Part 5...
Hmm! Pooja stretched out her arms and reached for her phone to see what time it was. She was wide awake spite the fact that it was only 5a.m. ‘Quite unusual, Pooja,' she thought as she decided to find a more comfortable sleeping position in order to get a few more hours of sleep. After what seemed like an eternity of tossing and turning, she decided to get some fresh air and go for a morning jog.
When she was ready, she checked her phone to see who was active in her WhatsApp chat group, 'The Buddies,' which included Arhaan, Ashish, Parvati, Malika (one of the crew), Alaika, and Sachal. Hmm, no new messages, guess you're the only one up this early, she reflected as she exited her room.
It was still dark outside, but the weather was pleasant. As she jogged down the track, she plugged in her earbuds and played her most recent favorite song. She'd heard from Malika that there was a nice spot to see the sunrise at the end of this track and a slight turn ahead. Sachal, Parvati and Malika have already had the opportunity to witness it. They all joked that Pooja, also known as Sleeping Beauty on set, wouldn't be able to see it because her rise is usually after the sun has reached its peak.
Oh, no! I'll show them; today's IG post will be a sunrise, she chuckled to herself. Let's go, Pooja, she said to herself as she sprinted faster to make it on time.
She arrived at the location breathless, glancing at her watch, she was well ahead of time, sunrise is at 6.07 a.m. here, it is now 5.55a.m. Pooja patted her shoulders and said, "Well done." She took a step forward, only to be pleasantly surprised by what she saw ahead. Arhaan stood in front of her, his back to her and wearing a hoodie.
Pooja reasoned, "Let me surprise him." She crept quietly behind Arhaan, who appeared to be lost in the beauty of nature ahead of him, oblivious to his surroundings. "Booohh," Pooja shrieked, startling Arhaan. ‘Woah!' he exclaimed as he stumbled from the sudden shock, causing Pooja to laugh.
‘You!' exclaimed Arhaan as he realized the source of his surprise and began chasing Pooja. Pooja managed to flee while trying to control her giggling fit, but she was apprehended by him. He drew her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her. Pooja giggled in his arms as he said, 'OK, I'm sorry.'
Soon after realizing they were in each other's embrace, sanity kicked in and they made some space.
‘What are you doing up so early?' asked Arhaan. I almost thought it was a ghost, but I dare you to find something more shocking than seeing a ghost. Pooja gave Arhaan a friendly slap on the bicep for his joke.
'I like to surprise people,' Pooja explained. 'Oh, and it's almost time,' she said, looking at her watch. ‘The sunrise is going to be soon.
Both of them turned to face the sunrise, which quickly captivated them. The rosy hue of the rising sun was cast across the morning sky. The scene was lit up by golden rays of light.
ArJa savored nature's splendor, which their hectic city lives did not allow them to do. As they watched the light dispel the darkness, their hearts were warmed, and their hands unintentionally came into contact. They stood there, hand in hand, enthralled by the beauty and warmth it brought to their hearts, a moment they would never forget.
Pooja turned to face Arhaan, only to discover that he was already gazing at her. They exchanged a friendly smile and quickly became aware of their intertwined hands. Arhaan rubbed his neck shyly as he gently let go of her hand. Pooja simply smiled.
Pooja broke the silence with a 'Yikes.' ‘I forgot to capture the moment for my Instagram post, but never mind, I have it stored in my memory forever,' she chuckled. ‘Ooh waisay Arhaan, as proof that I was up early today, let's take a selfie na with this beautiful backdrop, a treat for the fans as well!'
‘Sure,' Arhaan replied. ArJa smiled for the camera as they posed for a selfie. Arhaan was wearing his signature killer smile, and Pooja stood beside him, her arm on his shoulder and her hand on her waist, capturing a stunning still.
Pooja remarked, 'Wow, this is an amazing shot.' She shared it as a story on Instagram and, with a huge grin on her face, in the ‘Buddies' whatsapp chat group. 'Surprise Surprise!' she captioned the photo with a smiley!
Arhaan shared the post on his Instagram as well, feeling guilty for being inactive for several weeks. Hoping that his fans will forgive him now that he shares an ArJa/Kriya still! He captioned it, ‘Another day is breaking, bright sunshine upon waking. I rise to greet the morning light, more memories in the making.’
ArJa began walking back to the hotel as the clock approached6.45 a.m. Arhaan asked, 'Pooja, are you interested in monuments and historical sites?' Pooja's eyes glowed in response to his question.
‘Yes,' she replied, ‘you know mujhe historic cheezo se, monuments se aur art mein bahut interest hai, matlab, I paint too, not that great an artist but not bad either,' she smiled.
'Wow, you paint?' Arhaan inquired, surprised. 'Do you have any depictions of your work?' ‘Do you mind if I take a look?'
‘Sure,' Pooja replied cheerfully, fishing out some images of her paintings that she had shared on Instagram.
‘This is amazing,' Arhaan said as he looked over Pooja's work. 'Impressive.'
Pooja replied, 'Thank you.' ‘Oh, returning to your question, why do you ask?' she asked Arhaan, who was still looking through the art.
‘Hmm,' he replied, ‘Oh haan, kyunke there is this place called ‘Drisyam Nagri,' he replied looking at her, ‘It is about 5 kilometers from here, a little isolated, but it is said to be a historical site with some interesting artifacts.' I checked with the rest of the gang, but they are all booked up for the next few days and aren't particularly excited about it. Would you like to come along with me to explore this place if you have some free time today?'
‘It is a fantastic offer, Arhaan, it sounds great,' Pooja responded enthusiastically. ‘Wait, let me confirm with my shooting schedule,' she said as she pulled out her phone and looked through it. ‘My shift ends at3pm, is that ok?’ Pooja inquired.
'Perfect,' Arhaan said. ‘My shift ends at 3.30pm, so how about we meet in the lobby at 4pm?'
'Done,' Pooja said.
They both arrived at the hotel and prepared for the day ahead, rather excited about their plan for Drisyam Nagri later on.
Hope you guys liked it. To find out what happens in Drisyam Nagri..stay tuned!! All feedback welcomed!!
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
