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SERENDIPITY : PART 1
It was yet another morning in the city that never sleeps. The sun filtered through the envelope of clouds, painted them in beautiful peach and pinkish shades. Finally an end to the two days long rain. No matter how beautiful rain might be, the consequences aren't exactly the same. The puddles of muddy water can be spotted at every two steps with school children jumping in them as they head to their schools. One can just spot the Dabbawallahs pulling their trolleys as they cross the middle of the road, bringing the traffic to a standstill. The car honks were unceasing and irritating. The vendors shouting to sell their commodities only added to the already chaos. Amidst all this, there were local buses with passengers spilling out of them. This is exactly how is the everyday morning of Mumbaikars and rains only makes it worse.
Just like any other local bus, there was one whose inhabitants were as noisy as the street outside. The unending chattering and giggles were prominent for girls were major part of the crowd and to top it was the old black radio of driver which played all the old romantic songs. There were girls gushing over the pictures of bollywood actors while some had their compact make up boxes opened in front of them, touching up their lipstick and blush. A group of boys in the front seats were discussing the last soccer game between Brazil and Argentina as if it were some topic of national importance. While some boys were busy watching the couple in back seat who has taken the concept of khullum khulla pyaar way too seriously! They were kissing supposedly but it looked like more than each other, they were interested in kissing each other's tonsils. Another couple which was in the bus were fighting at the top of their voices.
Aloof from all the madness and noises, there was someone who was sitting in the middle row of seat, looking out of the window. In plain pink and white kurta salwar with white dupatta draped all around her face apart from her eyes. This was Shanaya Imam!
The bus suddenly came to a halt a little ahead of the bus stop and a whole bunch of passengers stepped in along with a young man, who brought all the activities to a pause. Handsome face, well defined jawline and walnut eyes as deep as thousand oceans combined together. His fair complexion and those tousled black hairs were a add on in his beauty. No doubt Ibaad Ashraf made girls go weak on their knees with just a look!
The girls collectively sighed but he walked past them unaffected, his walnut orbs looking for a seat. He spotted one besides the veiled girl who was probably the only girl in the bus, not staring him.
Standing near the seat, he cleared his throat, "May I?" He asked her in his deep rich baritone and the girls sighed again. He could hear hush whispers making round of the bus.
Shanaya turned to look at him and then she looked around herself only to find girls looking at her with envy.
"Pardon?" She spoke up in her soft honey like voice.
"Can I sit with you?" They were again blessed with his husky baritone.
She nodded as she picked up her bag from the seat besides her and shifted a little towards the window. This was surprising for he was used to girls throwing herselves on him, sitting deliberately closer and how much he hated that!
He settled down and bus started with a jerk, making him catch hold of the metal handle tightly. He stole a glance of her to find her looking out of the window.
She had a beautiful wheatish skin tone and her jasmine perfume was tantalizing. He couldn't see her face for it was covered in the niqab but he did saw her mesmerising green eyes. He could see her thick braided pony peeping from the edge of her dupatta and sure she had thick and gorgeous chocolate brown hair. Her nail were small, finely trimmed and painted in nude color. He knew he shouldn't stare her but he couldn't help. It was as if there was some magnetic pull around her which had captured him.
She wasn't unaware of a pair of eyes watching her very intently and dunno why it gave way to thousands of butterflies in her stomach. Was it the way he was looking at her or something else, don't know! But it sure made warm blood rushed to her cheeks.
She couldn't understand, why did he chose to sit besides her at the first place when there were so many pretty girls in the bus? And now, why was he staring her like that? Was there something weird abt her that he was staring at?
She turned to look at him at last, her green eyes narrowed and questioning with her brows pulled together and he looked away almost immediately somewhat flushed. She had caught him looking at her and God knows, what must be thinking about him?
Hell! Why is he bothered abt that?
Though for the rest of the journey he was mostly looking ahead but he couldn't help and steal a few glances of her. A little later, the bus stopped at another station and she again looked at him.
"My stop!" She spoke up in a low voice.
"Oh! I'm.. sorry. Su.. Sure!" He fumbled cutely as he scratched his head getting up and giving her way to get down.
She got out of the bus and was about to leave, when he came running from behind.
"Excuse me?" He called out for her and Shanaya turned to look at him.
"Yes?" She asked him, clueless.
"Is it yours?" He asked her, forwarding her a brown leather pouch. She immediately checked her bag and surely her purse was missing. She took it from him but even before she could thank him, the bus started and drove off.
Ibaad came back to sit on his seat. His mind still in reeling in the time he had spent with that mysterious veiled girl. Though he hardly knew her yet he could feel a strange loneliness engulfing him after she left which was insane! There wasn't anything spectacular about her yet something made him want to look at her again and again. Something which wasn't there in the girls sitting around him but her. Something that made her stand out in the crowd. He better figure out this something tomorrow!
He could still smell some parts of her sweet jasmine perfume when the bus conductor came to sit on the vacant seat besides him.
"Kahan khoye hue hai bhaiya?" The man in khaki uniform asked him with a touch of bihari in his accent.
Ibaad ignored him but he went ahead to probe him further, "U ladki ke baare mein sochat rahe kya?"
Ibaad turned to look at him shocked, How did he know?!
The man chuckled at his cute surprised expressions making Ibaad realize that he was making it obvious.
"Na.. nahi! Aisi koi.. baat. Aisi koi nahi hai!" He fumbled adorably.
"Jhooth kaahe bolat ho! Waise hum aapka bataye dein, u ladki hai na? Woh Juhu bus stop se chadhti hai!" He told him, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Yeh sab tum mujhe kyu bata rahe ho?" Ibaad asked him, pretending irritated and indifferent but the case was completely opposite.
"Gussa kaahe karat ho? Hum toh bas bata rahe the tum ka." He replied laughing a little as he got up for next stop was abt to come!
The next day,
Ibaad got into the bus, removing his black Ray Bans as he looked around for her and she was there. This time in the second row. He walked upto her in a few majestic strides and settled down besides her. Her jasmine scent engulfed his senses again. Damn! It was so hell attractive!
She was wearing a beautiful, crease-free orange kurta salwar today and her face was still under wraps of a floral dupatta. She was also wearing a jingling silver bracelet in her right hand wrist which was again very simple yet elegant just like her.
And he was staring her again! Maybe he was expecting a thank you for yesterday? He surely deserves one!
But how was the question? Should she leave a written note for him? No! That'll be too filmy. Then, how?
This nervousness was something new for her. It's just a matter of thank you and she's getting nervous as if she's confessing her love for him! Love? Really? Where did that came from?
Taking a deep breath she turned to look at him, "Thank you!" She spoke up in very low voice.
He looked at surprised, "Aap mujhse baat kar rahi hai?" He asked her, his perfectly arched eyebrows up.
Shanaya nodded, "Jee. Thank you for yesterday!" She smiled a little.
"Mention not!" He replied, reciprocating her smile.
My Goodness! He's got a charismatic smile.
"Waise? Main itna bura bhi nahi hu jitna tum mujhe samajhti ho!" He spoke up, making her look at him surprised.
"Aur aapko aisa kyu laga ki main aapko bura samajhti hu?" She asked him, amusement much evident in her voice.
"Well.. kal main tumhe dekh raha tha toh tumhe zaroor laga hoga ki main koi awaara, badmaash kism ka ladka hu!" Ibaad replied with a chuckle.
Shanaya couldn't help but laugh too at his cuteness, "Jee nahi. Koi awaara yaa badmaash kism ka ladka mera purse nahi lautata." She replied sweetly making his smile go wider.
"Woh bhi hai par main kya karta? You've got beautiful eyes!" He complimented huskily, his walnut orbs twinkling with admiration.
She could feel warmth rushing up her cheeks. This was surprising again.
"Shukriya!" She spoke up in a low voice which he found very cute.
"Ibaad Ashraf!" He introduced himself, extending his hand towards her which she took.
"Shanaya Imam!" She replied softly.
"Beautiful name." He complimented her yet again to which she just nodded smiling.
As the days slowly passed away, their conversations increased and they got to know more about each other. She told him about her tastes in books and music which surprised him coz they had strikingly similar preferences. She too loved watching Hollywood movies like him and was allergic to the cheesy romance of Bollywood which was again so him. Both of them were pursuing MBA and were in their last year.
She was fascinated when he told her about his plans to become photographer after completing MBA which was rare. Coz whenever he told anyone abt his future plans, the person would look at him as if he has gone crazy. She even went on to tell him that she would love to see his captures if he'll show her and sure enough, he brought a whole album to show her the very next day. The admiration with which she looked through them tugged the strings of his heart. Never before he had seen that kind of appreciation in someone's eyes for his photography.
A few weeks later,
It was raining on and off from midnight and even at 9 in morning, there was no sign of sun just dark grey clouds that dominated the sky. The roads were as usual blocked and to top it was the poor drainage system of Mumbai. The windows were dripping water and Shanaya chose to sit a good bit away from it. The bus as usual stopped at Ibaad's stop and Shanaya looked at the door, expecting to see his handsome self getting into the bus but much to her disappointment he didn't come. In past few weeks, they have grown used to each other's company. The way he indirectly flirts with her all the time, his silly jokes, adorable clumsiness always brings an endearing smile on her face.
Are they just friends? Not really! She knows it, otherwise why does his smiling face flashes before her eyes whenever she sits down for evening prayer. She's sure he too feels the same for her, she can see it in his eyes. But guess some things are better delayed than rushed and it has it own sweet fun!
She waited for him to show up but when he didn't, she looked away disheartened as the bus started to move. May be she won't be meeting him today and dunno why? This sudden realization made her sad. It was just when a hand caught hold of the door handle and Ibaad stepped in. Almost immediately a beautiful smile adorned her face but it soon faded away as her shameless eyes took in his drenched self. His Angry Bird yellow T-shirt sticked to his perfectly chiseled chest revealing a good bit of what lay beneath. Water dripped from his black hairs, turning them a shade darker as he moved his fingers through them. Small water droplets that adorned his fine square jawline and those bulgy biceps made her gulp. He waved at her smiling and she managed to wave back somehow!
As usual he came to sit down besides her but owing to the rain and that dripping window, the space between them had decreased dangerously. Their arms brushed past against each others whenever the bus hopped over some pothole and it was certainly affecting both of them. His musk and amber cologne only made it worse for her! One could just sense the thick tension between them. They weren't unaware, just didn't knew how to react to it for it was something new for both of them.
"Aaj toh miss ho gayi thi bus!" Ibaad exclaimed laughing, to lighten up the atmosphere.
"Ghar se nikalne mein late ho gaye?" Shanaya asked him softly.
"Nahi. Tumhare liye kuch khareed ne mein late ho gaya!" He replied smiling as he opened the zip of his bag and produced a set of beautiful green glass bangles.
"Yeh mere liye hai?" She squealed with child-like excitement. He knows exactly how much she loves bangles.
"Jee bilkul!" He replied looking at her adoringly. She still had that little girl like innocence in her which he loved. She's someone whom you can please with your small affectionate gestures more than anything else.
He made her wear the bangles in one hand as she moved her fingers through them making a beautiful jingling sound.
"Thank you!" She spoke up, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
"My pleasure!" He smiled, "Waise, tum se milne ke baad meri life do bahout bade changes aayein hai!" Ibaad spoke up as Shanaya turned to look at him intrigued.
"Really? Kya?" She asked him.
"First, meri attendance badh gayi hai!" He told her, counting on his finger.
"Second, jitni shiddat se I hate Sundays now I swear I haven't hated anything else like that!" He added with a soft chuckle.
"Kyu?" Shanaya asked him clueless.
Really? How innocent was she?
"Oh well.. Sundays ko college nahi hota na? Isliye tumse mulakat bhi nahi hoti." He replied huskily, his deep walnut orbs intent on her. Warmth rushed to her cheeks, tinting them in gorgeous crimson as her green eyes turned shy and she looked down.
She smiled beautifully and he knew she was smiling, for he could see that smile reaching up her eyes.
"Sach mein?" She asked him gazing straight in his walnut orbs.
"I wish.. I wish I had words to describe what I feel when I'm with you!" He replied sincerely as he held her hand ever gently.
Shanaya looked at their connected hands as she shifted closer to him. Linking her arm with his, she rested her head on his shoulder, ushering an unknown warmth and happiness through him.
"Me too!" She whispered softly.
"I love you Shan!" He confessed, keeping his head over hers.
"I love you more!" She confessed too softly.
Shanaya could see her stop approaching and for the first time, she didn't wanted to get down. She was loving the warmth that his arms were providing her. Ibaad too noticed that final turn which everyday marks the end of their journey and in an instance, he held her hand tightly. Shanaya smiled at his cuteness as she turned to look at him, "Time to go!" She whispered.
"Not today!" He whispered back, looking at her. His walnut orbs pleading her stay. How she wanted to stay back but she had an important assignment submission today.
"Tomorrow. I promise." She replied as she gave his hand a loving squeeze and he smiled a little.
"Okay." He nodded, getting up from his place as he held the grab handle given to support standing passengers. She too got up as she turned to look at him with a smile. He reciprocated her smile and she was abt to make her way towards the door when the bus stopped with sudden jerk making her fall on him and he held her by her waist. Her eyes were squeezed shut out of fear. How cute did she looked?
"Shanaya? You okay?" He asked her concerned.
It was his question that made her open her almond shaped eyes. She nodded cutely, heaving a sigh of relief. But the next moment she realized that she was now caged in his iron strong arms as he held her with her waist. They were so close that she could just see that faded mark of stitches above his eyebrow which he got when he was 5 as he had told her once. His warm breathing fanned her face and that feel of his hand around her waist was maddening. His skin was still damp for she could just spot some tiny droplets on his milk white skin which glowed in the dim yellow light of the bus.
He noticed that sleek dash of kohl in her eyes which enhanced the beauty of her eyes furthermore. Her dupatta that covered her face was a semi transparent one and Ibaad could just make out her luscious lips behind it. His mind couldn't help but wonder how would they taste which amused him. This girl sure has corrupted his mind.
The way he was eyeing her lips made her blush like insane. She knew what he had in his mind but it was neither accomplishable nor would be enjoyable with this veil between them. But the man seemed to have different opinion about it coz he leaned in towards her. They were dangerously aware of the periodic rise and fall of their chests and before he could bridge the gap between them, Shanaya turned around to leave smiling shyly.
Ibaad too chuckled at her cuteness as she rushed out of the bus, totally flushed but before stepping out, she turned to look at him with beautiful smile and waved him bye. Ibaad waved back but not before giving her a sweet flying kiss.
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