Chapter 1
May 10th, 2010
"Flight A17, has started boarding now, please proceed to boarding gate." The PA system announced the boarding of his flight. Tightly gripping his hand bag which carried nothing but a Macbook and a simple jacket, the 26 year old powerful businessman starts his way to board the flight.
"May I please see your boarding pass and passport please?" the security officer asked Mayank as he got up for a normal security check.
"Sure." Mayank gives the officer a smile before handing him his boarding pass.
Mayank checked his watch and argued with his mind to say if he should change his watch back to the American Standard time rather then the Indian standard time.
"Hey'are you Mayank Sharma, the businessman'the one who's worth billions of dollars?" the officer asks him, checking his passport.
Mayank smiles at the officer, and his own fate, that everyone recognized him, even the people he barely knew while his own people, the ones he loved didn't even know he existed. "Yes I am a businessman but I won't be too sure I am worth a billion dollars!" Mayank jokes around with the officer who just laughs.
"You are a funny man Mr Sharma. Your seat number is D3 'business class." The officer informs Mayank.
"Thanks'this way right?" Mayank asks, making sure that he didn't enter the wrong gate. In collage, everyone had called him the most smartest student ever, teacher's pet'the bookworm to stick to the corner of the library but now, that collage was long gone, Mayank found himself as nothing but a man, who had lost his ability of smartness. Surprising but that was just what had happened to him in the 4 years of collage.
"Yes sir, right this way!" the officer pointed towards terminal A which was right there. Mayank goes inside the terminal and enters the flight. Even though Mayank could afford his own private jet and even kept one himself, he wanted to keep it real and rather preferred that he travelled by plane. It was not that he had any interest in meeting new people, or even talking to any new people, but he just wanted to not be "the lonely amidst the crowd"'that is how she used to describe people who were not socially active.
"Your seat is right here sir." The air hostess told Mayank, guiding him towards his seat.
Mayank smiles at the air hostess and sits down in his seat. As he settles down in his seat by opening his laptop, he feels the presence of someone else. Mayank turns around to find the presence of a man he had known long ago and this brought a shocking smile on his face.
"Samrat Shergill?" Mayank exaggerates, seeing his friend here.
"Mayank Sharma?!" Samrat replies back, happy and confused at the same time. Samrat settles into his seat, while Mayank closes his laptop screen down. This was the time to rejuvenate old memories. "It's been a long time!" Samrat says, kind of shocked.
"6 years almost. The world is a small place Samrat." Mayank says, making Samrat laugh.
"Mayank Sharma, the collage geek'didn't change at all!" Samrat says, laughing at how Mayank had rephrased the same line, he had done back in collage. It surprised Mayank how Samrat had still remembered his exact words.
Mayank is about to say something in return when a girl comes and places a kiss on Samrat's cheeks, quietly slipping her number and address in his hands. Mayank watches Samrat flirt with that hopeless girl, shaking his head. After Samrat was done with his 'girlfriend' of the day, he turns back to Mayank, who was still smiling.
"And looks like you didn't change as well Mr. Shergill." Mayank says, trying to act formal.
"Kya karoon, dil se majboor hoon." Samrat replies back, smiling.
Mayank is taken aback by that comment of Samrat's. "Why? What happened with her'I thought you two were'?" Mayank didn't want to complete the sentence.
"Nothing man'" Samrat looks down, playing nervously with his hands "chod na, I guess we both weren't meant to be together." Samrat says, turning his face away from Mayank's.
"Why what happened?" Mayank asks Samrat.
"Everything changed man. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have said anything to her. We are not together anymore. It's a long story. But do you still miss her?" Samrat asks Mayank, trying to change the subject.
Mayank brings a slight sarcastic smile on his face. "What are you talking about Samrat? What love? I bet you she is happy where ever she is in her life, abhi tak, do chaar bache bhi ho gaye honge." Mayank says, remembering the moment of the first time he had seen her enter Excel collage.
"Mayank'guess love was never written for us. I couldn't be together to support her because I was being a jerk."
"It's not because you were being a jerk Samrat, it was because it was something called Destiny." Mayank replies back. "What about Adhiraj and Suhaani?" Mayank asks Samrat who seemed to be lost in the thoughts of his 'chashmish'.
"They are getting married next month. Adhiraj wanted to become a successful basketball player before marrying Suhaani." Samrat replies back.
"Am I invited?" Mayank asks Samrat, trying to lighten the mood.
"Of course not!" Samrat replies back, and both Mayank and Samrat break down in a laugh. Samrat was happy that at least his sister wasn't suffering any problems like he had in his married life, or Mayank had with Nupur. He was just glad that Adhiraj was keeping Suhaani happy and that was all that mattered.
"Waise, woh ladki kaun thi?" Mayank asks Samrat who shrugs his shoulders.
"Ek dost. Woh bhi akeli thi, aur main bhi'aur jab do akele dil milte hai'you know the rest!" Samrat replies back, winking at Mayank who laughs.
"Remember Uday and Benji and their attempts to woo any girl that came with them'mujhe tum abhi unki hi yaad dela rahe ho!" Mayank exclaims, getting into the mood to take his life back into the memories of his collage days, and relieving each and every single memory of what had happened then.
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