The sunlight entered inside like a wake up alarm and I opened my eyes gradually. I heard a message alert as my phone vibrated. Shashi Malhotra texted me saying , “Task No. 2 – Scuba diving at Ocean Horizons along with Raghav. Good luck !”. No way. I was hydrophobic and had no clue about swimming. Here I was given a challenge in which I had to scuba dive without zero per cent experience and hundred per cent fear. If she asked me to jump from a cliff I would done that but getting into water wasn’t a good idea at all. Shashi attacked straight on my weakness conveying me indirectly that she is a clever woman. Raghav woke up and kissed the back of my neck fervently. He pulled me on to his lap and said , “What happened baby ?” he covered me with both hands quite romantically and kissed my left cheek twice. “Let’s go for scuba diving today.” He was amused to hear about it as he wasn’t expecting this in the morning. I never saw Raghav in a romantic mood before because work was always his first priority. If I were given an opportunity to spend an entire day on bed with Raghav I would happily accept it. But sometimes wishes need to take a backseat because responsibilities knock the door like uninvited guests. “Okay baby. In fact , I love scuba diving. It eases stress automatically and brings a lot of enthusiasm in our lives.” But it would definitely not be the same for me coz I would dive for the first time ever. If I told Raghav that I had hydrophobia then he would not allow me to go for scuba diving which would mean that I would lose the challenge. I boosted my morale by believing that my love will become my strength and help me to destroy my weakness. Raghav would also be with me under water so I had no reason to worry. He would save me from drowning like a warrior prince protects his princess from the enemy.
BITING THE BULLET
During broad daylight myself and Raghav were gearing up for a scuba diving session in Brooklyn’s famous Scuba Diving Center , “Ocean Horizons Inc”. Both of us were dressed in our diving suits with attached oxygen tanks and snorkel. Raghav held my hand and gave a look of assurance which I needed badly. My heart was beating in a whopping speed out of uncontrollable fear that gripped my body. I jumped inside the deep water horizon without a second thought simultaneously with Raghav. Initially , my hands were trembling unable to resist the depth of the water. Raghav was there right next to me like a bodyguard instructing me how to dive better. Maybe he realized that I didn’t know swimming given my horrible performance below water. All of a sudden I found it difficult to breathe as the carbon dioxide was getting too high. Raghav tried to communicate with me through hand movements but in vain. I almost passed out but Raghav tried his level best to keep me conscious. He eventually removed both of our snorkels and masks rapidly. I exhaled roughly while his body touched mine like a powerful magnet. Our tongues were dancing inside our mouths as we shared an exhilarating French kiss surrounded by water on all sides. For a while , I completely ceased to remember that I was under water instead I was loving the heavenly experience of smooching the hottest guy that I ever saw and who coincidentally happens to my boss cum boyfriend down by the water.
All my fears were gone after the lovey-dovey moment that we shared together in deep water. Shashi was standing on the sands most probably to check whether I passed or failed the test. “Mom what a pleasant surprise !” , he embraced her with glee. “Actually I came to say hi coz last night you were busy with your girlfriend which is absolutely okay coz it was her birthday.” Nice way to cover up her mischief. She couldn’t digest the fact that I survived the dangerous process sans any training. Raghav’s phone rang and went to the changing room. Shashi shook hands with me displaying a cunning smile. “You aren’t as bad as I thought you to be.” She gave an evil expression. “But you are smarter than I thought. You knew that I never swam in my life but still you asked me to do scuba diving.” If not for the warmth and affection of Raghav I would have sunk and died. “Game is not over yet. Get ready for your final task.” I jerked when she uttered the word final. “But you said that there would be a series of tasks then how come the next task is the final one ?” , I wanted a proper reply. “Since you were flawless in the first two tasks I thought it’s time for the ultimate battle.” She smirked. “What’s that ?”, after emerging victorious in the previous tasks I was all set to face the last but not the least ultimatum. “Be patient. I will unravel it soon. See ya during the “Grand Finale”. Bye !”. Shashi walked away gracefully. It seemed as if she was placing her gamble on the last challenge. My conscience kinda indicated me that the task might be the toughest of the three.
I had breakfast with Raghav in a suburban restaurant which opened a couple of weeks ago. The food was delicious and crispy. After we finished eating Raghav dropped me outside my apartment. We kissed each other and waved goodbyes. While walking towards the elevator I saw Simone standing erect. “Hey ! How are you ?” I hugged her tight. “I’m doing great. I missed you so much.” She hadn’t changed a bit. Perfect figure and French accent remained intact with Simone. Whenever I looked at her she reminded me of Gustave. “ The guy who dropped you now is your boss right ?” , she asked curiously. “Yup. Actually now he’s also my boyfriend.” I didn’t talk to Simone for two long months but I thought this was the correct time to tell her about my love life. “Wow Sia. I’m really happy for you.” Simone was my true friend because she understood me better than my other friends. She had a pure heart and called a spade a spade. She came to meet me and enquire about my well being. I made hot coffee for both of us which made us nostalgic about our college days when we used to hang out every weekend in coffee shops for a cappuccino or an espresso. I changed my dress and wore pyjama and T-shirt. Simone was glowing in her little black dress and high heels. Her hair grew longer into thick curls over the edges. “I’m sorry for not wishing you on your birthday. I was caught up in a real mess with my boyfriend.” She had several boyfriends but they were temporary. Simone must have had at least a dozen one night stans in the last five years. But that didn’t mean that she was using the men for sex. Simone hated the concept of love as she thought it was overrated. She graduated in Psychology and won a gold medal for emerging as campus first. She always told me that what both sexes want is sex. According to her love was just an excuse to not feel guilty about having a sexual desire. She was partly right but I knew that love needs to felt rather than demanded. Not many are lucky enough to fall in love twice like me and Raghav. We didn’t chose love to have sex instead our only desire was to experience the feeling of being in love and cherish it for a lifetime. “My boyfriend Danny called me a bitch. He expects me to bring him gifts , give him surprises and adore him as if he is a baby.” Usually girls love doing it to their boyfriends but Simone was an exception. “Just relax. How long have you guys been dating ?” I sounded polite. “One month. But I feel like breaking up with him. He’s pissing me each day with his demands.” Generally boyfriends don’t demand coz their job is to fulfill their girlfriend’s wish list. But Simone’s boyfriend wasn’t wrong because she was totally unromantic in nature. “Anyway. How did you fall for the richest guy in New York huh ?”, she retained her energy. “Well , that’s a long saga. I can write a book about it.” I blushed. “ I’m glad that you caught the big fish coz there are lots of chicks who still wanna be with him.” Why not ? He was still the most eligible bachelor beating even Salman Khan. “ I heard that he had a fiancé who died in a plane crash.” “Ya. The same plane in which Gustave was there.” She raised her eyebrows in amazement. “What are you saying ? OMG ! Goodness gracious , both your lovers died while travelling in the same plane. It’s clearly a sign that you and Raghav were meant to be together.” She spoke exactly what my instincts told me when I heard about it first. Destiny was the witness to our encounter , struggle and unification. “ Sia it’s very difficult to move on after the death of someone dear to you. But as they say “Certain things happen for a good reason.” Simone was always a motivator for many. She had her own set of problems like each one of us but that never made her pessimistic. “I’m feeling so happy after spending a good time with you.
It’s been quite long.” I locked fingers with hers. “Me too. I think I should leave now.” She gave me a peck and left. Memories from college days came alive after meeting Simone. Those were the best moments of my life which would always remain special.
DO OR DIE
My neighbor’s dog Max began barking at 2 AM which utterly disturbed my sleep. I checked my phone and saw an e-mail sent three hours ago by Shashi. I opened it immediately and found a long passage written in italics.
Sia ,
After I saw you in a comprising position with Raghav I went home and enquired about your background through various sources. I learned that you hail from a dignified and wealthy family that controls almost 80 per cent of the real estate business in Europe. Your aunt Simi Walia and me share a history which you are not probably aware of. We both studied together in Imperial College London and were best friends. But our friendship ended in the final year of graduation because we fell in love with the same guy. His name was Nikhil Gupta. I hid my feelings from Simi since she confessed her love for him to me first. When she proposed him he instantly rejected which left her shattered. I started dating him secretly so that Simi does not know about our relationship. But one Sunday evening she caught me kissing him outside my apartment as she came to pay me a visit. After Nikhil left Simi and I had a bitter fight in which she accused me of betrayal and stealing Nikhil from her. From then onwards we became enemies and moved on in our lives.
Two years later I broke up with Nikhil but did not feel like patching up with Simi. I still hate her for the vicious words that she hurled at me that day. I’m sure she also must me equally hating me for loving a guy whom she didn’t get.
Shashi Malhotra.
Questions began popping in my head regarding why would Shashi reveal her past with my aunt via an e-mail suddenly. Did she have any agenda ? Was it her gimmick to distract me from my objective ? But how would their troubled relationship be of any relevance to me ? At exactly 2 : 30 A.M , I received a text message.
“Final challenge : Convince your aunt for marrying Raghav in 24 hours. Countdown begins…”
Now I clearly understood Shashi’s intentions behind sending the e-mail. Given their enmity my aunt would never allow me to marry Raghav. Shashi already knew that I was her friend turned foe’s niece so she decided to seek revenge by testing my endurance levels. These tasks were simply planned to mentally harass me without disclosing the actual motive. Plus the final task had a deadline of 24 hours which meant that I had to persuade my aunt in one day. I could not do it on phone so I sent her a voice mail asking her to come to America immediately because I was seriously unwell. I had no other option but tell a lie because she was always busy with the business activities and won’t come unless there was an emergency. I kept thinking till about 8 AM about how would I convince my aunt that Raghav is the perfect match for me and why her rivalry with Shashi has absolutely nothing to do with my love for Raghav. I watched in Indian movies how families are often the reason why couples madly in love struggle to get married. But little did I know it would happen with me too in real life. I realized that movies reflect what actually happens in a society but we think cinema is all about exaggeration.
Aunt Simi sent me text message that she left for New York and would reach the airport at 3 in the afternoon. I freshened up and wore the Royal blue anarkali that my aunt gifted me after a got the job in Malhotra Industries. I thought this would be a great way to impress her as she would be meeting me after a long time. At around 3: 45 PM I heard the door bell and as expected it was my aunt. She was shocked to see me dressed in traditional attire , glittering with a wide smile. “Sia ! You told me that you were ill. What’s this avatar ?” , she couldn’t believe it. “Aunt please come in. I’ll explain everything to you in detail.” I grabbed her suitcase and placed it carefully in the guest room. “Sit.” We sat on the sofa close to each other. Aunt Simi put her hand on the forehead in disbelief. “I have to tell you something really important.” She turned her head with curiosity. “I’m seeing someone who happens to be my boss. He’s a nice guy who is also good looking and mature.” The description seemed pretty satisfying as my aunt was listening eagerly. “Is he an Indian ?” , “ Yes he is. But …”. I paused for a second. “But what ?”. After hearing the next line Aunt Simi would definitely react strongly is what I thought. “He is the son of Shashi Malhotra.” I was totally nervous. “Hang on. What did you just say ? Shashi Malhotra ?”. “Exactly. Your classmate from Imperial College London.” She was amazed to learn that I knew about their relationship. “How did you know that we studied in the same college ?” she was losing her cool. “Because she told me herself.” The room was heating up slow and steady. “What else did she tell you ?”. “Both of you fell for the same guy and how you became foes eventually , etc.” She was flaring up like a cracker waiting to burst. “Aunt I’m in love with him for real and he rescued me whenever I was in danger like a guardian.” My eyes turned wet while justifying my love to Aunt Simi unable to resist her boiling anger. Her face told everything so it wasn’t much difficult to read her mind at that moment. “Do you even know what you are speaking ? You want to spend the entire life with that lady’s son who betrayed me by stealing a guy whom I loved.” Emotions are the biggest enemies of intelligence. They would never let a person understand a situation in detail. “She didn’t steal the guy. It was just a misunderstanding.” I had to resolve the dispute between both the ex best friends to clear my road to wedlock. The only option left was to convince my aunt at least to bury the hatchet with Shashi. “You weren’t even born when that incident happened and with what guts do you even dare to come to a conclusion ?” , Aunt Simi started coughing as she spoke in a rough tenor. I brought a glass of water quickly to pacify her. She drank the entire content in one sip with trembling hands. “Are you okay ?”. “Yes.” She sat on the couch feeling better while I crossed my legs on the ground and held her hand. “Aunt , I know that you have serious issues with Shashi. But also try to understand my point of view. Just because my boyfriend is your enemy’s son doesn’t mean I shouldn’t love him.” The clock was ticking mercilessly and I kept explaining my aunt in every which way that lovers should not pay the price for family rivalry. “Enough. What’s your boyfriend’s name ?”. “Raghav Malhotra.” I felt like wearing my heart on the sleeves. “Tell him to meet me here in the apartment itself.” I hugged my aunt out of inexplicable happiness. “Thank you so much , Aunt. It means a lot.” I rang Raghav and he said , “ Baby ! I wanna meet you.” His voice was like an evergreen melody. “ Raghav , my aunt is in Brooklyn. She wants to talk to you personally. Would you mind dropping by ?”. I just wanted to hear ‘Yes’. “Why not ? Do you want me to come now ?” , I was totally relieved. “Please come. We will be waiting. Bye !”. I hung up the phone. “He’s coming.” Aunt Simi sat upright. “You go to Shashi’s house and wait outside. If I feel that Raghav is suitable for you then both of us will reach there to discuss about your marriage. If we don’t then I you know what it would mean.” The statements were jerks to my pounding heart. But it was far better than posing challenges like Shashi did. Raghav’s victory would mean my victory and his loss would mean mine too. I pinned all my hopes on Raghav who would impress Aunt Simi at the very sight given his incredible looks and charismatic personality. I left for Malhotra Mansion before Raghav reached my apartment as instructed by Aunt Simi. There was a community park near Raghav’s house filled with oak trees , picturesque flowers and lush green grass. I sat on a wooden bench placed aside the bushes just five steps away from the gate. I was wondering about the conversation between Raghav and Aunt Simi. He had no clue about the troubled relationship between his mother and my aunt. He also didn’t know about the challenges that his mother threw on me with her devilish smile. I really felt bad for him but I couldn’t help it by any means. I never knew that relationships would be so complicated that sometimes all we can do is just sit and pray.
Immortal Love_True Love Never Dies Page 10
