This OS is dedicated to the sweetest, loveliest & wisest person I met on IF - Vandana.Sagar aka Mommy😊
Happy Birthday Mommy 😃 You are the best, bas! A chotu sa OS...😳
Banner credit - ...Gunjan...
OS : Day Of Love
Khushi chill, its just your new favorite Aviator scooty. You need to get your lazy ass seated on it, for there's a long one hour journey awaiting you,' she encouraged herself. Putting on her helmet, she sat on her scooty and started it with the help of power start, chanting Devi Maiyya's name all the while.
The road was empty except for few bikes and cars; all were probably going to attend some New Year Eve's party or the other, like the one she was going to. She wondered, why her car had to get punctured just the day before? Why did the transport strike had to happen today, on New Year's Eve? Lost in her own thoughts, she probably didn't notice the giant man walking ahead of her, and almost lost her balance when she was close enough to hit him, resulting in her scooty falling down over her.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Only this was left to happen now. How will I reach the party on time? Oh Anjali di! Why were you born today 30 years back? Couldn't it have been any other normal day? Argh!' She tried getting up, but in vain. The sound of someone's footsteps made her look ahead, and she saw the same giant man whose front view was damn good, given the handsome facial features he had. Picking up the scooty lying above her, he extended his hand, which she reluctantly accepted, making him pull her up towards himself, resulting her in crashing directly on his chest. It took her sometime to regain her composure, for she'd never been this close to a guy and the kind of things it did to her stomach were definitely not normal. No Khushi, you cannot feel such things about some stranger.' Not when she was already committed to someone. She moved herself away from him, and hopped on her scooty not giving him a second glance.
Starting off her scooty again, she drove some distance only to loose her balance again, but this time she didn't fall as that stranger was by her side, which definitely surprised her. So fast? Is he a Vampire?' She mused.
"Seems you don't know the basics of driving a two-wheeler..." she heard the stranger say, in his sexy-brit accent smirking at her, which only made her knees wobbly.
"EXCUSE ME?"
"Nothing... just leave it I actually...err...need a lift" he asked hesitatingly, looking carefully at her, hoping all the while to get a positive answer.
"Oh yeah, after you've insulted my driving skills?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him, who seemed to be amused by that particular action of hers.
"Well, even you know how well you drive. Because of this transport strike, I couldn't get a vehicle and I've been walking since a long time. But the place I have to reach is still 5km away from here and I definitely can't afford to reach there looking all tired. So, I am politely requesting you to give me a lift, of course you have the power to refuse. But anyways..."
That puppy dog look on his face, reminded her of something or rather someone... her old school friend who used to do the same when he wanted to get his way. If I agree for the lift, then I will ask him to drive me till there and then I'll even reach in time, but sharing a seat with him on this scooty, will it be a good idea?'
"So what've you thought miss? See if you don't want to give me a lift, then its fine. I will walk anyways"
"No! Wait... But you'll have to drive me to my destination first."
"Well where are you going? And I would do so even if you hadn't asked me to, because I don't like girls driving me to some place."
"Firstly, what's wrong if a girl drives you to some place? Secondly, I need to reach Janki ground. Its nearby..."
"I know, I know where it is. I too need to reach there. Anjali's birthday & New Year's Eve celebration yeah? And as for your first question, I do not want to rely on their driving skills."
"You know her? I've never seen you around since the time I've known her. Uh-huh, don't show me this highhanded attitude of yours. I will be driving then."
"We want to reach there, alive! And yeah, I know her. She's fa..."
"I will drive and that's final. Hop on if you want to come."
"Fine! Fine! But I really don't think its such a good idea, so let's decide on a truce?"
"What truce?"
"You drive and I'll help you."
"And how will that possibly happen?" she asked, confused at his suggestion. Never in her life had she chatted for so long with a mere stranger. So now she was herself surprised at the fact that how easy she was conversing with this guy, whose presence was doing strange things to her stomach and her heart.
"You first hop on and then I'll tell you" he instructed her, which she followed and sat on her scooty's seat. He sat behind her & brought his hands on hers, which were on the handle, sending shivers down her spine. Moving his mouth near to her ear, he whispered...
"Since you don't look like the one who'd ever practiced on a two-wheeler, this is how I am going help you balance."
A similar memory fleeted across her mind.
'Anny, I will fall. No... no! I don't want to learn riding bicycle. I will get hurt' A young 6-year-old Khushi, screamed in her baby voice, sitting on her new big bicycle. It had chains and steel rods, in which if her leg accidentally got stuck, it will leave a huge scar, her Jiji Payal had once told her.
'Sshh, Barbie. I know it looks scary but once you learn to balance, you'll definitely not fall. You trust me right?' Her 8-year-old friend Arnav asked her, who'd been insisting her to learn riding a bicycle since few months now. It was summer vacation time, and so after taking Khushi's parent's permission, they got her a new bicycle, which actually was small, but for little Khushi... it was no less then a giant leg eating monster, the way her Jiji referred to it since the time she'd got hurt.
Bobbing her head in acceptance, which made him smile, she held the handle as he instructed.
'Ok now, I will go behind you and hold the back of the seat, while you paddle in a circular motion ok? Don't worry, I'll be right behind you' he instructed the rest, to which she nodded reluctantly.
Ok, ready Khushi? 1... 2... 3... Gooo!' Arnav enthusiastically cheered up for her, to which Khushi started paddling in the empty ground, except for them and few grass cutting workers. Paddling all the way and still balancing the cycle perfectly, she felt the tension easing from her mind.
Yeah Arnav, I did it. Its so easy...yeah' she squealed, and when she didn't get a reply, looked back and realized that Arnav was standing far away from her, waving happily. An instant fear gripped her mind, and before she knew she had already run into one of those workers, and fell off from her bicycle.
Arnav came running to Khushi, who was still on the ground now, crying and apologizing for the hit. The man smiled at the child's innocence and said it was ok, before leaving.
Arnav, I am not going to drive this monster again, never ever...' she said adamantly, to which Arnav gave her a, 'we'll see later look'... made her stand up and both walked back together.
The horn of the scooty brought her back to the present. Embarrassed for getting lost, she didn't look back at him.
"You know, you resemble to of a friend of mine... childhood sweetheart to be precise." the man said with a smile on his face as if remembering her.
"Try this line on someone else. Come on, now let's move outta here" Khushi said in an annoyed voice at the one-liner used by this stranger.
Starting off the scooty again, their journey to the party ground started. His arms enclosing hers, making her stomach do salsa, somersaults and what not, his breath caressing her ears every time he instructed her to move left or right and his masculine scent creating havoc on her senses! This guy completely unsettled her, she thought. Hey Devi Maiyya! Khushi, don't think of any other guy when you know whom you're in love with. Shubh shubh soch!' she scolded herself mentally & concentrated on the road ahead.
"Wow, we are finally here, alive and on time" the man said, as he got down of the scooty followed by Khushi.
"That was a nice journey, I surely enjoyed it. Thanks for the ride." he thanked her and bidding her a goodbye, went inside the party ground.
Thank god this ride got over! Now I am sure I won't get such unholy thoughts. Anyways, I better move in' thinking so, she walked inside the ground.
"Eeeks, Khushi... wow, you are looking gorgeous. I am sure he'll be flat today after seeing you" Anjali teased Khushi about her woh', to which she blushed.
"Happy Birthday Di" Khushi wished her, by hugging her tight one returned back.
"So you met him?" Anjali asked, while walking with Khushi around the ground. She was waiting for her fiance to show up and start the party.
"Di, we are meeting after so many years... so I don't know how he looks. Neither I know his voice. So how will I.."
"Oh yeah I forgot your theory. So shall I tell you who's he or you will find it out by yourself?"
"No Di, I will figure it out myself. I have this pending challenge you see." Wishing her all the best, Anjali walked towards the entrance as her fiance had arrived, leaving Khushi with her own thoughts and old memories.
"Barbie doll, but I really really like you. I know you do too" a 18-year-old Arnav confessed to Khushi also convincing her, for he'd waited quite sometime for her.
"Arnav, I like you... I do. Ok, I confessed, happy? But I don't want to be on your girlfriend's list, I want to be your last one, if not the first."
"And what makes you think that you won't last forever?"
"Your behavior, flirty nature...I don't know how to trust you Arnav."
"Okay, then lets make this deal."
"What?"
"I am leaving for states soon. And I'll return after 5-6 years or maybe more than that. So let's stop all our communication, phone calls, facebooking and everything and then lets see if we remember each other... when we meet after years. And if we do remember, the smallest details about the other, we'll marry each other, ok?"
Khushi smiled at this gesture of Arnav, and nodded her head. Sharing a parting hug with him, she saw him walk away from her... only in distance but not from her heart, she knew he'd stay there forever.
Coming back to the present, she scanned the whole ground and found none who had the same character traits as he'd. Except for...no don't think about the person who gave you unholy thoughts. Wait! Her mind said, and she put the two and two together. He had Brit accent, which meant he had studied in foreign for some years. His smile also looked familiar, his nearness causing her stomach to flip and her heart instantly picking up its pace. So does that means? Oh shit! She exclaimed and was about to go on a search for him, when a familiar voice called her out.
"Missing me Barbie doll?"
She turned to find the same man, no scratch that, her Arnav standing and smirking at her.
"I.."
"I won," he stated, to which she pouted.
"You know, you look so cute while pouting." He winked at her, making her blush and started taking steps towards her.
"How did you find me out?" she asked, confused as to why she couldn't recognize, and stepped backwards in the typical ArHi fashion.
"Well, when I saw you on the street falling down from scooty, I was instantly reminded of the young Khushi who had once fallen like that, while learning bicycle. And then, the way my heart paced in your proximity and how you effected me, I knew it was you. Only you have the power to drive me crazy" By now had reached her, who was standing on a corner.
"Khushi, don't you think its high time that you start stepping ahead with me, rather than backing from me?" he asked, to which she just hugged him tight, overwhelmed by his love for her and also the pent up feelings she had for him since last 9 years.
"I love you Barbie doll," he whispered in her ears and she smiled before replying...
"I love you too."
Breaking the hug, for they knew it was a public place; they regained their composure... happiness emanating from their faces.
"Well doll, I got a gift for you... actually for us" Arnav said and checked his pocket for something. After a while, he took out a Velvet box.
"This is our day... our day of love. So to celebrate it, I got us platinum love bands," he said grinning at her boyishly, the way one does after gifting their first crush something special.
Khushi was rendered speechless. Words didn't come out of her mouth; instead she placed a peck on his cheek, thanking him for the beautiful gift. After exchanging the love bands, their attention was taken by the fireworks in the sky. Where people were busy celebrating New Year, these love birds were celebrating their day of love..
P.S. If you guys find any error, go and kick Mints23 😛
P.P.S I did a blunder earlier, mentioning that arnav's age was 20 meaning khushi's age was 17. 😳 Khushi's was 16 and arnav's was 18 😃. And please assume that they changed a lot in these years?😳
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