The rest of the week passed by quickly. The advertisement went public and the feedbacks were unexpectedly good. Aryan and I won incentives of Rs. 5000 each. Initially I thought to shop but then I controlled my temptation thinking how useful it will be after Niall comes back to India. Congratulatory messages came from Mr. and Mrs. Gandhi as well as Rita. I sent the link of the video to the boys including Niall and they dropped me encouraging comments too. However, Greg’s message meant the most since he is himself into advertising.
“I think I’ll have a job for you in my company if you come to Manchester,” he laughed on the phone.
“That is too farfetched a dream, Greg,” I smiled shaking my head.
“I mean it.”
“I didn’t contribute ONLY.”
“Learn to enjoy praises, woman,” his voice rose.
I laughed and nodded saying, “Okay, Sir.”
“So how are you doing?”
“Just fine.”
“So is Niall,” he sounded serious.
I closed my eyes briefly sinking in the depth of the struggle we were going through.
“Part of life, we’ll be together soon.”
“Of course,” he responded and asked, “Oh….did Niall tell anything about me?” Excitement breaking through his voice.
“Ahhmm…..no, why?”
“Well then he might tell you tonight, it’s a huge thing,” I could sense every ounce of his body smiling.
“You could tell me now,” I suggested even though I knew it would be futile.
“Don’t be so nosy, Lily,” he laughed.
“I hate you. You Horan brothers are similar in every irritating way,” I growled.
“Hahaha….I gotta go, bye,” he said.
“Bye,” I replied as he hung up.
I fiddled with my phone before putting the last piece of the chicken sandwich in my mouth. It felt weird eating alone without Aryan who took a leave citing fever. I knew the real reason though which was a job interview. Olivia was there but I would better eat alone than eat with her.
“That is not for you to decide, Riam,” I caught Naina screaming on the phone when I got downstairs.
I couldn’t help but stop walking and glance at her. She caught my attention and lowered her voice.
“I’ve my own life and decisions to take,” she whispered now.
I walked ahead and entered the work-space. However, my curiosity was too powerful to be suppressed hence; I leaned against the door hiding from Naina’s sight and eavesdropped.
“If you’re behaving like this now I can’t imagine the situation after marriage,” she talked in normal voice.
“It is my fucking life, Riam…..yeah….oh then you better fuck off, I never wanna see your face even…..Yeah, get out of my life, I’m done,” she threw her phone on the table knocking the plaque down. Her head made way into her hands with her elbows resting on the table.
I furrowed my eye-brows fighting an inner urge to ask her the reason for the breakdown. I might have changed my mind thinking it’s her personal matter when her weeping noises flew to my ears. I sprung out from my hideout and ran to her.
“Naina?” I placed my hands on the sides of her shoulders.
She simply cried shaking her head.
“Naina, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“Everything,” she mumbled in between tears before lifting her head up to lock eyes with me.
“You can trust me,” I instilled faith in her. Getting her nod, I grabbed a stool and sat beside her.
“I don’t know what to do with…..with…..,” she stumbled as I completed her sentence retorting, “Riam?”
She nodded.
“What about him?” I inquired even though I had a tiny idea what it might be.
“He is not good, Lily. He is an alcoholic, irresponsible asshole who knows nothing but making my life hell,” she cried audibly.
“Did you tell your parents?” she shook her head as an answer.
“Why?” I wondered.
“I don’t think they’ll understand.”
“Of course, they will. No parents will trust a guy like this with their daughter.”
“It’s different with them. You won’t understand,” she broke my gaze.
“Make me understand.”
She sighed before saying, “They are conservative, Lily. The idea of love marriage is dead to them. That is why they…..” her voice cracked.
“Do you still love him?”
She looked stunned at me. I forgot Naina didn’t ever talk to me about Aryan.
“He is my best friend in Orient,” I explained.
She nodded peering at her lap.
“Then fight for him, don’t give up.”
“I can’t, it’s too difficult.”
“Nowhere near what I’m going through, trust me.”
She knitted her brows together and gave me a puzzled look.
“I lost my family in a car accident last year,” her eyes widened filled with empathy. “He turned around everything and fixed my life only to go miles away from me. I don’t know what will happen from now on but I won’t give up, I’ll fight till the end.”
“I’m sorry, Lily,” she grabbed my hands. I nodded.
“Why did he go?” she asked.
“He returned to Manchester but we are working out somehow hoping to achieve the silver lining soon,” I laughed mildly at my selection of words.
Naina fell silent. Her eyes busy pondering over my advice.
I left the stool and turned on my heels to leave after patting on her back.
“What’s his name?” she asked as I was about to enter the work-space.
“Niall….Niall Horan,” I replied proudly.
“Thanks,” she said after a few seconds to which I nodded.
I came back home completely drained out of my energy. I plunged into the couch after turning the lights and fan on.
“Such a mad day it was,” I sighed under my breath stretching my hands sideways.
The realization of making dinner annoyed me to the utmost. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands before entering the kitchen to ransack through the cabinets and refrigerator. I found a packet of instant chicken clear soup and some bread sticks. I fetched all the items and kept them outside before taking a glimpse of the clock.
7.45 Pm.
I went to the bathroom again and ended up spending a good forty minutes inside. I washed my hair and applied shower gel before exiting completely rejuvenated. I resorted to my room and stripped down to nothing before changing into a teddy bear pictured white top and teddy bear pictured pajamas. I sat down to watch a derby match of EPL that kept me on the edge entirely.
Anyway, at around 9.50 Pm I got up to make soup for myself. I kept the laptop on the centre table where I was busy doing some office-work. The soup took just ten minutes to prepare and I devoured into it with bread sticks while enjoying One Tree Hill.
Sharp at midnight, I took myself in my room and lied in bed. Connecting the dongle into the laptop, I quickly logged into Facebook and pinged Niall.
“Give me a minute, honey,” he raised his index finger at me. I furrowed my brows but even before I could say anything he went away making loud noises from his footsteps.
He came back after awhile holding a cup in his hand.
“Coffee?” I asked.
“Hot Chocolate,” he smirked.
“I’m going offline, goodnight,” I protested.
“C’mon, Lily,” he smiled widely.
“I was kidding,” I shrugged.
“I….gue…ssed so,” his tongue rolled over the words as he drank the bloody hot chocolate.
I controlled my temptation somehow before remembering the surprise Greg told me about.
“So Greg told me that something huge happened with him?”
“Ohh yeah…..he called you up, right?”
I nodded.
“It is pretty huge, we’re all so excited,” he smiled knowing that I was dying from burning curiosity.
“Damn it, tell me what is it?” I screamed throwing my hands in the air.
He laughed before retorting, “Denise is pregnant. I’m going to be an uncle, woohhooo,” he clapped and shouted.
“Oh My God, Niall, really?” I bit my lower lip while covering my mouth with my hands.
“Yes, she is. Greg cried you know so did Denise and not to forget my mum.”
“That’s great news. I’m very happy for them.”
We talked awhile about the niceness of the news. Niall told me how everyone is feeling in his family about this including the boys, the relatives, his cousins and everyone else and also finished drinking the damn hot chocolate.
“So when’s the wedding?” I inquired leaning against the pillow and placing the laptop on my knees.
“Not before another five months, I guess.”
“Why?”
“Greg and Denise both stay quite busy. She is opening a new saloon in London next week; she has to travel a lot.”
“Sad. It’s hard to stay away at such a time, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know,” he smirked snatching confused looks from me before saying, “I will know when I’ll be in his place,” his smirks grew wider.
I turned scarlet and broke his gaze. I hated him for making me blush so madly.
“Did I say anything wrong?” he inquired holding onto his grin.
“You love doing this, right?”
“Love doing what?” he shrugged running a hand through his hair.
“Irritating me,” I smiled shaking my head.
He laughed out loud before acquiring a serious tone.
“Don’t you think of our future, Lily?”
I read a burning eagerness in his sapphire blue eyes that glimmered brightly.
“I do, always,” I agreed.
“And what does it tell?”
“You and I living in peace, in our own house, happily…..ahhmm….happily together,” I shuddered to take the actual word.
“Together or married?” he winked. His eyes dazzling brighter.
I shrugged again turning crimson.
“It’s okay, I think too,” I looked at him stunned at the reply.
“You do?”
“Of course, I love you.”
I smiled from ear to ear.
“It’s too far off, Niall.”
“Maybe but I know what I want in my heart,” he said confidently and continued, “And I want you and only you. Today, tomorrow and forever.”
My eyes watered like no novelty and Niall thumped his head into his hands getting a laugh from me.
“You think of our marriage?” I inquired in awe wiping away the tears.
“I’ve thought about it a trillion times.”
“And what does it tell?” I smirked.
“We’ll marry in Mullingar at the church where my parents got married. You’ll be dressed in white and me in a black suit. Mr. Gandhi as I know you’d want will walk you down the aisle as I’ll see you coming to be mine for the rest of our lives. There will be lilies and roses everywhere like you’d want I know and Enrique’s songs will be played. We’ll dance together as husband and wife on ‘Save my Heart’ reminiscing the time I kissed you for the first time,” he muttered in his deep but husky voice.
I put my lips in between my teeth as I desperately fought a huge lump inside my throat.
“That is beautiful, Niall,” I praised in a cracked tone.
“You think?”
“Of course, it’s perfect,” I smiled.
“I try,” he shrugged as I smiled broader.
“I love you, baby. I feel so lucky to have you in my life.”
“I love you too and I feel luckier,” he planted a kiss on the webcam.
“I can’t wait for your wish to come true.”
“A little more time and I’ll come back to you,” he asserted confidently.
“I’ll keep waiting no matter how long,” I blinked slowly.
Just then Niall’s phone rang. He saw the number and said, “It’s Harry, the boys have come to town for a few days so I’ve to go.”
“Have fun and don’t get drunk.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll probably half the time end up being with Liam dealing with his post-breakup sadness,” he laughed so did I.
“Goodnight, love you,”
“Love you more, night,” he retorted before hanging up.
I turned the laptop off and kept it beside me in bed. I sat up and ran a hand randomly through my hair. Niall’s words engraved themselves deeply in my heart. I smiled swelling in happiness as I got restless inside to see him finally.
A few more months it is…..Just a few more months.