Hi guys, Harshada here.
Actually I have not been a part of this forum...but today I am here because of my sister...Muktai...I am sure many of you must be knowing her by her writeups.
Since she has left forum and couldnt complete her stories, she asked me to post something here, for you guys. You can consider this as a compensation.
So here am I, posting one work of mine. This is my first story here. I hope you all will like it.
And as I dont know anyone here, I wont be able to send pms to anyone.
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|- A NIGHT TO REMEMBER -|
It was 12 in the night. The road was quiet and lonely. Riya was walking as fast as she could, glancing back frequently with lines of worries all over her face.
Weather was getting bad. Sounds of rustling of leaves and clashing of branches together were making the whole scenario even more scary. Wind had started blowing with a fast pace causing the soil to get scattered in air.
Sweat bids formed over Riya's forehead as soon as her ears caught sounds of someone's footsteps behind her. She wiped her forehead with her palm and took a deep breath counting to three in her mind.
"Okay...okay...Run...Riya Run" she murmured in her mind and without turning back, she started running like a marathon runner.
Shiver ran through her spines as she felt someone running behind her with the same pace as that of hers. She increased her speed. Her heart came into her mouth as she heard loud footsteps chasing her coming closer and closer. Her heartbeats raised their normal speed of beating. She could clearly hear her heartbeats right in her ears.
"Wait...listen..." a sound came from backside draining colour from her face. The voice was becoming clearer indicating that the person was getting closer to her.
Before she could run further, someone stopped her holding her wrist in a tight grip.
She closed her eyes in fear and started hitting on the person's chest turning towards him, shouting loudly, "Chodo...chodo...chodo...leave me...leave me."
The person tried preventing himself from her hits but she had become too fierce to get stopped. Finally he managed to stop her, holding her both hands together.
"Ohh hello...What the hell are you doing?" he said annoyingly, at her behaviour.
She opened her one eyes to look at the person in front of her. He stared at her in disbelief at her weird antics.
She felt somewhat relieved, seeing his face. He didn't look much scary or someone who had intentions of kidnapping or killing her.
Finally opening her both eyes, she observed him upside down, analysing him.
"You can trust me. See I don't even have a knife" he pulled his hands upwards, and made her look at his empty hands, by turning them at front and back, trying to make her believe that he would not hurt her. He felt like laughing when he saw her extremely weird reactions. Though he found them very cute, but he had gotten by then that she was hell scared. He just took efforts in calming her down, and decreasing her fear a little.
She stared at him. Fear was slowly disappearing from her face. Wait! Why was he chasing her then? She instantly took some steps back from me and she looked at him, with her those big big eyes, as if he was some psycho killer who was just relieving her and gaining her trust so that she could be an easy target from him.
Once again, her reaction made him chuckle. "What?...why are you looking at me as if you are thinking I am just trying to win your trust so that I can kill you easily?" he asked her, not understanding what exactly was she thinking.
Her eyes widen in shock when she heard him saying exactly what she was thinking. "How did he know what I was thinking? Is he some Mind Reader Psycho Killer?" she questioned herself wondering.
"Wait! Are you serious? You actually thought so?" he asked amusingly as he saw her face which looked like he had exactly caught her right.
She nodded very innocently.
That was enough for him! Within no seconds, he exploded into fists of laughter. He didn't even care that he was standing in middle of the road. He couldn't hold himself back. He literally started laughing by holding his stomach.
She found it a very good chance to run. She turned and was about to take a step further but he quickly noticed it and held her hand. She closed her eyes. She felt some different sensation at his touch. Shrugging it off, she struggled to get her hand free from his grip.
"Are baba...don't worry. I am NOT going to hurt you. Relax okay?" he softened his hold on her hand but didn't leave it because he knew she might run a marathon race again.
"Then why the hell were you following me?" she demanded an answer from him.
Neither she knows him nor she had anything related to him, then what made him follow her at this late night...what she was supposed to figure out from this?...
"Ohh god! Take this" he said as he took out a bracelet from his pocket which she had dropped on road unknowing to her. Her eyes flickered as she saw the bracelet in his hand. Her gaze shifted to her hand which she found empty. She almost snatched it from him. Wearing it, her eyes could not shift from it. Her lips softly touched the bracelet while her eyes got closed momentarily in relief after seeing that bracelet. She could not afford to lose it. She would have lost her own self if it would have got away from her.
He was silently watching her. Her gestures towards the bracelet amused him. A soft smile made his lips to get curved as he saw how much importance that locket held in her life. Breaking his trance, he coughed a little, gaining her attention.
"I was chasing you for this...I am not any psycho killer" he said pointing towards the bracelet in her hand.
She bit her lower lip guiltily. "Sorry and thank you" she mumbled embarrassingly.
"It's okay..." he said genuinely, assuring her. "Gift from boyfriend?" he asked naughtily, winking at her.
"Gift from best friend" Finally, a smile appeared on her face as well, after a very long time.
"Ohhoo...seems like your best friend is really special for you" he said.
"Yes he is!" she answered.
"If you don't mind, I can accompany you till your home. Its late and not safe to go alone. And now you know, that I won't hurt you, don't you?" he suggested her that he could have a walk with her till her home.
"Please don't embarrass me more...and actually yes. I would be glad if you could accompany me. I am anyway very scared of dark" his last line had made her feel guilty for making wrong assumptions about him and she agreed for his companionship. She couldn't understand exactly, what but there was something about him, for sure. His presence made her feel safe.
He said nothing but just smiled and started walking. She too walked along with him.
"So tell me, why are on this road, this much late?" he asked her.
"Nothing...actually I am returning from office. I got little late as today there was much work in office. My scooty betrayed me in middle...so here am I...walking on road in this dark" she told him what happened her.
He was about to say something but her phone started ringing, interrupting his unsaid words. Taking out her phone from bag, she picked it up, answering, "Hello, haan Maa...ohh shit...nahi...nahi...Mujhe yad hai...mai bas pohoch rahi hu"
She disconnected the call, abruptly not wanting to hear more scolding from her mother. She slapped her forehead, in annoyance.
"What happened?" he asked noticing her anxious face.
"Actually...today some guy was coming to see me...ma had asked me to come early and I completely forgot...but I am anyway not interested in marrying anyone...Maa had emotionally blackmailed me to meet him and she didn't even tell me who is he. Not even his name...she said its the surprise...I didn't want to upset Maa so I said yes for meeting him but no one knows that I am just going to meet him...no matter what, I am going to deny for this marriage" she sighed.
"But why?...Who knows if you say yes after meeting him...you never know" he glanced at her, with a charming smile, but kept walking. Her eyes lifted at him, the soon she heard him. She looked at him, with something unknown in her sight as well. It was something! It was definitely something, the way he said it! She felt butterflies dancing in her stomach. His smile...his smile had something hidden in it which she could not understand.
He was smiling. Though, his eyes were at front, but he was well aware of her actions.
"Wh...what?...no...I will never say yes for this marriage" she denied avoiding every thought in her mind.
"Lagi shart? Tum use haa bologi?...bolo,lagi shart?" he stopped in middle, and forwarded his hand towards her, raising his eyebrows at her.
Confused...would be an understatement to describe her state. He has just met me! It's not even more than 10 minutes and he is betting with me that I would agree for this marriage, HOW? He knows nothing about me and he is so sure about me, HOW?
"What rubbish!!! I will not say yes...and you, we are meeting for the first and last time...to tumhe kaise pata chalega ke maine haa kaha ya nahi" she put forth very intelligent question and looked at him, waiting for an answer. She had trapped him smartly.
"Okay, leave that...by the way, tell me something about your friend...oops best friend...jisne diya hua bracelet tume apne se bhi jyada pyara hai" he very smartly changed the topic.
The mention of her best friend, made her forget about what they were talking and she couldn't stop smiling. He didn't fail to notice her best friend was more than just a best friend. His mere mention was enough to bring smile, blush and everything over her face...was enough to make her forget everything around.
"Arjun...Arjun Rawte...son of my mother's best friend. I know him since when I was 2 years old...we were neighbours...we used to sit together, eat together, play together, do everything together...This bracelet, is a gift from him to me on my 6 th birthday...he had brought such one which can be increased/decreased in length...he wanted me to wear this always...even after my wrist gets bigger [laughs glancing at bracelet]...when I was 7, he and his family shifted to US for his dad's business and Arjun's education...Even after him, I never had many friends...I believe in making few, who would be with you lifetime, directly or indirectly...he was my best friend...I mean he still is but we are not in contact since past 15 years..." she didn't even think twice before narrating her life story to a stranger, to whom he had just met few minutes ago.
"So you guys aren't in contact since then...I mean no phones...no messages...and you adore his gift till now?" he asked.
She nodded negatively. "I had messaged him...sent him emails...but he never replied...and about adoring his gift then I don't think friendship weakens with time or because of not being in contact...friendship isn't selfish...at least I don't make friends by thinking they will be with me, for me always...friendship is way too sacred and deep than what many think it is...I don't know why he didn't reply to my messages but I am sure he must have a reason..."
He looked amazed and amused at the same time hearing the deepness in her thinking. She sounded so mature at so young age. Not everyone knows and understands the depth of relations. Everyone knows friendship and has many friends but each one has different meanings stored in their dictionaries. Some thinks friendship is all about chilling out and partying with friends, while some believe friendship is all about being together for your own benefit. But there are very few ones, who truly understand what friendship is!
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"You trust him more than anything, don't you?" he asked in a soft and tender tone.
"Yes I do" she replied without turning at him.
"You respect him, don't you?"
"Yes I do"
"You adore your friendship with him, don't you?"
"Yes I do"
"You love him, don't you?"
"Yes I do"
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Her feet stopped at their place when she realised what she said. She was shocked at her words. She turned towards him and found him standing, looking at her in some spark in his eyes.
"This is the reason, you are so sure that you will deny to this marriage, right?" he made a statement.
She didn't say anything but he got his answer. She stopped as she saw her home, in front of her. "Mera ghar aagaya...thanks for accompanying...it was nice meeting you" she told him. He nodded. She waved a bye to him whereas he did the same.
As she walked towards her home, she started feeling uneasy. She felt like she was losing something. She felt like some part of her was distancing from herself.
She turned back. He was nowhere. He had left. She didn't even ask him his name and neither did he. She could not understand why her heart sank on left out of a stranger. Shrugging off everything wondering in her mind, she went inside her home. Her mom dad, were sitting in the hall. Her mom got up and walked towards her. Holding her by shoulder, her mom asked, "Where were you? I had asked you to come early, hadn't I?"
Riya shifted a little. Holding her mom's hands, she made her relaxed knowing she must be panicking all these time, "Mom...relax...Just had some work in office and I didn't realise time...by the way, where is he, for whom you had asked me to come early?" She indirectly asked her mother, where is her marriage alliance.
"He just called me...he will be here anytime soon...till then, you go and freshnup" her mom almost pushed her towards her room for getting ready. She felt her mom's behaviour too weird to digest.
"Riya is going to be so happy after seeing him, haina?" her mom walked towards Riya's dad while he nodded smilingly.
AFTER TEN MINUTES:
Riya came out dressed in a beautiful white chudidar. The soon she walked in her hall, she was shocked to see the same person she met sometime before, on road, who had accompanied her to her house.
He was sitting with her parents, laughing and talking. Everything went out of her mind. She could not understand anything.
"Tum?" she uttered in confusion. His gaze fell upon her and he was mesmerized to see the angelic beauty standing in front of him.
Before he could say anything, her mom said in excitement understanding Riya had recognised him, "Haan...Arjun"
Riya's mouth went wide open when she actually realised what her mom said. Arjun! He is Arjun?
"Arjun" she mimicked her mom's words. He smiled at her confused face. How adorable she looked!
"I think we should let them talk alone...afterall they are meeting after 15 years" her dad got up and hinted Riya's mom to leave those alone. They both went in their rooms. Silence screamed into the hall.
He stepped towards her and before he could say anything, she went outside and walked to their terrace. He silently followed her.
Keeping her both hands on the wall of the terrace, she fixed her gaze upside, staring at the moons and stars in the sky. Coming slowly, he stood behind her.
"Riya" he whispered.
She just turned back and wrapped her arms around his neck, putting her whole weight on him...as if her life was dependent on him...as if she was holding him, so that he cannot leave her...as if she felt he was a dream, who would vanish at any moment...she just wanted to hold him at that point of time.
He took no time to do the same. Putting his arms around her, he pulled her closer, embracing her. They both stayed in each other's arms until he felt something weight on his back. Realising she was crying, he forcefully pulled her out of the hug as she was not ready to leave him.
Her eyes were fixed at ground. She didn't look at him but tears were continuously dropping from her eyes.
Cupping her face, he made her look at him. "Kya hua baba, why are crying?" he asked her lovingly. Her tears were something, he could never bear.
She again hugged him not being able to keep herself away from him and said being in the hug while crying, "Where were you? Why didn't you message me back? Do you even know how scared I was?" she complained to him, sobbing like a child.
"Shh...stop crying...please...you know I can't see your tears, don't you?" he rubbed her back, and kissed her hairs. She was calming in his embrace and he could feel that.
"Aur tumne mujhe bataya kyu nahi?" she started hitting on his chest, for not letting her know earlier when they had met on road, that who he was.
"Agar bata deta, to mujhe pata kaise chalta, ke mere sunshine ke liye mai kya hu" Arjun told her the reason of, he being mum about his identity.
"Shut up Arjun" she said angrily, but in real she was trying to hide the pink blush which was appearing on her cheeks hearing him.
Turning her to the wall, he stood beside her, putting his one hand around her shoulder. Looking at the sky, he said, "Mom dad passed away, before 10 years...When we shifted to US, we stayed there happily. A car accident and everything just got destroyed...I didn't reply you back because I had much to handle...I had to handle business, and all the other things...afterall I had to be as eligible to ask your hands from uncle aunty"
His hold became tightened around her, as the past memories crawled upon him. Her eyes went teary hearing about what happened with him in these past years.
"Tumne mujhe batana jaroori nahi samjha?...mom dad ko bhi pata tha na?" she asked moving away from him. She had gotten even her parents knew about it but no one told her anything.
"Sunshine...maine mana kiya tha" he said softly as he held her hand.
"I am not important for you na...thats why you didn't feel need to tell me" she spoke in hurt tone. More than hurt, she was angry at herself for not being there with him, in the weakest phase of his life...was hurt because he had to face everything on his own, alone.
"You are most important for me and thats why I didn't tell you...If I would have told you, you wouldn't have been able to bear it Sunshine and I know it...I know how sensitive you are...and its okay...I was being able to go through it because I had you by my side...not physically but you were always with me, in my heart...giving me strength to cope with it...its all you...I am here because of you...I love you Sunshine" he took a step towards her and kept his hand on her cheek. He placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead. She was staring at him. "I love you too..." she confessed back, before throwing herself in his arms again. The most beautiful and simple love confession ever!
The moon witnessed, the two souls which were meant to be together, getting one that day...witnessed how strong love can be...witnessed how love can make you bear the things which can seem almost impossible for one to...witnessed how beautiful and strong love can be!!!
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