"Hey Mahi?" Anisha called for her.
"Yeah?" she answered politely.
"Can you put this thaal over there by the corner?" she handed over the round, big circular dish and gestured towards the side of the stage.
'Oh My God,' Mahi thought.
He was near the stage.
"Okay," her voice answered nervously.
She picked up the thaal and gripped her fingers firmly around the beautiful and work of the steel plate. Her hands started feeling a little sweaty as she slowly made her way towards the stage. He was just sitting there, perfectly, with his friends goofing off but also at the same time, helping the elders.
That's what she liked about him.
He was genuinely an interesting person to discover and a sweet, caring, naughty boy while still idolizing a mature man. His eyes were very intriguing and often she would find herself gazing at him unconscious of her surroundings.
"Hello?" Pooja waved her hand in front of eyes.
"Huh?" she stuttered shocked out of her trance.
Pooja chuckled, took the thaal from Mahi and spoke, "Here give that to me so you don't drop while staring at your love."
She smiled and continued, "Come on let's go! Uncle needs our help with the decorations." Pooja shook her head in dismay as Mahi followed slowly stealing glances of Amar.
***
She couldn't believe what a fangirl she was back when was in high school.
Here she was almost two years into her relationship with Amar and back then she only dreamt about getting a chance to talk to him.
"Here, honey," he handed a cup of coffee to her and flopped next to her on the couch.
She took a sip while intently gazing into empty space.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing" she said without breaking her gaze.
"Oh, come on! Girls don't stare into space and think about nothing, only guys can do that!" he joked.
But she didn't laugh.
"Hey, are you okay?" he gently placed his hand on hers sending a spark through her body which caught her attention.
She turned her head to gaze into his green orbs to see his worry and care for her.
She smiled and replied, "I was just thinking about how I was before our relationship. How I've changed, how we've changed."
Her response didn't surprise him at all; in fact, he was expecting such a response from her.
"I knew you were thinking about something serious. You always have that intense look on your face with one of your eyebrows slightly higher than the other and you're lips are always pursed," he said with a smile.
"Wow, I didn't know you observed me that much!" she laughed.
"You look very beautiful when you're serious and down-to-business. But also, I'm deathly scared of you when you're mad!"
"What? You're kidding right?" she placed her hand on his lap.
"Nope, I'm not kidding," he replied with a smirk.
She shook her head in dismay and continued, "Anyways, I was just thinking how different our lives have become ever since we've been together."
"Do you- ever regret your old life?" he asked hesitantly.
"What? Of course not! I'm actually very happy here, with you. I was just thinking where I would've been if we wouldn't have been us," she explained.
"I get what you mean," he held her hand and squeezed it gently sending a warm wave throughout her whole body. "If we wouldn't have been together, you probably would've attended F.I.D.M and I would've been at San Jose State without a care for each other's lives, but I mean here we are in Cincinnati living on our own."
She nodded and added, "Yeah, and I would've never been as happy as I am right now with you."
***
"Hey guys I need to tell you something!" Mahi rushed towards her friends as soon as class ended.
"What happened?" Sabrina asked.
"Me & Tripper had eye contact!" she jumped up and down in excitement.
"Oh wow, slow down there, did you use protection?" Himaja joked.
Mahi's expression immediately changed into a death stare while everyone else just kept on laughing.
"Anyways, so we were doing stuff to decorate, and we also talked!" her eyes were gleaming once again.
"Let me guess, did he say, 'Can you hand me the tape?' Anisha joked this time.
"What is it with you guys and insulting me?" Mahi planted a soft pout on her lips and folded her arms.
Sabrina laughed and assured her, "It's okay buddy, you'll see one day you guys will be together."
"Yeah right. In my dreams," Mahi muttered under her breath.
***
Never in her deepest dreams had she believed she would end up with Amar. In Cincinnati. Moving in together. Attending the same college.
Yet, here they were at their favorite restaurant. Crme de la Crme.
They both had this special connection to this restaurant despite the fact they hooked up here many times but the food, and the setting made it very romantic and enjoyable.
She entered wearing a beautiful black dress with black pumps and a purse hooked onto her arm and asked the waiter for a table reserved for them.
He waited at their table and checked his watch once again while tapping his foot against the ground in anticipation.
Anger crept up inside him slowly as he was frustrated. He had cancelled his outing with his friends just so he could celebrate his good news with her and now she was late.
His head turned towards the door one more time and instead of seeing the door open and close with random people entering and exiting, he saw the most beautiful sight of his life.
His girl, dressed in his favorite color, walking towards him with a sweet smile. She walked elegantly towards the table as he stood up to politely welcome her.
"Hello," he greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Amar," she greeted back with a soft kiss on his cheek. He loved it when she kissed him on the cheek, it ignited sparks within him.
"So, what's the big news?" she asked excitedly.
"Well, um'" he stuttered. " There's good news and some bad news."
Uh Oh.
"Wh-what happened?" her voice broke in fear.
"Why don't we order first?" he found an excuse to stall and smiled nervously.
"Okay.." she replied.
"Garcon?" Amar called the waiter. "We would like to order."
He ordered their dishes while she gazed at him and wondered what the news was. The expression on his face was glum and nervous. She knew something bad was coming their way.
***
Everything bad always happened with her. She had a bad day at school, gloomy atmosphere at home, and now the rip in her favorite dress. She had been waiting so long to finally wear one of her own at the fashion show tonight but bad things just had a habit of ruining her life.
Quickly, she dug her sewing kit and knit the tear so it looked presentable and decided to stitch it professionally later.
"Mahi! Let's go!" her mom called and she rushed out of her bedroom taking a last glance at the mirror and fixing her hair.
Today was going to be a big day.
She entered the temple with a big smile and with hope that nothing would ruin this night. But, as usual, she had a habit of jinxing.
She sat in the second row with her family while all the organizers and reporters sat in the front row with the best view.
This fashion show was everything everyone was looking forward to for a long time. One of her own friends had designed her own line of bridal wear and they were performing it tonight. She knew everyone had worked their best to deserve an enjoyable evening.
"Mahi?" Anisha crept next to her and whispered in her ear. "We have an emergency, come backstage now."
"Okay," she replied and informed her parents of her leave.
"What is it?" she asked worriedly.
"Some of the models backstage have some problems of fitting and some of them are acting too stuck-up. And even Kangana is not here even though it's all her work!" Anisha nervously ranted.
"It's okay, everything will be fine. I'm sure Kangana's just stuck in some traffic," Mahi comforted her.
"Come with me," Anisha led Mahi backstage.
"This model is having a nervous breakdown, this model's lehenga is too loose and this model is complaining it's too tight. Can you please help them?" Anisha requested.
"Absolutely," Mahi approved and Anisha ran off to complete other errands.
Mahi picked up the clipboard in front of her and called off Model no. 21.
"There you are," she found the model. "What seems to be the problem?"
"My blouse is too tight I can't move my arms," she replied in an accent.
Oh God. She would pay anything to get rid of this bitch.
"Okay, where?" Mahi tried to be as nice to her and not show her annoyance.
The model pointed towards her shoulder and resumed texting while Mahi refitted her blouse as per the model's desire.
Soon enough, Kangana arrived and quickly took care of the other issues at once which relieved Mahi because she didn't want to deal with the other stuck-up models. One was enough.
In no time, matters were wound up and the show was on. The models walked the runway, portrayed the bridal wear beautifully, came back and changed quickly for their next outfit.
"Okay, Model No. 21 is on in 20 seconds," Kangana said through her earpiece but that model was nowhere to be seen.
I'm sure that bitch ran away or something.
"Amar?" Kangana called for him.
"Yeah?" he strode towards her.
"Find me Model 21 now," Kangana ordered harshly.
"But she's gone. I just saw her gather her stuff and sneak out the back door.
"Now what are we going to do?" Kangana said frustrated.
Amar's eyes travelled towards Mahi who was refitting another model's dress. She looked cute with her furrowed eyebrows, the measuring tape between her lips and the pen on her ear.
"What about her?" Amar pointed towards Mahi.
"What about her?" Kangana asked confused.
"We could make her wear that model's outfit. She seems like she would fit perfectly in it. Perfect height, perfect figure'" he trailed off.
Kangana interrupted, "Okay, whatever."
"Mahi!" she called her.
"Yes?" she replied nervously rushing towards her.
"Go put on Model 21's dress now. You're going to go on in a minute. Till then I will rearrange the order. Go," Kangana barked.
"Okay," she agreed and nervously strode towards the changing rooms.
She wore the beautiful lehenga and stepped out checking herself in the mirrors. She let her hair down from the bun and let it softly fall on her shoulders all the way to her midback. She brushed some blush on quickly, slipped on some earrings and reported to Kangana in a minute.
"Good, you look great," Kangana eyed her head to toe.
And during this whole time, Amar's gaze followed Mahi everywhere, from the mirrors, to Kangana to the way she presented herself on the runway.
She was a star.
The way she confidently walked up there and smiled for the cameras and walked back with an intense look on her face. He always was a big fan of that look.
After the show and everything was packed up, she picked up her stuff from backstage and went to look for her parents when she was stopped by Amar.
"Hey," he walked towards her.
"Hi," Mahi nervously replied shocked he was actually talking to her.
The butterflies in her stomach kept growing and her cheeks flushed a tinge of crimson red.
"You really did a great job out there, thanks for saving the show," he smiled.
"Really?" she was surprised. "Thanks."
"You must be tired from all that shouting of Kangana," he chuckled, "Do you want to go grab a cup of coffee next door?"
Mahi laughed too and replied, "I'd love to."
***
Okay, so here it goes.
"The good news is, I got a great job with my favorite photographer'" he spoke quickly but was interrupted by Mahi's excitement.
She got up and hugged him tightly while giving a quick peck on the cheek but her heart broke when she saw the terror on his face.
"There's a but isn't there?" she asked worriedly.
"Unfortunately, yes," he looked away in regret.
She cupped his face gently and steered his face back towards her to intently gaze into his eyes.
"Hey, don't worry, I'm always here for you," she assured him.
He took her hand and kissed it, "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."
"So whatever the bad news is, I'm sure we can handle it."
"The bad news is, my first photography assignment requires me to go to New York for two months," he breathed out quickly waiting for her response.
But her face held no expression.
He couldn't tell at all if she was happy, sad, depressed, excited, nothing.
It scared him. He had never seen Mahi so vulnerable before.
"M-Mahi? Are you okay?" he grabbed her shoulders gently.
"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm really happy for you Amar," she smiled a broken-heartedly.
He and only he could tell her broken heart behind that masked smile.
She planted a full kiss on his lips pressing his torso against hers. He tasted her juicy lips but in a flash of a second, she broke away and strode out of the restaurant.
The incomplete kiss felt as if the world had torn away from him.
Mahi was his world.
***
It was the coffee shop that had started it all and it was the restaurant that had torn it all apart.
Maybe she was over-reacting but still, two months?" How will she live that long without him?
This apartment will seem so lonely without him. All her friends were scattered around the United States there was no way she could go and crash at their place.
Sabrina was attending Stanford, Himaja was busy with her job, Anisha was too into her business and Sara was all the way in London.
It's like she had no one to talk to.
The one person she did was now going away too.
"Mahi?" he softly called her name, while closing the apartment door behind him. He looked her for her in their bedroom and sure enough found her crashed on the bed with a gloomy face.
He strode towards her quietly and knelt next to her. She could feel his presence and her eyes fluttered open to see Amar gazing at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied sitting up. He rose up to and sat next to her on the bed.
Caressing her cheek with one hand and assured her, "Look if you want I can cancel.."
Immediately her hand rose to up to her cheek and held his hand tightly and said, "I don't want to you to cancel at all. This is your one chance to prove who you are and show the world what you can do. Sure, I am a little devastated that you're going to be gone for 2 months but at least when you come back, I know you will be a great man with the sense pride one gets by making their passion their profession."
"Wow," he smiled. "You seriously leave me with no words in these situations."
She laughed and gazed into his eyes feeling herself drown immensely into the ocean of his eyes. They were a labyrinth. Every time she was caught in them, she could never get herself out there. She was stuck in them forever.
Her hazel orbs were no less either. They always had a small sparkle in them that only he could notice. That sparkle was only meant for him and he knew it.
He leaned in towards her lips and captured them between his. He felt the same rush through his body when they're lips touched. Their close proximity ignited sparks between them.
She moved in closer and her arms went around his neck and massaged his hair. The kiss become stronger and more passionate by each second letting each other know they would never let go.
Breaking away for a second, she undid the buttons of his shirt while he pecked at her neck sending shivers down her spine.
In no time, both were naked, their clothes on the floors, each other ravishing the other's body.
He kissed her passionately once again and reciprocated the same way. There was a perfect blend of passion and devotion presented by both and his touch gave her a long-lasting feel of security while her gentle kisses made him glow like never before.
Each one was expressing themselves in a way they never did before exploring each other's deepest sides and secrets. Their love was deeply satisfying for both of them and a warm glow of excitement fled through their bodies. Both of them burned with raw sexual passion revealing their desires for each other since a long time. It was clear these two needed each other and completed each other.
The exchange of intimacy reached dangerous levels but both truly enjoyed it. A delicious thrill sweept through their bodies as they made love without holding back and letting their desires take over.
Disha
Anupamaa
13