Bonus 1: Druv & Aliya

Druv's POV

"Hey shy boy!!", "hey not so cool guy!!", I heard a series of boo. "Hey, I am talking......" he was thrown to his left side by none other than my best friend Manik. The guy has been teasing and taunting me since I joined my high school, but I don't know what's the reason. I tried stopping Manik, but he was busy in kicking the guy. "Manik listen to me. Manik! Manik!" I pried him off that guy and asked him to go. Manik was going behind him, but I held him in place.

"Manik! he is not worth it. Leave him." I almost lost my temper, but I maintained it and dragged him. "Hey! Ma......nik? What happened?" Kabir asked seeing his best friend with red eyes. He only got it, when he was totally out of control. Here we go again explaining everything to him. In our friend circle, Manik is the one, like the general who is ready to pounce on anyone, if one of them tries to hurt one of the fab 5. Kabir is a fun loving and cheer for our group. He is also a crazy prankster.

"Druv! are you ok? I heard someone tried to hurt you. You know, I will not leave him. I will pull his tongue, tie it around his neck, hang him under the ceiling, I will....." she was cut off by the Kabir who thought to crack his PJs. "Make up kit,

1. Druv is ok

2. Tongue is not long as you think

3....... Sorry I forgot the third thing." he was earned with a smack on his head by none other than Mukti, a tom boy of our group. She is the only one who can control Kabir. "Will you stop it Kabir!? Now I have come here to discuss my problem that is..... I lost my sport kit." she said as if she lost her diamond ring. Everyone rolled their eyes and me, I just smiled. I don't like to talk much, but it doesn't mean I don't like their banters.

"So guys, let's meet after the class." Manik dismissed us and went off. "Druv, if you are free tonight, can we hang out? As you know these are all busy today and we will get some time." Aliya said fidgeting with her finger. This is the girl I met 13 years ago who is different in front of all, but becomes a girl I have known for years. "Of course, we will meet. Which place?" I asked. When she is with me she don't like to go to any shopping or boutique. She comes with me to a place where we can spend some alone time.

" I will come to your house at 5pm. Don't forget to wear this." she handed me a polythene bag which had something and ran away. I walked to my class with a smile on my face. I still remember the first day when I met Aliya. She was my first friend and also my first best friend.

I was sitting at the middle bench of my kinder garden. My parents had left me there, when I looked around me. I was confused, what was happening? Some kids were fighting, crying, laughing, but none of them had approached me then. I was feeling lonely and was very afraid to go and make friends that's when the angel came. She scanned all the class and some of them were expecting her, but what I didn't know was she would come and sit with me.

She was the first one to say hi and in nervousness I just gave a smile but she declared me as her friend and she promised me that she will stay beside me. Till now she is the same talkative girl who talks all her problems and asks solution to me. I have a secret crush on her and I always secretly prayed god that we end up together.

I don't think she would like to be with me. I know she practically stays with me as she is my neighbour, but she sees me as a friend not as the one whom she can spend her life. Who wants a shy type boy now a days? All girls want a bad boy, but want the bad boy to turn all romantic and good boy because of them. If they a getting a free good boy why don't they want them? What am I saying? This is not my theory, but Aliya's, but want to experience to be with bad boy.

"Mom!, I am home!" I said and headed to her room. She is been off since by father's death. Only antidepressants and the sessions with doctor is keeping her alive. I heaved a sigh and opened the polythene which had the dhoti, white shirt and a turban. Aliya wants me to wear this? As soon as this question popped, my phone pinged indicating a message.

Don't forget to wear the dress:-)

Aliya never forgets to surprise me. I did as she had instructed. As soon as the clock stuck 5 the door bell rang. I opened the door only to witness a nymph. I was stunned would be an underestimate. There stood Aliya in pink with green border saree of a traditional Marathi outfit. My jaw dropped seeing her in this. I have seen her in lehenga, jeans, shorts, frock but not this.

"How am I looking?" she asked and I composed myself to answer her. "You look as if you were sent by the gods from heaven." I said genuinely. I can never lie to Aliya that is the one thing which  she loves about me. She blushed hearing it, even I blushed seeing her. My heart never beat at this rate, but now it is beating seeing her in this.

"You look good but..... I have got it." she said and opened her purse kept at her waist which was enough for me to take deep breaths. She took Kajal and applied a moustache on my face. "Now we can go to that village." she said and dragged me. "Which village?" I asked without adding my curiosity.

"A girl in my class said that in her native there is this flower...... what was the name? yeah Bramhakamal which blooms in monsoon, at night once in a year. I so wanted to see, but my parents had taken your mother to doctor and that bhai is working on his college project, so I asked your mother if I could take you? so she granted the wish of mine." she said and we both sat on the bus which probably go to that village.

"Fine, but at what time will we reach?" I asked so that I could message my and her parents. "It's 6 hours journey if there is traffic otherwise it is three." she said and looked out of the window. So when we return it will be almost 3 in the morning. "Why did you make, me and you take this look?" I asked and which was running since I left my home. "You will know." she said and again turned her head to the window.

When we reached the village it was 11:30pm. We walked to where almost a group stood near a tree. Just the fragrance of the flower could reach me from far. I saw the tree and was an amazing sight for my eyes. It was a big white flower which had pollens in the shape of the head of a snake.

"Wow! it has bloomed!,  Can you give me two? I want to make a wish." Aliya said to one of the men who handed her the flower and I paid him with 20 bucks. First he said it was his duty, but I told him it was the helping everyone to view the flowers to which he took reluctantly.  "Come Druv we need to go that temple and make a wish which will definitely get completed." she said and dragged me again.

"Druv I wanted to say something. I don't know if you will like it or not, but I will tell, and you will always be my friend even after this." she demanded me and I took her hand in mine. "I promise you Aliya, I will listen patiently and then answer. Ok?" she nodded with a big grin.

"When you had been to vacation with your mother last week I couldn't connect with you. I was so tensed that something happened to you." she said with her unshed tears. "I know Aliya and I had asked 100 times sorry when I found your 100 missed calls." I said and gave a slight squeeze.

"I realised something. I cannot stay away from you. I asked my mom creating the some fake situation with her life then she dropped a bomb of love. I was so confused and wanted to talk to someone. I knew you would be there but I was really nervous how to talk..... uhhhh I am blabbering. I came to a conclusion that I love you." she said and turned to me. I stopped walking hearing her. She continued her blabbering of how she was confused.

"Aliya!, Aliya listen to me. I love you not as a friend but as a you know...... If you think you were the only one I was with you but you know me. A shy type who won't open up, but I just want to say I love you." she gave me the wide smile and kissed my cheeks.

"I would have kissed your lips, but we need to go to temple so, no." she said and dragged me. We wished and handed our flowers to priest. After a lot of chants we got our flowers. "What did you ask?" I asked her to which she replied with a smile. "I asked god to keep us together forever. What did you ask?" she asked my question to me "I asked to fulfil all your wishes." she hugged me tightly and I hugged her with same love, affection.

After 15 years

"Daddy! I found a book!" shouted my son and I walked to where he was. It was Sunday and Aliya is having her yoga class. I saw the book and smiled at that.

"What is it dad?" he asked and I opened the first page. "It is the memory book. You see this chocolate paper? This is the first chocolate that your mom gave me." I started telling him all the pages which contained the memory. "Ewww what is it? It looks like, a dead body of a reptile." the frowns on my son made me chuckle "This the blessed flower. When your mom and me confessed our love this was the proof. The god gave this as a prasad after the pooja." he frowned again and left me there with my memory.

"You still have it?" I heard the voice which still make me smile. "I will never forget this." I said and kept it in it's place. "I love you." she said and pecked my lips. "Can we go to the same temple with Rudra? I want to visit that temple once again and refresh the memory." I smiled at her which she reciprocated with a kiss on my cheeks.

I thought, I will never be able to be with Aliya forever, but sometimes assumptions can contradict. Never assume things.