#1 ~FF : Untold Stories~ - Page 39

Originally posted by: ranveerishani78

Hii sorry for late reply .. Last part is superb .. Good work ...liked it waiting for next one 😊 👍🏼 🤗

Originally posted by: Butifuleyes

Very nice chapter Lm.

For me there was a little bit of Harry potter there, simply loved it.

Simply loved your explanation of love.

You are one deep person my friend.👏

Originally posted by: Bloomfield

That's true...You get that anytime...and suffer But sometimes, I don't know from where the idea comes, then I'll sit down to update...😆😆

I'm gonna do that, no matter what...😆😆 Let me see through the ride...I'm having high hopes on that..😊😊

#Yours3fan

Aarushi

PS: Did you find my OS better??With regard to emotions??I'm asking this to you...So reply me, thinking yourself as a critic and not a mere reader...I need to know about my graph...😕😕 And do you find me writing well in the light hearted ones or the darker ones??😕😕 Please LM...Can you tell me(Only if you don't mind)😊😊

Originally posted by: LadyMeringue

I totally agree on that. Either it's the plot bunnies or the block. And I do hope that you enjoy the ride. 😳😳

As to your question, I was going to send you a detailed PM on the same tomorrow, so you will have to wait for it till tomorrow, along with the review for your new update. 😉😉

Ps. Thank you so much, sweetie! 🤗🤗

Dream descriptn ws awesome 😊
BT yr confusing also m nt getng who nd wht it is 😳
It's gud ishveer r seeing each other thru dere facade 😉
Well its birthday tym poor chap never HD a birthday in serial 😭
He is fool nt to xpct ishani wishng him on his birthday 😆
I lykd d chap vry mch nd sry fr late rply ws busy wid sum stuff 😭
U r such a talntd writer tht u !ake dreams also a reality 👏
Nw birthday celebration is Waitng 😃
Thnx fr pm update soon nxt part

Originally posted by: dvprt418.py

Dream descriptn ws awesome 😊
BT yr confusing also m nt getng who nd wht it is 😳
It's gud ishveer r seeing each other thru dere facade 😉
Well its birthday tym poor chap never HD a birthday in serial 😭
He is fool nt to xpct ishani wishng him on his birthday 😆
I lykd d chap vry mch nd sry fr late rply ws busy wid sum stuff 😭
U r such a talntd writer tht u !ake dreams also a reality 👏
Nw birthday celebration is Waitng 😃
Thnx fr pm update soon nxt part

.

Epistle 14: Fancies of Fairy Tales

A/N: Hey there! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D

Happy Reading! :D :D

Ranveer separated from Ishaani, looking slightly embarrassed. They had hugged each other for the first time and now that the initial excitement had worn off, Ranveer couldn't felt the same awkwardness seep in. Ishaani in turn, gave him a goofy smile as she took his hands into her own.

"Come on, I have a surprise for you," whispered Ishaani cautiously as she peeped behind Ranveer to notice Kailash's undisturbed form fast asleep.

"What? Where?" asked Ranveer inquisitively, caught off-guard completely.

"On the terrace. Come on!"

"At this time? Are you sure?" asked Ranveer uneasily. Ishaani only strengthened her grip on his hand.

"Oh do come on, Ranveer!" she insisted, now looking adamant.

Ranveer looked towards the sleeping form of his father reluctantly before he felt Ishaani tug at his hand eagerly, pulling him out from the room. Ranveer gave her an irritable 'tcch' as he shut the door behind him slowly, making sure to cause no noise. The moment they were out of earshot, Ranveer gave Ishaani a hesitant look.

"Goodness, Ishaani! You do know what will happen should we get caught now, don't you?"

"Relax! Nothing's going to happen! And God forbid anything does, we'll find a way out of it. Now come on, you don't want to miss it!"

"Miss it? Miss what?"

"Shush, you ask too many questions! Hurry up quickly and you'll come to know everything."

Both Ranveer and Ishaani ran the length of the steps as swiftly and cautiously as they could, the former now curious. The moment they reached the terrace door, both of them paused to catch their breaths as Ishaani pulled out a bunch of keys from her pocket.

"Ishaani, where did you get these from?" asked a now positively petrified Ranveer, as Ishaani struggled to find the right one.

"Took it from the drawer in the cupboard near the servant's quarters."

"What? You stole them?" asked Ranveer, and he could not keep the note of accusation away from his voice.

"I took them," specified Ishaani more forcefully as she finally found the correct key and inserted it into the lock.

The lock clicked open and Ishaani swung the door open, pulling a stationery Ranveer in tow. Both of them ran straight to the middle of the terrace where the inky blank sky remained spread above them, thousands and thousands of stars twinkling at them benevolently.

Ranveer stared, transfixed, at the sky as the moon shone brightly, lighting up the entire night with its luminescent glow and stark beauty. He turned to look at Ishaani, who was staring at him with undivided attention, trying to get a clue of whether he liked what he saw or not.

Ranveer smiled as he noticed the way the moon brightened up Ishaani's face and made her glow an ethereal shade of beautiful. He did not know what was it that was so breathtaking about her - perhaps her sparkling black eyes, or the lopsided smile she had on when she was in a mischievous mood. Perhaps it was the way her smile lifted her cheeks and that special glint in her eyes when she smiled from her heart.

Or perhaps it was her untarnished soul that he loved so much.

He remotely had a deja vu about knowing another person with the same attributes, but he couldn't recollect anything in that moment. Bringing back his mind to a now-tensed Ishaani who looked slightly disappointed at the lack of reaction from her friend, he gave her a gentle smile. His heart suddenly felt a strange flutter as he noticed the delicate lines of worry cross her crafted features. Unconsciously, he felt his fingers interlock within her own in his characteristic way of reassurance -whatever was worrying her, he would drive it away.

Ishaani looked at Ranveer in surprise as he gave her a hypnotizing smile that somehow transformed him into another person altogether. She blinked her eyes in his direction, a soft smile making its way across her lips as well, letting out a small sigh before looking upwards. The next moment, she practically wrenched his hand hard.

Alarmed by her reaction, Ranveer quickly looked up to see a shooting star passing by in a white fusion of colour. He swiftly shut his eyes before the chance of asking for a wish flew by with incensed rapidity, all thought obliterated from mind. And out of the several hundred things that he could have asked, only one word escaped his lips in a silent whisper - Ishaani.

Ranveer opened his to see Ishaani looking at him excitedly, finding himself melting into her happiness instantly. He gave her a broad smile as the everlasting image of his first seen shooting star remained imprinted across his lids for several more minutes, taking in its beauty and mesmerizing effect on him. Finally letting out a deep breath, he spoke softly.

"Thank you so much. This was the best gift that you could have ever given me. It's like a fairy tale!"

"Don't be silly, Ranveer," replied Ishaani as her hand made soft contact with his face, her finger wiping away a tear that had unconsciously made its way down Ranveer's cheek. "You're always welcome."

"How did you know that I've always wanted to celebrate my birthday under the blanket of the sky?" asked Ranveer curiously as Ishaani now took to staring at the sky again.

"It wasn't that difficult to figure it out, you know. I've noticed the fixation you have with stars. So I assumed as much. I didn't know what to gift you because, well..."

"We don't know each other that much?"

"No," corrected Ishaani, "-because somehow, it didn't feel good enough. I wanted to gift you with something memorable, you see."

"It's... extraordinarily beautiful. Thank you."

"Always," whispered Ishaani, while Ranveer gave her an overwhelmed smile. "Now let's lie down for some time and see the stars. To be honest, I've never slept under them before."

Ranveer and Ishaani both laid themselves on the cold floor and looked up at the sky, clusters and clusters of stars now visible to them. After several minutes of comfortable silence, Ranveer spoke in a dazed voice.

"I love the stars. It's so surreal sleeping beneath them. You know, the first time I gazed upon the sky tonight, I was struck by the darkness of the night. It felt darker than smeared charcoal, small splashes of gold glittering here and there as if... an- an artist had brazenly attempted to light it without aim. And the smoky grey clouds deteriorating under the fluorescent silver beams of the moon as if they were shadows to be banished... It's ethereal, to say the least."

Ishaani could hear the reverent and awestruck tone in Ranveer's voice that held a different love for life altogether. And just like that, his infused spirit of happiness and ecstasy infected her effortlessly.

"If you ask me, it's like a star-field tonight with thousands of stars studded in the sky like glittering diamonds," spoke Ishaani in a dreamy voice as she shut her eyes and enjoyed the scenic beauty, her heart blithe.

Ranveer looked at her with a merry smile upon his face as Ishaani noe locked the fingers of her right hand with his left one, pulling it over her stomach. Ranveer gave her an uncertain look, but Ishaani simply let out a content sigh - a cue for Ranveer to let it be. After a few minutes of intoxicating silence, Ranveer admitted hesitantly.

"I've never seen a shooting star before." Ishaani opened her eyes and turned to look at him in surprise.

"No?"

"No. I've always wanted to see one, though," continued Ranveer in an exhilarated tone. Ishaani smiled softly.

"Then you couldn't have found a better time."

"Have you seen them?" asked Ranveer curiously, finally tearing his eyes away from the sky and looking at Ishaani. She seemed to be glowing even stronger now that they were sleeping under the moonlight.

"Only once before. Maa told me to ask for a wish."

"Yeah, that's the most popular myth with them," noted Ranveer jovially. Ishaani chuckled.

"So, what did you ask for?" asked Ishaani curiously once she sobered down. Ranveer suddenly looked flustered.

"Nothing, really," replied Ranveer lamely. He knew he would give it away at a moment's notice if Ishaani kept shooting him the sly glance the way she was doing just then.

"Oh come on, do tell me," insisted Ishaani, who now finally separated her hands from Ranveer's own ones, propping herself on her side so that she and Ranveer were still face to face.

"It is bad luck if you tell anyone about your wish, you know," said Ranveer solemnly, and strangely enough to him, Ishaani let the matter go. After a few more minutes of tranquility, Ishaani spoke blankly.

"I don't believe they work, honestly."

"Why not?" asked Ranveer as he sat up cross-legged, his eye-contact with her unbroken.

"Well, I didn't get what I asked for," admitted Ishaani in a small voice as she sat up too, her face suddenly downcast. Ranveer pulled her chin up as his buoyant eyes gushed with worry at the sudden change in his friend's mood.

"What did you ask for?" asked Ranveer, the concern in his voice evident. Ishaani looked at him uncertainly before covering her face in her palms, too ashamed to meet eyes with him after what she was about confess.

"My father."

A sticky silence continued as Ranveer and Ishaani stared at each other stupidly, the latter through her fingers.

"Didn't you get one?" asked Ranveer in bewilderment as he continued to stare at her in confusion. Ishaani blushed.

"You know what I mean," replied Ishaani testily as she uncovered her face finally. Ranveer understood what she meant. Knowing that she didn't want to pursue the topic further by the way her eyes had become glossy, he chose to change the topic subtly.

"So does that mean that you didn't ask for anything tonight?"

"No, I did ask for something. I just have no hopes of it getting fulfilled," confessed Ishaani honestly. Ranveer smiled.

"If you've asked for something, it will get fulfilled. It has to."

"What would I have done without you, Ranveer?" asked Ishaani as she ruffled his hair lovingly. He cupped her cheek affectionately in return, his eyes sparkling with a fiery passion.

"Right now, I think it's time we went to sleep. We do have school tomorrow, you know."

"Oh no, tomorrow's Sunday, remember?" Ranveer flushed pink, and spoke in an embarrassed voice.

"Shucks, I'm really losing track of days." Ishaani shook her head at him in exasperation, Ranveer now smiling carelessly. A thought suddenly occurring to her, she looked at Ranveer with a goofy grin plastered upon her face now.

"Do you think that we'll be able to sleep here all night?" asked Ishaani chirpily, trying to note Ranveer's reaction, who suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"That's only possible if either one of us manages to wake up before six in the morning."

"Oh come on, Baa isn't going to be back in a week, and Maa and Uncle are pretty relaxed about us. I'm sure we can get away with it." Ranveer looked at her deeply for some time before he shook his head decisively.

"I don't think we should abuse the power of their freedom," said Ranveer firmly. "I think we should go back to our rooms and sleep." Getting the cue that there would be no further argument on the same, Ishaani nodded her head in agreement.

"Oh alright, I suppose we could do that." Ranveer smiled at her as he stared up towards the sky again that had the slightest shade of light blue now. He did not know from where he had the guts to muster, but he knew that he had to talk to her about it anyway. Seeking the right amount of time, he placed his question to Ishaani carefully.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything..." replied Ishaani, who was fidgeting with her yellow frock. She dropped it once she snapped out from her thoughts.

"Why don't you call Mota Babuji 'Papa' till date, even though you do love him like a father-figure?" asked Ranveer in a single breath, looking awkward suddenly.

Ishaani gave him a blank look, and Ranveer was glad to see that she wasn't cross with him for asking such impudent questions.

"That's just it, Ranveer. He's my father-figure, not my father," replied Ishaani tiredly, even though a strange flame now flickered through her onyx orbs.

"You should give it more thought, Ishaani. Maybe, your wish has already been fulfilled... You're just too oblivious to realize it," said Ranveer, who mentally slapped himself from being so blatant about it. Somehow, Ishaani did not seem to take offense to even this statement. She only looked up and smiled at him.

"I wish I could give it a shot... But I need more time."

"Take as much time as you need. But how long do you think it's still going to take?" asked Ranveer inquisitively just as Ishaani took to staring at the shimmering stars above.

"I wish I had the answer to that, Ranveer. I really do."

12th October, 1996:

I have absolutely no strength in myself now, but I had to let you know. He loved it! To be honest, the way he looked up at the sky with awe and veneration on his face - I think that it was more than worthwhile. It's something that I will treasure for life. Atleast I know that my weeks of thinking and pondering over making this day special, and my risk-taking paid off successfully.

Which reminds me - I've never seen anyone as chivalrous as him. He didn't even agree to sleep on the terrace because that would mean us both getting into trouble. He didn't want to take advantage of the trust the family has upon him. And to think I thought couldn't respect him more than I already do.

But even though I'm happy, a part of our conversation left a huge pang in my heart - our conversation on Harshad Uncle. Ranveer spoke nothing but the truth. But I'm afraid to admit to him. I fear that the moment I accept him as my father, he'll abandon me too. I cannot and will not be able to bear that. I know Harshad Uncle is not like that, but I can't help it. Maybe Ranveer understands the situation, or maybe he understands me much more than he should. Either way, he's been awfully good about it.

I'm contemplating trying to call Uncle as 'Papa' from next week, but let's see whether I manage to go through with it after thirteen failed attempts already.

My life has been nothing short of a fairy tale so far, and it's only in these nine months that I've got a taste of how reality truly feels. And when I say fairy tale, I don't mean the luxury or the outcomes, but the hardships and crude realities that they had to face even in their stories. The Parekh Mansion has changed my life forever, and so has Ranveer. All I miss now is having a father. And very soon, I will have one.

But I still won't get my hopes too high as life has taught me not to. Greater the expectation, greater the disappointment. And as Ranveer astutely tells me - some fairy tales don't have a happy ending after all.

Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D

Next chapter:
Epistle 15

I am going to marry you LM , i dont even care what society will think and if u say no i will kidnap you 🤣🤣 On a seriouse note , how on earth do u manage to write like this Ranveer is so madely in love with ishu and I am madely in love with your writing , usually i declarre my love for you but for this chap i have to declare my love for your write😆😆😉

Happy 50 pages LM!! 🥳