17- “The day when one of my dreams came true.” ✨
AHANA
“Did you get it?” My mother asked.
I was standing outside my house, drenched from rain that fell out of nowhere (the wonders of Global warming). But nothing in the world could deter away from the news I was about to deliver.
“Yes, Ma. I got the job.”
The next moment I was pulled into a warm embrace that spoke much more than a hearty congratulations. I hugged her back. When we pulled away, her eyes were glistening, “Mum! It's not like I'm going to leave you.” I chuckled, kissing her on the cheek. Mothers can be oddly emotional sometimes.
“I know, beta. These are happy tears. Wait till Dinesh hears about it,” she said merrily and blinked back her tears. Then placing her hands on either side of my face, she returned my cheek kiss with her own, “Okay, now, get yourself changed. Your precious chole is waiting for you.”
“Wohoo!” I raised my fist in mid air at the mention of chole. I proceeded to my room to get rid of my wet dripping clothes.
“Ahana,” Mum called, making me stop mid way. I turned back. “You are happy with your decision... right?”
“Yes, Ma.” I conjured up a small smile. It's the easiest way out. “I'll go and get changed.”
I locked the door to my room and stripped off my clothes as I walked my way to the shower. As I let the cold water droplets wash over my body, I confirmed with myself by drawing a fist near my mouth as a mike. “Sound check, sound check... Let's see... From upcoming Monday onwards, I, Ahana Mishra, will start working in a renowned company called ColorSplash. The company has been running successfully for ten years, unlike the poor start up company I worked in earlier. Work days are five days a week, starting salary is twenty five thousand and it's a forty minutes away from home... Not bad, Ahana, not bad.” I nodded to myself. After giving two failed and unsatisfactory interviews before, this one was the best till now. I raised my head, closing my eyes to the cool droplets slapping my face. It would be nice to be on gear again after so long. I cannot afford to lose sight of this one.
And probably get fashion designing out of my mind.
~
The other day, I called Vishal to arrange a meeting with him. He showed up late evening at a park nearby. Aman tagged along as well but not Xander as he was out on a business trip. The moment I opened my mouth to speak, Aman beat me to it, “Piyush had already filled in the details so you don't need to repeat it like a daily soap recap.”
“Aman's right,” Vishal filled in. “If you're here to gossip like those Bhansal Aunties from our neighborhood then sorry, not sorry- we are out.”
“Will you fuckin let me speak?” I intervened in time, just to hear them say a collective 'no'. I threw my hands in exasperation. “You seriously mean to say you don't find a huuuge deal that your friend just proposed himself, right in front of my parents.”
“The way she put it, I think she wants us to propose to her parents too,” Aman concluded with Vishal.
“But I don't want to betray my love.” Vishal's said, his face crestfallen. He then placed a hand on my shoulder, facing me seriously, “Don't be disheartened Ahana, you'll always be our Draupadi regardles— Ow, ow, ow.”
“Ayeei~ why are you pulling my ear too?” Aman asked groaning and I left my hold from their ears.
“Because I'm damn serious!” I hollered. Why did I call them again? Oh, yes. “Piyush is avoiding me. It's been around twelve days now.”
“Impossible,” Aman replied right away making me question back, “He can't bring himself to avoid you. Do you remember Vishal, how he always brought her topic up whenever the four of us chilled out together?”
“Yeah, he would smoothly mention you between our conversations, secretly hoping we would visit or call you. Although he never admitted it out loud,” Vishal told me. The two of them then recollected examples, further proving their statements. Look at who was gossiping now.
After wasting an hour with nonsensical talks and everyday things (while almost forgetting the main topic of discussion), we parted ways. Not before requesting them to put a word for me to Piyush.
“Betcha he's embarrassed to face you,” Aman had said and I hoped that was it. I knew it was selfish of me but regardless of how things turned out, I wanted us remain the way we were before.
Two days later, I spotted him near the same park I met Vishal and Aman earlier. He was in his usual V gray shirt and beige half pants. He stood near the swing, probably waiting for his chance while listening to music on his headphones. I stole a glance at him and waved my hand. I was positive he had seen me but instead, he averted his eyes. Just when I thought he had ignored me, he shifted his downcast eyes to my direction and waved a small hand at me. I stifled back a smile. Was he really that embarrassed?
Knowing that he acknowledged my presence, I made my way towards him. I made a mental note, not to be hard on the poor guy, despite my tickling senses.
“Yo.”
He undid the headphones from his ears, letting it hang around his neck. He finally turned his gaze to me, only to frown in amusement. “Why are you covering your mouth?”
To stop myself from laughing, “A... a dust particle got in my mouth so I'm covering myself from disinfection.” I lied fashionably. Way to go, idiot.
He let out a laugh. Of course he wouldn't believe me. “Cleanliness freak.”
A half suppressed laughter escaped my lips and I pressed my hand towards my mouth even harder. He actually believed me. He shot me a plain look, not at all fazed by my weirdness. Until his lips twitched, “And here I thought you'd be angry at me. I should have known.”
My hand dropped out of its own accord. “Is that why you were ignoring me?”
He squinted his eyes a little, his lips pursued. “I wouldn't say ignored exactly...”
“Then?”
He simply shrugged, refusing to answer. He was always like this— Moody. He could be absolutely blunt if he wanted to, (his proposal to my parents) or be reserved at his dismissal. And not just to me either, but to the boys as well. Which was why it was harder to figure him out. For a moment, we stood wordlessly, observing the activity going on in the park. His admission was hanging in the air, albeit indirectly. I had to speak up whether he liked it or not. I closed my fist, fueling my determination.
“Dissolve your proposal.”
His brows furrowed in amusement, “Why? It's not like you'll accept it anyway.”
“True, but look what you did to my parents. Papa asks about you to my Mum while Mum keeps asking about you to me. She even told me to consider it. I bet they already started dreaming about me living in your house.” I crinkled my nose at that thought. “They totally forgot about a certain man living two thousand miles away.”
“Then I hope that moron continues to live there forever. Eventually you'll forget about him too, and listen to your parents.” He smirked shamelessly and I nudged his shoulder.
“Call it off.”
He crossed his arms. “Not happening.”
Why was he so adamant when he knew its futile? Does he even like me or did he just want to try it out? We stood stubborn in our staring game until he spoke. “On one condition— spend a day with me.”
The once narrowed eyebrows now shot up in sheer surprise. Spend a day? Wouldn't it be like a date? Don't tell me he was planning to woo me again. I placed my thumb on my chin, thinking about all the pros and cons until I considered, “Okay.”
His mouth fell open. “Seriously?”
God, what was his problem? “Yeah, it's like a give and take deal, right? You'll call off your proposal provided I spend a day with you. We'll both be benefited from it.”
“Do you want to call off my stupid offer that badly? Not that I care about your boyfriend but, wouldn't that be cheating? You know what, forget it. Forget what I said.”
I was getting a gist that he often did things on a whim, without expecting a result. Atleast when it came to me. I decided to encourage him. “Think about it carefully. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. As for my e— boyfriend, don't worry about a thing, I'm sure he'll understand. We are very... outgoing, you see.” I said though I was doubting my own words. Sure, Vansh wouldn't mind me going on another date but this was Piyush we were talking about. He already sounded like he wanted to strangle Piyush's throat when I told about him. But he might listen to me if I explained. Besides, I just had to spend a day with Piyush. It's not like I haven't spend one- on- one with him before. Not a big deal.
I peered at Piyush for confirmation. A little while later, he finally answered with a grunt. When I asked him why, he explained, “A pity party is the last thing I want from you, trust me. And I know you aren't exactly doing it to call off either. It's not important.”
“It is!” Just what cooks up on his top floor anyway? He was starting to stress me out. “And it's not a pity party, I assure you.”
“Fine,” he finally answered. “but be prepared, Ahana. I'm gonna make you feel so great that you'll regret never choosing me. Not even as a side option. Mark my words.”
As if. Instead, I'll make him regret his own mess. “Bring it on.”
~
Two days later, I was sitting inside a Volkswagen Vento car with Piyush taking the lead. So far he had been a good date by arriving on time, that too, in his car. Until now, I had no idea where he was taking me or his plans altogether. “You'll like it,” is what he said, grinning.
I fell back to the seat, letting the rays of sunlight fall on my face. The October sun wasn't burning hot so it was okay. I jerked my head to my right, watching his hands take the wheel, then at him. Normally he didn't take much effort to present himself but he made it an exception today, with his V neck light green shirt, beige jeans, a pair of sunglasses above his head and a thin long chain hanging around his neck.
“Did something happen?”
“Huh?”
He stole a quick glance at me before concentrating on the road ahead. “You were looking at me just now. Is the AC cool enough for you?” He asked, his hands already going to the regulator of the AC.
A small smile escaped my lips. He can be oddly cute at times. I had almost forgotten about it. “No, it's completely cool, don't worry.” I paused, contemplating a while as I fidgeted with my fingers. I wanted to say something else but then jumped around another question bugging in my head. “So, how long have you been liking me?”
His brows furrowed slightly as if I offended him. Come on, if he could propose in front of my parents then surely I have the right to ask him this. “A couple of years, maybe.”
My eyes widened, “Really, when?”
His grip on his steering wheel tightened, “Look, I don't know when. Never bothered to mark the date and month. I used to hate you at the start remember.”
My lips twitched at those memories, “How can I forget that? We used to verbal fight all the time.”
After that we simply recalled those memories, one by one and shared a laugh at our immaturity that time. In the midst of it, it had slipped out of his tongue that he missed me more when I was studying in Toronto. I took that as his answer to my question. Maybe it could be my imagination but I think he was deliberately trying to extend his car ride. Also, he was smiling weirdly for some reason.
A little while later, I gathered the courage to say what I wanted to. “Sorry for the other day. Not saying what you did was right but I guess I must have acted naively. But you just threw it—”
He started laughing, cutting me off mid way. “Ahana, let me clear one thing,” he said and stopped the car. For a second, I thought he stopped on purpose but it was actually a red signal. He took that opportunity to look at me, “Just because I felt for you for a long time doesn't mean I'm fucked up for life. Doesn't mean I'm heartbroken either. I've had a five month relationship too, if you remember and no, I didn't break up because of you... It does sting sometimes but when you know that it's never gonna happen, it becomes a lot more easier to deal with. Infact, I should be the one apologizing to you but I'm not sorry at all so...” He winked.
“Asshole.”
“Happy to be one with you, cutie pie.” he grinned.
.
When you think of places, you actually think of all the extravagant ones around the city, or places for youngsters to hang out but where Piyush took me was totally out of the blue. He took me to completely, utterly ordinary place.
A church.
And that wasn't all either. When we went inside the church, we happened to bump into a familiar face.
“Woah, look who we have here? Don't tell me you two came here to seek God's blessings,” Xander enquired, wriggling his brows at the two of us.
I crossed my arms as I turned to Piyush, "What's the meaning of this?"
The moron as usual flashed a toothed smiled. I just noticed this now but he had been smiling a hell lot since the beginning of this date. Like he was finally allowed to express himself. “Nothing much. I just want you to accompany us. I believe the mass is over now, which means you're free. Uh- uh, no protests. I know you have nothing to do after this so you better drag your butt outside,” Piyush said while Xander and I looked at him like he grew another head.
It wasn't difficult to convince Xander since he pretty much said yes to anything, as long as it's not a threat to his life. I still didn't understand why Piyush invited him. “I don't mind Xander at all but last time I checked, today was supposed to be our date,” I whispered to Piyush in the front seat. “Or did you actually forget what 'spend a day with me', means.”
He took a left turn before turning to grin at me. “I know, cutie pie. Wait, can I call you that for today? Great!” I facepalmed. Xander who was sitting at the back, raised a brow in question while I shrugged, having no clue what Piyush was upto.
I should have guessed what he was upto when he messaged his friends and turned his car over to Vishal's place. Vishal kindly refused his invitation at first but Piyush insisted. He was pretty much destroying the idea of a date.
“I'm telling you, he's a sadist,” Vishal whispered, only for me to hear.
“His loss man. I'm fine either way.”
After Vishal, he picked up Aman from a friend's house. I was frustrated by his gesture but I had to admit, it was exciting disrupting their lazy Sunday (like how they often destroyed mine).
From then on, it was a regular gathering between friends, except we were hanging outdoors, instead of indoors and neighborhood. We hardly toured the city together, atleast I didn't. The rest of the afternoon was spent in Hauz khas— exploring the monument and dining in a famous restaurant. Whilst heading to our neighborhood, later, we stopped by the India Gate for a quick walk through. Oh, and we took lot of pictures on our phones. It was a nice change of pace.
After dropping all the boys to their respective homes, it was time to drop me off. Except he didn't take a right that lead to my house. Instead he drove out of the neighborhood to the main roads again.
“Piyush!” I exasperated, throwing my hands in mid air. “You missed my home.”
“Don't worry, I'm sure your home can wait an hour or three... I changed my mind.”
“You changed your mind, now. It's freaking six thirty!” I pointed to the digital watch at the front of the car. “Why do you think I came today? To spend one- on- one with you. I wouldn't have bothered to wear this tee and long skirt otherwise.”
“You look breathtakingly gorgeous, by the way,” he pointed out, raising three fingers in appreciation before placing his hand on the steering wheel again. His finger tapped against the wheel restlessly. “I freaked out, okay. Not like I haven't been on dates before, but going out with your long time crush is different. And if that crush happens to be Ahana Mishra then it's a whole different story. I'm just afraid to disappoint you, which I'm sure I did today...” His voice became lower in the end.
“Oh yes, you did by thinking you could disappoint me. Do I seem like a high maintenance to you? Seriously, you would have taken me to a chaat stall and I wouldn't have minded.” Even though I was putting up a poker face in front of him, I was internally swooning by the way he set me on a high pedestal. His words felt good to my ego. Gotta enjoy his compliments till it lasted.
He let out a laugh, “I've known you for years, Ahana. You love the thrill. You practically sleep on it. While me, I'm a pretty boring guy. I don't feel as excited as you. That's why I picked the boys up, one by one, hoping it would somehow stir you up. Basically I used them as my shield.”
I placed my hand to my face in disbelief. I can't believe this guy. Am I really that difficult to impress? Though he was right about the thrill part. “But Vansh never felt that way for me.”
“Because he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, as you told me. He just has to fool someone with something and you'll be impressed. That's why you chose him. Wish I had his guts.”
“You're wrong. It's our friendship and understanding for each other that brought us closer in the first place. I agree that his pranks and our craziness are an integral part of us, but if it had been just that, then we would have never crossed the friendship line.” I said. Funny how I was just realizing it as soon as I said out loud. Vansh and I often convinced each other that it was our close bond and understanding that brought us closer. We thought our craziness had nothing to do with it when in reality, it had. It was a part of us as well.
Piyush stopped his car before a chaat stall, because I had accidentally mentioned it before. When we stepped out of the car, he asked if he could hold my hand. I let him for today. It wasn't like it was my first time either. We've held hands in a friendly way before but it was the first time walking hand in hand with him. It didn't made me uncomfortable but it didn't gave me the good kind of goosebumps either. It just felt warm.
After being done with snacks, he took me to where I least expected (Who am I kidding to? All places were unexpected). His residence.
What's more? No one was there. Apparently his parents had gone to visit a relative at Gurgaon. A small memory sprung into mind of when we were picking up a day of our date. I had suggested yesterday but he insisted on today, that is Sunday.
I stopped walking further.
“Were you planning on bringing me here?” I asked, facing his back.
He turned around, his expression strained. “Kind of yeah. Only if I had managed to bring you here, which I did. Moreover we were both tired from roaming outside all afternoon.”
That did made sense. I dropped my handbag on the chair and let out a tired sigh, the fatigue catching up my body. There was an underlying tension in the air as we stood four feet from each other, in an eerily silent house. I quickly excused myself for a bathroom break, mentally thanking my bladder for acting up at the right time.
My ears picked upon a pop English song playing from the music system as I stepped out of the bathroom. Piyush must have sensed my slight discomfort earlier. This was why my conscience trusted him. “So,” I began. “Why did you brought me here? Am I supposed to expect something?”
“Just wait for half an hour, cutie pie. Your question would be filled up, along with your stomach.” he winked.
True to his word, half an hour later, his order arrived on his doorstep. When I glimpsed at what he ordered, I gasped. There were three dishes— Naan, shahi paneer and fried rice, all of them my favorite. Honestly, his little gestures were starting to get to me. Despite his broody and simplistic nature, he was thoughtful.
When we settled down to eat on the dining table, I couldn't help but ask. “Why here? I mean we could have just gone to the restaurant if you wanted to have dinner with me.”
He answered, after finishing his morsel. “I want to have dinner in private. There's just something different about sharing a dinner at home, don't you think?”
I put the spoon down. “Have you... imagined me as your wife?”
He didn't seem fazed by my question. “I imagined you in everything. Infact, sometimes I think that maybe you're more of an object to my fantasies than a love interest.”
I frowned. “I'm not as perfect as you picture me out to be.”
“I don't care how you are, Ahana. I know you and the way I see it— you are amazing so don't tarnish that image for me,” he paused to look at me like I meant to him. The emotions he held in his eyes was painfully visible. There was a certain amount of thickness in his voice as he continued, “if someone asks me what do you wish in a woman, I would name you. You're the kind of person I'd always wish for in my life. Whether I find love with someone else or you get married with someone else, I'd always look at you and say to myself— ah man, if only I got her instead.”
His words struck a chord in my heart that rendered me speechless. I couldn't understand how I looked so great in his eyes. No one I believe— no one thought so highly of me, not even Vansh. Piyush's words were too great for me to reply. I simply mumbled a small thank you, giving a watery smile. He told me to eat but I had already lost all my appetite. My stomach was in knots, but for the sake of his wish to have dinner with me, I ate it anyway. I savored it all. The food tasted bittersweet in my mouth.
After cleaning the table, he insisted on sitting on the chair again while he shifted next to me. “I have one last surprise for you but before that, promise me you won't laugh.”
“If it's you playing Casio to impress me, then, definitely I'll laugh,” I teased but his expression didn't waver so maybe he won't play the casio. I noticed the gradual tapping of his fingers against his lap. It seemed as if he was hesitating. I pulled the skin of my neck between my fingers, “I swear I won't laugh... today.”
He rubbed his hands together, exhaling in encouragement. “Okay here goes,” he mumbled to himself and fished out a crumpled piece of paper from his jeans pocket. I got a glimpse of few words written in blue ink. He held it closer to himself. “Just a heads up, it's not a love poem or a love letter. Just a small, plain poem about you.”
All of a sudden, I was sitting straighter with my senses on high alert. “How sweet of you. Ok, go on, I'm listenin.”
With another exhale, he read on—
She was a blue bird,
I hated her because she was timid and loud,
I loved her because she was also fearless and chirpy,
I observed from afar,
Observed her flapping her tiny wings,
Until she began to fly,
But she wasn't satisfied,
'More, more, more,' her wings screamed.
.
She put in her all,
All on her own,
Until she flew so high,
that it became impossible to reach her.
I begun to notice, ever since then,
I had never looked below,
I was moving forward too,
While chasing after her.
.
She was a big blue bird,
Born to fly,
Her wings were her brush,
While the sky, her canvas,
So paint the sky with your brush,
Without worrying about the painting,
Even if the painting didn't turn out right,
Remember,
You can always start again,
For, the sky is endless
And you are fearless.
“Did you regret me yet? I know this was pathetic but still— Ahana?” He cut off after noticing my watery eyes. It wasn't just the poem, it was everything he said about me till now. His poem— Maybe the reason it touched me was how it related to my decisions, regarding my career. Did he knew about the dilemma I was facing? He couldn't, could he? But the fact that he wrote a poem for me, about me, was too much already. I couldn't understand— “Why do you like me so much?”
He laughed in surprise as he noticed my tear streaked eyes. “Jeez, don't cry. Was my poem that good?” He then shifted closer to cup my cheeks, looking at me with those affectionate eyes of his. “As for your question, I don't know. I do like you but to say that I just like you would be wrong. The bond between two people is different. We are quick to conclude our feelings into 'like' or 'love' but sometimes, I don't think that's it. Sometimes they don't come under anything. They are just feelings— complicated and fucked up. Just like people.”
He then left his hand from my cheek to hold my hand instead. I gripped my fingers around the back of his hand. “Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked, “like a small wish or something. I feel like I haven't done anything while you planned this date.”
He glanced at me for a second before looking away, rubbing his nose. “There is one thing but I wouldn't push my luck. The fact that I got to spend a day with you is good enough for someone like me.”
“Don't say it like you're beneath me.”
“I am,” he said as a matter of fact. “You are way above me, too far from my reach.”
God this guy was confusing as hell. At one time he becomes cocky and the next, he disintegrates himself. “Tell me, have you ever anticipated that this day would come?”
“I imagined it, sure, but never anticipated. It's because—”
“See, that itself contradicts your theory about never having me. Sure, you won't have me now but what if you had revealed your feelings way earlier? I might have not felt the same way as you but I did admire you at one point of time. I did watch you too. Life is unpredictable, Piyush. You cannot just guess it all. Just like how you couldn't know about today before.” I smiled. “That's why you should never stop trying.” Shouldn't I apply this to myself as well?
Piyush simply shook his head indifferently mumbling something to himself I couldn't hear. I let him be.
As I reached the door to leave, I turned behind to face him for the last time today. His face was unreadable but his small eyes were definitely telling something. This date although not perfect, was nothing more like a fairy tale and I wanted to end it on a high note. Looking him in the eye, I permitted him to do something that he probably wanted to do for a while. His reaction was that of a mild surprise at first, but then he quickly agreed, as if wanting to hold onto a butterfly before it flies away. I mean, who would miss a chance having a goodbye kiss on your doorstep.
Everything was kind of a blur after that. We laughed and weirded out a few times before he held my face. The kiss tasted bittersweet on my lips. It wasn't the kind of kiss where I was seeking intimacy or testing how good he was. It was the kind where I was taking away his feelings as he poured his all, in that moment. I felt like I was a diamond— costly and precious. The reason why I wanted this date wasn't just to let him out but for me to know about his feelings. In a way, I had taken an extra mile, exploited his feelings. It was selfish of me but my curious self wouldn't let me rest. I just hoped he understood this and wouldn't complicate it any further. My hands lay firm on my sides, silently letting him know that I wasn't up for anything more than this.
Later, he pulled me for a brief hug, “I was a hopeless one but somewhere deep in my heart, I wished for my beliefs to break. And you did so, today. I must be the happiest man right now. I'll never forget this, cutie pie— The day when one of my dreams came true.”
God, he sure was out to break my soul today. We pulled away. “I should thank you as well but do you remember what you promised me?” I reminded him to which he only smirked in return. Guess it didn't matter as much now. Thus the fairytale- like date came to an end.
I was thankful when Piyush didn't drop me home this time. I wanted to be alone, to mull over my thoughts for a while. A sense of worry washed over me by the fact that I still haven't told Vansh about this date. And now I bore the burden to tell him how it went too. That conversation would be awkward for sure.
While in bed, I read over Piyush's sweet poem again and again, a sense of confidence overpowering me. I stayed in limbo for the longest time until I got the determination I needed. Determination for something I wanted to do in a long while. Thank you, Piyush.
Thus, I handed over the resignation letter to my new job, the next day.
⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫
A u t h o r' s N o t e
It's been more than two weeks since I uploaded the last chapter. My humblest apologies for the long delay. I had been busy with a few things (pending exams + short trip) but other than that, I had slight difficulties in writing. I mean I tried to write the chapter I was writing but it wasn't coming out the way I wanted, plus I wasn't invested as much. So I actually took a little break from this story and began writing Natasha offline. I ended up writing two chapters so I think it kind of worked lol. Now I'll get back to this one.
Moving on, how was this chapter? Thoughts about Piyush and his feelings? (since the chapter was mostly focused on him) How did you find their date? And Ahana's decision.
Also if you liked this simplistic poem then you can check other poems of mine, maybe. There are two poetry books- ❤ Knowing to Love
And ❤ Memories and other poems.
(Yeah, another shameless self promotion 😂)
I get a feeling that you guys might want to throw chappals (footwear) and tomatoes at me for the next chapter 😅 Wanna know why? Well, look forward to the next chapter then. 😈 *prepares a knight's armor for the next chapter*