Life In Snippets (Ariya) Drabble (New Update on page 3)

Hey Arjun Forum Mates and Buddies!🤗

Remember me? Long time no see!

I decided to write this small piece of work as I had been contemplating this idea for a few days.

This can be read as a Standalone OS, with a cliffhanger giving you the liberty to interpret the end in a way you like. 

OR

If time and tide permit, I might write more on this, just not as full-scale fanfic, but as a series of few drabbles on the life of Ariya. 

I'm not giving any promises this time as I have 2 incomplete and discontinued fanfics here on this forum itself. Hence, lesson learned.😆😆🤣

Title: BLIND DATE

Date: 02/09/2022

Ship: Ariya (Arjun+Riya)

“Come on Riya!”

“No, Aishu! I am not going!” huffed Riya, as she sat on her bed, cuddling her favorite pillow.

“As your BFF and self-proclaimed older sister, let me assure you of this, if you're worried about your safety, don't be!”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know whom I set you up with for this blind date? You really don't need to worry about being 'unsafe' with this person! Yaar, tu toh aise bol rahi hai jaise koi mission pe ja rahi hai.”

“Why though?"

“Damnit Riyu! Bahut hua haa!” Aisha feigned annoyance at Riya’s pertinacious temperament. She had always been so determined. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been a doctor. Precisely, a pediatrician.

“Aishu...” Riya pulled a face akin to a baby whose chocolate had apparently been snatched out of its hands.

“Riyu... Please! It'll be nice! I can't say it'll be fun, but it'll be nice. Trust me!”  

After giving a little thought to the conversation she had with Aisha, although she was weary of it, she agreed. 

'Chalo, kya hi hoga.'

“Thik hai. Aap itna insist kar rahe ho toh jati hu, lekin yeh pura concept of blind date, it's annoying. It's as good as an arranged date didu!”

“Very unlikely. Parents don't set up blind dates, friends do!" Said Aisha, as she threw a mischievous wink at Riya.

12hours later.
10 am.

It was a mundane Monday morning, working for most, but Riya had her day off medical duty and she wondered, almost judged, too soon, what kind of guy would not be at work on the most important day of the work week.

As she entered Starbucks, a man of sharp look and good stature, sat at a window booth that overlooked a quaint lawn amidst the concrete jungle.

“Arjun?” She asked, a little hesitant.
Hearing a voice call him out, he wasted no time standing up and extending his hand to shake hers.

The handshake was firm and an embodiment of ‘safety’.

'This feels safe.'

All the doubts she had about feeling 'unsafe' with a stranger on a blind date, flew out of the window that very moment.

“Riya, right?”

“Yes, Riya Mukherjee.”

“Well, Arjun Rawte.” He said imitating her way of words. Just as she was about to get to her seat, he quickly pulled out her chair for her to sit, making sure she was comfortable, and then proceeded to sit back onto his own.

'Hmm. Chivalrous.'

“Well, this is kind of awkward.” Riya voiced her concern.

“I second that, it indeed is.” And a second later, Riya chuckled at his agreement, making Arjun smile from ear to ear.

'Oh man, that was cute.'

“I was not very keen on this blind date. It was Ayesha who convinced me and I just can't seem to say no to her.” He shook his head, amused at how smoothly she had led him into going for the blind date.

“Yeah, she is pretty convincing, isn’t she?” she laughed as she thought of her sweet yet notorious bestie.

“How do you know her, by the way?”

“Oh, her fiancé Sameer and I, were together in the NDA. Best friends just like you and Ayesha. Post that, he joined the Navy while I opted for the Army.”

“Ohh..” Well, an unnoticeable frown appeared on Riya face as she was definitely not expecting this. She thought he might be a businessman, a banker, or even a doctor like her, but an army personnel? She was very well aware of army life, however. Her grandfather, parents, siblings, and even cousins were in one of the 3 armed forces. Yet, she had plans of her own, which her parents openly and heartily consented to. But this?

Yet, nothing goes unnoticed by Arjun, not even an inconspicuous frown. 

FIN. 

Kaisa tha?

Its really awesome. Please bring it on more often, if you get time, I would love to read more n more on Ariya.

Originally posted by: naaheean

Its really awesome. Please bring it on more often, if you get time, I would love to read more n more on Ariya.

Thank You! I too wish to come up with more on Ariya. Let's see how that goes!😳

Originally posted by: ruhi1985sheetal

Nice

Thank You!😃

Nice 😍

Pls write more on Ariya 

We love to read more and more......

And pls check your pm

Originally posted by: DishaAriya

Nice 😍

Pls write more on Ariya 

We love to read more and more......

And pls check your pm

Thank you!🤗

I have something on my mind, and it'll be here soon enough! 

Originally posted by: Bodhianveshika

Neat. Nice and cute.

Thank you!!😳

Originally posted by: plmzaq

Nice 

Thank You!!😃

Hey, You'll!

I am back with 'Blind Date: Part 2'

Now, before we proceed, here's a note.
As much as I wish to make chunks of this drabble which consists of mentions to the Armed Forces and related things, fact-based, it won't be so.

Why? 
1) It's a fictional story. That's why.

Apart from that, I do not intend to hurt anyone's sentiments if the facts are not accurate and to the point.
I have done my research before writing this part, however as this story is fictional and also does not follow the canon storyline of HYMAE Arjun, I have made some changes to facts about the workings of the Armed Forces mentioned in it, as per how I want this story to proceed. 

Trigger Warning- NA

~Okay! Now let us proceed to part 2~

Arjun saw varied emotions on Riya’s face, it didn’t matter how hard she tried to keep her expressions neutral, her face was like an open book to the major. Nothing missed his eyes. After a minute of contemplation, Arjun spoke, “Riya, kya hua?”

“I honestly don’t know ki main kya bolu. I was not aware ki tum ek army personnel hoge. I mean, blind date right!” she sniggered. Seeing a covert expression on his face she realized what she had said and added on, “Oh no! I had no intention of this being a personal attack on you! I just have other plans in life, you know.” She looked up at him expectantly hoping he would understand her predicament. She was clueless as to how she felt about him. For starters, he seemed to be a thorough gentleman, considerate and of impeccable character, which she was impressed by and was looking for too in ‘the one’. But what about the long term?

“Do you mind if I say something that’s on my mind?”

“Of course Arjun, I want you to take this conversation forward, if you wish to.”

“Look, I don’t believe in beating around the bush or walking on eggshells unless when necessary so let me put my thoughts out there.” Arjun halted for a moment as Riya nodded, indicating him to speak further, as she took on a listening stance.

“I understand what you might be feeling, and I surely know from the subtleties, that you were expecting someone with a different profession.”

After a short pause, he continued, “I have 3 weeks before I go for a field deployment for a year and a half in Assam. I acknowledge the fact that you want to have a life, apart from the armed forces. You must have made a stable base for yourself, you have a social life here and I am in no way going to stand in between you and your goals.”

“What do you mean? And isn’t Assam quite dangerous nowadays with all the insurgencies and covert operations?” Riya asked quizzically. She was wondering where the conversation was going while Arjun looked at her, with skepticism playing games at the back of his mind. Deciding to put him at ease, she spoke,

“Mera pura khandan army main hai.” She said with nonchalance and as if something rang a bell, he chipped in, “Tum Brigadier Sujit Mukherjee and BrigadierPoulomi Mukherjee ki beti ho?”

“Haa!” She smiled proudly, thinking of her parents, who only god had any idea about what they were doing and where they were at the moment.

“I had met them once, at one of those many formal get-togethers. What a lovely couple, with impeccable style and a true inspiration to all of us out there. ”He smiled fondly reminiscing the salt-pepper-haired gentleman and the lady.

“I miss them, it’s been a year since I met them.” She replied solemnly.

“Samaj sakta hu. That's why you want something that’s stable, someone that's available.”

“Haa, I want someone who is going to be around whenever I need him just as I would be when he needs me. Haa, aisa lagta hoga ki armed forces background ki lakdi hai aur usse iski aadat honi chahiye. Aadat toh hai but I want to be someone's true love. No offense to you, but sabhi armed personnel ka first and true love desh hota hai, which I am not complaining about it at all. But is it too much to ask for, to be someone’s ‘pehla aur aakhri pyaar’ and have them around most of the time?”

“Of course, it is not too much to ask for. I don’t know about others, but I am yet to fall in love for the first time and I am hoping that my first would be my last. Mere liye, my duty towards my country is my purpose, of course, I love my country but when I compare love and life’s purpose, the latter will come first. But that doesn’t mean love will come second. Har cheez ki ek jagah aur ek waqt hota hai and I am not one to compromise on either of those things. All I can say is, that I will be present whenever I can be present. Usme koi shak nahi.”

“You know, I believe actions are better than words.”

“When it’s time, mere actions bhi yeh baat ko prove kar lege, usme bhi koi shak nahi and that is, in case, we mutually decide to move forward. No pressure or stress.”

He expectedly waited for an answer from her. He found her to be independent, genuine and smart, something he was looking for in ‘the one’. But what about long term adjustments for both of them?

A few seconds of silence and the shoving back of 100 questions in her mind later, Riya spoke, “So, how do you like your coffee?”

“Black, unlike my soul.” He quipped, somewhat relieved they implicitly had decided to take things forward.

Phew! A blind date for so much!

~ That's it! ~

Note:

Please like this post if you want to be tagged in further updates of this drabble series 'Life In Snippets'.

Thanks!😳