She was never a social butterfly kind. In fact she hated social gatherings; whether they were her fathers' posh parties or simple hangouts with friends.
She would rather sit near her window, reading some novels while her favorite piano tunes filled the room. Romantic M&B novels were her guilty pleasure.. No outsider would believe that she believed in love and was in fact, waiting for her white knight to arrive.
Sounds silly, doesn't it?
A Prince charming in a white horse who would sweep her off her feet..Leading her to her happy ending.
Life had made her a loner. After her mother's death, an already shy girl had locked herself more into the furthest corner of loneliness. And her father's attempt to give her a high-class life by only earning money and not giving his little girl some father-daughter moments, only added to her misery.
So now.. she was this shy and novice college senior who was as afraid of falling in love as of getting murdered; if that was even relevant. No one was willing to stay.. and no one could enchant her still.
But then again..life can be much of a surprise, no?
There I was again tonight
Forcing laughter, faking smiles
Same old tired lonely place
Walls of insincerity,
Shifting eyes and vacancy
Vanished when I saw your face
So here she was tonight, sitting awkwardly in a bar while her best friend and other friends had the time of their lives. She had refused drinks, politely turning down quite a few boys; forcing laughter or faking smiles just to pretend that she was with them and not in some parallel universe.
She sighed, looking around when a pair of black orbs caught her attention.
He was standing, not more than a few feet from her table. Dressed in a casual black tee and faded jeans, he made his way towards her while she sifted on her seat under his intense gaze.
She moved her gaze momentarily to see if he was indeed looking at her or its just his imagination but by then, he had joined them as it turned out that he was a mutual friend. While others made their introduction and the slightly tipsy girls almost threw them on him, she tried not to look at him as he was, still, staring at her in a bemused way.
Don't you know it's rude to stare mister? She wanted to say but then decided against it.
Besides he wasn't staring at her in a way that the other boys did.. with Lust.. or as a Trophy girl.. or A rich businessman's daughter.
His looks were different.. Kinda unreal but there was warmth in them.. A look that she was never spared before.
So she fidgeted nervously when he took the seat facing her and forwarded his hand. "Hi, I'm Arjun." He said when no one was willing enough to introduce her.
She bit her lower lip nervously, looking at others who were giving her weird looks. He crooked his head with an amused smile playing on his lips and she searched for her best friend, Liza who was lost somewhere in the dance floor. Damn her.
Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"
Across the room your silhouette
Starts to make its way to me
The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Like passing notes in secrecy
Just when she had finally found the courage to take his hand, he was withdrawing it. Talk about embarrassment, really!
Her cheeks flushed, clearly out of embarrassment but he saved her. He gently took her hand and flashed a warm smile, easing her immediately.
And just like that, she found herself indulging in a playful conversation with a stranger who made it so easy for her to actually talk. Gone was the shy and nave girl.. a better and confident lady was countering him with quick remarks.
As the people around them danced the night away.. they found themselves in solace..just chatting.
And she wondered if he knew.. she was enchanted to meet you.
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
---------
The lingering question kept me up
2 AM, who do you love?
I wonder 'til I'm wide awake
And now I'm pacing back and forth
Wishing you were at my door
I'd open up and you would say, "Hey,
It was enchanting to meet you,
All I know is I was enchanted to meet you."
It's been a whole week after that night and she still could not get him out of her mind. As she tossed and turned in her bed, she pondered about him for the nth time in last one hour? What was he doing? Was he thinking about her too?
She had lost it.. Really.
Why would anyone think about someone whom they just met?
Unless of course, her life was a friggin' blockbuster movie.. she lived in a palace and one night her prince charming comes and sweeps her off her feet right away.. a totally love at first sight scene. A few dhishum-dhishum and dramas letter, he would take her hands and they will walk into the sunset.
A perfect happy ending.
But nope, this was her life. He was some greek God and she was a socially awkward person who even stammered while answering a simple question like "What is your name?"
So, there was a fat chance if a movie was made on her life, it would get the worst rank in rotten tomatoes history.
Pouting at her own criticism, she sat up, setting the pillows aside. Hoping to get some papers done.. She turned on her laptop and stalked through her study files. Well of course she had finished all the papers within a week..
Who was she kidding?
She face palmed herself before turning on the Internet. She needed to kill time so what would be better than googling about random stuff at 2am.. for example: insomnia.
She sighed and actually put "insomnia" on google search. She clicked on Wikipedia and was about to start reading about the illness she was sure she had when with a loud ping her Skype window popped up.
And the sleep thief had made an appearance.. This time as a contact add. Giddy and suddenly very excited, she accepted his request and went to check his profile.
He was online. At least that's what his status said. Contemplating whether to knock him or not she bravely typed "hello" on the chat box.. But never pressed the sent button.
And she kept typing and deleting for couple of minutes after finally.. He pinged her.
"You know you can always press the send button."
Taken aback, she couldn't help but type back, "how did you know?"
"Let's just say I know you." Came his smug reply. She rolled her eyes, smiling before typing, "so you found me huh?"
"I did." He replied, making her smile.. Though totally unaware to herself.
And that night, she had fallen asleep during a video call for the first time.. While he on the other hand, sang and lulled her to sleep.
He was enchanted to meet her too.
-----
The next time they ditched another obnoxious party together, they boarded a local bus for the first time and it was enchanting as well.
As she stood, slightly nervous and confused, he took a seat by the window and patted the seat beside him. She sat down and smiled at him in assurance.
They could have waited for a car to come but he decided it was safer traveling by a local bus than to take an auto or something at this late hour.
Plus, it was her first time in a public transport.. That too a slightly Crowdy bus.
She needed to see the things life could offer in a totally different way.. He told her.
And the talkative girl within her arose.. And she was talking with ease clearly not believing her own voice when she finally stopped.. He was smiling.
And just then one creeper decided to stand right beside her seat and place his hands on top of her where she was holding the other seat for support. Oh boy. . She jerked away her hand immediately and hoped Arjun hadn't seen it. But he did.
She glanced at him to catch him glaring at the creeper man who had possibly sensed the intensity of Arjun's glare.. So he was moving away, thank God!
"Stand up." Came a rather animal-so-not-like Arjun voice which startled her. She stood up and he moved her in, holding her by the elbow before settling her in his seat.
Once successfully switching their seats, he sobered up and noticed her sitting quiet, rigid and scared. He gently took her hands and made her look at his way. "Sorry" he said and she nodded, smiling in reassurance.
And he didn't let go of her hand the whole ride and when she finally reached home.. she found herself doing a happy dance!
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
----
"Let's walk?" she asked him. He looked at her in amazement, before grinning and nodding. So they abandoned his car and walked all the way to her house.
She didn't know what made her ask for this strange wish.. but she did anyway.
Maybe.. just maybe, she just wanted to spend a little more time with him. Her vacation was coming to an end.. and she knew, she might never see him again.
And he chose that exact moment to hold her hand right hand as they crossed a rather rowdy road.. he kept walking, tagging her along with him ; his fingers slowly made their way to tangle with hers.
And just like that.. all the nerves started stampeding around. All she could see was his face and that small content smile playing on his lips.
All she could feel was his touch and the warmth he was confining her in.
She didn't know for how long she kept shamelessly gazing at him.. though she didn't miss the way he swing their entangled hands just to hear her bangles tinkling; which just added to his goofy smile. And she wondered why.
And she didn't realize when she stumbled over a stone and lost her balance but then the next moment she was straight on her feet. She dared not to look up and face him when he was barely a breath away.
"You alright? Are you hurt?" he worriedly asked, searching for any kind of injury.
"I'm fine." She assured him before kneeling and pulling off her sandals.. one of them was broken, so she sighed and carried them in her free hand. She couldn't throw them away.. as they were priceless for her from this night.
"Guess I have to go home all barefooted." She shrugged.
He looked at her for a moment more before taking his own shoes off. "What are you doing?" she asked.
He carried his shoes in his other hand and tugged her along to walk.
"Well.. you won't be walking barefooted alone." She looked at him in amazement and he winked at her. "Why should girls have all the fun?"
She giggled and muttered, "You are insane."
"Well aware." Came his reply.
And they walked hand in hand.. a white prince in a white shirt and jeans (note: barefootedđł) and she, the damsel in distress in a red anarkali.
(Perfect no đ )
Once they stood outside their house, she started fidgeting again. What to say? What to do? How to act?
"You are doing it again." He murmured, facing her. She stared at him, confused. "What?" her look said.
"This." He huskily replied.. and freed her lower lip, gently tugging on her chin.
And she blessed the moonlight for hiding the blush she was sure had crept its way to her cheeks.
He lingered his touch for an torturous amount of time while she waited in anticipation. Then he tapped his finger one more time before taking a step back from her personal space.
"Good night!" he said.. holding out his hand for her. "Till we meet again."
"Till we meet again." She repeated.. with much more optimism.
This is me praying that
This was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name
Until I see you again
These are the words I held back
As I was leaving too soon
I was enchanted to meet you
As she was walking inside.. she turned to see him standing on the same place she left him. He was looking intently and then smiled and waved at her.
In her perfect world.. she would now run to him and hug him tight but that was her dreamland.
So she waved back at him.. before breaking into a run when she finally went inside.
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
She stood, panting on the roof and watched him walking away.. she put her palm on her heart which was now taking some erratic beating.
He was magnetic.. and electric and eccentric.
He had somehow gotten under her skin.. and she knew no matter how hard she'd try, she couldn't shake him off. Not that she even wanted to.
Sometimes reaching out and taking hands is a beginning of a journey. So she crossed her heart and hoped for the best.
She pulled out her phone and typed,
"Hey Arjun.. I was enchanted to meet you."
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
The Endđł
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
