We can see a girl in her mid-twenties sitting at the window seat of the train and looking outside, a small smile playing on her lips. She had a small album and a diary on her lap. Her wavy hair is blowing in the wind like the tides of the ocean, making her heart feel light. Her eyes are shining like the stars in the dark sky. Her mind is whirling around the beautiful memories that she has with him. And her heart is thumping fast as she nears her destination.
Girl: Oy, author! Enough of my description; now let me introduce myself. It's my story, so I'll tell them.
Me: Okay! I thought I would help you, as you are shy and an introvert who doesn't talk much (shrugging my shoulders).
Boy: She and shyness are opposite poles; don't you know that, my dear author? And we will call you if we need your help.
Me: Did I tell you to come now? It's not your entry now. So zip your mouth and get out for now.
While that girl was glaring at me.
Me slowly disappearing from the scene.
Hello readers!
I'm Bhumi, Bhumi Krishna Prasad. I hope you guys have understood by now that yes, I'm my dad's little girl. And my Anna's (elder brother) butterfly; my Vadina's (sister-in-law) partner in crime; and my Champ's saviour.
I don't even remember my mother's face, as I lost her when I was just 3 years old. Since then, my Nanna (father) has become both mother and father for me and my brother. He didn't marry another woman after my mother's death.
Whenever someone used to suggest my father marry for the second time, he used to say, "I can get a wife for me, but not a mother for my children. And I can't give my wife's place to the other woman."
I'm really proud of him. He took care of us all these years alone, fulfilled every wish of mine and my brother's, and never got tired of our tantrums. My family, my bunch of crazy friends, and He are my little world.
My brother, Akash, is five years older than me. He got married to his childhood sweetheart, Aditi, four years ago. She is really a sweetheart. She became my best friend within a short span of time, and now I can share anything with her without any fear. Both of us team up against my brother, play pranks on him, and tease him a lot. They were blessed with a baby boy "Sriansh", three years ago and are expecting the second one. He is my little champ, and I'm his savior who saves him from his father's scoldings.
I'm 24 years old and an interior designer by profession. I'm from the City of Destiny, Visakhapatnam. My father is a professor, my brother is a doctor, and my sister-in-law is a software developer.
(Author: You forgot about your whisky boy.)
Yes, I forgot to introduce my baby, Whisky Boy. He is my pet dog.
Now, my best friend Vindhya and I are off to Hyderabad for the wedding of our other best friend, Nandini. I'm going to meet him after three long years. My best friend and my first love, Atharv, and I saw him for the first time on the same train seven years ago, which was the start of our friendship.
*************************
Flashback:
I and Vindhya are sitting in our compartment along with our fathers. We are going to join one of the most reputed universities in India, the department of interior design in Hyderabad. And our fathers are accompanying us. They would return after joining us at the hostel. We started our journey at night, as it would take around twelve hours to reach Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam.
It was around 4 o'clock in the morning when I heard some noises. I opened my eyes and saw a boy of our age arranging his luggage in his seat, which is in front of us. His parents are accompanying him, and his mother was scolding him as he left one of his bags at home. He is none other than Atharv and his parents.
"Offo, Amma. There is nothing important in that bag. I'll take that when I come to the house next time," said Atharv.
He and his mother were arguing, but it looked cute to me. His mother sat down, turning her face aside. He kept his head in her lap and placed her hand in his hair. Her mother smiled at him and started caressing his hair. His father laughed, looking at his antics. And for the first time, I yearned for my mother's warmth.
*************************
I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard Vindhya saying, "Bhumi, we are nearing the station; get your bags."
I looked at the album in my hand. It's a handmade album, which he gifted me on my 21st birthday. It has all our memories of us during our graduation.
I placed my diary and album in my handbag and got my bags. I looked around as we stepped out of the train. It feels good to be here again. We moved out of the station and booked a cab from the station to her house. Actually, she does not know that we are coming today. It's a surprise for her. It took us an hour to reach her house, all thanks to the Hyderabad traffic. We paid for the cab and moved inside. It's a simple two-storey building with a small garden attached. The house is beautifully decorated with flowers and mango leaves.
We have been to her house many times during our college days. I and Vindhya made our way inside the house and saw Nandu arguing with her younger sister, Megha, over something. This girl will never change. She didn't notice us, as she was busy shouting at her sister. We asked everyone to be silent, and I hugged her from the back while Vindhya closed her eyes.
She stood silent for a minute and then mumbled, "Bhumi, Vindhu."
"Surprise, Nandu!" We shouted and hugged her tightly.
We had a group hug and dragged Megha into it. I and Vindhya took blessings from her grandmother and her parents.
"You idiots, you told me that you guys would come at the time of muhurth," Nandu said, pouting.
"Then what will be the surprise?" Vindhya said, hitting her head.
"It's good that you've come, Akka; your friend has been torturing us since her wedding preparations began. Now, you only have to bear her tantrums. I'm out of the league," said Megha.
We chuckled, listening to her, while Nandu dragged me and Vindhya to her room upstairs.
We got freshened up and had a delicious breakfast made by her mother. I'm telling you, Aunty makes yummy food. But this girl doesn't even know the alphabet in the word cooking. She just knows how to boil eggs and make an omelette. Poor Vihaan, I don't know how that boy's going to survive with the food she makes.
We three lay on her bed, talking about everything.
"So Nandu, tell me how you're feeling," I asked, turning around and facing her.
"Nervous, happy, sad, and afraid. In simple words, I'm having conflicting feelings," said Nandu. "Acha, tell me, when are you both planning to get married?"
I got silent, listening to her words.
"I'll marry if I find a good man who will bear all my tantrums, and then he must be a single child to his parents," Vindhya said, adding, "And this girl will marry when that brother of yours proposes to her."
Okay, Atharv and Nandana are not siblings or cousins. But every year Nandu and Megha used to tie a rakhi for him, as they don't have a brother.
We were talking when Nandu's phone started to buzz. She told me to answer the call, and I, being stupid, answered the call without checking the caller.
"Hello!"
That's when I heard his voice for the first time in three years. I immediately glared at Nandu and threw her mobile at her.
Why should I talk to him first? It was he who left me without saying a word after our graduation day. Now, you guys don't assume that; we had a breakup. How can we when we are not in a relationship in the first place?
"You stupid girl, don't you know that I'm not talking to him?" I shouted at Nandu after making sure that she ended the call.
"Don't say as if you are not in touch with him," said Nandu.
"Nandu, don't you know that they don't talk but text each other?" Vindhya said, teasing us.
Okay. Now don't look at me like that. Yes, we text each other regularly, but we have never heard each other's voices in these three years.
We know that we love each other; our friends know that, and even our families know about our feelings. But we never voiced our feelings to each other until now. The reason is simple: we want to get settled in our careers before we get married.
We don't want to break the trust of our parents. So, we decided that the moment we express our love, that will be the moment we become each other's, both officially and ritually. We want to start our relationship as husband and wife instead of boyfriend and girlfriend.
I know we are weird, but we can't help it. We are like this.
Hola guys!
I'm back with a new story.
A cute and short love story of Bhumi and Atharv.
I hope you will love this story too.
This book is no way related to the other books.
Cast:
Bhumi
"It was the most beautiful pair of brown eyes, that my eyes have seen."
- and I could lose myself in them.
Atharv
"I thought love only existed in fairy tales, but then I saw your dazzling smile and warm brown eyes."
Let's see, how these two souls fall in love with each other, and become each other's life.
Do you want me to continue this book further? Do tell me.
Keep smiling and take care ❤