The Proposal: Dil-e-Nadaan

Episode 2:

Scene 1: Breakfast Awkwardness
The family is gathered around the breakfast table.The tension from the previous night still lingers. Dadi, sitting at the head, looks at Zayaan with anticipation. Anaya, trying to mask her emotions, serves tea with a polite smile. Zayaan sits across the table, engrossed in his phone, avoiding eye contact with her.

Dadi (seriously):
“Haan, Zayaan beta, phir kya socha tumne? Shaadi ki date kab fix karein?”
(“So, Zayaan, what have you decided? When should we fix the wedding date?”)

Zayaan puts his fork down, trying to control his frustration.

Zayaan (firmly):
“Dadi, mera faisla wohi hai jo kal tha. Main ye shaadi nahi kar sakta.”
(“Dadi, my decision is the same as yesterday. I cannot do this marriage.”)

The room goes silent. Everyone exchanges nervous glances. Dadi’s face hardens.

Anaya focuses on serving parathas, pretending not to hear the conversation. Inside, she feels a pang of hurt but reminds herself of her resolution to stay strong.

Dadi (sternly):
“Main tumhari dadi hoon, aur tumhare baap ne bhi kabhi mera faisla reject nahi kiya. Tum kaise kar sakte ho?”
(“I am your grandmother, and even your father never rejected my decisions. How can you?”)

Zayaan (trying to intervene):
“Dadi, meri baat suniye—”
(“Dadi, listen to me—”)

Dadi (cutting him off):
“Bas! Maine keh diya ki tumhari shaadi hogi aur sirf Anaya se hogi. Yeh faisla badalne ka sawal hi paida nahi hota.”
(“Enough! I’ve said your marriage will happen, and it will only be with Anaya. There’s no question of changing this decision.”)

Zayaan clenches his fists, his anger barely in check. He looks at his parents, Salma and Aslam, hoping for support, but they stay silent, avoiding his gaze.

Zayaan (angrily):
“Theek hai, aap sab apne faisle par hi rahiye. Main is discussion ka hissa nahi ban sakta.”
(“Fine, you all stick to your decision. I can’t be a part of this discussion.”)

He gets up, pushes his chair back, and storms out of the room.

Anaya’s Perspective
Anaya, who has been silently listening, feels her heart sink with every word. She bites her lip to keep her emotions in check, but her hands tremble. She excuses herself, leaving her unfinished plate, and rushes to her room.

Anaya’s Room
She stands in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, tears streaming down her face.

Anaya (heartbroken, to herself):
“Kya main itni hi worthless hoon? Zayaan ko lagta hai main kisi kaam ki nahi?”
(“Am I really that worthless? Does Zayaan think I’m good for nothing?”)

She wipes her tears angrily, her expression changing from sadness to determination.

Anaya (firmly):
“Zayaan samajhta kya hai apne aap ko? Kahin ka shehzada hai kya? Mana ke main usey chahti hoon, lekin mujhe apni izzat karni hai. Agar usko meri kadar nahi, toh main kyun uske peeche maroon?”
(“What does Zayaan think of himself? Is he some kind of prince? Fine, I like him, but I need to respect myself. If he doesn’t value me, why should I waste myself over him?”)

She looks at herself in the mirror, her tears drying up.

Anaya (with a small, defiant smile):
“Bhar mein jaye wo. Mujhe apne liye jeena hai.”
(“To hell with him. I need to live for myself.”)

She wipes her face, straightens her posture, and walks back to the kitchen to resume her day, a newfound strength in her heart.

Scene 2

Setting: Zayaan is pacing back and forth in his room, his frustration evident. His mind is racing, trying to come up with a way to stop the proposal.

Zayaan (frustrated, muttering to himself):
“Yeh dadi bhi na! Jab dekho apne faisle thop deti hain. Par mujhe ye shaadi kisi haal mein nahi karni.”
(“Dadi! She always imposes her decisions. But no way am I letting this marriage happen.”)

Suddenly, an idea strikes him, He stops pacing and snaps his fingers.

Zayaan (thinking):
“Agar Anaya bhi is shaadi se khush nahi hai, toh shayad woh meri madad kare.”
(“If Anaya is also unhappy with this marriage, maybe she’ll help me.”)

Without wasting time, he heads downstairs to speak with Anaya.

Anaya’s Room
Anaya is sitting on her bed, flipping through a book, but her mind is elsewhere. Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. Before she can respond, Zayaan walks in.

Anaya (surprised, quickly masking her emotions):
“Zayaan? Tum yahaan?”
(“Zayaan? You’re here?”)

Zayaan (awkwardly):
“Haan, woh… mujhe tumse baat karni thi.”
(“Yeah, um… I needed to talk to you.”)

Anaya closes her book and sits up straighter, her curiosity piqued.

Zayaan (hesitating):
“Tumhein pata hai na ke dadi hum dono ki shaadi karwana chahti hain?”
(“You know, right, that Dadi wants us to get married?”)

Anaya (calmly, hiding her hurt):
“Haan, pata hai.”
(“Yeah, I know.”)

Zayaan (scratching his head nervously):
“Toh… kya tum isse agree ho?”
(“So… do you agree with this?”)

Anaya’s heart skips a beat. She looks at him for a moment, her emotions swirling, but she steadies herself.

Anaya (firmly):
“Nahi. Main tumse shaadi nahi karna chahti.”
(“No. I don’t want to marry you.”)

Zayaan visibly relaxes, missing the pain in her voice.

Zayaan (with relief):
“Thank God! Mujhe laga tum maan jaogi aur phir mujhe samajhne ka time bhi nahi milega.”
(“Thank God! I thought you’d agree, and I wouldn’t even get time to think.”)

Anaya watches him, her chest tightening at how easily he dismisses her.

Zayaan (excitedly):
“Dekho, agar tum bhi nahi karna chahti aur main bhi nahi karna chahta, toh hum mil kar dadi ko rokne ka koi tareeqa nikalte hain. Kya kehti ho?”
(“Look, if you don’t want this marriage and I don’t want it either, let’s find a way to stop Dadi together. What do you say?”)

Anaya blinks, taken aback by his suggestion, but quickly composes herself.

Anaya (calmly):
“Kya tumhare paas koi idea hai?”
(“Do you have any ideas?”)

Zayaan (grinning sheepishly):
“Abhi tak toh nahi, par kuch toh karna hoga.”
(“Not yet, but we’ll have to do something.”)

Anaya (hiding her emotions, with a slight smirk):
“Theek hai. Jab tumhare paas idea ho, toh mujhe bata dena.”
(“Alright. Let me know when you have an idea.”)

Zayaan smiles, oblivious to the storm brewing in Anaya’s heart, and leaves the room with a sense of relief. As soon as the door shuts, Anaya exhales deeply, her eyes glistening.

Scene 3

Setting: The cozy living room of Zayaan’s home. Zayaan’s parents, Salma and Aslam, are seated with Anaya’s parents, Shahana and Kamal. Tea cups and snacks are on the table, but the tension in the room is palpable as Shahana and Kamal voice their concerns about the proposal.

Shahana (hesitant):
“Salma baji, agar Zayaan iss rishtey ke liye agree nahi hai, toh hum uske sath zabardasti nahi karni chahiye.”
(“Salma baji, if Zayaan doesn’t agree to this match, we shouldn’t force him.”)

Kamal (seriously):
“Agar humne zabardasti shaadi kar bhi di, toh kya woh humari Anaya ko kabhi khush rakh sakega?”
(“Even if we force this marriage, will he ever be able to keep our Anaya happy?”)

Salma places her cup on the table and leans forward, trying to reassure them.

Salma (softly):
“Shahana, Kamal bhai, aap log bilkul fikr na karein. Ye sirf confusion ka masla hai. Zayaan ne abhi apni zindagi ke bare mein properly nahi socha. Main usse baat karungi.”
(“Shahana, Kamal bhai, don’t worry at all. This is just a matter of confusion. Zayaan hasn’t thought about his life properly yet. I’ll talk to him.”)

Shahana (worried):
“Lekin baji, agar uska dil hi nahi hai toh kya faida?”
(“But baji, what’s the point if his heart isn’t in it?”)

Aslam (firmly):
“Shahana, aap mujh par bharosa karein. Mujhe Anaya bohot aziz hai, apni beti ki tarah. Aur main apni beti ko hamesha khush dekhna chahta hoon.”
(“Shahana, trust me. I hold Anaya very dear, like my own daughter. And I want my daughter to always be happy.”)

Shahana and Kamal exchange a hesitant look, still worried about Zayaan’s rejection.

Kamal (sincerely):
“Aslam bhai, humein bas Anaya ki khushi chahiye. humari beti k liye bhi ye rishta achanak tha aur zayaan k yon is reject karne se us ka dil toot gaya hai”

(“Aslam bhai, we only want Anaya’s happiness. This match was sudden for our daughter too, and Zayaan’s rejection has broken her heart.“)

Aslam shakes his head with a small smile.

Aslam:
“Kamal bhai, Zayaan pagal hai, bas. Uska masla yehi hai ke woh apne andar ke confusion ko sab pe thop raha hai. Lekin mujhe yakeen hai, woh maan jayega. Aur ye jo ammi ka faisla hai na, ye ek behtareen faisla hai.”
(“Kamal bhai, Zayaan is just being crazy, that’s all. His problem is he’s projecting his own confusion onto everyone. But I’m sure he’ll agree. And this decision from Ammi is a brilliant one.”)

Salma (smiling):
“Aur jab tak uska dimaag theek hota hai, aap shaadi ki tayari shuru karein. Anaya aur Zayaan ka rista ek perfect match hai.”
(“And while he comes to his senses, you should start the wedding preparations. Anaya and Zayaan are a perfect match.”)

Shahana (hesitant smile):
“Aap log itne yakin se keh rahe hain, toh hum bhi umeed rakhte hain.”
(“You’re speaking with so much confidence, so we’ll also hold on to hope.”)

Kamal (still cautious):
“Lekin Salma baji, agar ye sab waise na hua jaisa hum soch rahe hain, toh?”
(“But Salma baji, what if things don’t turn out the way we’re thinking?”)

Salma (firmly):
“Aisa nahi hoga. Aap Anaya ki fikr chhod dein. Hum bhi uska bhala hi chahte hain.”
(“That won’t happen. Don’t worry about Anaya. We only want the best for her too.”)

Shahana finally gives a small nod, her trust in Salma and Aslam’s reassurance growing.