5 Minutes (Anecdote)

"Aur kitna time lagaogi, Shreemati?"

Main darwaze ke paas khada tha, ghar ke andar se uski awaaz aane ka intezaar karta hua. Aaj mere ek colleague ki shaadi thi—lake ke paas venue tha, toh socha tha social relations bhi ho jayenge aur saath hi ek chhoti si date bhi. Kaafi time ho gaya tha kahin saath jaane ka. Shruti apni job mein busy thi, main apni. Dono hi samajhdar thay, warna aaj ke time mein rishte tootne ke liye itna hi kaafi hota hai. Par ham aise pal chura lete thay, ek dusre ke liye. Aaj bhi waisa hi ek pal tha.

"Haan aayi, bas 5 minute," uski awaaz bedroom se aayi.

Maine dheere se kaha, "Pakka phir se sheeshe mein khud ko nihar rahi hogi."

Main punctual type ka insaan tha. Invitation pe 9 likha ho toh 8:55 pe wahan hona mere liye life and death ka farak tha. Aur Shruti—har baar late hone wali. Taiyaar hone mein time lagta hai, toh thoda jaldi shuru kiya karo—simple logic hai. Par samjhaane se better tha accept kar lena ki ye kabhi badalne waali nahi hai.

Sochte-sochte, main bedroom ke darwaze tak gaya. "Shruti, kisi aur ki shaadi hai. Tum kyun itna saj rahi ho?"

"Arey, no makeup baba. Aao check kar lo. Aur haan, help karna back zip ke saath," uski awaaz aayi.

Main andar gaya. Sheeshe ke samne, jaise hamesha hoti hai. Ek haath mein lipstick, doosre se dress ka zip pakde huye. "Tum toh keh rahi thi no makeup?"

Bina use dekhe hi, maine dress ka zip upar kar diya. Uske paas khade hote hi ek alag si garmi mehsoos hui—jaise uski maaujoodgi ki ek apni hi shanti ho. Lipstick lagane ka uska tareeqa hamesha same hota tha—ek baar mirror mein dekhna, ek chhoti si smile, phir lipstick ka cap bandh karna. Aaj bhi waisa hi tha. Bas, aaj uska green dress meri green khadi kurte se match kar raha tha.

"Kaisi lag rahi hoon?"

Maine dekha nahi ab tak. Shruti mere saamne mud gayi. "Hello?" Usne ungliyon ke snap se dhyan wapas bulaya. "Main kuch puch rahi hoon, Pratap."

Meri nazar uspar tik gayi. Kuch pal tak kuch kehna ya sochna zaroori nahi laga. Bas dekhna hi kaafi tha. "Stunning." Lafz nikalne mein bhi der lag gayi. "Waqt ruk jaaye bas utna hi."

Shruti hansi. "Shrimaan, chalna nahi hai? Late ho jayenge."

Main ab bhi wahi khada tha. "Bas 5 minute," maine kaha.

Woh mere paas aayi, aur ek halki si hansi ke saath gaal par ek chhoti si lipstick ki laal chhapaak chhod gayi. "Bas bas, ab chalo," usne haste huye kaha.

Main bas uske paas se hatna nahi chahta tha. Haathon se uski kamar thaami aur bina kisi warning ke use utha liya. Woh hansi, par resist nahi kiya. Main use darwaze tak le aaya. "Ek aur please?" Maine doosra gaal aage kar diya.

Woh phir se hansi. "Tum kabhi nahi sudhroge, Pratap." Aur ek aur kiss. Ek aur laal nishaan.

Maine cheekh se laali halka sa smudge kiya. Usne dekha, phir ek aur kiss diya. "Is side laali thodi kam thi."

Yeh laali lipstick ki thi ya blush ki, fark karna mushkil tha.

Main ne darwaza khola. Woh gaadi mein baith gayi. Engine start kiya, par gaadi chalane se pehle ek baar use dekha.

"Chalo ab," usne kaha.

Maine uska haath thaam liya. "Bas 5 aur minute."

Woh muskurai, par kuch nahi boli. Bas haath pakde rahi.

---

x

"How much more time, Shreemati?"

I stood near the door, waiting to hear her voice from inside. One of my colleagues was getting married today—by the lake, a beautiful venue. We thought we’d go, strengthen social ties, and steal a little date for ourselves. It had been a while since we went out together. Shruti was caught up in her job, and I was in mine. We both understood this phase, but in today’s time, even this much distance is enough to break relationships. That’s why we made sure to steal moments like these, just for us.

"Just five minutes," her voice echoed from the bedroom.

I muttered under my breath, "She’s probably admiring herself in the mirror again."

I was the punctual one. If the invitation said 9 PM, being there at 8:55 felt like a life-or-death difference. And Shruti—always late. If getting ready takes time, why not start a little earlier? Simple logic. But instead of arguing, I had accepted that this was never going to change.

Lost in thought, I walked to the bedroom door. "Shruti, it’s someone else’s wedding. Why are you dressing up so much?"

"Oh please, no makeup! Come inside and check. Also, help me with this back zip," she called out.

I stepped in. As always, she stood before the mirror, one hand holding her lipstick, the other gripping the zip of her dress. "Didn’t you say no makeup?"

Without even looking at her properly, I zipped up her dress. The moment I stepped closer, I felt it—that familiar warmth, the quiet presence of someone who belongs to you in a way that words don’t fully capture. Her way of applying lipstick was always the same—one glance in the mirror, a small smile, closing the cap with a soft click. Today was no different. Except her green dress matched my green khadi kurta.

"How do I look?"

I hadn’t really seen her yet. Shruti turned toward me.

"Hello?" She snapped her fingers. "I asked you something, Pratap."

My eyes finally settled on her. For a few seconds, there was nothing to say, nothing to think. Just to look. "Stunning." The word came out slower than I expected. "Like time should just stop."

She smiled. "Shrimaan, are we leaving or not? We’re getting late."

I was still standing there, unwilling to move. "Just five more minutes."

She came closer, smiling softly, and pressed a kiss to my cheek, leaving behind a red mark. "Okay, enough. Let’s go now," she said, laughing lightly.

I wasn’t done yet. Holding her by the waist, I lifted her up without warning. She laughed but didn’t resist. I carried her to the door. "One more, please?" I tilted my other cheek toward her.

She laughed again. "You’ll never change, Pratap." And then, another kiss. Another red imprint.

I smudged the mark slightly with my fingers. She noticed, then leaned in and kissed me again. "This side needed a little more color."

I couldn’t tell if the warmth on my face was from her lipstick or the feeling she left behind.

I opened the door. She sat inside the car. I started the engine, but before driving off, I looked at her once again.

"Let’s go now," she said.

I held her hand. "Just five more minutes."

She smiled but said nothing. Just held my hand a little tighter.