||Will You Marry Me? One Shot Contest Voting||

In the heart of Mumbai, lived a bubbly, chirpy teenaged and pretty girl, Meghana - the girl who enjoyed the life in real means. She lived the life in her own way, the way she liked. Her life was full of fun, amusement, tragedies, confusion - everything. This girl lost her parents in a car accident in the childhood itself. Now, she lived with her grandmother, who was now everything for her. Meghana studied and lived in her granny's house only. Her granny worked as an assistant professor in a renowned college of Mumbai. Meghana too was enrolled in that college. She had many a friend to whom she could share her stories, gossips, etc. but the nearest amongst all to her was her best friend, Ridhima. Ridhima and Meghana were both stars of their class, be it anything - studies, mischief, nautanki, everything.

It was the month of August, Meghana and all other students were having chit-chat as usual. All of a sudden, the Principal arrived with a good-looking boy - clean shaved, well-built physique, hypnotic charm. All the girls were only looking at him. But Meghana, she, for once, was carried off in his charm but yes, she recovered very soon. The Principal announced, "Attention Students! Here with me is Yash Pathak, a brilliant student from a nearby city. He will now read with all you guys. Welcome him!" Then, he left.

All the boys and girls welcomed him with utmost cheer. The days passed and passed. Yash had become much cozier with the fellow students. He now became the rowdy, yet a shining student of the college. Meghana too had become friends with him. But, wait, was that limited to friendship only? No. The whole college used to murmur about their chemistry. Yash and Meghana spent most of the time together. They went to films, caf, parks, etc. They seemed to be the blessed love-birds. They were always there for each other. No misunderstanding could part their love, apparently. Everyone in the college called it the true love'.

There were many famous incidents of the two and their love but the most talked about event was of Picnic Diwali.

So, a week before of Diwali, Meghana and friends has decided for a get-together at some forest-y place. They believed that it would be thrilling and adventurous. Yes, it was surely to be adventurous because something was going to happen. Finally, the day came when they were to go to such a forest-y picnic. It was a bright sunny day and the scary bends of the trees were making it a little bit scary. But the teenagers were excited because they said they loved adventures and it was looking no less than an adventure. All the boys and girls start wandering in the forest with their partners and so did Yash and Meghana. They were heading towards a stream which they had heard is quite beautiful and peaceful to look. In the way, they were talking about what will the other do if one dies. On this, Yash said that he will too die because he won't be able to live without Meghana. Then, Meghana replied that if Yash dies, she will bring him back from hell even. Then, Yash asked, "From Hell?" Meghana replied, "Yes Hell! After all one who will die leaving her wife alone will go to hell only." And how you would bring me back, asked Yash. Then, Meghana said that she is the descendant of Sati Savitri! They both have a guffaw then. They have reached the stream now. It was really very beautiful to look. They both wandered about there. Suddenly then, Yash heard a sharp cry of Meghana. When he looked behind, he saw Meghana on the floor weeping loudly. He reached her in hurry and asked how did this happen. Then, she said that she slipped on the slippery mud around. He said okay and told her to wake up. She said she cannot because she was having an acute pain in her foot. On this, Yash hold her up in his arms and took it to their picnic spot. Everyone was there and they both started pulling leg of Yash and Meghana. It was really a romantic moment for the two.

It was Meghana's birthday, in the month of November. She had invited all of her friends to the party at her home. Yash was given a special invitation and was demanded the best gift by her. She was in full hope that whatever Yash will give to her will be the best amongst all gifts she would get. The clock stuck 9. All the friends were at Meghana's home; her granny was out of the station for some reasons. Everything was set. The cake was ready. The party started. Meghana blew the candles; and there was a deafening cheer of the birthday. They all had fun, dancing, enjoying. Lastly when everyone left, there was Yash only in the house along with Meghana. The night was silent, all looking at the scene.

Meghana: Yash! Now everyone has left and you still have not gifted me. Where is my gift?

Yash: *with a really natural expression* Oops! I'm really sorry Meghana, I forgot it! Really I have forgotten it or else why would I keep you waiting for the gift?

Meghana: Really Yash! This is disgusting. You don't even know how to lie. Now, please don't lie further and give me my special gift.

Yash: Meghana! Urghh, you know about my plan?! But how did you? Okay, so I've brought it but I thought you would not like it over all these valuable gifts you got from your friends.

Meghana: *in a very delightful and impatient manner*Please, give me my gift and then I will judge whether the gift you brought is special or not.

Yash: Okay, fine. But, first you have to close your eyes.

...

Good! Now give me your hands.

...

He put something in her hands.

Meghana opened her eyes and...

Meghana: Whoa! Yash, this is so beautiful. *rotates that glass star and hugs*

Yash: Really, you liked it? I thought you won't like this worthless thing. I brought it as this glass star will symbolize our love till eternity.

*the next moment*

The star slid from Meghana's hand all of a sudden. Both of them became sad when Meghana went and brought a tape in a great rush. Then, both of them together mended it.

Yash: You were so tensed when it fell.

Meghana: Why wouldn't I have been? After all, this is the sign of our love! I will always keep it close to me.

After hearing this, they both went inside the room and the door got locked.

Yash put Meghana in her arms and took her to the bed. The lights were dimmed. Their breath fastened. They both came closer. Their lips got neared. Their eyes were closed. Warm air was touching each other's lips. Slowly-slowly they both were being hit by the cupid-arrow. They hold each other tightly. Their lips met. The whole night passed under the cupid castle.

*Curtains cover the scene*

The next morning, the sun rose with new hopeful light rays.

Yash and Meghana awoke. They had a breakfast and left for the college. With each and every passing day, their love grew deeper, as it seemed to Meghana. But, the reality was something else. The nature was planning something very shocking for her.

One day, Meghana's granny told her that she would have to go to Delhi with her for a month as the health conditions of her uncle were not running well. Meghana, with a heavy heart, went to Yash and told all this. She asked whether she should go or not. She couldn't live without him. Then, Yash made him understand that she should go - at least for the sake of her uncle. Meghana thought how caring Yash was! But there was something else going on in Yash's mind. Meghana left along with her granny to Delhi. She kept that mended star which Yash gave her with utmost care as if it was her heart.

Meghana lived in Delhi for a month, looking after his uncle. She kept waiting for even a single phone call from Yash but she didn't get any. She was filled in anger, yet she learnt to control it. She understood that something is wrong. Every passing day became a needle for her. The only remedy was to live and smile.

Finally, the d-day arrived, Meghana and her granny left for Mumbai and they were there. It was the night-time when they reached. Meghana thought to immediately go to Yash and clear all things so she made an excuse in front of her granny and went straight to Yash's house.

After sometime, she was there and she tries to peek in from the window but she couldn't see due to the closed curtains. A bit later, she rang the doorbell. No answer she got and she again rang the doorbell. Now, she was running out of temper. When suddenly, the door burst opened. Yash was there, shirtless. And thence, she got inside the door without saying a word to him with a doubtful mind. Inside, she sees Ridhima in such a horrible condition, wrapped in quilt! She was shocked, her mind blanked out, she was trembling, and she was in trepidation. Yash and Ridhima both were ashamed that she saw them in such a condition. They both tried to convince Meghana but what can heal a damaged heart! Meghana, without uttering a word, rushed towards her house. She wept and wept and wept. She started blaming herself for loving such a person. She was thinking that it was all her fault only that her heart was broken. How could she love such a false person! She should have kept a check of her partner's character. These sorts of thoughts were all flooding her mind. As she was thinking, her anger was also increasing. Then, she saw the star which Yash had gifted her. She took it and ran to the balcony.

It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

The next day, she told her granny that she won't come to the college anymore. She had decided to work. Her granny asked her the reason of her talking like this. She understood that something was going wrong in Meghana's life. She did full attempt to know from her but Meghana didn't tell anything. Her granny thought that she should not interfere in Meghana's personal life so she did not try to know further. She let the things to happen as they were going on.

It was Christmas that day, yet Meghana was sad to get fooled in blind love. She was sitting in the balcony in the evening time when she saw Yash below. She again filled with anger and she said whispering," For what have you come here now?" "To see whether I'm weeping or not?" Then Yash replied, "No Meghana, you do not know the truth." Meghana said," What truth? Do you want to say that I've no mind?" He replied," I'm not saying so Meghana! Okay, meet me at St Florence Park on New Year's Eve. I will tell you everything there." "Okay, fine. I too will see what the truth is!"

The January 1^st came. The time is 7 o'clock. Meghana is there in St Florence Park, waiting. A moment later, Yash comes from nowhere, standing behind her. And...

Yash: Boo!

Meghana: *shouts in fear and the next second* so silly. So, where were you, leaving me waiting?

Yash: Don't you think I would have been with Ridhima?

Meghana: *angrily* I knew, was just being sure. Anyway, why should I care and tell me why have you called me here.

Yash: *making his most innocent face* Meghana...

Meghana: Don't you dare call my name with your sinful mouth.

Yash: Oh Please, Meghana. That's why I have called you here- to clear out all the misunderstandings.

Meghana: Oh, really? Do you really think it is a misunderstanding'?

Yash: You might be assuming me to be a bad guy, but I'm not, Meghana. I have always loved you only. Only you are the love of my life.

Meghana: Then, what was that which I saw?

Yash: A totally false sight.

Meghana: *nonchalantly* so what is the truth' then?

Yash: Look Meghana! I'm telling you all what happened that night. First you listen it and then tell whether I'm right or not.

That night, when I was sitting and reading some book, I got a call from Ridhima that she wants to discuss on some matter with me. I said her to come but I certainly didn't know that Ridhima was up to something that. When she came, I welcomed her and took her to my bedroom so that I could listen to her freely. I brought the coffee for us. She started talking about something. I think she put something in my coffee and later when I finished having my coffee, I don't know what happened and when she did all those things and... I remember you had come there. And, I think I've tried hard to tell you what happened but you rushed out from there. Now, you say was it my fault?

Meghana: *with sadness* really?

Yash: Yes, Meghana. I cannot even think to do that to you.

Meghana: How fool I'm! I couldn't understand that Ridhima was doing all that. Really very bad Ridhima has done to me. I've always treated her as my best friend and she has now stabbed at my back. I'm so sorry, Yash that I misunderstood you. I'm really sorry. Please forgive me for this. Please forgive... *starts weeping*

Yash: *wipes her tears* Oh, come on! Meghana, this is the New Year and as it has remarked the re-beginning of our love, so let's make it memorable. What's good there in repeating all those sadistic past thoughts which will give us pain only...nothing else then that. So, here I have something with me to make this occasion romantic...

*puts his hands inside his pocket, puts out a beautiful ring, and sits down on his knees...*

It seemed as if the time stopped for once, it was very romantic. The silent night, dew falling in the wintery evening. Both of them looking in each other's eyes with love. And...

Yash: Will you marry me?

Meghana: *gives a smile* Yes.

*puts the ring in Meghana's finger and they both give a tight hug to each other*

Once upon a time...

Beep... beep... beep...her beeper wouldn't stop, 911ERcode red. The sirens blared in the streets below. She was on the roof of the hospital, a light mist in the air, there were tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart ached but there was no time for this, she had to get to the Emergency Room. She wiped the tears from her face with her handkerchief, the one he gave her for graduation from medical school and shoved it in the pocket of her starched white lab coat, feeling the mended star in her pocket. She couldn't think about him now, she wouldn't, it was time to move on and find her happiness... she also had lives to save.

Dr. Leesa Kapoor strode confidently into the ER to the Nurses Station, little would you know that just a few moments earlier she was crumbling to pieces.

"What's up? You paged me?"

The Charge Nurse, Lisa Bennington answered her,

"A multiple car accident, the victims are on their way in now."

Leesa pulled herself together, she had a job to do and she would never jeopardize a patient's life ever...

As she waited for the ambulances to come, her mind drifted to the time when she first came to the Hospital as an Intern. It seemed like so long ago. There were so many Interns, since NYU was one of the largest and most prestigious Teaching Hospitals in the state, they all had to be briefed on the protocols of the institution. The Chief Resident assigned each to a Resident. After the welcoming presentation given by the Administrators, the interns were separated into their assigned rotations under their Junior Resident; her group gathered in Room 109. Her group consisted of 10 Interns from around the states and the world, each one toppers of their class. Dr. Maxwell Harrington, NYU, Dr. Regina Alexa, Yale, Dr. Raj Patel, Harvard, Dr. John Dece, Bologna, Dr. Ahil Batra, Sanjay Gandhi Institute, Dr. JP Mukesh, AIIMS, Dr. Prem Bondade, Sree Chitra Institute, Dr. Kevin O'Brien, Guadalajara, Dr. Anthony Bono, Miami, and herself, Stonybrook, entered 109 with excitement. This was it their career had just begun. The first course the hospital required for them to take was CPR and advanced life support.

They broke into pairs and Leesa and Raj teamed up.

Dr. Raj Patel, a handsome dark haired man with puppy dog eyes and a sculpted body, leisurely sashayed his way over to Leesa, with a slightly crooked smirk on his face. When he introduced himself to her, he had a broad white gleaming smile on his face, her breath actually caught. He held out his hand to her and she just stood there staring at this beautiful man standing in front of her. "Ahem, Leesa, is it?" He asked, again reaching out his hand for her to shake. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She blinked, "Um, Yes. Hi," and she tentatively reached out her hand to take his and hoping he wouldn't notice that she couldn't catch her breath. He took her hand firmly and shook it, their eyes found each other's, his dilated and hers mesmerized by his deep chocolate colored eyes... something happened, she wasn't sure if he felt it too but there were chills running up and down her arm and a warmth of heat between their palms. His eyes twinkled and she turned a blushing shade of crimson, her heart palpitating and she quickly removed her hand from his. She had a tingling feeling where the imprint of his hand laid against hers...

****

"One and two and three and four and five ...13 and 14 and 15... breathe..." He was counting off and doing compressions while she was delivering the breaths to the CPR mannequin. They continued for many rounds and when they switched positions him at the head and Leesa's turn for compressions, he said to her, "Hey, Leesa, we have off this weekend, so... how would you like to go upstate to my friend's house to play volleyball?" Her eyes widened and she stopped compressions. "Excuse me?" She asked, "What did you say?" He looked at her widened eyes and laughed and said, "No, no, NO... it's not like THAT...no, no, not for sex...no really... to play volleyball." She flushed that familiar shade of crimson she was getting use to and sputtered, "Absolutely NOT, I m engaged" and held up her hand and sitting there on her left ring finger was an oval diamond. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Suit yourself. You're going to miss out on an amazing weekend."

****

The sirens blared and brought Leesa out of her stroll down memory lane, it was years ago. She inhaled deeply, oh what this man does to her, ST.O.P... this is wrong,' she thought. Just then Dr. Raj Patel ran up to the group of doctors waiting. He gave her a wink. She looked away blinking back the tears of her broken heart although that same heart now reminded her he was near. "Stop this," she muttered under her breath. How could she feel sadness yet be excited at the same time? She had to forget her past. She needed to work.

Just then the ambulances drove in and the team went to work saving lives. They worked for hours and by the end of the night they had saved them all. After washing up and finishing their notes Raj, Leesa, Regina and JP headed for the coffee shop. Running on little sleep was the curse of becoming a doctor and coffee the cure. Internship was a killer although it did get easier as they were finishing up residency and they all thanked their own God that in a few months their residency would be over and the time to start their own private practices would come. They took their coffee to go and Raj and Leesa went up to the roof, while Regina and JP went back to the on call room to find something to do to "relax".

****

Leesa and Raj had become great friends over the past three years and spent many hours working closely together. Leesa had never forgotten their first encounter as CPR partners. He was special and she knew it. There was a connection between the two of them; she knew it, she felt it. She recalled her mother telling her stories of special relationships, when she was a child, and of the eternal love stories of Heer and Ranja, Krishna and Radha, Devdas and Parvati, Layla and Majjnun, Salim and Anarkali, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, before she went to sleep and Leesa became a hopeless romantic even though she was quite serious when it came to her profession.

She was engaged when she met Raj, engaged to a man she met while in college, no bells ringing or butterflies in her stomach there. Rocky was a very tense man, a type A personality and always-on edge; he was in pharmaceutical sales. They dated for the five years she was in medical school and Rocky had gifted her an embroidered handkerchief and a glass star for being the topper of her class. There were many red flags that should have warned Leesa about him. She was so preoccupied with studying and always thought that once she finished she would have more time to spend with Rocky and he would not be so agitated then. She used to worry what would happen after they got married?

A month after she started her internship is when all hell broke loose. Rocky's possessiveness and constant questions about her whereabouts frustrated her. How could this be love she thought? He would rant and rave asking ...Why was she late, who was on call when she was on call, was that makeup she was wearing and why was she wearing makeup in the health field? Who was she trying to please? He even threatened violence. He was wearing her down. She had so much stress just being an intern that her relationship was crushing her. She knew it wasn't anything like those stories her mom had told her. Those eternal love stories and she wanted a love story... she longed for it.

****

Raj was always there with a smile or a wink. He was her friend and he knew something was just not right in her relationship at home. He could tell just by the look on her face. When he first met her she seemed happy enough. He was attracted to her right away her almond shaped hazel eyes seemed to call out to him. She wore her long cinnamon hair pulled back in a tight plait and there was a perfect mix of jasmine and shea butter, which permeated his senses every time she would lean down to give the CPR mannequin a breath. He thought he was going to lose it and then before he knew it, he was asking her to go play volleyball. It just came out he couldn't help it. She shut him down when she showed him that gleaming oval diamond which sat prettily on her ring finger. He was disappointed, for the sensation he felt when he shook her hand he had never felt before for any woman but he respected that they would be working together for the next three years and so he backed down and laughed it off saying it was just a friendly game of volleyball. In his head he pictured the two of them playing volleyball, oh yeah, they would play that game really well. He cleared his throat, swallowing hard and adjusted himself on the ledge they were sitting on together bringing himself back to their reality. The sun was just rising over the tops of the buildings across the way, Leesa yawned, 'Oh, excuse me," she said. Raj said to her, "You look tired and pretty rough around the edges. Is everything okay at home?" Leesa looked down and started to cry, "Oh Raj, things have been terrible the last few months. I don't know what to do but I do know things are not right. I can't marry Rocky. It's not the love that I see for myself." Leesa poured her heart out to Raj who silently listened. He knew it was important for her to just let it go and that is what a friend is for, isn't it? He told himself, yes, a friend... to be a sounding board. He hugged her reassuringly and she rested her head on his shoulder. She inhaled his intoxicating scent and smiled, she felt very comfortable here. She knew what she had to do now.

****

The next few months after Leesa's break up were rough for her and for Raj. It took all his might not to tell her how he really felt for her. It was a three long years of working together and unrequited love. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that what he felt for her was not a fleeting crush but felt deep within his heart and soul. Whenever they met for rounds, their eyes darting about between their Chief Resident, the other residents posing questions to the patient, they would come back to find each others eyes. Once she realized he caught her attention, she would look away trying to evade those chocolate orbs, which took her breath away. Sometimes they would pair for a procedure and when their hands would delicately brush against each other it was like a current of electricity filling each one of them. They both were very good actors, if they didn't make it in the medical profession. Their relationship continued to grow as friends, each one not moving it forward into something else. Every one of their colleagues knew they were meant to be together for it was quite obvious. They were always invited to all the hospital gatherings but always came separately. Neither dated. They only worked and dreamed of each other.

****

Leesa was devastated by her break-up. It had been months since her and Rocky broke up and still she was like the fragile mended star, which she carried around in her pocket. It was given to her by Rocky at graduation. She felt proud of her achievement and the star represented it...didn't it? She fingered the star that she carried around in her lab coat and remembered the day they had had another argument, Rocky went nuts and threw the star on the floor and stormed out the door. It broke into pieces and she cried and cried. She picked up the pieces and carefully taped them back together for she didn't have glue in her apartment. Funny how they all went perfectly back into place and it was then she knew her relationship didn't have the glue to keep them together. She didn't have her eternal love story that she dreamed of. She didn't want a relationship stuck together by a single piece of tape. She wanted more...she wanted her eternal love story. She was ready to let go of all the guilt she felt for not having that love story with Rocky, for not allowing her self to find that love story. There had to be a reason for the relationship journey she took with Rocky. She knew what she had to do.

****

It was New Year's Eve and Leesa had just finished her shift. She was on the rooftop of the hospital, coffee in hand and there was an eerie silence, where was everyone? They must be down at the hospital party. She actually was glad no one was around. All she could hear was the rain falling and her heart beating. She stared out over the rooftop at the clock tower on the building across the way. It seemed as if time stood still, yet physically the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

And there he stood, distantly watching her from the roof top door, a determined look in his eyes. He would win her heart and make her his forever. He had been waiting for this, for her to be free of all the painful memories. He slowly walked over to her, she looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, oh how she loved those eyes, oh how she loved this man she realized. She pushed him away so many times but not anymore. He took her hand and said,

" Come with me." "Raj?" She questioned and he answered her, "Shhh...just come." They walked down the roof top stairs in silence but their hands were on fire clasped together. He continued to take her down 10 flights of stairs until he reached his destination, Room 109. He opened the door and took her inside. There was no one in the room but them. "Raj?" She questioned. He softly nudged her to look around the room and she saw a soft glowing patina from battery-operated candles around the room. It was quiet but for a whispering of the dance music coming from the employees New Years Eve part and in the center was the CPR mannequin on a table. She looked at him questioning, he still didn't let go of her hand. He walked her over to the mannequin and said, "I thought we should begin again. Would you be my CPR partner?" She laughed. They started playing jokingly CPR, just as they had the first time they met, but this time he came around to her side and walked right up to her, her eyes grew wide, heart racing, she lost her breath just like the first time they met and Raj took her hands in his, "Leesa, I don't only want to practice medicine with you, I don't only want to play volleyball with you. I don't only want to be just friends with you. What I want is... I want to love you with my eternal heart and soul. I want us to be together forever like the stories our moms told us when we were kids. I want you to be my wife, my partner, my forever lover and friend."

" Will you marry me?"

Just then the whisper of the dance music from the party next door became a dull roar, "HAPPY NEW YEARS!'

She had tears rolling down her face, now knowing that the journey she had been on only lead her to this moment right now and as she looked deeply into the eyes of her love, she knew she had found her soul mate, her eternal love.

She answered... YES.

It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of his heart. He clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. He held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from his hands. He watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, he finally felt mended. Jey woke with a start, it was the third time this week he had had the same dream. He wondered if it had any meaning for him? "Nah," he thought and got up to start his day, he didn't believe in any of that but made damn sure that his star was in his pocket as he left his home.

The office was buzzing with excitement; the first magazine was due to debut in a month's time. As Jey leaned on his cabin doorway his hand in his pocket holding that star he was never without, left leg casually crossed over the right, he felt a great sense of pride. He had started his dream and it appeared to be in full swing. From looking at this man you would never know he was worth crores, many of them. His handsome but casual look, tousled hair and the crooked smirk on his face along with his sculpted body, one would mistake him for a cricket player or maybe even an actor. He also was one of India's most eligible bachelors and was one of THEM...THE Malhotra's, a name well known in India.

Jey came from a line of merchants, his family's history well known around India. His great grandparents on his paternal side actually traveled from town to town selling his great grandmother's gorgeous hand made items. The type of bedazzling only found on the richest families. She was a well-known seamstress and was for hire for a rate only the richest in India could afford. Her sarees, jodhpuri suits, kurtas, churidars, sherwanis and other Indian wedding outfits worn by the elite of society, all carried the Malhotra trademark, the crystal glass star.

The Maholtra's eventually built an empire in their ancestor's memory. They opened a shop in the heart of Delhi followed by another in Maharashtra and Goa. To wear anything made by the Malhotra family was as if wearing something from the designers in France and Italy. Jey's brother, Manny loved the fashion industry and was the one who really worked the business hand in hand with their father, Varun, while Jey, handled publications being the photographer of the empire. He took pictures of the new designs creating the catalogs to be sent out to the richest homes and shared among all the other fashion houses that wanted to copy the designs.

Manny had recently been married to the daughter of another large merchant company. The family always looking to secure the future of their empire felt it best if he married someone familiar with their business. Beautiful Solange was extremely brilliant, her mother a top fashion designer from France married another icon in the fashion world, Raj Rathore. The wedding was one of the most spectacular events India had ever seen and the couple seemed to be already in love. Jey was thrilled to be the photographer at his brother's wedding because it kept him busy and away from all the aunties who wanted to introduce him to their daughters now that he was next in line of the empire to be married. The site of the wedding venue was gorgeous and the pictures would definitely capture the beauty of the night. He thought they would be great photos to feature in his first magazine. Jey casually strolled, camera in hand, looking rather handsome the young women all a flutter just by the sight of him. He continued to focus then shoot when he saw the shot he wanted ignoring all the women completely, until...

She stood next to Solange, a lithe beauty with long cinnamon hair, glittering eyes, wearing the most beautiful simple saree he had ever seen. She and Solange were chatting, giggling and holding hands; they seemed very friendly like they had known each other for years. The beauty looked up and her gaze caught his. He was mesmerized, his eyes dilated and she kept her eyes on his a little too long, before she blushed and returned her attention to her friend. She glanced back his way a few seconds later, his attention still on her. He took his camera and started shooting. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen and he had seen many in his line of work, but not like this. She radiated a simplistic natural beauty and he was surprised when his heart started to pound heavy in his chest. This had never happened to him before. He couldn't stop taking her picture. He must find out who she was. He would ask his new Bhabi.

***

Jey was sitting at his desk looking at all the wedding pictures choosing the very best ones and placing them aside. As he was skimming through the pictures he stopped...there she was, Kira. Yes, that was her name Bhabi told him, Kira, the sun. It was a perfect name for her for she glowed like the golden sun. He had nonchalantly found out from his Bhabi that they had met when they were children at boarding school in England and became best of friends, more like sisters. Solange had gone into her family business while Kira became a teacher wanting a simpler life. She actually taught in a nearby school, the one right off the park. Jey, jumped up grabbed his camera, told his PA that he was off for some freestyle shooting and out he went. Jey flew down the elevator and jumped into his Fiat. He had to be as inconspicuous as possible, the paparazzi were on the lookout for the newest eligible bachelor of the Malhotra Empire. One shot of Jey would bring in a month's salary. Jey drove to the park and taking his camera he took a stroll keeping an eye out for the beautiful teacher. The park was beautiful with winding paths, fragrant flowers and swaying trees. He started shooting the beauty that surrounded him there.

***

"Settle down, children. Today we are taking a walk to see how many kinds of flowers we can find in our park. So everyone stay together. Pick a partner. Okay? Chalo." The partnered children walked swiftly, excited to be outdoors. They loved when their teacher would take them for an impromptu nature lesson.

"Come, take a look...see the butterfly? Oh and over there the bumble bees? We know that there are fragrant flowers with nectar around for these two insects live off the nectar and help pollinate the flowers."

The kids all oooed and aaahed...they loved Miss Kiraji and her lessons.

He stumbled upon the group as he came around the bend in the path. Stopping suddenly, he noticed her right away. Her beautiful cinnamon hair not cascading loose down her back anymore but pulled tightly into a plait and hung over he shoulder on the right side, with little makeup she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He lifted his camera and took some shots of her smelling the flowers, with the children, what a smile she had. He must meet her. He had decided that he would ask his Bhabi to make the introductions. The class went back to their classroom and Jey just watched quietly. He could hear her sweet voice as she spoke to the children about the lesson they learned today. His heart was pounding again just like the first time he saw her. He hit himself in the head and reprimanded himself... what was wrong with him and what in the world was he thinking? He had to keep himself in the game. His new adventure was beginning and it needed his undivided attention. Instantaneously his next thought had him taking out his mobile and dialing his Bhabi's number.

"Bhabi? Hi...Yeah it's Jey...um, yes, I know you know its me... anyway, do you remember your friend at the wedding? You know K..K..yes, Kira that's it. Well, um...do you think you can...you can...Oh thanks, Bhabi. I wanted to share some of the photos from the wedding. She takes great pictures and I was wondering... oh thanks, wait a minute...okay text her number to me. Do you think she would mind if I...ok great! Thanks, Bhabi." He ended the call with a gleam in his eye and his signature lopsided grin on his face.

Solange ended the call with a smile on her face and turned to her husband and said, "I think your brother likes my friend, Kira. He wants her number." "WHAT?" Manny was shocked, he knew his brother didn't want to be involved with anyone, let alone get married. Solange, sashayed sexily up to her husband and purred in his ear, "When you find the right person, you know what happens, right?" and kissed him on his cheek and just waited for him to turn and complete the kiss which he lovingly obliged.

Kira's phone rang... she was anxious since her friend Solange had called her and told her about her brother-in-law wanting her phone number. She remembered him from the wedding...such beautiful chocolate puppy dog eyes which mesmerized her, she had a hard time looking away and that smirk...his upper lift just rising slightly to the left, his hair on the longish side and a slight wave but shining like he had just had coconut oil applied...her hands tingled, her breath caught just picturing herself applying oil as he sat with his head on her lap...OMG what was she thinking. She blushed crimson.

"Ha..ha..halo?" She whispered. "Um, Yes...Hi! This is Jey Malhotra, you know my brother married Solange...your friend? I just called because I was going through the pictures of the wedding and found some of you. You take beautiful pictures...I mean professionally speaking and I thought if you wouldn't mind I can bring the pictures by or we can meet for... coffee?" He held his breath waiting for her answer and very softly she answered, "Okay, where would you like to meet for coffee?" "I can come by and pick you up in half hour," he answered. "No that's okay. I will meet you at the coffee shop, if you don't mind. Just text me the address." "Okay see you in thirty..."

Their coffee meeting lasted for three hours. There was never a break in the conversation and they laughed with ease. It was so pleasant that they both were frightened by the relationship that they knew they would have. They must have met in another life for they both were able to complete each other's sentences, laughed at each other's silly jokes and when accidently there hands brushed and electric current ran straight through them making them search each other's eyes. It was damn frightening especially for Jey. Jey offered to take Kira home and she agreed.

"Jey, you had mentioned pictures." "Oh, yes. Here." He handed her a large envelope. "I would love your permission to use some of these in my new magazine coming out and I wanted to know if you would mind being a model for the next shoot I am doing for our other company, VJM? I think the women of today, after seeing you in one of our designs that they can afford, will feel like a million crores. You are quite beautiful, you know in just the most natural way. Your name is very appropriate for you...the sun... and we will pay you for your work." She answered, "You know I don't need the money but I will do it and donate the money to the Women's Shelter." "Great, can you start on the weekend?" He asked. "Absolutely," and she shone him the most dazzling smile which almost blinded him like the sun.

Their photo shoot went with ease and perfection. She was a natural, such poise and grace; he was so excited for this collection to come out and knew that women of all ages would want to wear what this beautiful woman had on. This photo shoot series would be in his first magazine. After the shoot they went for coffee and he shared his dreams and aspirations for his magazine. She listened intently, a smile on her face. She didn't know why but she felt such pride in him and in his beliefs, she knew his magazine would be a great success. She liked him...alot.

Jey and Kira's relationship grew and they became great friends but that was all they were. Each one stunted from taking the leap into love. The both families knew of their relationship and were frustrated...they must do something to push them together. What was that saying...leap and the net will appear? The two families came together, Solange making all the arrangements, without the knowledge of Kira or Jey. They both agreed for the relationship but had to come up with a plan that would make the young couple see that they were already in love. The family planned a New Years Eve Extravaganza and they would have to enlist the help of friends of both families. They were going to set up a mock engagement for both Kira and Jey but to "other" people. This should definitely wake this couple up. Marriage to someone else, they were sure that neither would go for it. Sometimes a family has to do what a family has to do. Now they had to set the plan into action.

The next weekend Kira's mother called and told her she was to be introduced to a prospective groom. Kira was distraught. "Kira are you alright?" Her mom smiled on the other end of the phone. "Ha...Ma..."She whispered with a sad look on her face. "I guess so...if you want," she answered her mom who was just about falling off the chair in laughter.

***

"But Ma, I told you, I don't want to get married!" He wasn't going for it. Jey's mother pushed him further. "Jey, you know you are at an age when it is time for you to be married. Not only do you have the Malhotra Empire, VJM and now your magazine to carry on. You will need to leave it to your children to run." "But ma..." and for just one millisecond Kira's smiling face came into view and he calmed. "Ma..." he whispered, "I...um, there is..." "Chote, what are you trying to say?" She asked smiling.

Jey frustratingly put down the phone. He wouldn't let his family do this. He would pick the girl of his choice. WHAT? What am I thinking?' He turned and looked at himself in the mirror and realized that he was afraid to get married at least to someone he didn't know. But he knew Kira, he liked her, a lot. Hell, he thought he couldn't imagine his life without her. He knew what he had to do. He had to beat his parents to the punchline. The New Years Extravaganza was coming up this weekend. He would ask Kira.

For some reason, Kira wasn't taking his calls and he was becoming frustrated. He called his Bhabi and would ask her about Kira. "Bhabi, WHAT? Kira getting engaged? WHAT?..No, everything's not alright!" He slammed down the phone. It was a week, she didn't answer his calls or receive him at her apartment. He was beside himself.

He got dressed in a handsome Sherwani and picked up the beautiful ring he had chosen for Kira, a three carrot round topaz with brilliant diamonds surrounding it...like the sun. He placed it gently in his pocket. Bhabi had said she was coming and she would be meeting her prospective groom and their family at their ball tonight. "Hell, that's not happening," he thought. He couldn't wait to see her for he missed her smiling face.

The New Years Extravaganza was a huge hit and both families were delighted to see a brooding and anxious couple. He came down the staircase and spotted her immediately. Her loose cinnamon hair cascading down her back and she was in red...his favorite color, her eyes met his as he came down the stairs, she knew the moment he stepped onto the staircase. She glided over to him, vibration in the air surrounding them. When she realized what she just did, she looked down and stopped, she started to turn away. "Kira, come" he said huskily and grabbed her hand there went the electricity again as chills went up and down her spine. The clock was ticking and a new year was to begin; she married to someone else she thought. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

He took her to the back Gazebo and little did they know they were followed by both of their immediate families. He pulled her close to him, her breath leaving her, both mothers in shock as they watched. He swiftly but abruptly exclaimed,

"Marry me. Kira, marry me! I can't see you with anyone else... I love you."

31 DECEMBER 2000 10 PM

It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

3 years AGO

31 DECEMBER 1997 12 PM

"Happy New Year folks!"

The beer glasses clinked against each other as the members of Angelo Drama Troupe welcomed the year of 1998 with a huge cheer. The atmosphere in Paris was chilling cold, but the warmth in their hearts kept the troupe warm as they partied in their decent sized office. One look around the office and you could say with assurity that these guys loved their work. The office was a three-storeyed building with a sprawling rehearsal hall on the second floor. The first floor was for the management department and the third floor was for the troupe members, to relax and brainstorm, broadly speaking.

"Eve darling! Happy New Year!"

"Michelle, what have you done to yourself?"

Evelyn looked at her best friend, horrifed. Michelle Iguana was totally wasted and the celebrations had just begun.

"I am having fun Evy! Totally. And...I just kissed John. Can you believe it?!"

Could Evelyn believe that Michelle just kissed her long time crush? No, she couldn't. She admired the guts of her friend. Evelyn would have just chickened out. Though, being under the influence of alcohol would have resulted in a different scenario. Just that moment, John appeared out of thin air and he looked equally intoxicated. He swung his arm around Michelle's slender waist and pulled her towards him, eyeing her with goo-goo eyes.

"I love you Michelle...and I wanna be with you...Oh, hello Eve..I am in love with your friend Eve." he said with a wide smile.

Red in the face, Evelyn replied, embarrassed "Er..Hello John."

"Come Mich...Let's go" John dragged her away from the party room. Evelyn stared at them flabbergasted and flushed as the last bit of Michelle's glimmering dress vanished. Someone was really lucky today. Evelyn walked to the bar and slumped onto a chair. It gave her pleasure to watch her friends enjoy. The troupe had become her life now. And she vowed to spend every minute of her short life in the troupe.

"Evelyn Hope. What troubleth you?" a voice sniggered from behind.

Evelyn spinned spun around to face James Quill, the lead actor, heartthrob, genius of the troupe. And coincidentally, Evelyn's crush. James Quill was tall, handsome and had a fair complexion. While other girls fawned over his perfect body, Evelyn was attracted by his intelligent deep blue eyes. The way his eyes spoke the unspoken took her breath away each time she looked at them. He was radiant and very talented. His act on the stage would capture the imagination of the audience and pull them into the world of the characters. For Evelyn, he was The One.

"Eve? Eve!"

Evelyn snapped back and saw James stare at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Sorry. I just got lost...What brings you here Quill?"

James flinched as Evelyn tried to stifle a laugh. She just knew how much James hated when people called him 'Quill'. And she for that sole reason called him 'Quill'. The expression which would form on his face was always a delight for her. He would look unbearably adorable.

"What's the matter Quill-"

The next second her breath got caught in her throat as James leaned over her, resting his hands on the counter behind. His face was inches away from her and his eyes bored into her light brown ones. Evelyn's breath grew laboured and her thoughts lost all coherency. James scrutinized her face. Every detail of her beautiful face was registered on his slightly intoxicated mind. He leaned forwards and moved his lips closer to her ears, his cheek grazing hers in the process. Both of them could feel the friction between them and it aroused Evelyn, awakening the dormant emotions inside of her. She clenched her fist, trying to suppress the raging emotions enhanced by alcohol.

"Call me Quill one more time, and I swear I will prevent you from even trying in the future." James whispered hoarsely in her ear.

"What can you possibly do?"

"Try me."

"Quill, -"

Evelyn was stopped by James' lips on hers. Her eyes popped open wide in shock as James kissed her. Soon realization struck her and her hands moved up his back and into his hair. She kissed him back with all the love and passion she could muster and in return he pressed himself more onto her. The music in the background had turned faint for them. For all they could hear was their own hearts thumping frantically against their chests. James placed a soft kiss one last time before they broke apart, panting for oxygen. Evelyn was dazed. She wondered if she was hallucinating.

James had his gaze fixed on Evelyn and for once, his thoughts felt clear. The question he had been struggling to find an answer for had finally been answered.

"I love you Evelyn Hope."

31 DECEMBER 1998 10 PM

"It's been a year and I still can't believe our luck." Michelle sighed, jumping onto the bed, watching Evelyn struggle to find the right dress. "It's amazing how we hooked up with the men we love and surprisingly the feelings were mutual. All hail The Lord."

Evelyn shot her a pained look and continued rummaging through the wardrobe, dresses flying here and there in the process. She had a date with James in 30 minutes and she couldn't decide on a dress. How absolutely splendid.

"Help me Mich!"

Michelle sighed and walked towards Evelyn's wardrobe. She was already dressed for her date in a flame orange dress, her short jet black hair, neatly gelled. Michelle went straight for a violet, knee-length, full sleeved dress.

"Here, wear this, blow your hair dry and keep it simple. You will knock James out of his senses."

Evelyn blushed.

"Thanks Mich."

****

James stood outside the door and took a deep breath. Why on earth was he getting nervous now? As if it were the first date he was taking Evelyn on. He chuckled remembering their first date. Both of them had felt very awkward. The first half an hour had been spent in silence only after which conversation had started. After that, everything was fireworks. James discovered the real Evelyn Hope and fell more in love with her. And so did she. The troupe leader Angelo began pairing them even for the plays banking on the real life love to show up and it sure did. If James liked spending time with Evelyn, he loved acting with her. To do a scene together on the stage was euphoric for him. He smiled. He was infallibly in love with her. He looked into his pocket once to make sure it was there and then, he rang the doorbell.

"Hello James. Come in. Evelyn will be down in a minute."

"Thanks Mich. By the way you look gorgeous. John is a goner tonight."

"Haha. He was one from the first second he saw me." Michelle winked.

"Sure he was." James laughed.

The steady rhythm of a pair of heels filled James' ears and he looked up to the stairs, his heart beating unevenly. A hand appeared on the railing and then she descended, like an angel. James gaped at her shamelessly as she walked down the stairs gracefully. Ah, she was so breathtakingly beautiful.

Evelyn went red when she saw James looking at her like that. She didn't even know James was capable of such an expression, being the cool man he was. Michelle was right. She surely did knock James out of his senses.

"Shall we leave then?"

"Huh? Yes, ofcourse. After you."

"Don't come home tonight Evy. And Quill, have fun." Michelle smirked.

Evelyn and James caught each each other's eyes and blushed, remembering last year's New Year's Eve. Evelyn was indebted to 'Quill' for a lifetime, for giving her James.

"Let's go?"

****

"Oh my God. James this is beautiful." Evelyn whispered looking at the sight in front of her. They were on the terrace of James' home. A table for two had been set up in the center and the only source of light was the candles on the table, the full moon and the fireworks. James escorted her to the table and made her sit down, before sitting himself. Evelyn smiled at his gentlemanly behaviour. James poured Eve and himself a glass of wine (champagne was out of budget).

"To us."

"To us."

"Hmm. The scenery is so beautiful from here James. The moon, the fireworks and the lights all over the town. It's so blissful."

"Not more than you Eve"

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Evelyn blushed and walked towards him, seating herself on his lap. He shifted himself to make her comfortable.

"You really love me James?"

James looked at her surprised. "Why are you asking now?"

"I...It all still seems like a dream to me James. And I am afraid that it would really turn out to be one. I don't think I can accept that now." Evelyn said, earnestly.

James sighed and snuggled in the crook of her neck.

"Don't worry love. This is your reality and will always be."

Evelyn sighed and wrapped herself more around James. "I love you"

"Me too. Oi! I forgot. I have something for you."

Evelyn got down to her feet and fixed a questioning stare at him as James fished a square blue velvet box out of his pocket. He handed it to her with a loving smile on his face. Evelyn took it, confused and let out a gasp as she opened the box. She looked at James enraptured to which he smiled sheepishly.

A sparkling glass star rested on the cushion inside the box. The light from the moon and the fireworks bounced off it, giving it a magical feel. Evelyn felt it lovingly and looked at James, her eyes sparkling with love. He smiled and walked towards her.

"This is what you are Eve, a star. The brightest one in the sky. As pure and clear as the glass it is made of. This is not a dream Eve. I love you and this star is a remainder of that. It will store all our moments in its complex fibrous structure. It cannot be broken because it is our love, and our love is eternal."

Teary eyed, Evelyn jumped on James, embracing him. He clutched her tight, inhaling the scent of her silky hair. Around them, the fireworks filled the sky as the world rejoiced the coming of a new year and these two souls rejoiced their togetherness and promised each other their presence.

"Happy New Year James."

"Happy New Year Evy."

31 DECEMBER 1999 11 PM

"I am hooked on a feeling...High on believing..."

Evelyn stumbled away from the dance floor as the dance increased in tempo. She felt light headed, too much alcohol perhaps. To top it all, James was missing from her sight. She had a vague memory oh him excusing himself sometime back, though she couldn't recall it clearly. Her heels clattered on the floor as Evelyn climbed down the stairs to the second floor of the building; the rehearsal floor. She opened the door of the rehearsal hall and what she saw left her astounded. She could feel her whole world spin around her. The boundaries of the hall were lined with candles, filling the air with the intoxicating smell of lavender. A huge X was drawn on the floor at the centre. Evelyn chuckled. 'X marked the spot'. James and his crazy yet unique methods. She placed herself on the X and waited. Nothing happened. No petal shower, nothing.

"Oh James, you loon." Evelyn sighed.

"Think of the devil and the devil's here."

Evelyn turned around to see James smirking at her, his eyes sparkling. That spark in his blue eyes, she had missed them for the past few days. She smiled at him as he walked towards her. James could see the contentment in her eyes and it pleased him to see her happy. Those brown eyes were so bright, so sharp, they pierced into his heart everytime he looked at them. He stopped close to her and looked into her eyes. Evelyn gulped as his intense gaze was fixed on her.

"Eve...This day is very special for us. 31 December, the day we confessed, the day our lives changed altogether. So no other day is as fitting as this to do this, so i feel."

Evelyn could feel her heart increasing in pace with every word of his. A feeling of excitement, surged through her. She gasped as James went on his knees.

"Evelyn Hope. I have loved you ever since I knew you, ever since the word 'love' made sense to me. I know I am good looking-" Evelyn laughed "-But you have loved me for more than that. And I could easily pass off as the world's luckiest man for that sole reason. I can't think of a time more perfect as the onset of the New Year to ask your approval to start a new chapter of our lives. So, Evelyn Hope, would you do the honour of sharing your life with me till the end, will you marry me?"

Time stopped for Evelyn as she realised what was happening. The lightness in her head increased in intensity and before she knew it, she passed out.

****

"Eve. Evy!"

Evelyn could feel someone patting her cheek and droplets of water rained on her face. She scrunched her eyebrows and opened her eyes slowly, her head hurting. She saw James' annoyed face in front of her and despite her own discomfort, chortled.

"Don't laugh Eve. I just proposed to you. Do girls really do that? Faint when proposed?"

Evelyn shook her head, shaking with silent laughter. She tried standing up and James helped her. Her head did hurt bad. Only if she hadn't had so much alcohol. Poor James. She steadied herself and looked at James who was staring at her anxiously, waiting for an answer to the question he asked prior to her passing out. Evelyn heaved a sigh and smiled at him.

"Ofcourse I'll marry you Quill."

James smirked and pulled her into a kiss, a feeling of contentment filling his heart. Finally.

31 DECEMBER 2000 10:05 PM

The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

A fat man in the first row stood up, clapping with his chubby hands. The rest of the theatre joined in, leading to a tumultuous applause. Evelyn felt a rush of adrenaline through her veins as the applause resounded in her ears. The rest of the crew joined her on the stage. They took the final bow together and exited the stage, flushed with success. James had Evelyn's hand secured in his. He was moved by her act on the stage. Her enactment of a girl betrayed by her lover shook him. The hurt she portrayed was difficult for him to watch. He clutched her hand tighter as a promise to never let her go.

Evelyn understood his tight grip and squeezed his hand in a comforting way. She trusted him enough to know he would never break her heart the way his character had done onstage.

"Great job fellas. I am really pleased. Well that ends our journey for this year. Now off you go, change and enjoy New Year's Eve." Francis, the manager said, cheerfully.

"I'll wait for you outside." James winked at Evelyn, to which she blushed and nodded.

***

James and Evelyn walked by the banks of the Siene, the cool winter breeze blowing past their faces. Peace filled their hearts as they walked, hand in hand. Cheers and shouts from the neighbourhood filled the air as the New Year neared. The ring on Evelyn's hand shimmered in the moonlight, as an evidence of 6 months of a blissful married life. They walked for a while and then stopped, gazing into the depths of the Siene.

"James?"

"Yes?"

"I have something to tell you."

James turned sideways towards Evelyn. Her face had a different glow to it tonight. And, all of a sudden, the flashes of that night, 3 years ago, filled his mind. He had had no idea of the depth of the love he would fall in.

"What's the matter Eve?"

"Remember how we wanted to extend our family?"

"Yes?" James breathed.

"It's going to happen this year. I am pregnant James."

Shouts invaded the air as the New Year was welcomed by the people of Paris. James stared at Evelyn, his eyes wide, his breath haggard. Her eyes were moist and she had a heartfelt smile on her face. He hugged her tight.

"Happy New Year Evelyn. I love you."

"Happy New Year James."

31 December. That one blessed day.

It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she felt mended. She could finally let go off the last piece of material related to Rounak. She wiped of the last drops of tears from her eyes and went inside the building.'

"Hmm, interesting start Sri", commented Shinjini Basu as she read through the first paragraph of the story. "It's just the first paragraph Jini and there is nothing interesting in it so far. I don't understand why Ronnie assigned me for writing the series of love stories when knows that I write non- fiction", said a frustrated Sri. Srija Banerjee, a writer for the popular weekly magazine Kolkata Times', had asked her best friend Shinjini suggestions for the love story she was assigned to write for her magazine. "Don't worry Sri, your creative brain will surely figure out something", said Shinjini encouragingly, "but what is Mr Rounak doing in your story?" "What? Rounak?" asked a surprised Sri. "Yes Madam, Rounak. You have written ...last piece of material related to Rounak'", said Jini with a grin. "Oh, it is just that my parents take that jerk's name day in and day out. I don't know what magic he has done on my parents", said Sri. Jini gave a sly smile. "Is it? I think he has done some magic on you too, Sri. He has started ruling your mind also", said Jini. She giggled as Sri smacked her on her shoulder.

"Okay, sorry. Now let me tell you the main reason for coming. Vihaan and I have arranged for a party on 31^st December at our house. Our friends and colleagues are invited. You have to come and this time I am not going to listen to any of your excuses Sri", said Jini in a strict tone. "Fine Jini I will come. I promise", said Sri. "The colour codes are red and black. I will text you the timing later. Well I should leave now else my mother-in-law will fuss. Bye Sri", said Jini picking up her bag. "Bye Jini. We met after such a long time", Sri said hugging Jini. The friends rarely met after Shinjini's marriage though they called each other daily and shared every detail of their daily happenings.

******************************************

After Shinjini left, Rounak's thoughts occupied Sri's mind again. Shinjini was right. Mr Rounak Roy was indeed ruling Srija's mind as well as heart nowadays. Sri took out her blue diary where she penned down her feelings. She turned the pages and went down the memory lane. She sighed as she remembered her first meet with Rounak.

8^th June 2014

Jini's engagement ceremony.

I walked briskly towards the hall room. I was late. Suddenly I bumped into someone who spilled the entire glass of juice on my maroon lehenga. "Can't you see and walk?" I said angrily as I tried to remove the stains of juice from my dress. "Excuse me. It was you who was walking without looking and bumped into me", I heard him say. I looked into the person I had bumped into and was lost into a pair of molten caramel eyes for a few seconds when Jini's voice distracted me. "Sri, why are you so late?" I gave an angry glare at the person standing in front of her who had just spoilt my dress.

Jini came towards us. "What happened to both of you?" asked Jini finding us glaring at each other. "This jerk just spilled juice over my lehenga and doesn't even bother to say a sorry", I said irritated. "I didn't", said the person accused. "Okay, okay stop it both of you. Sri please don't spoil your mood. It's my engagement dear. Well let me introduce you to Rounak. Rounak Roy, Vihaan's childhood friend. He has joined our office last month. Rounak this is Srija Banerjee, my best friend." said Jini. I took a close look at Rounak. A tall man of about six feet, with strong features, was standing in front of me wearing a navy blue bandhgala and looking extraordinarily handsome. I asked my mind to stop praising him. He had spoilt your dress. "Hi", Rounak said and extended a hand towards me. I mouthed a hi' and walked away ignoring him. I know I was rude but he was rude too. Throughout the ceremony, I found him staring at me. However, he didn't even try to say a sorry. JERK!!!

15^th June, 2014

Jini's marriage.

Finally Jini got married. I am missing her so much. I still can't believe that we are not going to hang out daily from now onwards. Well I am happy for her. She got her love.

Well the jerk irritated me again. I had kept Vihaan's shoes in such a place where no one could even imagine. However Mr Intelligent found it out. We lost our chance of extracting money from Vihaan, our beloved groom.

P.S. I loved the colour of his sherwani.

15^th July, 2014

Saket's birthday party.

I AM VERY ANGRY TODAY.

I had worn my favourite blue and white anarkali today. I gifted Saket a watch. He is a sweet guy just like Jini. Like brother, like sister. This was the second time I was meeting Jini after her marriage. I asked her how I looked today. "Just like the supporter of Argentina's football team. I think you are watching too much of football nowadays. I am so sorry they lost the cup yesterday. Are you mourning for Messi?" said Rounak and the three of them burst into laughter. My blood boiled hearing them. He teased me the whole evening.

P.S. He looked dashing in his white shirt, grey waist-coat, and grey pants.

10^th August, 2014

Uninvited Guest.

My beautiful Sunday morning was ruined by this uninvited guest. Well technically not uninvited. Mr Jerk was invited by Baba today. His parents had gone to their hometown in Sasol. He has grown a good rapport with my parents. So my ever-so-generous Baba had invited him for breakfast. As luck would have it, I had decided to cook breakfast today. I had cooked my favourite breakfast-parathas with dum-aloo. After eating the first morsel, he commented in an I-know-it-all attitude, "The parathas are fine but I think the dum-aloo could have been a bit spicier."

As if I care. Another name added. Mr Know-it-all.

P.S. Did he have to look so handsome in casual tee and jeans too?

18^th August, 2014

A different feeling.

Today Ma had sent me to Mr Jerk's house to give him breakfast as his house is on my way to my office. He was still staying alone. Ma had told me that he was sick. I pressed the doorbell. A maid opened the door. I asked if Rounak was at home. (I don't call him Jerk in front of everyone.) She said he was in his room. I handed her the tiffin-box. I wanted to leave. However, I thought of asking him about his health out of humanity. I asked the maid to show me his room. I reached his room, paused for a few moments and then entered. The sight in front of me left me speechless. He was in his vest and track-pants. His muscles twitched as he leaned back and forth doing push-ups. I coughed to grab his attention. He turned to look at me. His dishevelled hair along with one day-old stubble made him look sexier. "Hi. What brings Miss Banerjee to my home early morning?" asked Rounak as he walked towards me wiping the sweat with a towel. Suddenly I lost my voice. I gulped hard as a sweat bead moved down from his forehead to his strong jaw-line."Hi." I said."Ma has sent breakfast for you." "So sweet of Aunty", said he. "Ma was telling that you were sick", I said. "Do I look sick?" he asked with an amused expression. "No. A sick person definitely doesn't do push-ups", I said. "Smart answer", he replied with a smirk. "I am getting late for office. I should leave now", I said and almost ran out of his house.

I couldn't concentrate on anything the whole day.

Another name added. Mr Hottie.

P.S. I think I skipped a beat when I saw him doing push-ups. His smirk is haunting me still. Am I falling for him?

6^th September, 2014

Butterflies in the stomach.

I ran into Mr Jerk at the Oxford Book Store in the evening. I was trying to pull out a book from the stack of books. It was too high for me to reach. While pulling it out, the whole stack fell over me. I was picking them up when I found a pair of hands helping me. I looked at the person and met those caramel eyes again. In this process, his hands brushed against mine. I felt a current through my body. He asked me for coffee. I agreed. The coffee had made a moustache on my mouth. He asked me to wipe it of. I think a bit was still left even after I had wiped it. He leaned towards me, raised his hand and wiped up the stain with his thumb. I felt butterflies in my stomach at his touch even though it lasted only for a few seconds.

P.S. He wasn't a jerk at all today. In fact Mr Hottie looked hotter in his white shirt and blue denims.

5^th October, 2014

Confused.

The past month had been hectic. I was too busy with shopping for Durga Puja and writing articles for the Puja edition of my magazine. Well Durga Puja ended yesterday. It was quite eventful. However the most important fact is that Mr Hottie had ignored me throughout the Puja. Neither was he teasing me nor was he being rude. I am missing Mr Jerk.

Well he was busy entertaining Miss Reya Sengupta, his college-mate. Did she have to cling to him all the time? Why am I getting jealous of her? Why does his ignorance matter to me? Have I fallen in love with him?

Too many questions to answers.

P.S. Mr Hottie looked ravishing in all attires on all days of Puja.

24^th October, 2014

Missing someone.

At today's Diwali party, my eyes missed those pair of molten caramel eyes. Well, Rounak is out of town for an office tour.

P.S. Missing Mr Jerk. Missing Mr Hottie.

Srija let out a deep sigh. She had not met Rounak for weeks. Deep down her heart, she knew that she had fallen for him. She opened a fresh page of her diary and started writing.

27^th December, 2014

Remembering him.

Jini came to invite me for the party to be held on 31^st December. I met her after such a long time. I showed her the first paragraph of my story. She said it was interesting. Well I don't know. I hate Ronnie for assigning me to write love story.

I read all that I had written about Rounak till now. I am missing him badly.

P.S. Hoping to meet Mr Hottie soon.

************************************

Srija reached Shinjini's party at 8:30 PM. She had worn a black halter neck dress with a red belt on her waist and a red jacket. Shinjini hugged her and said,"I was going to call you. You are looking gorgeous Sri." She was greeted by Vihaan and Saket. Her eyes scanned through the people present but couldn't find those pair of caramel eyes. "Hi." She heard his voice behind her. She turned around to meet those pair of eyes she had been searching for. "Hi, Rounak", she said. Srija was mesmerised by his look. Rounak was wearing a white shirt, black suit and a red tie. What is it with him and white?' thought Sri. Just as she was about to begin a conversation, she heard a shrill female voice calling Raunak. Reya Sengupta. Rounak excused himself and went to meet her. She hugged him. Sri turned around unable to take in the sight in front of her. She felt a pang of jealousy.

The party went on. However, Sri and Rounak hadn't talked since the introductory Hi'. Rounak was busy with his office colleagues while Sri was busy with her friends though her eyes were fixed on that one person. The Dj asked everyone to come to the dance floor as the last hour of 2014 had set in. Sri moved aside, anger rising in her, as she saw Rounak extending his hand towards Reya. "Why are you standing here alone?" asked Saket. "I do not feel like dancing Saket", said Sri. "Come on Srija Di. I am not getting any partner. Please dance with me", said Saket and dragged Sri along with him to the dance floor. He took her near the place where Rounak and Reya were dancing. "Isn't Reya hot?" Saket asked Sri. "What?" asked Sri surprised by his sudden question. "I said Reya is looking too hot. I want to dance with her. So in the next song we are going to exchange partners", Saket said and swirled her. Before she could register anything, Sri collided with a hard chest.

Sri looked up only to find those molten caramel eyes staring at her. He slid his left hand around her waist and held her tightly. He took her right hand and put it on his shoulder and clasped his right hand with her left one. They swayed their bodies with the rhythm of the music lost in each other. "Beautiful", Sri heard him say. "Srija, I wanted to share something with you." Her heart started beating faster as he spoke those words. "I was mesmerised the day I saw you first and it was not on Vihaan's engagement ceremony." Sri looked at him surprised. "I had seen you first when you had come to meet Shinjini at our office. You had worn a yellow salwar-kameez. I felt attracted towards you from that very day. I met you officially on Vihaan's engagement ceremony. The more I met you, the more you attracted me. I love your positive attitude. I love your smile. I love teasing you because I love to see those pink cheeks when you get angry." Srija flushed.

"I missed you so much all these weeks. I realised then that I have fallen for you very badly." He released her hand and stepped aside. That is when she realised that they had come a little way from the party. She saw him kneel down on one leg in front of her with a diamond ring in his hand. "Miss Srija Banerjee", he spoke again.

"10, 9," she heard the people inside scream in unison. The countdown had begun.

"Will you give me the honour of becoming the husband of Mrs Srija Rounak Roy?" She heard him say along with the noise of "8, 7, 6, 5, 4".

Did he just propose me for marriage?' thought Sri.

"3, 2, 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR", the crowd cheered inside.

However none of these sounds entered Srija's ears. She was still lost in his confession and proposal. "Earth calling Srija." His voice brought Srija back to earth. "My knee is hurting Sri. Yes or no?" he asked again. Sri grinned at him and mouthed a yes. As soon as he slipped the ring in her finger, she heard claps. She turned around to find Shinjini, Vihaan, Saket and Reya smiling at them. Jini came to Sri and hugged her tight. "Congratulations Sri!!! I am so happy for you", said Jini excitedly. "Congratulations bro", said Reya patting Rounak's back. "Bro?" asked a shocked Sri and all of them laughed. "Well, Sri Reya is Rounak's cousin sister. She was just acting as his college-mate to make you jealous", said Jini with a grin. Sri rolled her eyes. "It was my plan actually. I understood that you were falling for him but you won't admit it. So I hatched this plan. But Rounak became desperate and decided to propose you tonight. I thought you will slap him", Jini said and laughed.

"She did not slap me but she made me wait for a year", said Rounak. All of them looked at him confused by his statement. "What? I proposed to her in 2014 and she replied in 2015", he said clearing their confusion. They roared with laughter at his joke.

She looked at the diamond ring on her finger and thought about the sudden turn of events in her life. The year 2015 had begun with a beautiful surprise which would change her life completely. She entered into a new phase of her life. She needed to write down her feelings about Mr Hottie in her blue diary immediately.

A FALLEN STAR

Even the brilliance of a million tiny lights, could not compare to the smile blooming on Mahira's face today. The "Rathi House" was flooded with guests, as the lovely owners could not contain their happiness. It was their beloved daughter Mahi's engagement the next day. Teeny toddlers scampered around the huge bungalow, littering the entire place with chocolate wrappers and toys.

Mahi aka Mahira Rathi, sat amongst cousins and friends, giggling and blushing exactly like a woman to be married soon, should be. Her luminous eyes twinkling with excitement... after all she was going to be engaged to her childhood sweetheart in less than a day. Looking at her brightly lit house, she had lost semblance of how late in the night it was.

She bent down to pick up a string of beautiful glass stars, which were being hung on the ceiling. She exactly knew whose idea it was. Who else would know how special the stars were to her, other than her soon to be fiance... Aditya Sharma. Just the name, flashed an image of a laughing Aditya in front of her eyes. Clutching the stars to her chest, she closed her eyes savoring his face greedily.

She walked through the busy household, holding the stars in her hands. Most people could never comprehend the magnetic pull that Aditya had on her. What they shared, was something unique... it was so special and sacred for them, that they had gladly kept it to themselves. For the rest of the world, they were the same Mahi and Adi, who could not spend even a few hours without clawing at each other.

Which girl wouldn't be happy to have her sasural just besides her maiden home? Mahi had grown up in the love and care of two sets of parents... her own and Adi's. She had been spoilt with the unconditional love of these two family friends, who lived in adjacent bungalows. As she sprinted through the tiny gate of "Sharma Nivas", she could not contain her excitement to thank Adi for his thoughtful addition of starts to the decorations. So what if it was just another excuse to see him today, her heart chided.

The summers in Ambala were ruthless... the heat unbearable. Mahi wiped the beads of perspiration from her forehead and faltered in her steps, noticing the eerie silence in her soon-to-be house. And then she heard her beloved Adi's voice... husky, very manly... the texture making her shiver in anticipation of seeing him. However, the words she heard, broke through her amorous daze and pierced her heart... the blazing pain, numbing her senses, rooting her to the spot.

"I will not marry Mahi, maa. Please get this loud and clear. I. WILL. NOT. MARRY. HER!" Those sharp words rung through the warm air of Ambala. It was all she heard... all she felt... and all her fuzzy mind registered. The string of glass stars fell from her hands. The soft noise of splintered glass broke the eerie silence from earlier. Without waiting to see the Sharma's rushing towards the door, she sprinted back to her home... her room... her private haven, where she could break into the sobs that she was trying to muffle with great difficulty.

Once inside the Rathi House, the pandemonium caused by the guests suffocated her. For once, she felt agitated seeing the number of women flooding her room. Mahi could only think of one place that could give her some much-required privacy... the terrace... a place that held innumerable memories of Adi and her. She required those now, of all the times, to restore her faith and trust in their relationship. There definitely must have been a misunderstanding.

Mahi stood flushed, facing the dim-lit city. The anger she felt bubbling within for the man she loved the most, mingled with the warmth of the night. It was sometime past midnight and slowly and steadily the Rathi's seemed to be retiring for bed. She was glad that somehow, nobody had noticed her absence. They must have figured that she was with Aditya like always, breaking the norms and traditions of this society.

She laughed at the strange situation she was in; the tears from earlier now seemed to have dried up. Sanity had returned and the ridiculousness of what Aditya had said was making its way into her heart. No! Adi could never say something so absurd. He loved her and wasn't he the one to have made that dramatic proposal, two months ago? Then why hadn't he followed her right now? Why hadn't he tried to explain his point of view? She decided to wait till morning for answers. She needed this time alone, to clear her own insecurities.

The sky was littered with twinkling stars... Mahi's thoughts going back to the innumerous nights Adi and she had spent lying on this very terrace, just looking at the sky. They had even named their personal favorites. Somehow, Mahi could not distinguish between the clutter today. She accused Adi for the sleepless night he was causing her... just before their engagement. She chuckled at the thought of how he would react seeing the dark circles under her eyes. Would he fret like always or add to the hollowness she was feeling at the moment?

By the time dawn arrived, the stars had started fading and Mahi's tired eyes were drooping slowly. She noticed... her "tootata taara"... the one shooting star that always fell into nothingness... spreading hope to someone on earth, to fulfill a wish. And just like always, Mahi closed her eyes, praying hard for something that she feared would never come true. As the wish seemed to intermingle with her dreams... Mahi slipped into a restless slumber.

Some three hours later, when she walked down the staircase leading into her house, the glum faces of her cousins and aunts scared her. She ignored the teary eyes of her mother and the worry marring her father's face. She had time to meet no one. All she wanted to do was speak to Adi and get over with this freaking nightmare... atleast that is what it seemed like, in her fairytale life.

She walked slowly towards Sharma Nivas, her defense mechanism already in place. Before giving Aditya a chance to talk, she was going to knock the daylights out of her stupid boyfriend for scaring her like this. She entered through the already-open door, looking around the huge hall. She saw Aditya's parents, sitting on the sofa. One look at their ashen faces and she knew something was wrong. And in the next few moments she realized, her heart had been correct all along. Major Aditya Sharma had left for Kargil to fight the war that had just broken on the borders of India-Pakistan.

--------------------------------------------

The months that followed had been sheer torture to both the families. Mahi was as much a daughter of the Sharmas as she was of the Rathis. They had seen the light dim in her otherwise bright personality. After the guests and relatives had made a silent exit, the close-knit family friends sat together, discussing the rash decision by Aditya. They believed him to have just postponed the wedding, however, Mrs Rathi had sobbed bitterly citing her son's words..."What if I never return maa? My love for Mahi is as much as my love for this country. I can't abandon either... and I want her to move ahead in life, than be bound to the promise of a future that I may never be able to give her."

Even hearing these words had not brought out a reaction from Mahi. She had remained silent, staring into nothingness. She was lost in the bittersweet memories of Adi... the boy who had easily stolen her heart years ago. However, every now and then she would snap out of her daze listening to someone talking about the war that was waging at the borders. Her sharp ears intercepted any tiny news about Aditya. She read every small article, in each newspaper, keeping herself updated with his well-being. Praying had now become like breathing... each breath longing for the safety of her love.

How could he? How could he alone decide the fate of their relationship? Who gave him the authority to end their relationship just like that? Hadn't she known what she was marrying into? She had known him since the time he would race around the cantonment area, looking at the proud soldiers marching. She had seen the gleam in his eyes at the mention of serving the nation. Infact she was the one who had convinced his father to allow him to join the army. Then, how could he think that she would ask him to choose between this motherland and her?

After realizing the true reason for Adi to have spoken those harsh words... the pain and anger had transformed to hurt. Mahi still could not fathom the thought of Adi pushing her away from him. Did he really think that by refusing to marry her, she would move on? That fool! Did he not realize that she had been married to him since a really long time... bound to him by her heart and soul? The formalities remained, so that the rest of the world would know the depth of their relationship.

Like always, she stood on the terrace one night, looking at the star-lit sky. She was sure wherever Adi was, he would be looking at the same sky at this very moment. These beautiful twinkling stars had been witness to many of their fights, arguments, loving talks, flirting advances and to innumerable kisses. Mahi sighed, thinking of her first kiss, right here on the terrace.

She was sixteen and it was Aditya's final year in college. He had like always, taken her to prom. After all she was his best friend till then. Mahi and Adi were the most rocking couple, who people believed, did not realize that they were in love. It was on this very terrace when a furious Adi had questioned her. "What the hell were you doing with Sujoy? You went to the party with me... then why were you dancing closely to him? How many times do I have to tell you to keep away from that guy? He has feelings for you, Mahi. I don't want you to lead him on!"

After an hour of heating argument, a desolated Adi had silenced her with their first kiss... her first kiss. The formal "I love you" had followed in a few days. However, when had these two really required words? Their hearts were joined in a magical string and nothing could ever drive them apart. A silent tear rolled down Mahi's face, thinking about how only the two of them could break themselves apart. Those five words... "I. WILL. NOT. MARRY. HER."kept resonating in her ears. She quietly consoled her heart... she would definitely get a chance to get back at him... someday.

--------------------------------------------

The war had gone on for three tormenting months. It had rocked the entire nation. The brave soldiers and their families were under constant vigilance because each Indian citizen felt a certain attachment towards the bereaved. The number of casualties kept increasing each day and the number multiplied by tenfold in Pakistan. The Sharmas and Rathis prayed not only for the safety of their son, but a silent plea to end this war too. How many innocent lives could this rivalry consume!

A week after the war had ended, Aditya finally called his mother. She had sobbed hysterically clutching the phone to her ears... just hearing the soothing voice of her valiant son. He had then spoken to each of his family members and the Rathi's... except Mahi. She had refused to talk to him, silently moving towards her room to cry to her hearts content. A heart that had been tied to his... which had been barely beating through these past three months.

And just like that, five months passed since his first call. Major Aditya Sharma had finally landed in Ambala, a day before the New Year's Eve. Adi had made sure to call the Rathi House every alternate day, hoping against hope to hear the sweet voice of his love. However, each time he had been dejected, as Mahi stubbornly refused to speak to him. And she had every reason to. He had made up his mind to sort out their issues the moment he landed in Ambala.

Mahi would be lying if she said, that she had refused to even look at him. Since yesterday morning, she had been peeking through the curtains of her room, to catch a glimpse of Aditya at the Sharma Nivas. He had dropped in twice since morning, wanting to talk to her... yet she had refused to even show herself to him. Hell! She deserved some retribution for the way he had ended things between them.

It was only when it was nearing midnight, did she notice the small box kept on her side-table. Everyone she knew had gone to attend the "Welcome back & New Year Bash" organized by the Sharmas. Taking everyone by surprise, it had started pouring heavily since the evening... making her feel more melancholic than usual. Her parents had gone away to the party, after trying to convince her to attend it along with them. Nobody could mess with Mahi, when she was hell-bent on getting things her way... famously known as the "Mahi-ve!"

She picked up the gift-wrapped box, knowing very well who had gotten it. Mahi made her way towards the terrace, her private haven, which had lost its luster since Adi's absence. Without caring for the lashing rain, she slowly opened the box, only to gasp in surprise. Bottled-up tears of hurt, pain, anger, anguish... and finally relief and happiness...made their way on her cheeks, readily mingling with the tiny raindrops. With trembling hands she picked up the tiny glittering star that seemed to have been carefully taped to be joined again... the star from a string, which had fallen out of her hands on the day she had last seen Aditya.

It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

In the next fifteen minutes, Mahi was standing outside the banquet hall, which seemed to be accommodating most of Ambala at the moment. They all wanted to congratulate their brave hero. She did not once think of her drenched state... her thoughts only directing to the man she loved with all her being. Taking slow hesitant steps she entered the hall, which quickly turned silent. And then she saw him... the hard edges of his face soften when his eyes landed on her.

They quickly covered the small distance between them and as if in sync, engulfed each other in a desperate hug. The months of separation and misunderstanding brining tears to not only their eyes... but also the people gathered. After what seemed like ages, did the two break their hug, as Adi dropped down to the ground, looking into warm brown pools of love, which always took his breath away.

"Mahi!! I am sorry, for the grief I have caused you in the last eight months. But trust me when I say, it somehow made it easier for me to fight the battle at the front. During the war I realized that I was dead the moment I left you broken..."he paused looking at Mahi, who was shaking her head vigorously refuting him. "Let me tell you Mahi... tell you everything I have held within me for a really long time. The last few months have been dark and tragic, making me wonder how I survived through all the unpleasantness."

Gulping down the choking feeling Adi continued, "My life is incomplete without you. I don't even remember the day... the year or the moment I fell in love with you. We have grown up knowing the fact that we were meant for each other. You have become like my addiction... my necessity. Leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever done. But at that time... when I wasn't sure if I will ever come back, Mahi... I just wanted you to be happy."

Mahi interrupted him and said furiously, "You idiot! Didn't you know my happiness lies only with you, Adi?" He smiled at her through wet eyes. His firecracker was back to spouting fire. "Well then lets begin making some well-deserved happiness together. Miss Mahira Rathi, I am crazily in love with you and want to marry you. Give me a chance to make it up to you Mahi... a chance to make you happy all my life. Will you marry me?"

Nothing more was required to be said, as Mahi's heart had forgiven him a long time ago. Although she mentally made a note to emotionally blackmail him about this entire scenario, all throughout their lives. She nodded in happiness and whispered a teary, "Yes!" The entire hall erupted in cheer as the couple hugged each other. That night, the city of Ambala had got their own Laila-Majnu... in Mahi-Adi. It was a night when two shooting stars fell together... fell together into nothingness.

"What me ??" He laughs. She is upset. He cups her face in his palms "I
love you calmly, carefully & completely. I love you from the start my morning
till the end of my night. I love you in all possible ways. Just stay with me." He
smiles. She is blushing hard. He loves to see her like that. "Now for god sake will you please say YES." He is
eager. She enjoy's seeing him being impatient

"Like you need it anymore." She hits him playfully on his chest & hugs
him. "Anyways its YES."

"Yippeee." He laughs & hugs her & holds her tightly in his arms.



AKSHAR
He's home for 3.5 months. The day was very usual for him. It's one of those boring days where he had to get up at 6 to catch a class at 7 which his parents insisted him to pursue. He doesn't want to get up but he has to else his mum will start shouting for not waking up at time & missing on class. This is the last thing he want to hear this morning. His moves to washroom with his sloppy moves not in a mood to do anything & least take bath when the temperature out there is 5 degree Celsius. He hears his mum muttering "its 6.30 already. Didn't I asked you to wake up at 5.30. You will be again late for class. You will fail in entrance what you will do for others. God knows." He sighs. He gets out & gets ready in hush gush. He's late very late. Plus he doesn't know who's period it is today. If its Thakre sir's he will never let him in. Both are enemies on front relatives on back. He sighs & rushes for class without even checking out to what his mum is saying.

Phew finally reached he thinks. He is breathless when he climbs 3 floors to reach to his class & says "Can I come in??" & sees it's a lady teacher today. "mam" he himself didn't know how it came out from his mouth.

She moves her hand without even checking who it is. He moves in fastly & taking fast deep breathes. The girls in class starts giggling the moment they saw him ogling at her.

Few days passed by. He was noticing some changes in himself. He was making up to the class by time at least for her class. He loved to smile when she smiles sheepishly at unsolved/wrong question solved by her. He smiles when she looks at him. He is all lost in her. Her toned body, her alluring lips which looks more appealing when they curve for a grin, her eyes when they stare at him - he loves making eye contact with her, her toned legs, her blush blonde hairs. He likes everything about her. But this is different from crush like he has daily on girls. He knows it he feels differently for her. He cares for what she thinks about him.

"Dude she is the teacher. Stop checking her out." His friend adi nudges him from back.

"Come on man she looks as of equal age as me. Might be a year or two older to me. That doesn't make much difference. I am 28 already & she looks no older to me" He sighs.

"God we have oldies in our class." A guy shouts enough for her to notice.

Akshar shoots a glance to that guy & looks at her. She flaunts a faint smile. It's ok to be called old if it makes her smile he thinks.

"Ufff this guy had gone mad." Adi giggles.

"WHATEVER." He mutters. He knows he has to do something to get to know more about her. From past one week he had not been able to catch with her pace. She leaves immediately after the class ends.

"Mam." He rushes to her immediately after the class. She turns her gaze towards him. He is speechless.

"Can I ask you out for a coffee??" She stares at him. He feels like pulling back but he doesn't. He knows it it's now or never.

"No." She retreats.

"Please." He is begging.

"Okay. But not more than coffee." She stares back at him. He grins & nods.

"My bike or your car??" He asks.

"Your treat you decide." She smiles tugging back a strand of hair. He loves it though he wishes to do it.

"A small cappuccino & a chocolate donut." He orders.

"Same for me." She retreats without looking at him.

"Can I leave??" She utters after finishing her donut. She licks her lips. He is aroused. "I have some function to attend at home."

"Okay." He couldn't speak. He wants to feel her. That's all.

"Mam." He mutters after next day class.

"What is it??" She asks. Hoping for another coffee date somewhere in her heart.

"I have a doubt??" He speaks in low volume. He knows it today he has to speak about his feeling for her before it's too late for both of them.

"Come to staff room. We can discuss it over there." There is a strand of her hair over her face to which he can't remove his eyes from.

"You there??" she grins.

"Yeah. Right here" he's blushing.

"Let's go then." She orders him. He can listen to her for lifetime even if she is scolding him.

"Be seated. I will be back." She retreats.

She had water he can see her lips wet. He wants to kiss her right then. But he knows it's not the right place. He wants everything to be slow with her. She is delicate.

"Akshar. Where do you get lost again & again??" His name sounds so good from her mouth. He wants to hear it again & again.

"Ummm. Nothing." He is speechless when it comes to her. He makes it a mental note to talk to her about his feelings else he will die daily within himself.

"What problem is it??" She looks curiously into his copy. "Oh this one. Even a kid can understand the solution & you being so old can't." she laughs. She is killing him by every passing moment.

He gets up. She's just two fingers away from him. He can feel her. She can feel him. He moves towards her slowly. She is startled by his action. She backs off. He is no mood to let go off her. Not today. He dims the light to the least in which he can see her face. He places his hand around her waist & pulls her close to him. He can feel her warm breathe against his shirt. She is restless. He puts a crooked finger under her chin & pulls up her face to see into her eyes.

"I LIKE YOU." He mutters "A LOT."

His lips brush against her. He is aroused. But it's her who pulls him for a kiss. Its long-lasting like till eternity. He holds her tightly from her waist like promising never to let go off her.

She pulls away. "We are not meant to be together." She chides. "I am already engaged." She shows her ring finger to him. He is broken. She is broken. Yet they find peace in each others arms. He is still holding her in his arms. She pulls away taking her bag. "Anyways, I LIKE YOU TOO." She retreats. He should be happy but he isn't. He can only watch her walk away from him.


"Marriage Day" - Ahana

She can't look into his(Akshar's) eyes anymore. If she does she knows she will melt which she can't do. She is getting married to her parent's choice. They have been always right for her. "I can't deny to anything when it comes to them. I have to. I have to forget akshar. The man for whom I have feelings the moment I saw him. The day he got late in class." She makes a mental note.

"Oh somebody is blushing. Hun" Rohan teases her. "I know how eager you're to get married to me." He is in playful mood but the least he knows.

"Rohan we need to talk. It's important for both of us." She is serious.

"Hey!" She hears a similar voice from the back of rohan. Both move to see.

"Akshar." She has tears. "What are you doing here??" She finally speaks after clearing her throat.

"Ummm I came to give you your marriage present." He smiles like nothing happened.

"Hi Rohan. Her going to be hubby." Rohan shows up a hand for handshake.

"Hi Akshar here. Her student." He is choking now. She knows it. It hurts both of them.

"You won't be there for the functions." Rohan stares at Ahana then back to Akshar.

"Nope. I have a job in Bangalore. I was here to visit my parents." He moves his glare from Rohan to Ahana who is pretty much shocked by his words which she knows is just lame excuse to go away.

"Wish both of you happy married life. You both will make cute babies. Because she is pretty." He says moving few steps back. "I shall leave now." He stares at Ahana who has tears. "Goodbye!" He is going away. Far away from her. He wanted to hold her close to him but she pushed him away. She hurt both of them.


Airport

"I have to go." Akshar thinks. "If I stay here her thoughts will kill me." His head droops.

"Your id card sir." An officer asks. He is too lost in her thoughts to listen to anyone else.

"Sir." The officer shook up his hand to bring back Akshar to reality.

"Yeah." Akshar retreats.

"Id card sir." Akshar shows up his id card & gets into ariport.

"This is to announce that the flight Air Costa 614 from Ahmadabad to Bangalore has been delayed by 3 hours due to heavy fog. Inconvenience is deeply regretted." He sighs.

"The sooner I wish to leave the more I have to wait." He is on verge of crying. He moves towards washroom. He wants to cry for his lost love. He want to flush out everything he had for her because she will be someone else's wife in few hours. A tear rolls down his cheek.

He weeps. He weeps. He weeps. Uncontrollably. Finally he gathers the courage to get up & wipe off his face since he doesn't want people to see his damp face. Male ego he thinks.

He walks out clean & fresh towards cafe.

"A cappuccino & a chocolate donut please." He orders without looking at the menu.

The waitress puts the tray in front of him. He stirs the cappuccino as soon as he sees a heart on it. Its killing him even though he cried a lot in the washroom. He wants to cry more.

His sloppiness took over him yet again. It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of his heart. He clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. He held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from his hands. He watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, he finally felt mended. He sees his empty cup-plate & then his life it's also empty now. Will she think about me after she gets married he thinks. He doesn't have an answer to himself.

He moves to book shop which is next to cafe. He gets a newspaper & finds a book which for once he had seen in Ahana's purse. He buys that too. "I am carrying all her memories with me. How will I be able to live with these." He thinks. He blinks off a tear.

"Passengers of Air Costa 614 are requested to board the flight." He moves on with heavy heart & legs.

He moves to pick up his luggage. "HOW DID YOU EVEN DARE TO LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE THIS??" he stops in his tracks.

He starts to walk. "YES I AM TALKING TO YOU DAMMIT." He turns around to find her in bridal wear. She looks heavenly gorgeous. He has tears. She has tears. "How could you??" She asks. He throws his baggage & moves forwards to "shush" her up.

"STOP." She mutters. "Don't come close to me before you answer me." She is upset he can makeup. He knows it very well. He moves forward cups her face in his palm & swipes of her tears with his thumb.

"Don't cry. Your make up will be spoiled." He grins. She looks in his eyes.

"You care about my makeup not about me." She pushes him back.

"Wish I could describe how heavenly gorgeous you look right now." He pulls her even more closer to him.

"God you can flirt even in heated situation." She hits him playfully in his chest.

"So how come you are here. Don't tell me you are runaway bride. I don't want my parents to come to police station for my bail." He laughs. She is embarrassed.

"Huh I made it possible." Akshar raises a brow to Ahana who shrugs. They look back to find Rohan there.

Akshar though he is happy but he doesn't know what to say to Rohan.

"I am sorry bro..." Akshar tries to speak.

"No need." Rohan utters. "The moment she told me she had something to talk to me I knew this was coming." He smirks. "She has been my best friend don't you dare hurt you else I will hurt you at many places." He laughs.

"NO THANKS I will always keep her happy. I PROMISE." Akshar pinches his throat like a kid swears to his mother.

"Okay I gotta go these authority people won't let me stay here for long." Rohan winks. "Wish you guys good luck." He pats Akshar's shoulder.

"So Ms. Ahana." Akshar says putting his hands on her shoulders. "What are your plans?? I am anyways moving to Bangalore. Are you moving in with me??" He is delighted to have her by his side.

"You left me. I came up to here & you wish to take me home so easily??" Ahana winces.

"Oh so you want me to go on my knees." He laughs. She smirks.

"God I never thought I will be doing this." Akshar murmurs.

"Ms. Ahana. I want you to accept me whole heartedly as your boyfriend & later as hubby. I wish to get married to you asap. It's hard to even think to stay away from you for even for an hour. I only know how I spent last 3 hours. Please accept my proposal & oblige me. I promise to make you cry & then kiss away all your tears. I promise to fight with you then make up with you. Will you let me do all these??" He is gazing at her. She is speechless.

"My knees hurt." He is still waiting for her reply.

She pulls him up all of sudden for a kiss. He is taken aback by her straight forwardness. But he is happy. He pulls her closer holding her from her waist.

"Do you still need an answer?" She murmurs in his ears. She knows this arouses him.

"I love you Ahana. I love you a lot." He finally speaks.

"I love you more." She speaks. He pulls her back into the kiss.



UNNAMED (2)

Ruby suddenly sensed a change in air, what was happening to her she thought. She turned to look around and then her eyes got stuck at a particular face her heart fluttered. She was not able to believe what was she was seeing , was he for real ? Is he the one she is guessing him to be lot of questions started coming in her mind but she couldn't move her eyes. He looked very handsome and the stubble beard was cherry on top, she kept staring at him oblivious of the people around her until she felt a tug on her hand "Ruby you see the man in the black Armani there. He is the owner of the company with whom the deal got final and I am glad that I will get a chance to work with him" "That's great" "Come we will go and have a chat with him" saying this they move towards him. "Hello sir , I am Vikram I will be the leading the group which is going to work with you in this deal" "Hi Vikram its good to meet you , so are you enjoying the party" "Yes I am" "I am sure you must as you have such a beautiful companion with you" "Thank you. Sir meet my fiancee Ruby and Ruby this is Kabir" Kabir turned towards Ruby and said "Hi Ruby , nice to meet you" "Thanks its my pleasure" Ruby replied , she kept looking at Kabir's face for any change of emotions but to her disappointment he didn't look at her for more than few seconds. Someone came to talk to Kabir so he excused himself and moved away "Ruby isn't he awesome , In few years he has reached heights in the business world. He has become a role model for the youth" "Yes he is" "Ruby you seem lost , Is something wrong??" "No I am fine" "So lets go and dance?" "Yes" Ruby replied with uneasiness on her face. Ruby and Vikram were having a arranged marriage, Ruby's mother chose Vikram for her and she accepted it. They got engaged but the wedding was fixed a year later as both of them needed time. Ruby saw Vikram as a very good friend but spending her whole life with him was something she was not sure about.

Dance floor was full of people but Rubys eyes kept wandering here and there. She was searching for Kabir but he was nowhere seen, Ruby felt a pang when she thought that he didn't recognize her. She had not expected this from him, has she changed so much or she didn't hold any importance in his life. Atlast her eyes found Kabir but he didn't spare a glance at her, Ruby wanted to go meet him, remind him all the time they spent together, tell him that she is still waiting for him to fulfil the promise he made years ago but when he didn't remember her what importance will the promise hold. Ruby started feeling nausea, tears started blocking her vision. "Ruby what happened?",Vikram asked "My head is paining because of the loud voices, can we go back" "yes of course, you go and sit in the car I will say bye to everyone and come" "Okay , thanks" saying this Ruby went out and sat in the car a few minutes later Vikram came and dropped Ruby to her home. At night Ruby lay on the bed but sleep was far away from her, Kabir's face kept coming in her mind. She wanted to talk to him after seeing today the old feelings which she had buried in her heart came back. Tears came in her eyes when she realized that after this many years Kabir still held a very important place in her heart and she wanted him to be with her but she was in a fix , she was not able to decide what to do. Ruby took the photo frame which was kept on the side table hugging it she slept.

Next day Ruby got up late her mother came many time to wake her up but Ruby didn't get up as she knew if her mother saw her face once she will understand that something is wrong and she couldn't lie to her mom . Ruby sat on the dinning table while her mother served her food "How was the party Ruby? Did you enjoy?" "Hmm... Mom I want to tell you something" "Tell me Ruby" "Mom ... I .. met Kabir yesterday" "Really !! You met him, how does he look like what does he do. Call him home someday to meet me. How did you recognize him. OMG !! Ruby I still cant believe you met your Kabir yesterday" "Yes mom I really met him" "But Ruby you dont look happy about it" "Mom I think he didn't recognize me" "It cannot be possible Ruby" "I know mom that is the thing I am worried about. How can he not recognize me mom?" "Did you talk to him?" "No" "Then" "Mom when Vikram introduced him to me he didn't show any reaction and even when Vikram said my name there was no reaction from his side. So I kept quiet and you know mom he is one of the top most business man" "You should talk to him and I am so proud of him, I knew he had the potential" "I will think about it mom, I am so confused" "Ruby if you ever want to talk about anything , you can always talk to me. I am not only your mother but your best friend also" "I know mom" Ruby replied. She was having food when her phone started ringing, Ruby went to pick up the phone "Hello Ruby" "Hi Vikram" "Ruby I guess yesterday I forgot a file in your living room will you check and tell me if it is there" "Lemme see if its there... Yes a blue file is here. Are you talking about it" "Yes Ruby the blue file. Can you bring it to the office and give me, its urgent" "Okay I will bring it" "Thanks" "Bye" "Bye". Ruby took the file and went to her mother "Mom I need to give this file to Vikram. So I will leave now" "Okay go" "Will see you at night" "Don't be late" "Bye" "Bye".

Ruby went to Vikram's office and gave him the file "Thanks alot Ruby for bringing it" "Come on Vikram your office was on my way" "But also thanks , you know I got so worried thinking that I lost the file" "No it was at the sofa only. Now I will leave, I need to go to the book store" "Oh yes you need to go and open it" "Maria has opened it but you know right how risky it is to leave the store on her" "Come on Ruby she is new. It is so difficult to stay between thousands of books all day" "Vikram dont you dare say anything about my book store" "Working in Smile book store looks like a nightmare to me" "Sitting in the office and working on a computer looks like nightmare. Lets not talk about this topic anymore" "But you have to agree that your bookstore is boring" "Bye" "First agree with me Ruby then go" "Bye Vikram" Ruby said chuckling and turned to go when she saw Kabir standing behind, her eyes widen in shock was he hearing to their conversation. Ruby shrugged the thought and kept walking but she wanted to talk to him then she saw Kabir going towards the lift , she hurriedly followed him and entered the lift but there were few people in the lift and she didn't want to talk in front of anyone, she saw Kabir pressing the P button which was for parking. She also had to go there so she thought it would be perfect to talk there. When the lift reached parking both of them got out and Ruby turned to speak to Kabir but before she could speak Kabir spoke "When did you start loving books ?? The Ruby i remember hates books!!" Ruby got stunned hearing him "You remember me!!" saying this she hugged him and started crying but then she realized that Kabir didn't reciprocate the hug, she moved back and said "Kabir you remember me right" "How can I forget you Ruby. You were my first friend, you were the first person who made me smile , you were the first person who made me feel that I was not alone, you were the first person whom I opened with , you were the first person I loved and you are also the first person whom i longed to see, you are the first person who broke my trust , you are the first person who betrayed me" "No Kabir what are you talking about??" "Please Ruby don't try to act innocent" "Kabir you are blaming me for no reasons" "Ruby you never came to meet me , you know how alone I felt in that new place. Ruby you didn't care about me , you said you would wait for me but I see you are happy in your life with your fiancee" "Kabir you dont know what happened" " Ruby I agree that I was small but my love for you was true, for you it must have been just a teenage love but for me you will always be the only girl in my life. I love you Ruby, always had and always will" saying this Kabir went. Ruby fell on the floor crying she couldn't bear the accusation, she loved him and even waited for him but fate had some other plans for them.

Two weeks later Kabir went to a hotel for dinner meeting , he didn't see Ruby after their talk in the parking. Kabir felt pain whenever he remembered Ruby's pain stricken face he knew how hard it was for him to leave Ruby crying there but he was very angry at that time and wanted her to know his pain. Kabir was in the middle of the meeting when he saw Vikram entering the hotel with a girl hand in hand, he got shocked when he realized that the girl was not Ruby. Vikram sat on the table which was not visible from Kabir's place , Kabir wanted to know why Vikram was here with some other girl but not Ruby, was Vikram cheating on Ruby many thoughts were coming in his mind he tried to ignore them and concentrate on the meeting. Next day at the office Kabir kept an eye on Vikram, at lunch time time Kabir saw Vikram going out and he followed. Kabir saw the same girl who was with Vikram yesterday, she came and started talking to Vikram, Kabir stood a little far from them but was keeping an eye on them but then Kabir got shocked when he saw Vikram kissing the girl, Kabir turned his face in disgust, how could Vikram do that, he looked so honest but he was cheating on Ruby. Kabir wanted to tell this to Ruby but he didn't know where she lived nor he had her mobile number, then he got an idea he remembered the conversation between Vikram and Ruby, Vikram was telling about some Smile book store which Ruby owned. Kabir found out the address of the bookstore and went there.

Kabir drove in full anger and reached the bookstore, he pushed the door and entered inside. Ruby got shocked seeing him at the bookstore and that too so angry "Kabir you.." "Ruby that Vikram bast**d is cheating on you" "What??" "I saw him kissing a girl today, he is having affair behind your back" "Kabir stop using bad words for him. You cant tell like that about him" "Oh so you trust him more than me" "Its not about trust and he isn't doing anything wrong" "What?" "I broke our engagement so he is free to date or kiss any girl" "Why?" "Because I love you not him. I knew that me and Vikram would never work but mom wanted me to give a try, she wanted to see me settled in my life. I searched for you, the orphanage people had no idea about your whereabouts, they said after you turned eighteen you left the orphanage. I tried so much to contact you" "I agree that I left the orphanage when i turned 18 but I lived there one full year , you didn't try to contact to me at that time" "Kabir you know Smile Orphanage was dad's life it was his dream of helping orphan kids but when the orphanage got closed dad was shattered , he was so worried about the kids. You know how much dad loved you all , how much he cared but when you all got shifted to different orphanages he was very worried for all of you and people accused him of doing fraud in the donation money ,he couldn't bear that so he decided to leave the country. Remember when I came to meet you in your new orphanage on new year ,your birthday, that was my last day in India. We came here and started a new life but dad couldn't get settled here, his health started getting worse day by day and within 3 months he left us and went to God. It was very difficult for mom and me to adjust in a new place. Mom worked very hard to make the ends meet, that one year was very tough for us and after that when I tried contacting you , but you were gone. Now tell me where is my mistake what did I do.I still wear the bracelet you gifted, I opened a bookstore because you loved books. Books made me feel closer to you, I have even read harry potter almost hundred times you know why because it was your favorite and you tell me that i betrayed you" "Ruby I am sorry ,I didn't know all this happened" "Kabir please go, I dont want to talk to you" "Ruby please forgive me" "Kabir how can you think I will forget you. I love you Kabir, always had and always will" "Ruby..." "Kabir please go" "Ruby listen..." "Go" Ruby said, Kabir turned and went out.

Kabir went to his house, he felt alone in the big house he had no one to call his in this world. He loved Ruby but broke her heart too with his harsh words and anger. After many years life has gave a chance to him but he almost ruined it. He opened the wardrobe and took out a crystal star, it was the gift Ruby gave him on his birthday , he went in the balcony and stood there under the rain but it seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of his heart. He clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. He held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from his hands. He watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, he finally felt mended. All the sorrow and the pain washed away with the rain but he couldn't let his life shatter like the drops of water he needed to work on it. Kabir thought for a while and he knew what to do, if life had given him a chance he couldn't let it slip easily.

Two days later Vikram was at Ruby's house "Ruby you have to come with me its newyear eve party" "Vikram go with your girlfriend why are you back of me" "Ruby she is coming but I also want you to come" "Okay I am coming" "Get dressed beautifully" "What?" "Or else everyone will say Vikrams ex-fiancee looks ugly" Ruby took a cushion and started beating him "Okay, I am sorry" Vikram said. Ruby got dressed in a red dress and went to the party. Everyone was having fun but Ruby was feeling low it was Kabir's birthday the next day. She wanted to meet him but she was hurt and she didn't know what to do. It was 5 minutes for 12 o'clock when Vikram came to Ruby and said "Ruby , Maria is calling you up on the terrace she needs some help it seems" "Okay I am going. She cant do anything properly" saying this Ruby went to the terrace. The terrace was beautifully decorated with fairy lights and flowers but Maria was nowhere seen. Ruby was turning to go back when someone held her hand and stopped her "Ruby wait" she was shocked to see Kabir "Kabir you here??" "Ruby I know I have been a idiot and said many things which i shouldn't have but you know me Ruby , my brain doesn't work when I am angry. I am sorry , Ruby I love you so much, life has given us a chance by making us meet and I dont want to lose it" saying this Kabir got on his knees and took out a ring from his pocket and continued saying "Ruby will you be my world , will you be my better half , will you marry me ?" Ruby got shock of her life she knew what she had to say she believed that this was a chance given to them "Yes Kabir I will marry you" Ruby said, Kabir slipped the ring in her finger and got back on his feet , he pulled her closer and kissed Ruby, the fire works started in the sky wishing everyone a happy new year.

UNNAMED (3)

"I'm sorry Harriet! I promised you but I can't come. The work here is too much hectic; I don't think I can land there. Maybe next year..Bye." She clutched onto the receiver tightly, tears making their way down through her alabaster cheeks.

Mark, her childhood love, was promising her to come back from States to UK. But it was never fulfilled. It has been two years since she had been buying this pathetic excuse. How she thought of making a world record of having the longest distant relationship but the very thought had long back seeped into the soil with rainwater.

She eyed nowhere in particular while more drops of tears cascaded down her flushed face. It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart.

Flashback

"Harry can you make pasta for me today? My tongue will elope if you don't bring me pasta today." Mark said on call to Harriet, his love for four years. From exactly two years ago, they would sit under the luscious green tree in a secluded corner of their school and relish their lunch in break.

"I'm not your wife to cook tasty foods for you neither do I have any relation with your tongue to care for it." She spat on the mobile.

"Don't worry about that Harry. About your former concern, I'll make sure you are my wife in future. For the latter one, I'll also assure to make many connections and relations of my tongue with you." She caught onto the teasing glint in his voice and immediately kept down the call, traces of red hues visible on her glowing face.

Flashback ends

Flashback

She sat on his tummy facing him while he was lying on the sofa-bed that lay in his living room. Being too much absorbed in the book, his ears failed to notice a sweet voice that was yelling at him for not paying attention.

"I was talking the whole time and you are lost planning for your future." She said angrily and was about to get up from her love seat when she was held back by a strong grip at her wrist, that made her sit back.

"Yes I was planning about OUR future. Look at this.." He handed her the book he was reading. "I was reading about pregnancy. I didn't know when did I travel to my never-never land where our kids were playing in the garden." She suddenly bent forward and cupped his cheek in her slim and fair hands. "Those imaginations won't belong to your never-never land Mark. We will see our kids playing in the garden while we would be hugging each other. We'll hold our first born together first time and kiss it together." Her smile was very soft till she ended her sentence.

He brought his hand above her T-shirt and lifted it a little to reveal her milky skin of her belly. Caressing her creamy skin there, he questioned in a husky voice. "How will it feel to have a kid inside there Harry?" The question itself held so many emotions that made Harriet's heart flutter with unknown affection.

"I don't know Mark how exactly will it feel to have a kid in there but one thing I can tell for sure is that it will be a priceless feeling for me." She replied with pleased expressions on her face.

"And I want to live those priceless moments with you baby." With that he caught hold of the back of her head and bringing it forward, he kissed her hungrily with all his might.

Flashback ends

Rushing out as fast as her legs could carry her, she slipped out of the New Year party to the pounding rain on the terrace. It was a school reunion, New Years and Christmas party tonight but she had no heart to get cheered when the reason of her cheery self was miles apart. Dipping her hands inside the long pocket of her jacket, she held out something in her hand. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals.

Flashback

"This.." he said holding onto a glass star in front of her. "..Is my mom's. Whenever I went somewhere out of the city, she would clutch it to herself and pray for me to be safe and sound. The other part of it is with me." He opened her palm that was initially fisted on the hem of her sweater shirt and kept it in the confines.

"I'm sorry that it's broken. It broke accidentally and my mom was called on the skies by God but for you, I've mended it again. Though by a tape but I have." He eyed the sadness that resided in the depths of her hazel eyes. He had to leave UK on his dad's insistence. Mark was a man of faithfulness. He could never answer back his father when all he wanted was happiness for his son; he wanted his son to run from UK, run from his mom's haunting memories that threatened to take his sanity.

He looked at the innocent round orbs waiting hesitantly for him. Getting all what her heart wants, he clutched her exhausted self to his chest and buried her head in the curve of his neck, dropping chaste kisses on the parting of her hairs every now and then. This was how their last day together was...

Flashback ends

She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

"Harriet! Harrriiieettt, where are you? For God sake, if you're standing in the rain then please come inside." She heard her friend calling her from afar. She held back her tears that threatened to flow anytime and wipes those tears which were already out of the confines.

"Yeah I'm coming!" She shouted back at the source of the voice.

She joined the hall with all her childhood friends plastering a fake sweet smile on her face.

*ting* *ting* *ting* A slim girl dressed in red cocktail dress came forward and tapped the spoon thrice on her wine glass to grab attention of all who were present there. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Helllo, If anyone forgot who am I then let me give you my formal introduction. I'm Sara, Sara Fernandez." Very loud hooting could be heard throughout the hall.

"Well, Merry Christmas to you all and Happy Reunion to all my friends. It has been years since we met last so let's make this party a very memorable one, what say?" She shouted on the last words and everyone cheered with her.

"And wait, we have one special guest for our fellow's kids too. Let's invite on stage, Mr Santa!" The hall filled with loud applause within which Harriet tried to find a certain pair of hand, clapping. The more she tried to pry away those memories, the more they flowed fluently into her mind. The more she tried to get into the group of her friends, the odder she felt among them. Her heart thumped loudly within her ribcage involuntarily. She clutched her skin tightly which was just above her heart and closed her eyes shut. The same feelings, the same lub-dub, the same intensity, all the things entered her being from nowhere in particular which she used to experience years before with him. This is utter crap, how can this be possible? She thought suddenly opening her eyes. A loud cheer again broke her reverie.

Every kid got a chance to ask for a gift and instantly that was provided to them. Something fluttered in her heart again. She didn't know why but all of a sudden, she felt those overwhelming emotions returning back to her when all she wanted to do was push them aside or throw them across oceans but she could do nothing, absolutely nothing. She was damn sure, that man was present here. Her emotions cannot be wrong, her heart cannot be wrong. She frantically started searching him at every corner of the hall but her attempts were all gone futile. Helpless tears made their way down to her cheeks and all of a sudden, she wanted to cry her lungs out and tell her agony to the world, the severe agony she was going through.

By the end of handing the gifts to the kids, the Santa took out one more when a cute chubby little girl of 4 years held his arm. He tilted his neck to see the foreign touch and smiled seeing the girl. He sat down on his knees and cupped her face in his big gloves clad hands.

"What do you want dear?" He asked gently.

"An answer."

"An answer? What kind of answer sweetheart?" Watching the cute conversation between the duo, she passed them the mike so every person could listen.

"Do you have a senior Santa?" Her eyes shone heights of innocence.

"What do you mean sweetheart?"

She halted. It was the same voice, the same husky voice she yearned to listen all these years. The voice that lulled and consoled her when she was scared, and the voice with which she held thousands of memories.

"You gave us the gifts we asked for; do you have any other Santa who fulfils your wishes every year on Christmas?"

"Uhh, yeah." He smiled gently.

"What did you ask for from the Senior Santa?" She hunted for all her answers.

"A girl!"

"Which girl?"

"A girl whom I fell in love with at first sight. Girl with whom I wanted to spent every moment of my life. I asked for that girl who wove webs of dreams simultaneously of living together with me but I broke her heart mercilessly." He spoke, sincerity dripping off his words but he knew he could do nothing now. The words just stumbled out of his mouth without even his permission. He was just here to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face.

She looked towards the stage with a sheet of tears in her eyes, blurring her vision. She hastily rubbed them and cleared her sight but hearing those words, tears again made their way to her eyes. Shifting her focus on his hand, she could see that star shining. He was so close to her, yet so far. She could very well guess the sincerity in his voice but then why all these years, he just cut the phone just after exchanging some pleasantries? Why?

She took slow and measured steps in the direction of the stage and stood expressionless.

"Why?" This was her question. This was all she could ask gathering her voice. Nobody could understand what she was asking for except for Mark, behind the Santa.

He carefully took off his costume and stood with his head hung low in front of everyone. Nothing could happen now when she had already recognized him. Loud murmurs spread through the hall when people recognized him well.

With hesitant steps, he came to her and held her hand in his large one. Sudden sparks rushed through her spine at the contact of his hands while he now held it more tightly, almost travelling through and reliving the past moments. But his bliss was short-lived when she snatched away her hand from his hold and looked at him with a new found anger.

"Why did you do this?" She asked in a helpless tone.

"I'm sorry Harry.." He was cut in between.

"NO!" Her voice boomed across the hall. "No! Don't you dare call me with that name. You lost all the rights when you... you.." She again tried to gather her voice but the situation she was trapped it did not help either.

"Shhh, don't cry please. I can't see those tears." He cupped her cheeks but she again pushed him back.

"Why can't you see these tears when the only thing you did in past years was to bless me with them!" She spat angrily.

"I...I had C..Cancer!" He finally let out. The truth which was to be buried deep, away from her reach was finally out. "Please forgive me..please." He joined his hands in front of her in the gesture of seeking forgiveness. "I thought I would come back to you after some time because dad was adamant on sending me to State." He told his side of story with tears floating in his chocolate brown orbs.

"Just when I was about to give you my returning-soon news, I got a call from my doctor. In my monthly check up, he had seen some signs and he feared of me getting diagnosed with any severe disease. I got my tests done and got diagnosed with Blood Cancer. I didn't have strength to do anything. I was shattered. I refused to have treatment but doctor forced me to. It has been two years Harry, and by the Grace of God, I'm okay but I fear of living with you. I fear that I might have some disease in the future. I feared if my generation would have any abnormality transferred in them too. I fear..!" Till the time he finished, not a single pair of eye was devoid or tears. Harriet could not control herself and hugged him tight.

"You..You idiot. Why didn't you tell me Mark? I'm too foolish. All the time I was cursing you when destiny was to be blamed here. You were all alone fighting with the Cancer and here I was.. You don't have to ask for forgiveness Mark. Neither should I because I know there is no forgiveness granted on my deeds. I should be punished." She held onto his lapels tightly and cried to her heart's content. The audience too cried silently witnessing the anguish they both had to go through all these years.

"Shhh.." He massaged her scalp through her open wavy hairs and buried his face in the crook of her slender neck. How he missed having her only to him. How he missed smelling that scent. How he missed having her small form in the security of his arms.

"Give me any punishment but please don't leave me. Please. What has to happen will happen, we cannot just waste our lives being trapped in our fears. We have to move on. I know I did not believe in you at a point but don't leave me now."

No no! I won't. Please stop those tears. Please." He held her tear stained cheeks in his palms and kissed her, taking all the time in the world. A kiss of tenderness, a kiss of delight, it could be named as everything they had missed all these years living separately. With their breaths mingled, their lips moved in sync with each other's, perfectly fitting into the curves pouring all the emotions that were now frustrated to sit in the confines of their body while the audience cheered. They had not seen a couple in more love than this.

"Mark.." She hesitated to say.

"Yes baby?" His thumb caressed her lips that were now red due to his ministrations. After their oh-so-shuddering kiss, he had dragged her outside to the terrace, seeking some alone time to spend with her whilst their fellows hooted behind them. They were now sitting on the swing with his head on her lap and she caressed her soft hairs lovingly.

"I'm sorry. I broke your star." Her eyes were downcast in embarrassment. She didn't have faith in her love; she broke the only thing he gave her.

"You need not to worry about that Harry." He softly kissed her swollen lips "Why is that so?" She asked.

"Because.." He stood up and sat on his both knees. "..Will you marry me?"

A moment of pregnant long silence followed his question but was bestowed with a sweet smile of his love. "Answer me Harry..Will you marry me? Will you grace my life with all your sweet smiles, bone-crashing hugs and passionate kisses? Will you forgive me every time I fight with you and take me in your embrace but telling me it wasn't your mistake? Will you give me a chance to love you, to make our bodies' just one soul? Will you find me my glasses when I'll get 70 and they'll be just hanging around my neck? I fell in love with you unexpectedly but now I plan to be with you forever. I have faith in our love with a lifetime guarantee. Will you allow me to do all these things?" He finished his questionnaire with all the innocence in his eyes.

"Can you sit on your single knee first? Then I'll think.." she voiced out teasingly with her finger resting on her chin in a thinking manner and his mouth opened in an oval shape. Shit how can I be this foolish.

He hurriedly took out his left leg and sat in a typical proposing position. "Ahemm.." He straightened his tie gracefully. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes I'll marry you." She made him stand up on his feet and threw herself in the warmth of his embrace. She purred into his chest, kissing the bare part in between, mumbling incoherent words. "I love you Mark. I love you with everything that I have."

His hold on her tightened as her kissed her silky hairs softly before asking her. "Is it the 'Till death do us apart' case here baby? And pardon me, I have no ring."

"Yeah it is. Don't worry; I won't leave you if you don't give me the ring. But if this ceremony is so important to you then take this.." She took off any random ring from her finger and gave it to him. "Make me wear it." She ended with shy smile and he instantly made her wear the ring.

"I'm always with you."

"Always?"

"Always!"

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does

Go on

UNNAMED (4)
Moonlight sparkles the darkness of night. He stood in silence enjoying the beauty before him, her brown curly flocks swaying in air, those sparkling eyes looking down shyly feeling his gaze. He near her and bent on one knee taking her hand in his murmur ''look here!!'' her eyes flicker twice then stuck with his eyes drowning in. ''you know how many times I imagine this moment!!!'' he declare with amuse making her smile. ''so finally we are here after facing all worst I want to adorn your life with my love and happiness. Be mine for forever. I Love You!!!'' in a simple way he announced his feeling for her. Her eyes sparkled with happy tears and a whisper echoed in silence ''I Love You Too!!!'' next moment he stood up and took her in his embrace. They stood like this feeling contented only their racing hearts can be heard. A sharp voice sliced the moment ''CUT!!! Great shot!!!'' then spot light enlightened the view more as moonlight diminished away. Everyone gathered there clapped for this marvelous act. Both of them parted away coming back into their real world. Director Sharma walk near them with big toothy smile praising them spoke ''excellent job guys. For a moment we thought it's not scene it was so real and natural. Mark my words this movie will be blockbuster of the New Year. And we just need to shoot last scene of movie well done both of you !!'' they simply smile in gesture and walked out from there in opposite ways.

memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended. A tear slipped again her body trembling as she saw him stretching his arms for her and next moment she ran to get her life back which always existed within him. Vihan embrace her body this time feeling contented whole heartily no guilt no worries no pain just love which he always preserved for his sara. Kissing in her neck he whisper ''I Love You Sara!!'' ''I Love You Too Vihan!!'' came out from her mouth with sobs they stayed like this for like eternity than vihan move back cupping her face dried her tears saying ''from now no more tears sara I want your eyes to sparkle with my love only.'' than he bent on his knee confessing his feelings again ''I Love You sara more than my life. Be mine for forever and don't you dare to leave me again. So will you marry the superstar of Bollywood?'' he chuckle asking making her giggle she shouted with enlightenment ''Yes.. Yes.. Yes..'' soon he slipped her shinning locket in her hand circling it thrice on her wrist as 'S' fling in air marking her as him for forever. Vihan stood up capturing her lips in sweet passionate love fill kiss. Going out of breath they parted and sara complain pouting ''if you had put your superstar name simply vihan instead of VD we didn't have to suffer this much!!'' he pinch her nose as they walk hand in hand and said ''same applies to you Miss.sweety aka sara!!'' they laughed on their own foolishness but lastly being together on New journey of their life with beginning of New Year!

He saw her, and it seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. It was an irony, surely, that she, the most unromantic person he had ever known, seemed to epitomize in that moment, something close to just about every sighing poet's moonlit inspiration. She was Shakespeare's Juliet, with her hand elegantly resting on the balcony rail, a pensive smile playing on her lips. When she turned to look at him, with those blazing star-strewn eyes that seemed to read his silences in a way that nobody else could, she was Austen's Elizabeth Bennet. She was Chattopadhyay's Lalita, Fournier's Yvonne de Galais.

And she was so much more.

She was Hansini, free-spirited, fiercely intelligent, resilient, generous and sincere. But beyond her personal qualities, there was something inexplicably magnetic about her. It was a feeling that had struck him at their first meeting itself, even in the bad temper he had been in on the day.

There he had been sitting, waiting, sandwiched between his parents, cornered by their dreams and expectations, silently bristling at his own weary submission to the artificiality of the whole scenario. And she had walked in, nonchalant, as though in a world of her own, radiant with that quiet sense of confidence and contentment. She was nothing like any of the girls his family had dragged him to meet. She was neither nervous nor overzealous nor conceited; she was just... there, serene and observant, at peace with herself and the world. She did not have any point to prove, any impression to make, any expectations to meet. She was there, just as she was.

When he had smiled at her then, it was not out of politeness. He knew, instantly, that he liked her.

Later, as their friendship grew and deepened, he began to respect and admire her. It could not have been easy to grow up with constant taunts and unsolicited remarks on her height and weight. Somehow, though, she managed to breeze through it all - the self-image issues, the embarrassment she faced when shopping for clothes, the series of unrequited loves, the rejections on so many levels. She turned it all into a source of humour and laughed it all off, in her characteristically uninhibited style, with a laughter that was silvery yet child-like, and that made her eyes glow and her little nose scrunch up.

But he knew that it must have stung, somewhere beneath the spectacular mask of indifference. Perhaps she did not know it herself, but he saw it.

He saw that while, on the one hand, she chose to channel the hurt into a passionate drive to excel at her studies and be among the best of her profession, rising majestically above all the pettiness, on the other hand, she became blinkered her eyes away from the even the remotest possibility of ever finding love. For in her dictionary, true love' was an idea that novels and movies had romanticized for their self-validation and creative reasons, when it was really just as basic as compatibility and trust. And marriage was really just a convention based on the theory that the sustainability of society depended on the strength and stability of the families that it is composed of.

He saw that she had hidden away a part of herself, lest it be rejected and hurt, and shielded it with irrefutable logic and reason.

Unsurprisingly, though, he had no wish to change the way she was. He, the novelist and poet, was a fervently emotional person with diametrically opposite views, but he enjoyed debating and arguing with her, just as much as he enjoyed the lyrical silences they shared when they spent time together. Despite their differences, she understood and accepted him, and was the best friend he had ever had, the best he could have asked for.

"Vaibhav?" Hansini's voice pulled him away from his musings. She looked quizzical; he had been staring at her.

He shook his head, slightly embarrassed, and his eyes fell on the diamond on her ring finger. It was a symbol of the compromise that they had both made, resigning themselves to what their parents wished for them. They had agreed to marry each other, not out of love, but out of necessity and convenience.

It was necessary for him to settle down, and it was convenient for her to marry the person with whom she was the most compatible, the person who had somehow become her best friend. It was not a commitment, but a friendship pact, really.

But he realized now that he loved her in a way that went beyond friendship. He loved her as he had never loved anybody before. And now, the reason why he wanted to marry her, was that he knew with every fibre of his being, that he needed to spend his life with her. He needed her to argue with him, to care for him, to sulk and be pacified by him, to inspire him, to heal him. He needed her to breathe life into him. He needed to tell her so that she would know just how much she meant to him.

"Can I have your ring back please?" he said, the words leaving him before he had a chance to think them through. Facepalm moment, as his "hip n cool" nephew would say in facebook lingo. If only he had thought it out before, made a proper plan, and known at least where he was going with this. He realized, a little too late, that he had just embarked upon a path of cringeworthy cheesiness, but there really seemed to be no going back.

Hansini was understandably taken aback, "What's wrong?"

"I want to propose to you," he said, feeling his ears redden with embarrassment.

For a minute, she said nothing, and then of course, she burst out laughing. Her laugh was infectious, and soon he was laughing too, albeit nervously. He had often read and even written about becoming a fool in love, and there he was - the perfect embodiment of that archetypal flustered blubbering idiot. Great!

"Vaibhav," she said kindly, once the laughter had died out, "What is it yaar? You seem strange. I can sense something is amiss. Look, we're buddies, right? You can share it with me, and you don't need to be awkward or anything. It's just me."

And that - her being so caring, even in the face of his strange antics, her way of reading his eyes when words would fail him - that, gave him the courage that he perhaps needed at that point. He silently reached for her hand and pulled her away from the deafening buzz of the party, into his bedroom. It had begun to rain outside, heavily, the raindrops dancing with free abandon, pounding across the dark window in the rhythm of his heartbeats.

There was no need for theatrics. It was a moment for truth, plain and simple. The one truth that he was absolutely sure of.

"Hansini, I am in love with you, and I... I just wanted you to know that."

Her eyes widened in surprise and confusion.

"Vibs, you don't need to -" she began, then, as though unsure of what to say next, allowed her voice to trail away into the sound of the rain.

"I do. Trust me, I do. And I am not asking you to reciprocate, I'm just... telling you."

"But... but how?"

She was still trying to piece it all together, searching for some rationality in the emotional chaos of it all.

"How?" he echoed, now confused too.

"I mean, why are you doing this? Please don't. You are just complicating things. Everything was clear and simple, and perfectly logical and predictable between us. I never expected anything from you. I understand everything, and I am cool with it all. I know how you were reluctant about getting married, and I really have no issues. I understand that you are not able to forget... Jessica, and it's... fine."

It had been a long time since Jessica's name had been mentioned by either of them. It had remained a painful topic, even after so many years. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of his heart. But, strangely, even as the now blurry memories materialised before his eyes, he felt that he felt nothing anymore. It was like watching a documentary on some obscure subject - they were just facts that meant nothing at all. The heartbroken, embittered person was another Vaibhav he barely identified with anymore. The dam obstructing all the pain once held captive in his heart had been dislodged, but nothing happened.

All he saw was Hansini, and the unfathomable sense of hurt clouding her usually bright face.

"Do you think I'm still in love with her?" he asked.

There was a long pause before she replied, "yes."

Her answer threw him off, "So why do you think that I'm telling you that I love you?"

She looked away, "I don't know, I - I - look, why are we talking about this? Everyone's at the party, they are going to wonder where we are. And in half an hour's time, it will be midnight. The countdown to the new year will be starting, and they'll be looking for us. Let's just go."

He grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. She looked extremely agitated. He had never seen her like in that state before. She almost looked angry, but there were also tears of desperation beginning to well up in her eyes. Her breath hitched painfully as she tried to stop the treacherous tears from flowing, in vain.

It was an odd feeling. He had never been privy to her vulnerable side before - a part of him felt strangely privileged that she was crying in front of him. He was almost falling in love with the pearl-like emotions glowing on her face. The humanity of it all was somehow heart-warming. And at the same time, he felt uncharacteristically angry that something... someone... perhaps he himself, had hurt her so much. So much, that she wanted to hide away her hurt, even from him, her confidante.

"Hansini, like you said... we're friends, right? What's happening? You have to tell me."

"I don't have to tell you anything. Let go of my arm," she snapped, but the anger in her words was barely reflected in her eyes. Her eyes never lied.

"I won't," he said firmly, but loosening his grip all the same, "Look, I didn't want to upset you. I only wanted to share how I feel. How I truly feel."

"But how can it be true?" she mumbled, as though more to herself than to him.

"Well it is true. And anyway when have I been anything other than completely honest with you? You are the one who is hiding something from me. Please tell me what the matter is."

"I don't know. I just... I feel that you are just being nice, because maybe you feel sorry for me. I mean, friendship and all is okay but this... I don't know."

"What? But why? You are a strong, successful person, you have everything going for you. I respect you for so many reasons. And you have brought so much happiness into my life. When I was a moody and bitter person, you pulled me out of my shell. If anything, I think it is you who must have felt sorry for me. Why on earth would I feel sorry for you? I love you man!"

She said nothing, but the tears continued to flow from her eyes. She made no attempt to stop them, as though they had been suffocating her for a long time.

And then he understood. For years, she had run away from emotions that might have weakened her, and it had happened after all. He saw in her tears that she was not the only one wrought by the insecurities and pain that were only a part of love. Like he had so many times before, he saw then, his own mirror reflection in her anguished eyes. He let go of her arm.

"Hansini," he said softly, "do you know what this is?"

He had grabbed from the bookshelf, a glass star, the last symbol of his erstwhile relationship with Jessica. He clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals.

She froze as she seemed to understand what was about to happen. He wrenched open the window and felt the rain lash against his outstretched arm.

But she grabbed his arm, stopping him, her face betraying fear.

He gently pulled away her hand, and said, "I'm not doing this to prove a point to you. I'm doing it because I should have done it a long time ago. For me. This means nothing anymore. She left me, it's over. It got over a long time ago, but I refused to accept it. But I understand now that my present is much more precious than my past ever was, or could have been."

And with that, he extended the arm containing the glass star. He held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from his hands. In his mind's eye, he watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, he finally felt mended.

There was nothing holding him back anymore.

He looked at Hansini and cupped his hand around her tear-stained cheek, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You've taught me to live again, to find happiness in small things, to hope and dream again. To love."

She threw herself in his arms, sniffling, as she said, breathlessly, "I love you yaar. I love you so much. I have loved you all along, for such a long time."

"I know," he smiled, feeling, as he did so, tears dropping from his own eyes, as he took in the felt her sobbing against his thumping heart. He could not have fathomed that it was possible to feel in one moment, so much happiness, and so much love. He strongly suspected that he was the luckiest man on earth.

"It's so stupid, right?"

Just the typical sort of the thing Hansini would say.

He tenderly pulled himself away from her, and dropped down to his knees, holding his own engagement ring out at her, "Well, since we're being stupid, pray tell me Hansini Talwar, will you marry me?"

"Oh God, you're such an idiot," she laughed.

"I will die without you. Please marry me," he quipped back.

"Stop being filmi! We are getting married next month anyway," she reminded him, barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes.

"So that's a yes?" he said getting up, feigning relief.

"Yes! Should I sing a song about it and dance around your room?"

"Well, duh!"

She punched him on the shoulder, sealing the deal, and for good measure, planted a kiss on his lips.

And thus began a lifetime of banter, laughter, tears, comfort, friendship and love.

UNSPOKEN

Laya switched on the lamp and looked at the small clock by her bedside.

It was 10:30 PM. A whole hour and a half left for the New Year to arrive. Her family had left for a party an hour ago. She had pleaded a headache and gone to bed soon after they left. But sleep was elusive. So much for her glorious plans to sleep through her first New Year as an unattached young woman.

Her first ever.

A funny truth, but the truth nonetheless. That is what happens when your marriage is fixed at birth, and the alliance is broken almost a quarter of a century later over a spat between the families.

Laya sat up in bed and reached for the cell that was lying near the lamp. Lots of messages and calls. Nothing from Rishi. She wanted to switch off the phone and cast it aside but couldn't. She also couldn't stop hoping against hope that Rishi would call her up or at least send her a message. She was prepared to hear him say that he was perfectly happy with the engagement being called off. The words would be hard to bear, but they would help her come out of this absurdly painful stupor and move on with her life. But he hadn't contacted her since the night their fathers had quarrelled. No calls or messages for two whole days.

It was alright. She could move on without his help.

Pushing aside the blanket, Laya slowly got out of bed. It was cold. And was that sound of rain?

Odd. But perfect. Just perfect.

Frustrated and tired, she picked up a thick nightgown from the arm of a nearby chair and quickly tied it around herself.

Laya walked to the compact bookcase in her room. Ignoring the books inside, she looked at a broken glass star that occupied a place of pride on top of the cupboard.

Rishi's first gift to Laya, her sister and friends gushed frequently.

But the truth was that Rishi had not gifted it to her. She had snatched it from him. As a four-year-old, she had seen it in his hands during a party, and had wanted it for herself. Rishi had aggressively defended his treasure, but his parents had forced him to give it to her.

Even though she had repeated that story ad nauseam, the star had acquired a hallowed status in the following years. Her family and friends found it adorable and sweet. When the star had fallen off the bookcase once and shattered into pieces, she'd mended it with tape just to protect their feelings and keep up the pretence of treasuring the star herself.

She could give up that faade now, and get rid of this unpleasant reminder of her spoilt behaviour...and the angry, sullen face of a little boy who had been forced to give in to his parents' wishes...

The occasion was perfect. The last night of the year. Time for a fresh beginning.

She walked to the suddenly blurry outline of the window with the star in her hand.

It seemed as if time stood still yet physically, the clock continued to tick on. The deafening silence brought an onslaught of past memories that were once buried in a deep corner of her heart. She clutched the broken glass star, mended with several strips of clear tape. It was broken but it still came together perfectly, safely securing the memories hidden inside each of the shattered crystals. She held it up to the dark sky, rain pounding on in the background, and let it slip from her hands. She watched it slowly crash down to the wet ground and come apart. The strips of tape could no longer support the broken star but from within, she finally felt mended.

At least a part of her did. The rest of her was being suffocated by unbearable despair.

As hot tears ambushed her eyes, Laya turned away from the window.

*******************

Rishi walked slowly on the lawns that ran along the glass walls of the insanely noisy club in the seven-star hotel. Raucous cheers drew his attention to the partying crowd inside. His exhausted friends were downing drinks at a table. Nearby, a bunch of drunken men were dancing raucously.

He immediately started walking to the doors to re-enter the club, wanting to make sure that Laya wasn't being harassed by anyone. His hand was on the handle of the door when he remembered she wasn't here. He withdrew his hand and slowly spun around to resume his pacing in the quiet garden.

Laya usually celebrated all occasions with her family. But this time he had tentatively suggested that they should welcome the New Year together, and after consulting her conservative parents, she had agreed. Their first New Year as a couple. It was supposed to be a positive beginning to a year that was going to be full of celebrations, with the engagement in February and marriage in July.

But she wasn't with him to welcome 2015. And she wasn't in his life either.

Strange how wishes took their own sweet time to come true.

How many times had he fought with his parents over the betrothal...

They couldn't understand why he had a problem with their decision. Laya was a beautiful, soft-spoken and well-mannered girl, his parents had chanted. Yes, she was a little shy and quiet. But those were endearing qualities. Laya was perfect for him, they insisted.

He, meanwhile, couldn't believe they had arranged his marriage when he was two and Laya was a newborn. That ludicrous decision had not affected them much when they were children. In fact, Laya had been one of his best friends until he was about eleven. Then stupid jokes and relentless teasing by friends and acquaintances had started, and due to mortification and resentment, he had avoided Laya as much as possible in their teens, going to the extent of ignoring her point-blank at functions and parties. Thankfully, they had gone to different schools and colleges...

With time, he had learnt to deal with the issue in a less hostile manner. He'd even rekindled his friendship with Laya when he had run into her at a wedding some years ago. She was as reticent as before, but their old kinship had helped him to break the ice. And he'd soon gotten his lovable and warm childhood friend back. Sweet and intelligent Laya who was happiest in the company of her family, friends and books.

But the pleasure he found in her company had not changed his opposition to the marriage alliance. As part of that rebellion, he had dated freely and frequently. But most of the females had seemed frivolous and self-obsessed. The ones who'd been attractive and normal too had failed to sustain his interest for long. The breakups were rarely difficult, because he had not gotten physically involved with any of them.

He had finally given up on the dating game a year ago. It was less of a calculated decision, and more the result of a sudden epiphany.

It had struck him one day that he was looking for strangely specific qualities in all of them.

**************************

Wrapped in a shawl, Laya absentmindedly settled back in the lounge chair in the manicured lawn, keeping her phone on a nearby stand. The unseasonal drizzle had stopped, leaving behind the delicious smell of damp earth. Soft, golden light from a bulb fixed on top of the backdoor offered adequate illumination.

Laya looked up at the sky. It was a moonless night. But fireworks would brighten up the heavens shortly.

Fireworks had been planned for their engagement ceremony too, Laya thought bleakly. Her over-enthused sister and brother had joined hands with Rishi's sister to plan the event that was set into motion a year ago.

A year ago, Laya remembered absently while tugging the folds of the shawl to cover her cold toes. Last December, Rishi had called up to ask her out.

His call had caused a mini tornado of delight and anxiety in her uncomplicated world. He'd been her best buddy once, and it had hurt terribly when he had severed the friendship. But when he had extended a friendly hand some time back, happiness had thrown all negative emotions out of the window. She knew he wasn't interested in marrying her, but that knowledge had not mattered much. It was true that a teeny tiny bit of her heart had always believed she would be Rishi's wife some day, and that was probably the sole reason she was not attracted to anyone else. But she'd felt glad just to have him back in her life as a friend.

And then he had called her up, asking her out on a lunch date.

Their first date was awkward. Then the frequency of phone calls and meetings had gradually increased. And as the weeks passed, it had actually become a part of her life to talk to Rishi everyday. Friendly meetings at coffee shops and lunch and dinner dates became a norm. Her family too had felt delighted at the swiftness with which she had become comfortable with Rishi, given her reticent nature.

Bit by bit, she'd discovered more about - and fallen madly in love with - the grown-up Rishi. Caring, intelligent and responsible Rishi. Honest but not insensitive. Late riser and a tad too obsessed with sports like all the other guys in his friend circle. Slightly stubborn and hot-headed. His bad moods, however, never lasted for more than a day.

He was protective without being intrusive.

She loved the gentle way he held her hand when they were together, and the enigmatic flash in his eyes that made her feel warm and breathless...

Recently, they had also started shopping together for clothes and gifts, Laya recalled, smiling involuntarily. It had surprised her to find their tastes usually matched. He usually liked whatever she picked out for him. And she felt happier on purchasing clothes that had his approval as well.

And Rishi's sense of humour...

She rarely managed to stop smiling and laughing when she was with him..

**************************

He'd found her smile irresistible even during his rebellious phase, Rishi mulled as he drove past vibrantly lit up buildings, malls and bungalows on the chilly night. It caused a cute dimple on her right cheek. He wanted to kiss it each time he saw her smile.

He'd wanted to kiss her many times in the past few months.

But he had held back every single time, not wishing to startle the girl who blushed when he reached for her hand. And he'd been so confident that he had ample time to make her feel more at ease... So confident that he had not discussed their engagement or marriage. It had not seemed necessary.

He had believed their togetherness was predestined.

A world in which Laya was not with him was a world that did not exist.

****************************

The phone beside Laya kept buzzing but she didn't look at the instrument. In all probability, they were more cheer up' messages from her friends, who had taken it upon themselves to convince her that it was all for the good. A world filled with better looking, hotter, more eligible young men was apparently awaiting her.

She didn't have the courage to tell them what she hadn't revealed to Rishi. That she was madly in love with..

"Hey."

Laya jerked upright in the chair, looking to her left. The shawl slipped from her slender frame as she stood up quickly and faced the tall man standing a few feet away.

She looked at Rishi wordlessly, speechless with shock. And a powerful surge of delirious happiness.

He was really here. This was the first time he had visited her so late in the night. Was he drunk? He couldn't be. Rishi was a social drinker, but he never took more than two drinks regardless of peer pressure.

Trying not to run to him or cry or humiliate herself in any way before knowing the purpose of his visit, she unsteadily asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Your sister told me you'd not gone with your parents," he muttered. "And the maid said you were sitting here alone..." he paused, struggling to dissect her expression just like he had battled to figure out the "how?", "where?" and "what?" of his plan of action.

Every idea had felt like a more ridiculous version of the previous one. He could have waited until tomorrow. Except that he couldn't...he really couldn't...

Taking a deep breath, Rishi walked towards her slowly, and stopped at an arm's distance.

"I stole it at a party," he confessed, extending his hand. "The police are hunting for me right now."

With a shaky laugh and trembling fingers, Laya took the shiny object on his palm and then looked at it silently.

It was a glitzy decorative glass star, quite similar to the one she had broken a short while ago. She had told him the amusing legends surrounding his "first gift" during one of their dates, Laya recalled abruptly. They had laughed so much about it...

"I want you to keep this one," Rishi said intently. "You can have it in writing if you wish."

Laya moved her head slightly to allow a lush lock of hair hide her tear-stained face from the light. He had bought many costly gifts for her in the past year. But this small piece of glass more precious than all of them put together.

She was still gazing at the star when it was plucked from her hands and lightly thrown onto the short, round stand. Laya looked up at Rishi questioningly.

He moved closer and hugged her tightly.

It was an almost bone-crushing embrace that made it difficult for her to breathe without being hurt.

It was also a miraculous cure for the agonised fears that had tortured her for the longest two days of her life. Not just her heart...her very soul was rejoicing...

She clung to him in desperation, crying silently.

He relaxed his grip on her after a long time, and looked at her for a moment. She closed her eyes as he bent and pressed his lips tenderly against hers.

Roaring, jubilant cheers instantly rent the atmosphere in all corners of the world.

Fireworks exploded in the sky, sparking off a breathtaking fiesta of light in the heavens.

The sights and sounds, however, were lost on Rishi and Laya.

They also didn't know that many kilometres away, an emotional Shailendra Lodha was exchanging heartfelt apologies with his best friend and would-be relative...

And across the globe, billions of people were raising their glasses to toast the arrival of a magnificent new year... unknowingly celebrating the most special and beautiful moment in the lives of two people who were destined to spend their lives together in a passionate and loving companionship.

The sparkling radiance from the skies was reflected in the small star that was the sole witness to an unforgettable re-union. Each spark of light was captured in a crystal, immortalising beautiful memories that would live on forever...

MENDED

"It's always good to seal the deal with a kiss." She said, winking at him. And then they kissed. He swirled her around, both laughing loudly while the fireworks witnessed yet another new beginning.