Part 1

Part 1

A 5 year old girl was tugging dupatta of her mom who was busy in her shopping. "Yes, what happen Sai?" asked Alka.

"Aai, look ice cream. I want one." Said excited 5 year old little Sai pointing towards a ice cream vendor on bi cycle.

"Sai cant you see I am busy. I'll get you one in the evening." Alka chided her and asked the shopkeeper to show sarees in red color.

"Look aai, he is going. I want ice cream now." Sai started crying.

"Offo, ye ladki bhi na....Behenji aap saree dekhiye main abhi aati hoon." Alka said to Ashwini with whom she had come for shopping.

"Arre Alka, tum baitho na." Ashwini held Alka's hand and called her son.

"Virat, come here Beta."

"Yes aai, now what is it? replied her 11 year old tall and charming boy Virat.

"Please don't ask me again about your sarees. To me all looks same." Virat rolled his eyes at her aai.

"I am not asking you about sarees. See Sai wants ice cream. She is disturbing Alka again and again. So you take her and get her an ice cream and look after her." Ashwini said while giving money to Virat.

"What? As if it was not enough that you dragged me with you for carrying your shopping bags now you want me to babysit that girl." Virat retorted back as he felt the task of babysitting little girl was repulsive.

"Come on Virat, just help us out me and your aunty Alka has lot of shopping to do for todays function." Requested Ashwini.

Virat sighed, "Ok first and the last time." Virat said as he held Sai's hand and started dragging her with him.

"Aai!" Shouted Sai on being dragged like this."

"Don't worry Sai, Virat will get you an ice cream and bring you back safely."Alka assured her.

Sai looked up at Virat. He was not only taller than her but also taller than most of the boys of his age. "What are you looking at kid?" asked Virat as he noticed Sai.

Sai just shook her head in no and pointed towards the ice cream vendor who had already started riding his bicycle and was going away from their reach. "Oh be quick we have to run" Virat said and started running holding Sai's hands but little Sai's legs gave away as she could not run fast.

She stopped, "I cannot run any more. Now I cant have my ice cream the ice wala bhaiyya is gone" Sai started crying.

"Hey stop crying ok. People are looking at you. Don't create scene." Virat chided her getting embarrassed.

Sai started crying loudly now on being scolded. "Ok...ok...stop crying. I have an idea." Virat said and picked up Sai in his arms and placed her on a nearby stairs of a shop. Then he turned around asked her to climb on his back for a piggy back ride. Sai instantly liked the idea and she excitedly climbed on his back holding him around his neck. Virat made sure she has held him tight and he started running after ice cream vendor.

"Bachho ko bahut der ho gayi gaye hue Ashwini abhi taka aye nahi?" Alka asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Virat hai na sath mein aate honge abhi...wo dekho dono aa rahe hain." Ashwini pointed in their direction.

Both Alka and Ashwini smiled as they saw Virat was walking leisurely carrying Sai and she was enjoying her piggy back ride while having her favorite ice cream cone. They came to the shop where their moms were waiting for them and Virat put Sai down.

"Aai! I enjoyed a lot with Virat. He is so tall, so strong and he runs so fast and he got me not only one but two ice creams. "Sai told them excitedly. Alka smiled at her little doll. She could clearly see Sai is impressed from Virat. After all she was just 5 year old girl and Virat had got her favorite ice cream fighting against all odd, she is bound to consider him as her hero. Alka chuckled at her own thoughts.

"He did this so much for you Sai and you ate two ice creams alone. You should have offered him one na" Alka asked her daughter as she put her hand on her head lovingly.

"Sorry aai, I forgot. Virat, tum khaoge ice cream?" Sai asked innocently as she offered him her already half eaten ice cream.

"Sai, Virat tumse bada hai na...kya sikhaya tha maine bado ko kaise bulate hain?" Alka asked.

"Oh yes, aap keh kar. Sorry aai. Sorry Virat, Aap khayenge ice cream?" Sai asked again as she cutely tilted her head on one side. Virat looked at the already half eaten melting ice cream with disinterest.

"No thanks." He replied.

"Sai, tum bhi na...dusro ko apna jhootha offer nahi karte beta." Alka again chided her.

"But aai aap toh dad ka jhoota khate ho. I have seen you some times." Sai asked curiously.

"That's because we are married. Its ok between married couple to eat each other's 'jhoota'" replied Alka thinking this answer would satisfy her ever curious daughter but what Sai said next she was not expecting anything like that.

"Then no problem aai. Main badi hokar Virat se shadi kar lungi." Sai declared. Alka, Ashwini, Virat looked at Sai for sometime then Alka and Ashwini burst out laughing while Virat was so embarrassed that he wanted to runaway from there. He saw even the employees at shop were laughing at him.

"Oh God! I hate little girls" thought Virat and went out of the shop.

Alka and Ashwini came back home. They lived in the same colony in Nagpur. Their bunglows were opposite each other. Alka's husband Kamal Joshi and Ashwini's husband Ninad Chavan were very good friends and business partners. They owned textile business and belonged from same village. They both started their journey together and became successful. They decided to settle in Nagpur. Over the time their wives Alka and Ashwini had also bonded well. Both the families were very close. They felt like more than business partners they were like extended family. Today was Ashwini and Ninad's marriage anniversary for which they have thrown a party due to which Ashwini and Alka have gone for last minute shopping.

Everyone was enjoying the party. Men were busy in discussing business and cricket while ladies were busy gossiping and discussing fashion. Sai was continuously following Virat wherever he went. Virat was trying very hard to avoid her or hide from her but she was stick to him like his shadow.

"Hey is it my imagination or that little girl is following you?" asked Virat's friend Sunny.

"Not your imagination. That little thing is stick to me like fevicol since afternoon." Virat replied as he glared at her angrily while Sai smiled at him cutely.

Sunny laughed at his expression and then looked at Sai who looked besotted by his friend, "Looks like she is your fan girl. Hey little missy. Why are you following Virat?" asked Sunny to tease Virat more.

Virat looked at Sai horrified and prayed to God that she would not say anything stupid. "Because I love him and main bade hokar unhi se shadi karungi." Replied Sai as she blushed.

Virat closed his eyes as he heard his friend Sunny chortled at him. Virat went to complain to their parents stomping his feet. "aai, baba, uncle aunty look what Sai is doing. She is following me everywhere. All of my friends are laughing at me." Virat complained.

"Sai, did you trouble him?" asked Alka.

"No aai. How can I trouble him? I was just practicing to be a good wife by following him everywhere." Replied Sai innocently.

"See this is what I talking about. Since afternoon she is like this." Virat said as he throws up his hands in frustration.

"Now my friends will make fun of me for lifetime." Virat said and went from there and Sai followed him again.

"What was that about?" asked Kamal as he laughed at the kids. Alka and Ashwini narrated the whole scene from afternoon. All four of them laughed at Sai's cute antics and Virat's frustration.

"By the way, If we think about it. Its not a bad idea." Said Kamal.

"Are you out of your mind? They are just kids." Alka admonished him.

"Waise main bhi yahi soch raha tha....aur abhi wo bachhe hain par baad mein toh bade honge hi na." Ninad agreed.

"Ninad, don't tell me like filmy father you are fixing this alliance in childhood or are you planning for their child marriage?" asked Ashwini shocked. Ninad and Kamal both laughed at her reaction.

"No Ashwini, but think about it. We are family friends and business partners. We know each other very well. Wouldn't it be awesome if our children end up marrying each other?" asked Ninad.

"And ever since my little doll is born I started worrying about her marriage and the fact that one day she will go away from us. But if she comes in this house. She will always remain in front of my eyes and under the care of people I trust most in this world." Kamal gave his opinion.

"The idea is very appealing I must say." Ashwini said.

"But still, they are children. How do we know what future holds for them and how they would turn out as grownups?" Alka shared her opinion.

All of them agreed with her and brushed off the topic but none of them could fully scrap this idea from their mind. And subconsciously an image of their children getting married to each other  after growing up was stuck in their mind forever. Years passed by, Sai and Virat grew up but this desire of their parents only grew stronger.

Sai was in school in 10th class now but her feelings for Virat grew stronger with time. She was in her teens now when such romantic feelings for someone become more profound. She used to blush whenever there was Virat's mention. Their parents knew about her affection for Virat and they never hide their desire of getting them married in front of Sai. The fact that their elders also support her gave more encouragement to Sai and she literally started believing herself to be Virat's wife. She had already given her heart to Virat when she was five but with the passing time she put him on the highest pedestal in her life. For her he was everything. She loved him with all her heart.

On the other hand, Virat has left the city 3 years ago to take admission in college in Mumbai. When he was in Nagpur also he was never interested in Sai. Because he used to get irritated at the mention of that childhood incident where Sai expressed her desire to marry him, their parents never used to tease him about it and remind him about it repeatedly, like they used to do it with Sai. As a result, now after all these years he has completely forgotten about that childhood incident. He never interacted much with Sai as she was a shy girl. Unaware of her feelings Virat still considered her as that silly little girl. He never looked at her in that way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

to be continued.....