#1 ~FF : Untold Stories~ - Page 96

Originally posted by: LadyMeringue

Don't worry gal, I'll take perfect care of myself. 😳😳 And really, I'm perfectly alright. 😆😆

And in case you do wonder about writing the scene, you might actually set a record on the forum. 😉😉

Originally posted by: aasthaarora

hey LM
first of all m really sorry for this damn late reply :(
coming to the chapter i was expecting it to be ishveer meeting n here chirkut meets ishani :(
but i love the attitude of ishani while there meeting :)
n chirkut was all babe n the way ishani cuts him off every time i saw a glint of attitude wala rv in her :) :)
so she is going to meet him maybe in ua next update *hopefully*
n then the reason she gave to puneet "for old time sake" it make my lips curved into a smile
on a whole i like this chapter so much
waiting for ua next update
loads of love n hugs
AASTHA🤗

Originally posted by: Bloomfield

Okay🤗

I know, I might set a record...But when I have no idea of how to go about, what will I do?😛😛

Hehe, I sound like such a bad influence. 🤣🤣 And don't worry, you needn't get into this stuff right now. Focus upon how you want to shape the ending of your FF and the beginning of your new one. 😆😆 Which reminds me, I read the synopsis of what you had originally planned for your FF, and holy cow, that was some dark, dark stuff. 😲😲

Originally posted by: LadyMeringue

.

Hehe, I sound like such a bad influence. 🤣🤣 And don't worry, you needn't get into this stuff right now. 😛😛 Focus upon how you want to shape the ending of your FF and the beginning of your new one. 😆😆 Which reminds me, I read the synopsis of what you had originally planned for your FF, and holy cow, that was some dark, dark stuff. 😲😲

Originally posted by: LoveyDoveyNeha

sorry for late reply LM amazing chappy thanks😊

Originally posted by: Bloomfield

You aren't actually🤣 Because, writing is an art and you have go through all the courses to master at it😉 I'm focusing on both of them simultaneously😳😳 The synopsis was the original version of my first FF. The one I'm writing is😕😕 Nah. The one I'm writing is not😕😕 It was dark, really? Did you like it?😳😳

True that. And as much as I loved the fact that you dared to conceive of such a strong and dark plot, I think you were smarter to change courses because a lot could get a little messed up. But now that you do have the experience of an FF, the next one you pen down will be much more easier to coin.

Originally posted by: IshaLuvIshveer

Hey LM! 🤗 Sorry for late reply but the chapter was brilliant and amazing! 👏 ⭐️ Thankyou so much for pm and update soon 😳

Thank you so much, sweetie! 🤗🤗 I'm so, so happy that you liked it. Please don't apologize, it's completely alright.

A/N: Hey there! :D Here's the next update! :D :D Sorry for the late chapter, I haven't been keeping well.

Happy Reading! :D

22nd November, 2000:

There's no victory sweeter than the one persevered for.

That's what I felt when the principal of our school handed me over the trophy for coming first in the inter-school dance competition held at my school. I'd performed upon Ae Mere Dil from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai (well don't blame me for using the song, it's the millennium's craze) and the new actor's (some Roshan his name is) steps actually suited my style of dancing. And what can I say? I felt like I'd won the world in that moment.

I got off the stage amidst the humongous amount of cheering from my school mates and appreciative clapping from the remaining audience, but I had eyes for only three people. My parents sat on the front row, clapping away madly, while Ishaani stood behind them, actually wolf-whistling! I didn't know that she had learnt to do that. Honestly, that girl is a mystery box.

Maa swooped upon me and pulled me into her proud arms, while Baba ruffled my hair lovingly. This must have been one of the most precious and priceless moments in my entire life so far, and this was one that I knew I had to treasure for life. Separating myself from my mother, I turned to look at Ishaani, who in turn, looked at me jubilantly. She pulled me into her arms whole into the tightest bear hug she could grant me and I hugged her back without any inhibition. On no normal occasion would I have done so without the slightest tinge of awkwardness, but today was different.

"You were brilliant... brilliant!" squeaked Ishaani happily and I feel myself go rouge. She kept thumping me on my back happily as all four of us make our way out from the auditorium amidst the whoops and claps that were as loud as ever till the doors shut behind us, cutting out the voice. We reached home by five in the evening, only to find Falguni Maa waiting at the door with a smile on her face, her eyes instantly falling upon the gigantic trophy in my arms.

Ishaani ran towards her quicker than the stealthiest cat, hugging her mother excitedly while squealing triumphantly, "First, Maa! He came first!"

Falguni Maa gave me a proud look before congratulating me with a hug. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could sense Maa and Baba stiffen with a mixture of pride and happiness because our mistress had applauded me, and out of mortification as well because... well, she was our mistress.

But it didn't matter to me at all because no matter what, at the end of the day she was my Falguni Maa. The two of us weren't that close now as much as we were before, something I can safely attribute to Maa shifting in with us as well as the numerous problems Falguni Maa has had to face after Disha's birth. Maa's shifting in with us took off a lot of responsibilities from my shoulders, and I think it changed a lot of my priorities as well. I could finally behave like a child, you see.

But in spite of it all, Falguni Maa and I had a secret understanding. We were there for each other. And sure enough, the moment we separated from the hug, she spoke lovingly.

"Because I knew that you would definitely come first, I had already kept your gift ready."

"Gift? Falguni Maa, I-" was all I could say before her look silenced me. The moment I feel quiet, she continued.

"I'm not going to hear any arguments upon this, Ranveer. I've made your favourite dish - samosas with your green chutney. I don't make them as well as your mum does, but I hope that you like them."

"Falguni Maa, you know that after Maa if I appreciate anyone's food as much as I do, it's yours," I confessed rather sheepishly. She smiled.

"Good, so you and Ishaani can head to the garden and enjoy your little party. Amba, Baa is asking for you in her room," Falguni added tastelessly, as though taking the old woman's name was a cuss word she had spoken. Maa nodded her head and made her way towards the woman's room, while Falguni Maa turned towards Baba with a more pleasant look.

"Kailash ji, Harshad will be back him in some time. He has his dinner meet with the shareholders of his firm today, so I think you will have to drive him there."

"No problem," said Baba instantly and made his way towards our room after giving Falguni Maa a small bow of his head. Falguni Maa looked at me and smiled, but before I could say anything further, Ishaani piped in.

"Maa, can't we go to the terrace and have our little party?" Falguni Maa looked at us in deep thought for some time before she nodded her head.

"On the only condition that you clear your school books from there that you've left so haphazardly in the morning. Goodness, Ishaani! You're going to be thirteen, for God's sake! Learn to be more responsible."

"Sorry, Maa," she grumbled while I snorted cheekily, managing to pass it off as a sneeze. Neither of them noticed me, luckily. Falguni Maa turned towards me again just as I sobered down, now speaking in a stern tone.

"Make sure to bring her down by sunset." I nodded my head and Falguni Maa relaxed considerably. "Also, don't forgot to show your Mota Babuji this trophy, alright? He'll be the happiest of us all, you see."

I gave her a reassuring smile as Ishaani and I quickly headed towards the kitchen, our eyes falling upon the tray filled with hot, fresh, home-made samosas and a bowl of green chutney that looked as tantalizing as ever. Ishaani, as usual, continued her extra bit of smuggling business from the fridge and when I caught her in the act, she batted her eyelashes at me feigning an innocence that her eyes clearly deceived. Girls.

We reached the terrace to find the sun still at its prime before it could begin its rapid descent towards the now blazing horizon. Ishaani and I took our places at our favourite swing that was large enough to accommodate the two of us plus the tray in the between, only stopping by to clear out Ishaani's books and pens, stacking them on the nearby bench. After some time, Ishaani brought out the contents that she had smuggled out from the fridge - three bars of chocolate.

"I knew it! I knew it that you must have smuggled chocolates out from the fridge!" I exclaimed in mock accusation while she stuck her tongue out at me shamelessly.

"Shut up, silly. I bought these for you yesterday because I knew that you were going to win."

"Then, you aren't going to have anything from here!" I said cheekily as I pulled away the bars from her hand.

She gasped in shock, momentarily stunned before she valiantly attempted to snatch them out from my hand. I pulled her pigtails (her pet peeve), springing up from the swung. She pounced upon me, trying to make brutal contact with any part of my body that she could get to. Pretty as she is, I've come to learn in these four years that she's a girl of supernatural strength.

Getting a few punches here and there, I finally managed to gain the upper hand as I locked her hands behind her back. I burned my thumb against her wrist in a painful hold, something that Ishaani had come to call as my 'customary lock'. She growled irritably and we both knew that I'd won the battle.

"I hate you, Ranveer! You always do this!" she muttered darkly as I let go of her and took my seat at the swing again in comfortable ease. I took a bite from the first samosa, speaking blissfully.

"You can't hate me because you can't live without me."

On any normal occasion again, I would never have dared to be as boisterous as to say such a thing, but then again, today was different. It was as though I had taken the lucky potion - nothing could go wrong.

"Git," she grumbled further as she took a seat beside me, picking up a samosa too. I smirked at her (although I mentally heaved a sigh that my comment was true and not just an assumption) before whispering slowly.

"Don't let Falguni Maa hear you say that."

"Alright, alright," she agreed, deciding to continue further. "On another note, you were seriously fantastic today! You could really give that Roshan guy a run for his money, you know."

"Oh come on, Ishaani, you exaggerate too much."

"No, I'm serious," she admitted as she turns to look at me, her onyx eyes shining brightly. "You should definitely become a dancer."

"Naah, I know what I want to be - Mota Babuji. Hardworking, smart, kind-hearted and humble," I confess rather flustered, but she's just all smiles.

"Right now, you sound like a writer to me," chuckled Ishaani although she knew that the remark pleased me. I coughed awkwardly.

"I want to be that too."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously, even though she knew the answer to it.

"I'll be a writer one day, Ishaani. Mark my words," I added passionately as one of Ishaani's pens made their way into my left hand out of nowhere. I flourish that into the air.

"But what will you gift me in return?" she asked me playfully and I admit that she did kind of catch me offguard.

Like you know, it was last year when I was seized by the crazy idea of publishing a novel. When I let Ishaani know about my plans, she didn't laugh at me like I had expected but instead, she gave the thing great though and nodded her head in an affirmative, saying that it would actually be a great idea. Since then, the two of us (mainly Ishaani) had come up with a plot that she only willingly decided to trade in exchange for a dedication.

"Didn't I promise you a dedication?" I asked her finally, baffled at the thought of what she was exactly expecting of me. She gave me a suggestive look.

"Yeah, but I want something more than that."

"Like what?" I question further, now puzzled. She only grinned mischievously in response.

"How about the amalgamation of our names?" she says at long last, eyeing my eagerly now. I looked at her in momentary confusion before I realized that she was talking about the pen-name I would be writing under.

"Terrible idea..." I replied instantly, shaking my head. I couldn't help but notice how her face fell suddenly.

"Won't you even do that much for me? I gave you the inspiration for the book and you can't even do that as my friend..." she sighed with puppy dog eyes and unbelievable, I felt slightly troubled before catching onto the tone especially reserved for emotional blackmail. It did not take me much time to bounce back, however.

"Only on one condition."

"What's that?" she asked instantly, clearly surprised at my response.

"You will have to participate along with me in the next dancing competition," I stated, and she gave me a conflicted look.

"You very well know that I can't dance," she admitted hopelessly. I smiled at her all too-knowingly, speaking with sincerity now.

"That's because you don't try enough."

"Not everyone is an all-rounder like you, Ranveer," she shot back, annoyed, but I could easily sense the pride in her voice. I took her hand in mine and continued with even more gentility.

"And not everyone has a friend like you, Ishaani."

Ishaani smiled at me and we had the rest of our meal in silence.

The two of us have come a long, long way in these four years. Where several words once needed to fill the gap was now simply accommodated with our silence, for our silence did speak louder than anything. We didn't need to say anything for our eyes did the job for us, while we could unashamedly say that we knew each other in ways that remained oblivious to the world.

When we met each other for the first time, we were two people too matured for our ages; we were two people who had forgotten what it felt like to be children. In these four years, however, we have learnt to create a place for ourselves in the society and have learnt to face all odds with a broad smile upon our faces. True, there are times when it does hurt a lot, but we always find our solace with each other. In these four years, we have learnt to accept the truth for what it is. And to our astonishment and amazement, we've realized that we've never felt more happier this way. These four years have changed the two of us a lot. These four years have connected us to who were really are.

We are the dancing stars upon the canvas of the indigo sky.

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

Next chapter:
Epistle 22