Arakshi SS - Between the Pages of a Book - *Complete* pg 50 - Epilogue - Page 23

Chapter 7 - The Night before Christmas

Arjun's eyes shot up in surprise as he opened his door to look into the face of his best friend. Sameer Rathod was in London.

"Rathod?"

"You sounded different on Skype. It scared me."

He smiled and pulled his best friend into a tight hug.

When they pulled back, Sameer's expression was that of astonishment. "What the..."

"How come you are here?" Arjun grinned at his friend.

"Where is Arjun?" Sameer looked past him into his flat, as if searching for someone.

Arjun laughed and said, "Seriously, Rathod. How come you are here?"

Sameer put on a serious expression and replied, "No seriously, Rawte. Where is Arjun?"

"Fine. Come inside."

He smiled and reached for his friend's duffel bag.

"More surprises. You never cared about my bag. What is wrong with you?" Sameer started laughing.

"London happened."

"No. It is something more than London. I can see it in your face."

"Nothing."

"You cannot hide something from me, Rawte."

"It's nothing!" He laughed.

"Will you look at yourself? You're laughing!" Sameer laughed and looked around the flat that his friend has been residing in for the last two weeks or so. To someone else, this flat might seem plain and simple. Nothing out of the ordinary. But to him, this was extraordinary. Because this isn't how ACP Arjun Rawte was living back in Mumbai.

The curtains were all drawn back and sunlight flooded into the rooms through the glass windows. His books were neatly arranged at the desk near the window. And there was a single yellow daisy on the vase that was placed on the white windowsill. A flower. Really?

He raised his eyebrows inquisitively at his friend as he pointed towards the flower.

Arjun laughed in response and said, "It's from a friend."

Sameer's eyes widened further and he said, "Oh God. Wait. Don't tell me. It's a girl isn't it?"

"She is a friend." He emphasized on the word friend a bit more than he should have.

"Yeah, right." He smirked at his friend.

"Chai or coffee?"

"You are switching topics."

"You must be tired from the journey. Chai or coffee? Quick, before I change my mind about being nice to you." Arjun turned around and walked towards his small kitchen.

"Coffee," Sameer called out, "And you can't escape."

"Whatever!"

***

Sameer almost spit out the coffee after his first sip. No sugar. He shook his head and watched his friend slip into a different world as he narrated his London adventures. His chance meetings with the girl in the red coat, as he called her, their sudden night out and then the moments they spent together afterwards.

He silently slipped in to the kitchen and added sugar into his coffee. He smiled to himself and shook his head. Arjun seemed completely lost in his memories.

He did something stupid then.

He took the phone out of his pocket and recorded his friend's expression as he spoke. He couldn't believe his eyes. This wasn't the Arjun he knew. This, was a completely different person. This person's eyes twinkled as he spoke. His face was glowing with happiness. And most of all, this person smiled. He laughed. He had hugged him.

Gone was the distant Arjun he knew back in Mumbai. Could two weeks in a new city make such a difference? Or was it the girl? Sakshi.

He had to meet her.

He had to thank her for returning his friend back to him.

***

"You're in love." Sameer said with a smirk.

"No, I am not."

"You are. Believe it or not."

"Are you listening to yourself?"

Sameer stopped arguing and waved his phone in front of his friend's disbelieving eyes. The video he had recorded started playing and Sameer burst out into laughter at Arjun's astounded expression.

"What is this?" Arjun snatched the phone from him and looked in disbelief at the Arjun in the video.

"Dreamy eyes, faraway look and a faint smile on your face while speaking about a girl. You are so in love." Sameer guffawed and nudged his friend.

A moment later, they were chasing each other around the room. Their laughs echoed through the walls and escaped out through the gaps in the windows.

It was a reunion of two best friends who found happiness together after an eternity.

***

His phone vibrated and he made a grab for it before Sameer could reach for it. He ignored his teasing looks as he answered the call.

He knew who it was before he even read the name blinking on the screen. The name that had been the reason behind his sudden smiles. Sakshi.

"Hi, stranger!" Her cheerful voice instantly curved his lips into a smile.

"Hey!"

"Which book?"

"Friendship at the moment."

"Oooh. Sameer?"

He smiled and replied, "Yeah."

"The book called surprise visit?"

"Yup." He laughed.

"Great! Ok, listen. Since it is Christmas Eve we are having a little celebration in the evening. Why don't you join us?"

"I would but..."
"Duh, I am inviting Sameer as well."

"Uh..."

"Keep your excuses to yourself and just show up at our door. You know the address."

"But..."
"Ok, see you! Bye!"

He sighed as he heard her disconnect the call. It was so like her. Sudden and unpredictable.

"Date?" Sameer asked with a grin.

"NO! Christmas party. With her and her friends."

"We're going."

"No, we are not. I don't even know all of them properly."

"You know her." Sameer edged closer to his friend and nudged him playfully.

"So?"

"So, we're going."

***

Her breath caught in her throat when she opened the door to the stranger. Beneath the black overcoat, she could make out a red silk shirt that he wore with a pair of black jeans. He stood there running his fingers through his dense dark hair that gleamed in the white light of the corridor. He almost seemed...nervous. She suppressed a laugh and her gaze went to the man standing behind him. He was clad in a thick black overcoat and had a box of chocolates in his hand. He moved forward and said, "Hi, I am Sameer. So you are Sakshi?"

"Yes I am. Hi Sameer." She shook his hand and said, "Come inside! And happy Christmas Eve!"

She glanced at Arjun, who still stood at the door, shuffling his feet. His eyes hadn't moved from her and she blushed under his intense gaze.

"Won't you come in?" she said, lowering her gaze.

"Uh... yeah."

***

What was wrong with him? He didn't know why his eyes had stopped blinking the moment his eyes landed on her. The silvery white gown she wore, sparkled in the warm yellow glow of the lights escaping from the flat and it made her dark eyes stand out even more. Her long black hair, dark as the night sky, fell neatly around her shoulders. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear and he noticed the glittering silver bangles that adorned her arm.

He didn't know why, but when he looked at her standing at the door, he was reminded of the silvery moon that always stood out against the dark night sky.

"You coming in or should I close the door?" Her voice snapped him out of his trance.

He then became aware of all the sounds around him. The faint sound of Christmas carols that drifted in through the open door, the cheers and shouts of his friend, who had probably gone and introduced himself inside and the faint sound of a bell jingling inside.

"Uh, yeah. Coming." He ran his fingers through his hair again, and stepped inside.

He couldn't help but notice her blush as he walked past her and he smiled to himself.

***

"Come on! It's only a tree!" She shouted behind him.

"Yeah and you have shoved it into the furthest corner possible." His muffled voice reached her from within the dimly lit storeroom and she laughed.

"Did you find it?"

"Would be nicer if you would actually come in and help!"

"Come on, you wouldn't make a girl in a pretty white dress search for a tree in a dusty room would you?" She chuckled to herself.

She heard sounds of shuffling from inside and wondered if she should go inside to help him.

"Found it!" His faint voice reached her.

She moved aside as he left the storeroom with the five-foot Christmas tree; his hair was tousled and dust particles clung at places.

"Wait!"

"What?" He turned around.

She walked closer to him and brushed the dust particles from his hair.

They didn't know why they started laughing after that.

***

They put up the tree near the glass windows that looked out to the street below. She stood there, looking at the tree as Sameer and Arjun set it up. She loved watching the easy-going conversation, the hushed whispers and the teasing glances that the two friends exchanged with each other. The air smelled strongly of coffee, chocolate, cinnamon and spices that wafted through the open kitchen door. The familiar Christmas smell. And the room was warm with laughter and happiness.

This was a different Christmas. A special one. She smiled to herself.

"Decos!" Aisha burst into the living room, her arms full of Christmas tree decorations.

Sameer moved from his place beside the tree and walked forward to help Aisha with the decorations.

"Oh thanks," she said.

Sakshi grinned as she saw the silent eye-lock between the pair. Ever since Sameer had entered into the flat, Aisha appeared more flustered and lost than usual.

She snatched the box of decorations from Sameer and said, "Why don't you both get some drinks and we can do the tree decoration?"

"What?" That earned her a glare from Aisha.

"Aish, you know how much I love decorating the tree! And you both can get to know each other a little better." She nudged Aisha playfully and grinned as she saw her blush.

***

The floor lamp bathed the entire room in a warm yellow glow. Christmas songs played softly in the background as they picked out one decoration after the other from the box. His fingers brushed against hers every time she dipped her hand into the decorations box. And every time his touch made her skin prickle. It was strange how they kept on reaching for the same colour, the same kind of decorations.

"We should stop being so coincidental." She said with a smile.

He grinned as he searched for a free branch to hang a bright red sparkling bauble on the tree. "Maybe you should stop reading my mind."

She looked up, her fingers brushing absently over a little green bauble and said quietly to herself, "Or maybe, every time you know exactly what I want."

He suddenly edged closer to her, and reached for the green bauble in her hand. Her heart started thudding in her chest as she felt his warm breath on her cheeks. His fingers lingered over hers, instilling in her the perfect sense of belonging she always felt when he placed his hand in hers. He looked into her eyes and spoke in a voice that was barely audible, "Or maybe you are the lost part of me."

***

He had forgotten who he was and where he was. His eyes could only see her face glowing in the soft golden glow of the lamp. He could only feel her warm skin as it brushed against his when they decorated the Christmas tree. He could only hear her laugh even though her friends' shouts and banter could be heard from the kitchen. Time had somehow slowed down for him. It was only her around him. Her essence, her breath, her laugh and her smile. And her twinkling eyes. She struggled with the entangled string of fairy lights and he reached out to help her untangle it. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he reached out from behind her and released the knots from the string of lights. He felt lost. His hands seemed to be moving even more slowly as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

He let his fingers hold hers as they finally freed the last few tangled lights. Together.

His life was like the string of fairy lights, he thought, knotted and difficult to untangle when left alone. But when the right person comes along, even the most difficult knot can become easy to untangle.

"Now for the magic." She said as she stood by the tree.

All the decorations were up and the tree looked enchanting, as if lifted out of a Christmas postcard. But no matter how beautiful the tree looked, he felt his gaze shifting towards her every time.

"What magic?" He asked.

"It is the most favourite part. The lights."

"Oh!"

"Wait, let me switch the lamp off."

He watched her carefully make her way across the room, stepping over a few scattered decorations that had somehow ended up on the floor.

The entire room was engulfed by the darkness as she switched the light off. The only faint light that reached the room was the light emanating from the streetlights outside.

He heard her stumble over something and he immediately reached out in the darkness for her.

"Where are you?" He shouted.

"Coming!" Her voice reached him from the darkness.

"This is stupid."
"No it isn't. You'll see."

He heard her squeal come from the darkness and he reached out for her hand. He didn't know how he knew where she was, but somewhere in the darkness his hands found hers and she slipped into his arms.

***

It was dark. Christmas songs were playing on the radio. And his heart was beating against her ears. Soft, steady. His strong arms were around her, supporting her even in the darkness.

"You're stupid, walking in the darkness. What if you had stepped on the glass decorations?"

"I didn't know why, but I knew I wouldn't fall. You didn't let me fall did you?"

His arms were still around her and she wanted to rest her head against his thudding chest.

Perhaps he smiled. "But that doesn't mean that you be careless."

She smiled as she heard the hint of worry in his voice. "Why?"

He hesitated, "Well, you could get hurt..."

"So?"

"I don't want you getting hurt."

"Why?" She grinned.

He laughed and said, "Ok, I have had enough of the darkness. Let me see your magic."

She whispered to herself, "Darkness isn't really darkness when you are around."

***

Even that little moment in the darkness had felt like something extraordinary. What was it about her?

"Ready?" She asked.

"Yeah!"

"One...two...three."

The tree came to life as she switched on the fairy lights. Their soft golden glow illuminated the entire tree and created a scene out of the Christmas postcards. Light bounced off the red and green baubles and threw their glittering shadows on the walls. The walls that surrounded them were no longer plain, but all sorts of colours played across its dark corners.

Her silvery white dress shimmered in the enchanting light as she stood beside him. And her smile added to the brightness that suddenly surrounded him.

"What do you think?" She asked.

His gaze fell upon the stray lock of hair that fell across her eyes. He reached out and gently brushed it away, letting his fingers rest against her warm cheeks for a little longer than he had intended. And then he whispered to her, "It's beautiful. Enchanting. More than that, it is magical."

It was too late, he knew it now. He had fallen in love with a girl in a strange city on one Christmas night. Or perhaps, he only just realised it.

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