Welcome back bacchon :) 

Your response made it this quicker or else I never gift two updates in a month! So pat yourself, Generals! 

This one I didn't had much to delve in so a short chap :)

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 | Alia's POV |

Ayan invited me to attend the last day celebration of Durga Puja along with his entire clan and friends at their favourite pandal.

A social - religious gathering of devotees and families under a roof to celebrate the ten- day event of various ceremonial rituals of the festival, largely celebrated in West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura etc. 

I had few shoots to be completed before I set off. Though I had visited the pandal celebration an year before as well. This time I feel as though a different experience is awaiting me. 

A rather cute memory from an hour ago made me beam wide. 

"Going for the puja ?" Shaheen, my elder sister, asked me from the the adjacent room. She was at home today owing to her new book related work. "Yup, couldn't say no to Deb uncle. Ayan has gone so much on his baba, their charm always seems to work" grinning I remembered how easily I said yes to my best friend's dad. 

"Shaheen ?" hearing her cough violently, I ran towards her. She had her hand pressed to her chest and her back bend. "God, I told you not to drink ice water bro. This is what happens when you don't listen!" She was the eldest and me, the youngest hierarchically speaking but most of the time she gets lecture from me. 

Taking a heavy breath, she turned to look at me " Als, whom are you fooling here ? The world knows why on earth you're interested to attend the puja this year, inspite of your work pressure." Casting a look at her, I pretended to not get her point. "Drink this and sleep."

I ignored her remark and made her drink the tonic.

"Don't worry about me, Worry about yourself," she kept her hand on my head and grinned. Turning my face from her, my cheeks gave away a silent blush which made me curse my stupid senses. 

I quickly pecked her cheek and dashed outside with my purse. 

At the Pandal 

"Aloo you came !" strong hands enclosed me in a warm embrace and I came back to the present scenario. Ayan had spotted me in the entrance, engrossed in my thoughts. He came to welcome me with a bright smile. 

His dad came towards us with a huge smile "Beta aap aa gaye ? We were waiting for you. Come inside and take your darshan." Deb uncle was the sweetest and cutest of the clan. After hugging him and few other dignitaries present, we moved further into the pandal. 

The air had joyful spirits, people adorned in the best, women in gorgeous sari's and men in dashing kurta's. While outside was noisy, inside the tent one gets more of a relief. Beautiful mantras were chanted on microphones, devotional songs blasted from the speakers and the common glow within the gatherers were definitely the highlight. 

But my eyes searched for -

"Aloo, you look stunning bro," Ayan leaned towards my ear to speak thanks to the volume around. I nodded in gratitude.

But my eyes searched for someone. The reason why I came here in the first place. 

Where is he ?

How do I ask ? It would be such an embarrassment ! 

Scanning through the thick crowd jam around us, I cursed my height. Why am I so short!

But HE is tall.

What's the point if one can't spot that Burj khalifa !

And exactly like they show in those serials, I finally located a pale pink kurta worn statue, with glasses and slightly long hair. Eyes directly boring at me. How do I know the person is staring ?

Perks of prepping for a fantasy film. 

Candidate being none other than Ranbir Kapoor. Thanks to his transparent glasses, I could see his eyes gazing at me intently. 

Was he intimidating ? No

Am I affected ? Yes

A smirk diluted with a sly smile shone on his face. It's not everyday your once upon a time crush appreciates your presence.

Feeling confident, my legs directed it's direction towards him. Everything else long forgotten. Like a magical pull.

Putting an abrupt end to my fantasy, Ayan held my hand and pulled me towards a bunch of giggling aunties and a pack of young girls standing close by. For some reason I felt they weren't liking my presence tonight. 

"Alia, meet Mrs Sen and this is ...." and some nine hundred names later, I delicately tugged on his hand to suggest. "Ayan, we need to get the darshan first. I'll meet them later." Thankfully he nodded and got my point.

While he bid a rather long farewell in their native to his aunt's as if they'll never meet again, my eyes landed back on the only human I wanted to be near tonight. 

He had his back towards me and was being harassed to begin with. Ladies and fangless grannies pinched his cheeks one by one with a girlish giggle. What fun! After what seemed like a decade, Ayan took leave from those boring aunt's and led me towards the main stage where the huge idol of Durga devi was set for darshan. Down to the stage, Ranbir stood surrounded by ladies, off course. Reaching an inch behind him, I could see the giant back he possessed, and the muscled figure beneath was to my insane imagination. 

Uh, fix your control system.

His hair had grown slightly untamed. He had been prepping vigorously for his ambitious next, a biopic on Sanjay Dutt. Now that you look at his transformation, he might pull off the Baba look. "Bunny! Look whose here" announced Ayan, ever so innocently with a large smile. Within a snap, he turned to face us, his body looking rigid and tough. His entire form towered over my petite little life so much that I had to crane my neck upwards to meet his eyes.

And when we did meet our eyes, I'm sure a flash appeared somewhere around the corner and maybe few fireworks as well. 

All forgotten a second later, my eyes stared back at him with the same intensity. Why do I feel he's as affected as me at the moment ? His eyes bagged the most expressive amongst all the artists in the industry and whoever said that was so damn right.

I saw a sublime swirl in his orb. Happiness, a bit of tease, affection, appreciation and a faint flow of something that I'm scared to pinpoint. 

He mouthed something to me which I hardly heard owing to the commotion around me.

And then he moved an inch closer to me if that was even possible considering how close we already stood. 

But now he was so close to me that I felt my body press on to his like a glue. Did I thanked the kind soul who happened to give a slight push to his towering body ? That made us stand in a position where we hardly had space between us and a warm flush coursed through me almost like a current. To my bad, my neck was fully bend in order to have at least an eye lock. 

Soon it will start paining but can he like make his next move so that I can be relieved. 

It happened in a lapse. 

I was in his arms.

His hands snaked around my waist in a firm enclosure almost like he didn't wanted me to slip. His head which was nestled somewhere in my hair, now rested on my shoulder. He took a deep breath and seemed to relax into the embrace. Whatever cologne he had, was so intoxicating that I must have sniffed it all into my system desperately. I'd never forget this rich smell. 

Which perfume did I used today ? 

My arms completely covered his broad back and I clung to him with all my might, or else I'll faint. Knees of mine were already giving away to this crazy effect he had on me. Thanks to him dipping onto my shoulder, I didn't have to stretch my neck or legs to reach his tall figure. Closing my eyes, I reached up to his shoulder level and my chin blade touched his even broader shoulder. 

In that exact moment we forgot the world around us. It became all about this pure, inexplicable feeling of being in each other's arm, pressed like they'd never be apart. As if there could be no force ever to separate them.

That this is where they belonged.

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NOTE : Namastey friends. Welcome back! Never thought I'll be back this soon. In fact in my history of updates, I don't remember giving back to back updates like this! FEAT Y'ALL ! 

Only and Only because of the Janta Demand :-) 

Ik this chapter hasn't much to deliver in terms of dialogue and ideas but that's how I fashioned this random idea. You'll see more dialogue delivery and humor in chapters where they'll shoot abroad, in family and friends content. That's all coming closely behind. 

Kush raho, this is my blessing to you all. For me college had already begun, I've to go for choir practices before the reopening. Let's see where we go ... :) 

Till then, smile and stay healthy.

Love always,

Jemi :)