Mishti put on the raincoat inside the elevator....
She smiled and acknowledged the presence of her fellow dwellers in the apartment complex....
They lived in a middle class area and had minimum facilities offered.One of the main constraints was vehicle parking. There was only limited area for parking lot in the building and therefore they parked the car by the nearby garage...

As the elevator reached the ground floor.... Mishti pulled on her hood .she was mildly surprised by the mini crowd waiting for the elevator...she smiled and nodded to the known faces and walked past the people pulling her hood close to her cheek.

After a short brisk walk in the drizzle, she opened her Mazda and dipped into the driving seat...hands with key already on ignition...

She stared at her right hand for a moment in confusion.....

Oh! My god..!! My bracelet.....!!

***********************************

Kunal whistled as they went up in the elevator......he eyed everyone in it and suddenly something caught his eye....

"Abir bhai..what's that??"

Abir looked at his jacket...

"What??!"

"This..."Kunal pointed to a dangling thing tangled with his right pocket zip...

"Oh! Yeh Kya,. bracelet.huh..!!.."

Abir examined it with a curious eye....

"Abir bhai...it's a charm bracelet.....its gold but this charm dolphins on it ..."

Abir smoothed the dolphins with his fingers..a nostalgic touch..and smiled at Kunal...
"Jaana pehchana sa lag Raha hai Kya,.?"

Kunal took the little ornament in hand and smiled ...

"yes Bhai. you gave me an exact pendent on my 8th birthday...."

"And you lost it..!"

Abir laughed lightly and was therefore unaware of the look of guilt on Kunal's face...

"Tumhare jaisa nahi...yeh jiska bhi hai woh iska ache se kadr karthe hain...otherwise this worn out thing would not be coupled with this gold bracelet....you go and meet the Maheshwaris.I'll go down...most probably someone must be searching for this..."

" Par Bhai...mein..."
Kunal couldn't finish his sentence as Abir took the bracelet from his hand and got out of the elevator a floor beneath that of Maheshwari's and took to the stairs downward....

******************************

Mishti frantically searched her dress for the bracelet....

She remembered clasping it around her right wrist.....it was her lucky charm and no way she is going out without it....

She got out of the car and traced her path looking down carefully....no other person must have took this route....she thought ...if it went off the clasp then surely it must be down some where here...she was searching frantically ..

Suddenly she was caught by someone...who yanked her and shook her....

Mishti was stunned and stood shaking trying to understand what was happening when the man pulled out her headset....

"Dammit....I ve been calling you for the past five minutes and you had this thing on...!"

Mishti found her voice dead as she realised the anger in his voice...she stammered...

"Uff...umm I am sorry..I didn't hear you..but don't you think it's pretty harsh to hold me like this...."her voice was still shaking...

"Oh! "He let down his hands from her shoulders as he saw her eyes starting to smoulder...

"And will you care to explain me why I am manhandled...?"

Her voice was now seething in anger ....on one side she lost her bracelet and now an arrogant stranger! She feared that she would lose her temper then and there....

"I suppose you were going all over the ground for this...."

His tone was infuriating...but she gave it a pass when she spotted her bracelet hanging from his left index finger......unconciously her eyes inspected his lean fingers....

"Hmm?" He looked at her reaction with confusion...
"You were not looking for this?"

Mishty slapped herself mentally and nodded.
"And you are welcome..."

He said mockingly.....

"Umm...thank you..."

Mishty said sheepishly realising her mistake....
Both were standing in the rain.....she had her hood down and he too was wet.....

He looked up to the dull sky and a small smile played at his lips as he shook his head in reflex....

Water droplets from his hair found their way to her face....

"Yeh Kya Kar rahe ho..Abii..!"

A car passed by drowning her voice....

Mishti cupped her mouth in horror....!

What did she just say..?

That too to a stranger....

Without another word she ran to her car......

The man looked at her running to the car amused...and then walked to the apartment raking his fingers through his wet hair....

***********************************

Mishti shook her head several times as if to shake out the incident ....the deep breathing soothed her a little and she bend to rest her head on the wheel...

Its Badi maa...

Since the day when Rajshri had become unconscious and was wheeled to the hospital .. Mishti was edgy....

But what happened back there was .... Mishti puckered her brows in a worried expression...

How could his boyish face loom in front of her eyes.... a thing as small as an innocent action by a stranger made her snap like that....??!

And she was calling him Abir..!! God...why should she remember that moment with him !!
That too after these long years....

********************************

PAST

She had been to the sunflower field.... The weather was cloudy...but her mind too was as such.....she carelessly wandered trying to make her mood light.....occasionally plucking sunflowers...making a bouquet of it...

"Hey Mishti."

She heard her name being called....

"Kunal...!"

"Tum mujhe Bula leti.mein bhi saath chalta...aise akele kyun Chali aayi....."

Kunal panted slightly as he came closer.......

" Mishti..yeh dekho hamara 'oil farm'...." Kunal fell into stride with her explaining the things they saw....

Their tour couldn't last more than a half hour.....

A deafening thunder indicated the coming torrent.....

"Ohh.,hum Ghar se door hai aur chata bhi nahi hai" Kunal said alarmingly...

Mishti looked around...

"Kunal .dekho wahan ek jagah hai....baarish rukne Tak hum vahaan rukthe hain..."she suggested....

"Haan...yeh theek hai" Kunal ran to the shelter as the rain began to fall . Mishti followed him close ..running...

Time went by but rain continued with lightning and thunder.. Mishti looked at Kunal nervously....she knew he was as frightened as her...

"Tum dono?..kisiko bataye Bina yahaan Kya Kar rahe ho?Ghar mein sab kitna pareshaan hai koi andaza bhi hai tum donon ko??"

A voice growled ...and Mishti saw instant relief on Kunal's face...

"Abir bhai...!"

Abir stood at the entrance of the shelter looking at Mishti accusingly....and handed the raincoat to Kunal...

"Tum yahaan phase nahi hote to mein aata hi nahi...ab yeh coat pehno aur chalo.."
Abir snapped the command and immediately Kunal obeyed...

Kunal started to walk...but stopped.

"Mishti...."

Mishti was looking at the raincoat held at her by Abir..

He believe that she was responsible for the trouble he took to find them??

Ah! Why not? His head was full of ideas! His look just broadcasted what he thought.

Mishti held her chin high in defiance.

"Mujhe Nahi chahiye.."

"Lekin Mishti..."Kunal started to convince heer...but a stern look from his brother shut him up....

"Kunal ab chalo..."Abir said folding the raincoat....he didn't wear one and he was fully drenched...

Kunal looked at Mishti for a moment then stepped into the rain ....

Mishti looked at Abir who was eying her with a serious expression....

She ignored and walked past him only to be stopped by a strong grip on her wrist....

"Abir......chodo muj..."

Suddenly a spray of water attacked her face....

Abir stopped shaking his head and grinned sheepishly....."Mein bhi chidaana jaanta hooo..ab yeh pehno aur chalo..."

Mishti pushed away his hand which extended the raincoat and after shooting a firing glance at him ran into the rain...

*******************************

Again...Badi maa!! .. Mishti groaned and thumped her steering wheel.....

Badi maa had broached the subject and maybe she was unconsciously dwelling on the matter of moving to New York for studies.....with Rajvansh's!

No way!! She won't leave Greenville....

By the time Mishti reached her campus her teammates had started practising....

She ran to her locker, pulled out her tights and turned to the changing room....

"Hi Mishti!"

Mishti sighed ....Oh!! God..give me a break!..her day was half ruined as it was and now this....she turned.

"Hi Avi...."she plastered a smile and nodded..."oh! I'll change and come okay...."

***********************************

Kunal stood in front of the apartment door.....

"The Maheswaris"! He read out the name plate outside and inhaled deeply....

After 12 long years he was going to meet his friend.....a smile played at his lips when he thought about their childhood...

The impact Mishty had made on him, his brother and the whole Rajvansh Sadan....

Even though they were together only for six months.....their friendship that hit off from the very first day...had strengthened with every passing day.....then she had moved to USA.... after some months they too relocated to New York..

And they had no contact ....he had asked badimaa several times but she was reluctant to divulge any details....he was confused at first ...but when he thought of Abir bhai...she had a reason....!

"Yes...?"

A spirited voice enquired....

Kunal blinked...one time ...several times.....

Her eyes were the one that caught his attention....they were sparkling with life.....

Her cheeks were chubby.....and the dark curly hair flowed down her shoulders half way to her back...

"umm...Mr....." Kunal saw a sudden fear in her eyes .and why was she looking behind him..?....

"I...I..me....mein...." Kunal wanted to groan ....oh! God what is happening to me....why I can't form a simple sentence....!!

*****

Kuhu opened the door to find a tall boy standing in front of her door....his hands moving on the name plate...

And in the next instant she recognised him....Kunal!! she had a sudden apprehension at the thought of meeting Abir and looked past Kunal in slight fear....

Kuhu was excited when Rajshri told her about the Rajvansh's.... Though she never met the family Rajshri had filled her about their short stay with the Rajvansh's before kuhu came to live with Rajshri from Varsha's home....

She had done her private investigation in Social networking sites.She was particularly interested in the elder Rajvansh as the name itself was enough to rile Mishty... and she did get some pics of him from some business event..and then she came to stumble on Kunal's pics..and truckload of them in his social network sites. .........

When it came to Kunal.... Mishty would be laughing and become nostalgic.....it was as if she knew Kunal from Mishty's's description that when he stood baffled at her doorstep it took less than fraction of a second to recognise him....

But what happened to him? Mi..I.....ma....? what was he saying??!!

Kuhu..cocked her head sideways and looked at him questioningly as Kunal gulped....

"M...m.... Mishti?!!!"

His voice was a mixture of emotions.....and Kuhu warmed up to him realising that Mishtyi's fondness to this boy was mutual.....but still she could not let go the opportunity....

"hmm..." she was about to nod positively but what happened next was the unexpected....

She was lifted up by two strong hands and he was twirling her laughing like a mad.

Kuhu squealed....

Rajshri was alarmed when she heard Kuhu's shriek....

"Kuhu....Kuhu...what happened???"
She came running to the foyer and stood still.....

A man was lifting her Kuhu and turning around!!

"Kuhuuuu!!! Yeh kyyaa hai?? Yeh ladka?"

Rajshri demanded angrily as Kuhu vigorously nodded negatively....but the question had its profound effect on the man....

He stilled....and sensing his response Kuhu started laughing out loud..

Kunal looked up at her dazed....his hold loosened and she slid along his length to set foot on the floor....

"Tum Mishti Nahi Ho??!"

Rajshri looked at the man....her eyes wide in recognition...changing the perception .
There was only a boy...who could do such antics ,even dare to do something like this to Mishty...
Parul ka beta aur Meenu ka Munna..Kunal..

"Kunal beta...."

"Oh! I am sorry massi ma...I thought ...I am sorry..."
He glanced at Kuhu sheepishly.....

"Mujhe Pata hai..Kuhu ne hi yeh' I am Mishty' wala prank Kiya hoga "
Rajshri laughed softly as she ushered Kunal inside .

"Abir? ...Tumhara bhai...woh nahi aaye? Acha khasa mouka tha uss Mishti ki bachi ko reality check deneka.."

Kuhu said with a tinge of disappointment....

"Oh! Bhai hai na....he is down there...somebodies bracelet got tangled with his jacket ..woh loutane Gaya hai...abhi aajayega..."

Kunal said as he observed the girl who was talking to him in such a carefree attitude..He had heard about kuhu's situation when they were kids and learned later that She was with massima..but never thought of her...till..now..

Kunal snapped from his thoughts sensing that Kuhu had stopped talking.

" Umm..Mishty bashing..huh...not allowed okay..Meri dost hai..voh....hey...Kya hua ..Kuhu..??

Kuhu was deep in thought ...and did not hear Kunal... suddenly she turned to kunal.

"Did the bracelet have two dolphins on them?"

Kuhu's question threw both Kunal and Rajshri off balance....

She looked at Kunal ...his face giving away the answer.... Rajshri sunk into the sofa....

"Oh God....they will meet and will fight for sure..." it was Kuhu's voice...

"Ya...! I bet...agar Bhai Mishti se mile toh khair Nahi......"

Kunal said in a dejected tone....