Chapter 15:A Sweet Bond
At food court
“Arey… Tell no”
“No… No….. It’s ok” And he thinks,
“How should I tell her that can she help me for some days, I mean till Ishaani’s wedding. I know her, but we are not so close friends. Let it be, I only have to handle it alone”
Riddhima smiles and says interrupting his thought,
“Vansh…… I’m ready to help you till Ishaani’s wedding”
A big bright smile gets crept on his face.
“Pakka?”
“Absolutely” She says smiling
“Thank you so much….. Haaash” He says relaxing himself.
They both finish eating their food and says together,
“Bill please”
They look at each other and Vansh says,
“I’ll pay the bill”
“No I’ll pay the bill”
“Look Riddhima…”
“Vansh, I told you that we should go to food court, so I’ll pay the bill”
“Haan but you are helping me no, in shopping”
“Ok I have an idea, we’ll meet whenever you have to do shopping or preparations, right?”
“Yes”
“So……..we’ll pay alternatively, so for now I’ll pay. As I told, that we should eat something and second thing ladies first”
Vansh takes a deep breathe in defeat,looks at her raising his brows and says, “ok…. But, next time it’s my turn”
“Sure”
They both leaves from there and she says,
“What I was saying… ” But Vansh interrupts her and says,
“That we should make a list and prioritize most important stuff, right Miss.Riddhima Vyas?”
“Exactly,how do you know” She says amusingly
“In the same way…how you came to know what was going on in my mind” He says smirking and she laughs.
“Fine Mr.Rai Singhania, but where’s the list?”
“Oh yes…. Just a second” He removes the list from his pocket and says,
“See we have to buy a sherwani for Angre, as a shagun. Then we have to select design for wedding card and then some stuffs for puja”
“Hmmmm….” She thinks something and ask him,
“When you have to gift this sherwani to Angre?”
“Next week on tuesday, why?”
“So tomorrow is saturday, what I think that we should not buy sherwani today, but should do a window shopping”
“Window shopping…..why?”
“See, it’s a Shagun ki sherwani and it’s auspicious. We can’t just roam in one mall and select, then gift it to groom”
“Hmmm….. You are right”
“So we’ll do a window shopping in this mall and few other places known for their wedding collection. Then we’ll go to a wedding card shop. Tomorrow as far as I know, I don’t have any appointments,so I’ll meet you tomorrow morning,if you say so”
“Ok,good idea, so you come at my place tomorrow morning. Meet all my family members and have your breakfast at my home.”
She was about to say something, but he interrupts and says,
“Wait Miss. Vyas I’m not yet done. You are,whole heartedly invited for, all the rituals, wedding ceremony and of course it’s preparations. Accept this invitation from brides brother and grooms best friend. Any.. Further. Questions. ‘MISS’. Psychologist”
She looks at him smilingly and says,
“Ok Mr.Nerd I accept your invitation but I want to ask something”
“And… What’s that?”
“Number, your number. How will I contact you?”
“Ok”
They both share each others phone number and was saving it. While she saves it as ‘Mr.Nerd’ and he saves it as ‘Miss. WildCat’. They both look at each other with a awkward smile and she says,
“You did the same thing which I did?”
“Well I guess…….yes”
They both smirk, as they both came to know what they did and starts roaming in mall. She says him,
“Accha at least show me the picture of groom, so that I can get some clarity”
“Yes wait a minute”
He shows her the picture and they again start their window shopping. They visit several malls, boutique and buys stuff for puja. Now they both sit in car and he tells her with drained face,
“Ahhh, it’s already evening and I’m tired, of course you also look tired. But selection of wedding cards is still remaining. Phewww”
“Vansh we can do one thing. We can go to wedding card shop and can tell him to send samples of all card tomorrow morning. As there’s benefit also bride and groom, along with family can see and choose the card”
“Brilliant idea!!! Lets do this and then I’ll drop you home”
“Ok”
They both reach wedding card shop and tells him to send the samples. They now head towards her home and he says
“Finally done for the day”
“Yes”
They both sigh in relief. She opens the car window and starts looking outside with a smile. Just the he tells her,
“By the way…. Sorry and Thank you”
“Why?”
“The reason for sorry is, because of me you are so tired and thank you that you are ready to get tired almost everyday” he says with a smile
“There is no need of thank you as well as sorry. I was not held at gunpoint by you, that I have to help you everyday. It was my choice, that I’ll help. So no need of any apology and gratitude.”
“Ok ‘Dosti main no sorry, no thank you’ ke rules follow karnewaali Miss.Vyas, your house is here”
She look outside the window and say,
“Oo…..Thank You”
Vansh looks at her raising his eyebrows and she remembers what she said few minutes ago and says,
“Sorry”
Again he raise his eyebrows and she says,
“Uffff…. No sorry, no thank you. But for now come along with me. At least have some coffee and then you go home. Please don’t deny, you are already tired, you’ll feel fresh, please”
“Ok.. Chalo”
He parks his car and they both walk towards her house and he asks,
“Accha… By the way who all are there in your home?”
“I stay with my nani”
“Where is your mom dad?”
“Actually dad gets transfer again and again from this state to that state. But I don’t wanna change place so many times, that’s why I stay here and mom stay along with dad. Sometimes they comes to meet us and sometimes we go to meet them”
“Oo, I see. Your nani means Sush, right?”
She chuckled and nods her head saying,
“You remember?”
“Yes!!” He says laughing.
They both reach her house, Sush opens the door and she says,
“Riddhima baccha you came” saying she hugs her
“Yes Sush”
“Who is this gentlemen?” She says looking at Vansh.
“Sush, he is Vansh but first let us enter inside the house”
Riddhima narrates everything to Sush and says,
“You have met him during my school”
“Yes, yes I know”
“Ok Sush I’ll come in few minutes, Vansh please be comfortable”
“Yaa sure” He says smiling
He was sitting, while Sush takes a wine from shelf then pour it in her glass and Vansh looks at her with widened eyes, while she asks him,
“Would you like to have some?”
“No thanks” he says with a broken smile and little shocked face.
“It’s red wine, good for skin you know”
He nods in positive, just then he gets up from his place and goes at the shelf, where all showpiece are kept. Riddhima comes to him with a cup of coffee and he tells her,
“Your nani is very cool”
“Indeed she is” She replies laughing.
“Hmm.. By the way nice house, I mean this vintage interior looks quiet fascinating”
“Thank you”
Sush tells to Vansh,
“Vansh there’s a speaker beside you, please on the music”
“Ya sure, Ghazal or Devotional?”
“Pop” Sush replies
Vansh looks at Riddhima while she chuckles and he starts the music. She tells him giggling,
“Do you find her Ghazal material?”
Vansh was left speechless and she says,
“It’s ok she is just a lady of Justin Biebers time, by mistakenly born in Javed Akhtar’s era”
He nods smirking and says,
“She is too young for her age, we are too old for our age”
They both says in unison,
“Afsos (regrets)”
They both laugh and she says,
“Cheers to her glowing skin….”
He says continuing,
“And our slowly ageing skin”
They have their coffee. She says,
“Would you like to see whole house”
“Ya” Just then he receives a call and after talking he tells her,
“Next time I’ll see. Actually my mom called me for some work, so I have to go”
“Ok… Chalo I’ll come with you till parking”
“No it’s ok”
She looks at him raising her eyebrows and he agrees. He bid goodbye to Sush and they both goes to his car. She tells him,
“Ok then, see you tomorrow”
“Bye, Good Night”
“Good Night”
She was walking while he comes running towards her and tells,
“Riddhima”
She turn back and says,
“What happened?”
“Don’t forget tomorrow morning at my place…. ”
She interrupts him and says,
“And breakfast also”
He smiles while she again starts walking. He was going towards his car but again comes to her and says,
“Riddhima”
She turns back and says,
“What?”
“Don’t tell Acharya that I told you he is mad” He says making a puppy face. She giggles and says,
“Bye”
At last they both leave…….
At night on street alone they were,
Talking to each other,
Eerie breezes were touching them,
Unknowingly they have kept their first step,
On the path of love……..
~By Author