6 months later
Adrita's POV:
Joy, love, cake, and wishes.
Hi! I am Adrita, and today is my very special birthday. Well, every birthday of mine is special. Cause why not? I am special. You must be aware of this by now? Ain't you?
I am special... just like all of you.
So let me tell you a little something about me; I am in love. In love with my family, in love with my boyfriend, in love with me. Cause what significance does life hold if not meant for spreading love. And I didn't find all this because I was born into this but because in the journey called life I managed to find lifelong companions by my side.
Smiling faces turn to me as I descend the last stair.
All genuine smiles.
Dad reaches out to me and kisses the crown of my head. Mom too follows his action and both of them wish me happy birthday in sync.
Grinning at someone behind me, mom wraps her arm around dad's elbows and drags him away before he could say what he was about to say. A laugh bubbles out of my lips, noticing my dad's antics. Clearly mad at mom for dragging him away.
"Happy Birthday, Princess Charming." A familiar enchanting voice whispers in my ear, dangerously close...close enough for me to feel the minted breath which evokes a blissful havoc in me.
Calming my heart, I turn to face the enchanter who had a large grin spread on his face.
My mouth merely opens to thank him but an angry voice interrupts us.
"I knew you intended to woo her. You...You..." Anmol finds it difficult to disclose a suitable adjective for Anirudh so he just huffs out loudly and crosses his arm over the chest.
Groaning, Anirudh rolls his eyes and dramatically hides his face by snuggling into my shoulder which manages to anger Anmol more. "I am talking to you!"
Exhaling deeply, Anirudh turns to Anmol, smiling forcefully he lets out, "Didn't you start liking me boy?"
"What kind of delusions do you live in?" My eyes widen hearing Anmol. Woah!
Hurling, he faces me and takes my hand, "Adrita di, other kids are waiting for you. You know the more important people?" He says, emphasising on the last part. All the while giving a stink eye to Anirudh.
"Bb...but...I" Anirudh's voice dims as I am taken away from him. I glance back at Anirudh, giving him an apologetic look by holding an ear with my free hand. He simply smiles and shrugs.
The next half an hour is spent in accepting gifts and wishes from my cute little munchkins. My sunshine kids.
"Happpy Birthdayy, sweetheart." Singing, Maithili wraps her arms around me and tightly embraces me. "Always stay the same. I love you sooo much."
"Thank youuu." Leaning back, I glance around the hall to search for the missing eldest kid of our pack." Where is Saloni?"
"Ohh, her foreign scholarship program result is to be announced today. But she said she will make it."
"Maithili sorry but I gotta take Adrita with me." Saying that Anirudh grasps me by my shoulder and we pace our way to an old lady standing beside my mom. My heart beats quicken as I realize that she is Anirudh's grandmother; the grandmother I never got to meet during our 6-month relationship. I have only seen her picture in Anirudh's wallet and she seems so sweet but what if....
Should I run away?
It was too late to decide as I find myself standing in front of her. I quickly bent down to touch her feet but she stopped me midway making a thousand nervous thoughts swirl in my head. But her next step catches me off guard as I find myself embraced in a sweet hug. "Such a sweet kid. May God protect you from all the evil eyes. I have heard so much about you."
"All good things I hope?"
"You think he is capable of saying anything but good things about you? He might not say it aloud but he is truly enamoured by you." Anirudh's ears turn slightly reddish hearing his grandmother proclaim his feelings. He tries to subtly hint her to stop but she just shrugs at him.
"I agree." Mom pipes in, and both mom and grandma's eyes glint with mischief, making Anirudh and I turn red with embarrassment.
"Looks like we have done our jobs for today. Let them have some personal time before her dad barges on them." Saying that Mom walks away with Grandma, both conversing and laughing as if they knew each other for a lifetime.
"So are you enjoying your birthday, princess charming?" Taking my hand he swirls me around making my gown flutter in a circular motion. Laughing, I stop him by placing my free hand on his shoulders. He clasps my other hand with his and wraps his other free arm around my waist tugging me close.
"You know there is no music playing and we must be looking like two idiots."
"Then let's give them something to laugh about." Twirling me again he brings me close making me fall into a fit of chuckles.
"Have you decided on the name yet?"
I nod and taking him by surprise I make him twirl around, though his twirl was nowhere as clean as mine. Consequently, he stumbles a little but quickly steadies himself.
"Perceptions. That's the name I am hung upon."
"Why perceptions?"
"Isn't that what our story is all about?"
A knowing smile morphs on his face. "Perceptions." He tests the name out, grinning, he bobs his head, "I like the sound of it."
"Adritttaaaa" Maithili's voice echoed across the hall as she shrieked and dashed towards me with Saloni on her toes.
"Is she high?" Anirudh grumbles, visibly irritated. Kissing the side of my head, he signals me to go to her. I give him my best apologetic smile and he simply shrugs, again.
Just as I approached Saloni and Maithili, Saloni engulfs me in a bear hug and starts sobbing against my shoulder. Her sobs scare my heart away. Listening to her sobs pierces my soul and my mind starts to make various scenarios that frighten me to no end.
Leaning back, I press my hands on her cheeks. Her cheeks were tears-strained but her eyes seemed to glint with happiness. "We did it. I got the acceptance letter and that too with a scholarship" She simply whispers and I fell into a state of utter joy.
"That's so amazing. You did it!" I squeal and hug her.
"Thank you. Thank you for showing how powerful education is. Thank you for letting me choose my destiny and crave my path on my own. Thank you for trusting me. You guys could have easily helped us with anything but now I know why you were so serious about our education.
I don't think I can repay you ever. But I promise I will do everything in my power to make you guys proud."
"We are already very proud of you. And you don't have to repay us, but yes you can always make a promise. If you become what you dream of then do go back to your home and take responsibility for one kid's education. We could only help 10 kids but if you 10 take this dream of ours as yours nothing else would make us happier."
"It's a promise." She promises, giving me the best birthday gift ever. "I will go now. I have to take uncle's blessing too." She says and walks up to my dad, the guy who made all this possible.
I wipe away the happy tear sliding down my cheeks and raise my eyebrows at Maithili who too had eyes glinting with happiness and cheeks stained with tears. She doesn't say anything, just simply hugs me, celebrating our first win as partners. Pushing back, she wipes her tears. "Ok, now I need to eat some ice cream. Bye." Saying that she takes off to the ice cream counter.
My phone pings with a message notification. It was nothing new. I had been receiving tons of messages since midnight but the name that popped on my screen was something out of the blue, a name I didn't expect.
"Happy Birthday, Adrita.
I know a lot of people will consider me a villain in your story, maybe that's who I am but this message and this wish are from pure intentions. Just consider it as a message from your Nyra."
Me: "Maybe you are a villain in mine. But we all have stories, Nyra. This one was mine. You might simply be a human in yours."
There are a lot of people out there who don't deserve a second chance. Some deserve it selectively but some just don't deserve it. But Nyra does deserve it. At least, in my eyes she does.
A hand comes out of nowhere and before I could say anything, the hand wraps around my elbow and I am dragged out of the hall. Shutting the glass door from outside my captivator breathes a sigh of relief.
"Finally."
"You know they are still going to find ways to interrupt us."
"Just 10 minutes for ourselves. Is it too much to ask?"
Wrapping my arms around his neck I close the little distance between us. "Depends. What for?"
Pushing back the few stubborn strands out of my face, he twists his lips pretending to think, "Hmm, Do I need a reason? But well, how about a gift? Does that get me your precious ten minutes?"
"GIFT?" Hearing the excitement in my voice, Anirudh lets out a laugh and brings something out of his pocket. I raise my eyebrows at his clasped hands, slowly he raises the clasped hand at my eye level and suddenly opens the palm making a keyring with a single key drop.
"Looks like we have finally got our hands on Perceptions' first office space."
"You convinced them? But didn't the landlords refuse?"
"Well, I have got some great persuasion skills."
My eyes widen hearing his words and I just couldn't contain myself so I jump into his arms. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. This is the best birthday ever."
We stay in each other's embrace, enjoying ourselves.
"Adrita?" Caressing my hair with one hand and holding me with the other he calls my name sweetly.
"Hmm?" I humm into his shoulder, enjoying our proximity.
"Take me to Paris?"
Leaning back, I stare at him with confused eyes. "Paris?"
"You know I have a dream."
"Dream?"
Our eyes seal on each other and the sincerity in his gaze quickens my heartbeat.
"I want to say I love you in Paris. Sounds cheesy and filmy, but I am brought up by a pure filmy grandma. And honestly, every guy sincere with his someone turns cheesy and hopes that his secrets are never revealed. So I want to say that take me to Paris because I wish to say I love you..to you."
No words come out of my mouth. It was the first time I heard him say the word love and I don't know how to react. It wasn't a necessary thing I was dying to hear because his actions were enough. But now hearing him say these three words is ethereal. Something absolutely beautiful.
With a loud thumping heart and air sucked out of my lungs, I nod my head at him asking him or ensuring that he really said that.
In return, he too nods his head and I burst out; crying and laughing at the same time. "We are heading out to Paris tomorrow morning. I don't care about anything else. I too will say I love you to you only in Paris."
He lets out a sweet chuckle and envelopes me in a bear hug.
A loud thump on the glass door Anirudh had earlier locked makes us break our hug and turn to Dad who was muttering something incoherent. He moves his hand and forms a circle with it and then pretends as if he is cutting the circle.
Ohh, cake cutting.
"I think we should go," Anirudh murmurs, smiling nervously at Dad.
"You know he loves you now," I mumble and signal Dad to give us two more minutes. Dad in return shakes his head but suddenly a hand comes around him and he is dragged away from the door. And that was most definitely my mom.
"You sure he won't throw me out of the house?"
"We will manage."
Twirling me around, his front collides with my back and he places his chin on my shoulder, his one hand interlaced with mine and the other wrapped around me. "So, looks like we are going to be partners."
"In business..."
He turns me around to face him, our eyes sealed and hands interlaced.
"In life."
*******
Author's note:
So this is it. The story of Adrita and Anirudh. I hope you enjoyed this story and loved at least something about it.
Thank you so much for giving this story a chance. I love you all. Your feedback, criticism, and votes are wholeheartedly welcome.
Lots of love,
Goodbye â¤ï¸