The Eternal Crush

There is something about Noor that captivates

me, the magnificence of her eyes, the evident

purity of her soul and everything else that I know

about her is only making my crush stronger!" said

Vansh to his childhood buddy, Naman.

"As you told me, it has been a while since Noor has been in a relationship, she has been heartbroken a few times in the past. There is a possibility that she hasn't really moved on from her last ex, why do you want to carry that burden? She has no idea that you like her but once she does, she might distance herself from you and that may end your friendship too!" - said Naman.

Vansh was an eternal optimist but deep inside he

knew that Naman made sense. "Well, I am hoping for the best and I am also prepared for the worst. There is a slight chance that she reciprocates my feelings, I don't want to have any regrets in the future. I will handle rejection gracefully and will try my best to make sure the bond isn't affected after the natural initial awkwardness. Also, if Noor has feelings for me and we end up being in a relationship, I will ensure that I don't stop being her friend." - said Vansh with a smile that reflected his internal conflict between uncertainty and confidence. 

Noor did justice to her Facebook bio, which read,

Easy to befriend, difficult to understand,

impossible to conquer. She was tall, tall enough toqualify for those beauty pageants in which

contestants say that they will work towards world

peace but most of them end up working in shitty

films. Her hair was luscious and long enough to

caress her waist. Her eyes were hazel, not too big,

not too small, with a spark that was almost

unearthly! She had a wicked sense of humour and

understood sarcasm with ease, a quality that built

the foundation of her friendship with Vansh. She

loved her parents, was indifferent to her job and

disliked people that spoke to her in a dominating

tone, the reason behind most of her breakups.

Though she had a simple, old school approach

towards love, she had never really felt it's essence

in any of her relationships, she had consciously

decided to take a break from getting involved with

anyone, because she was sick of going through

the same process only to end up being

heartbroken. She was sick of her mind questioning  her heart's unnerving faith in love. 

She wanted someone to answer all these questions and put an end to her mind's Bournvita Quiz Contest(Love edition) once and for all. Vansh was tall too, tall enough to take part in a beauty pageant but his average looks would

ensure he doesn't have to reach the round in which he has to pretend to ensure that he will do

something for world peace. 

He had been in relationships before, he had expected one of them to transform into eternal togetherness, but some expectations are like a double edged sword with a tendency to shatter the very dreams that it helped originate. Vansh's love for movies and wood fired pizzas(with extra jalapenos) was known to his friends. Infact, Naman had even decided to make a short film revolving around a pizza with extra jalapenos as a birthday gift for Vansh but he dropped that idea and ended up giving him a t-shirt which had the customised quote, 'Naam mera lbu Hatela, Khayega Kela with Nutella?', a reference to the iconic character, lbu Hatela, from the iconic movie, Gunda.

Vansh was introduced to Noor by Shalini, who was Vansh's neighbour and Noor's colleague at her birthday party. Vansh was always intrinsically shy, he took his time to open up to people, but there was something about Noor that broke these

shackles of shyness and they spoke with ease on

their very first meet! Vansh wasn't too close to

Shalini, but a few days before her birthday, she had come to his house to take some curd, but Vansh had said with a straight face: 'Dahi toh nahi hai, office ke baad, mere dimaag ka dahi milega, woh le lena. Both of them ended up laughing and they eventually ended up bonding well. Shalini noticed Noor and Vansh's natural chemistry

at her party, but she chose to keep her thoughts to herself.

A few weeks had passed and Noor and Vansh had

been bonding at an amazing speed! They had

exchanged numbers at the party and had regularly kept in touch. They had also gone out for some quick meals post work. One day, they wanted to have a pizza and they decided to try this new pizza place in the city.

"You like your pizza with extra jalapenos no?"-

asked Noor.

"How did you know?" - asked a surprised Vansh.

"Well, it wasn't too much of a mystery as it is a

major part of your Twitter Bio!"- said Noor with a

sly smile.

Vansh wasn't used to being on the receiving end of sarcastic statements. It was a welcome change and he instantly knew that she speaks fluent sarcasm, a quality that he had always been search for discreetly in his partner. Vansh loved the look in Noor's eyes when she saw the server coming to their table with their order. He couldn't help but notice the kajal in her eyes which accentuated their exquisiteness.

"You want anything for dessert?" - asked Noor.

Vansh looked down at his plate in order to stop his eyes from giving out a mischievious answer.

"Though my stomach is almost full, I can never say no to ice cream!"- said Vansh while thanking his stars that Noor couldn't read minds.

"I like how you think. " - said Noor with a smile that could have put toothpaste advertisements to

shame. It had been a few days since Noor had gone on a Eurotrip with her parents. Despite the time difference, she managed to stay in touch with Vansh and would summarise her daily schedule to him like a cute travel blogger. It was surreal for Vansh to experience Europe through Noor's eyes.

Noor had to cut her trip short because of her

demanding employer but she wanted her parents

to stay back and complete the trip. She was

obviously irritated at this sudden development and was fuming on her flight to Mumbai. The fact that the airline decided to show Singh is Bling in the flight didn't help her cause one bit. She couldn't wait to meet Vansh, she knew her fellow sarcasm lover would help her in roasting her boss with some sharp insult humour.

She was thankful as she finally got off the flight, if she was forced to spend any more time on the

plane or even at the airport, she would definitely

punch someone. Despite her mood, her face broke into a wide smile when she saw Vansh waiting for her outside the airport.

"This is a wonderful surpise!" - said Noor, still

smiling.

"Umm,I wanted to surprise you" - said Vansh. He

looked uncomfortable, nervous almost. Despite

being more of a listener, he was never at a loss of

words with Noor, but at that moment, he couldn't

think of what to say.

"Okay"- said Noor, filling the borderline awkward

gap of silence. "I'll just get my luggage and we can get out of here."

"Oh, I'll get it" - said Vansh. He was always in two

minds when it came to being his naturally

chivalrous self with Noor. He didn't know how an

independent woman like her would take it, but he

didn't want to pretend to be someone else and let

his instincts guide him into doing what he wanted

to do.

Vansh turned on some music in his car, he knew

that Noor shared his love for acoustic music. She

relaxed in her seat as they traveled in silence.

"Vansh, is everything okay?" - asked Noor.

Vansh smiled slightly and nodded. But the drive

continued in silence.

Noor looked out the window as she looked at the

alory of the setting sun.

Vansh, you missed my house!"- said Noo.

Vansh smiled. "I know. I have got another surpise

for you." Noor smiled too, relaxing in her seat once again. She was a little exhausted from her journey, frustrated about the fact that it was cut short and outraged at the thought that she had to go to work the next day. Despite the mixed emotions, she couldn't wait to see what Vansh had in mind. In no time, they reached Vansh's building. He took her to Shalini's flat. Noor was wondering if her colleagues had come together to throw a surprise party for her at Shalini's place. 

She was surprised to see Vansh open the door with a key. As soon as they entered Shalini's house, Noor saw countless polka dotted balloons in the living room.She was waiting for people to come out of hiding and shout 'Surprise, but that didn't happen. The only sound that she could hear was of her heart that was beating loudly. She looked into Vansh's eyes, this time, Vansh made no attempt to hide his mischief. He took her hand and guided her to the bedroom. A lot of Noor's favourite chocolates were arranged on the bed in an orderly manner. She turned around and hugged Vansh tightly. 

He felt her tear on his shoulder and he quickly kissed her eyes and wiped the left over tears.

"Noor, I..." was all Vansh said before he felt her

soft lips on his. He slipped his hands around her face before he slid them into her hair softly. His mind processed everything, from the faint taste of cranberries on her lips, to the gentle movements of her tongue. As the kiss naturally broke, Vansh's face hovered centimetres from hers, his eyes still closed. "That's what I was trying to say" he joked. He opened his eyes to see Noor smiling at him

They kissed again, Vansh then went on to suck her collarbone as he slid his hands inside her dress and caressed her hips before he pulled out her panty from under her dress and tossed it on the floor. Noor giggled and then moaned as Vansh's fingers danced between her legs. She was wet and felt like velvet under his fingertips. 

He wanted to touch it and keep touching it.

Noor felt Vansh's bulge pushing against his pants.

She massaged it through the fabric, until his

playing made her need to grab harder to something. She slid her hand into his hair, pulling

it, before gripping his shirt collar. His fingers slid

inside her, pressing up and massaging her most

intimate spot. He kissed her and she breathed hard and fast, in gasps as Adam's fingers moved faster and firmer. She felt the orgasm approach, from the deepest part of her body and her soul, releasing the wound up sexual energy.

"No one has been able to touch my heart like you

have Vansh and trust me no one has been able to

impactfully touch me down there like you have!I

love you"- said Noor as she looked at him

endearingly. "You are crazy, funny, cute and wild and I love every little thing about you. I can't wait to discover you for the rest of my life. I love you" - said Vansh as he kissed her forehead. 

"I am hungry, I think it's time for some dessert" -

said Noor.

As Vansh was unwrapping one of Noor's favourite

chocolates, Noor took the chocolate out of his hand and kept it on the dressing table and

eventually had her dessert slowly and softly.

As Vansh looked into Noor's eyes, he was

reminded of a quote from Christopher Poindexter,

'Her eyes carried a certain kind of silence that

begged to be understood and I felt as if I was a

scientist, staring with eager, fervent eyes into

galaxies that have not yet had the chance to be

named.

Remorse

"Being a mother is learning about the strengths

you didn't know you had and dealing with fears

you didn't know existed." - Linda Wooten

As he finally got to remove the dirty napkin

tied around his face, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Three years had passed since he last saw his

own house. He missed the earthy smell of his

backyard, but he missed his mom's food the

most. As his father greeted him with an

emotional hug, his mother stood at a distance

with moist eyes. She couldn't believe how much

her little one had grown in just three years. The

three years in which he became a man. To many,

he had lost his innocence ages ago.

He was Rakesh, the juvenile that was involved

in the gruesome rape and murder of Nirbhaya.

His father went all out in the last three years to

tell anyone that raised a finger on his son that

he was absolutely innocent and that his 16 year

old son could never be a part of such a crime. 

His parents were forced to be underground

and stay away from the spotlight as the police

didn't want any sort of mob justice to ruin peace

and harmony in the jurisdiction.

Rakesh couldnt wait to hug his mom, the one

person that he loved with all his heart. As he

went towards her, she greeted him with a teeka

and fed him a little piece of his favourite

dessert, gulab jamun.

"I was sick and tired of eating the crappy food

there, Maa, I craved for this gulab jamun!"

His mom was surprised by how different her

son sounded. Flashes of memories of how cutely

naughty Rakesh was as a kid kept coming in

front of her eyes.

"Please serve us some food, I am feeling so

hungry after ages!" - said the father emphatically.

The three of them ate their food in peace, quietly

absorbing the joy of eating food together after

these long, painful years.

"Maa, I want to sleep on your lap."

His teary eyed mother nodded softly and took

him to his room. As his mother placed his head

on her lap and played with his hair, countless

memories of the troubles that his parents went

through to build the house from brick to brick

came back to him. He was more than glad that

he could now sleep in peace on his comfortable

bed as opposed to the noisy uneven bed that he tried to sleep on since the last three years.

"Rakesh, you know..I have been saving up for a gift that I wanted to give you as soon as you would return home. You've grown up to be handsome man, a handsome pathetic man. For me you grew up the day you told the media that you have no remorse." - said his mom with bloodshot red eyes as she took out a dagger that was under his bed. The remorse that she had for giving birth to a devil, made up for the lack of remorse within him. 

As Rakesh tried to get up, she covered his mouth and stabbed his heart and made sure the dagger went in as deeply as it could. Despite his mouth being covered, his terrifying scream reached the living room in which his father was taking a nap.

He ran towards Rakesh's room only to see him lying in his mother's lap in a pool of blood while she played with his hair.

"He was our son! How could you do this?!" - screamed the father.

"She was someone's daughter too." - whispered the mother.

The Quikr Love Story

Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.

'Reply received to your ad :- I want more information. Please text me at 996******.'

He was keen to sell of the tablet that his uncle bought for him not knowing that he already bought the same tablet a week ago. He was glad he got a response to his ad so quickly but little did he know, that this text would end up being one of the most important texts of his life. 

He was Sarthak, a man in his early 20s, tall, dark and decent looking.  Sarthak had some strange qualities, he was ambitious and a procrastinator at the same time! More often that not, he was sarcastic and had a very dry, spontaneous sense of humor. Despite two heartbreaks, his faith in love wasn't shattered. However, he would feel a strange sense of incompleteness. When with friends, he would usually be very jovial but by himself he would usually be very mellow. Sarthak had never sold anything online earlier. Through penetrative advertisement, online classifieds like OLX and Quikr gained a lot of popularity. He tried his hand at selling the tablet off at some local electronic stores but the price that they offered didn't appeal to him at all and hence he thought of trying Quikr for the first time. Within a few hours, he got that text.

Sarthak saved the number as 'Buyer 1' in his phone and sent the person a text through whatsapp. Since the display picture was blank, he didn't know if it was a guy or a girl.

'Hi sir/ma'am, this is Sarthak, I am glad you responded to my ad, as you asked for, I am more than happy to give you whatever information you need'  

'Hi Sarthak, this is Aagya, I wanted to know about the specifications of the tablet from you but I googled them out and I am really keen to buy the tab. I am cool with the price you are offering and would like to buy it as soon as possible as I have to gift it to my father. I saw your location in your profile and is it ok if we meet at the Churchgate CCD in the evening, by 6ish and complete this transaction?'

For some strange reason, Sarthak loved her name! He was thrilled that the tab got a buyer in no time and that now he will have some cash to spend on other things! He agreed on meeting Aagya at the desired place.  Dressed in his typical attire, a 'Chandler Bing quoted' t shirt and shorts, Sarthak reached CCD on time. He searched for a woman sitting on a table alone, but he couldn't see anyone. He chose a table and sat there going through some tweets on his phone. As time passed by, his patience became his best companion. After a few more minutes, he saw a girl entering the cafe. Dressed in a 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' t shirt and jeans, she had the most amazing eyes he had ever seen in his life! Her eyes had captivated him so much that he had to force himself to look away in order to avoid freaking her out! Sarthak somehow knew this girl is Aagya, she saw him and came upto him smiling and asked him if he was Sarthak and sat on the table.

'I am so sorry I kept you waiting, the stupid train halted randomly for too long!' 

'Its completely alright Aagya! Isnt it amazing that both of us are wearing T-shirts related to friends?!' 

Aagya was astonished at the coincidence and they went on discussing the intricacies of friends almost ceremoniously! They ordered coffee while Sarthak showed her the tablet. Going by the manner in which the two were conversing, it seemed like they had forgotten about the tab completely! Aagya told him that she worked in an advertising agency and wanted to gift her father this tab with her first salary. They exchanged the basic details of their lives to each other and spoke for almost a couple of hours conversing about varied topics! Aagya told him that she had a lot of difficulty opening up to someone usually but the ease with which she was being able to share incidents with him was crazy! Sarthak automatically noticed the little intricacies in Aagya and was absolutely blown away by all of them! The spark in those hazel eyes that would emerge whenever she would laugh, the cute voice that she had, the way she tied up her long luscious hair, everything seemed like the perfect package! Aagya was dumbfounded by Sarthak's spontaneity and humor! She was sick and tired of the guys trying to impress her by sending her barely humorous forwards, but this was such a refreshing change! But she was afraid. she didn't want to fall for him. she was afraid of anything related to love.

As they were about to leave the cafe, Sarthak got some cookies off the shelf and put it in the handbag that carried the tab with a little note saying :- Wish your dad a very happy b'day from my side too!' which he had written on a post it when she had gone to the washroom. He dropped her to the cab and bade goodbye, something he didnt want to do at all. He experienced a strange sense of sorrow as he walked away, he wanted to see those eyes again and turned around instinctively only to see that Aagya too was looking at him through the cab! 

When Sarthak sat in his room, he noticed something different about himself. He wasn't feeling any emptiness within him, after ages he felt alive! He couldn't help but realise that he was smiling! He almost never smiled when he was alone, he felt nothing less than wonderful. But just then a strange fear kicked in, he was afraid of his heart being broken again, he was afraid of thinking too much and therefore he tried to stop his mind from wandering in that direction. Just then he got a text :-

Thank you so much for the cookies Sarthak, that was so cute! Also I am glad you gave me the tablet at such a good price, but more than anything else I had an amazing time, thank you! 

The pleasure was all mine Aagya, never did I imagine Quikr would give me the opportunity to bond with an amazing person like you! I have never been able to converse with anyone with such minimal effort, I love our bond already! 

Same here! I was sick of all the creepy guys out there, the conversations i had with you were totally worth remembering! I think you are a complete sweetheart!
' 
Aagya could only think about his dimples when she sent the last text, all this seemed so crazy but real at the same time! She knew things had not worked out for her in the future when love was concerned and she always kept a foots distance away from it but this time she didn't want an inch's distance. 

Sarthak shut his eyes, pictured Aagya, and typed the following words almost automatically :-

For many years you have been
A part of my life on some way or another
You have always been deep within my soul
And once I looked into your eyes
I knew no other would ever,could ever
Steal my heart like you did in that very moment we met.

Without the fear of the whole 'what will she think' routine, he sent her the poem. After sending it, he felt his heart beat faster, he started freaking out a little thinking he moved too fast. But then he knew he meant every word he said and hoped Aagya would feel the correct vibes. Sarthak waited for her response, his best companion, patience chose to leave his side then.  

I cried a little when i read your last text, I always wanted someone that was brutally honest as well as romantic in nature, a combination I thought I'd never find. I am sure you too are gushing with a rush of feelings and this all seems too quick, but hey we got in touch because of Quikr! hehe! I wont be typical and hide my feelings with you, I don't want to meet you some more and take my own sweet time and decide about us as I already know you are the one.

Sometimes one meeting is all it takes and sometimes even after many meetings, emotions go down the drain. In this hi-tech world of new technologies emerging everyday, their story was the perfect amalgamation of the ways of the modern world and the traditional love at first sight concept that was almost extinct!

As Sarthak read the text,he went to the kitchen and made coffee, and he remembered a quote from Emily Bront :- She's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, hers and mine are the same.

Chocolate Sandwich

Have a bite no!!’ – said Sanyukta emphatically to Samarth, as the sandwich vendor continued to stare at her.

‘Aye kya dekhta hai be.. chup chaap sandwich bana.’ – said a not so amused Samarth as he opened his mouth to dig into the sandwich from her hand. No matter what mood Samarth was in, he couldn’t resist his all time favorite cheese and chocolate sandwich. He had discovered this delicacy at a road side stall called Mamaji’s. When he was about to try the sandwich for the first time, he was a little hesitant, the words chocolate and cheese didn’t mix too well in his head, but taking risks was in his veins. As soon as he had a bite, he got a foodgasm and instantly Samarth knew he had to share that experience with the love of his life, Sanyukta.

It had almost been two years since they were together! Samarth’s heart had never desired something as much as it desired Sanyukta as soon as he saw her. He had always been a shy person and mustering the courage to express his feelings to her took a lot of time but when it happened, there was nothing that could stop them. Sanyukta didn’t realize the storm of feelings that Samarth had for her upfront. She got hints at times, but she didn’t want to be one of those that misunderstand the other’s feelings. With time, she got the clarity she needed, and her joy knew no bounds.

They were an incredibly cute couple, the compatibility they had was fascinating.  Samarth loved every little thing about Sanyukta. Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since they were in a relationship, there were times when he would look at her and he would not be able to believe the fact that he was in a relationship with Sanyukta! She was so so gorgeous! He would naturally come up with new words to describe her amazing aura, like, Cutieful! He loved playing T.T with her and most of all he loved to make her laugh!  What attracted Sanyukta to Samarth was his amazing sense of humor. He wasn't the forward sending kind, but he was a natural at coming up with witty statements spontaneously out of nowhere! Sanyukta found this quality really endearing. She loved how he made her feel even when they would just be around each other doing absolutely nothing. Such things would keep reminding her how true and pure their bond was.

Love is an incurable disease they say, but if it is so, Sanyukta and Samarth were glad that they were infected. They had come to that sandwich stall after quite some months and Sanyukta loved every bite of it. But the last bite that she had, felt a little salty, which was strange as it was a chocolate sandwich.

Samarth loved her with all his heart and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Though his wish was fulfilled, he didn't know his life wouldn't last too long. That night, Samarth was returning home after an excruciatingly long day at work. He was listening to his favorite playlist when he suddenly felt a piercing pain in his ears, a speeding SUV had rammed into the cab, the cab hit an electric pole and the impact was such that Samarth passed away on the spot.

Sanyukta got a call from Samarth’s mobile; a passerby broke out the news to her. She couldn't believe her ears! She thought this was one of Samarth’s pranks and she wanted to beat the hell out of him for scaring her like this. Sanyukta wished she could meet him to hit him, she wished he could feel that pain.

She rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. She somehow mustered the courage to see his body, she felt an immense pain in her heart as she saw his face. Her heart didn't want to believe the fact that he was no more. The love that Sanyukta’s heart contained for him was so strong that her brain couldn’t help but agree with her heart.

The sandwich vendor stared at Sanyukta, he saw her holding the sandwich up in the air and mouthing the words, ‘’Have a bite no’’. 

If Schizophrenia is a disease, Sanyukta was glad she was infected.

King Kong

Your body’s essence,
Was like a proof of your presence.
But after the situation became tense..
Between our hearts, lies a fence. Every hurdle was crossed and we were together..
Was I the only one who thought it was forever?
The memories we shared make me shiver..
I was an emotional fool, you were always clever.
To date, I wonder what went wrong.. We were fine, going on strong.
In the journey of life, I thought you’ll come along..
All that’s left is pain, of the size of King Kong.

The Unusual Suspect - The Final Part

‘How in the world could you afford a Porsche?! Did you win a lottery or something?’ – said Sanyukta.

‘Don’t ask me this question now sweetheart, with time you’ll realize everything.’ -  replied Samarth.

The guilt of accepting Mrs. Vohra’s offer kept creeping in his mind. He’d never done such a thing before, he put the life of Raghav on stake, the brother of his love interest. Most of all, he went against morals, against his principles. Samarth needed the money, and it is difficult to refuse a Porsche, but at the cost of justice?!  This was his first big case, a case which could put him into limelight, a case which would bring back some glory to the Upadhyay name. The glory which was tarnished badly by his father’s mistakes. Samarth was soft hearted, his heart would melt after seeing the condition of Raghav in prison.

How could he just throw away the efforts he had taken in cracking the case over some materialistic things. The inspector’s cruel taunts..the media’s questions and the public’s hope was dependant on the findings of Samarth. Also, Samarth was a firm believer in love, and he knew instantly that Sanyukta was the perfect girl for him, his conscience may have failed but how did his heart fail him?!

Samarth knew he had shades of grey, but he still preferred white to black. With time Raghav came out of prison in exchange of Mrs.Vohra and her partner, Abhishek.

‘We make the mistake of trusting people too quickly, what people forget is that they also make a mistake of not trusting some people over time. You should have known that I don’t go against justice. I’ve already sent the evidence to the police, who’ll be coming here in no time. Your biggest mistake was giving me the blank cheque and the Porsche, you could have probably used that money to hire a good lawyer. The car will be in my name in no time and the money has been split into multiple accounts in multiple banks.’

This monologue had been spoken by Samarth before he took the Porsche out for a drive, he needed the money, it was difficult to refuse a Porsche, but he couldn’t go against justice.

He wasn’t a big fan of morals, but love, glory and justice mattered to him more than anything else.  

Maybe the inspector was right, Like father like son.  Well.. almost ;)

The One Without A Name - Part 2

‘ I have been wanting to tell you this for a while now.. You remember I had undergone a complete medical checkup last month, the reports came out a few days ago.. I have  Hodgkin’s disease, a certain type of cancer.’ – said Samarth.

‘The doctor’s clinic is shut, but don’t worry mom, I’ll call him from his house and don’t worry nothing will happen to dad.’  - said Samarth frantically.

He ran to the doctor’s house and pleaded him to come home and take a look at his father, the person he loved the most, the person who loved him the most. 

‘I’m sorry Samarth, he’s no more.’  -the doctor said. Samarth couldn’t believe his ears. Then and there a part of him had died with his father.. the part that was jovial, the part that was carefree.

His father had died of cancer. He fought with it bravely for 3 and a half years, often being hospitalized during the battle, but coming back strongly and never losing hope. Samarth would often be surprised at his dad’s will power and sense of humor, he would crack jokes at the hospital bed!  He had been there besides his dad through the tumultuous journey. He had hoped his father would get the better of the damn disease, he was optimistic throughout, something which he hated at that moment. 

Samarth was to battle the disease he had lost his father to. This thought came up in Akriti’s mind after a long numbness that followed Samarth’s declaration. For her Samarth was the pillar of strength, he was emotional but had proved himself to be emotionally strong in extreme conditions, a combination which was quite rare, something that invoked more love and respect for Samarth in Akriti’s mind.

‘I have seen my father’s struggle with this disease, I have seen him get frustrated at us and we couldn't even blame him. Things will get worse with time and you know I love you way too much to hurt you. There is still time for you to settle down,  it would be better for us if we part ways today.  – the freedom from the initial hesitation resulted in a storm of thoughts converting into words that Samarth told Akriti.

What did you just say?! I feel like slapping you! You think I would leave you because you have cancer? I would want to spend every moment with you and how did you just assume cancer will get the better of you? You have been a fighter all this while and this is one of your biggest battles! You can’t give in to this. You have to take revenge of your dad’s death no! You only told me once  that if one doesn’t believe in miracles, one should just wait for one! We’ll go to the best doctors in the city and with time you will be ok.  – said Akriti. She wanted to believe the last few words she had said. She had to.

As time passed, all the symptoms that the disease brings in could be seen in Samarth. At time, he would wail in pain and would curse his luck, but he knew he had to be strong, for the ones that loved him, for Akriti.  The hair that he was proud, had depleted steadily. He didn't want to look into the mirror. Akriti made him look in her eyes instead. The very eyes that he loved the most.  The eyes that motivated him to battle with greater force.  A lot of chemotherapy and radiation sessions followed. He hated them, but Akriti was there by him every time, making the pain seem bearable.

After  8 long months, every cancerous cell in Samarth’s body was destroyed. Destroyed by the faith in God, in the doctors, and in Samarth’s strength that Akriti had.  

There was a chance of a relapse, but this was a moment to celebrate.

‘Nothing can cause harm to you Samarth, especially to your heart, which is the purest thing I have ever come across. God will have to wait a long time to have you. You are only mine till then.’  - said the love of Samarth’s life, Akriti.

The One Without A Name - Part 1

‘It’s been a while since you texted me on your own, your replies to my messages are short and evidently blunt. Have I done something I shouldn't have?  I don’t mean to pressurize you further but I think I deserve an answer.’ – said Akriti.

Akriti, a cute girl who wasn't too tall or too short, a girl who was jovial and caring and loved to spend time at NGOs, a girl who  loved to love and loved to be loved, the girl with whom Samarth had fallen in love with.

Samarth,  a decently looking tall guy who wasn't materialistic but wanted to be successful, a guy who had a lot of will power and had a great sense of humor, a guy who  was a firm believer in love, the guy with whom  Akriti had fallen in love with.

Samarth didn't have the answers to the questions Akriti had just asked him. They had met after two weeks; they were sitting at one of the few Baristas left in the city.  He could barely look into her eyes...the very eyes that ‘made’ him fall in love with her.  He had lost count of the poems he had written just on her eyes and was disappointed that such a time had come that he couldn't look into them.

The minute I saw your eyes,

I saw how time flies,

And you made me realize

That you are my prize

If you are a burger

I’m a plate of fries!

 These were the lines written on a piece of paper that Samarth gave Akriti at a Chinese restaurant.  Though he knew the poem was a little cheesy, he also knew Akriti would love it.

It was only their 4^th date, but the connection that they had was mind boggling. They were drawn to one another like a moth to a flame. Endless talks on the phone, constant whatsapping and discovering common likes and dislikes had brought them close.  That night, Samarth confessed his love to Akriti, to his joy, she reciprocated too! Samarth’s happiness knew no bounds, his heart was broken earlier, broken real bad and he had not expected someone to mend the wounds completely…but that was the wonder of Akriti.

They had met at a big MNC where Akriti worked in the Payroll department and Samarth was a part of the team of auditors of that MNC.  Samarth had never imagined he would meet someone at a client place! The day their eyes had met was the day Samarth realized he was capable of falling in love again.

Samarth had to co ordinate with Akriti for data relating to Payroll and in no time they exchanged phone numbers and became friends.

Samarth was a shy person and he always had a difficulty in communicating with the girl he had a crush on, but this wasn't just some crush.. He got the intuition that this could turn into something serious and he somehow mustered some courage to ask her out on a date. After the first date itself, he knew she was the one.

It had been 2 years since then and all these memories were floating in Samarth’s head. There was another thought which was running in his mind, a thought which he wanted to share with Akriti immediately but didn't know how to put it across, a thought that was probably the answer to her questions. Akriti held his hand as she saw a tear drop on his palm.. she had never seen him like this, he never hid anything from her, Samarth loved her too much  to hurt her, but he knew he shouldn't hide this from Akriti anymore. He just had to tell her.

To be Continued..

Her Story

'I'm sorry..you are still medically unfit.' said the principal of a reputed South Bombay school.

She had heard the sentence in all the possible ways in the past 4 months.. Disgruntled and heartbroken she would come back home to her son who just couldn't see her struggle anymore. He withheld the tears in his eyes. He had to be strong. For him she had always been a pillar of strength..not just for him..for the entire family. But today she was sitting in disbelief..uncertain about her future.

'You shouldn't keep your hopes up too high.. I don't think she has much time.' said the doctor. Her son couldn't believe his ears..he was an optimistic person..always brought out the positive from every situation..but his mind went numb after listening to those words. Two weeks had passed since she was in a coma,everyday he would pray to God for some respite, hopeful for a small body movement. He couldn't afford to lose his mother. But these words came as a sudden hit. Meningitis is a life threatening disease alright but it couldn't end like this. Even after he listened to what the doctor said, he still had faith, this unnerving faith would irritate him at times and an internal conflict would arise :- Faith v/s Practicality. He just wanted his mother back. He needed a miracle. 

The next day,while sitting next to his mother,he saw some movement in her finger, he thought it was an illusion, his relatives agreed with him. But somewhere deep down inside,he knew it was for real. He couldn't believe it ; his mother was out of coma and out of danger! His happiness knew no bounds, though many doubts about the future came into his head, he didn't pay much heed to those.. he knew this was a time to just be thankful to the Almighty. 

From being into a coma to recovering slowly after a lot of physiotherapy sessions..she didn't lose hope. She wanted to get back to what she loved the most- teaching children hindi! He would keep telling her that she would make a comeback pretty soon..but deep down inside, he didn't know if or when that would happen.

Gathering up all the possible courage from within and leaving all the tears behind, she decided to get ready to go to school once again. 

'I hate saying no to you again and again,but you leave me with no choice.' said the principal.

'You should see the improvement in me sir, I don't want to be selected out of pity. Join me for a class, take me back only if you think I am competent enough to teach in this school again.'  she said.

Surprised by her determination, he decided to give it a try. The half an hour class ended, with all the students giving her a standing ovation,which was initiated by the principal himself. Every day the entire school would pray for her in the morning assembly, the prayers had worked and how!!

She is Savita Kulkarni ; He is me. and this is her story. :)

The Unusual Suspect Part 4

Sarthak wanted to find out more about Akshay..he wanted to find the ''Real'' murderer..poor Raghav was just a tool..and he knew it had to be someone close to Akshay..someone who knew everything about him..

'I am Sarthak Upadhyay..i wish to meet Akshay's father..' The servant let him in.. Sarthak knew Akshay's house was the best place to find out the truth.. Intuition and intelligence go hand in hand in case of a detective..

'Sir will meet you very soon..please make yourself comfortable..' the servant said.

'No problem at all..I'll just take a look around..' said Sarthak. Inquisitiveness..one of the basic characteristics required to qualify as a detective.

Akshay's house was huge..it was beautiful..and smelt of richness..it had a huge study..and innumerable rooms..Inevitably..Sarthak was attracted to the study..countless books and magazines were arranged in sections in alphabetical order..the section which caught Sarthak's attention was H-P..he saw 3-4 books about hypnosis..Sarthak smiled..he knew he was getting closer..as soon as he reached out to take a closer look at the books..Akshay's father came in the study..he was an old man who looked weak..and the pain of his son's death was very much evident on this face.

'Hi..I'm Sunderlal Vohra..Akshay's father..You must be Sarthak..please have a seat...would you like some scotch?'

'On the rocks..' Sarthak could never say no to scotch..

'I saw some books on Hypnosis in the shelf..you seem to be quite interested in that subject?'

'Not me..it's my wife who reads all this..but why are you asking this? inquired Akshay's father..

'I am doing a research on Hypnosis for a project..but couldn't find much information..may i ask Akshay's mother if i could borrow these books?' Sarthak was a good liar.

'Actually she's not Akshay's mother..she's his stepmother.nonetheless she loved him like her own son...she must be in Akshay's room..she misses him a lot...its the third door to the right..'

As Sarthak was leaving the study..he saw some papers from a diagnosis clinic..'Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma' was written in bold red letters..the patients name was Sunderlal Vohra..Sarthak knew that was a type of cancer..the report was 6 months old...he caught all this information from just a glance...it all seemed to be making perfect sense..he was now excited to meet Mrs Vohra.

Sarthak knocked at the door..a voice from inside asked Sarthak to come in..Mrs Vohra was sitting on a chair reading a magazine...she was attractive...and much younger than Akshay's father..

'Who are you? and what brings you here?!' asked Mrs Vohra..

'I'm Detective Sarthak Upadhyay...Raghav's brother has hired me to work on the case of Akshay's murder.'

Mrs Vohra got a little uncomfortable..

'You mean to say you are hired by the murderer's brother to solve the murder case?! What is there to solve?! Isn't it clear that Raghav killed Akshay?! I always knew Raghav was jealous of him..but anyways why are you troubling us? We are in a lot of pain anyways..please leave us alone..'

'You may think of it as inappropriate..but before coming here..i had gone to your room..to do a little check up..it's mighty unfortunate that you left your mobile phone there..you'd got a call from a guy called Abhishek....he was saying something about having to pay the hypnosis expert..and was asking you to meet him soon..that is all i could get out of him before he realized that it wasn't you on the line..Honestly..it's more than I required..and don't worry..i didn't forget to record that little monologue of Abhishek..what do you have to say now Mrs Vohra?!'

Mrs Vohra was shell shocked..she'd never expected this to happen..she didn't utter a word..

I'm sure you must be excited to know about how i cracked this one..The reports clearly stated that Raghav was in partial consciousness when he shot Akshay..the only possible explanation to that was hypnosis..I knew it had to be someone very close to Akshay as the person knew that he was at Theobroma that night..so i came to your house to investigate things further..the hypnosis books in the study..and the diagnosis report confirmed by doubt..since Mr Vohra has a serious type of cancer..you knew he's not going to live too long..and what i can deduce from all this is that Mr Vohra had already made his will in which Akshay was to inherit the majority of the property..and you didn't approve of this..so with your 'partner' Abhishek..you thought of removing the thorn out of the rose..but since you didn't want to hurt yourself while removing it..you used poor Raghav as a tool..'

'That was very impressive Detective..' said Mrs Vohra.. as she frantically took out a cheque book..and signed a blank cheque...she took the car keys out of her purse..

'Fill in the desired amount..and I'm sure you must have noticed the black Porsche in the garage...it's brand new and it's yours..'

'Hello?! Sanyukta?Sarthak here... I was wondering if I could take you for a drive tonight..it'll be a good stress-buster for you don't you think?! and besides I want you to be the first person to go on a drive with me in my new Porsche'

I guess Inspector Mishra was right..Like father..like son.