Misty Hills, Loud Families, aur Ek Unexpected Team

Shillong ki subah waise hi thandi hoti thi, jaise kisi ne raat bhar clouds ko college ke upar hi park kar diya ho. Wet stone walkways, chai ki khushboo, aur canteen ke bahar do-teen logon ka daily gossip—yeh sab milke campus ko ek ajeeb sa cozy chaos dete the. Jaden Kharkongor ko ye sab mostly annoying lagta tha. Matlab, uska personal rule simple tha: classes karo, kaam niptao, ghar jao, aur unnecessary community drama se door raho.

Problem yeh thi ki Shillong mein “door raho” ka concept practically exist hi nahi karta tha. Especially tab, jab tumhare neighborhood mein aunties tumhari class attendance se zyada tumhari emotional life pe nazar rakhti hon.

Jaden second year literature student tha, part-time event volunteer bhi. Quiet, thoda stubborn, aur itna emotionally guarded ki log usko dekh ke hi maan lete the ki “yeh banda baat kam karega, par judge bahut karega.” Sach yeh tha ki woh judge kam, observe zyada karta tha. Usko cheezein notice karne ki aadat thi—kaun kis baat pe smile fake kar raha hai, kaun kis ke saamne overacting kar raha hai, aur kaun apni real feelings ko jokes ke neeche chhupa raha hai.

Lina Syiem uska exact opposite type tha, aur isi wajah se unki rivalry college aur neighborhood ki local legend ban chuki thi. First-year student, cultural club dancer-singer, topper vibes, organizer energy—Lina ko dekh ke lagta tha jaise uske andar ek human calendar aur megaphone dono installed hain. Woh sharp-tongued thi, fast bolti thi, aur agar koi uske kaam mein unnecessary input de, toh uska reply ready hota tha.

Bachpan se hi dono neighbors the. School mein ek baar Jaden ne uski rangoli ko “too symmetrical” bol diya tha, aur Lina ne uski notebook pe “emo stone” likh diya tha. Uske baad se pattern same raha—ek bolta, doosra counter karta, aur phir dono ka ego aur high ho jaata. Log mazaak mein kehte the, “In dono ko alag classes mein rakho, warna debate start ho jayegi.”

Jaden ko yeh sab childish lagta tha. Lina ko lagta tha Jaden bas dramatic silent type hai jo attention nahi deta, par judge zaroor karta hai. Dono ek dusre ko irritate karne mein itne expert the ki kabhi kabhi unka naam hi ek sentence ki tarah use hota tha—“Aaj toh full Jaden-Lina mode ho gaya.”

Phir college aur neighborhood ne milkar ek tribal-community cultural function announce kar diya. Theme tha old stories, songs, aur intergenerational memory. Grandparent-grandchild storytelling segment compulsory tha, aur stage performance bhi. Committee ka logic, naturally, annoying level ka wholesome tha: “Youth aur elders ko connect karna hai.”

Jaden ne notice kiya ki notice board pe uska naam Lina ke naam ke saath ek hi slot mein chipka hua tha. Story narration aur performance ka combo. Usne paper ko do baar padha, phir ek baar aur, jaise letters magically change ho jaayenge.

“Ye joke hai kya?” usne murmur kiya.

Uske side se ek voice aayi, “Main bhi same soch rahi hoon.”

Lina standing there, arms folded, expression aisa jaise usne abhi-abhi kisi committee member ki soul pe case file khol di ho. “Mere aur tere naam ko same slot mein daal diya? Kya soch ke?”

Jaden ne dry tone mein kaha, “Maybe unko entertainment chahiye tha. Ya punishment.”

Lina ne aankh ghumayi. “Haan, obviously. Kyunki meri life mein aur kya missing tha—ek emotionally unavailable co-performer.”

“Emotional kya?”

“Unavailable,” she repeated, with full confidence.

Jaden bas usko stare karta reh gaya. Aur phir, kyunki destiny ko apparently drama pasand tha, Auntie Meba canteen se nikal ke unke beech aa gayi.

“Arey! Dono yahin ho? Perfect.” Auntie Meba ki voice mein wo energy thi jo hamesha ek saath gossip aur logistics carry karti thi. “Rehearsal kal se. Time pe aana. Aur haan, committee ne decide kiya hai tum dono ek dusre ko balance karoge.”

Jaden almost choked. “Balance?”

Auntie Meba smiled like she’d just solved world peace. “Haan, beta. Ek ka dimag tez, doosra… thoda silent. Achha combo.”

Lina snorted. Jaden ne uski taraf dekha, aur woh wapas usko dekh ke bol padi, “Don’t worry, main sab sambhaal lungi.”

“Of course you’d say that,” Jaden muttered.

“Because someone has to.”

Rehearsal next day college hall mein tha, jahan wooden chairs, old curtains, aur slightly broken mic ne milke ek nostalgic setting create kar di thi. Rento bhi wahan tha, audio setup ke paas, full casual mode mein. Jaden ka cousin aur friend, Rento hamesha chill dikhta tha, par uski teasing ka target mostly Jaden hi hota tha.

“Bhai,” Rento whispered, cable adjust karte hue, “aaj finally tum dono ek saath stage pe? This is better than any Netflix series.”

Jaden ne deadpan look diya. “Tera kaam sound check hai ya bakwaas quota fulfill karna?”

“Dono,” Rento grinned. “Main multi-talented hoon.”

Lina already script ke pages arrange kar rahi thi. “Can we please start before I lose my patience?”

“Tumhari patience kabhi thi hi nahi,” Jaden said under his breath.

Lina heard it. Of course she heard it. “At least I have patience. Tum toh sirf sulk karte ho.”

Rehearsal shuru hua, aur start se hi sab kuch awkward tha. Story narration Jaden ko karni thi—apne grandfather ke village tale par based. Performance aur song Lina ko lead karna tha. Problem yeh thi ki Jaden ko lag raha tha Lina uski story ko stage drama bana ke oversell kar degi, aur Lina ko lag raha tha Jaden itna detached hai ki woh line bolte waqt bhi jaise apni soul ko timeout pe bhej dega.

“Yeh line yahan pause ke saath bolo,” Lina instructed, script pe finger tap karte hue.

Jaden frowned. “Main khud padh sakta hoon.”

“Clearly not, warna tumne ab tak expression practice kar li hoti.”

“Main overacting nahi karta.”

“Yehi toh issue hai.”

“Excuse me?”

Dono ka volume dheere-dheere badh raha tha. Auntie Meba doorway pe khadi thi, popcorn ke bina bhi full entertainment mode mein. Rento mic ke peeche se dekh kar quietly smile kar raha tha.