Chapter 4

Teaser pg 1

Part 1- pg 2

Part 2- pg 5

Part 3:

Completely oblivious of the huge crowd they’d gathered, they stood at the beach end of the pavement with arms wrapped around each other in a long and solacing embrace...only to be torn apart slightly by the whistles of the guards patrolling the beach...

He nervously loosened his grip on her and pushed her away ever so gently....but held on to her hand and checked her for any signs of injury ...while she goofily adored his worrisome face…

Though she enjoyed watching his petrified expressions, she decided to be sensible and relieve him of his worry  and siftly whisoered leaning over to him “Anuj mai thik hoon”...not wanting to let go of his touch she locked her fingers with his and held onto him firmly.

“ ye kya ho raha hai yahan par?” asked one of guards trying to control the growing crowd...

“kuch nahi… errr sab thik hai… ab” said Anuj as he looked around to see all eyes on them …he also let go of her hand and looked down sheepishly to end the free PDA that the crowd was being treated to.

As the patrol police tried to disperse the crowd, a young girl quipped  “sach yaar, pyaar ho toh aisa...kitne cute hai na dono!”

Anuj and Anu both pretended not hearing what the girl said and looked away in opposite directions to hide their red faces….and wondered if their bond was so evident that people found it inspiring....

********

There was still a fair amount of awkwardness that lingered between them as they walked the shore towards the far end of beach…though the incudent earlier broke the ice in some strange way, they still hesitated to talk...

They consciously kept pushing back the long due dreaded conversation and simply enjoyed the waves hitting their feet, stirring a tickling feeling within…

She was here alongside him and that is all that mattered to him in that moment...

He was by her side and she couldn't care for anything else in the world cause this is all she wanted...

It was all new to her...the feeling of sharing emotions, the urge to keep him close and the need to belong....the changes she felt in her were overwhelming and she tried to understand and justify each of them only ti come to the conclusion that it was indeed love that had taken over her by storm...

Enjoying each other’s soothing company, they endlessly strolled the stretch of the shore, not wanting anything to disrupt the flow of their thoughts where there was no room for any guilt or negativity.

Though they feared the impending withdrawal once the big question came up, they tried to avoid it for as long as they could and at one point even contemplated on leaving it unspoken…

Yes, that would be best!  they thought.

*********

“yahin milte hai saadhe saath baje?” said Anuj checking his watch outside the cosy restaurant of the hotel where they had planned to meet for dinner.

“haan mai aajaongi time se...” she replied enthusiastically and muttered ...pehle” under her breath, but he heard her and smiled cheekily thinking of how he planned to do the same...

******

Waiting by the restaurant, he brushed off the fear from his blue blazer, the one he had worn to the college re-union, the one that he loved wearing and associated her warmth with it...though he didn't need it today, he wore it as a sign of a new beginning.

She looked breathtaking in a pink anarkali suit as she timidly walked towards him in an effort to reconstruct the scene from 26 years ago when he had first set his eyes on her....her reliable source Devika had once shared how vivid the image was in his mind and she knew he’d love to feel the same again...

Anu wanted to do this to mark the beginning of a new chapter and to relive the days he secretly admired her but never dared to confess, neither did he now but she knew...

With her silky hair parted in the middle, tiny studs that enhanced her ears and a tiny bindi to complete the look, she looked like no less than a goddess...

Perhaps it was his love that she wore to perfection..and he wore hers quite hansomely....

He gulped to break his awestruck expression while she was totally loving the dumbstruck loverboy look on his face.

He ushered her to their table and pulled her chair out while her sweet tantalising fragrance made him dizzy...

The ambience was perfect for their date, with the dim lights and soulful ghazals playing in the background, they enjoyed an intimate meal with each other where only the eyes spoke and there was no need for words to convey their feelings...

The awkwardness had almost faded away by now ...and the comfort and camaraderie had eased its way back into their relationship... it was almost like they had forgotten what had kept them away for all that while... 

Only a strong realisation of love could bring about the openness he noticed in her,  proud of his achievement he searched her eyes fir confirmation and she concurred with her intensely besotted eyes...

And he finally knew she had fallen for him, head over heals...

He felt like a novice when she returned his mildly flirtatious gestures with a strong and suggestive gaze....though it was all was new to her, she aced her way through it like a pro.

He was loving this side to her...he’d always known that she wasn't one to shy away from professing love but to know that she would be so frank and passionate about her feelings was a different kind of high...

Though he claimed to love her for 26 long years, Anu seemed in a rush to make up for the lost time...they behaved like a typical new couple who just confessed their feelings to each other ...which of course was all true...

*****

As the night progressed and the musicians started to wind up for the day, Anuj sadly pointed to his watch and signalled that its time to leave...Anu wished they didn’t have to...

Reluctantly she raised herself from the seat and turned towards the way out and he rushed up to join her...

As they left the restaurant and walked through the hallway that lead to their rooms, Anuj fondly reached out to grasp her hand and she prudently obliged by locking her pinky finger with his...

Within a few hours, their relationship had progressed to a stage where they weren't embarrassed of physical intimacy and thought it was an organic and essential part of a relationship based on love.

He had always been a hopeless romantic for years and she just tried to match his zeal...

Her touch caused a whirlpool of emotions in him and she couldn't deny the warm and scintillating effect it had on her....

Walking through the long corridor, they exchanged yearning glances and spoke sweet nothings with their engaging  eyes...

As they approached their adjacent rooms, he looked at her piningly and waved her a quick goodbye...she could feel the desire in his eyes to pull her into his arms and plant kisses all over her face but he held his nerve and instead rushed to his room fighting the urge...

He was mad at himself, for reasons more than one...why did he behave so strangely? he wondered...was she expecting a goodnight...kissss? he felt strange even thinking of it...

This was his Anu, the only woman he ever wished to be with...and she was now his to cherish for life....he pacified himself to counter the stubborn negativity that creeped  back in his head...

‘but we haven't even talked yet’ its just too early for anything he thought and couldn't get past the uneasiness of the thought...

Staring at the blank ceiling he debated with himself and thought

Buck up Anuj!  your woman is a lot bolder than you, you’d better come up with something good to return her subtle yet powerful cues...

With his half baked motivation to up his game, he lay in bed devising a plan to woo her when he heard someone distantly calling his name...

*knock knock*

***********

soooooooo, yeah things are about to get steamy in hereeeee!!!!!!!

LOL no, not really, I totally suck at writing that kinda stuff ...just thought I’ll do something different to the usual so took this route cause I wanna show Anu different to what she is in the show or you never know she mkght surprise us afterall😉

Sorry about the late post, my lunch date got delayed and the traffic was crazy on my way back and all those lame excuses but yeah, I eventually got home and here I am...

Thank you for all the interesting comments, please keep them coming and let me know if you had an idea the story would take this turn, cause   tbh I didnt 

The songs again, for the first part on the beach it was Iktara and for the restaurant part it was hoshwalon ko khabar ...enjoy!

Have a great night everyone, see you tomorrow as we deal with the much awaited week of horror🤣

ohho mera to footnote bhi update jitna hai sorry!