A Fortunate Stroke of Serendipity
Banner By: -GoluGudiya- aka Neha ❤️
Part 1
"Are you serious?"
"Come on. Let's go" he mentioned.
"I am not getting on that thing"
"Oh come on. Don't be a baby."
"A baby?" I scoffed, "Excuse me?"
"You're going to make us late"
"Late for what?"
"Nothing"
"Where are you taking me?" I narrow my eyes at him.
"It's a surprise. So get on" he paused before a trademark smirk appeared on his lips. "Motorcycles don't bite, sweetheart. I promise. Wear my helmet" he grabs him helmet from behind him and holds it out for me.
"Well, what about you?"
"I'll be fine. I'll get a new one on my way back home"
"Ohhkay" I say hesitantly.
Yup. That was me. I dated the bad boy in high school and up to my second year of college. And yes, I did actually get on the motorcycle. And looking back, I'm glad I did. Even though he was a, quote, "Bad boy", unquote, he was a big softy underneath his rebellious, hard faade. He was the poster boy for the perfect boyfriend. Well, until we broke up, that is. But I'll get to that one later.
Because well... it was a bad break up to be honest. It was messy. And annoying. And petty. And very, very extremely stupid. Looking back, we seemed foolish. So childish. I don't get it. But he was absolutely positively my first love. My first legitimate relationship. Dammit. I'm getting nostalgic right now. Damn it, Taani. Out of all the guys, you could've find, why did you choose him? You could've chosen that nerdy kid who kept making googly eyes at you in Chemistry lab. Okay. No. He was super creepy. Never mind.
Rey was... I don't know. Something else. He gave me a thrill. He kept my high school life exciting and blissful. He never held me back. He only made me better. He encouraged me and respected me. I thought, I mean, really thought he was perfect.
But of course, trouble in paradise had to occur sooner or later.
Lets flash forward to right now.
I live in Mumbai. I am single. Naturally, I haven't dated in a while. I am 27 and pretty much a workaholic. And I'm being completely frank with you. I am not trying to fabricate some sob story so that you will pity me.
Still, I am afraid of ending up alone. I mean, who isn't?
I know the old maxim that says, "no one can love you if you don't love yourself", or something like that. And I do. Love myself, I mean. In the simple sense. But somehow, I feel disappointed in myself. Little idiosyncrasies that me just make me go "Damn it, Taani! Don't do that. Don't think like that"
I am just bombarded with the negativity along with short bursts of positivity. Does even make sense?
I don't know. All I know is that life goes on. It waits for no one. Once you are born, you start to... what? Die? That seems right.
Now, I am a lawyer. I fight for people and earn a living from it. I work in a small law branch in my town. Each day is filled with stacks of papers with more cases to review. Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I enjoy it. I don't regret choosing it. It just seems endless at times.
Neha and Sharon, my best friends, seem to give up on me to hang out or visit. My mom is worried about me. She primarily worried about my health... and my dating life.
Sharon is a consultant designer for some hot shot fashion designer- her dream job. Neha is doing this acting gig, where she performs small but successful stage shows. They each have their respective families now. I'm so happy for them. Genuinely.
But I'm okay. I think I'm happy. In a satisfied, content sense.
I glance around the law house cafeteria in search for an empty seat. Just as I took a seat the phone in my hand buzzed noisily.
"Hello, mom" I say into my phone, as I make a pathetic attempt to sound happy.
"Are you coming down here for the holidays?" she quickly replies.
"Oh, I am doing fine here in Delhi, Mama. Thanks for asking" My sentence drips with utter sarcasm.
"Don't try to be sarcastic with me" she scolds. "You'll never get a husband by being sarcastic"
I prevent myself from bursting out into laughter as she unknowingly quotes one of my favorite episodes from the show The Simpsons. "All right, no husband then" I smile into the mouth piece of my iPhone.
"Taani Shekawat, are you going to answer my question?"
I roll my eyes, "Yes, mom. I'm flying in on the seventeenth for Priya's wedding. I already have my ticket" I reassure her.
She answers me in a cynical tone. "Okay. Make sure to call me before you leave. And do not forget to tell me your arrival time so you won't get stuck at the airport like last time"
"Will do, Mama. I promise to give you all the details of my itinerary before I leave. But I got to go now. It's lunch break"
"Love you. I'll call you later, okay?"
I stifle a chuckle, "Love you too. Bye" I tucked my phone back into my black blazer.
I bet I'll turn into a complete worrywart like her when...well... if I become a mother someday. I guess she doesbt have much of a choce whether or not to worry about me. I am her first and only born.
I really am baffled as to why Priya and Veer decided to have their wedding before the holidays. I mean it is such a hectic time. Priya is the reason why I bought an earlier ticket home. Normally, I would leave for Delhi, a day before the holidays start, but since Priya decided on the twentieth as her wedding date, I scheduled my flight three days earlier than normal.
I met Priya while I was doing my undergraduate course in collage. When we found out that we were both from Delhi, we freaked out. She was from the outskirts of Delhi while I lived within the areas of Delhi. We emailed and on talked on the phone frequently after graduation, and her childhood friend had caught up with her. They met, they dated, they fell in love and the rest was history. Last year, I received an invitation to their wedding. I called her up when I saw a slip that read "_ attending with_ guests". I'm not sure if I would have taken a date to her wedding. Priya, being the pain in the you-know-what, that she is, said, "Put down one guest. You never know when a nice gentleman decided to fawn over the gorgeous Miss Taani Shekawat"
Priya Kapoor always knew how to make me smile. She was undoubtedly one of my best friends from collage. After she received my call, she called her cousin to book me a room at a nearby , exquisite and very expensive hotel , where she insisted I stay, even going to an extent of offering pay my bills, despite my protests on checking into a cheaper hotel that I could pay with my own money. Long story short, I had lost the battle.
But the one thing I looked forward was that I had never been in such a exotic hotel. I would like the new experience.
I should really put zero guests down. Now I feel bad that Priya and Veer probably would have paid for another seat at the guest table for "Taani Shekawat plus one". Right now, there are no takers. I haven't been asked out in a while.
Flying makes me swell with anxiety. I've always been that way. I grip the armrest and pray until 30 minutes have passed after takeoff. You see so many airplane crashes on news, and the next thing you think is "What if that could have been my flight?". The simple thought makes me shudder with fear.
I remember getting a plan with my high school in junior year for the research trip to Singapore.
I sat completely frozen in my seat after everyone else had boarded the aircraft.
"I don't think I can do this"
"Oh please, you are overreacting. You've been on a plane before, haven't you?"
I nodded slowly.
"You'll be fine," he said casually as he slung my back pack into the overhead bin and closed it with a click.
"What if..."
"What if everything goes fine and we land safely in Singapore?" he grins as he interrupts me. he gently plops down next to me and raises an eyebrow.
I roll my eyes and turn my eyes towards the window to my right.
"This trip is going to be amazing. I can feel it, Taani" he said enthusiastically and leaned over to place a kiss just below my left ear.
"Oh really?" I turned my head to him, beaming.
"Yes" he said extending his arm and placing it on my cheek, slowly drifting up so that his thumb was now playing with my earring.
Suddenly, the pilots voice came over the PA system, breaking out moment, and declaring that the flight was about to takeoff.
"Oh god" I muttered. My right hand was squeezing the armrest while my left hand was squeezing something softer- Rey's hand.
He looked over at my hand. "if you just wanted me to hold your hand, you could have asked," he joked flirtingly.
"Shut up Singhaniya" I snapped.
"Yes ma'am" he whispered leaning over and placing a soft kiss at the corner of my lips, clutching at my hand lovingly.
Let's just say, the takeoff very soon, with the guy next to me distracting me.
We did land safely in Singapore as Rey had predicted. He proceeded to taunt me about that trip, during every other trip we took together. I hated him for it, but at the same time I loved jovial behavior. He was my rock at that time. He claimed that he loved how "independent" and "smart" and "beautiful" I was. his loving words forced me to ignore all my insecurities. I pushed myself and encouraged myself more and more because I knew that someone besides my mom and my friends was cheering me on. I was proud to call him my high school sweetheart.
I arranged all of my bags near the door of my small cozy apartment that night before the not-so-awaited day. I was dressed casually in my gray and white sweater that I wore with a pair of light blue, washed off jeans that were torn at the knee. I had put on a pair of gray sneakers to finish of the look. i had ran a ward of mascara through my eyelashes, smeared enough concealer under my eyes to hide my dark circles and put some tinted lip balm on my lips. To finish off the look I had let my hair free, so that it fell around my shoulders in curls.
Taani's outfit
I made sure to call my mom before calling a taxi to drop me off to the airport. My flight was scheduled for ten thirty in the morning so the taxi picked me up at six o'clock.
Traffic was not so bad. The ride was pleasant and swift. I was also been able to check in and get through security with no problems.
Since there was sometime before boarding, I walked over to a small caf' to get some take away coffee. I took my coffee and walked away to the rows of chairs by the gate and sat down, engrossed in my coffee.
How could anyone hate coffee? I mean its coffee for goodness sakes.
After finishing my drink, I took out a book from my bag and started reading. I felt that now would be a good time to get lost in the book before I start freak out.
This will be the first time that I am flying first class. I saved up enough money and sky miles to pay for my ticket. I am proud of myself. No toddlers kicking the back of my seat or weird men drooling on my shoulder. It will be spacious and comfortable: at least I hope it will be. Maybe a nice, handsome businessman will sit next to me. Yes, that would be lovely.
Before I knew it, the first class passengers were called to board the plan. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I can do this. It will be fine. I muster up all of my courage and marched over with my grey bag clutched tightly in my hand. I can do this.
I gave the man in the counter my ticket. He looked it over and ripped the shorted stub, returning it to me. He offered me a warm smile and lifted his chin to say "Enjoy your flight, Miss Shekawat"
"Thank you" I said graciously. His eyes reminded me of Rey's except for the fact that Rey's were different- they were brighter. Rey's eyes were a light baby blue under the normal light. But they would change. Sometimes, they were gray. They could almost become a glassy navy. Other times, they could change into the most beautiful bluish, sea green color.
As clich as it sounds, it wouldn't be a lie if I said that I got lost in the baby blues countless times. He would be talking to me about things I knew he couldn't say to anyone else, and I would get lost in the pools of light blue.
"Baby, are you even listening to me?" he would ask.
"What?" I would question, dumbfounded and lost.
"Never mind" He would chuckle and kiss me, making me lose my senses again.
I smiled to myself remembering the happier times, as I walked through the corridor leading up to the airplane door. A female flight attended checked my ticket and led me to my seat. I was listed for a window seat, the window to my right. I had my own personal television, a footrest, a side table and a comfy looking leather chair.
I thanked the flight attendant and carefully placed my bag in a compartment near my seat. My chair was still connected to another chair but there were two respective armrests between them.
Suddenly, a male flight attendant approached me and politely asked. "Would you like some refreshments, before we take off, miss?"
I clasped my hands together, "May I have some light white wine?" A little wine would be extremely helpful to sooth my verves before I go into a full blown attack.
"Certainly" he agreed and left to retrieve my beverage.
I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat, letting out a huge breath. I just wanted the next few hours to be quick and painless, with the least amount of turbulences possible. I heard someone shuffle near the seat next to me and figured that it was probably my flight mate. I was too busy trying to stay calm to open my eyes and look.
As I continued to pray in my seat, I heard the pilot announce that the takeoff was about to happen.
My fear resurfaced. My eyes squeezing shut tightly. My hands made to grip the armrests, but once again, my my hand held on the palm of the person sitting next to me.
"You haven't changed a bit have you, Taani?" My eyes snapped open as my name rolled of his tongue, just like I remembered. Only this time, his voice was deeper, clearer and more confident.
My brown eyes turned to my left only to be captured by a pair of baby blue eyes. But this time, they were deeper and brighter. Definitely brighter.
I was sitting next to my high school love, Reyaansh Singhaniya.
Holy mother of fresh daisies!!
Someday,When my life has passed me by
I'll lay around and wonder why you were always there for me
One way,In the eyes of a passerby
I'll look around for another try
And'll fade away
-Suger Ray, "Someday"
There you go! I hope you enjoy it. It might be crappy, but bear with me. 😃
A special Thank you to Neha for the beautiful banner. ❤️ Thank you so much dear.
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