RoSid FF - THE PROPHECY by Archana Vinod - Page 3

Originally posted by: Kavyakrishna

a vry different thought... & its perfectly narrated di... I always wonder hw could u narrate so many different concepts in vry practical manner... Obiviously like all others i am also eagerly waiting to see hw these soulmates meet each other..., & plz unfold all these mysteries soon...

THE PROPHECY - PART 1

By Archana Vinod

SOMEWHERE ON THE BORDERS OF PAKISTAN - LATE NIGHT

Jamanlal Dwivedi, heavily bearded and clad in the guise of a Muslim localite, hurries across a dimly lit street into a phone booth. He is visibly distressed and throws short, nervous glances around him as he dials a number and waits for the line to be answered.

KAUSHIK, a man in his 40's answers the call from the other end.

KAUSHIK: Hello?

JAMANLAL: (quietly) Kaushik, It's J.D...

KAUSHIK: J.D.? (pauses in disbelief) J.D.? You mean the same old J.D. Bhai?

JAMANLAL: Yes---

KAUSHIK: Oh-my-God! I don't believe this! You're alive! But how? Where?

JAMANLAL: (panics) No time to explain. Just get out of there now.

KAUSHIK: Huh?

JAMANLAL: They know! They're coming for you.

Kaushik freezes over. They know... they're coming for me.

KAUSHIK: H-how did you know?

JAMANLAL: (in an angry, rapid whisper) Don't waste time! Get out of there this instant. And get to Roli --- (with deep concern in his voice) she's in danger. I don't want anything to happen to her! Go now! Warn Bhatia ASAP.

KAUSHIK: Okay-okay. I'm moving out. I'm moving out now!

JAMANLAL: And be careful. We're all on the list. All lines are being tapped. Those bas***ds--- (pauses)

Kaushik waits for him to talk, but realizes that something's wrong.

KAUSHIK: Hello? (no answer) Hello?

The line goes dead abruptly.

A low scratching noise from his apartment's front door startles him. What's that sound?

He tiptoes to the entrance door, peeks through the lens and finds the warbled images of four suspicious looking men outside. To his horror, they're armed with silenced guns! One of them picks on the lock with a pin.

Oh my God, he panics as he steps off from the door, it's them. The ones Jamanlal told him about... and they're trying to break in! They're here to kill me!

He doesn't think twice. Drenched in a cold sweat, he bolts out to the balcony with his phone.

With trembling hands, he signs into his Facebook as "Old Monk" and hastily checks for Siddhant Bhatia's profile on the search tab. All the while, he keeps throwing frightened glances towards the door just to make sure that they're not in yet. Fortunately, they haven't managed to break in yet.

In a state of utter panic and confusion, he blindly selects "Siddhant BHARADWAJ" instead of "Siddhant BHATIA", types his message with the speed of light and clicks on SEND.

The front door SWINGS OPEN!

The men, dressed in white T-shirts and khaki pants darts into the apartment brandishing their guns.

What greets them is an empty balcony. The curtains flutter as a gust of cool breeze floods the room. They walk out to the balcony and look around. It's EMPTY.

ELSEWHERE IN MUMBAI - TWO WEEKS LATER - MORNING

A small, well organized apartment in the heart of Mumbai.

The morning sun's rays flood the cozy bedroom with a new sense of purpose.

Under the covers, ROLI DWIVEDI, mid 20's, sleeps like a baby. Beside her bed on the night table, are a digital alarm clock and a glass bordered photograph of a 15 yr old beaming Roli aka "POONAM BHATIA" with her arms thrown over her parents shoulders. Definitely happy times!

SIDDHANT BHATIA, her "father", a 60 year old with faded small pox scars on his face walks into the room.

Bhatia simply SNAPS the covers off her with sharp tug.

She jumps up startled.

BHATIA: Time to go. (walks out of the room)

Roli rubs her sleepy eyes grumpily.

ROLI: Papa, I've told you na... don't do like that! I hate it!

BHATIA: Then learn to wake up when the alarm rings. You're not a kid anymore! Grow up!

ROLI: Ooff!!!

She slumps onto the bed again and continues to sleep.

MUCH LATER

Roli walks along the footpath and into the town's largest and oldest library. She works there as the Asst. Librarian.

IN THE LIBRARY

She walks into the "FICTION" area with a tall stack of books in her arms. As she walks on, she replaces the books quite effortlessly. Though she joined this library just a week ago, she's been doing this job for the past six months and hence she's pretty good at it.

Just then, someone BUMPS hard into her!

The tall stack TOPPLES down from her arms!

ROLI: Shit!

It's an old Aunty in her late 60's.

AUNTY: Oh dear! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!

ROLI: I didn't see you too! I'm so sorry!

The Aunty gets to the floor and begins to gather up the books.

ROLI: (kneels down and picks up the books) Arrey Aunty. What are you doing? It's okay na. I'll take care of it. You carry on.

AUNTY: It's okay beta. I'll help you too. I have plenty of time anyways.

Roli smiles and kicks up a casual chat with the Aunty as they pick up the books. From the corner of her eyes, at about a stone's throw away, she spots a pretty good looking guy in his 30's standing and watching her intently.

Why this guy is looking at me like this, she wonders.

The guy, SIDDHANT BHARADWAJ, realizes that she caught him staring at her and quickly looks away in embarrassment.

Roli is amused to see him flush a deep shade of red and passes a quick smile at him as he glances over at her again!

The smile almost knocks him off his feet. That was totally unexpected!

Roli ignores him and pushes off from there.

MUCH LATER

This time, Roli is at a small coffee shop for lunch. She is not alone. She is accompanied by her friend Nisha. They chat and laugh as they dig into their food.

She stops momentarily as she sees the guy again!

There he is, at a couple of tables away, "pretending" to sip on a glass of orange juice. Again, he realizes that she caught him gawking at her and quickly looks away.

This time, she doesn't put in any efforts to smile.

Hmm, thinks Roli, is this coincidence? Or is this fellow following me?

BUS STOP - EVENING

Roli waits for the bus with her friend Nisha.

She sees him again!

On the opposite side of the double lane street, Siddhant watches her from his car. He realizes that he's been caught again and quickly pretends to adjust his side view mirrors.

Okay, thinks Roli, I really doubt if this is coincidence. He IS following me! But why? He doesn't look like the kind of guy who'd be tailgating girls! But one would never know. It's the decent looking ones who can't be trusted. And that's a fact!

MUCH LATER

She alights from the bus at the stop closest to her home and begins to walk over to her building but pauses as she notices that familiar face once again!

This time, she struggles to suppress her contorted, angry face.

I think I need to have a word with him; she thinks angrily and stomps across the street straight up to Siddhant!

... TO BE CONTINUED

Originally posted by: greshin

i was waiting for u to upload...😉
here also i'm first 🥳 super updates di...
wat was the msg send to sid's fb account???

Originally posted by: Archana_Vinod

Thank you dear. 😃

Well, the message... we're coming to that quite soon. 😉

You might have also noticed that Roli is called as "Poonam Bhatia" and that her father is "Siddhant Bhatia". These too will be answered on the way 😉

Originally posted by: greshin

i noticed it di...bt i forgot to ask 😃
so u will give the updates today itself?? 😊

Originally posted by: magicalrosid

Awesome yaar...so many suspence love it alll!!!!!! Waiting for the next...

THE PROPHECY - PART 2

By Archana Vinod

Siddhant, who had been watching Roli all this while, is dumbfounded to see her marching up to him in a fit of rage.

She comes to a dragging halt in front of his car.

ROLI: I'd like to have a word with you.

Siddhant just gawks at her.

ROLI: Could you kindly step out of the car?

Siddhant still gapes at her.

ROLI: (firmly) Please.

Quietly, Siddhant opens the door and gets out.

Roli flinches for a moment as he towers over her.

ROLI: Why are you following me?

Siddhant is speechless.

ROLI: I've noticed you at several spots during the day. I don't believe that it's just coincidence.

Siddhant still doesn't utter even a single word.

ROLI: You know what? You seem like a really nice guy but tailing girls makes you look stupid. Honestly. So just a simple request or an advice, whatever you call it --- stop it. For good.

Siddhant is mightily embarrassed. His ears turn a bright shade of red. His eyes are watery. But he still doesn't talk.

I wonder if he's dumb, wonders Roli as she turns around and walks away.

THE NEXT DAY

THE LIBRARY

Roli is at her routine work - stacking the books into the shelves, entering the same into her records...

As she goes on at it, she spots Siddhant once again across a couple of rows staring at her.

Good Lord, she thinks irritably as she clenches her teeth, this guy is really shameless. I think that I was too polite with him last evening. What this guy needs is a tight slap across the face.

She ignores him and continues with her work.

AT THE COFFEE SHOP - AFTERNOON

Roli is at lunch with her friend Nisha. But this time, she looks a bit gloomy.

NISHA: Oye. What happened to you today? You're very quiet. Everything alright?

ROLI: (sighs, after a long pause) Nothing yaar. It's just that... there's this guy...

The word "guy" makes her friend go all smiles.

NISHA: (teases) Guy? Oh-haaye-haaye!

ROLI: Stop it yaar. Are you nuts?

NISHA: (teases more) My Poonam darling is in love!

ROLI: Nisha, I'll slap you, seriously! Stop making up stuff!

NISHA: Chill yaar. I was just pulling your leg.

Roli sulks.

NISHA: Fine, tell me then. What's the scoop?

ROLI: No. It's okay.

NISHA: (laughs) What? I was just kidding. Honest. Tell me about it. No more teasing. I promise.

ROLI: Fine. See, the thing is that this guy has been following me since yesterday.

NISHA: Following you?

ROLI: Yes. I can't even understand what his intention is. He really doesn't look like that typical road-side Romeo.

NISHA: I think he likes you.

ROLI: (sarcastically) Yeah, right. Give me a break.

NISHA: Why not? You're young, energetic, gorgeous...

ROLI: So what?

NISHA: So... some guys like it.

Roli begins to talk but stops. Her eyes are fixed on "something".

ROLI: (quietly) Talk about the devil. Here he is.

NISHA: (looks around) Who? Mr. lover boy? Where?

ROLI: (hisses angrily) Don't turn around like that!

NISHA: Fine. But where?

ROLI: Look at the third row behind you. The guy wearing the check shirt---

Nisha slowly turns around and spots Siddhant sitting at an empty table with his eyes fixed on them. He fiddles nervously with the napkin on the table.

Nisha turns back to Roli with her mouth wide open in disbelief.

NISHA: (whispers) Wow!

ROLI: (quietly) What?

NISHA: (whispers) He's so cute!

ROLI: (quietly) So what?

NISHA: (whispers) Just say "yes"!

ROLI: Huh? Are you crazy? (pauses as Siddhant gets up from his table and walks towards them!) Oh-my God! He's coming over here!

NISHA: What?

The ladies are stunned as Siddhant stops at their table.

SIDDHANT: (to Roli) Poonam?

Roli is stunned. And so is Nisha. How does he know my name?

NISHA: (whispers in a very low voice to Roli) Sexy voice.

But Siddhant hears it.

Roli is embarrassed and annoyed. She lands a FURIOUS KICK on Nisha's leg under the table.

NISHA: Ouch!!!

SIDDHANT: (to Roli) Poonam Bhatia?

Roli has no clue what to say. How does he know my name? I wonder if he has any other intentions. But to her surprise, she says...

ROLI: Y-yes.

SIDDHANT: We need to talk.

Nisha is super excited. She's damn sure that he wants to propose Roli!

SIDDHANT: (glances over at Nisha) Alone---

NISHA: (decides to play a game) Why alone? What's the big secret?

SIDDHANT: It's important.

NISHA: How important? (winks) Desperately important?

Siddhant is visibly awkward. Roli is embarrassed too.

NISHA: And what makes you think that I'd leave you alone with my friend? How can we trust you? How do we know what your intentions are?

SIDDHANT: I understand your concern. But I promise you that it's different.

NISHA: Oh, is it? (checks him out from head to toe)

Siddhant begins to feel irritated now. He has the strong urge to give this female a piece of his mind.

SIDDHANT: (firmly, to Roli) I really need to talk to you.

NISHA: So talk. Who's stopping you?

ROLI: Nisha, it's okay yaar. Just give us some time.

Nisha is bewildered. Is she seriously going to risk herself with a total stranger?

NISHA: But Poonam, yaar---

ROLI: Don't worry. I'll be fine.

NISHA: Okay. I'll wait outside.

ROLI: Thanks yaar.

Nisha gets up and walks out.

Roli is finally alone, with a stranger. Can she trust him? Something in his tone tells her that his intentions are different. But what?

Siddhant pulls out a chair, sits down and takes a deep breath.

ROLI: (folds her arms and raises an eyebrow) So. Tell me. What is it?

... TO BE CONTINUED