) humari hi na nazar na Lage jaaye inhe (she murmurs when she realises she is gaping at him)

She slowly shifts her hand near his but does not touch him sleeping contently.

A week later in morning,

Haseena- ye toh akhbar se aise chipakte hai jaise Sundar si biwi ho (she murmurs but in this one week, he is able to contemplate some of the words)

Anubhav- Suniye ji

Haseena- boliye Anubhav ji

Anubhav- aapko humse shikyat ho toh humse keh dijya kare aise man me badbadaygi toh log pagal samjhenge.
(He purses his lips to control his laugh)

Haseena (angry)- ye akhbar ke peeche bhi padhiye na Anubhav ji, likha hai jo log apni patni pe haste hai unpe bijli girni ki zyada sambhavna hoti hai (she stomps her foot in anger and leaves to kitchen)

Daytime,

Haseena was reading the entertainment corner of the newspaper when Anubhav returned for lunch. Her mother in law called her and she rushed leaving the paper like this.

Anubhav came to freshen up. He saw the page and sees that she likes to read poetry.

Before leaving he back, he goes to kitchen to bid her.

Anubhav- abhi bhi naraz hai humse?

Haseena- (startled) nahi hum kyu honge?

Her pallu slips at her stunned movement. He smiles and corrects it placing it back on her head, knowing his parents don't like it. She blushed at the touch of his fingers on her face. He was about leave but she calls him again in her sweet voice, "suniye ji"

Anubhav- boliye Haseena ji (he imitates her)

She rolls her eyes.

Haseena- aapka manpasand gana konsa hai?

He was confused at her sudden asks but whispers it to her leaving a smile on her face.

Few days later,

Haseena was shopping for groceries. After that she looked for a PCO and dialed to a recording studio.

Haseena- dekho tum zyada talo mat. Jaante nahi ho tum humare pati ko. 6 ft ke hate Kate hai ek haath bhi lagaya na tumhe toh zameen pe gir jaoge...ek dum chapte (she gives him an image that he is a wrestler) aaj hi chahiye humme woh record.

Man- (gulps in fear) lekin madam ji samjiye toh Zara aap, hum abhi bhi nikle toh ek ghanta lag jayega

Haseena- (thinks) ek ghanta toh bahout time hai. Isse paise toh humne de hi rakhe hai, ghar pe hi bulwa lete hai.
(To him) acha humare ghar pe de jao

Man- pura ek rupya zyada lagega

Haseena- Jooti ki de hum tumhe. Ek toh late Kiya upar se aur paise maang rahe ho...rakho chup chap (she keeps back the receiver in anger and pays the money to the shopkeeper)

Haseena- unko pasand toh ayega na (she thinks nervously) logo se kaam nikalwane bichare humare bhole se pati ka gunda jaise istemaal karna pada... (She laughs imagining him like one)

"Namaste chacha, chachi", she gets busy talking with their neighbours...

So my first try in writing something set in the old times. Do you like it? Please leave a review in the comments.