Mayur FF: Lost and Found - V Day Spcl. - Pg 94 - Page 71

Chapter Fifteen - Last Part

~ Valentine's Day Special ~

"There is something fishy Gunjan. Something very fishy. Trust me; I can't be mistaken on this." Nupur spoke into the phone urgently, one hand clamped around a red stress ball. "This is the month of February for God sake and all I have been hearing about for the past one week is work. I swear I will kill somebody if I hear the word work again this day!"

Gunjan giggled. Nupur was so cute when she was all hyperactive. Two years of being married to the calmest man she knew hadn't done anything to dampen the effect. Not to be wondered at though, for Mayank spoilt her thoroughly.

"Relax di. You know how Mayank is. He must be really busy with, um, stuff. Plus, you guys don't need a special month all dedicated to celebrating love. I have never seen a more lovey dovey couple in my life."

"That's because you never check out Samrat and your reflection in the mirror. You know Gunjan, last year he brought me different flowers each day of February and so much so that I often had to check with the florist to find out what is what!"

Tough deal he has on his hands, thought Gunjan. Mayank loved her sister irrevocably and unconditionally and if anyone knew that best, it was Nupur. But being Nupur, she had to find some reason to crib in all their sister to sister conversations.

"Take a deep breath di. I always think your weekends off are the devil's workshop when Mayank isn't home."

"Oh he doesn't need to be! Not now, not tomorrow. So what if its Valentine's? It's a day meant to be spent sulking and even more so if it happens to coincide with your marriage anniversary."

Gunjan chuckled. "Tomorrow is Sunday. He would have been home had it been Benji's new kitten's christening ceremony."

"Are you my sister or his? I never - "

"Alright, alright. Don't throw things around. Shilpa aunty may get hurt."

Nupur fumed. "Such a sadist you can be Gunjan! You know Ma isn't home. She's been at her sister's all of last month!"

Oops. Major mistake. "I am afraid I forgot. Genuinely sorry. Listen, I am sure Mayank is coming back soon so go have a chilled out shower and wear your favourite shade of pink and smile. You deserve a happy weekend after long hours at office and I will give jeeju a telling off for spoiling it for you. Deal?"

Nupur looked around the living room as she replaced the receiver. Talking to Gunjan hadn't helped much this time. She had clue why she missed him just so much just then. A long Mayank-less day smiled back at her - an evil yet broad Cheshire cat grin. Dark shadows seemed to loom behind the curtains and the air seemed forlorn.

Oh Mayank! I don't need any flowers. Just come back.

*****

The clock struck nine. A cell phone lay on the carpet, only partially alive. The shadows behind the curtains had deepened to the extent they almost rendered the wall a dull black.

Deep breath Nupur, inhale, exhale. Let's try once more.

She picked up the dying phone and keyed in the numbers once again - carefully - like that would help. The message that was played back however, remained the same.

"The subscriber you are dialling can't be reached. Please try again later."

Panic replaced Nupur's vexation and she found her palm grow sweaty. Where one earth had he disappeared? This had never happened before. What if he never came back? Oh God, get a grip. Do not overreact.

A chime from her laptop broke the silence. "You have a new mail."

"Oh I do, don't I?" She made a face and had almost unplugged the power cord when her eyes fell on the name of the sender.

Mayank Sharma. Mayank!

What sort of phantom mail had crept into her inbox unannounced? Trying to keep calm by counting her breaths, she clicked it open and began to read...

*****

"I am not coming home tonight. Urgent work - Mayank."

Okay, thought Nupur, here's a song in response.

I can live without you.

Today, now, then.

I can live without you.

Today, now, then.

With the hope of a tomorrow

That won't come.

Oh wait. That didn't quite come off as she would have liked it. Strange how they hadn't made a song on such a theme yet. They could sing of blue eyed girls and red ribbons on a horse's tail but not of basic facts like that.

"I am not coming home tonight. Urgent work - Mayank."

Oh yes, hundredth time was this? She had already gone through the mail umpteen times but strangely, the words remained the same. When Mayank had learnt to write her - yes her - such formal and absurd emails - yes emails! - she had no clue. But there was no point in reflecting any more. If he cared not, neither did she.

She shut her eyes tight and waited for the whirring of the fan to bring her some sleep. A while later, possibly in some piece of the jigsaw of her dreams, she felt lost in a delightful embrace. Soft, warm and protective. She fell asleep at once.

*****

Nupur awoke at the sound of an unnaturally loud doorbell. Bright white sunlight streamed in through the window, dispelling all the forbidding shadows of the evening before. As she walked up to the door, something white - seemingly an envelope - stared up at her from where her cell phone lay taking its last few breaths.

Refusing to entertain any of her mind's mindless premonitions, she picked it up and the familiar drawl of the starting T was enough to ward all her somnolence away.

"There may be days when I won't be there,

To hold you in my arms

And not let go.

To watch you fall asleep,

With pleasant dreams,

For me to make true.

There may be days when you won't hear me,

Or feel my breath,

Lost in yours,

To protect you from all that hurts,

And sing to you of our own world,

Snug and serene.

But when a new day dawns,

And the sun goes up the horizon,

I promise to be back,

In your thoughts, in your eyes,

In all that you say or feel,

And if I am still under the same sky,

In your arms."

Nupur opened the door to see a smiling Mayank standing on the other side. Her eyes just a bit watery, she did her best to keep up the assault she had planned.

"So you think it will be so easy to get away? With all these promises you probably invented on your lunch break at work?"

"Um, it was actually during my coffee break."

"You impossible man!" Nupur looked away as a tell tale tear drop trailed down her cheek. Mayank came up closer then and put both his arms around her, holding her so he could hear her heart beat.

"Oh I am sorry Nupur! I may be impossible, but I mean all of that. There will never be a tomorrow when I won't be there with you. No matter what comes, I will find some way to be with you. I promise."

"I won't let you be away. No matter what. Had you not turned up now, I would have sent search parties in every corner of this world!" Nupur spoke in muffled whispers, still holding on to him.

"But they would have found me straight away - in your heart!"

Nupur drew back giggling. "Now that was seriously cheesy!"

Mayank however pulled her close again, stroking her chin with his thumb. "So don't I get a treat for that wonderful poem? I spent all of last night on it."

"Treat? Huh! I have a good mind to forbid you breakfast, lunch and dinner all of today! Where were you last night anyway?"

"Right next to you." Mayank winked. "I placed myself outside the door just before I saw your sleep breaking."

Nupur thought back to her jigsaw dream the night before. She sighed. "Such a menace you are Mayank. God has been too kind to you in bringing you to me."

"But now that the deed is done...", Mayank walked inside and shut the door behind them, "God is all pleased." He smiled as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Happy marriage anniversary my love! Um, since there's no refusing now that we are married," he drew closer till their faces were inches apart, "will you be my valentine?"

Nupur smiled; her eyes closed as she felt his breath on them. "I love you Mayank."

"Just a little less than I love you."

As his lips met hers, Nupur knew better than to argue. She would keep that for another time...perhaps, for her next conversation with Gunjan...

Originally posted by: cool.sindhya

aaawwwwwwwwwwwwww loveeddd itttt debbyy!!

misssddd u maaaannn!!!start a newww ff naaa!!

:D