"JESSIE" My breath stopped for a second. For a second, I couldn't understand anything. "GINI!" Sasha shook my shoulders. I realised my surroundings. "Huh" "What happened?" she asked me. I shook my head indicating nothing. "Then what happened??" Anu asked eagerly. "Gini, look! Someone said that why we were gossiping" Sasha told me. I couldn't laugh at anu like before. Something pricked my heart. I could not digest the fact that Jessie was Mr. Mystery's love. Ok, she was his first love. And Jessie is getting married to someone. But still, I could not bear that fact. Moreover, I felt pity on him. Bechara! How he would have felt when Jessie left him. I wanted to be a solace for him. How I wished to befriend Mr. Mystery on christmas, which is day after tomorrow. But now, nothing is gonna happen like that. Because, he hates girls and he would not befriend me or even talk to me. The ironical part is that how can I develop some attachment to a stranger, who I had met a week ago. Uff!! This is confusing me. Is this love?? Or attraction?? Or infatuation?? Jesus!! Do help me!!

"And do u know the reason behind Jammy and Shiv's enemity??"Sasha's voice made me realise my surroundings. I gave her a questioning look. She continued. "Shiv and Jammy were the best of friends during their college times. When Jammy came to know about Jessie and Shiv's relationship, he broke all ties with Shiv. And it's because..." " Because, Jessie is Jammy's TWIN" I interrupted her. Anu choked hearing that. "What?? Are they both twins??" she asked me. I and Sasha nodded in yes. Hmm, So this is the reason for Jammy's bitter behaviour hearing Shiv's name. This mystery man, Shiv, seems really interesting. But, I, Gini Mathews, will befriend him and make him change his cold behaviour towards girls for sure!!

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

"Do u know Shiv's house??" I asked a passer-by. "Go straight and turn left. You'll see a steep road. Proceed and ho, you'll see a house painted white." He told me. I mumbled a thanks and left from there. It was Christmas. I wanted to meet him and hence I made my way to his house. It was an eighth wonder that I wore a white salwar that day. I don't know why I wore that, but I wanted to. Mom was on the verge of fainting in shock when she saw me in this attire today. It has been 2 days since I came to know about him. And I have been stalking him. I came to know that he visits Lord Shiva temple, which is on a steep hill every Sunday. He does farming too. He is a hot blooded youngster and is so patriotic. He is his mom's laadla too. He lost his dad when he was 5. All the above information, I gathered in 2 days. These details impressed me more and more. And it made me determined to win his friendship at any cost. I walked as directed by the passer by. Finally, I found the steep road leading to his house. I looked at his house. It wasn't too big nor too small. It was simple, yet attractive like Mr. Mystery. As I was about to move further, I felt a drop of water on my face. I looked above. The drops increased in number and I know it was rain. It was so astonishing that it rained in December. And it started raining heavily. I don't know whether should I move towards his home or run back to my home, which is miles away. As I stood confused, Suddenly, I felt a shade covering me. I looked and found out that someone was holding an umbrella, which prevented my already drenched body to drench further. I looked at the owner of that umbrella. To my extreme shock and bewilderment, it was Mr. Mystery. I looked at his drenched, masculine body. The drops of water were making their way from his forehead to his face. "What are u doing here?" He asked me bluntly. His voice. Man! It is so deep. Though his tone was blunt, his voice created sudden rush of blood over my cheeks. I smiled like an idiot, hearing his voice. "I asked what are u doing here??" He asked me aggressively. "Woh, actually..." I fumbled. For the first time in my life, I fumbled like this. I hit my palm on my head, being embarrassed of my fumbling. Then I noticed that he smiled. Yes, he smiled. It was a small one. But that was enough to make my heart thump in joy. "Go to your home now. Right now!" He ordered me strictly hiding his smile. The smile on my face faded away, hearing his strict voice. I turned and was about to move from there. "Stop!" he yelled. "Here, take this and go home safely." He told me as he handed me the umbrella. Umbrella? I expected that he would give his phone number and ask me to call him as I reached home. Well, I expected too much. "Thanks. And.." I fumbled again. "And?" he asked me. "And... Merry christmas!!" I yelled and ran from there. I failed to notice that a pair of chocolaty orbs were following me as I ran from there.

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

" Hey Rahul!" I waved at him in response to his call uninterested. I was on my way to follow Mr. Mystery. This has become my regular schedule. And the irony is that Shiv himself knows that I am following him. To say directly, I am stalking him. He found that 4 days after I started to follow him. They say that he doesn't like girls. But, till now he had never told me not to follow or warned me. This mystery man is a total mystery. So, I took this as an added advantage and am stalking him. It is a day past new year and I am leaving for Chennai tomorrow. I will miss Shiv so much. And this rahul! He had to come right now!! Uff! "Gini.... woh, actually, it has been 2 weeks" he fumbled. God! I hate fumbling. Now I hated myself for fumbling like this before Mystery man that day. What he would have thought about me?? They say first impression is the best impression. And I ruined my first impression."So?" I told him. "2 weeks" he stressed that again. Why is he fumbling like this? And what's the great deal about 2 weeks? I looked at him blankly. Then his proposal before 2 weeks came to my mind. Gosh! For that he was blabbering "2 weeks, 2 weeks" Why can't he speak clearly and straight to the point? And the weirdest thing is that in these 2 weeks, I completely forgot about Rahul and his proposal. And after meeting this Mr. Mystery @ Shiv, I know that I don't have any romantic feelings towards rahul. I don't know why. Attraction towards shiv perhaps. "Rahul, I think that I don't have any romantic feelings towards u. Sorry for making u wait." I told him directly. His smile faded hearing that. But, I didn't bother. I waved bye to him, whose face looked dull. Even I would marry Shiv, but not this Rahul. I find Rahul, a so soft guy completely opposite to me. I would prefer an honest person, who is good at heart. Rahul is not a baddie, but I think he is a too cheesy guy for me. And where did Shiv came into this? God! Nowadays, I am thinking too much about him.

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

"Gini!! Wear an anarkali at least today" Mom shouted, in fact pleaded me. It was Jessie's marriage today. And it has been 3 weeks since I came to chennai. I had took 3 days break for my cousin's marriage. I missed my mystery man terribly that I was literally counting the days when I would come here. Here, I am. Now, after getting ready, I will meet him today. Because, I wanted to tell him something.

******************FLASHBACK******************************************

It was the day when I departed to Chennai after my christmas vacation. I wanted to see Shiv before I departed. When I was searching frantically for him, I heard a familiar voice. On hearing that known voice, I turned. It was Rahul and Sasha. I hid behind a tree and started overhearing him. I know it is not manners. But, curiosity u see.

"I really loved her so much Sasha. Now, I am not able to bear that she doesn't love me." I heard him saying in a cracked voice. Though, I never feel emotional towards these kind of things, but his dull voice made me feel pity for him. "How do u say that it was love?" Sasha asked him. Duh! Sasha herself knows about that and she has taken an oath that she will never tell me about that. Then, why is she asking him? I stood there and continued to hear them. "Whenever I saw her, or I am close with her, my heart will start beating abnormally. I could hear my heart thumping loudly. My eyes always look out for her. When she was studying here, with me, I didn't realise. But, when she left for chennai, I felt lonely. I know that she would always fight with me. And I missed them. It is in this 1 year, I realised my feelings for her." I heard him saying. I stood numb. I couldn't understand anything. I felt something wrong with me. Rahul's conversation affected me. Am not affected by his feelings. I felt numb because the same feelings happened with me, whenever I saw shiv. I can remember how my heart started beating loudly when I found myself in his embrace on that day at the bus stop. I can remember very well how my eyes follow him wherever he goes. And the thought that I will not see him made me upset. So, does all these things indicate that I love Mr. Mystery?? What crap?? How is this possible? I returned to my home and I didn't see Shiv on that day.

************************END OF FLASHBACK*****************************

Well. On that day, I thought that Rahul's words were bullshit. But in these 3 weeks, I realised that how much desperate I was to meet Mr. Mystery. My mind was only occupied by him. Hence, 2 days back I concluded that I LOVE MY MYSTERY MAN.

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

The clouds and the sun were chasing each other through the sky raising the doubts about the weather that afternoon. It was 3 in the afternoon. It was Sunday. And Jesie's wedding with that baldie was over. That baldie seemed more aged than that day at his engagement. Now, why am I thinking about all that. I heard a rustling sound of the leaves. I turned back and found Mr. Mystery, making his way towards the steep hill, to which he comes every sunday to Lord Shiva temple. I was there too. In fact, I was waiting for him. I am meeting him after 3 weeks. I can't describe the burst of emotions inside me after I saw him after this long gap. He looked at me and gave an unbelievable look at me and proceeded towards the temple. I followed him. He joined his hands and started praying. I, being a christian, don't know what does he mutter under his breath. I, as usual, looked at his majestic form. His smooth, silky hair was covering his forehead. I lost myself again in him that the time stood still for me. His wave in front of my face brought me back to reality. He started descending the hill. I held his hand. I could sense his hand stiffening as soon as my hand touched him. He glared at me. If he's stubborn, then I am 200 times stubborn than him. I didn't leave his hand. I made him turn towards me. I looked at his eyes. His eyes made me go weak on my knees. I gathered courage and forwarded him a box. He looked at me doubtedly. I indicated him to open that. He opened that and he looked at me shocked. The box had a locket, in which, I LOVE U was engraved. I don't know where the confidence came from suddenly that I told him, "I LOVE U SHIV"

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