Desires of the Heart

The Exhibition

Manvi was instructing the people in the exhibition. She wanted everything to be perfect. She was getting nervous, it was a festival season and not many people would be interested in the art exhibitions. She had still chosen these dates as she had many other things in hand after that. Besides painting, she had also signed up with a magazine to design with them.

Just then, she received a call from Aaditya. She immediately took it and replied "Haan Aaditya"

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"No" she denied.

"Well, I can sense that" he replied.

"It's nothing like that Aaditya, I am fine," she said.

"Then why the hell are you playing with your ring?" he asked. Manvi looked around, she saw him at a distance, smiling at her. Dressed in a black suit, he looked handsome. He walked up to her, Manvi smiled at him, and he leaned towards her. He placed a hand on that of hers.

"Tell me, kyun khel rahi ho is ring ke saath?" he asked.

"Toh kya hua? Khel bhi rahi hun toh" she said, the ring dropped off, as she was still playing with it. Aaditya smiled and picked up the ring. He lifted her hand and slid the ring into her hand.

"Jab bhi tum nervous hoti ho, is ring se khelne lagti ho" he said leaving her amazed. They hadn't even met twice and he had observed her this much. She blushed looking at him because he had caught her. She looked down, he made her look towards him.

"Mujhe nahi pata that ki jhoot bolte huye aap itni khoobsurat lagti hain" he said and it made her blush more. She turned her eyes away, Aaditya took her hands in his.

"Nervous aapko bilkul nahi hona hai, sab achha hoga" he said and she nodded. Ananya joined them by then. She was awed by the number of paintings around her.

"Aapki sabse best painting kaunsi hai Manvi di? Di toh bula sakti hun na aapko?" she asked. Manvi nodded it reminded something to her.

"Manvi tumhari sundar painting kaunsi hai?" asked Hemadri sweetly.

"Sundar ka pata nahi, lekin meri sabse keemti painting dekhna pasand karengi aap?" She asked.

"Of course" Hemadri replied.

Manvi lead her to come along. Arjun helped her and she took them in front of the painting.

Hemadri and Aarav both were spellbound looking at the picture. It was a painting of a woman, Arjun had also seen this painting for the first time. He didn't have words to speak about it. Tears came into his eyes.

"Aise lag raha hai jaise rangon ki chadar udhakar apne canvas par apne jazbaat utaare hain Manvi tumne" said Hemadri praising her.

"Ye meri maa hain" replied Manvi.

Aarav smiled and said "Phir toh ye anmol hai"

Arjun looked at Manvi, the pain of losing their mother had appeared in their eyes. Vikram noticed the same and he placed a hand on Arjun's shoulder who was standing next to him.

Manvi's eyes glistened remembering it. She looked up as she felt the presence of a hand on her shoulder. It was Aaditya, he had read the unsaid sadness in her eyes.

"Humein dikhaogi nahi?" he asked. She led them to her mother's painting and showed the same to her. Aaditya didn't even ask anything more.

"Bahot khoobsurat hai, bilkul aapki tarah" he replied looking into her eyes.