Sharon Rai Prakash was royally pissed off. It was New Year's Eve. And for the first time in years her best friend in the whole world, Reyaansh Singhania, wasn't celebrating it with her. Instead, he had accompanied his dad to Dehradun for some 'important' business meeting or something and was spending his new year's eve there.
Still, everything would've been okay if she could've just partied with her other friends. Instead, her father had blackmailed her into attending this party thrown by some very important person whose name he had mentioned but she had been too busy thinking how unfair the whole world was to pay much attention. She knew it was important for him to show to the world that they shared a good father-daughter relationship but she still couldn't believe that he had threatened to stop all her allowances if she dint accompany him to this stupid party. It was the most boring party in the history of parties!
Or at least, it was the most boring party Sharon had ever been to.
'...it's so hard dealing with these models, I tell you! Oooh and did you hear about...' Sharon tried to tune into what the young fashion designer, who had been rising to fame in recent times, was saying to her but it was the same old gossip and Sharon wasn't very interested in it, well at least now right then, and she nodded and smiled and replied appropriately while in her head she was deciding which piece from her father's collection of antique vases she was going to accidentally-on-purpose break once they were back home.
It wasn't like she could do anything else because even though she hated being in this party she knew it was important to behave well here. Here. At home... it was going to be different, to say the least.
Almost an hour later, Sharon found herself alone. She quickly took out her cell phone and sent a message to Rey. She had no idea what exactly his plans for the night were. He replied sometime later. He was on his way to some disco with his friends. Sharon was surprised. Not about the fact that he had friends in Dehradun- Rey was popular, he had friends everywhere- but about him going to a disco.
There are disco's in Dehradun?
The fact that Rey was in Dehradun but was still enjoying while she was in Mumbai and stuck in this boring party made her all the more upset. She looked around the grandly decorated hall. All these important people, dressed up so nicely and she did not find even one of them interesting. She grabbed a drink from a passing waiter.
'Sharon?! I dint know you'd be coming tonight!'
Sharon looked up to see Aarush Chopra, who looked like he had won the lottery. Or well, like some poor man might look if he had won a lottery because Aarush Chopra was filthy rich, he certainly did not need to win a lottery.
Great! Just great!
It was like Sharon was destined to be miserable on this new year's eve.
Aarush Chopra was deeply infatuated with Sharon and even though Sharon made it pretty clear that she did not reciprocate his feelings, he wouldn't give up. At first Sharon found it flattering, even amusing to some extent. But now his mere presence just really annoyed her. Unfortunately for Sharon, he was always present at parties like this.
'Hi.' This wasn't college. He was somebody important. So it wasn't like she could just ignore him or be rude to him.
Monosyllabic response. Unenthusiastic. No smile. Get the point. Go away!
He didn't. In fact, his smile got broader.
'You look... wow, I mean... you look so gorgeous!'
She groaned inwardly.
'Thanks.'
'No, you always look really good, but today, you just...'
'Yeah, okay. Thanks.' She finished off her drink quickly and kept it on a nearby table.
'Look, I need to go. I have to... make a call...' she started walking towards a door in a corner nearby, not really knowing where it led to.
'Sharon! Wait. Uh...How's everything?'
'Good. Everything's good. I need to...'
'What? You trying to run away from me? Am I really that bad?' He grinned.
'What? No. Nothing like that.'
Admittedly, he was pretty cute. But that was the problem. Cute. Not her type.
'No? Could've fooled me!'
Sharon was growing more irritated by the second but she managed to smile back in response.
'So, what've you been up to?'
'Nothing much. The usual. Studies. Dance. Oh yeah, me and Rey have been practicing a lot for our next auditions. You know Rey... Reyaansh?'
There. That might make him give up.
'Oh yeah, of course I know him. He's not here tonight?'
'No, he couldn't come.'
Aarush looked hesitant for a second, then asked
'If you don't mind me asking, are you guys... like a couple or something?'
Argh! He had the nerve to ask? What was she going to do now? It wasn't like she could lie.
'No. We're best friends.' She replied.
His face lit up like a Christmas tree!
'So, Sharon, I was wondering...'
'No.'
'Sorry?'
'Don't bother. I'm not interested.'
'But, I don't get it.'
She snapped. He really dint get it, did he? He was so frustrating! He was giving her a headache. Like, a real headache!
'What part of "I'm not interested" did you not understand?'
He was taken aback by her tone.
'I don't understand why.'
Sharon took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
'Look Aarush, you're a great guy. But it wouldn't work. Please, just let it go.'
She was quite proud of herself. She was handling this so well!
'But I really like you.' Aarush said, almost whining.
Sharon really thought she might hit him right then. She looked around at the other people in the party and reminded herself that it was important to not create a scene. Besides, it's not like she could really hit him, what if something happened to her nails?
'I really need to go now. Goodbye.'
'No wait. Why don't you think about this seriously?'
'Why don't you go jump off a bridge?' It came out before she could stop herself.
Aarush said, looking hurt 'Maybe I will. And in my suicide note I'll write the reason as unrequited love. Then you'll regret.'
Was this guy for real?
She scoffed, 'Unrequited lust, more like. And no, I won't regret.'
He looked shocked. 'What? Is that really what you think? Let me tell you then...'
Oh. God. No!
She did not need a lecture on his true love right now.
This freaking headache is going to kill me.
'Aarush, I'm sorry I said that, I'm sure your intentions are pure. But for the last time I don't care.'
For one scary moment Sharon thought he was going to fall on his knees and start begging but finally he walked away looking dejected.
Sharon looked around. No one had noticed the exchange between them.
Suddenly, Sharon wanted to cry. Great way to start a new year! Sharon grabbed another drink and took a sip. It was the third one and she still wasn't sure if she liked it or not. It was fruity and sweet and it tasted good but it also tasted horrible, if that even made sense. And she got this tingling sensation all over her body. She took another sip.
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Swayam Shekhawat knew very well that he was going to get bored at the party. But his parents insisted that Swayam should accompany them to the party- socializing was important. Swayam was an obedient son, so of course he had come to the party.
The same type of people. The same type of conversation. Swayam hated it but he smiled through it all.
Then, his eyes fell on Sharon. She was beautiful; it was hard for someone to not notice her. She was standing with her father. Swayam recognized Gautam Rai Prakash, of course.
Of course, I should've guessed she'd be here too.
Swayam knew Sharon. They were in the same college. But he doubted that she knew of his existence. It didn't matter to him.
Rich, spoilt brat. Same old, same old.
But he found himself looking at her again and again, noticing little things about her. She had graceful manners and was pleasant to all her acquaintances, but it wasn't like she was trying to please anyone in particular... or maybe, it was important for her that all these people should like her. Whatever it was, her manners weren't forced- they came naturally. But even as she laughed along with the other women she was talking to, there was that tired look in her eyes. She seemed different today.
He couldn't figure her out very easily but he came to a conclusion. She did belong here- with the elite- but tonight she wanted to be somewhere else or she wasn't in the mood.
He had just finished talking to one of his father's business associates when he heard her voice again. She was standing nearby, talking to a guy and for the first time her smiled looked forced. Swayam listened to their conversation, amused. It was obvious that the guy really liked her and that she was getting annoyed.
'No wait. Why don't you think about this seriously?'
'Why don't you go jump off a bridge?'
Swayam had to stop himself from bursting out in laughter.
'Maybe I will. And in my suicide note I'll write the reason as unrequited love. Then you'll regret.
Suddenly, Swayam was glad he had come to the party after all. This was so entertaining. He couldn't wait to hear Sharon's reply.
'Unrequited lust, more like. And no, I won't regret.'
This time Swayam did start laughing and he turned to the other side so that they wouldn't get suspicious of him eavesdropping.
When he finally looked at her again, she was standing alone. She looked depressed. Then she took a drink and took a sip, suddenly looking thoughtful.
He turned away from her. For the first time, Swayam was feeling bad for her. She looked so unhappy. It wasn't an emotion that she showed very often. And she had been drinking quite a lot he thought. Not that he was counting or anything but...
Suddenly something occurred to him and he turned to look at her again, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Does she know...
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Sharon had wandered off outside the hall to lawn area. The place was decorated with lights but there was nobody here. She found a bench and sat down feeling grateful. It was cool and quiet out here and that was what she needed right now. She was feeling exhausted.
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Swayam found her sometime later, sitting on a bench, deep in thought. She looked so serene, so beautiful...
'Uh...Sharon?'
Startled, Sharon looked around to see who it was. She did not know him, even though she thought he looked familiar.
'Do I know you?'
Of course, she doesn't know me.
'I don't think so. I just had to ask you, do you know that drink is alcoholic?' he pointed at her drink.
Sharon was taken aback. She had no idea.
'What? Are you serious?'
Just as I thought.
'Yeah, very much.'
'Oh no! You mean I'm drunk now? Dad will kill me. What do I do? God, I'm so stupid! I should've known. How did I forget?' Sharon was panicking.
'Sharon... Sharon! Calm down. Wait.'
Sharon watched, confused, as he ran back inside. She wanted to go back in, to her dad, but she couldn't get herself to stand. He was back soon.
'Here, have some water.'
'Thanks.'
She drank the water and took deep breaths.
'I need to find dad and go back home. And I don't think I'm drunk. I feel fine. Do I look fine to you?'
'Err... yes you look fine. Why don't you call your dad?'
'Yes. That's a good idea.'
She held up her cell phone but the screen looked too blurry.
'Oh my God, I am drunk! I can't see the screen!' She looked so worried, it was like she had been just informed that the world was coming to an end.
He extended his hand and said 'Give it to me, I'll call him, you talk, okay?'
She thought for a while, looking very serious and then nodded and gave him her phone.
Swayam found her dad's number and gave back the phone quickly.
'Hello. Dad?' And then suddenly Sharon began giggling, looking adorable. Swayam watched, fascinated, as she told her dad that she was drunk and needed to go home, and where she was, giggling every now and then.
He dint know what her dad told but Sharon looked quite upset after sometime and then suddenly she cut the call and was ready to fling away the phone but Swayam caught her hand fast. Her hand was velvety smooth... the touch was electric.
He dropped her hand quickly.
'Is it my fault that I'm drunk? Am I drunk on purpose?' Sharon screamed.
'No, of course not.'
She calmed down.
'Exactly. Then why is he mad at me? Always, always me.'
As she spoke she looked up into his eyes.
Beautiful eyes. Always so confident. Filled with hurt now.
He wanted to make it go away, without really knowing why.
'I heard you earlier. With that guy. Err, Aarush? I'm sorry I shouldn't have, but it was quite funny.'
She looked confused for a second and then glared at him.
'You were eavesdropping!'
'Sorry, I didn't mean to. But you were quiet mean to him.'
'I had to be. He wouldn't leave me alone. He was giving me a headache.'
She didn't know why it was so important to make him understand that she had to be mean, that she wasn't really like that. Maybe because he was being so nice to her.
He laughed.
'The drinks gave you the headache. Not him.'
She looked at him with eyes narrowed. 'Are you his friend?'
'No.'
'Then why are you on his side?' she asked somewhat childishly.
He grinned. 'I'm not. I'm on your side.'
She grinned back. 'Good.'
Then she turned serious.
'It's not like it would work. It would be pointless. I don't like him that way. He's not what I want. He's not perfect.'
Perfect? Of course, her list of requirement for the guy of her dreams... No 1. Needs to be perfect.
'You broke his heart.' Swayam said, joking.
She took it seriously.
'Look, you can either get your heart broken or break others' hearts. Those are the only two options. It's how the world operates. So I choose to break hearts. Besides' she said with a smirk 'it's fun to break hearts.'
What was it about her? For some reason, the way she said it made him smile.
She has some twisted theory on love. She has no idea what it really is. Would be stupidity to fall in love with her.
Her cell rang. She fumbled with the buttons but finally managed to receive the call. Her dad had arranged for the driver to take her home and the car was waiting quite close to where she was now so she wouldn't have to come inside again if she was too drunk to behave decently. He asked her if she could manage to find the car on her own or if she was too drunk for that. Sharon replied that she could find the car on her own and cut the call.
'I can see your car. Shall I?' Swayam extended his hand.
Sharon took it gratefully, she wasn't entirely sure she could walk all the way to be honest, and they walked to the car together.
As they reached the car, Swayam looked down at his watch and smiled.
'Happy new year.'
'Huh? It's 12? Oh.' She looked glum. New Year. And she was leaving the party. Then she looked up at him and thought that it hadn't been that bad after all.
'Happy new year to you too. And thanks. For everything.' She smiled sweetly and got into the car.
As he watched the car leave, he felt sad. He wished she would've stayed a little longer. Stupidity it might be, but he was falling in love with her.
Sharon woke up the next day with a splitting head ache and she remembered nothing much of what happened the night before. She remembered Aarush and a little bit of their conversation, she remembered sitting outside talking to someone... who was it?
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*A year later, in the jungle, after Shivam's arrival.*
A new year. Another heart broken. And could he blame her? She'd warned him in a way, even if she dint remember it.
As Swayam walked away from Sharon, he wished he could forget this night, the previous night... in fact, every moment he had been in love with her, just as easily as Sharon had forgotten.
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For the first time Sharon Rai Prakash broke a heart without really meaning to and without enjoying it one bit.
And if she got really quiet and stopped thinking so much and tried to listen to what her heart was saying... she'd realize it wasn't saying anything anymore because it had broken too.
Anupamaa
Debate Mansion
1