Hey guys! It was very sweet of you'll to encourage me. π I know a lot of you'll are worried about the whole "kid sister" thing but that is just to say he never thought of her in that way. π As one often says he loves her but he's not in love with her. She's his family. Most of the concept is the book, there are parts I loved about it and parts which I wanted to change. Hope you'll enjoy it.
Chapter one
The place was buzzing with customers at his Dad's sports shop which Mayank
Sharma had taken over when his dad had retired. He hadn't had a break since morning
but his mind wasn't troubled by this, but by the fact that Nupur hadn't been herself since
morning. She had worked for his dad and the store either part-time of full-time since
she was a teenager. This shop was almost like her second home. She looked after the accounting but
when it was this crowded she usually pitched in with the customers. God knows
she knew this place in and out, probably more than him. But today she hadn't
left her cabin since she came in. Something was clearly bothering her. As soon
as his customer left to ring his purchase he turned to look at her, through the
glass of her cabin. He could see her petite frame hunched over her desk. Acute
concern overrode him when he saw her wiping away her tears. As if sensing him
she looked up at him. whats wrong? he mouthed to which she just shook
her head and gave him a weak smile. Not satisfied with her reaction, he was
making his way to the office to be stopped by a customer.
"Hi,
everyone seems to be busy, but i have come to pick up the golf clubs that my
husband had pre-ordered. Someone called
to tell me that they had arrived?" asked the lady.
"Hi,
that'll be me." Nupur spoke from behind him and took
the receipt from his hand when he turned.
"Let
me take care of this." she told him.
"Thanks
Nupur." he said giving her hand a squeeze and added "come
see me in my office once your done."
He had to find out what was bothering her. He couldn't help but feel protective towards Nupur. He knew her since she was born, they had been neighbors all through childhood. He was an only child, but she hailed from a large family, she was the youngest of the five. Though with a four year age gap he was closer to age to her brothers but he and Nupur had become the best of friends. He taught her to cycle, drive a car, covered for her when she was in trouble with her parents, even gave her dating advice when the time came. She really was part of his family, and he would definitely solve whatever problem was bothering her. He would do whatever he could to bring that gorgeous smile back on her face. One thing he was addicted to was her smile and her full-fledged love for life. It was almost after 2 hours that place finally slowed down. He left his cabin to search for Nupur when he was stopped by one of his employees Puneet.
"Did you have your lunch yet,
boss?" Before could answer Nupur interrupted.
"Do you
actually think that he has eaten? Ofcourse he hasn't Puneet, after all only
mere mortals need nutrition." Sensing an outburst from
Nupur, Puneet quickly excused himself. After he left she continued. "By God,
Mayank I had ordered you a subway so long back, it would have totally gone
soggy by now !!"
"So
sweet" he was relieved to find her being herself, atleast a
fraction of herself.
"Kya so
sweet? what would you do without me, somebody has to see that you dont go
hungry. Now that Aunty and uncle have moved to Bombay i bet you must be skipping atleast one meal a day!" She scolded
him.
He couldn't deny her accusation; it was just convenient to skip the meal.
He hardly enjoyed food anyway since that fateful accident to which he
had lost his wife, almost three years ago. Though he was not over it, the
terrible grief had softened over time. He had realized that keeping himself
busy and not spending too much time thinking about himself was the key to
surviving it.
"Hey!
would you please stop shouting? skipping a few meals is not going to affect me
in anyway. Plus its my new diet plan" Looking at his lean
frame she brushed off that remark and said.
"Diet
plan my foot. Just look at you. You could eat all day and not put on an ounce
of weight. All i have to do is look at an ice-cream and i gain 2 kgs. I should
be the one dieting."
"Please, you do not need to diet your skinny and will disappear if you
do."
"I love you for saying so but if i don't, after a couple of years I'll end
up wearing large sizes like my sister. I need to diet." he
grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to give her a side hug, at the
same time pulling her towards the cabin.
"Hmm
is that why your huffing and puffing. 'cos you have not eaten today? come have
some of the sub. There is no way im gonna eat a foot long, and we haven't
talked all day" he said,
not forgetting that she was upset earlier.
"You
know me too well, because im dieting i only ate a salad with some crappy
non-fat dressing, and now im famished." she said
looking glum.
"I should have
known better than to worry when I say you crying. I should have just sent Ramu
kaka to get you some food." he joked, not letting on
that he was actually worried. She smacked him, and came at a standstill at the
cabin door.
"Shut
up! Thats not why...." she trailed off getting
serious and he guessed the reason for her depression.
"Sweetie,
what is it? Are you sad about Daadi's health again?" Nupur
nodded, blinking hard to hold back tears. Mayank gently drew her into the cabin
and shut the door. He then pulled a chair and made her sit next to the table
and sat down kneeling infront of her, so that his face was at level with hers. "Sweetie,
we have been over this, Daadi is religious and not afraid of dying, she is
in-fact looking forward to being re-united with Daadu in Heaven."
he lectured in a sympathetic tone.
"I
know all that." trying to get up she added. "You
sit, i'll get your Sub for you, do you want a coke along with that?" He gently pushed her
back in the chair.
"I can get it myself."
"But i can.."
"Sit." He said sternly getting up. He knew the
only way he would get her to talk was to humor her. So he got out the sub and
and cut it into half and placed both the halves on two plates. He pulled out 2
drinks from the fridge, an iced-tea for himself and diet-coke for her. "Eat."
he ordered her, putting the plate infront of her.
"But..."
"Nupur! do you have to argue, just eat!" without
arguing further she picked up the sub and bit into it, her eyes downcast, still
looking upset. "Ok now back to our earlier conversation about Daadi.
Has her condition worsened?" A few months back the doctors
had informed the family that Daadi had cancer and will not survive for more
than a year maximum, chemotherapy would have helped but she refused to take the
treatment, saying that it was her time to go.
"No." she broke down and sniffed
and he sat up straight reaching for her hand.
"Sweetie please dont cry and tell me what happened
since yesterday, that your so upset about. May be I can help."
She pulled her hand out of his and pointed at his sub, indicating that he eat,
he dutifully picked took a bite in order to pacify her.
"You can't help." before he could
protest she sniffed and continued. "In the
morning i went home as usual to visit Daadi before coming to work..the back
door was open so i went straight up to her room. The door was ajar. I didn't
mean to but i heard ma and daadi talking..Daadi was telling ma that she dreamt
i was getting married. She described my saari, jewelry, the decoration the
work. Mayank she sounded...she sounded so happy. She recalled every
detail." her lip quivered and tears started rolling again.
Mayank got up from his seat and came and sat down in front of her again and
held her hand. "Then they talked about how i was 29
and not even engaged so marriage was a distant thought. Daadi said that the
main reason for trying to hang on was to
see me married and settled with a nice man and then she could die
peacefully." her tears rolled down again and Mayank wiped
them off, and cupped her face.
"Oh sweetie, thats a guilt trip you cannot take on
yourself. Your family means well and they love you, but they have been at this
topic since you were 21." he said with warmth and
exasperation.
"I know they mean well, they are all so happily
married that they cant understand why i dont want that. And its not like i dont
want that. I may not have been ready at 21 but i have been for a while now. I really
do want to get married, settle down and have kids. It just hasn't happened."
"Dont worry" Mayank said rubbing her arms
comfortingly. "The right guy will come along"
"What if he doesnt come along? what if he came along
and i didnt recognize him?"
"Trust me you'll know. You always do, when you find the right person you
just know and then you cant think about letting them go. You cant think of not
seeing them everyday."
"Is that how you felt about Ria?" she asked
"Yes." he replied his voice
tight, her face flashed before him but he quickly curbed the memories. Nupur
noticed his change in expression and caught hold of his hand between hers.
Reversing the roles, with her comforting him in a caring voice.
"Im sorry, i shouldn't have brought it up."
"No. No its ok." he assured her getting up."dont worry about daadi, shes very happy just being
around you. don't let all this affect you. Its their job to be worried."
he looked at her deep in thought, clearly not listening to a word he had just
said. So he asked. "Nupur is there something else you want
to tell me?" becoming restless watching her worried expression.
"you know Dhruv? the guy im dating?"
she continued when he nodded "last night
he proposed." Mayank leaned back suddenly on the desk
clearly shocked. Dhruv Verma the guy she was seeing. A slick marketing guy. He
didnt think she was serious about him.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"i kind of turned him down."
"kind of?"
"well i told him the truth, that i liked him and liked spending time with
him, but i wasnt in love with him." He let out a breath he
didnt know he was holding. She saw this and pointed out. "you
seem relieved i didnt say yes."
"yes. i mean no, i mean you just took me by surprise."
he couldnt get himself to admit that he was infact relieved. He couldn't
understand why he was so relieved and the instinctive reaction to her
announcement that she might marry that looser was so negative. Other than the
fact that no one she had ever dated was good enough for her. She was too pre-occupied
to notice his dilemma.
"I was shocked too, i stammered like an idiot i had a
billion thoughts going through my head. I knew i didnt want to hurt him, but at
the same time i was ticking off is qualifications which would make him a good
husband. you know, he's nice, good job, hes religious, he's got a big family,
who seem nice and he likes mine." she threw her hands up in
typical Nupur style. "By God, why
not marry him? im soon going to turn 30! maybe im just one of thoes people who
wont find love and will have to settle for like, respect and affection. whats
wrong with that? its not like lifes a fairy tale and there is a price charming
for everyone, right?" she paused and asked again when he
didnt answer right away "right?"
"Because you said it your self you dont love him. You have been dating him
for what 6 months?"
"six and half actually."
"Nupur please stop convincing your self into marrying him out of guilt
towards your family. Its you who has to spend the rest of your life with him,
not them."
"you think it'll be a mistake to marry him?" hell yes he wanted to shout but he
clamped his mouth shut and said,
"Thats for you to decide, it doesnt matter what i
think. But i just dont want you to get pressured into saying yes to make other
people happy or just because your tired
of being single."
"you dont like him, do you?"
"I dont know him well enough to judge." he knew he was
sounding resentful but he didnt care. "he said he
didnt want to buy me a ring but make me pick my own ring instead."
"so he still thinks you might say yes?"
"He was very understanding. By God! That just makes it worse. He said he'd
give me time to take it all in. I think that's what ill do." she
got up and added "thank you Mayank! i feel a lot better
talking to you about it."
"No problem" he mumbled, this heartfelt talk did not
have the same effect on him, infact this whole thing left him feeling
miserable.
"Boss there's some one here to see you about the
treadmills." Puneet poked his head in
"I'll be right out." He told
Puneet, and started clearing out the table, but Nupur stopped him.
"No, you go i'll clean up the dishes."
she added when he opened his mouth to protest. "By
God Mayank, im just picking up the dishes not selling my kidney for you! I like
doing these little things for you it makes me feel needed." she
got up on her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek, and shoved him towards the
door. The uneasiness in his gut mollified slightly and he smiled.
"Thanks Nupur"
After he had gone Nupur thought while she cleaned. She looked at
his sub and saw that it was mostly polished off. Thats good enough she thought.
Her heart went out to him for the loss he had suffered when Ria had died. She
was one of the many people killed in a major road accident. Mayank blamed
himself for not being there with her at the time and she knew he wished that he
had died at that time too. But she thanked God that he had spared him. She
loved him. He was a part of her family and couldn't imagine life without him.
She believed that everything happened for a reason. She was glad that he
decided to move back home after that and came to work with his father. She
liked having him close to her, to see him everyday, coming to work for him. Whether
or not she married Dhruv, she would keep this job, she would continue to see
Mayank everyday. That wouldn't affect their relationship. After all they were
best friends. Family. Feeling better she went back to work.
Ps: please continue to tell me what you'll think