She thought to ignore & go down but he called her again.

"Teju"

Well, luck wasn't on her side. Scrunching, she forcibly turns back & stomps to his room.

It is probably 8 in the morning, fog & light covered the hallways & rooms.

Slowly, she entered his room once again.

She didn't find him immediately, as the window is open, the room is misty.

But she sensed slight moments at the corner near the mirror, so she made her way there, standing at a distance behind him.

"Choose the cufflinks.", he simply said not even glancing at her.

Her jasmine scent wafted through the breeze & the tenderness of her anklets gave it away.

There is a velvet box on bed, containing diverse cufflinks, neatly arranged in blocks.

She turned to observe his apparels are to select a suitable set.

Adhvik opted a beige lenin shirt, black slacks & a blazer.

He's not a trendy guy who likes wierd colorlful jackets or loose half streched pants.

But he's particular about his style that is Dignified & Dapper.

Like the shirt colors, blazers, suits, including casual tees. None of them looks over the top but when he wears it, he owns it like nobody.

While she's choosing, he's wearing his black blazer when he hears her, "Black isn't for auspicious occasions"

He halts, glancing himself in the mirror.

Well, she's right. Lalitha and Chaya would not be ok at all, given their superstitions.

Without a second thought, he quickly picks the other outfit, brought by his mother & shows it to her. As she approves through her eyes, he leaves to change.

Meanwhile, she selects the suitable white crystal cufflinks as he returns in a white shirt & slacks with a pale blue blazer.

He ambles to the mirror checking himself while Teja brings the cufflinks.

He shows his hand to her, she takes one to put them.

Adhvik can't do it himself, usually they come attached otherwise either his mom would help or Teja. His sister never did, he never asked  because one of them would surely be present.

As she is engrossed in attaching them, Adhvik stares at her.

She's in a long orange color organza dress with big earrings, bangles on one hand & a thick gold chain around her neck. Her duppatta is spread over a side & her long hair is braided in style with few strands resting on either side of her face, complimenting her beautifully.

The look is not fancy but it is magnificent on her to even describe.

His heart again slowed down at her face, it is radiating with only an orange bindi & diamond nose pin.

She moves past as soon as she finishes fixing without even glancing at him but stops when he calls her,

"Suno"

A second later she turns to face him in the mirror. He is staring at her through it.

"Baath karni hein. 5 PM at the hut."

She doesn't respond just meet his eyes & leaves from there. He too doesn't comply because he is sure she would come. His eyes  complied her enough.

The inauguration went good, Lalitha did the rituals. When the Diya has to be lightened, she called Nandana & Teja.

Adhvik looks on as they both carefully lighten the Diya. She is just one of them.

They return hoping the construction begins soon.

5 P.M, EVENING

There is a beautiful open farmer hut in the middle of the paddy fields made with bamboo pillars, wooden floor & straw roof. It is open on all the sides & is a floor above overlooking the field.

Wrapped in a maroon pashmina shawl, Teja sat down on the straw spread floor, resting her  face on the knees & enjoying the serene air while patiently waiting for someone who is supposed to be here at 5 but isn't though it is past 15 minutes.

The evening breeze is delightfully gushing through the green fields when she saw him running along the grooves.

He is wearing a turquoise tee with black joggers & Prada sneakers, a black trucker  jacket on his shoulders neatly tied against his tee & he's holding something in his hand while his hair is flowing with the wind.

As he approaches the hut fastly, she turns her face away while he climbs the wooden ladder & finally slumped beside her with a hand supporting his back, a leg stretched & another one bent.

She doesn't look at him but could hear his heavy breathes.

"You are late.", she states glancing straight.

Rather than responding, he just puts the reason behind his delay on her knees & when she looked at them, she smiled.

It's the white lotus, her favourite.

This might made him late as he had to go to the flower market in the town to fetch them.

Securing them closely, she enjoyed their fragrance. She didn't ask him why did he bring the flowers all of a sudden because he has this habit of dropping his family's favorites despite of any occasions.

"Feeling cold?", he asked hinting at the shawl. Though she isn't, Teja nodded in yes as last time he just took her shawl & didn't return it.

Adhvik got what she's doing so he simply took her shawl making her frown. He then untied his jacket & loosely laid it on her shoulders.

"This is better"

Her scent slowly engulfs him as he wraps himself in her shawl, making him calm & drowsy.

Done patiently waiting for him to speak, she looks aside only to see him relaxedly sprawled on the straw bed, one arm behind his neck & the other on his tee.

Is he sleeping?

He is!

She frowned in annoyance.

Why did he even called her here? To make her watch him sleep.

Ughh!

She didn't even bring her phone because he doesn't like it.

Sighing, she keeps the lotus closely & in no time even she slept beside him.

The pitter patter disturbed him, he opened his eyes to realize it was drizzling.

He turned his head aside when he found her sleeping beside him.

A warm smile steals his lips.

He adjusted himself on his palm as he took her in.

She is lying at a nice distance from him, holding the lotus closely & she completely wore the jacket now. Few hair fell on the side of her face.

Maybe she felt her warm stares, she slowly opened her eyes & seeing him, she at once got up.

"I just...", she was just startled with her surroundings.

"Slept. Even I did", even he sat feeling refreshed.

The green fields, the rain, the shelter & her felt lively & he liked it.

Moments later, the drizzle stopped & Teja got up. It's been more than an hour already & the night is falling.

"We should lea..", she spoke looking at the now wet lands, taking in the soothing smell of rain.

Adhvik stared at her, the pale yellow kurti & her long plated hair is covered by his jacket, he could only see a side of her face, white little earring, few tendrils laying on her ear which she didn't mind, further more her fair smooth cheek, the left eyebrow touching it, glimpse of kajal at the end of the eye, the  straight & sweet nose like a plateau in the plains, a corner of her pale pink lips, the pointed chin.

Her every feature felt dearer when she finally turned to him.

As he stood like a carving in her canvas, she gently flicked her eyebrows, her eyes bigger than the usual.

"What?", she gently asked, cuddling in his jacket more. The chilly weather is favouring him as he tenderly took her hand.

And his heart beat lowered again when she looked at him with those peacock eyes.

It's like he couldn't see anything except her.

Those peacock eyes held no fear or hesitation but trust. Immense trust in him.

He is deeply infatuated at that sight. He fancied it more than he could ever decipher or she could ever know.

Surprising her, he puts her platinum sapphire bracelet onto her wrist.

She is speechless, curious and happy while he answers her unmasked question.

"Did you really think I wouldn't bring it back?"

Honestly, yes but she didn't mind a bit.

Yes, she felt bad for lying to her family but No she didn't regret giving it to that boy because it's for her, Adhvik offered his beloved band. The gold band presented to him by his Great grandfather as a souvenir.

Then why did he take the task of giving it to her again? Isn't it her responsibility to pay for her needs? She's sure he must have payed to that shopkeeper & got the bracelet but why?

Before she even said something he spoke sternly totally understanding her thoughts,

"Kuch bolne se pehle suno dhyan se kyunki mein baar baar nai kahunga"

He took a pause glancing at her delicate and soft hand in his & then squarely looked in her eye,

"Tumhare birthday ke raath meine Jo izhar Kiya tha wo sahi tha aur sach tha. Mein apni puri hosh mein bola tha. Don't think otherwise."

He gently reprimanded.

She is puzzled at first but he waited until she put in all the pieces getting a hint of what is going on & by the end of his talk, it's her turn to stand like a carving.

She felt as if standing in a deserted place in heavy rain storms & a thunderbolt has just hit her.

Aware of her state, Adhvik quietly asked, "Ghar chale"

She just nodded.

Adhvik unclimbed the ladder first and stood beside making sure she descends safely. As they walked ahead, he sensed the rain made the soily grooves sloppy & wet so as a habit he just raised his palm for her to hold him.

Unconsciously even she did raise but retrieved before she touched his palm.

"That's ok", she attempted to take a step but couldn't as he held her.

Without giving her a glance, he safely trudged them through the slippery surface & left her hand as they both walked their way home.

She directly trotted to her room upstairs, thankfully her family is at Raizas preparing for the farewell barbeque so there's no one to question.

Bolting her door, Teja finally released a deep and relieved breath. She's in her secured place. Everything is still the same & will be good, she thought.

All of a sudden, she felt weighed when she realised she's still in his jacket, she hastily took it off and throws it on the antique diwan.

The safe cloth a while ago now seemed suffocating.

First she needed to have a bath.

Removing all the disarray in her, she took a long, warm shower.

When she came back, it felt good as the heaviness of the moment eased up, the stillness in her room & the relaxed bath she took lulled her to sleep. A sleep which we get after a dense day at work.

An hour later, she felt better & could think with a calmer mind. Her family must be waiting to give her farewell, she should attend it first while other things can wait.

Getting ready in a pastel pink pajamas & covering herself with a shawl, she reached the Raizas backyard which is decorated with fairylights, picnic mats, baskets & barbeque.

A relieved smile stole her lips as she saw her dear ones, running to them, she tightly hugged her grand ma & that's it everything became alright.

Around 6 p.m., the two families gathered at the backyard of Raiza's. As they are leaving tomorrow to Delhi, the grandparents decided to give them a farewell.

It is a pleasant evening with ladies chattering sitting on the picnic mats, the kids are playing & dancing to the music, the youngsters pulling eachother legs while the gents are grilling the meat.

10 days passed by in a jiff.

Adhvik is on the terrace looking at the big family. His arrival is unexpected but atlast it turned out to be good. All his childhood memories are revived, he spent time with his grandparents, wandered around, worked in the fields.

Every day, there is something to remind. This is such vacation that would surely go into his memoir.

He has a memoir where he stick pics of important events of his life with the dates, even rarely writes something under them.

While he is thinking of the memoir, he instantly got reminded of the person who gifted it.

That was Teju.

When his Class 12 results were released, his family celebrated it inviting the closed ones. Everyone are giving him something when Teju also came with a red color wrapped box.

He was surprised.

It was the first present he opened when he was in his suite. The neatly packed box contained a memoir with a template on the cover.

THIS IS ADHI!

That simple line was so powerful that he stared at it for minutes. When he slowly turned the cover, it has colorful pages in it, only the pastel colors & the snap boxes with minimal design.

It was customized as per his liking, he concluded.

The memoir fascinated him. It was like his own space in the vast world, where he could do anything & no one would know.

It became his little treasure where he could see himself. He began sticking the most memorable events on each colorful page, his family being the first one, his graduation day, his first day at the office etc

Gradually, that became his motivation in his low days. He would just flip the pages reminiscing the achievements, happy moments once again, pumping himself.

Just then, he saw her entering the backyard. She stood for few seconds & sprinted towards her grand mother.

It's time for him to make the entry, he thought.

The night went on with laughter & good food. The following day they proceeded to Delhi having spent a memorable vacation.

As said, Nandana decided to leave for her University the later week as to spend some cosy time in her home. The engagement fiasco has also been subdued exceptionally, no website did even have their pictures or any news, it disappeared like those few moments never happened.

Honestly, she didn't care. She is habituated to ignore the outside noise & focus on her happiness.

It took three straight days for Adhvik to caught upon his schedule. Still, the vacation made a significant impact on him as now he is vibrant & quicker.

He just perched on the diwan coming from the D Plex having decided on a new plan of work from tomorrow in sync to the activities began in their absence.

Eyes closed, he laid his head back sighing when he heard Nandana,

"Bhai", she stood with a tray holding a glass of water. She's waiting for him as he was busy since few days & could not talk to her properly.

With a little smile, he took it making her sit beside him.

"Bored?", he asks gulping the water while she rests on his shoulder. "Yes, you are beje beje", he tittered at the word as she used to say busy as beje in her childhood while she continued, "Ma cricket team ko welcome karne gayi hein with Brinda aur Krish. Mein akele padi hu"

She didn't mention about Janaki Devi and Kabir as she's not comfortable with the first one & the latter is distant to her.

Adhvik ruffled her hairs, "Sorry ra. I needed to have updates now I am free. Waise thumhara Sita kaha gayi? You guys didn't meet for 3 days.", he states & adds jokingly "Don't tell me Sita & Geetha had a fight now?"

He chuckled. Zaid gave that name to Teja & Nandana as they are always in the same school, same class, same section, same bench.

Though she laughs but answers her brother's comment, "Sita tho mujhe chodke vanvas gayi."

His eyebrows have a slight scrunch  so she informs him,

"Wo theen din pehle hi dehradoon chali gayi hein Bhai"

And that made him frown.

Picture tho abhi baki hein Mera dosth..

What did he say?

Almost an year and I didn't even realise...Hello!