Pallavi-Keerti OS: Girls Day Out

A/N: This story is set before Sunny’s entry, when Pallavi and Keerti were close friends.

Girls Day Out

Keerti smiled seeing her old photos with her college friends. Every year on friendship day, all her friends would plan an outing to enjoy and make the day memorable. It was friendship day today and she was missing those moments. All her college friends had either moved out of the city or weren’t in contact anymore. “But I have a good friend with me”, she smiled at her thought. With a wide smile on her face, Keerti moved downstairs to the dining room.

“Good morning, Pallavi”, Keerti greeted Pallavi who was sitting on the dining table, sipping her tea, “And happy friendship day”, Keerti continued, hugging Pallavi from behind. “Good morning, aaj friendship hai?” Pallavi asked while checking her phone for the date when she received a message from Krishna wishing her for the special day and informing her that her friends were hanging out at her home. “Haa, tumhara koi plan hai aaj ke liye?” Keerti enquired while settling herself in the chair and serving herself a couple of idlis. “Nahi”, Pallavi stated, “School complete karne ke baad kabhi friends ke saath bahar jaane ka chance mila hi nahi”, she continued. “Toh phir aaj hum dono chalte hai ghumne aur humari friendship celebrate karne”, Keerti spoke. “Idea bahut achha hai, Raghav aur Amma bhi ghar pe nahi hai. Par hum jayenge kaha?” Pallavi said. “Woh sab tum mujh par chhod do, breakfast finish karo aur ready ho jao, saree nahi chalegi aaj”, Keerti bossed, to which Pallavi mockingly replied, “Yes Boss”, and they laughed.

Pallavi looked at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t understand if she should wear this or change to her regular sarees. In order to take Keerti’s opinion she moved towards her room. Pallavi knocked on Keerti’s door, indicated her arrival and waited till she opened the door. Keerti opened the door, pulled Pallavi in at once and locked the door again. Both the ladies took in each others’ appearance and burst out laughing. “Yeh kya pahena hai tum ne?”, they both asked at the same time and burst out in laughter again. “Yeh itni tight jeans kyu pehni hai tum ne? Iska toh button bhi nahi lag raha hai”, Pallavi asked as she sobered up first. “Purani jeans hai yeh, ab fit nahi ho rahi, thoda weight put on kar liya hai maine”, Keerti answered blushing from embarrassment. “Aur mera chhodo, yeh tumne kya pehna hai? Hume ghumne jaana hai, koi 90’s theme ki party me nahi”, Keerti said, as she looked at Pallavi’s bright and shiny, polka-dotted kurti, an equally bright and shiny salwar and sheer dupatta. “Tumne hi bola No Saree, yeh ek hi dress hai mere paas jo theme party ke liye liya tha”, explained Pallavi, her turn to be embarrassed. Both the girls giggled again, “Day out ki shuruwat shopping se karni padegi hume”, Keerti said, to which Pallavi nodded. Changing to their regular clothes, they set their foot out for the day’s adventure.

Pallavi and Keerti arrived at a famous shopping mall after a short drive, and went straight away to the clothes shop. They started to walk down the aisles, checking out various outfits. Both girls started discussing clothes, selecting and rejecting them. Keerti pulled out a white embroidered boat-neck top, seeked Pallavi’s opinion, “Yeh kaisa lag raha hai?” to which Pallavi showed thumbs up. After some more hunting, Pallavi’s eyes fell on a yellow floral-printed top, she pulled it out from the rack and held it up near her torso. Looking at Keerti, she asked, “Mere liye yeh waala?” “Perfect hai”, Keerti said. They now moved towards the jeans section to find one for themselves. Keerti settled on classic black jeans while Pallavi selected a navy blue pair of jeans. They bought a couple of matching accessories to go with their new outfits. After settling the bill, the duo changed into their new clothes, ready for the day.

“Shopping toh ho gayi, ab next destination kya hai?”, Pallavi asked, once they settled in the car. “Thodi der mein pata chal jayega tumhe” came Keerti’s reply. After an hour of driving, the car pulled up in front of the city's famous amusement park. “Wow Keerti, bahut achha idea hai yeh, chalo ab enjoy kare”, Pallavi stated excitedly. Both got inside after getting the tickets. They were greeted with the sight of a giant Ferris wheel among other rides. “Chalo, hum Giant wheel se start karenge”, Pallavi said while pulling Keerti towards the ride. They secured their seats and the wheel started moving. Soon enough they were on the top, the wheel had stopped so other passengers could get down. At the top of the Ferris wheel, the noise of the crowd and all other sounds died. They could feel the strong winds hitting their face, making their hairs fly. They looked around to see the scenic surroundings. “Wow!” Pallavi exclaimed, “Mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha, ki Hyderabad upar se itna sundar dikhta hai”, she continued. On the other hand, Keerti pulled in a deep, clean breath, savoring the moment. Soon the wheel shuddered to life, pulling forward, and then down. Both ladies deboarded the ride with a wide smile on their faces. They sat on some more rides, enjoyed the thrill, munched on street snacks. They chattered, cracked jokes, shared stories and laughed without a care in the world. After all the adventure, Pallavi and Keerti were hungry, it was already past their regular lunch time. While walking around to find a restaurant, the smell of freshly baked pizza hit them. “Pizza!”, both said in unison, then walked inside the pizzeria across from them. The ladies filled their stomachs with pizzas, appetizers and a glass of cold drink. Post lunch, they strolled around site-seeing, indulging in lighter activities and clicking photos. It was late evening, when they decided to leave the park.

“Bahut maza aaya na Pallavi, kitne dino baad hum aise ghumane aaye”, Keerti started talking as they settled in the car, “Par bahut thak bhi gaye”, she continued cracking her knuckles and stretching her neck. “But abhi tak yeh outing khatam nahi huyi hai”, Pallavi added after thinking for a few minutes. “Matlab?” Keerti asked to which Pallavi answered, “Ek surprise tum ne mujhe diya, ab meri turn hai.” Pallavi then pulled out her phone, looked for an address and then ordered the driver to take them to that location. Some time later, the car pulled up at the city’s popular Beauty Salon and Spa. “Wow Pallavi, bahut achha idea hai yeh”, Keerti exclaimed happily. They headed inside and booked for a facial, manicure, pedicure and head massage. The ladies talked softly, enjoying the pampering. The day’s exhaustion left them as they relaxed with the soothing head massage. Like all good things, the spa time ended as well. It was late evening by then, and the girls were famished. Deciding to dine out, they searched for nearby restaurants and then headed towards the best option. They entered the restaurant, sat down and started to see the menu. As they were reading the menu, an idea struck them. They decided to try a dish that they haven’t tasted before. Soon, the order was placed. The ambiance of the place was top-notch. Soft, soothing music was played. Shortly, the waiter came with their food and served them. They tried out the new dishes, savoring the food and talking some more. Soon enough, it was time for dessert. They ended their dinner after digging through the mouth-watering sweet. Finally they headed towards home now. On the way, Pallavi saw a Kulfi vendor and asked the driver to stop the car. Keerti held the Kulfis while Pallavi handed the shopkeeper his money. They ate the Kulfis, smiling, reminiscing about the good ol’ childhood days.

It was past midnight when the ladies entered home. They were exhausted with the day’s activity but their faces were glowing with happiness. After a long time, they had a day for themselves, just themselves, when they could live for themselves. They had a break from their complicated lives and were now rejuvenated to bounce back. Pallavi and Keerti shared a look and a wide smile, which sealed the deal of their friendship day celebration for the coming years.