Chapter 13: Kisses and Misses - It Started With a Friend Request

January 6

It was winter time. Aleesha decided to go out for a walk since Kritika was not in and room and she was feeling bored. She tried to call both Akash and Kritika but since neither of them picked up the phone, she went ahead by hereself. She walked towards the CCD outlet near her residence and decided to stop for a short coffee break. As she walked towards the outlet, she stopped short in her tracks. She turned around to see if someone was following her but there was no one to be seen. She ignored the weird vibe but somehow felt that something was not quite right. She started walking again. Once she entered CCD, she placed her order and took a seat at one of the vacant tables. One seated, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

‘You are amazing. I love the way you do things for me at odd hours, especially during the night,’ said the voice.

With baby steps, she moved towards the cubicle in the corner of the café, meant for couples only.

‘I love you so much for this. Thank you for accepting my proposal. You are the best,’ said the same voice. This time Aleesha shivered.

As she went closer, she couldn’t believe what she saw. If her heart was weak, she would have got a heart attack right there itself. Akash and Kritika were sitting at the table holding each other’s hands.

Her body froze in shock and her mind tried to comprehend it all as the time ticked off on the clock. Her body began to tremble. Not once did she expect this to happen. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought about being a witness to this. With a heavy heart and even heavier steps, she went closer to Akash who was equally shocked to see her. He didn’t know how to react. He panicked and left Kritika’s hands in a hurry, stammering to explain.

‘How dare you? I mean how could you cheat on me and sit here with my friend? Akash I trusted you so much,’ Alisha yelled.

She walked out of the cafe. In a flash, Akash ran behind her trying to make her understand the situation. But she did not have time for him and ran away sobbing.

Akash couldn’t believe his luck. He stood there without moving an inch. All of a sudden all his plans and all the surprises had been shattered. Kritika came out running and inquired about Aleesha.

‘Please explain to her that we didn’t do anything wrong. I beg of you,’ Akash pleaded with Kritika almost in tears.

Kritika just nodded and left. As she reached their room, she saw Aleesha sobbing on the bed. She was reading the message that Akash had sent to her after they made love for the first time. She saw Kritika coming in but pretended to ignore her. Kritika came near her bed and sat beside her. Aleesha moved away from her saying she didn’t want any clarification.

‘Aleesha, please listen to me once. Whatever you saw was not the real picture. You know how much he loves you,’ Kritika explained.

‘I don’t want any clarification. I shouldn’t have trusted him. All boys are the same. They just want their desires fulfilled and nothing else. He has done it with me and moved on to the next girl. Tomorrow it will be someone else,’ she said. She hardly listened to Kritika and kept yelling at her without bothering to even listen to any explanations.

She felt cheated. That’s probably the most terrible thing. She thought of calling him but then decided to leave a message. She typed out a long message and was about to send it when she felt it was of no use. She deleted the message and threw the cell on the bed.

Lost in darkness, she kept thinking to herself—Did he actually love me? I thought he had the same feelings and would protect me in the storm of life. It must be his charm that melted my heart or was it his gentle smile? But whatever it might be, one thing I know is that he does not feel the same for me anymore. Tears kept rolling down her face. The reality of it broke her into pieces and it wounded her badly when she realized that Akash wanted to be with someone else. She couldn’t believe that he could just move on without thinking about her feelings when he knew that she had done everything for him—supported him, comforted him, and loved him more than he loved himself. Then why did he choose to be unfaithful to her and hurt her like this?

It was around 11 pm. Kritika simply sat beside her silently. She didn’t take much effort in explaining things to Aleesha. She had kept her fingers crossed as there were already too many misunderstandings and one mistake could brak Aleesha’s trust completely.

Akash on the other hand didn’t even bother calling up Aleesha up after his initial efforts to convince her failed. This frustrated Aleesha even more. Akash believed that the surprise he had planned for her would make her fall in love with him all over again. He waited for Kritika’s instructions and was inquiring about Aleesha every few minutes.

Aleesha covered herself with a blanket but her tears didn’t allow her to sleep. Kritika checked the time again. It was 11.45 pm and all the lights were switched off. Kritika called up Akash and gave him the go-ahead to enter their room. Aleesha could hear her whispering on the phone and she pulled the pillow over her head and covered her ears tightly with it.

* * *

Akash was inside the room the very next second. I followed him and latched the door. Aleesha saw us from under the blanket and couldn’t control her temper. She picked up her bedsheet and threw it on Akash. It just fell short of landing on Akash’s head. She started shouting on the top of her voice. We thought we would be caught, as someone would knock the door hearing Aleesha screaming so loudly. Kritika held her mouth shut and Akash took out red roses from his backpack. There were twelve roses in all tied into a bunch with a satin ribbon. He moved forward and offered the flowers to her. She was still angry at him and that was evident from the way she turned her face away wiping away tears from her face.

‘What do you want now? You must have brought these for her, but seeing me, you are offering them to me?’ Aleesha screamed.

I moved closer to Aleesha, held her by her arm, and made her sit down explaining everything to her. Akash was still standing while I convinced her and made her understand every minute detail of the incident. Akash had said I love you to Kritika for all the help she was offering for making the day special for Aleesha and him. They had no bad intentions whatsoever. They held each other’s hand only for a fraction of a second, and that too because Akash was grateful for Kritika’s help. It was only bad timing that Aleesha bumped into them at the same minute.

‘Are you serious?’ she asked me.

‘Yes dear. Why should I lie to you? Trust me. It was just because he had planned something special for you today as you both complete six months of your relationship. At least smile now. It’s not their fault. You simply misconstrued what had happened,’ I said patting her back to make her smile.

Akash felt relieved when he saw Aleesha smile. He went down on his knees and presented the rose bouquet to her.

‘I love you Minnie,’ Akash said with a big smile.

Aleesha wiped away her tears and tried to smile when she said, ‘I love you too.’

Akash got up and hugged her tightly after which Aleesha melted in his arms. She started crying like a kid and apologized for doubting his intentions and not trusting him. Akash kissed her earlobes and gave her a warm kiss on her forehead. Aleesha pulled her ears to apologize.

‘You look cute when you cry and smile at the same time. I love you. Can you guess why I gave you twelve roses?’ Akash questioned.

‘Why Mickey?’

‘Twelve roses are for our six months of togetherness. We completed six months happily and thus six roses…’ Akash was about to continue but Aleesha interrupted.

‘Then why twelve?’

‘My jaan, six roses for making the last six months beautiful and six in advance because I believe we will complete a year in love too. Thus twelve roses complete the both of us,’ Akash smiled.

They both hugged. The next moment their lips met, and their tongues explored each other’s mouth. They were so lost in their kiss that they forgot that Kritika and I were standing right next to them. In the meanwhile, Kritika and I brought out the cake Akash had got along with him and kept it on the table.

‘Guys, here is it. It’s your time, let’s celebrate it today,’ Kritika said while I lit the candles.

‘Wow. It’s lovely. Akash, you are such a darling. You brought a Minnie and Mickey Mouse cake. So cute! Let me click a picture, ’ Aleesha said taking a picture with her mobile phone and immediately uploaded it on her BBM.

‘Make a wish and then blow off the candles in one go,’ I instructed.

They looked at each other and then closed their eyes in order to make a wish. I believe that a silent wish should be made before blowing out the candles. If all the candles are put off in one breath, the wish will come true. They made a secret wish and then excitedly blew out all the candles in one go. While they were feeding each other small bits of the cake, it seemed the smoke from the candles carried their wishes and prayers to the almighty.

Real entertainment came in after cutting the two-tier cake. Aleesha decided to shove her piece of cake onto Akash’s face.

‘Ah!’

Kritika and I turned around to see Akash’s face covered in chocolate and whipped cream. I waited to see Akash’s reaction. He stood there with cake dripping down his T-shirt and Aleesha laughing uncontrollably. She took another piece of cake and swung it at Akash but he ducked and it hit Kritika instead.

‘Oh gosh! I am so sorry,’ Aleesha said.

Kritika immediately picked up a huge chunk and threw it on Aleesha but she ducked too and it came straight on my face. I grabbed the biggest piece I could get hold of and shoved it on Aleesha. She couldn’t move and it her on her shoulders and face.

Aleesha stood atop a table and clearing her throat shouted, ‘Cake Fight!’

At that moment, everyone started throwing cake pieces on each other. I went towards the stereo player and inserted a music CD to make the mood even more lively when I saw a piece zooming towards me. I ducked and it hit the wall this time. Everywhere Aleesha turned, she was hit with the cake. Her long hair was covered with white and pink cream, and chocolate.

‘Stop throwing at me now,’ she requested but Akash hit her on the chest and the cream went down her top.

‘Aah! I AM SERIOUS,’ she shouted wiping the cake sliding down under her top.

Kritika was approaching the cake fight differently. Every time the cake came her way, she caught it with her hand and ate it.

‘This is crazy! We were supposed to be celebrating our six months anniversary and not wasting such a yummy ice-cream cake. I am putting an end to this,’ Aleesha shouted peeping from under the bed.

‘Stop this madness right now,’ she continued but she was attacked with cake again. ‘Ahhh!’ She hid under the bed again, wiping the cake off her top.

Eventually the music stopped and everything came to a halt. However, I wondered how the girls would clean up the mess. It was going to be a tough task for them.

Akash went closer to Aleesha and hugged her as we were about to leave. He licked the cream off her face with his tongue and ate it.

‘You know what tastes better than the cake on your face?’ Akash questioned.

‘What?’

‘Your lips.’ He pulled her towards him and kissed her passionately.

After cleaning up, we slowly moved out of the room under Kritika’s guidance. As we sat in the car, Akash messaged Aleesha about another surprise.

Minnie, I hope you enjoyed my little surprise. I just wanted to shock you and make you feel special. I do care for you and will be there for you always. Never ever think that I will cheat on you or go out with someone else. You get hyper easily and overreact. Please stop assuming things and don’t jump to conclusions without knowing the actual facts. It could harm our relationship in the future. Don’t react to things so easily my jaan. I love you a lot and I am all yours. There is one more surprise waiting for you. I have kept a bag under your bed which has a gift for you. Tomorrow neither of us are going to office and college. I have taken a leave. We are going to spend time together recollecting the memories of our last six months. Once you see the gift I have kept in the bag, do message me. I am waiting.

Aleesha took out the bag kept hidden under her bed and removed a note and a gift-wrapped box from it.

The note said: Do wear it tomorrow. You will look no less than a princess in this.

She opened the bag to see a rich white chikan work Anarkali salwar kameez. The maroon churidar looked lovely while the white dupatta was in net with a ravishing red velvet border. She was on cloud nine and couldn’t resist trying it. She immediately changed into her new outfit and looked in the mirror and blushed. She told Kritika to click some snaps of her on her BlackBerry and send it to Akash immediately. Aleesha was extremely happy and retired to bed with a smile on her face. Just before dozing off, she messaged him:

Can’t wait for tomorrow. I love you. Thank you for the amazing gift. I love it. I will come wearing it tomorrow just for you. I am really lucky to have someone like you in my life. Good night. Drive safe and give me a missed call when you reach home. Don’t forget it, else I will kill you. I get worried when you don’t. Love you.

Akash and Aleesha were not a couple in love, they loved each other and thus they were a couple. Together they had submerged themselves in the ocean of love. For a woman, the proof of love is that she is willing to be destroyed by the one whom she loves. And Aleesha was no different. Though she sometimes lost her temper and would take rash decisions which hurt her emotionally, she still loved Akash. It was not a love story to be remembered for ages like Romeo and Juliet’s, but was full of insecurities and possessiveness, and yet it was special in its own way.

* * *

January 7

Aleesha took the late pass from the warden since she was going to spend the evening with Akash. She called up Tamanna to inform her that she was going out with friends since she had told the warden that she was going to stay with her local guardian Tamanna.

‘So where are you going?’ Tamanna enquired on the phone.

‘It’s just a late evening party. My friends say its a surprise so I have no idea about the venue,’ Aleesha replied.

‘Oh! College friends?’

‘Yes, also my boyfriend. Remember the guy I had told you about when we were in the disc? The one who was hitting on me? The same guy. We are dating now,’ Aleesha blushed.

‘Hmm,’ Tamanna replied casually, like her love life did not matter to her. She hung up the phone to attend to some urgent matter.

Aleesha wore the dress Akash had gifted her. She looked fabulous in the white and red Anarkali. She had worn red stilettos with silver work on it and Kashmiri silver jhumke with small red stones at the centre that added to her beauty.

Akash and Aleesha had decided to meet at Mahalaxmi station. Aleesha boarded a local from Churchgate station. Her attire caught everyone’s attention and all the other passengers kept looking at her. She reached the venue within 15 minutes and Akash was waiting for her outside the station on the bridge.

When Akash saw her coming towards him, he was floored by her beauty. She looked more beautiful than what he had imagined. She came near him and gave him a warm hug. He gazed at her carefully from head to toe.

‘You ooze sex appeal in whatever you wear. You look so pretty, my love. You should wear Indian outfits,’ Akash said still looking at her in wonder.

‘It’s you and your love which makes me feel beautiful. I have never felt this special before. And only you can handle me in my worst behaviour. Love you so much.’ She knew her looks worked in her favour and had the power to floor Akash anytime she wanted. She knew she could be sensuous yet elegant at the same time.

Akash was dressed in black and dark red shaded silk Pathani. It looked trendy and at the same time made him feel masculine. He had worn the outfit with traditional pathani jootis.

‘You look no less than a Nawaab today. Just look at you! Killer! Your cute dimples make you so tempting that I so want to eat you right now. I hate the fact that you can seduce me so easily,’ she teased him as they moved towards Haji Ali.

The crowd of pedestrians blocked their path. The worship place is thronged by numerous pilgrims and worshippers every day. Irrespective of faith and religion, people pay their homage to get the blessings of the legendary saint. They tried to make their way between hawkers and pedestrians. There were vendors selling earrings, necklaces, and bangles. Shouts of ‘paanch ka do’ were more prominent than the crashing waves. The 500-metre long walkway seemed like a gateway to heaven with water surrounded it on all the sides. The sea waves crashed on the rocks near the pathway at lightning speed. The taste of the seawater lingered in their mouths as they climbed the steps to the Dargah.

‘Akash, I can feel such positive vibes here. I am in love with this place,’ Aleesha whispered.

They entered the Dargah which had a tomb covered by a brocad red and green sheet supported by a delicate silver frame. Aleesha glanced in all the directions and was enthralled looking at the tomb. She felt heavenly. The wind carried the mesmerizing fragrance of attar. The marble pillars inside the main hall were decorated with multihued mirrors and it embraced the ninety-nine names of Allah. There was a big chandelier right above Haji Ali’s tomb.

‘Cover your head with a dupatta and let’s wish for something for us,’ Akash suggested looking straight into Aleesha’s eyes.

She nodded in agreement. Akash removed a white scarf from his pocket and tied it on his head. He bowed down in respect, touching the tomb with his hands, and kissing it in devotion. He tied a thread around one pillar and asked a mannat. The sweet smelling smoke from the lobaan and incense sticks had made the atmosphere thick and cloudy. The person sitting beside the tomb gently patted their heads and shoulders with a bunch of peacock feathers and they felt as if all their pain had subsided in that one moment.

Akash closed his eyes and prayed:

‘You have shown me both sides of life. When I hardly knew what the world is, you took away my father and left me with no one to share my feelings. And then I met Aditya. I thank you whole heartedly for giving me such a friend who has always been with me even during my bad times. Then, you brought Aleesha into my life and I felt complete. I could share everything with her which I used to keep hidden from myself. For her, I have three wishes. I hope this time too you will fulfil them. Firstly, you know very well that we fight over small things but we love each other as much. Therefore, God, please make us forget our previous day’s fights when we wake up the next morning. Secondly, God please instill a bit more discipline in me so that I don’t throw a wet towel on the bed after a shower, or I keep shoes in the shoe rack, and clean all the mess I make while cooking. I don’t want Aleesha to get irritated by my habits. And thirdly, please fulfil all that Aleesha wishes for and make her happy so that she chooses me above any other guy.’

When he opened his eyes, it gave him a feeling of salvation. He looked at Aleesha who still had her eyes closed. He gazed at her while she prayed for him:

‘I know that I am a bit immature God, but my love for Akash is real. I know we still have a long way to go, but I want to be with Akash forever. Bless Akash and me so that we may never surrender to whatever challenges that come our way. Fill our hearts with love for each other and make us realize each other’s worth. I have heard that you don’t upset anyone who prays here and turn everyone’s wish into a reality. It may sound a bit kiddish, but God I have three wishes. Firstly, do some magic so that no other girl likes Akash; you know he is a bit popular among girls. Even Akash should not like any other girl except me for his entire life. Secondly, even if we both lose our teeth and our hair turns grey, we should still love each other the same way we do now. And thirdly, I know I am mad that I jump to conclusions without giving it so much as a thought and fight with Mickey a lot. But please, please, please never let us sleep without hugging one another after a fight. I hope you will listen to my prayers and help me turn them into reality.’

Aleesha opened her eyes slowly with a smile on her face and turned her face towards Akash who was gazing at her. She told him to close his eyes, look straight ahead, and pray for a happy life together.

After praying for each other and taking the blessings of Haji Ali, they came outside to eat something at the Haji Ali Juice Centre. Akash took the menu card in his hand and placed an order for two paneer rolls and mango cream. The seating was limited but they were lucky enough to get a table. Aleesha sat on a chair and searched her bag for something.

‘What are you looking for?’ Akash enquired gulping down one spoon of the cream.

‘If you can surprise me, can’t I? I have been saving money for this. Not even Kritika knows about it. I wanted to keep it a secret but never thought you would remember,’ Aleesha said holding his hands and kissing them.

‘Should I open it now?’ Akash asked trying to feel what was inside the gift packet. It was a bit heavy and he couldn’t guess what it was.

‘Not now. Open it only once you reach home, please? Anyhow, it’s not something you can open here,’ Aleesha said with a smile.

After having their rolls and mango cream, they moved towards Mahalaxmi station. They had decided to spend the evening in the Cyprus area of Mulund. They were sitting in the garden recollecting all the memories of their togetherness. They laughed at all the funny moments they had shared with each other. As they rejoiced, they came and sat closer to each other on the bench. The place was not very crowded, allowing them to feel the heat of their love. Aleesha pressed her body against his, and gave him a love bite on his neck.

‘Ouch!’ he muttered in pleasure. Akash pressed his lips on hers, sucking them slowly and passionately. His hands were probing under her Anarkali suit.

In between their sensual romance, Aleesha managed to free her lips from his and whispered slowly in his ear, ‘Jaan, you are the reason for butterflies inside my stomach. I get them every time I am with you. You are the reason for my smile and the glow on my face. I don’t need any beauty parlours to get this glow. Your kisses can make my face glow even in the saddest moments. Never break my trust, Akash. Just be the same always.’

Akash didn’t reply but just gave her a big dimpled smile. They remained in the same position for almost half an hour and then decided to leave.

Akash unwrapped the gift once he reached home. It was a bed sheet with matching cushion covers with their pictures on it. He had never expected such a warm gift from her. He immediately changed the cushion covers and the bed sheet and clicked a picture to send to her. The bed cover had a message written on it—My Mickey, my cutie, and my hottie… you mean the world to me. Your smile brings brightness in my life. You are mine and only mine. I love you jaan.

Seedhe saadhe saara sauda seedha seedha hona jee

Maine tumko paana hai ya tune main ko khona jee

Aaja dil ki kare saude baazi kya narazi..

Aa re aa re aa re aa!

He latched the door of his room and felt the warmness of the bed sheet and the cushions. He loved the gift to the core and messaged Aleesha to thank her:

One of the photos on the pillow makes me remember the day we took a bubble bath together. I am so much in love with that pic. The look on your face is simply amazing. I can spend all my life looking at it. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I never expected something so beautiful that would bring all the memories of our past in front of me in one flash. Our first meet, our first kiss, the day when we made love, our bubble bath, funny moments of our good times together and what not. Wow! Am going crazy smiling looking at all the photos. Muaaaaa!! I wish you could sleep with me on this bed right now and make love to me. Oh God!! Just the thought of it is sending shivers down my spine. I will never break your trust. You are my cutie pie, my Minnie. Love you so much!!!

It was a dream that they held on to with all their heart. All his life Akash had dreamt of someone who would make him smile and take him into a fantasy world. The dream had turned into a reality when he saw Aleesha on the first day. Now this fantasy was waiting for its happy ending.

Life was not easy with all its burdens, but when Akash and Aleesha were together, no drama was hard to handle and no burden was hard to bear. Life wasn’t a fairytale romance, but they had the support of each other, and that is all they wanted.