First of all A BIG SORRY for posting sooo late, frankly, i didnt even realize that its been over a month already but I promise that next update wont take that long. My finals end next week and then one month break! 😉
This part is dheela dheela so please bear with me!
Thank You !
Oh and yea of course... those comments are the best part of this FF...please keep them coming! 😊
Recap: Rahul and Muskaan had just became friends. more on pg 17.
Part 5: Rahul's 'Puja'After a week of rigorous interning at a highly respected company, based in Manhattan, Rahul was tired and already exhausted. He sure had fun working along side the company's most intelligent and flamboyant personals but the pressure and the expectation to prove himself and more importantly to prove himself as an efficient Indian worker was a bit demanding. He used to start work at nine and usually get out between seven and eight, leaving no time for him to enjoy being in NYC! Sure the city never sleeps, but he sure did. It used to take him an hour and fifteen minutes to get to his house, where he was a paying guest, an arrangement made prior to his arrival in the US.
He was a guest to his dad's friend's contact: Mr. and Mrs. Shah. Mr. Shah owned a small candy store where he used to engage all his time meanwhile, Mrs. Shah kept herself busy with daily soaps and cooking food for them, Rahul and the other paying guest: Vikram. Rahul had said hi to him the first day he came but had never seen him ever since because of Vikram's night duty at a famous coffee shop; Dunkin Donuts. Rahul used to come home, eat, talk to his parents and Maya for a few minutes and doze off to sleep.
It was his first weekend, his first holiday, his first day to enjoy. He was excited. He woke up early, showered, gathered all the maps, and was ready to be his own company for the day. He had the garam garam nashta..which was btw, delicious and just when he was about to leave., Mr. Shah came out of his room, a little worried.
"Namaste Uncle!"
"Namaste Namaste! Kaise ho, kaise chal raha hain kaam shaam?"
"Theek hain..aur aap?"
"Hum to hamesha ki tarah badiya.." Uncle replied with an awkward smile.
"Kuch tension hain kya uncle?"
"Nahi bete, kaam ka to aisa chalta rahta hain."
Rahul smiled and started putting on his shoes.
"Aaj kaha jaa rahe ho? Aaj bhi office jana hain."
"Nahi, wo main soch raha tha, thoda ghum loo, dekh loo, you know just get to know something around."
"hmm..to kya tum Manhattan ja rahe ho?"
"jee ha"
"Agar tumhe koi aitraaz na ho to kya tum mera ek kaam kar sakte ho."
(ok, please don't tell me to come to your store and sell candies with you because that ain't happening!🥱) "Uhmm..ha ha boliye na" Rahul replied reluctantly.
"Yeh (picking up a packet) mere bahot achhe dost Raju ke waha pahucha na hain. Manhattan ja te waqt tumhare raaste mein hi padega."
" Oh ok'no problem!" Rahul said agreeing. Mr. Shah was a nice man, he could do this much for him.
Rahul jotted down his address and directions and took off. He was at the doorstep of a nice bungalow with a beautiful front lawn. He knocked on the door and waited about thirty seconds. Just when he was about to knock again, he heard somebody running towards the door. He waited. Door opened and stood before him was a girl aged between 20-23, pretty and dressed in a green Punjabi suit.
"Yes,?" She inquired.
"Hi..My name is Rahul, Mr. Shah sent me here to give this to Raju Uncle?"
"Ohh..yes..he called. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
'Why don't you come inside, we are having a small puja." She insisted.
"Uhmm..no thanks. I think I should go"
"You saying no to a puja?" She said tongue in cheek.
Rahul felt bad. He knew that his mom would have made him sit in that puja.
"Uhmm..ok"
He walked inside, taking his shoes off at the door..and as he entered their living room and saw a lot of people. A LOT I mean. He was surprised how he could not make that out from outside but he sat where she told him to. He joined his hands and looked at what they were doing. And then wandered his eyes around the house and the people. Scanning through the faces, he came across a face with huge eyes and a broad smile staring right back at him. Oh wait, I know her! Muskaan?!!! 😲
He wrinkled his forehead in the most weirdest way, making his eyes automatically pop out. Muskaan in reply opened her mouth for a bigger smile.😃 He signaled using his eyes asking her what was she doing there and she replied with "duh" look.
Rahul looked back at the puja and looked at her back. She winked! 😉
Rahul looked away instantaneously closing his eyes and praying. Muskaan giggled.😆
It was an hour and still the puja was going on. Rahul was on the heights of restlessness. 😔He was mad at the girl who invited him and was angrier with himself.! Why did he accept the invitation. And he could not get up in the middle of the puja. He looked towards muskaan who was busy praying. But then she opened her eyes and caught his just in time. He looked away quickly, feeling embarrassed because he thought muskaan might think he was staring at her.
Half an hour later:
Rahul had given up hope. This puja was not going to end anytime soon. He believed that it was one of those day long ones. He was frustrated but didn't show it. For the first time he wanted to be Muskaan, he bet that she wouldn't care and would have gotten up if she didn't like it. He again looked over to her and she was sitting there with her eyes closed and a slight smile on her face. He never thought she was that kinds, I mean, not to be disrespectful, but the ones who like poojas and stuff. Well, to think of it, he never thought about her for anything. 🤔
An hour later:
Rahul was munching on some garama garam parathas! Hmm yumm!!
The puja was over and everybody were settling down for lunch. Yes, it was lunch time already! Rahul was about to leave when muskaan, in a pretty pink and green body fit suit which exemplified her perfect curves, came up to him and asked him to join them for Paneer parathas! How can he say no to THAT?! He was hungry, the food looked good and FREE! Then might as well, right? He couldn't say no and sat down to eat with them.
Rahul had said hello to Muskaan's uncle and aunty and was now sitting amongst all the young people. She sat next to him.
M: Tum yaha ape kaise?
R: Kuch nahi, main to yaha ek packet dene aaya tha.
M: ohh!! Ha, kisi ka phone aaya tha, ki koi aanewala hain kuch dene. To tum yaha YEH internship karte ho?
R: NAHI! Wo mere landlord the.
M: OHH!! (pauses and looks towards R, he stares back at her with "What" look?) Ab tum poochho ke main yaha kaise?
R: (smiles, nodes his head 😛) oh yea, Waise tum yaha kaise?
Muskaan made herself comfortable in her chair,, "uh oh! A big story now?"😳
She started how her uncle knew Raju and Raju insisted for all of them to come for this auspicious puja. And on and on.
Rahul was done eating and muskaan's plate was still half full. Shenty, a random kid, came with a glass of water for Rahul.
"Oh thank you," R said cutting M abruptly from her not-really-interesting story.
This really pissed her off and she said a little bit loudly "RAHUUUL?"
He looked towards her and missed the glass. The water came splashing down on his plate and wetting his *ahem* part of his pants.
Muskaan slowly looked towards his wet area and covered her mouth with both her hands. He couldn't believe it! He sat there for like 10 seconds just realizing what happened. He got up to see everybody looking at him. Shenty had already ran away. All the girls were looking at him covering their mouths and whispering in each other ears.
Muskaan realized that she has to come to his rescue. She took the plate from his hand and put it on the table. And then she slowly slipped her hand into his and held him, walked him over. All rahul could do was to stare and follow her 'commanding' pull.
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Thats it for now!
Please leave your comments!
PS: I PM'ed almost everybody, I hope! 😊
Edited by mits002 - 16 years ago
Cricket
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