Published on 14th February 2021.

__________________________

– S H R U T I –

"Akriti, have you seen my earrings?" I shouted on my highest pitch. She usually mess up my things with her's. "Akriti!"

"What are you doing? Keep your voice low. I was just putting Adit to bed." She came into my room and said.

"At this time?"

"I was at work and he was waiting for me the whole day, to play with me. And now, he was sleep deprived."

"Ohh... Have you seen my oxidised earrings?" I asked and she directed towards the drawers. Opening the drawer, I saw my earrings and sighed in relief. "You know, they're so expensive."

"Expensive?"

"I mean, in comparison with other artificial earrings."

"Well, how are you feeling? You're going on a date..."

"As if I've never went on one. Don't you remember my blind dates set up by papa and mumma?"

"But this one is different. You never had a future with them. As for Rishabh, you would be marrying him. It's not a blind date but a romantic one." She said and I rolled my eyes.

All the other dates I had were actually different than the one I was going to have this time. Tonight, I need to use all my ethics and etiquettes.

Setting my hairs, I checked for any creases on my kurti.

Hearing sound of a horn, I walked out in the balcony and saw his car. Just when I turned back to go out, I collided with someone, hardly.

But the thing is, no one in my family has this hard muscles. It seemed as if I collided with a wall.

"You're alright?" I heard a deep voice and I knew who it belonged to. I looked up and saw him looking at me with concern. I nodded and he sighed. "I thought to give you a surprise. Never thought that it would turn out like this."

"I need to use the washroom." I said and he excused the way. Running towards my bathroom, I saw Akriti looking at me amusingly. "Aside." I said and closed the door of bathroom from inside.

Leaning on the bathroom door, I took a deep breathe.

I could still feel the moment we collided. So foreign, yet so amazing. I could still feel the sparks.

"Shruti!" Akriti shouted my name while banging the door. "Are you going to make your man wait?"

My man?

Is he?

I opened the door and came out in the living room, where I saw him laughing with everyone.

I've seen him laughing, only with his friends.

And the way he was playing with Adit, it took my heart away.

Heart?

So easily?

No.....

"Shruti, what took you so long? He was waiting for you." Mumma said, pulling me out of my dreams. My gaze went towards him, and strangely, he too was looking me.

"I... I was using the bathroom." I stuttered, feeling his continuous gaze on me.

"You're not a kid for not being able to control." Mumma said and I mentally face-palmed myself. Why is she so.....

Leave it.

"Should we leave?" He asked and both the women chuckled. I nodded and he walked towards the main door.

"Isn't he getting impatient to be with you?" Akriti teased and I glared. Walking towards him, I moved out of my house and sat inside his car.

He sat inside and buckled his seat belt. "Uhm... Your belt." He said, directing towards my seatbelt.

Turning my head to my left, I pulled the belt and turned to my front, only to see him leaning towards me.

"I was... I wanted to help you."

"Thanks but I already did it." I said as I fastened my belt. Leaning back on his seat, he ran his hand through his hairs and started the car. He switched the radio on while changing the lanes.

I looked out from the car and saw the busy roads, which looked familiar but different.

Familiar because I've lived here from my childhood.

And different because of the partner I had beside me.

"Shruti, we're here." He said while unfastening his seatbelt and I nodded. Keeping my hand on my belt, I tried to pull it, but failed to do so. "What happened?"

"Rishabh ji, my belt."

Rishabh ji?

Akriti is five years older than me, still I call her only by her name.

But here?

"Let me help you." He suggested and leaned towards me. I moved back as far as I could, deliberately trying not to touch him. Feeling his breathe near me, I closed my eyes and caught my breathe.

I thought it would be done in a second but I was wrong.

I tried to hold my breathe for longer but couldn't.

Just a second and I would explode!

"Should we go?" I heard him saying and opened my eyes. I nodded and he went out.

Totally embarrassing...

Stepping out, I followed him until we reached the restaurant. It was my favourite restaurant, which has a homely touch. The decoration is not at all posh, but instead cosy and warm.

But how does he know about this?

Going inside, we walked towards our table and sat there. "It's my favourite restaurant." He said.

His too?

"Oh..."

"And only a few know about it."

"But why are you telling this to me?"

Bad choice of words!

"You're going to be my wife. And I think it's necessary to share the things I love, with you."

His wife?

Going to be!

"Well, Rishabh ji, same is with me. I love this place too."

"That's great. We do have something in common. But wait, you don't need to call me Rishabh ji. Rishabh is fine." He said and I nodded. "What would you like to eat?"

I don't want to show my whole menu in front of him!

It's too big to digest...

"Whatever you would like, Rishabh ji." I said and he glared.

"No, Shruti ji!"

Shruti ji? It sounds too strange!

"Rishabh. Okay?" I said and he smiled.

"If we're going through my choice, then what about karela?" He asked and I frowned. I don't like bitter gourd, I hate it with everything in me. "Don't worry. Even I don't like it. Veg or non-veg?" (Bitter Gourd)

"Veg."

"Indian, Chinese, Italian-"

"Indian." I said and he nodded.

"Then, let me order Palak Paneer, Dal Makhni, Chhole Kulche, Biryani and... Butter naan?" He asked and I nodded. "And for dessert, Gulab jamun and Kulfi Falooda?" He asked and I again nodded.

So he has a large stomach too?

Thank God!

He placed the order and looked towards me, as if he wanted to say something.

"Do you-"

"Would you like to go for a movie?" He asked.

"But the timings?"

"Nine to twelve. So, you're ready?"

"I need to inform at home." I said and he nodded. Pulling my phone out, I texted Akriti about me coming late.

Me

I would be a little late.

Akriti

Sure. Enjoy.

Me

Shut up!

We're just going to see a movie.

Akriti :

I never said anything.

Go and enjoy your movie,

With your man.

Bye ;)

This crazy woman!

"Let's eat." He said and I nodded. Washing my hands, I sat opposite to him and ate my first bite. As the taste exploded inside my mouth, I sighed. "You know, this place has the best food. Nobody could ever beat this taste."

"Hmm... It's true." I said and we ate rest of our food in silence. Going back to his car, we sat on our seats and he started driving.

And this time, I didn't buckle my seatbelt.

I really don't want any unnecessary attention towards me.

"How is Radhika doing?" I asked.

"Pretty good. She married just two years back. And now, she's five months pregnant and living happily with her husband."

Well, Radhika is his sister who was my batch-mate in school.

We were never good friends.

Neither enemies too.

It was just that she had different friends group, and so had I.

Also, we never shared the same sections in our entire schooling. Meeting each other was a rare thing.

But, wait a minute!

He should've asked me— ‘How do you know her?’

Did he always knew that I was in the same school too?

No...

He must have came to know that now. Maybe Papa would've told him.

"It's eight thirty. I think we should go now." He said, interrupting me from my thoughts. Parking the car, we went inside and something striked my mind.

"We need to book the tickets first."

"I already did that." He said, showing his phone. The messages were sent at five thirty. Which directly or indirectly means that he booked the tickets in early evening.

Then why did he ask my suggestion for the movie?

"Let's go." I said and we walked inside. Around twenty five minutes were left for the movie to start. So, we decided to wait out for the time-being.

The last time I came to this hall was an year ago. Parth and Aditi dragged me here when I was sad for losing a big client.

While looking around, my gaze went towards butterscotch ice-cream. It's been so long I ate it. All the time, I had to eat Akriti's favourite chocolate flavour. And I got a habit of that flavour.

"Shruti. Here." I heard him calling me. Turning towards him, I saw him carrying two icecream cone. He forwarded a cone towards me and I took it immediately.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." He said and sat beside me.

"How much time is left for the movie to start?"

"Around fifteen minutes. We'll get inside in ten minutes." He said and I nodded. I looked towards my icecream, and strangely it was butterscotch.

How does he know about it?

Maybe a coincidence.

Going inside the theatre, we sat on our seats while the movie started. As the film went by, we continued eating our popcorn.

A movie is nothing without a popcorn!

Just when I was about to pick another piece, I felt someone's hand in between. I looked beside me and saw him already looking at me. Withdrawing my hand, I turned my gaze towards the screen.

It still feels the same!

(Flashback)

It was the day for our maths Olympiad, and we were waiting for our seating arrangements.

As the announcements started, I came to know that class ninth and eleventh would be sharing the senior computer lab because of our low strength.

Ofcourse, only a few chose for maths olympiad.

And out of them, girls were lesser in number.

Wait a minute!

Class ninth and eleventh would be sharing the same room.

And he's a genius in maths.

Which meant, he would be there too!

Whoa.....

"Where are you lost? We'll be late!" Aditi shouted.

"No where. Let's go." I said after taking all the necessary stationery out.

As we went towards the lab, I saw our seniors going inside. Running inside, I sat on the seat beside Aditi while looking for him.

Aditi cleared her throat and I looked at her. "Done? We're here to give our test. It's not a dating site."

"I know." I said and averted my gaze towards the monitor screen till the time question paper arrived. But teachers had other plan!

They shuffled all the colleagues far away from each other. Making me stand, they told me to go to the other side. And that row was filled with our seniors. Taking a seat, I dragged it away from them and sat afar.

But.... but... but..

One of the teachers asked me to sit on the seat between our seniors to prevent everyone from cheating.

In short, they wanted all the friends to be away from each other, preventing the cheating.

Why do they emphasize so much on cheating?

It's not that we're giving an entrance exam!

Walking there, I sat on the vacant chair and turned to my left, only to see one of my seniors saying something to the one on my right.

I too turned to my right to see for any of my friends, but strangely Rishabh was sitting beside me.

Can I believe it?

No... Never...

During our exams, I always wished to sit in the same room as him. But it never happened!

So how could it happen now?

Turning towards the computer screen in my front, I pulled my pencil out as the question papers arrived. While reading the paper, I felt the smell of chewing-gum. Averting my gaze towards him, I saw him chewing something.

And I knew that it was him who did that crime.

Eating chewing-gum is a crime in our school!

Averting my mind towards my paper, I started reading it. While marking the correct option, my hand collided with his'.

And spark.....

That different moment.

When you feel that you've won the world!

And I completed marking all my answers while following all his movements.

(Flashback ends)

While watching the film, I felt someone's arm going behind me. I turned towards him and saw his arm sliding on my seat. Just when he found me looking at him, he pulled his arm back and placed it the popcorn bucket.

As the movie ended, we went back through his car in pure silence. The only sound audible was of the soft music going on.

Reaching my house, I opened the door and walked out. "Shruti!" He shouted my name and I turned back. "Good night." He waved his hand and smiled.

Uff... That smile!

"Good night. Drive safely." I smiled and turned back to go inside. Pacing inside, I rang the bell and Akriti opened the gate.

"How was your date?"

"Good?"

"Good! What have you thought about your marriage with him?"

‘You're going to be my wife. And I think it's necessary to share the things I love, with you!’

"I am ready."

"Oh..." She said and looked at me with shock, "Seriously?"

"Hmm..."

"Oh my..... We need to inform mumma and papa about this news." She grinned and I kept my hand on her mouth.

"Stop it. Everyone is sleeping. You can do that in the morning." I said and she nodded. Going inside my room, I used the bathroom and lied on my bed.

Tonight was amazing!

In every sense...

Plus, why does this Rishabh ji sounds like the Rishabhji of Kundali Bhagya? 😁😂