1 ~ The Proposal
Swadheenta
Ramakrishnan, or Freedom - as her dear brother, Asad Gilani, loved to call her,
couldn't decide whether agreeing to come on this family holiday with both the
families, the Sinhas and the Gilanis, was a good idea or not. More than a
family holiday, it had turned out to be a couples' retreat as the newest couple
in the group, Asad Gilani and Radhika Deshmukh, was fervently busy planning
activities for couples. While this meant unlimited fun and plenty of romantic
moments for couples, for Swadheenta and Adarsh, the only singles in the group,
it was a headache because they were relegated to being either the coordinators
or referees. The saccharine sweet atmosphere didn't help either. Their only
moments of solace came from their mutual conversations at the end of each game,
when everyone dispersed to share some private moments with their partners,
leaving Swadheenta and Adarsh to their own means. However, right now, Swadheenta
felt like coming here was a big mistake. Especially because Adarsh was nowhere
to be seen and Swadheenta was forced to endure Radhika's incessant prattle
while Asad had stepped out to take a call from a friend.
The last that Swadheenta had seen Adarsh was in the afternoon,
during another of Asad and Radhika's fun activities. The game being played
required everyone to share their proposal stories - how they had proposed to
their partners. For a change, Swadheenta and Adarsh weren't required to do
anything as Asad and Radhika had taken charge. As they sat at the end of the
group, listening to everyone's stories, Adarsh asked her, "Swadheenta, how
would you like your boyfriend to propose to you?"
"I don't have a boyfriend so I haven't really thought about it,"
Swadheenta replied with a shrug.
"C'mon, you can still think about it. Doesn't every girl have a
fantasy around it?" Adarsh teased.
Swadheenta quirked an eyebrow, "I don't know many girls."
"Or you simply don't want to tell," he laughed.
"Why is it funny?" asked Swadheenta, annoyed.
"Because you're blushing," Adarsh leaned in and whispered in her
ear.
"Nonsense, Adarsh! I don't blush. Ever," Swadheenta snapped,
irritated.
"Fine, then tell me, are you the chocolate-flowers-diamonds kind
of girl or the more practical one?"
"What's impractical about these things?"
"What's not? Why do all girls love chocolates, flowers and
diamonds more than the guy who gives them?"
Swadheenta laughed, "Well, maybe because the sweetness of
the chocolates makes her forget the bitterness of the hurt when he breaks her
heart. The fragrance of the flowers reminds her that love is as fleeting as it.
And the sparkle of the diamonds, it acts as a silent strength, reminding her
that though she may be delicate and fragile from the outside, she is as hard as
they come."
"Cynical much, aren't we?" asked Adarsh, one elegant brow
raised.
"Not really, I would never accept these things from a guy
who I trusted would break my heart," she said as she waggled her brows.
"Fair! So you love chocolates, flowers and diamonds but you
won't accept them from any guy. You will only accept them from him who you
trust implicitly. Does that mean if you accept chocolates from a guy, he should
be happy that you love him?" Adarsh queried.
"I didn't say that."
"Swadheenta Ramakrishnan, you are a conundrum!" Adarsh
sighed, exasperated.
"Takes intelligence to know one," she winked.
"So have you found this guy?"
"Who?"
"The one you trust enough to accept chocolates, flowers and
diamonds from."
She looked at him a long moment before saying, "May
be."
"I wonder if I should be envious of him or pity him,"
he muttered.
"Adarsh!" Swadheenta smacked him playfully on the shoulder.
She toyed with her hair as they sat in silence, watching the
proposals play out as each couple told their story.
As she observed the expressions on Adarsh's face while he
listened to each couple's story, curiosity got the better of her and she asked,
"How would you propose to your lady love, Adarsh?"
He raised a brow at her question but replied, "I don't
believe in telling. When I propose to my girl, you will see."
"You're mean!"
"Says the mean queen!"
*
"Diii!" Radhika's whine brought Swadheenta back to the present.
"What is it, Radhika?"
"You're not listening."
"I don't need to anymore because Asad is here."
Radhika pouted at Swadheenta's words but Asad's presence beside
them in the next instant lit up her face with a radiant smile.
"Yo, Freedom, what's up? Where's your Adarsh Sinha?"
"Your Adarsh Sinha has deserted me today."
"Then you should join Radhika and me. We'll have fun
together," Asad offered, not wanting to leave Freedom out.
"Asad, this is a couples' party. You guys go enjoy
yourselves," Swadheenta replied.
"But di - "
"I'll be fine, Radhika," Swadheenta reassured her.
She smiled as she watched the love birds walk away arm-in-arm. Asad
and Radhika made a very cute couple. Despite being complete opposites, they complimented
each other.
Swadheenta finished her mocktail and got up to leave. As Adarsh
didn't seem to be joining her tonight and she was in no mood to wile away her
time, she decided to get back to her room. Her cellphone buzzed. It was a
text from Adarsh.
'Time to show you something. See you in 10.'
She wondered what did his cryptic message mean. They hadn't made
any plans for tonight. As she stepped into her room, she was greeted by
the dizzying fragrance of fresh roses and as she looked around, she spotted a
charming bouquet of roses, the deepest red, on her dresser with a note.
"These beauties reminded me of the prettiest woman I
know. Their dizzying fragrance, I wish, remind her of the dizzying joy
that she brings to me.
A future without her seems bleak, thus by my side, I always wish her
be."
What started as a smile across Swadheenta's face soon turned
into laughter as she read the last line again. Her heart skipped a beat as she
realised this is what Adarsh was talking about showing her. She had been a tad
sad when he'd said, "When I propose to my girl, you will see." If she
were completely honest with herself, she had also felt a little jealous but she
would never accept it before him. In all the timethey had been friends, she
couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when her feelings had started intensifying
for him, but she knew that he meant more to her than just a friend.
Turning around, she saw a basket lying on the nightstand. As she
took a closer look, she saw an assortment of chocolates, truffles and more
filled the basket. Another note stuck out.
"Chocolates. Their sweetness will never leave room for
bitterness between us because distance is always temporary, and 'Me' will
always be 'We'."
Her phone buzzed with another text.
"The balcony"
She raced out of her room, willing her heart to calm down,
running as fast as her heels would allow her.
As she opened the door to his room, she found it deserted.
Bracing herself, she walked in and headed straight to the balcony. The ambience
in the balcony was exquisite. Though his room overlooked the pool, it was quiet
below. The inky black sky was littered with glittering stars, winking from
above. Candles glowed on the balustrade and a tiny table that was set for two.
He stood leaning against the balustrade.
"Adarsh."
He turned. Dressed in a dapper black suit, his hair slicked to
the side, and an enigmatic smile adorning his face, Adarsh looked
breathtakingly handsome. Their eyes met and locked, and they stood looking at
each other in silence for a moment while their eyes did the talking.
Finally, Swadheenta broke the silence.
"Who's the lucky girl?"
"You."
*
Adarsh watched in delight as joy spread across Swadheenta's face at his words.
Her question had left him equally elated. If she thought that a girl whom he
proposed to was lucky, then he was one lucky man. Swadheenta was his best
friend and had always meant the world to him. He had always treasured their
relationship but was reluctant to confess his true feelings lest he lose their
friendship as well. But today, he wanted to take the risk and see where this
would go. He wanted to know if Swadheenta felt the same as he did about her. He
had his suspicions, but he wanted to be sure. When he had heard her say that
she may have possibly found her special person, he hadn't liked it one whit.
But the long look that she gave him before saying that gave him hope. He
decided he couldn't stand the risk of some other guy sweeping his Swadheenta
from before his eyes and so decided to take the plunge.
"I love you, Swadheenta. Will you do me the honour of being
my wife?"
Swadheenta was at a loss for words and her only answer was a dazzling smile
that started on her lips and lit up a face, adding a brilliant to her eyes. Adarsh
pulled out a velvet case from his pocket and opened it to reveal a dazzling
string of the prettiest, most delicate diamonds. He walked up to her and stood
behind her. Pushing her hair to a side, he clasped the delicate chain around
her neck as he said, "Diamonds, to remind you of the strength of our love.
Its shine will forever remind you that you add the sparkle in my life."
He could feel the pulse jumping at the base of her throat but
not a word left her mouth. Unable to resist teasing her, he bent and whispered
in her ear, using the moniker that her brother used for her, "Imprisoned,
is your tongue, Freedom?"
That did the trick. She spun around in the next instant and with
hands on her hips and a charmingly furious expression on her face said,
"You're an insufferable, pompous, and arrogant idiot, Adarsh Sinha. I
didn't say yes."
Adarsh threw his head back and laughed, a hearty laugh that
melted away Swadheenta's anger and left a pretty smile in its wake. He lifted
her in his arms and swirled her around to squeals of delight from her. Moments
later, he brought her to the ground and they stood close, leaning their heads
against each other, their hands held together.
"Thank you, Swadheenta, for making me so happy."
"I love you, too, Adarsh, even though you're such a lame
poet."
He laughed, she followed suit, filling the night air with
infectious chuckles of a couple deeply in love.
And so, Swadheenta and Adarsh walked out hand-in-hand, all set
to steal the limelight from the newest couple and claim it as their own.
Because BAE is my best friend.
***
Edited by -Sarcy- - 7 years ago
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