It was late evening and her friends had asked her to wear something pretty, for tonight would be special in its own way. She rolled her eyes and sat on the bed waiting in eager anticipation for the unknown. She knew her friends had a surprise up their sleeves but she didn't pry even if the suspense was killing her. She looked down at her dress and sighed. If they don't come soon, the sheer excitement of it all would be too much and she would succumb to sleep, she was already very tired. She stood to get herself a glass of water for she knew the glow it would give her face would only serve its purpose of highlighting her features.
One glass became two when the doorbell rang. She balanced herself very carefully on her extremely high and extremely uncomfortable heels and walked with as much elegance as she could manage remembering to keep a stern face. Nobody keeps her waiting, just nobody!!!
She opened the door with an upturned face, looking towards nothing in particular; perhaps to feign annoyance but her frown faltered and she was smirking. She had expected her girls to throw their arms around her at this point and apologize for being late but instead she was facing a person in amazement. He was somebody she dreamed of, every night. He was the one who had her heart racing every time he came in front of her. He was the one for whom she would go into her dreamy mode and her friends would make fun of her. For a moment, she forced herself to consider, it was a glass of water she had had, didn't she?? Either that or she had drifted into her daydreaming mode, or there could be no other explanation for seeing Maan singh Khurana standing at her door step in flesh and blood.
She stammered an inaudible hello to a tall and handsome man who was towering over her, flashing his famous lop-sided grin.
"You look very nice..." he said, smiling broadly down at her; offering her a biggest bouquet of roses she ever saw. Even in her heels she was shorter than him. "Oh and Happy Birthday!" he added, reaching down to kiss her on the cheek. She instinctively pulled back which only caused him to laugh, and he took her hand and kissed that. "Shall we go?" He offered his arm.
She continued to stare at him in disbelief, "You can't be here..." she said almost to herself, all the times she had wondered how she would behave if he ever came in front of her had left her and she stood mumbling but at least she looked fabulous. "Maan Singh Khurana is not outside my house..." she said in a chant to herself.
Maan pinched her, "Ouch" She shouted, stunned by his action, "Sorry..." he said rather sheepishly, "Just needed you to know, it's not a dream...it really is me..." he said happily. "Now do you want to waste time standing by the door or shall we go? "
She put a hand over her mouth and was brought back to the present.
Maan opened the door to a very expensive looking black car and helped her in, she tried to suppress her grin but it was fruitless, Maan Singh Khurana was tucking her into a car...MAAN SINGH KHURANA? Her heart did a happy dance.
He sat in the front and turned on the ignition, they drove in silence for some time and she sat on her hands trying to refrain from touching him and cursed herself for not bringing her phone, how else was she supposed to take his pictures?
He was driving her around her local streets. "Feels weird na?" he asked from the front and that broke the ice. "You are a very good driver" she spoke and then immediately shut her mouth. "Driver??" and suddenly she laughed out loud. Maan looked back at her from the rear view mirror wondering what made her laugh. Oh God!!! I am going to kill Jia for putting such perverted thoughts in my mind. Esha was right. Jia is spoiling me and Soni. Haaye Babaji...aaj bacha lena... But he looks so good and yummy. She sighed aloud.
"There is a nice cafe close by. I was told you love chocolate ice-cream" he spoke.
She grinned like a fool. "Yes, Of course I do"
He stopped the vehicle and helped her out of the car and remarked "We are here Your highness" She laughed heartily at him. Maan smiled as he took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm; his hand over hers and guided her inside. They walked to the farthest table and she wished for the cafe to be never ending tunnel. She loved having his large warm hands around her tiny ones. It made her feel loved and cared.
Once settled, he ordered a large bowl of chocolate ice-cream for her and black coffee for himself.
"I would love a cup of black coffee too please but without any sugar" she quickly added.
Maan looked at her surprised. "You drink black coffee?"
She smiled "Yes I do" as she took the napkin and pretended to play with it "but unlike you I don't take any sugar"
He just nodded his head with a smile. "Duly noted"
She savored her ice cream while he waited for their coffees to arrive. She had insisted on him getting a bowl too as she wasn't going to share hers but he had refused.
It was a weird evening. She thought. Weird but pleasant and so pleasantly weird, she thought and suppressed a chuckle. All her tiredness of the day just evaporated. She felt so much at peace. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had felt like that. Oh wait...she does...every night when she talks to her girls. She smiled inwardly. She should be with them. What was she doing here? She looked up to see the man in front of her. Before she could open her mouth to question his sudden appearance at her doorstep, a figure came into her view. And before she could blink, the face came into her plain view. She stopped breathing all together. Oh for the love of god!! It was her birthday but she was sure she would die today...
Walked in Nissar as he elegantly took her hand and wished her "Happy Birthday Princess"
She muttered a polite thank you but her voice was too squeaky for the two men to understand.
"Huh?"
"NP back off..She is with me" Maan spoke rudely as he took her hand out of Nissar's tight clasp.
"Oh you forget Maan, she loves NP" He had a smug look on his face "And that's me"
"Ahhh...you seem to know so little of her. I am her first love, NPM" Maan spoke proudly. "And don't forget the other terms she coins for me on a daily basis"
"And you seem to be forgetting her crazies have already got her married to me" he added victoriously
"Oh she loves my driving" Maan said haughtily taking a dangerous step towards NP
"Really? Whom are you kidding MK? She thinks you are the kinds of Manishhaaa" NP sniggered refusing to accept defeat
"That was your plot... that lantern could have been avoided...You know she loves MWC but you didn't give that to her... (turning to Ashu he winks) let her decide for herself" he said boldly.
She blushed profusely and her head bobbled to and fro towards the men as they exchanged some not so pleasant words like she was on a tennis field. And then she felt a pull. And again... and again...
"Aashu"
"Aashu"
"Aashu"
She groggily opened her eyes to look into a set of three worrisome eyes.
"Tu theek hai na??" somebody said as she sat on the bed looking around.
"NP...Maan..."
Esha smacked her forehead. "Is ladki ka kuch nahi ho sakta..hum yahan pareshaan hai aur yeh apne NP ke sapne dekh rahi hai"
"Nahi nahi...sapna nahi tha...Eshu.. woh woh..." Aash got up from the bed and ran towards the living room but there was no one there. There were no flowers, no car, no Maan, nothing!!!
"It was a dream??" her face fell.
"Kamini spane hi dekhti rahegi ya dinner ke liye chalegi. Mujhe bahut bhook lag rahi hai" Jia chimed in.
All three rolled their eyes. Jia was always hungry.
"Aashu, sorry yaar. Traffic ki vajah se hum sab late ho gaye. Aur tu so gayi. If you are too tired to go then we understand; we can always reschedule." Sonia spoke softly and looked at her friends for approval.
Jia nodded her head for a no rubbing her tummy but was silenced with a glare from Esha. "Haan if you are tired, we can go some other day. Tu aaraam kar."
"No no We are going out. I guess I just fell asleep waiting for you all." Aash straightened her dress and sighed. "It was a beautiful dream" she sighed.
Jia linked her arms as she dragged her to the front door, "And you can tell us all about it over drinks tonight"
"No drinks for you" Came an unanimous order from the other three.
~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour later four girls sat together around a table in a restaurant laughing and sharing stories. They celebrated Aash's birthday with cakes and cards.
"Thanks Eshu for the lovely card, though I hate the lantern inside and Soni, meri jaan, thank you for the yummy cake."
"Oye thanks kyun bol rahi hai?" Esha smacked her arm and was rewarded with a smile. "Hum sab ke beech mei no thanks and no sorry"
"Aree woh cake aur card meri bhi taraf se hai yaar" Jia spoke with her mouth full.
"Jiu, kitni baar bola hai, no talking while eating." Soni chided her.
"Kamini ek number ki kanjoos hai tu" Aash shook her head.
Jia grinned, "Jab pata hai to poochti kyun hai? Gotta live up to my name you see"
"Haaye yaaro... aaj to main dead hote hote bachi... dono Maan and NP fighting over me... haaye" Aash cupped her face with her hands and placed her elbows on the table.
"Tere yeh emoticon ne meri jaan le rakhi hai Aashu" Esha laughed aloud. "Lekin yaad rakh kamini hum se ziada pyaar tujhe koi aur nahi kar sakta" The other three hooted in declaration.
"Pata kya yaar... Maan was just being my driver." she added with a wink.
The four rolled into laughter as they carried on their dinner.
-The End-
Sorry folks if you were expecting something else...😆 Do leave your comments and wishes for my lovely friend... she is the bestest of bests...😃😃 and we kaminis love her to the core😳
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