Terrace Pe Chhupa Hua Green Scene

Bas phir kya tha, society WhatsApp group mein hawa chal gayi. Kisi ne likha, “Mehta couple aajkal alag-alag terrace pe ja rahe hain.” Kisi aur ne reply kiya, “Maybe work from home wali situation?” Ek aunty ne seedha type kar diya, “Communication gap hota hai aajkal ke couples mein.” Ek uncle ne philosophy jhaadi, “Marriage mein space dena chahiye.” Aur ek overly curious resident ne toh ye bhi bol diya, “Maybe they need a vacation.”

Asli drama tab shuru hua jab Aarav aur Neha ne one-upmanship start kar diya. Aarav ne Neha ko casually bola, “Main terrace pe bas important work email call ke liye jaata hoon. Wahan thoda privacy mil jaati hai.”

Neha ne bina dekhe reply kiya, “Achha. Main soch rahi thi terrace pe hawa better hoti hai. Sunlight bhi milta hai. You know, health.”

Aarav ne sar hila diya. “Haan, health important hai.”

Neha ne coffee sip kiya. “Very important.”

Dono ki tone itni formal thi ki lagta tha do strangers office meeting mein company policy discuss kar rahe hain. Lekin andar hi andar dono ko pata tha ki dusra jhooth bol raha hai. Aarav ne apne basil ke paas “old cables” ka label chipka diya, taaki agar Neha dekh bhi le toh lage koi tech clutter hai. Neha ne apne manure packet ko “festival decor” ke box mein shift kar diya. Aarav ne complaint ki, “Yaar, tum water kaafi use kar rahi ho terrace pe.”

Neha ne dry voice mein kaha, “Aur tum overcomplicate kaafi kar rahe ho simple hobby ko.”

Aarav ne eyebrow lift ki. “Simple? Yeh simple lagta hai tumhe?”

Neha ne uski taraf dekhte hue bola, “Bhai, tumhare terrace pe grow lights hain. Simple ka definition update kar lo.”

Ab tak society group mein log full entertainment mode mein aa chuke the. Mrs. Iyer ko lag raha tha koi emotional issue hai. Raghav ko lag raha tha koi secret project hai. Group mein messages aane lage:

“Couples should talk openly.” “Don’t assume, please.” “Maybe they should attend counselling.” “Terrace pe jaake kya discuss karte hain, interesting.”

Aur yeh sab padhke Aarav aur Neha aur zyada defensive ho gaye. Ab dono ko lagne laga ki agar unhone sach bol diya toh society unko ajeeb samjhegi. Isliye dono ne apni gardening ko aur bhi stealth mode mein chala diya. Aarav ne ek corner mein tomatoes ko black cloth se shade diya. Neha ne apne succulents ko chhote decorative stones ke beech hide kar diya. Aarav ne apni notebook ko “Q3 roadmap” ke cover mein wrap kiya. Neha ne watering schedule ko “client feedback sheet” ke piche chipka diya.

Phir aayi woh raat jab Bengaluru ne apna full mood dikha diya. Shaam se hi hawa heavy thi, aur 9 baje ke around tez rain start ho gayi. Terrace pe paani ki pichkari jaisi sound aane lagi. Aarav ne window se bahar dekha aur turant samajh gaya—plants ka scene kharab ho sakta hai. Neha ne bhi same time apne plants ki taraf dekha aur boli, “Oh no.”

Dono almost simultaneously terrace ki taraf bhaage. Ek dusre ko dekh kar dono ke chehre pe ek hi expression tha—“Tum bhi?” Par ab time kam tha. Aarav ne laptop bag khola, andar se watering can nahi, balki ek proper plant-label set aur fertilizer packets nikle. Neha ne apna delivery box khola, andar se herbs aur repotting tools nikle. Dono ruk gaye.

Phir Aarav ne side glance se Neha ke setup ko dekha. “Yeh sab… tumhara?”

Neha ne uske tomato saplings ki taraf dekha. “Aur yeh tumhara?”

Ek second ka silence. Phir dusra second. Phir dono ko ek saath samajh aaya ki months se woh ek hi terrace pe, ek hi obsession ko hide karte hue, ek dusre ko detective jaisa treat kar rahe the. Aarav ki notebook mein plant growth charts the. Neha ke drawer mein moisture sensor notes the. Aarav ke paas compost ka hidden stash tha. Neha ne mini drip system bana rakha tha. Aur dono ko lag raha tha dusra banda “bas checking” kar raha hai.

Upar se Mrs. Iyer aur Raghav, rain ki awaaz sunke terrace check karne aa gaye. Door khulta hai, aur saamne woh poora scene: half-covered pots, wet soil, grow lights, herbs, tomatoes, labels, tools, aur do adults jo abhi-abhi embarrassment ke deepest corner mein gire hain.

Mrs. Iyer ne pehle Aarav ko dekha, phir Neha ko, phir terrace ko. Unhone ek deep breath li aur bohot hi calm voice mein bola, “Achha. Toh yeh marital issue nahi tha.”

Raghav ne seedha dekhte hue kaha, “Madam, bol diya tha na, terrace pe scene hai.”

Aarav ne apne forehead pe haath rakha. Neha ne aankhen band kar li. Phir dono ko itna hasi aayi ki control nahi hua. Aarav pehle hasa, phir Neha bhi has padi. Woh hasi jo thodi embarrassment se nikalti hai, thodi relief se, aur thodi is baat pe ki itne din se kitna pointless drama banaya gaya.

Aarav bola, “Main bas… competitive ho gaya tha.”

Neha ne turant add kiya, “Aur main bhi. Mujhe laga agar maine interest show kiya toh yeh samjhega main copy kar rahi hoon.”

Aarav ne uski taraf dekha. “Copy? Tum? Main toh soch raha tha tumhe plants mein koi interest hi nahi.”

Neha ne deadpan face ke saath bola, “Haan, aur mujhe laga tumhara gardening ‘bas timepass’ hai. Tabhi itna secret mission chala rahe the.”

Mrs. Iyer ne almost satisfied smile ke saath kaha, “Bas. Yeh hua na asli communication.”

Raghav, jo ab tak silent observer tha, ne ek final truth-bomb drop kiya: “Sir, madam, aap dono ka watering schedule alag tha, par soil same quality ka tha. Mujhe tabhi shak ho gaya tha.”

Aarav aur Neha ne ek dusre ko dekha. Phir terrace ki taraf. Phir society ke dono witnesses ki taraf. Aur phir dono ne ek saath surrender kar diya.