Khushi was waiting at the entrance of her dance work-shop.
It had been 20minutes after she had called Varsha, but there were no signs of
her anywhere. Disappointed, she decided to make use of her time by practicing
more. She felt that, now having become an
ambassador, she had to diversify her dancing style. She had been just focussing
on the classical styles. She wanted to be a stunning professional, rather than
just a successful amateur. She made her way into the ballet studio once again
and started her moves. The instructor, having known Khushi for years together,
gave her all the freedom. She even had Khushi’s help sometimes, for coaching
students, when she had a tight schedule.
She stared at
her own reflection on the mirrors of the studio. She moved elegantly just like
most of the professional ballet dancers move. She imitated the moves of her
favourite: Natalie Portman’s moves from Black Swan, sheer perfection. She tried
her level best to perfect the art. She tried unique steps. But she had no luck.
She was missing something. Whichever way she turned, swivelled, twisted or
vaulted, or landed, something was just not right. She became still for a
minute. “Empty your mind. Focus!” she reminded herself. Regaining her composure,
she looked at herself in the mirror again. She started her moves once more. She
felt all her moves would become perfect if there was a duality. She found out
the blunder. She knew what she wanted; A partner.
Scrutinizing
the mirror, as if it was a mirror of wishes, she tried to imagine, give an
image, to her partner. As she moved, now another figure moved along with her on
the mirror. It was a virtual moment. She visualized him. She danced heartily.
And at the concluding step, finally after she landed gracefully she realized
who she had been picturing in the place of a partner. It was him. Out of shock, her eyebrows shot up.
“Oh My God! What has happened to me?!?” she held her head between her palms.
Because of her sudden realization and state of shock, the image on the mirror
just dissolved away. Now, that the
illusion was gone, she was relieved and promised herself she’d never imagine or
even think of him again.
Again, she looked at her in the mirror. But
now, the space that the illusion had occupied was replaced by another image.
This was not just a made-up picture.
It
was real; A real reflection of Arnav Singh Raizada, staring at her intently…
~*~
Varsha was
pretty content with her sending Arnav to pick up Khushi. Her naughty mind was
thinking of new ways of bringing them together. Something in her heart said in
a small voice ‘It’s not an ordinary day!’ She, being one who always trusts her
instincts, decided to sport her favourite outfit instead of her formals.
She planned out the day. She
was going to skip office, despite knowing the fact that Arnav would be mad at
her for doing so, take Khushi and go to the mall to shop her heart out! It has
been a dream for her to dedicate an entire day for shopping, and to make things
better, Khushi was going to be with her! She giggled at her shopaholic heart
which was at full swing that day. “This shopping is gonna be awesome! Khushi’s
gonna be with me, and obviously, just as she is with me, Arnav’s gonna come
too! Which means, I’d get a lot of chances to play with them both!!!” she
shouted animatedly at her reflection. Finding fault with the make-up, she
dabbed her face with a little of powder, and was pleased with the way she
looked.
Humming her favourite tune, she
was stuffing her handbag with the needed. She then decided to call di. She took
her mobile and dialling Anjali’s number, she waited for her to pick up the
phone. There was no answer. She tried for her a few more times. Still no one
picked the phone. Wondering what went wrong; Varsha arrived at a conclusion
that Di must be busy. Sub-consciously, she was worried as Di hadn’t called her
since the previous night, and the last time she’d spoken with her, she had sounded
different.
She
said to herself ‘Hope everything’s fine….’
~*~
Nithin Malhotra was a busy
young man in his twenties. Everyone almost instantly arrived at a conclusion
that he’d be in his late forties, given that, he’s the chief of SSO. Almost
every person who KNEW who he was had never believed what they saw when they
first met him. He was shuffling through his present case files and paused when
he saw the most unusual case of all. It was Delhi’s youngest and most
successful business man’s file. He always had a liking for this person as he
too had made the impossible possible. He too had achieved great success, at an
incredibly young age, just like himself.
He had always looked forward to
meet him, but he never thought that he’d be meeting him this way. His eyebrows
furrowed as soon as he thought of it. He had expected Anjali to reply to his
mail that day, but she hadn’t. “This is going to complicate matters more!” he
mumbled to himself. ‘I can’t believe I’m
doing this!’ he thought. Placing all the files in place except the one he
gave the most importance, he said to himself:
‘Now I have to step in myself!’
~*~
In the eerie silence Mehul was shivering with fear. She
had come a long way up to that place, but she didn’t have the courage to go
beyond there. She knew her sister’s life depended upon her, but even then she
couldn’t gather up nerve to take such a big step. She knew it wasn’t as easy as
it looked. If she took one wrong decision, it could cost her sister’s life.
She’d traced his number to that place and that was the
reason she came. But then her mind told her not to go there because it was one
of his dirty traps. She was sure it wasn’t the real place where her sister was.
She knew that. But still she didn’t want to take a chance. There was an
abandoned hut which had no lights. She tiptoed towards it. She was about to
peep inside through the window, but just then she heard a beep inside. She
reflexively angled herself in such a way that she couldn’t be seen from inside.
She heard a voice. Just one. And that voice was his.
“I think she has grown brains. I’m deliberately calling
her from here, so that she’d follow me here, but she hasn’t turned up yet. I’ve
got to work out a new plan. Is everything all right there? Don’t allow her to
go ANYWHERE! She’s one of those bitches who cheat you and try to get away from
you! Be careful, she’ll persuade you!...Okay…. Yeah…I’ll be back in no time.
I’m cutting the call now, and hear! I don’t want you to call me for the next 1
hour… I’d be switching off my phone. Yes. Bye!” he cut the call. Mehul could
feel her heart racing. Sweat beads rolled down her forehead. She didn’t know what
to do, who to call for help. She just stood there still for some more time just
to make sure he didn’t know she stood there.
“God! Please throw some light towards this
situation!” she prayed.
~*~
Arnav. MY Chotte! Anjali’s world had stopped since
she’d read the post scriptum of the mail. She couldn’t make herself go to SSO’s
office, meet the chief. She didn’t have much confidence. At the same time she
didn’t want to sit there in the hall, repairing her toaster while her brother’s
life was at risk. She just couldn’t put herself together. She was…unsure. Weak.
Insecure. Hesitant. She knew she cannot. She can never be an agent. She was not
made for it. She was just one of those girls who were just fit for staying at
home. She had lost all her confidence after her mom died.
“There’s nothing as “Can’t”,
di! We’re born to change the world. We’re born to do our part which others
can’t do. Only WE can do OUR role. No one else can!”
Anjali was reminded of what
Arnav had said to her when she thought she was useless. That was the only thing
that kept her going. She completed her studies and was in fact one of the
brightest research fellows in her university, inventing gadgets of a kind.
Creativity was her identity. The toaster she’d been working on was not just a
toaster. It was a combo of a toaster and unusual signal receptor, mainly
designed to sense bizarre, unfamiliar movement. This has a lot of use in
spotting thieves. As she thought more on the positives of her…She started to
find the long-lost confidence. With a head filled with dilemma, doubting her
own abilities she was trying to make the biggest decision of her life…well, not
just hers’ but Chotte’s life too…
