"Strange Attractions of Love"
Prologue
September 2007, 5pm
A girl is walking by on the streets of London. Ding-Dong. The girl presses her hands over ears as if the noise is poison or pollution. The Big Ben. Always rings loud. "5pm" whispered the girl. "Uff, phirse dhir" she muttered under her breath. She never liked wasting time. That was her. "Mamma aur Anjum ka kya hoga…yaar Anjali..aaj itne dhir"? She takes her key out and puts it in the lock and turns it in and opens the door and walks in. she takes off her hat and lets the long curly black hair fall and remain scattered on her delicate shoulders. She takes off her coat and hangs it by the door. Another girl who is about Anjali's age and looked just like her, only her eyes were more deep with kajal and her beauty was adorned with jewellery. "Anjali!" screamed her sister. "I'm a dead duck" she muttered again. Her sister won't spare her this time. "Ok…ok…I'm sorry..today I was late but next time..i won't happen" she expressed with total honesty, for her..nothing was precious more than time and her family. "Kya hai beta..why are you shouting at her?" – a calm tone from an elder woman roughly between the ages of 40-50. "Look ma, she's late again…this is.." said Anjum. "Look, I said I'm sorry…waise I worked double hours this time and I got bonus money" she said with a joy in her voice as she held out the money in her outstretched hand. "Oh Anjali, well done" Anjum gasped, as she grabbed her sister into a huge hug. "Right, one minute you are shouting and the next..you are pleased with me" Anjali says. "Hey, I don't really mean that", she said with sincerity in her voice. "Of course not, smiled Anjali and Anjum returned the smile. Their mother looked at her daughters with pride. "Ok, jaldi se change karo so we can eat, ok?" "Ok," said Anjali as she rushed up to change.
Life was tough for her. She passed through the lonely hall as she passed by a garlanded portrait – she stopped to glance at it. Tears started to flow from her light brown eyes, as she remembered her father. "I miss you, papa" she said with the crack in her voice. She couldn't forget that day when her dad died. When her and Anjum were just 5 years old and the police came. Anjali closed her eyes. "My dad died in a car accident" she says as she wrote in her black diary. Her black diary had all the confidential secrets she kept to herself. Some things she only wanted to herself, not even to her mum or Anjum. "He had to buy a present for a friend's wedding…it was a vase. That stupid vase mum says. Our lives were never the same again. Mum had to work overtime to make sure that we were all well-fed. She used to cry during the nights, missing papa. She thinks me and Anjum don't know, but we do and we always cried too". She closed her black diary and put it in her draw which always had a lock. Anjali then closed her eyes and began to dream. She was dressed in a white sari and looking around, looking lost and unable to find a way. Just then a young man…it was a guy…she could always tell by his scent. That beautiful scent. Those wonderful hands felt nice, when they covered her eyes. Her hands touched his and pulled them away and turned around to look at him…and then…..
"KAVYA"!!!!!!!
The young seventeen year-old woke from his beauty sleep and was face-to-face with his angry mother. Kavya Nanda, a charming yet lazy man the world has ever known. "Kavya Nanda, if you don't mind, dinner is ready..so please" she folded her hands in anger "please come and eat". "Oh..oh…moaned Kavya, he always hated being disturbed from those dreams. Girls. That's what he would dream of. "Sweet, gorgeous, nave (he heavily implied on often) girls" he said with that naughty charm in his voice. The film "Chalte Chalte" was nearly finished. He grabbed the remote and turned the TV and DVD player off. He had those in his room..his parents had loved him and showered their affection on him, for he was their only child. He lied back on the bed and turned to the right where he was facing with a poster of Rani Mukherjee, whom he "loved". "Lookin' good, huh Rani" he winked with the mischievous glint in his eyes. He closed his eyes..he so badly wanted to see that girl, that girl with the light brown hair..then…"KAVYA NANDA"!!!!
"Uff, I'm coming…I'm coming" he moaned again with anger in his tone. He never was able to finish seeing that dream, never able to see who that girl was. "Hmm..at least I know she's brunette" he smiled at the thought of her long beautiful brown hair.
Same day, 7pm
The Vasudev household. Mr and Mrs Vasudev enter the house. "Bhoomika"!! they shouted out. At once, a nineteen year-old girl with plaited hair and beautifully-embroided shalwar kameez adorned her came out of her room and ran down the stairs. "Yes mother"? she asked with the stern politeness in her voice. "Beta, we are back and is the house all clean"? they asked. Bhoomika smiles and promises that she has done as they have requested. "Erm, Mama, can I ask you something?" she asked hesitantly, the single bit of paper in her hand was soft with sweat from her hands. "What is the matter" her father asked. Bhoomika passed the paper from her hand to her parents. Her parents read it and are shocked. "What?" they exclaim with the high tone of their voice. "You want to study further" they shouted. "Yes" Bhoomika said. "Please" she begged with the innocent puppy-dog eyes. Her father took a minute studying the paper, a offer from Cambride University. "Hmm", he said.."No" and threw the paper on the floor as he and his wife walked in the living room, a expensive room and a expensive house. "Oi, yeh baat hui" said Bhoomi with the anger in his voice. It was always anger, althought she never let it seem like that. "Keshav study kar sakta hai, phir main kyun nahin" she said, forming her argument. "Keshav is a boy, that's why" her father explained. "So I can't study because I'm a girl" said Bhoomi. "Yes", her mother heavily implied on. "But mama, why not"? "Because in our family, daughters should never know more than what their husbands know" her mother shouted out. Bhoomi's eyes widened. What? What kind of a rule was that? She couldn't believe that. Her mother was educated. Had a BA degree in Hair and Beauty. "But you were allowed" Bhoomi reminded her. Her mother realised her daughter had outnumbered her with those words. "Erm…erm…that was my parents' choice". "Please, mama, I won't do anything that will cause our family name to be ruined..i promise you" she said with her heart placed on her heart. "Listen" she asked her husband. Both sat down and were whispering in low voices with each other. After a while, both of her parents went upto her. "Bhoomika, ok..you can go to Cambridge". Bhoomi's eyes were opened up with joy. "Yes" she cried with joy. "But, don't do anything as such that will cause our family to be ruined". "Yes sir" she said as saluted her parents with the typical sense of humour she always had. "Ok, I need to pack my things as I will have to move out". Her parents excused her. Bhoomi quickly runs up to her room and dances with happiness. She got her suitcase out and opened it and started packing all her clothes in. just then, the phone rang in….
"Hello", the young nine-teen year-old boy said. "Hey Arjun, how are you, man"? "I'm fit and good as usual, Arjun replied. He always had that positive tone…sweet boy everyone called him…never ever lost his temper. "But Arjun, guess what?", his friend said. His childhood friend, whom he never fought with. "What", he asked with curiosity in his voice. "I'm going to office tomorrow..first day..I can't wait" his friend said with joy being expressed in his voice. "Wow, yaar, well done, after all university is finished for you, huh?" he replied. "Yah, and tumhare liye it is starting, haina?" he teased him. He always did that. Friends always did. "Oh yeah, it's gonna be stressful, what was it like for you" he asked. "Oh, don't worry, you'll be fine" he assured him. "Thanks yaar" he smiled as he did.
"Sujal"!!! a female voice shouted out, and Arjun's friend begged apology. "Sorry man, gotta go, mum's calling me" he explained and said goodbyes and put down the phone.
Arjun put down the phone and finished putting in the final pieces and closed his suitcase. And then went down. Arjun. Arjun. Arjun. He turned around but no-one was there. It wasn't his mum. The voice didn't seem like hers. And his sister would never do that. She always worshipped Arjun, her elder brother. It was a sign. He knew. From Him. Arjun looked up and smiled. "So when is she gonna come in front of me" he asked as he looked above. "Sooner or later, you will have to tell me" he said. "But I prefer sooner" he smiled. And then went downstairs, unaware of the future events ahead.
Shakuntala Goenka placed the plates on the dining table. "Uff, Arjun, there you are, jaldi karo..have your dinner" she said. "Ok" as he sat down with the same usual charming smile.
Same day, 10pm
"Enough, I can't eat anymore" the 22 year-old Sujal said, gasping as if he couldn't breathe. Veena Garewal grabbed the dish and took the spoon and added another shipload of chicken curry to his plate. "Eat…now"!!! she said, with the strict firmness in her voice. Sujal looked up at his mother and then at the plate. "Erm…no," he said as he rushed upto his room and lied down on his bed. "Uff, mum makes me eat so much" he gasped once again for breath. On his desk, the things he needed for office are placed neatly and carefully. His mobile phone, his new watch, and his new pen-in-a-box, a new diary planner and a new briefcase and so on. Sujal thought about office and shuddered. Although he never shown it to the world, he had a constant fear of new things. "It'll be all right" he said to himself, reassuring that the first day will be terrific. He got up and changed from his shirt and trousers to an old T-Shirt and old jeans and lied down on his bed and pulled the covers over his face, thinking about his dreams he has, dreams he thought he would never get.
The song "Thora sa pyar hua hai" is running through his head with him dressed in a white shirt and black trousers standing, feeling the wind touching him. He always loved that feeling. Suddenly, a red cloth flows over his face. A touch of radiant and soft skin meets his, he grabs her hand. The girl stops as if that was not expected. Sujal slowly moves up towards her and places his arms around her waist. Slowly, slowly he whispers in her ear, "Kabh…kabh milenge"?. The girl moves away from him without showing her face and still facing the same direction and says in her soft voice "Phir Milenge". "But when", he asks her. The girl lets out a small giggle and runs off. Sujal turns back and places his hands behind his head. The girl dressed in the red sari leans back against a tree. "Kaash main bhi tumhara chehra dekhthi" she whispers. "Kabh Milenge" repeating the same words. A male voice saying "Phir Milenge"…
A twenty-two year-old girl wakes up from her sleep. Dressed in a light blue pyjamas and her black hair scattered all over her shoulders with her forehead shining with sweat. "What was that dream", she asks herself. She slowly climbs out of bed and goes to her dressing table, where she helps herself to a glass of water and breathes deeply and sits down and thinks about it and smiles. She goes to the bathroom and switches on the light and places the towel on the shelf. She opens the tap and washes her face to rid of all the sweat. She did it with cold water. She liked cold water. She grabs her towel and dries her face. She looks up in the mirror only to see not her reflection, at least not the exact but herself dressed in a red sari, like the one in the dream. In the mirror was a young man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers with his back towards the real girl. The girl blinks and the mirror is empty except for her reflection staring back at her. She playfully taps her temple and smiles to herself "This is too much Kashish Sinha…dreams are only dreams…only in fairy-tales". She goes back to her room, and finishes off the glass with water in it and looks at her mobile which includes "1 new message". "Message" she whispers to herself and unlocks her phone and reads the message:
"Hey Kashish…sirf yeh message tha ki I miss you and I will be back too soon and take care of yourself and remember…I love you..Love Piyush xxx"
"Hmph" murmured Kashish.."come back too soon" she repeated.."he means too late" she smiled but a smile of disappointment. "When are you coming back" said Kashish..I missed you.. she whispers.
The Next Day…7:30 am
The inside of the church was decorated with flowers and ribbons. A beautiful bride walks down the aisle and stands opposite her groom. A young man dressed in a black suit. The two being pronounced man and wife. The young man picks up the veil of his bride and then the alarm clock begins to ring…the young man drops the veil and wakes up in his bed and looks at the clock. "Oh..7:30am.." he groaned under his breath. He reached out and pressed "snooze" and went back to sleeping and dreaming of his bride. He was back there…his hands reaching to pick up the veil and lifted it slowly and saw her blonde curls sitting on her shoulders..suddenly a voice shouted out: "Mr. David John Tennant..get down here right now"!!!
David woke up at the reprimand of his mother and groaned. Just then the five minutes were up and the alarm started to ring again. "Oh, shut up, you?" he muttered as he turned it off. He remained in his bed, thinking of that mysterious girl in front of him. Reluctantly, he got out of bed and went in the shower. Coming out of the shower, he got dressed in blue jeans, white T-Shirt, brown shoes, with his watch strapped around his left wrist and his hair styled up as always.
He came running downstairs and sat down for breakfast. Mrs Tennant gave him the "Finally, you're here" kind of look. "Morning, mum" he smiled. "Mum is not too pleased with your behaviour" his sister teased him. It wasn't good being the youngest. His sister teasing him all the time, if only he was older. "Well, I suppose me and mum will sort it out, he said in his usual Scottish accent. "What took you so long", his mum asked. "Nothing, the shower and getting dressed and there was the…dream" he mentioned, although he did not know why he did. "Dream? What dream? Tell us", his dad asked. "I dreamt I was…" he stopped, unaware of what their reactions would be. "I had a dream that I was getting married" he said it..quickly. his mother gasped with happiness, his father giving the surprised look and his sister choking on her drink. For David, that was the most pleasant sight. "Honestly, you got married in your dream" his sister said with a cry of disgust in her voice. "Yep, I did" he smiled, knowing that such news did not often impress her. "Who was she" asked his mother who was excited and ecstatic with this sign. "Well, if you didn't call me, then I would have seen her" he said. His mother sighed. "But she was blonde" he blushed. "Blonde" his sister laughed. "Yes, and now if you don't mind, I have got errands to run" said David, as he pulled on his jacket and went outside. The warm breeze outside brushed against his cheeks. David sighed. "Where are you…I wish you were in front of me now…I wish…where are you" he asked constantly.
Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? The words came travelling banging in the ears of a twenty year-old woman asleep in bed. Her second year of university was going to start much later, so a bit of chilling out time there. Her long blonde hair was misplaced all over the pillows. Her fingers curled up as if holding a flag. Suddenly, she found herself sitting in the park on a bench. Feeling the cold wind against her, she hugs herself to keep warm. Just then, she can feel somebody else's arms embracing her, protecting her from the cold. His head next to hers resting on her shoulder. As he spoke, hs warm breath tickled her skin. From the corner of her eye, she can see his light brown hair shining. She smiled and closes her eyes, admiring the idea and place where she was. In her Prince Charming's arms. "I need to look at you", he whispers to her. "I wish you were here with me" he whispers again. "Me too", as she turned to look, the alarm clock rings.
The blonde girl wakes up. Again. Again. Again. This always happened. In anger, she slammed the button on the alarm clock to shut it off. In the distance, she could hear screaming noises of the children. She sighs.
"Billie"? a voice called out to her. Billie sighed again. "I need to take the kids to school..can you help me please?" her mother begged. Billie reluctantly got up from her bed and went to the bathroom and started to brush her teeth and washed her face and dried it up. She walks over to her wardrobe and takes out a pair of jeans, pink shirt and red jumper and white trainers and gets dressed. She ties her hair up in a ponytail. Her mother preferred it that way.
She walks downstairs and helps the kids get dressed. She had a sister who was in Year 4, a brother in reception and another sister in Year 3. her mother already ahd the packed lunches ready and Billie handed the bags and lunches out to all of them. "Ok..you all are ready..ok go on now" she happily waved them off. Her mother said bye and left with the kids. The door closed. Billie looked inside the room. It was a mess. Crisps packets all over the floor and coke cans and juice cartons. She picked them all up and threw them in the bin. There were hardly any dishes, so the few ones left were washed up easily. The laundry was all ready, so she went outside to hang it up. She shuddered when the wind touched her. How she longed for that man to come back and put his arms around her. Where are you. She heard those words again. She looked up at the sky, wondering whether this was a sign. After all, she believed that everyone everywhere was made for someone. Even she believed that she was made for someone and someone for her. Could this be it? Could the wait of finding her destined one be finally over? She sighed. And wished it was true.
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
Cricket
