Copyright © 2012-2013 Renu. All rights reserved.
This
chapter is dedicated to my best friend, without whom this chapter
wouldn't have been possible... She is my inspiration for creating a
character of Aadhira Sheikh and the quote that inspired me to write about friendship is given below.
Quote:
-Leo Buscaglia
Most
important credit to my Editor without whom I couldn't be able to post
this chapter. I had made lot of mistakes while writing this chapter, but
she put life into my story by making it more entertaining to read.
- Rachel Desire (Editor)
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CHAPTER SIX
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"Waiting! STILL WAITING!" vehicles were still not moving and are simply irresistible.
I heard, "Teri Meri, Meri Teri, Prem Kahani Hain Mushkil" the song was coming from my handbag. I had set that as a ringtone.
I unzipped the bag and grabbed my mobile.
As I checked phone display, the first word that came from my mouth was,"Gosh!"
It is Aadhira's name showing on the display. I gulped and suddenly I felt the atmosphere changing into tension, the sweat that was wrestling my forehead to jump down towards the cheek and lip already turned dry.
I picked her call, "Hello!" All of a sudden, my hand started shaking and a very low voice popped from my mouth, as if my throat choked to respond quickly.
She is not a Hitler, but believe me, she can become like him anytime. She is very punctual about timings, but I am always the late-comer and she doesn't like that one bit.
"Idiot! Where the hell are you?" She screamed in such a way as if she was planning to jump inside the mobile speaker and punch my face for coming late. Moreover, hearing those words was not less than shocking for me.
"Wow!" I murmured.
No, Hello?
No, Hi?
Simply an insult was all she could shout?
What kind of a friend do I have? I thought she would ask me when I would reach. But, instead she's calling me an idiot.
I couldn't blame her, it wasn't her fault. I am an abnormal girl, anyway. Normally, people ask the exact same questions as Aadhira had asked me. However, I always want different questions that had answers, which were easier to well, Answer.
"I'm stuck in traffic." I replied slowly. I tried to distract my mind from all the roaring and horn sounds that was coming from outside.
"Are you taking a cab?" I nodded, even if she cannot see.
"Yes." I replied calmly. I stuck my index finger into my ear so that the loud noise could tone down and I don't get disturbed while talking to Aadhira.
"How long are you going to take?" her voice had a sign of peace.
"I'm still in Chembur. It will take time." I replied rolling my eyes outside the cab window.
The traffic was finally moving. I sighed looking outside the window.
"Aadhira, don't you worry. I will come soon." I excitedly assured her. My index finger was no longer inside my ear. I actually felt relieved when I saw the green signal on the traffic lights.
"Hm' I'll wait'" I could finally feel satisfaction in her voice.
It means no more lectures, hopefully. Atleast that is what I could feel at the end of our conversation.
The taxi man was looking like a middle age man and the way he was driving looked like he was half-dead. He was not putting any kind of pressure on the steering wheel while driving. I had to tell that man to drive faster as I was already late.
I checked my golden wristwatch, only to realize that it was eleven in the morning.
As the cab was finally moving in speed, the air was coming inside from the open window, slapping me on my face and my hair.
My once wet hair is now dry. I felt the smoothness of my hair as it bounced on my face.
The car eventually came to an abrupt stop and the sound of the brakes cracked in my ear. I was about to fall in front as I was leaning towards the window as to enjoy the outside view.
That driver looked at me, his grey, thin beard and little hair in front was visible and I noticed that he was giving me a serious look.
Asking for the money, I gave him one hundred and fifteen rupees, and opened the door to move out.
I was sweating all the time. This sweat was not because of any kind of tension. Its summer season and sun above my head already drained half of my energy. When I looked up, the sun was smiling at me, sending its rays upon my eyes. I could hardly open my eyes to see the clouds, which were fully blur for my eyes, until I moved my face downwards and looked straight ahead.
I crossed the road to reach the mall before any vehicle could pass my way. The mall was just opposite and visible even from afar. The sun followed me from up, I could sense it even if I was not looking up as my energy meter was fully down and sweat already doing roller-coaster loops on my face.
I saw Aadhira standing near the gateway and waiting for me on the staircase. She was wearing a black Patiala Salwar suit, along with the contrast of a sky-blue, long, silky scarf and net sleeves until her forearms. There was hand-made embroidery on her chest and at the end of her Kameez.
The fitting of the dress was tight on her waist and her big chest visible in front. She was looking good in this dress, even if she is bulky in size. She had tied her mahogany pale brown hair in ponytail style with a tendril blowing on her face.
"You are late!" she taunted but I ignored it by laughing.
"Yeah! Mumbai traffic, you know how it is'" I breathed loudly from my mouth and teased, blaming traffic for being late.
It is a very silly excuse. However, most of the Mumbaikars gives the same excuse everytime.
"Why are you sweating so much?" She asked in a shocking way. She was not sweating at all, maybe because she was standing near the staircase with the gate behind her back and the sun not being able to reach her.
I glanced up, pointing an index finger up on the cloudless sky, which was visible and the sun was front of my eyes.
"Where are we going now?" she asked confusingly looking at me.
"Inside the mall. Where else?" I laughed, tilting my head at the side, pulling my full-hair in the front towards the chest. I have the habit of playing with my hair.
"I know that'" she snapped, her voice suddenly turned serious and eyes strictly looked at me, without moving an inch. She continued, "I want to eat first."
My mouth broadly opened upon hearing her words. "You didn't have your breakfast?" she shook her head.
We both are food-lovers and mostly we love junk foods. We went inside the mall and I felt very refreshing air that passed through our way. For a moment, I felt relieved. Since air fills my small nostrils very quickly, I inhaled.
There was a bag checking at the entrance and we were standing in a line. As my number arrived, I showed my bag, there was nothing much then my comb, mobile, a pouch, my rosy-red lipstick, eyeliner, big brown sunglass and a small mirror.
Aadhira was standing behind me, her blue handbag was not much weighted and had only her mobile, pouch and some white colored papers which could've been some important document related to her office work.
As the checking session was done, we walked towards McDonalds. It was on the ground floor, just at the corner of the left-side wall. As we entered inside, the whole room was fully air-conditioned.
The feel of coldness started rising on my body. I wrapped my hands and rubbed my arms to make me feel warmed. However, my palms were cold too. Aadhira and I sat at the table of two. The red table grey chair.
She went to give order and I was sitting on the chair, taking care of her seat, so that no one else should take the chair.
I was very hungry, even though I had breakfast in the morning, but due to my low energy levels, I felt like frogs were in my stomach, jumping around mercilessly. Feeling uneasy, I caressed stomach in starvation.
A few minutes later, Aadhira brought one big plate in which two vegetable burgers, one coke, one French fries and a big spicy chicken wrap was placed.
As soon as I saw the burger in Aadhira's big plate, my hands simply jumped to take one burger. We started eating this together, on the same big plate that she had brought.
I chewed the delicious burger whilst Aadhira was busy taking a sip of coke but her eyes were on me. Frogs in my stomach were enjoying every single bite that passed down from my mouth. Now they were not jumping or making sounds and my stomach felt relief from that entire striving thing.
"So'" she took a sip of coke again and started eating chicken wrap, "Tell me the reason." her voice in between was pausing while eating and taking a sip of coke.
"What?" I surprisingly looked in front, towards her. I was still taking a bite out of the burger.
"Why are you blushing?" She asked. My mouth opened broadly. Her face had a question mark, but there was an excitement as well.
Was I blushing? I did not even realize. I was so busily eating that I had no idea that I was blushing.
"Why would I do that?" I said by hiding my facial expression and giving her a blank look.
"Because you were thinking something, when you were eating and all of sudden I saw you blushing, smiling." She said by staring confusingly. Her big lip stretched to smile and her front big white teeth was visible.
That was too much. I did not think she was noticing me. However, I felt surprise too. But didn't knew I was blushing.
"Actually, I was thinking about Nihaal." I replied shyly.
"Hm' What's the good news?" she bend her neck slightly and pointed her index finger towards my stomach, while taking a sip of coke.
Following her finger, I placed a hand on my flat stomach and I realised what good news she was talking about.
I laughed, "No, it's not about that."
"Then?" she asked casually.
"Nihaal said he will come home early. I was thinking that, maybe that's why." I paused and blushed again.
"Oh! So today is your romance day?" she teased, showing her big white teeth's and smiling.
Thinking about romance, goosebumps traveled unto my arms. It is not that we are romancing after many days. But today in the morning I felt something different. It was the first time when he himself asked me that he should come early today or not. Maybe because he knew I was angry at him that he had forgotten about my today's holiday and that is why he wants to please me.
I am just hoping I would get a surprise at night. May be a romantic date, once again?
Oh God! She is teasing me. It is so embarrassing being tease by my very own best friend.
"I don't know much about romance, but I am hoping I'll get a surprise today'" I blinked and responded excitedly.
"Hm' Good. Do tell me tomorrow what surprise he gave you." She said by laughing. I nodded blushing.
When we finished eating and drinking, we moved out of the McDonalds. A huge building in front of my eyes consists of atleast eight floors. It is the City Plaza mall. We walked up on the first floor through escalator stairs. We were simply walking towards every store and it was like a window-shopping to me. But, there was nothing I could buy from those stores.
"Teri Meri, Meri Teri, Prem Kahani Hain Mushkil" My mobile ringtone rang again. This time my mobile was in my hand. I checked the mobile display and it was mom's number.
She's Nihaal's mom. Revati Naik, my mother-in-law, but I call her mom. She does not stay with us.
"Hello Mom!" I casually started conversation.
"Hello Naina. I have come to the mall. Where are you?" I felt desperation in her thick Indian accented voice as if she is searching us everywhere.
"Mom, we are on first floor." I still casually replied.
"Ok wait there. I'm coming." She ended the call but there was no excitement in her voice, just a hurried speech.
My eyes were on the escalator stairs as I saw her coming up. I felt a sudden thrill to meet her. She was in her charcoal cotton saree that had leafy designs printed everywhere on the saree.
"Mom!" I excitedly hugged her wrapping her neck softly, jumping on my low heel sandal that was making clicking sounds on the tile floor.
She pats on my back.
"How are you, Naina?" she smiled, showing her small pale yellow teeth.
"Look at me'" I said by moving my hand from up to down towards my dress and excitedly continued, "What do you think mom? How am I?"
She laughed caressing my cheek, "You look beautiful." She complimented dreamily.
"Thank you, mom." I bowed in front of her by placing my hand above my chest.
"You too look beautiful." I complimented back.
However, honestly she is beautiful.
She is now fifty-eight years old but if you look at her, she still looks like forty year old woman. She has maintained herself very well. Her body structure is still the same as she was before.
She has a soft wheatish skin and perfect small round face, pale chocolaty eyes, perfect small thin nose, lips and dark bun style hair. Most important, she is taller than I am.
"Did you tell him I'm here with you?" Mom asked in an interrogative way.
"No, mom. He doesn't even know that I'm in a shopping mall." I replied casually.
Mom looked at me in surprise, as if she did not expect me to hide this from Nihaal.
"Why didn't you tell him you are here with us?" She glared.
"Mom could you just relax?" I looked into her eyes, when I saw her calm I continued, "If I tell him, I am here then he would have asked about the reason'" she nodded.
"Oh yes! I didn't think that'" she rubbed her temples and continued talking, "We are giving him surprise'" She said smiling and patting on her forehead. I nodded.
Finally I'm feeling relived.
This chapter was most tough part to write for me, due to lot of emotions I mentioned in this chapter.
So you liked this chapter? Isn't this better than earlier chapter?
Copyright © 2012-2013 Renu. All rights reserved.
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