Annu's POV~
Nirmal cut my Call.
NIRMAL CUT MY CALL!!
NIRMAL.CUT.MY.CALL!!!
This isn't fair!
Never has he ever cut my call!
Lemme try again.
Ringing... Ringing... Ringing...
CUT!!
I am gonna have to face Nirmal now!
Why is everything so awry around me?
I sighed leaning on the passenger seat with Mr. Arjun Shah as my driver. Hell! I wanted to be at the back and wanted to order him as if he was my driver but he is smarter than I give him credit for.
He just guided me out of my house and opened the door like a gentleman and shut the door with a bang like a caveman and put a CHILD LOCK.
Hey Krishna! Take your Arjun back. I don't need it. You taught Arjun about Karma, please teach my Arjun... I mean this Arjun also needs this lesson, please!
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"Here we are, At my penthouse." My driver cum husband said.
"You move my stuff, I have to go somewhere. Bye."
"Wait, we need to go to the office right?" the poet/devil asked.
"I don't wanna go with you. I am gonna go on my beloved scooter. At least she won't break my trust."
"Fine."My driver conceded as if I needed his permission.
I took the bus from there and reached my home to get my beloved scooter.
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Author's POV~
She walked up the stairs as if her life depended on it.
Alas, she found Nirmal!
"Hey, Nirmal!"
He just gave her a stink eye.
"Nirmal, what happened?"
"You are asking me what has happened? Then missy..no Mrs. Arjun your marriage happened."
"You heard about it?"
"yes. And the fact that I had to hear it from an anonymous !"
"No Nirmal sorry...!"
"What no! You loved him all the time didn't you? I thought that you genuinely befriended me, but now that you have your boy toy, your "fat" friend is just a stranger!"
"Hey!! You are the best thing that ever happened to me! I didn't even marry him with my consent! I was forced to marry him!"
"Yeah right! He "Blackmailed" you! Very funny!"
"Nirmal! I was counting on you to support me! That bastard got me married to him and even turned my Parents against me! If you would also turn your back on me, I don't know what friendship is."
"Talking about Friendship doesn't suit you Ananya. You were a bad friend to me. I don't know how many more lives you will disturb. Please, Stay away from me."
Saying Ananya was heartbroken, would be an understatement. She was so torn out.
If the separation of a lover is a break-up, then the separation of friends is a break-down. A breakdown.
The friend that had her back when something quite like this had happened, now turned his back and his bete noire attitude made her become even more stressed out than she already was.
She could think of nothing else but Nirmal and also the old Arjun whom she knew and admired. People say marriage gives you new relations and more love but Ananya lost all her relations due to this blackmailed marriage.
She couldn't handle it anymore, and there was only one place that flashed before her eyes. Where she could cry her emotions out.
Where she met Nirmal for the first time...
Flashback~
"Who's the new girl in the class?"
"Why is she such a freak?!"
An affrighted girl made her way through the corridor with her drooped head with all her attention on the floor minding her wobbly babish legs.
She was so quiet and lifeless, that she became a bullying target as soon as she entered the college.
The same was with a guy 'Nimmy the Fatty'.
"Heyy Nimmy! We have got a partner for you! She is just like you- But beautiful. Hahahaaa"
Nimmy had now learned how to tackle these dimwits.
He simply ignored it and put his earphones on.
And went away.
The scared Annu felt angry with him. He could have tackled them for her, but then- come to think of it, was even her hot tongue supporting her?
And she simply went away to her class.
As soon as the class ended, some 'it girl' made their way to Ananya and started snickering about her 'Shuddh desi' way of dressing.
Annu did the same as Fatty just put on her headphones and carried on.
And this went on and on for weeks.
Now the Browbeaters were very bored of making fun of their attire, attitude, and abject.
guess what, they wanted some new news!
So they all drafted a plan as if working on the Rule book of their community-"The Pimps.".
~~
The same 'it girls' approached Anu.
"Heyy Annu! Wanna come to the party? We are going."
"no thanks."
"Ohh come on! Being your bullies, even we feel pity for you. Come on, have some fun! Get out there on the farm! let us dress you, come on girl."
"No THANKS!."
"So Adamant!"
And they dragged her slim body and she could not do anything about it. They even opened up Ananya's hair, before she could do anything...
Soon they reached the party.
And Annu cornered herself as usual.
But what happened, changed her life, for good.
"Heyyoo Everyone! We have news! Look who's here!"
With that our Annu was presented and everyone started 'woo-hooing'.
"And we have someone too!" The boys said.
Fatty was brought to the front.
And they were brought to stand together.
One Browbeater posed his hands like a photographer and started clicking imaginary pictures.
"Good! Such a cute couple! hahaha"
"Fatty and Sekky sitting on a tree (Nirmal= fatty; Anu= Sekky{Seksariya is her surname})
K-I-S-S-I-N-G! hahahahaaaaa"
"I wonder how their kids will be Fat and Clumsy!"
And they started bombarding their snide remarks on them.
It was now over the line.
Anger was bubbling up inside Annu. For our Annu was a bold girl! And Alas, her hot tongue was back in the game!
"Stop it, everyone! You think you all are so "cool"! Well, I will tell you all what you are! Sanina- well, let's see...what's the word for calling someone a narcissist? huh? And you! Mister Photographer! If you like taking photographs of couples, then why are you not taking yours with someone huh? Oh sorry, if no girl is giving you a chance then let me break your teeth and then click your photo alright?
And you! Ms. let's take a selfie! WELL, GIVE THE PHONE AND ME SOME SPACE! And if you all will excuse me, I have no intention of being in a relationship, especially with Mr. Backless who can't even defend himself."
Anu turned towards Nirmal.
"Why don't you speak anything against them! If they are cool, and you follow their orders won't transfer the coolness in you. Anyway cool is just a fashionable term for cold-hearted."
"Woahhhh She's our type of girl!" Mr. Photographer said.
"Nah dog, I am not your type, I am one of a type!"
And Nirmal stood there dumbfounded. He was not new to being on the receiving end of the bullying. But it hadn't occurred to him, to be strong and fight against them. Bullies said he had a massive stomach and that depressed him but being called backless was not an insult but an encouragement to fight and so he did and changed.
Meanwhile, Our Annu went away and started making up her hair into a messy plait-
For she didn't like being Pretty but beautiful...
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She went to the park of the College and saw the beautiful Green trees lined up along the gate. She sat below a Neem tree which gave her warmth and shade. Such a relief.
'Why can't the humans be like these trees!' thought Annu. Trees are so welcoming and humble, always giving their parts but never expecting something in return. Even these flowers are beautiful sacrificing themselves for the fruit so that we humans can eat them.
We bare the tree from its leaves and fruits fulfilling our needs and then cut the tree to fulfill our wants. Deforestation is just a fashionable term for raping a tree. BARE it, KILL it.
Soon someone joined her breaking her imaginary monologue for tree rights.
You guessed it right! it was Nimmy the fatty!
"hey. I liked-"
"Don't you even DARE! I am not gonna be in a relationship with you, Mister! Why do all guys have to impose themselves on girls?! I just-"
"Shant gadhadhari Bheem Shant! Well, When did I ask you to be in a relationship with me? Why do all girls think that boys just come to them for their genital needs? They might even want to be just friends! At least listen to them! I was saying- I liked your attitude. Not you. Why are you so short-tempered? Stay cool man, sorry woman!"
(Rough translation-'Shant gadhadhari Bheem Shant': Quiet mace bearer Bheem! Quiet! It is a legendary dialogue of the Pandavas of Mahabharata. Bheem, one of the Pandavas, was short-tempered and his brothers used to calm him down by saying this dialogue.)
"Ohh So sorry! I didn't mean that. I was mad at them, and it just got onto you. Sorry."
"No Problem! so you said the coolness of the bullies cannot be transferred but the heat of your anger is transferrable, huh?"
Ananya did not expect him to remember her earlier outburst nor him to be savage. She was stunned but soon found herself to be laughing.
"Hii I am Ananya."
"Nirmal here"
"So...Well I am not usually a backless person you know... I just didn't have the patience left in me to argue with them every time. But now you made me realize that this wasn't the reason. I kept finding reasons to avoid them. That is what I have done my whole life... I didn't even realize when I became a backless person under the camouflage of patience..."
"Ohh... No problem! We can surely... find a back for you or I can have your back!"
"Hahaaa very funny!"
Both of them laughed.
"So where did you come from?"
"I came from Bangalore...I did my bachelor's degree there but some incident occurred so I had to come here."
"Ohh... Dare I ask about the incident?"
"I prefer not."
"Oh, hmm let's talk about something else-"
"Hey, there's our professor of Behavioural Psychology! You have taken the subject?"
"yea... I was so bored in that, even my bum fell asleep!" Annu said with hysterics.
"No doubt about that! I heard it snoring 3 times!"
"I don't snore- wait what? " Anu argued.
(haha haaaa)
Nirmal laughed evilly.
-_-
"Ewww" But she laughed all the same.
"I am craving something sweet," Annu said while rubbing her stomach.
"babe, don't you have me?" Nirmal said, winking.
"Nah! I want something tasty! not lame..."
"ab main itna bhi khaas nahi!" Nirma said in shinchan style.
Both of them laughed and then headed for ice cream at Havmors nearby.
And our Annu found her lifeguard. Whereas Niramal found his sea to drown in...
~~
Another Flashback
~~
"Dumbo! Here! let's go to the Cafeteria!"
"Sure! Let's goooooo!"
"I wanna eat a Samosaa!"
"Why do you like Samosas so much?!"
"Because it is the perfect blend! Crispy and soft at the same time!"
"haha funny. because I feel the same for you!"
"Me?"
"yeah! You are just like a Samosa, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside! Now that I know you (wink wink)."
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Present
But now, her lifeguard Nirmal just left her drowning in the water...
And she couldn't think of anyone else...But the Besties for the Besties!
*time skip*
"Kya be! you married without even telling us?!" Ranjana said.
"And that too with Arjun Shah! M jealous!" Sunaina exclaimed.
"Will you two stop?" Anu was exasperated.
"Nooo!"
"No Ranjana, we should give her a rest now-"
"Pheww!" Annu said.
"As our bride has to leave early and go make a meal for her man!"
Sunaina and Ranjana started laughing their ears off basing their belief on the fact that Annu is joking and as Sunaina says, "You would have to stand on one leg in Surya Namaskar pose and do Tapasya for 50 years to get Vardan to have a man like Arjun and that too, blackmailed! Nice joke Annu! You made my month!! "
"You guys!! Believe me!"
"Yes, we will! You are our friend and we believe you-"
"At least Ranjana is on my side! Aaah"
"In your Ice cream world!"
"Ohh come on!!"
"Fine!" Ananya roared with anger.
"You want evidence! Hear it from the "Broom" itself!"
"So you married your broom right, not groom."
"No no Sunaina, Her husband is her broom and she is the mop."
"No no Ranjana, Her husband is her broom and she is the witch."
The remaining two now started to laugh their 'brooms off'. Even the author i.e. I, can't stop laughing while I am writing this. So don't feel alone, reader!
Leaving laughing aside, our Serious Annu rang up Arjun, or as her caller id prefers-"Baffling Broom".
Baffling Broom picked up his phone as fast as lightning as it was "Annu" on the mobile screen.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Baffling Bastard! my Broom!"
He simply laughed.
"Am I that Baffling?"
"Yes, I want to crack open your head and see the wiring of your brain. I am sure there is some short circuit in your cerebral wiring!"
Again, he laughed.
"Hey don't talk to your man like that! Have some manners!" Sunaina roared in the background.
"umm.. who is that in the background?"
Arjun asked as he was puzzled as an ostrich.
"Wait I will put you on speaker, Sunaina and Ranjana are with me."
"A-Ar-rju-un Sh-ha-ah?" Sunaina stuttered.
"yes, You are Sunaina I suppose?"
"Y-Yesss! Your voice is so smooth! and manly at the same time!"
which was followed by glares from Annu who, at the same time threw jealous looks at Sunaina and didn't know why but felt angry.
"Umm Thank you?"
"You are most welcome!!!!" Sunaina said flirtingly.
"And your dad's business tactics are smoother! Can I talk to him?!"
Ranjana squealed in between and unintentionally stepped over a nerve unknown to the rift between Arjun and his father. While Annu felt pride and felt immense happiness as she felt that he got what he deserved for cheating with her.
Wait! Annu couldn't help feeling jealous and somehow felt that whenever Sunaina flirted with him, he was cheating with her although he wasn't...
'Wait, it isn't his fault!' her inner mind shouted inside her and she blurted out-
"Don't say that Ranjana!! I told you about his dad!" Annu protested in favor of her "baffling Broom" whom she still cared for.
Arjun would get mad but Annu's lovely comment calmed him down and he smiled the widest smile in his life. He had given up almost all hope that Annu would ever look at him let alone care. But this gave him beams of sunshine and his face glowed as if he was pregnant. There was still a part of Annu that still wanted him as her friend, that blushed at him, the part that still loved him. It just needed some time to reveal and replicate itself.
"Umm, He is not here, Sorry."
"So so so so sorry! I unintentionally did that and You see I am a big fan of Neearavan Shah and-"
"No problem! I can understand for I am myself a crazy fan of his. A man of few words and great principles."
"Exactly! Unlike some fans who only see looks!" Ranjana said referring to Sunaina.
Sunaina gave her a stink eye.
"Getting to the main point!" Annu announced.
"Arjun! I want you to tell them that you married me without my consent! They just won't believe me!"
"umm"
"Ohh come on! Now admit your crime!"
"Fine! Sunaina and Ranjana, yes I married her without her consent, but it was for her good."
"Yeah right!"
"Do you want me to admit my crime or not?" Arjun snapped.
"Fine!"
"Sunaina and Ranjana, I would like you to keep this a secret. Just wait a little more and you all will know my side but please...Please keep it a secret."
"Yes, I will do that!!" Sunaina jumped.
"Only on one condition! I want to meet you!"
Arjun laughed and said," Sure! I would love to meet you. But not right now, for I am a little busy. How about a month later?"
"A month?!"
"I promise. a little rush at work you know? I better meet you all when I am fully available!"
"Mister You keep your promise or else this news will spread like a wildfire!."
"Sure."
"I am so excited!! Annu will come too! Ranjana also!"
"Why not!"
"You are so cool, Mr. Shah!"
"No no! Don't call me Mr. Shah, simply call me Arjun!"
"R-Rea-all-lly?"
"Sure! It wouldn't hurt to make some more friends! Ranjana you too!"
"Thanks! I would love to hear about Neeravan Shah!"
"HELLO!!!" Ananya roared like a lioness and even Arjun who was on the phone almost fell from his chair.
"Did anyone hear that he married me? WITHOUT MY CONSENT!"
"Yea we did. Although Arjun doesn't seem that bad to me! He is Great! I would have been feeling a lot good if I was at your place with Arjun as my husband! Even Arjun would have loved to have me, wouldn't you Arjun!"
"I-I guess?"
"You Bastard! You are still my Husband!" Annu's possessiveness was very crystal clear which was also crystal very amusing to Arjun. He had craved that possessiveness from Annu's side.
And then she cut the call...
"What happened to you too huh? He married me without my consent."
"Look, girl! I am a girl who gladly accepted candies from strangers even after her parents' warning and bitch, Arjun is a walking definition of an Eye-candy! Grab it before someone else licks it!" Sunaina ranted.
"Even I won't mind a taste." She muttered which didn't go unnoticed by Anu.
Anu just glared at her.
Sunaina was very sad that one of the eligible bachelors is no more a bacheloue but she is happy for Anu. No blokes before besties!
"I told you! You are going to meet the man who would change your understanding of the male species. Believe me or not!"
- By Sunaina the great Philosopher!
Annu was very confused after that call... She felt possessive of Arjun, she even spoke up against her besties for him! She couldn't believe it. Was she really in love with Arjun? Was Sunaina right?
No, he married her without her consent.
I talked with him. He has a reason!' My mother's words came to haunt me every day.
Ananya kept pondering over those questions that whole night. She could conclude Besties for the Resties did come to the rescue but not for her, for Arjun's rescue!
Meanwhile,
Many similar questions were pondered in Neeravan Shah's aka Arjun's father's mind-
He kept rummaging through the cupboard, wanting to find something very dear to him but couldn't find it.
"Can I help you?"
Neeravan Shah was startled and looked towards Naina Shah who was smiling and gazing towards him.
"Umm.."
"I know what you are looking for. It is not that cupboard, it is in that drawer. See for yourself. I kept it thereafter I saw it myself..."
"No no! I was umm...looking for my umm.."
"Who are you fooling? I know you head to toe! You are looking for the photo album of you and Arjun."
"NO!"
Naina gave him a "Who are you kidding" look.
"Ok fine! I was looking for that."
"It's ok to miss your son. Even I do. Just last night, I was looking at his video clips. So naughty he was."
"I still can't believe he did that."
"Me neither. But as they say, Love can make one do anything!"
"Still."
And she hugged him.
"It just doesn't seem that Arjun is behind this. I don't know why I mean He has got no motive! He was already affecting that girl! then why this!" Neeravan Shah said.
"I know our old Arjun will come back. And he will make everything right."
With that, they started seeing the photos and reminiscing their memories with the gold ol' Arjun...
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At Arjun's Penthouse
"Justice will happen to me. I didn't sacrifice myself for anything. She will take me in with open arms. I know it! I just have to wait a little more... Till she knows... And I know she will find out, My Annu is no loser. And the day she finds out, she will embrace me in her cute little arms."
Arjun consoled himself to sleep.
And Annu heard it...
While she was finding her room in the fancily large Penthouse...
I talked to him. He has a reason.
The words again crept up her mind.
What was happening?
Yo Guyz! Sumo and Muso here! Woahhhh that was some flashback, wasn't it? Annu misses our Nirmal and so do we...
Don't worry he will come back..but after efforts, love, promises, shreds of evidence even...
Just wait for a Lil more...
;D
Sayonara!