Today our dearest Lashy's Birthday!!! Jahnu's OS Updated 17/03/2016

Well as usual I'm back with another Birthday thread. 😆 Okay let's come to the topic now!

I tried some musings on our favorite NJAPA just for you... Hope you like it. 😳

On behalf of Deeps..

Dear Shraddha...

Birthday is the time of celebration; I hope you have a wonderful day with loads of love and surprises. May your birthday gives you the best memories till the next one, may you have success waiting ahead!!

This is my crazy imagination going overboard. Just thought if Jodha and Jalal were to be in London. Hmmm... They will meet in a different circumstance. Here is one crazy circumstance. Hope you like it Lash! J

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Just about a passionate entourage!!

"Hmm... Spring is here, spring is here

A new awakening as sprouts spring.

A sure smile it will bring

As clouds shed their grey armour

The sun shines with great ardour

Lovely days, lovely days

Are coming our way" - hummed Jodha, as she stretched her lazy limbs as she awoke one morning in March. The city of London was beginning to thaw from the icy cold winds and 50 shades of grey clouds that had gripped the city well over 4 months. With every passing day in March, one could see small green sprouts on some shrubs and on some trees. The sun was setting a little later than before. Eventually, the days will be longer than the dark grey evenings and nights, thought every soul living and working in London. Jodha was no exception. She was a student at the famous London school of Fashion Designing. She had earned a scholarship to master her art in jewellery making. She was passionate about creating original designs and also utilising local sustainable materials. She lived in shared accommodation with another student during the week and at weekends visited her cousin Padmini who lived a little away in Kent. She missed her family at lot who lived in Jaipur. She is the daughter of a renowned jeweller Mr. Manik Lal Sharma and his wife Meena. Jodha have one elder sister Aarti who is happily married and a younger brother Veer who have just started his pre-university in Jaipur. They were a close knit family and enjoyed celebrating festivals together and going out together. Since Jodha has been in London these last 6 months, she has never missed visiting her cousin in Kent. She looked forward to her time with Padmini and her family. It reminded her of her family and she cherished those fond memories.

It was a Saturday morning and as she got up, Jodha switched on the radio to ease her laziness. The radio always felt like a person speaking to her. Her roommate Jasmin who was also a student of fashion was more passionate about sleeping in the morning than in the night. She was a party animal unlike Jodha. J & J they called themselves in the university. They were always seen together outside of class, at the gym, at the shops etc. The only place they were not together was when Jasmin went partying on the weekends with her brother's friends and some of her other party friends. She loved dancing and disco. And there were loads of places to go to quench her thirst for dancing. Jasmin had no fear of being lost or being messed with the wrong kind. Her bro, as she calls him was a workaholic living very much in London. He was an entrepreneur expanding their father's business in the UK. Their parents and the youngest sibling Aman lived in New Delhi where his father's business was established. They were into hotel management, telecommunications and export of cotton garments. At a young age of 26 he was a force to reckon. Although he was rich enough to accommodate his sister in a better place or even stay with him, he had strictly advised Jasmin to live in a shared accommodation to experience life and to learn to adjust to circumstances. But on the weekends, he ended up pampering her or making sure she is safe with his friends who also enjoyed dancing to foot tapping music. Jasmin's bro was Jalal Khan. His passion was vintage cars and Harley Davidson motorbikes. He spent weekends together fiddling with an old model which he bought off from an auction and fixing it until it was fit for a ride. He loved to take his girlfriend' as his best friend teased him with his bike, on a whirlwind of a ride. It gave him the thrills and most happiness as compared to dancing like some others enjoy.

"Jasmin, wake up. Aren't you getting late? Its nearly 10.30" yelled Jodha to her roommate. Jasmin opened her lazy eyes and said "Yaar... give me 10 mins more please" and slumped into her bed closing her heavy lids. "Arreee..., don't you have the Holi Mela this evening? You asked me to wake you up, so that we can go through the costumes for your fashion show this evening. Come on!" shouted Jodha and jolted Jasmin from her bed. "OMG!" Said Jasmin and jumped off the bed and headed straight to the bathroom to freshen herself up. "Thanks Jodha, you are my saviour. Yes, I need to go through all the costumes for tonight fashion show at the Holi Mela in Wembley", she remembered. "And you stopped me from visiting my cousin Padmini this weekend and now you are hardly awake. Come on, here's your coffee and muffin. Recharge and recoup" said Jodha.

Jasmin gobbled up her muffin and drank her coffee in a jiffy. She then said "Jodha, thank you so much for agreeing to help me tonight. What will I do without you? You are my star", saying she hugged her. Jodha was glad to help her roommate who had become close to her in the last few months. They shared all their joys and sorrows of university life and also complained of how much they missed home.

"Sarees - check; Cholis - check; Skirts - check; Evening gowns - check ..." the list went on. Once all of the boxes on their list was checked and ticked off, the girls sat down for a cuppa. Just then Jodha's phone buzzed. "Hello Bhaiya" spoke Jodha. Then her face turned sad as she heard her brother-in-law asking her if she can come to Kent and stay with them for a few days as Padmini was down sick and was constantly asking for Jodha. So Jodha decided that she will take the last train to Kent from Victoria and spend the next few days taking care of Padmini. That way she will assist Jasmin in her fashion show. But she needed a favour. "Jasmin, would you be able to drop me off Victoria or ask your bro to drop me at a train station where I can catch a train to Kent" she asked. Jasmin said "Surely gal, I will myself drive you or ask my bro or his friends to do so". So the gals went about getting ready for the Holi Mela starting soon in the evening.

It was 3pm and Jasmin dressed in a lacy mauve colour kurta with intricate work on the neck and sleeves with a matching pair of tailored trousseau, which she herself had designed. Her face was well made with the right amount of makeup, kajal and eye shadow. She looked pretty and elegant. Her lovely long dark brown tresses were curled and were cascading down her shoulders with a small shiny butterfly clip holding a few strands of hair from either side of her ears. She was more than ready to hit the road to set up the stage for her fashion show and also dress her models who were children and other university friends who were exhibiting some of her designs. She was very excited. Jodha was dressed casually in her kurta and a skin tight jeans, with some lip gloss. "And this is how my assistant looks like" remarked Jasmin looking at Jodha with a stricken face. "You can dress better than this. We are going for a Holi mela for heaven's sake. It's a cupid festival, a festival of colours. Who knows, you might find your prince charming. Come on I shall dress you" she said. Just as Jodha was about to protest two of their other friends come over. Moti & Asha and chided Jodha. "Hmmm. Ok, I take it that you guys want to dress me. Well do I have a choice?" she paused and reluctantly went into her room. She started changing. Jasmin noted her lacy undergarments and commented. "If your undergarments are so classy & sexy, why do you dress like a tomboy Jodha?" she questioned. "Well, I like the feel of lace on my skin and my mum made me love them" she replied, "and I don't want to find my prince charming in a Holi mela! Yuck that is too filmy!" she exclaimed.

"Ok, how should your prince charming be then?" asked Moti. "Firstly, he needs to be strongly built person. I don't care what profession he does, as long as he is doing legitimate stuff. Most importantly, he should have a bike. I love riding on bikes. So if my prince has one, I will get to ride on one not as a passenger but the driver" sighed Jodha. "Where on earth in London will you get such a person?!" "Why not?" asked Asha. "There are so many of the tattooed men on Harley Davidson here in the UK. They even had a rally the other week. Sure they are strong and huge but charming! Well ... its one taste as to what or who is charming" she giggled. "Oh! No!" said Jodha. "No tattooed men for me. They need to be normal. But I don't mind Harley Davidson bikes. They are like Mercedes in the bike world. I hope to get a ride on one soon", she wished. "Jodha make sure you wish well. You never what can fall onto your lap" teased Jasmin. So finally, they dressed Jodha in a peach colour Ghaghara Choli with matching earnings. A light make up was done, with peach colour eyeshadow and a light lipstick. Jodha was transformed from a tomboy to a princess. She looked stunning. Her friends could not believe their eyes. "Somebody is going to fall latto on you today" teased Moti. "Make sure you have said your prayers to bring your prince charming. He is surely going to be charmed today" giggled Moti.

Jodha blushed a little thinking about what her friends said, Deep down in her heart, she wished for a prince charming to sweep her but most importantly to love her for who she is and not in the name of lust.

The girls gathered all the required things for the mela and left in Jasmin's car and Moti's car. The drive to the Community centre in Webley was fairly smooth with only a few swear words coming out of Jasmin. Jodha was thankful for that. She enjoyed being in Jasmin's car, but never approved of her stressful swearing if the traffic was jammed. In fact, she hated anyone swearing for that matter. She just thought that one needs to let go of things that can't be controlled. Hence should not be stressed to swear.

At the centre, the stage was set for various cultural programs that were to be performed by children, youth and adults. And the finale was the fashion show. A ramp had been built from the stage thru to the middle of the hall for models to show case the outfits. It looked good and Jasmin was thrilled. "So excited and hope it goes well" she said. "It surely will Jasmin. I can feel it" said Jodha. It was an important opportunity for Jasmin, as she had heard that some Bollywood patrons might be attending giving her hope that one day she will design outfits for a Bollywood movie. That would be great she thought. "By the way, the finale of finale is colours. We get to throw colours on each other at the very end. It so reminds of India" clapped & shouted Jodha in ecstasy. "But my dear, you have to take a train to Kent, remember?" Reminded Jasmin. "Oh yeah!" said Jodha and her face paled out, as she remembered her last Holi which she had celebrated with gait and glory with her family in Jaipur. "Well, I'm going to enjoy the evening until I leave then!" said Jodha, "and surely will apply colour to all your faces before I leave" clapped Jodha.

So the stage was set and the events started. There were many dances by children's & youth groups, mainly traditional Indian dances namely Bharatanatyam and Odissi. A couple of adult groups also performed some Bollywood style dances. There was a break for the models to get dressed for the fashion show. The sun was setting, there was a misty hue in the atmosphere and the atmosphere was just right. Jodha and Jasmin felt goose bumps, as they started announcing the outfits of the models. J&J made sure all the models had the right costume and the right costume jewellery. Many of the costume jewellery were Jodha's from her creative designs. The audience marvelled at the intricate designs of certain outfits, the vibrant use of colours and textures. There were sweet murmurs and cheerful clapping when models were dressed in traditional attires such as sarees, Ghaghara and Kurtis. The crowd marvelled at the creativity of the designer. At the end of it Jasmin was happy but was shy to go on stage until Jodha pushed her. The fashion show was a grand success for Jasmin who was over the moon. J&J and their gals who had helped were exhausted and were ready to grab some dinner. They bought mouth-watering items from the various stalls and filled their hunger. They also binged on frizzy drinks and the special Holi drink. Jodha made sure she has the non-alcoholic version. They enjoyed the food, drinks and the event. As the evening drew closer to an end, the girls packed up but they were not ready to go. The stage was now set for a DJ to take over and play some foot tapping music. There was going to be dance. Jasmin was so delighted that she gulped down two more of the Holi drinks and was in another world and so were Moti and Asha. Jodha too felt funny but she was sure she did not have the alcoholic one. She asked Jasmin, if she can be dropped at Victoria train station. It was nearly 9pm and she was hoping she could catch the 10pm train to Kent. Jasmin said "I'm in no way to drive you tonight, but I will call my bro and he will drop you". "Is he your own brother Jasmin?" asked Jodha. "Yo, yo yes, he is my real brother, but a bit khadoos & makhechooz bro. He is so strict with me" complained Jasmin and dialled Jalal's number.

"Hello Jassy" said Jalal. "Bro, I need a favour. You will need to drop off my good friend at Victoria station please", she requested in a babyish speech. Surely Jalal could imagine her with her pouty lips and scrunched nose and behaving like a baby. "Ok baby, I will do anything for my dolly", he said. "Ask her to meet me at the entrance to the car park. And by the way, I only have the HD today, no car!" he said and started his bike. "Just today of all the days, Abdul had to borrow my car" cursed Jalal. He hated to share his girlfriend with anybody else, even with his sister. But now, as he had promised, he has to drop Jasmin's friend at a train station. He gritted his teeth and drove towards Wembley.

"Jodha look out for a motorbike with the rego JL001. My bro should be here in 15 mins" said Jasmin. She knew that Abdul, her bro's friend had borrowed his car to impress his girlfriend at another holy party. Asha and Moti ran towards J&J and smeared red colour on their faces. Jodha too grabbed some red colour and smeared on all their faces. The girls hurled colour at each other and laughed at each other looking at how funny each one's face looked. "Jodha, go... may one of your wishes come true Beti!" said Jasmin in a playful tone and bid her goodbye.

Jodha in her dazed state did not hear what she said. She just kept repeating JL 001 and walked towards the car park. As she was walking, there were a pack of rowdy boys who probably had had a few drinks and were on a high. They saw a beautiful damsel in Jodha and started following her and passed some lewd comments. Jodha sensed something wasn't right. She just hoped that Jasmin's bro will come soon or else she has to run back to the mela. Just as she was wondering, Jalal turned up and Jodha just ran to him and hugged him and asked him to leave. Jalal was surprised and taken back from the tight hug. "You are Jasmin' friend right? And you want to go to Victoria?" he asked. Jodha nodded but she was shivering due to slight cold breeze and due to fear of the rowdy boys. "Don't you have a proper jacket" shouted Jalal. He then gave one of his spare jackets to her and asked her to sit. She had a backpack and was clumsily holding it on her back. "Give me that bag. You just sit and hold tight" said Jalal. Jodha in her nervousness had totally forgotten that she was being driven in a motorbike and that too a Harley Davidson. She just sat and held to Jalal's shoulders and his waist. She could not think rationally at that point. Jalal was for the first time feeling funny with a strange girl's hands around his waist and on his shoulders. She felt soft and warm compared to this hard muscled body. It was creating odd sensations for the first time in his body. When Jalal increased the speed to get onto a motorway, she yelped and held on tighter for dear life. Her thighs tightened around his and he felt strange. An inner voice said, "I could get used to this. Maybe I should ride HD more often" and a sly grin smeared his face.

As they reached Victoria station, Jalal slowed down and stopped. Jodha was still hugging him. "Your destination has arrived Princess" said Jalal. That's when Jodha realised the compromising position she was in. She immediately let go and got down the bike. Both felt the loss of heat that had comforted them the last 35 minutes. It was strange but both had a strange feeling. Jalal extended her the bag. She took it and went into the train station. "Strange woman!" said Jalal. "No thanks nothing for helping..." he grumbled. Jodha retraced her steps and found Jalal re-adjusting his HD. "Thanks for the ride and the Jacket!" said Jodha as she extended her arm to hand over his jacket which she wore for the ride. Jalal just nodded his head and grabbed the jacket. In the process their fingers touched and that warm fuzzy feeling returned and Jodha's cheeks blushed. She just turned and went for her train with a smile on her face. She just realised she had ridden a HD bike and that Jasmin's bro was not a tattooed person but a really handsome guy. She had butterflies in her tummy.

Jalal had a sly smirk on his lips. He wondered on damsel in distress who shared his girlfriend and survived it. Not many preferred his girlfriend as the ride is rough especially for girls & their hairs and their complaints. But this girl was someone different. His thoughts lingered on the sensations she had created, as he readied to ride back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hawa mein udtaa jaye.. !!

"Kitne aadmi the!!" slowly moving in queue, the blue dressed answered the red dressed.

"Again?" the red dressed rolled her eyes. "I'm sick of hearing this dialog from you but you aren't tired of watching it again and again?"

"Never", the blue dressed giggled. "How did your last evening go?"

"Hawa mein udtaa jaye.. mere laal dupatta mal mal ka o ji..", the red dress winked hinting at the nickname they gave to top rating Hindi soap.

"Again?" the blue dressed rolled her eyes. "I got sick of it in ten episodes and you aren't tired of watching it everyday?"

"Never", the red dress giggled. "Simple rule before watching any soap. Turn off the logic switch for 30 minutes and enjoy the leads' chemistry."

"Sir.. I have no change," the miffed voice of the teen boy in counter drawled the friends' attention.

"Mere paas tens nahi hain little boss!! (I have no tens little boss)," the man ahead helplessly flicked a thousand note before the piqued counter boy. HINDI in TRICHY? The girls' exchanged glances. "Change rakh lo ya tickets muft mein dedo!! (Either keep the change or give me tickets for free)", his American-accented-Hindi and his grey Tuxedo that stood singular amidst the traditional dhotis tickled the girl's funny bones. Muting their giggles, they advanced to help the bizarre man.

"Excuse me.." the red dressed girl called and the man turned back. "How many tickets you need?" she tossed a friendly smile. Pleasantly surprised by the unexpected offering coming from a beautiful lady, the handsome man's brows knitted. The blue dressed girl stifled a laugh seeing him staring at her friend tongue-tied. "Hello boss.." she snapped her fingers. "KITNE AADMI THE?!!" mindless of the grammatical errors, the naughty girl seriously muttered her edge-of-tongue dialog. The man's eyes drifted to the snapped fingers and he shot an amused grin at the language and body language of the seemingly brazen girl.

"Sardar.." pursing lips, he carried on with the act. "Do aadmi the!!" Laughing, the red dressed added another twenty to the twenty in her friend's hands.

"Thank you!!" the man gratefully smiled accepting the tickets from the red dressed. "And please take this," he returned the thousand bill.

"Its easy for us to lose twenty which is OURS than to keep 980 which is NOT OURS..", the red dress smiled. "Let it be!!" They turned back to get on their way when they heard him from behind.

"My friend will be here in a minute," he screamed following them step for step and the girls had to stop. "And if I say two SWEETHEARTS lent me these tickets.." he quipped bringing smiles on their beautiful faces. "He'd say - It is easy for us to lose 980 which is OURS than to keep 20 which is NOT OURS. So please.." The girls turned back and the thousand note protruding in his hand welcomed them.

"Its ok. Please don't be formal.." the red dress tried to refuse but the blue dress cut her short. "Thank you," she brusquely pulled the note from his fingers. "When is your next time here?" she almost demanded. Assuming she asked that to return the change next time, the handsome man shrugged. "I don't know. This is my first visit to this town, and to this temple."

"Oops..", the blue dress feigned disappointed. "I thought we'd be behind you in queue next time as well and get another thousand," she quipped twitching lips, with absolutely no intention to hide her mockery. The red dress bit back a lip and pulled her friend along before an intrigued crowd formed around them.

"99xxx is my number," the man shouted. "Give me a call and I'll be before you in queue with many thousands.. SWEETHEARTS." The endearment vibrated loud in the temple making the orthodox locals open their mouths and eyes wide. The blue dressed ferociously flipped her head to give him back but the softhearted red dress simply laughed and patted on her friend's shoulder. "Chill sweetheart!!" she joked. "99xxx is his number. Note it down before my exceptional memory forgets it. Let's give a call next time we are here."

"Right.." the blue dress took her anger on the thousand bill and evilly smiled. "I wish I could curb all notes out of his big fat wallet and eventually that rich arrogant smile."

"Sweetheart?" the slyly smiling man heard his friend's voice. "Exceptional flirting skills dude," the other man, decked in crisp white shirt and blue denims exuded simplicity, elegance and masculinity. "In exactly five minutes, which is what it took me to park the car, you managed to find a sweetheart?" His lips carved into his signature smirk. "I didn't know SriRanganatha Swamy offered sweethearts along with his blessings."

"HE seems to be very blessing.." the Tuxedo dude winked. "He blessed us with Babes in ticket counter itself," he said Babes in mere whisper, fearing the locals would thrash him out of temple.

"Babes?" The amused pal's brow quirked.

"Yes. I met two yummy babes at the counter.. one khatta, one meetha.." he jested and narrated his encounter with ladies.

"Where are they?" Intrigued, the chic man looked around. "Should be somewhere. Come, lets hunt!!" the devilish one winked.

~~

"So what happened in yesterday's episode?" Taking round around the temple, the blue dressed asked.

"Heroine fasts for Teej, goes to temple. She is about to faint when hero arrives on the spur, holds her midair for five whole minutes, till all camera angles are covered," she paused closing eyes in reverence after finishing first pradakshin. "A little later she faints, this time successfully. As expected, the hero sprinkles water, brings her back to senses, makes her drink water thus breaking her fast and as usual our heroine jabs him for breaking her fast without her permission," the red dressed paused to breathe. "After watching this addictive crap for a wholesome twenty five minutes, I felt so depressed", she dramatically sighed.

"Depressed?" the blue dress frowned. "Why?"

"Why not? I have been fasting on Teej for several years, but not even once I fainted," she shook head in contempt. "Forget fainting. Not even once I bumped into a handsome man or tripped into a pair of brawny arms, neither my dupatta flung on to one such beautiful face. Even worse, these soap heroines get to work under the handsome-est bosses. But look at our fate, " she sardonically smirked. "This is my second job as nutritionist but haven't got a six-pack boss ever- neither in this job nor in previous job. Why is it that we always get family pack bosses - with a cricket ground on head and 3 tires on body?!!"

The blue dressed broke into fits of laughter while the hunting males sealed their lips and exchanged sly glances.

"Oye nutritionist," the blue dressed called after getting hold on her giggles. "I can't give you hopes on bumping into beautiful faces or fainting into brawny arms but I have some information to boost your fantasy of six-pack bosses. Our hospital is going to be taken over by Chennai's leading super specialty hospital. The talks are on!!" she winked. "A meeting is scheduled today between two delegates from Chennai and our management for the same."

"Wow!! That's an interesting news!!" the red dressed exclaimed. "See.. this is why I befriended a HR," she winked patting on her friend's arm. "So.. who're our new bosses?"

"Two men under thirty.." the blue dress chuckled. "That I can guarantee. Six-pack or not, handsome or not, I've no clue. But don't worry, we'll get full details once the meeting is done."

"Fingers crossed", the red dress winked. "I'm thinking if we should offer a little bribery to SriRanganath Swamy. How about a 100 rupees in Hundi? Anyways, it's my birthday and I'm fasting as well. HE can't deny me today at least."

"Absolutely dear.." the blue dress agreed. "Today is your day. HE has to give anything you ask for. Waise, did I tell you I too adapted your idea of fasting on birthday? I'm impressed by your logic dude - if you fast for long life of an unknown face on Teej, why not fast for your own long life on birthday?!! I'm bowled by the concept dear.." she beautifully blinked eyes. The shadowing men's brows furrowed listening to the eccentric concept of the ladies.

"Aw.. thank you!!" the red dressed charmingly smiled. "I can't wait to break my fasting with mumma's special pineapple halwa", she gulped the water drooling in her mouth. "Don't make it late today. Sharp 6:00pm we have to be here and then go home."

"Sure," winding up the pradakshins they moved to darshan queue when the blue dressed remembered something. "You go on. I'll join you shortly."

"Where are you going? We got all Pooja stuff na?" the confused friend asked.

"For this," the blue dressed showed the thousand bill in her hands. "I can't wait to spend it," she winked and vanished. Guessing her friend's act, the red dress gladly smiled and moved on to darshan queue.

~~

"10 ka 500!!" the Tuxedo man gritted seeing the blue dress parting from her friend. "Black-ticketer under the guise of HR!!" he swore to his friend.

"It is you who offered them!!" the jeans man teased.

"I expected them to reject!!" the Tuxedo whined. "And the red dress denied too. She seems to be soft and nice, but this blue dress..," he darted a condemning glance at the pacing blue dressed. "She is the real daku", he swore recalling her Gabbar-style demand.

"Soft and nice?" The jeans man's eyes hovered over the red dressed. "Beautiful and good humored too!!" recalling her quips, he couldn't help adding two more qualities to the list.

"You keep going. Let me follow the daku. I've to see what she's doing to my thousand!!" the Tuxedo man left his friend to the much sought privacy. Slyly smirking, the jeans man managed to tuck behind the red dressed in queue.

The queue slowly moved and he stalked the girl step for step ravishing the sway of her hips as she sashayed. The cream white skin gleamed even more radiantly against the red clothing. Nutritionist?!! A mysterious smile tugged on his lips recalling the girls' conversation about six-pack boss.

"Your name?" he saw the priest asking the lady and unconsciously his ears erected with full attention. She answered the priest with her name and the jeans man's lips parted into a delighted smile. Perfect name!! God made her with absolute DEVOTION and CONCENTRATION!!

Done with prayers, she moved out of queue when the priest continued asking with name of the next one in row. The voice she heard garnered her immediate attention. Peculiar husky baritone!! She simpered checking on the body of the voice but could only glimpse the chiseled back of him. With an unconscious smile touching her lips, she walked away looking for her friend.

~~~

"What is she up to?" stalking from a safe distance, the Tuxedo man didn't move his eyes off the blue dressed. Food donation counter is where she ended up finally and the stalking man's gait ceased.

"Uncle.. food donation in name of my friend. It's her birthday today", she forwarded the thousand bill.

"Friend's name?" The man in counter asked and she answered.

"Donor's name?" He asked filling in the receipt and she paused to answer.

"Mr.Bill" stifling a giggle, she seriously answered and the man in counter looked up grinning.

Bill? The silent observer's eyes squinted.

"Yaaru adhu? Bill Gates aa Bill Clinton aa? (Who is it? Bill Gates or Bill Clinton?)?" the elderly man joked.

"Neither of them," she laughed. "He is Mr.1k Bill."

Mr.1K Bill?!! The Tuxedo man erupted into a buoyant grin. "How audacious!!" He wanted to be angry but in contrary his eyes shined with intangible liking for the daku black-ticketer audacious girl.

"I shouldn't write such names, so tell me yours," the counter man proposed and she responded with her name.

"What a peculiar name? What does that mean?" the elderly man voiced the exact question of the Tuxedo man. "It means FEARLESS!!" she took the receipt with a smile and moved ahead to join her friend.

~~~

That very evening, in the conference room of Trichy's renowned hospital, the phone buzzed as soon the clock ticked half past five.

"Sir," the receptionist spoke to the man on other end. "The nutritionist mam, along with HR mam just left sir," she passed on the information as per the instructions she received that morning. The recipient of the call hung the phone and turned to his Tuxedo friend. "Lets go!!"

6:15pm

"Phew.. done with darshan!! Let's go home. I can't wait to taste aunty's halwa", the HR hurried up the nutritionist.

"I'll buy prasad packets and come. Meantime you take the Scooty out!!" After flicking keys to her friend, the red dressed beauty set on her way. Oblivious to the pair of eyes stalking her, she vivaciously paced towards the counter humming a light bhajan. Owing to working day and early evening hours, the crowd in temple is as minimal as expected.

A pair of sharp eyes followed her every movement and once she entered a no-human zone, his fingers shot up in air. 3.. 2.. 1 and at the end of one, a little kid dashed out of void and so violently bumped into the sprinting lady that she stuttered three feet back. Her hands shot up in air as she was about to fall but a brawny arm held her hand, just in time. Phew!! The relieved girl first sighed on escaping a hit and then glimpsed at the arm that held her mid air. Strong and muscular!! In a split of second before her eyes traveled to his face, she didn't forget to compliment the arm that gripped around her wrist. Manly and handsome!! She couldn't help adding after getting introduced to his captivating features. His deep brown orbs shone with a tinge of naughtiness and affection and she blinked eyes to confirm she's truly seeing the affection in his eyes and its not her own fantasy that deluded her.

Why'd a stranger fondly stare at me? She thought but another thought soon overtook the former. Why's he not pulling me up? Totally baffled, she was about help herself when the sturdy arm so mightily pulled her up that she hit his shoulder. His hand in a lightening speed rested on her neck, did something and immediately released. To her, it appeared like he casually tried to distance her but hesitantly refrained in last moment. "Sorry!!" she murmured stepping back. " And thank you!!"

He mysteriously smiled before opening his mouth. "Take care miss. A joint fracture is not a pleasing gift to gift yourself on birthday."

"Yeah, Righ.." she was about to smile at the quip when her eyes widened in shock. "How do you know its my birthday?"

"Thanks for confirming," he coolly smirked. "It was a mere guess as your dress looked special." She half smiled glancing at him half convinced, nevertheless she moved ahead on her way. Is it Tuxedo day or what? She scrunched face at the absurd coincidence of seeing two suit-men in a temple of a small town like Trichy, that too on same day. If only she knew he's the same white shirted man she glimpsed that morning, except that the white shirt was now obscured behind a dark blue blazer.

3.. 2.. 1.. His groomed fingers counted again and at the end of one he saw her halting in tracks and holding her head. What's happening? The bewildered lady couldn't fathom what's going on with her body. Am I fainti... The word didn't finish when she collapsed but again she was caught half way down. The little girl once again made a lightening appearance and when she left, a bottle of water and a small box were also left beside the blue blazer man.

The semi conscious lady's eyes squeezed at the discomforting coldness of water sprinkled over her face. "Open your mouth!!" she heard an instruction very close to her ear. She batted lids to open, but couldn't. "Open your mouth!!" she heard again and this time, she mustered all strength to open her eyes. Finding herself in the lap of the mysterious stranger, her mouth automatically opened, albeit in astonishment.

"Good!!" smirking, he thumped a spoonful into her mouth without bothering to ask for her permission. Her alerted reflexes instructed to spit out the alien food immediately and when she's about to do that, the taste buds registered the taste of the soft mass in her mouth. Halwa?!! Her brows furrowed. Pineapple Halwa?!! Involuntarily gulping, she wiped the droplets on her face and stood up.

"Being a nutritionist if you fast, what would your clients learn from you?" he jested getting up and she stared stunned. "How do you know I'm nutritionist? And how do you know I fasted?" The newfound shock overpowered the actual shock of SHE fainting for FIRST TIME EVER in her history of fasting.

"Thanks for confirming," he smirked just like he did earlier. "It was a mere guess as you fainted and your visiting card popped out of your bag."

Guess? She glanced at him three-forth unconvinced. How can someone so accurately guess? Nevertheless, she faintly smiled. "Thank you mister..?"

"You're welcome!!" not revealing his name, he softly smiled. Nodding in bye, she resumed on her tracks checking her handbag for the visiting card he claimed to pop out. How the hell did I swoon so abruptly, with no prior symptoms of fatigue or giddiness?! And seriously pineapple halwa?! On pronto? As if it is planned and arranged?!

The devilishly grinning man's fingers shot up in air again. 3.. 2..1 and at end of one a sudden gust of wind blew the retracting woman's duppata off. Too dazed by the slick happening, she froze on her feet, her fingers tightly gripping the strips of handbag. What the hell is happening here? She turned back in a jiff, only to find her red dupatta flinging on the mystical man's charming face. Her gaze sharpened contemplating over the coincidence of the events. This is anything but coincidence!! She took slow but steady strides to the mysterious-not-so-stranger.

"Ms.Concentration, where is your concentration?" he teasingly squinted eyes. It took a moment for her to discern he's hinting at one of the various meanings of her name. And when it did, an imperceptible fear racked through her. He knows my name and its meanings too?!!

"Who are you?" curbing the fear, she allegedly asked folding her arms.

~~

"Who are you?" folding arms, the blue dressed lady demanded the man who coolly planked against their Scooty. "What are you doing here? Are you stalking us?"

"Stalk you?" the Tuxedo man's brows evilly quirked. "And lose another thousand?" he shrugged nonchalant. "I've no interest in black-ticketers."

"Excuse me?" the blue dressed girl's eyes turned red. "Who is black-ticketer?"

"One who sells 10 rupees tickets for 500!!" The stylish man even more stylishly shrugged.

"I didn't sell..", the blue dressed pounced back. "Its your rich arrogance that costed you. Next time before you flaunt with your big fat bills, you'll surely remember this." Giving him one last admonishing glance, she put the helmet on and took the frustration of black-ticketer title on the kick rod of Scooty. His smooth fingers gripped the handlebar not letting her leave before he finished.

"KITNE AADMI THE?" he imitated, twitching his lips into a devilish smirk.

"What?" She scrunched her nose at the out of context question.

"In the meeting today with your supposed to be new management.." he impishly narrowed eyes. "KITNE AADMI THE?"

"How do YOU know about it?" she screamed startled. "Did you stalk me to office too? Who are you? What's your name?"

~~~

"I asked who are you?" having not received any response than a twisted smile, the red dressed snapped. "What's your name?"

"That doesn't matter.." the blue blazer man sheepishly closed a step in. "What matters is that," his breathing fanned her strayed lock. "I'm a handsome man with beautiful face, brawny arms and six-packs!!" he whispered in her ears and stepped back with his signature smirk. The listener's jaw dropped; she stood rocked in her place. Giving her further cues, he handed over her dupatta, albeit with a sly hum on his lips. Hawa mein udtha jai mere laal dupatta mal mal ka o jii...

The clouds in her mind began to clear!!

~~~

"That doesn't matter.." the Tuxedo man sheepishly closed a step in. "What matters is.. from new management .. KITNE AADMI THE?"

Blankly staring at him, she recalled the two men that came from Chennai. Not two!! Her smart cells shouted. There was only one when you stepped into the meeting. So.. Her pupils widened in sheer stun. "Are you one of the new bosses?" A mild scream escaped from her mouth.

The Tuxedo man stylishly nodded and she then realized who exactly he is. Since she met the Hindu boss in office, the one standing before her should be the Muslim one. Mr. Jalal Mohammed!!

Feeling a sudden urge to flee, the blue dressed briskly reversed the Scooty.

"Miss daku with a SWEETHEART!!" he brazenly shouted from behind. "I'm sure you should be having many questions. 99xxx is my number. Feel free to call."

~~~

"And let me also tell you that your Rs100 bribery to Ranganatha Swamy didn't go in vain." The clouds totally cleared and Sun shone on the nutritionist's clogged brain. "Are you one of the new bosses?" A mild scream escaped from her mouth.

The blue blazer man stylishly nodded and she then realized who exactly he is. Since the Muslim boss wouldn't flaunt with Tika on forehead, the one standing before her should be the Hindu one. Mr. Rajat Tokas!!

Feeling a sudden urge to flee, the red dressed quickly turned on her heels.

"Happy Birthday SWEETHEART!!" he brazenly shouted from behind. "I'm sure you should be having many questions. 99xxx is my number. Feel free to call." He boyishly laughed watching the girl's hasty run.. her red dupatta fluttering in air.

Hawa mein udta jaye... Vibrantly humming, he texted his devilish counterpart. "MISSON ACCOMPLISHED!!"

***********

On behalf of Manasi...

& the day is here...wish you a very very happpy birthday lashy di...🤗