The Proposal: Dil-e-Nadaan

Episode 6: The Layers of Anaya

Scene 1: A Surprise at the Door

(It’s a calm afternoon. Zayaan is lounging in the living room, scrolling on his phone. The doorbell rings.)

Zayaan:
“Lagta hai koi postman hai.”
(I think it’s the postman.)

(He opens the door and finds a delivery man holding a money order.)

Delivery Man:
“Yeh Anaya ke naam ka money order hai. Sign kar dein?”
(This is a money order for Anaya. Can you sign for it?)

(Zayaan, puzzled, signs for the money order. He looks at the envelope, which mentions a well-known newspaper’s name. Intrigued, he heads inside.)

Zayaan:
“Anaya! Tumhare liye kuch aaya hai.”
(Anaya! Something has come for you.)

(Anaya appears from her room, adjusting her dupatta, and looks at the money order in his hand.)

Anaya:
“Oh, woh mera payment hoga!”
(Oh, that must be my payment!)

Zayaan:
“Payment? Newspaper se? Tum kya kar rahi ho jo newspaper tumhe paise bhej raha hai?”
(Payment? From a newspaper? What are you doing that they’re paying you?)

Anaya:
“Main blogs aur articles likhti hoon unke liye. Kabhi recipes, kabhi short stories. Toh woh mujhe pay karte hain.”
(I write blogs and articles for them. Sometimes recipes, sometimes short stories. So they pay me.)

Zayaan:
“Seriously? Mujhe laga tum sirf… I mean, tum likhti bhi ho? That’s… impressive.”
(Seriously? I thought you only… I mean, you write too? That’s… impressive.)

Anaya:
“Haan, thoda passion hai writing ka. Aur jab uska paisa milta hai, toh aur bhi acha lagta hai.”
(Yes, I have a passion for writing. And when I get paid for it, it feels even better.)

(Zayaan looks at her with newfound admiration, holding back a smile.)

Zayaan:
“Tum toh chhupi rustam nikli. Chalo, ab samajh gaya tumhara talent.”
(You turned out to be full of surprises. Well, now I understand your talent.)

Scene 2: Dinner Delight

(Later that evening, the family gathers for dinner. The aroma of freshly cooked food fills the air as Anaya brings a dish to the table.)

Shahana:
“Anaya ne aaj apne haathon se biryani banayi hai. Zayaan, tumhe zaroor pasand aayegi.”
(Anaya has cooked biryani with her own hands today. Zayaan, you’ll surely like it.)

Kamal:
“Haan, Anaya ki cooking ka toh jawab nahi.”
(Yes, Anaya’s cooking is unbeatable.)

(Zayaan takes a bite of the biryani and pauses. His eyes widen as he savors the taste.)

Zayaan:
“Wow, yeh toh kamaal ki biryani hai! Tumne banayi?”
(Wow, this is amazing biryani! You made this?)

Anaya:
“Haan, bas thoda try kiya.”
(Yes, just tried a little.)

Zayaan:
“Thoda try? Agar yeh try hai, toh mujhe professional cooking ka pata nahi kya hoga.”
(A little try? If this is a try, I don’t know what professional cooking would be like.)

Shahana:
“Zayaan, bas kar, zyada tarif kar ke sharma mat de meri beti ko.”
(Zayaan, stop it. Don’t embarrass my daughter with too much praise.)

Zayaan:
“Nahi, seriously! Anaya, tumne prove kar diya ke tum sirf likhne mein hi nahi, cooking mein bhi expert ho.”
(No, seriously! Anaya, you’ve proven that you’re not just good at writing but also an expert in cooking.)

(Anaya smiles shyly, while Zayaan glances at her with growing admiration.)

Scene 3: Shahana Informs the Family About Sameer’s Proposal

(The family is gathered in the living room after dinner. Shahana sits nervously beside Kamal, while Salma and Aslam listen attentively. Dadi is seated on her usual chair, knitting, unaware of what’s coming.)

Shahana (clearing her throat):
“Mein ek zaruri baat share karna chahti hoon. Aaj Anaya ke liye ek rishta aya tha.”
(I want to share something important. Today, a proposal came for Anaya.)

Dadi (pausing mid-knit, looking up sharply):
“Rishta? Kis taraf se?”
(A proposal? From whom?)

Shahana:
“Ek ladka hai, Sameer. Acha job karta hai, Dubai mein bhi office hai. Family ke saath aaye the milne.”
(There’s a boy, Sameer. He has a good job and even has an office in Dubai. They came to meet us as a family.)

Dadi (raising an eyebrow):
“Humein kyun nahi bataya pehle? Yeh kaunsa tareeqa hai?”
(Why weren’t we informed earlier? What kind of behavior is this?)

Kamal (calmly):
“Ami, yeh sab achanak hua. Humne socha pehle ladka dekh lein, phir aap se mashwara karein.”
(Mother, it all happened suddenly. We thought we’d see the boy first and then consult you.)

Dadi (narrowing her eyes):
“Toh kya faisla kar liya tum dono ne?”
(So, what decision have you both made?)

Shahana (hesitantly):
“Ladka mujhe acha laga, lekin uski family thodi ajeeb lagi. Main abhi sure nahi hoon.”
(I liked the boy, but his family seemed a bit odd. I’m not sure yet.)

Dadi (grumbling):
“Humesha ladke ki family pehle dekhni chahiye. Agar family pasand nahi ayi, toh rishta kaise chalega?”
(You should always consider the boy’s family first. If the family isn’t likable, how will the proposal work?)

Salma (interjecting):
“Shahana Bhabi, ladka kaisa laga? Aap keh rahi hain job achhi hai, toh woh toh positive baat hai.”
(Bhabi, how did you find the boy? You’re saying he has a good job, which is a positive thing.)

Shahana:
“Haan, Sameer achha lagta hai, tameez wala hai. Lekin uski maa aur baap kaafi over-friendly aur filmy lag rahe the.”
(Yes, Sameer seems nice and well-mannered. But his parents came across as overly friendly and dramatic.)

Aslam:
“Rishta sirf ladka aur ladki ka nahi hota, families ka bhi hota hai. Aap dono kya soch rahe hain?”
(A proposal isn’t just about the boy and girl, it’s about the families too. What are you both thinking?)

Kamal (leaning forward):
“Main bhi confuse hoon. Ladka pasand aya, lekin uski family ne mujhe bhi confident nahi banaya.”
(I’m confused too. I liked the boy, but his family didn’t give me much confidence.)

Dadi (scoffing):
“Tabhi maine kaha tha, Zayaan ke rishte ke baare mein socho. Wahaan toh sab perfect hai.”
(That’s why I said, think about Zayaan’s proposal. Everything is perfect there.)

Shahana (frustrated):
“Ami, Zayaan shaadi ke liye ready hi nahi hai. Aap khud dekh rahi hain woh kitna busy aur uninterested hai.”
(Mother, Zayaan isn’t ready for marriage. You can see for yourself how busy and uninterested he is.)

Dadi (firmly):
“Toh kya karein? Ajeeb family ke ladke se Anaya ki shaadi kar dein? Mujhe toh yeh manzoor nahi.”
(So, what do we do? Marry Anaya to a boy from a strange family? I can’t accept this.)

Salma (calmly):
“Bhai, jo aap log faisla karenge, woh humein manzoor hoga. Lekin sab kuch soch samajh kar karna hoga.”
(Bhai, whatever you both decide, we will accept. But everything should be thought through carefully.)

Aslam:
“Ji, abhi koi jaldi nahi hai. Sameer ko thoda aur samajhne ka waqt lena chahiye.”
(Yes, there’s no rush. We should take more time to understand Sameer.)

Kamal (nodding):
“Haan, mein bhi yahi soch raha hoon. Sameer ko dobara milte hain aur uski family ke baare mein clarity lete hain.”
(Yes, I’m thinking the same. Let’s meet Sameer again and get clarity about his family.)

Dadi (sighing, shaking her head):
“Main toh pehle hi keh rahi thi, yeh rishta mushkil create karega. Tum log jo karna hai karo.”
(I’ve been saying from the start, this proposal will create problems. Do whatever you want.)

(The atmosphere becomes tense as Dadi mutters to herself, shaking her head. Shahana looks at Kamal, seeking reassurance, while Salma and Aslam exchange concerned glances.)

Shahana (finally, with determination):
“Toh phir yeh decide hua ke Sameer se phir milenge. Pehle ladka aur family ko aur samajhne ki koshish karte hain.”
(So, it’s decided that we’ll meet Sameer again. Let’s first try to understand the boy and his family better.)

(Everyone nods in agreement, except Dadi, who remains stubborn. The scene ends with Kamal stepping outside to think, leaving Shahana deep in thought.)

Scene 4: Zayaan and Saad’s Late-Night Call

(Zayaan is lying on his bed, one hand behind his head and the other lazily scrolling through his phone. His room is dimly lit, and he looks relaxed. His phone buzzes, and Saad’s name flashes on the screen. He picks up the call.)

Zayaan (grinning):
“Haan Saad, kya scene hai?”
(Hey Saad, what’s up?)

Saad (teasing):
“Scene toh tu bata, kaisa ja raha hai sab kuch?”
(You tell me, how’s everything going?)

Zayaan (sighing):
“Sab kuch kaafi interesting chal raha hai. Tumhare jo karaye ke parents the na, unhone koi kasar nahi chhodi thi sab kharab karne mein. Magar thank God, Sameer ne kaafi sambhal liya.”
(Everything’s pretty interesting. Your rented parents left no stone unturned in messing things up. But thank God, Sameer managed to handle it well.)

Saad (laughing):
“Yaar, asli baat pe aao. Aage ka kya plan hai?”
(Come to the point, what’s the plan ahead?)

Zayaan (smirking):
“Abhi abhi sab ki discussion hui thi. Plan kaam kar raha hai. Sab almost confused ho gaye hain.”
(The family just had a discussion. The plan is working. Everyone is almost confused.)

Saad:
“Haan toh ab age kya karna hai?”
(Yeah, so what’s next?)

Zayaan (stretching, grinning):
“Pata nahi yaar, abhi toh biryani ka nasha utar raha hai.”
(No idea, man. Right now, I’m still high on biryani.)

Saad (curious):
“Biryani? Kahan se ayi biryani? Tu ne kahan khayi?”
(Biryani? Where did you get biryani? Where did you eat it?)

Zayaan (smiling):
“Yaar, Anaya ne banayi thi. Itni mazedar thi ke mere mou mein abhi tak uska taste hai. Pet bhar gaya tha, magar niyat nahi bahr rahi thi.”
(Man, Anaya made it. It was so delicious that I can still taste it. My stomach was full, but I couldn’t stop eating.)

Saad (mock surprise):
“Wah bhai! Aur?”
(Wow, man! And?)

Zayaan (sincerely):
“Tu soch, aaj mujhe pata chala ke woh blogs aur articles likhti hai newspaper ke liye. Mujhe toh bilkul idea nahi tha ke woh itni kabil hai.”
(Imagine, today I found out that she writes blogs and articles for a newspaper. I had no idea she was so talented.)

Saad (teasing):
“Acha! Wah bhai! Yeh tareefon ki line kis direction mein ja rahi hai?”
(Oh! Wow, man! Which direction are all these compliments heading?)

Zayaan (confused):
“Kya matlab?”
(What do you mean?)

Saad (laughing, mock serious):
“Matlab yeh, ke tu Anaya ko pasand karne laga hai kya?”
(I mean, are you starting to like Anaya?)

Zayaan (sitting up, wide-eyed):
“Pagal hogaya hai kya? Main toh sirf uske kaam ki tareef kar raha tha!”
(Have you gone mad? I was just appreciating her work!)

Saad (chuckling):
“Achha? Biryani ka taste abhi tak mou mein hai, niyat bhar nahi rahi, aur uski kabiliyat ke lecture chal rahe hain. Bhai, yeh tareef se thoda zyada lag raha hai.”
(Oh really? You can still taste her biryani, you couldn’t stop eating, and now you’re giving lectures on her talents. Dude, this sounds more than just appreciation.)

Zayaan (flustered):
“Chup kar, Saad! Main bas casually baat kar raha hoon.”
(Shut up, Saad! I’m just talking casually.)

Saad (laughing loudly):
“Yeh casual nahi lag raha, bhai. Mujhe toh lagta hai, tere dil mein kuch kuch ho raha hai.”
(This doesn’t sound casual, my friend. I think something is happening in your heart.)

Zayaan (throwing a pillow at the imaginary Saad):
“Tu bilkul bakwas kar raha hai. Aur kuch kaam nahi tujhe?”
(You’re talking nonsense. Don’t you have anything better to do?)

Saad (teasing):
“Haan haan, denial mein reh le. Par ek baat bolu?”
(Yeah, yeah, stay in denial. But can I say one thing?)

Zayaan (irritated):
“Kya?”
(What?)

Saad (seriously):
“Anaya kaafi achhi ladki hai. Agar tere dil mein waqai feelings hain, toh soch le.”
(Anaya’s a great girl. If you really have feelings for her, think about it.)

(Zayaan pauses for a moment, then shakes his head, trying to brush it off. He mumbles something about Saad being crazy and ends the call. But as he lies back down, Saad’s words linger in his mind.)

Zayaan (to himself):
“Pagal hi hai Saad… Lekin…”
(Saad is crazy… But…)

(He stares at the ceiling, his thoughts spinning as the scene fades out.)