And, yes, I know you don't know me (I don't know you either) but I like to write (and if you like to read we can be friends for ever :D)
So, this is set right during Milind's amnesia period and continues from there, and YES, it's Milind/Prachi and there will be Neev even though it won't be a triangle. It might be (possibly) Neev/Ayesha or Neev/someone because Neev is amazing. The timeline can go back and forth because I might use flashbacks. I'm thinking of starting every chapter with a prompt which (if you look really hard) will summarize what the chapter's about. In my calculations, the story has started in the beginning of 2007 and Prachi's almost 30.
Oh, and I love constructive criticism so don't forget to criticize...lol! and do read because this idea has been formulating for a long time and I really really want you guys to like this...
Chapter 1: Page 1 (So I Knock on the Door....)
Chapter 2: Page 4 (There ain't no Reason Things are This Way....)
Chapter 3: Page 7 (Step one, you say we need to talk...)
Chapter 4: Page 10 (Can you feel it, is it true?....)
Chapter 5: Page 12 (I did my best, it wasn't much....)
Paring in this chapter: Neev/Prachi, slight Milind/Prachi, Neev/Milind friendship
# 1. So I knock on the door, take a step that is new, never been here before, is there anyone else here too
April 1983
When Neev first sees the new people moving to the house next to theirs, he instinctively dislikes them. There's a girl about his age and she's pudgy and wearing glasses, and she seems to have two younger siblings, and even though her mother invites him to play with them, he doesn't trust them at all. His father laughs it off because apparently her father is his best friend, and soon their family starts coming over to his home. He hates that he has to sit politely and endure them, he hates that he has to pretend to laugh when everyone is cooing at how grown up he has become, and he hates showing his room to that girl because it's somewhat like his shrine. He also hates, hates, hates that they're both in the same class in the same school, and it's his duty to look after her at school.
But he likes his father and his father has promised him a chocolate so he endures everything about the girl (even though he just sometimes wants to nudge her because she doesn't talk). He's a little surprised to discover that she is actually intelligent and works hard but his slightly elevated mood disappears when he has to take her to the swings instead of playing with his friends.
But then she scoots over in the admittedly large swing and asks him really, really shyly if he wants to swing together, and he has no choice but to smile slightly.
"I'm Prachi," she says softly, but clearly and he replies, "I'm Neev." They sit side by side on the swing, knees touching, and look at each other while the swing moves in perfect sync, and he doesn't hate her quite that much after that. And it's not quite friendship yet but it feels like the beginning of something and the next time she comes over, he doesn't complain.
April 2003
"But she was so beautiful and she had these honey colored eyes--"
He doesn't quite get to finish his sentence because his words are drowned by a large smack on his head and a shout of "Idiot! That girl was your last week's girlfriend. This one has brown eyes."
He turns back and albeit himself, smiles and Prachi huffs loudly. "Well, yes, but imagine, Prachi, one day without a girlfriend! And that means no hugging, no kiss-"
"Yes, I get the idea," she replies sarcastically, and he takes a moment to realize that sarcasm really doesn't suit her.
"So maybe I should just kiss you then?"
"NEEV!" She shouts out scandalized even though he's laughing and she's almost laughing and she throws another pillow at him.
"What, is it *that* bad of an idea?"
"Well, yes," she stutters a little unconvincingly and he stands up to chase her because she's so embarrassed and it's so funny.
Later, he will tell himself that he didn't know why he did it and she will tell herself that she didn't know what came over her, but when he catches her she instinctively closes her eyes and he gently reaches out to catch her lips. Their lips brush slightly before they slowly get the hang of it and they're actually kissing and it's after a very, very long moment before they untangle and break apart.
He goes home right after it, and they never, ever talk about it ever again and neither of them sleep that night because it'd felt oh so, so right.
April 1993
She's carrying a huge stack of papers which are really a mix of her dad's papers and her own school papers and she isn't really watching where she's going before there's a loud bump, a crunching sound and a thud almost all at the same time.
She frantically tries to look for who it is that got buried under the papers and she finds *someone* rubbing what looks suspiciously like blood from his nose.
"I, er, broke your nose," she states sheepishly, even though it doesn't help.
The boy, he looks about her age really, glares at her, "You think?"
There's a minute of awkward silence before he sighs and asks her for some kind of a band-aid and she stutters and goes to find some.
"It's going to hurt, probably," she says when she comes back holding gauze and he glares at her again (because it's so stupid to state the obvious).
It's not until very late that she's mildly alarmed because she doesn't know him and he's in her house, and he seems to realize the same thing,
"Who are you, anyway?" he asks rudely, and she states that she's Prachi and sees the terrifying transformation of his face from annoyance to impassiveness.
Without another word he hands her back the gauze and goes, and she's too stunned to follow him. She puts back the gauze and learns later that his name is Milind and he's Mishraji's son and he's really sort of antisocial, but all she can really remember is that his eyes are so dark black and she can't help but wonder what went wrong in his life.
November 2000
"THAT is a great save," Neev gushes when he comes running to congratulate the new keeper at his school tournament. The latter shrugs off his helmet and smiles a little, even though he's happy that someone appreciates him that much.
"I'm Neev," continues that slightly eccentric man while he hands him a cool cloth to wipe his forehead with, "and when they said they're picking a new keeper, I had no idea you were that good."
He smiles again, and frowns slightly at the name, "Neev?"
He doesn't seem to notice though and brushes it off, "Yes, Neev Shergill, I think we might have one class together, but anyway, how in the world did you learn--"
"You're Neev Shergill? The guy who has so much money he can roll around in it?"
Neev frowns slightly and he clarifies, "My father works for yours," but he doesn't elaborate anymore. Neev shakes it off again (does that guy ever get offended) and claps him on the back, "Yes, well, my father is rich. Me, not so much. So what do you say to going out and celebrating your spectacular save?"
He wants to, he really does, because its been a good game but this is Neev and even though he's aware he sounds like a petulant child, he says, "But you're Neev, and you're friends with snobs and brats and I don't want to go there--"
But Neev pulls him with him, assuring that he too doesn't like snobs and brats and it's not long before both are hysterically laughing and something or another and Milind is almost, almost convinced that sometimes the apple falls pretty far from the tree.
So, please reply and tell me whether I should continue, okay? I hope it's not too long and I hope you really like it, and I'm setting the character relationships right now and I hope you can have fun reading it!(I also hope you reply😛)
