INDEX
1. Mulaqat- PG 1
2. Shuruaat- PG 1
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/162640839
|Mulaqat|
"Did I offend you?"
"...." She froze amidst her hasty steps, as he walked in front of her.
He looked into her surprised eyes questioningly, as she stole them in unease.
"Clearly, there has to be a reason why i am at the receiving end of such behaviour?" He voiced his discontent, hoping to find answers but silence replied to him, for she even refused a glance.
Pissed, he looked away, sighing out deeply. If this was what she wanted, so be it.
He turned to walk away but paused as his lips parted and then pursed.
Apologetic, as Bhavna stared at his back, he swivelled on his heels making her avert her gaze.
"I- I have been nothing but good to you. I mean yes, our first meet wasn't ideal but I thought we had moved past it. If anything, I thought we had become acquaintances, or were on a road to becoming one", He stopped, and breathed in deeply. Clearly he had dealt with a lot today, and the last he wanted was to pour out his frustrations on this woman.
"I will never approach you if that is what you want".
Bhavna looked up at that remark, as she detected the hint of pain in his voice.
His voice dropped, and softened while his gaze looked far away. " I just wanted to understand, why do you run from me? I just wanted an answer".
"I mean-" he wiped his face, as his composure crumbled, " I don't want to be left hanging. I don't want to be left confused. I- I am fine with being left behind. I just want the reason. I just want a closure. And I do think, I deserve it..."
His voice cracked, and when he finally snapped out of his far off thoughts, he found a water bottle held out in front of him.
There she stood looking at him, with those familiar eyes convering understanding, and Raghav felt his throat clog up, as he urgently clasped the bottle, opened the cap, and started to drink water.
" You are right, no one deserves to be in the dark. It's scary, and lonely".
A melancholic smile found her lips while he looked at her and handed the bottle back.
"Raghav ji, Thank you. Had you not been here today, I would have become a criminal for no fault. Thank you, for saving my child when no one did. And sorry. Iraada aapko thhes pahunchana nhi, bas khud ko dard se bachana tha".
At this remark, as he looked at her puzzled, she narrated the ordeal that had transpired,and how she was instructed not to have anything to do with him.
"My help ended up putting you in trouble. I am so sorry about that", he responded, on hearing her story.
"You don't have to be sorry for helping", she smiled mildly and added, " Acha, main abhi chalti hu". And she took her leave
The offer to give her a ride home died at the tip of his tongue, for it could worsen her predicament. But atleast, her reasons for avoiding him, were ordinary.
Raghav chuckled dryly. Yeah, a neighbourhood feud was ordinary!
"Raghav ji", He turned quickly to her voice as she forwarded a Rs 5 dairy milk towards him.
"Thank you, for being a good person", and she signalled him with her eyes to take the chocolate. And so he did.
Her retreating figure left him smiling genuinely, for the first time that day, as he forgot all about the day's misadventures, and focussed on the sweetness filling his mouth, and heart.
To anyone reading it, hope it is worth your while😃
Edited by nish_vir - 1 years agoWow Nish! It's lovely...enjoyed it...👍🏼
Thank you ☺️
I am really liking their pairing...hope you write a FF someday on them or at least a SS...would love to read it 😛
As of now, still trying to get a hang of their dynamics, and develop some dialogue for the sehmi hui bhavna. She really needs it! But will surely write something involving the two, soo-nish.
Yayyyyy! Can't wait for...I hope it would be a little long
Although yaar I really can't wait to see Bhavna standing tall & strong against her crazy family. Sehmi hui Bhavna se strong Bhavna ⭐️
|Shuruaat|
"You are invited", she mumbled, in between his tirade on her 'fear'.
Frown between his brows promptly dissolved at that, as he asked, " What?"
"I am inviting you", she responded to his quizzical expression.
And brow rising high, he quipped, " Where?"
"To the marriage.." she muttered, and saw his confusion deepen.
"......"
".....?"
He cleared his ears to that, and repeated, " Where did you say?"
Her patience disappeared in the face of his antiques and she shouted, "TO ABHISHEK'S MARRIAGE!"
"..." Raghav stared blankly, before realisation dawned.
"!!!!!!!!!" And he doubled back in response.
She huffed at his over the top reaction and glowered," Let us see who is the coward now!" Having announced that she spun on her heels and started to walk away.
"Did she....did I get invited?!" He mused, still in disbelief.
Still processing her outburst, he was startled when her voice suddenly echoed, and he looked up to see her approaching him.
"...?" He waited, and she gave him a onceover before replying, " Wear better clothes, please".
"???!!!"
And as his smile dropped, her lips lifted mirthlessly while he raised his finger to make a point but she beat him to it.
"I am hoping you know the dresscode, Mr. Advocate!"
And finally she left, leaving him in an offended daze. " Inke sare tevar mujh par hi nikalte hain!"
The next day
While his mother and Swati went around selecting sarees and suits, Raghav busied himself in choosing traditionals for Aarav.
In that instance, as he admired Aarav in a green kurta, his gaze lifted to the mirror behind Aarav and saw Bhavna looking through cloth pieces.
His gaze halted, and continued to stare at her for the next 5 seconds when the helper pointed in his direction, and nodding she turned to proceed, finally finding his eyes in the mirror.
For a second she stared back before stepping upto a counter right before his, and started to sift through the cloth materials once again.
It was then, Raghav was reminded of, the not so subtle dig she had taken at his sense of fashion.
Suddenly filled with a renewed sense of frustration, determined to show her that he, indeed knew the dresscode, Raghav ushered another helper over, and asked him to show ethnic wear suiting him.
Once the man was done piling up dozens of kurtas, suits and whatnot, Raghav started to pick each up and scrutinize them intensely.
As he tried his first pick- a dull beige kurta, he looked at the mirror intently and as if on a cue, Bhavna looked up too and he wiggled his brows, gloating about his taste silently.
A quick disapproving glance followed his gesture before she looked away while Raghav instantly put the kurta aside.
"Ye kya dikha rahein hain aap! Kitna feeka rang hai!" Raghav chided before picking up another garment- a deep maroon bandhgala.
'This definitely looks classy' Raghav appraised, ' and is my favourite color too'
He looked in the mirror expecting her affirmation but spotting her nose scrunched in distate, he immediately discarded the piece and picked up yet another one.
"Kuch dhanka dikhao na bhaiya!" Complaining, he picked up a shimmery green kurta this time, and the deafening sigh that followed didn't even allow him to look for her approval.
Exasperated, he was about to throw up his hands when helper forwarded another kurta.
"Bhaisahab, try this one. Ye rang aap par khub khilega, aur ekdam latest design hai"
This time before he could even dissect the work on the garment, he found her eyes glued and nodded his head, confirming if this was it.
But before he could have her response, his mother's voice echoed, and Raghav immediately placed the kurta down.
"Tu kya kurta le raha tha? Kahin jana hai?!"
His first response was to look for Bhavna, and miraculously, she had disappeared. Relieved, he nodded in negative and lied, " Gaurav ke lie dekh raha tha, maa. Par kuch jacha nhi".
"Par bhaiya ye gulabi wala--
Before Swati could finish, Raghav interjected, " Bilkul nhi jachega uss par. Aur iska kapda! Bahot hi low quality hai"
"Acha, main dekhu zara--
And he interrupted her once again, diverting her to another counter, " Udhar....udhar dekhi thi mene ek sherwani. Vo dekhte hain na..."
And begrudgingly, he walked away, determined to buy that one, later.
But as luck would have it, by the time he came back, that piece was sold out. And it was the only piece at that.
That night, down in the dumps, Raghav grumbled about how nice he could have looked, and perhaps Bhavna ji would have come to appreciate his clothing sense too.
"And now...." He sighed, and rolled on his back when he found Aarav standing with a box in his hands.
Sitting up immediately, Raghav took the box and asked, "What is it?"
" Aapke liye gift, bade papa".
"Really?! Wah mere one- pone sher!" Excited, he unwrapped the box and as it revealed, the very thing he thought he had lost, his excitement soared and he instantly unfolded the baby pink kurta, removed his T-shirt and tried it on.
And indeed, it did become him, in a softer way. It was a minimalist piece with pleats along the edges the gave it a majestic appearance, and coupled with the churidar, it looked absolutely regal.
"Wow! Looking smart, bade papa!" Aarav complimented while Raghav smiled back, " All thanks to you!"
"Nhi! All thanks to Bhavna aunty! Ye unhone diya tha aapke lie"
This new piece of information, made the gift even more precious and Raghav couldn't hold back his smile from stretching further.
"She has lovely taste, but fearsome expressions", and he chuckled .
He stepped onto the balcony then, hoping to show her a glimpse of her choice but after waiting for 5 minutes, when she didn't show up, he shook his head and decided to retire for the night.
"Thank you bhavna ji. Tohfa behadh hi khoobsurat hai". Bhavna's phone pinged with message notification and she smiled, from her seat in the window, from where she had a perfect view of Raghav when he had stepped into the balcony.
She was right. Softer colors did suit his persona.
And with that she went to bed too, to prepare herself for the mayhem that was going to follow soon.
Do read, and share what you felt about this piece 😊
