"True love is like a teardrop in a rainstorm; you're lucky enough to find it once, but you will never find it again." [unknown]
It had been raining the entire day and she was warned by her sister not travel alone on mumbai roads alone at night time. The rough times of India and its people had told her that much that you never go alone at night and if by some chance you do decide to go somewhere make sure to travel with someone. She was stubborn and she knew that but today she regretted her every single word....and wished she could some how travel back in time to erase them but unfortunately you cannot so no point in grieving about something that had not been her mistake even.
"goshh this stupid rain" the wipers on the car refused to budge as they had not been used for a long time but after a lot of pushes they started to do their work but that did not meant driving was any easier. It was still very blurry and at this dark hour of night it was impossible to see anything on the road except for coming by cars headlights.
She was trying to concentrate on her driving but her thoughts were deceiving her..."why am i thinking about what happened earlier..she deserved it" she thought trying to stir away the wandering thoughts but it was difficult. How could she just forget, she had screamed at her mom for the first time in her life just because her mom suggested she'd get married to the boy of her choice. What was so wrong in that, she thought looking back on the words. It was only intended as a suggestion, she wasn't forcing me. Then why did i shout at her and tell her to stop interfering in my life.
Within moments she found herself backed against the air bag in her car, as the wipers froze in their positions, the horn of the car rang loudly in her ears and a light knocking brought her out of the thoughts, " are you alright?" the voice was bare but loud enough for her to hear in this heavy rain.
"idiot, stupid, moron..." she cursed herself as she struggled to find something to pinch the air bag with. Finally pulling the hair pin from her her messed up hair, she pinched the air bag with it, and she breathed lightly, "thank god", a sigh of relief came over her but then her attention turned to the stranger knocking on her window. The realization that all the connections of the car had gone haywire made her open the door to answer the queries this stranger had. But than a moment of fear came over her as the door opened the rain trickled on her skin sending shivers down her spine.
The stranger pulled her towards himself and she found strange comfort in his arms that she never knew existed before. It was weird, a person she did not know and she was okay to be in his arms, freaky!.
"tum theek toh hona?" he whispered into my ears and without waiting for her response he led her towards his car and opened the front door for her. While she was in a dazzled state unaware of everything except that she was with a stranger and he was just a traveler who met her by some coincidence of fate.
"are you okay?..hello..are you okay?" his voice brought her out of the shock as she turned to look at him, He was in his mid - 20s and handsome but his dimples made him cute too cute to be just some stranger she thought.
There was some type of glow on his face attracted her towards, "...i'm mayank" he said pressing his lips together in a smile and flashing his dimples, " nupur...my name is nupur" her trembling voice made him turn on the heater in the car, " are you okay nupur..?" she looked up to see the warmth in his eyes and nodded, " are you sure?" his concern seemed to melt her as his eyes met with hers and for the first time she felt something grown inside...something different, something unique, something she had never felt before...
"yes i'm sure.." she started and continued, " i'm sorry...my thoughts..and..this..i don't know i'm sorry" he found himself smiling as he saw her trying to give words to her thoughts but it was hard and during that process the innocent look she had just made him want to hug her right at that moment. Insane right?
"its okay" he said calming her or better yet trying to calm her, she instantly became quite and sat facing forward, " i'm really sorry, i was just lost in my thoughts and i didn't see where i was going" mayank bent down and grabbed the jacket that was lying near his seat, " here" he said forwarding it to nupur who was surprised by this gesture of his.
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"i don't want it" she said pushing it away, " you might not want it but you need it" he said seeing her tremble even though the heater was on high. It must be the rain he concluded. Hesitantly she took it and wrapped it around herself, "are you always this nice?" her question was abrupt and even she was shocked as the words left her.
"woh ..i was just.." she started to clarify but he stopped her, " its okay, i'm capable of answering your question. Hmm i'm nice if the other person is nice" nupur raised her eyebrow "even with strangers?"
"you're not a stranger" nupur found herself smiling as she heard him but than a thought struck her, "but we just met today" mayank smiled showcasing his dimples, "janta hoon par...i know you..i know your nupur" nupur was finding it difficult to make sense of his words so she just left the topic.
"so are you here for a visit?" he asked wanting things to be normal again, she shook her head, " yes, i'm here for a visit! You?"
"same ..i just came down from dehli today" nupur instantly found herself looking at him as she remembered her moms words, "woh larka aaj hi dehli se araha hai nupur", nupur dismissed her thoughts, "it couldn't be him...could it be?" she cleared her mind of the useless thought and looked at mayank, " so what do you do?"
"i'm a engineer ..Chemical engineer" his eyes met hers as he turned over to reach something from the back seat. She was trying very hard to look away but found it be difficult, she felt as if she had looked away he would leave forever and she would never see him again. A strand of hair fell loose on her face as she kept on looking at him; mayank raised his hand and slightly pushed away not realizing what he was actually doing.
Nupur blushed and looked, which made mayank aware of what he was doing, instantly he pulled away his hand and rested it on the steering wheel. Though a second later or before the corner of his right eye always found the route to her expression filled face.
Nupur looked here and there finding words to ease the moment but it was difficult, she had met a stranger, and had an intimate moment with him, could it get anymore stranger, she hoped not.
"there is no emergency right?" nupur raised her eye brown at his question as she could not really understand what he was trying to imply, " I mean you don't have to get somewhere right this moment right?" without waiting for her continued, " because I don't think its safe to drive in this rain storm, until the rain doesn't die down we should stay here " nupur nodded in agreement after the accident she had she could do anything else but agree to his decision. " I agree, and no I don't have to be anywhere right this moment. It can wait"
"so '.." nupur started hoping he would saying something to get rid of the awkwardness but none zip..no sound came from his side. Slightly disappointed she spoke, "so here on a business meet?" mayank nodded no, "actually personal matter" he said with a smile and if nupur didn't think she was dreaming she saw a faint blush on his face. "Aww he looks so cute when he blushes" she thought but then reprimanded herself for thinking like that.
"you?" he asked back, " hmm lets just say this was steam blow ride. Just wanted to get away and think to myself" he nodded and than looked at her curiously, "may I ask why?" nupur looked at him unsure but than she thought he was stranger, whom she met and hours later she would not see him. So she could tell him all her problems and get an honest opinion from him. And to make her mind even surer, mayank said, " bata do maan halka ho jayega, ajanabee hoo aaj mila kal kahin aur hoonga'..tumhare secrets kisi ko nahi bataunga" nupur grinned.
"kahan se shuru karoon?" she asked'He smiled " jahan se har kahani shuru hoti hai, the beginning"
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xxx
I wrote this OS at 4 in the night (b/c i could not sleep :S )...Please bear with any mistakes😆
will continue soon
Sanam
DO comment :)
Veer Hanuman
Kumkum Bhagya
