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The sound of her payals broke through the utter silence that prevailed in the huge, beautifully decorated room, and she stared with wide hazel eyes at the themed decorations and accessories throughout.
Hai Devi Maiyya, is this Semanti's birthday party or that of Harry Potterji?
After all, what else could account for the profusion of brooms, wands, stuffed owls and other paraphernalia that littered every available surface?
She continued staring for a few more seconds, then shook her head to clear it.
It didn't matter.
She was here on an errand, and she would carry it out as she had promised she would. She had to get back home in an hour, or Buaji would stop her supply of jalebis for a month!
She adjusted her green dupatta, pulled on the hem of her yellow kameez, and clutched the envelope tightly as she moved forward.
Only to come to a sudden stop as a tall, young man with a hockey stick in one hand stepped into her path.
She looked up, and stilled as she stared into a chiseled face straight out of a phoren magazine.
And then he spoke, and she lost her train of thought.
"Do you need any help? "
She shook her head, then took one step back.
The young man smiled, and held out his hand.
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? I should have introduced myself first. I'm Arnav Singh Raizada, and I study in Harvard...and you are...?"
"K...Khushi. "
He smiled again, and tilted his head slightly to one side.
"It's nice to meet you, Khushi. Are you here for Semanti's birthday too?"
Birthday!!
Khushi realized that she had almost forgotten the purpose of her visit .
She was running short on time, and she really couldn't afford to waste her time with...with...men like these!
Devi Maiyya knew her Buaji had warned her about this often enough.
She shook her head again, took two steps back, and then ran in the opposite direction.
In her confused state of mind, she didn't realize that she was running back through the entrance.
The cold air outside brought her back to her senses, and she immediately looked down to check if the envelope was still in her hands.
Luckily, it was.
She was about to turn back inside when the roar of a bike made her pause, and she quickly looked up to see that a shiny, new black bike was pulling up outside the party hall.
The man seated on the bike was dressed in black too, and her eyes widened as she noticed the black tee-shirt and jeans that showcased his athletic figure.
She stood there, rooted to her spot as the man parked the bike and took off his helmet, then made his way directly to her.
"Gupta? Why are you standing here like an statue?"
How did he know her name?
As she stared at him with her mouth open like a goldfish, he sighed, then stepped forward to take her arm.
"Stop looking at me like that, Gupta. Unless you want to continue this elsewhere?"
He winked, and she stumbled back one step.
"I...I think you're mistaken. I don't even know you!"
Now his mouth tightened in annoyance, and he folded his arms over his chest.
"Are you trying to get back at me for that argument in class? Is that it?"
She shook her head, feeling as if she had stepped into an alternate universe.
"What are you talking about? Who are you? "
"Fine, if that's the way you want it...I'm Raizada, and you're Gupta. We study together at St.Zees and..."
But Khushi wasn't listening anymore.
She had suddenly realized that she was standing alone outside an empty banquet hall , and talking with someone who was clearly a raving lunatic.
Deliciously handsome, but a raving lunatic nonetheless.
She backed away slowly, then made a run for it again.
"Gupta! Stop!"
She didn't look back, and continued running as if her life depended on it.
When she was finally back at the center table with the birthday cake, she came to a stumbling halt and paused to get her breath back.
"Hey there."
She took a deep breath, and wondered why Devi Maiyya was punishing her today.
And why was Semanti's birthday party full of men with sinful voices?
Shoring up her courage, she turned around with a scathing retort already forming on her lips.
Only to freeze in place when she found herself gazing into a pair of stormy grey eyes.
The man smiled, and her eyes dropped to the sinful curve of his lips.
Hai Devi Maiyya, am I really staring at a man's lips?!
She forced her gaze upwards, and realized that the man was waiting for a reply.
And for the first time since she had gotten here, Khushi actually wanted to give him one.
"Namaste."
It was she could come up with.
Those grey eyes had clearly addled her senses.
He smiled again, and her heart stilled.
"I'm Captain Arnav Singh Raizada."
The words made her look down at the rest of him, and she finally noticed the navy-blue and white pilot's uniform that he wore.
He must make the air-hostesses swoon on every flight...
She shook her head to clear it of the errant thought, then took another deep breath.
"I'm...Khushi Kumari Gupta."
"Now that we have introduced ourselves, should we just skip the next couple of chapters and go straight to the part where I ask you out on a date?"
"What?!"
Khushi stared at him, wide-eyed with confusion.
At the exact same moment, a voice behind her said,
"Excuse me?"
Khushi whirled around, and almost sighed in relief as she finally saw the birthday girl.
At least, she assumed it was the birthday girl, if her memory served her right.
She did resemble the picture she had been shown...but the incongruous costume confused her for a moment.
In Laxmi Nagar, a girl wore a new anarkali or a gote-waala ghagra when it was her birthday.
But Semanti was dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, with her hair left loose around her shoulders.
Khushi's eyes widened at the writing on the shirt.
I solemnly swear I am up to no good?
What kind of weird world had she stepped into?
In fact, if not for the seemingly normal Captain behind her, she might just...
As if her thoughts had conjured his presence, she suddenly felt the touch of his hand on her neck, and then the whisper of his breath on her ear.
Both of which burned her like a brand.
"Go on, enjoy the party. I'll find you later."
She wanted to ask him how he could possibly do that, since they knew nothing about each other except their names.
But when she turned to face him, he had disappeared.
And Semanti was now staring at her as if she had suddenly grown an extra head.
At that moment, Khushi decided that she needed to get out of this madhouse, fast.
"Here, this is for you."
She shoved the envelope into Semanti's hands, and watched as a bewildered expression took over the other girl's face.
"For...me?"
"Yes, it's a birthday gift. Someone asked me to deliver it to you, and now that I've managed to do that, I'll be off."
"But...I..."
"Janam din mubarak ho!"
And with those last words, Khushi Kumari Gupta ran out through the door without a backward glance.
__________
Semanti stared at the disappearing figure in yellow, and rubbed a hand over her eyes.
She could have sworn she had just seen a man in a Pilot's uniform follow her out...
No.
This couldn't be happening.
Was it a result of all those late nights spent writing fan-fiction?
Or had she finally lost her mind?
What else could explain the fact that she had just seen Khushi and Arnav in real life?
In her birthday party, no less!
Semanti looked back at the center table, and immediately felt better as she saw her family waiting there for her.
Everything looked normal.
Everything was normal.
She willed herself to believe that.
Except, she still had that envelope in her hand.
She stared down at it, curiosity getting the better of her.
Looking up, she gestured to her family that she would join them in a moment, then stepped behind a pillar and quickly ripped open the envelope to reveal a single folded sheet of white paper and a greeting card.
She read the card first, and smiled at the message.
A moment later, the smile turned to a frown as she remembered that she still had no clue about the sender.
She stared at the sheet of white paper, then held it up to the light, her eyes widening as she read the first words.
"Dear Semanti,
I do hope you liked your birthday surprise!
No, you weren't hallucinating. You really did meet Arnav and Khushi in your party hall.
Actually, you met the Arnav and Khushi you had created, through all your stories.
That is the power you wield, S. Your writing has the magic , that special something that makes things come alive on our computer screens.
Your stories are real, and yet they are firmly entrenched in the sapnon ki duniya. Is it surprising that the two worlds decided to merge on this very special day?
You are a brilliant writer, but that's not all you are. Through the past few months, I have also discovered the grounded, sensible, yet crazy friend and trolling partner who makes me laugh at the most unsuitable moments. I have discovered a partner-in-crime for the sapnon ki duniya of the Tales, and that is my single most wonderful memory of the months after the show ended. I now know a little about what makes you tick, and what frustrates you. I know the couples you ship, and the superheroes you adore. I know what makes you ROFL, and what makes you roll your eyes.
But most of all, I know that I have found a virtual friend for life, along with our other two musketeers.
Maybe someday, our online world will become real, and I will meet you in the asli duniya.
Until then, here's wishing you all the very best of all possible worlds, and all the health, success and joy you so richly deserve.
Happy Birthday and much love,
Juhi.
_______
Semanti put the paper back in the envelope, and stared at it for a moment.
She looked up suddenly as her Mom's voice called out to her.
It was time to blow out the candles and make a wish.
Semanti looked down at the envelope, and smiled.
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