Meher hurried down the stairs, straightening her duppata across her shoulders and smoothing down the creases in her outfit. She ran past her mother, who was giver her father his customary tea. Both looked up as their whirlwind of a daughter ran past them.
"Aare, Meher, suno tho!"
She froze in her tracks, and pasting on a smile, for she really was in a hurry, turned around. Her father smiled at her.
"Kahan jaari beta?"
"Kahin nain Bauji, bas Preet ke saath bhar."
Her father nodded at her as her mother tried to hide a smile.
"Theek hai phir, jaldi aana!"
Meher nodded and smiling, flew out of the door, knocking down Heer who was coming downstairs with a fresh load of laundry.
Teji shook her head at her youngest daughter as she adjusted her pillow on the couch.
"Na jaane kab in dono ek dusre ko apni dil ke baath bathainge. Saab ko pata hai Preet aur Meher ek dusre ko pasand karthe hai."
Balraaj shook his head at his wife.
"Baache hai abhi. Jaane do no. Tum kyun fikar karthi ho?"
Teji nodded, knowing her husband was right, but still hoping her daughter would just hurry up.
~~~
Meher rushed outside, her feet moving as fast as they could. Preet had told her on the phone earlier today that he had a surprise for her and she couldn't wait to see it. She reached his car, and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Ta-dah! I'm here!"
He smiled at her. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to the other side of the car, and opening the door, he pushed her in. She let out a shriek.
"PREET! What? What are you doing?
Wordlessly, Preet got into the drivers seat and reversed the car out of the Maan driveway, playing a deaf ear to Meher's questions, which looked like they were not going to stop.
"Where are we going?"
"I thought you said you had a surprise for me! Is this what it is? A kidnapping?"
"Preet, I swear, I'll kill you.."
"Doesn't that cloud look like a duck?"
"If you don't stop this miniute, I'll kick you out of the car!"
So busy she was questioning Preet, Meher failed to notice that the car had come to a complete stop and Preet had simply been watching her for the last couple of minutes, a smile playing on his lips, waiting for her to, essentially, shut up.
She paused, noticing that the car was no longer in motion and looked outside. Her mouth dropped open.
"You brought me to Suicide Point?"
Preet rolled his eyes.
"Stop calling it that. It's just a flat rock four people happened to jump off of."
Meher turned to stare at him. "And that's your surprise. Really Preet, sometimes I wish God had given you just a tiny bit of brain."
Still smiling, Preet opened the door, and led her out and turned her so she could see what he had laid out on the grass. Meher spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh yay, I can't wait to tell everyone we had a picnic at Suicide Point. Really Preet..." Before she could continue. Preet interrupted.
"Meher! Would you at least look at the view?!?"
Rolling her eyes at him, Meher turned to look where he was pointing and was struck silent.
Hues of red, orange and yellow bordered the vast amounts of green trees covering the rocky boulder of the mountains. If she listened carefully, Meher could hear a bird whistling out into the fading day. She turned to face Preet, stars in her eyes.
"Now I know why people chose to die here. It's so beautiful."
Both settled down on the blanket, munching and catching up, a weekly ritual of theirs. Every week, they took turns bringing the other person to a random place (trying to out beat each other every week) where they would catch up, gossip or just be themselves. The tradition had been established when they were children and had yet to cease. Tonight, they were in a childish mood, playing a game they had been playing for years.
"Would you rather eat a frog or kiss a spider?"
"Umm..eat a frog?"
"EW - Preet!"
"What? I'm hungry!"
"You are disgusting! Your turn.
"Uhh...would you rather go out with Rishab or give up your phone?
"Can't pick."
"You HAVE to pick! It's the rule."
"Urg. Fine. Rishab."
"You materialistic centered idiot. You love your phone that much?"
"So what if I do? Umm would you ever give up your car for love?"
"Not in a million years."
"Ah-ha! Who's the materialistic idiot now?"
"Completely different."
"Uh-huh"
"Would you go on a date with me or jump of this cliff?"
Meher paused, a sandwich halfway to her mouth.
"Huh?"
"Will you go out with me?"
Meher looked at him confused. Huh?
"Come on Meher, everyone already thinks we like each other, why not turn that rumor into fact? Anyways," he pressed. "Everyone knows you fell for me first."
Meher's jaw dropped open. "I DID NOT!"
Preet popped a cracker into his mouth. "Sure. Whatever you say."
Meher turned away, a frown on her face. Preet thought he heard her mutter. "You fell for me first." and chuckled.
"So you didn't answer my question. Would you rather go on a date or jump of the cliff?"
Meher glared at him. "Jump of the cliff."
"Great. I'll pick you up at 7 tomorrow."
Meher stared at him, till she felt a smile coming on, and before he could see, she turned to face the view, not catching the smile that was slowly growing on Preet's face.
***
THERE! TWENTY-FIVE SHOTS! I know, some of you knew, I was planning to make my 25th a shot with all my friends in the future but stuff just started happening, and than I sorta had a panic attack when I realized how many people I had to include, and essentially I got lazy. 😆
It is a really weird shot, but I'm a weird person. 😆
And, now the important part. I'm kinda leaving the forum now, because of school and all. It starts in about 3 weeks (😳- sounds like a long time but my life had a tendency to go really fast when I don't want it too.) and I kinda need to concentrate or I'll get in dog poop. 😆 Plus Ramadan is starting in a couple of days (again - 😳) so going to be inactive. I don't know how inactive I will be, I do know, there won't be any shots for a while. To all my friends who have their birthday in like TWO months, I'm really sorry I won't be able to write shots, so this is dedicated to all those people!
Thanks to everyone who commented on my FF or any shot that I wrote this summer. :D
To all my friends who write FF's or OS's, I'll try to drop a comment whenever I can, or at least hit the like button (which means, I really did "like" it. 😆)
If you do see me online, it will be for the CC or PM's. :)
Byebye.
:)
--shabz