OS: To Wish upon a Shooting Star

To wish upon a Shooting Star

~ I wish for a Moment of Love ~

The Gupta sisters had been sitting on their porch area under the night sky. They often did when it was pleasant enough to be outside without them being served as dinner for a million mosquitoes'. And the days before Diwali, like this one, when the city was of just the right temperature, the Gupta sisters often found themselves sitting under the stars and talking about important sisterly matters.

The conversation included formal issues like what kind of business to start next, of sweets or of saris? Or since winters were nearing, would shawls do? The informal issues included things like whether green bangles would look good with a yellow suit? Or what must the maximum number of bangles be that one wears before they start looking too over the top? Or how red might be just too bridal for Khushi to wear for the Raizada's grand Diwali Party?

So when Payal asked the next question, Khushi was bound to be a surprised. Perhaps, even a bit shocked.

"Khushi, I hope you're okay with everything. I mean I know getting married to Shyam ji was not something you ever..."

Khushi looked away hearing her sister's words. Why must people who rarely spoke suddenly, out of the blue, speak up about what's on their mind, she wondered? And why must it be so specific leaving no escape routes for the other person?

Despite being step sisters, she and Payal were as close as blood sisters could be. When Khushi was found to be naughty, which was, by default, quite often; Payal would save her. And when Payal was found to be at fault, not for her naughtiness, for Payal was never the naughty one; Khushi would take all the blame on herself. Such was their relationship.

Even then, never had one sat with the other and had a heart to heart conversation about how one misses her parents or about how one would do anything for the other's sake. It was just not something they did. It was more of how one understood the other. Such was their relationship.

And therefore, when Payal asked her the question, Khushi was shocked. More so because she herself had been avoiding asking her own self the very question.

She couldn't meet her sister's eyes just yet. And how was she supposed to reply to that when she herself didn't know the answer? She had to buy herself some time to gather an answer. For her answer was to be not just to her sister, but to herself as well.

"Of-of course, I'm okay with it, Jiji." She said turning back to her sister and plastering a smile on her face. By now, she had mastered the art of smiling as if there were no troubles bothering her. And everyone around her believed her, too. It was quite simple actually.

Her sister narrowed her eyes. "You're lying. You're lying, aren't you?" She said confidently.

"Jiji," Khushi said in a stern voice and fully turned to face her sister. "I'm seriously okay with it." And she was. She was fine with whatever destiny and fate had decided for her. And why wouldn't she be? It's not like she had much of choice. And even if she had, there were no doubts that she'd go with whatever her family had planned for her. 

"Khushi," Payal said in a calm voice, as if talking her out of going with whatever had been planned for her, "You know you have a choice, right? You don't need to marry him. I'm sure babuji would understand. He wants you to be happy, not miserable."

Khushi shifted her braid from shoulder to the other with a spunk that only Khushi could manage and said cheekily, "do I look miserable to you?"

Payal chuckled before saying, "When do you ever look miserable? It's only when you're in the process of making those thousand kilos of jalebis... speaking of which, how much damage done today?"

Khushi looked away guiltily. "Well, don't worry. I'll distribute it among the neighbours. And it won't seem odd, too. Diwali is just a couple of days away na. See," she added happily, "now we don't even have to spend money on buying sweets."

"Very smart of you, Khushi." her sister said with that mature elder sister expression she often adorned. "But I want an honest reply now." she said her expression turning serious and bit concerned. "Are you seriously happy with it?"

Khushi smiled slightly before saying, "I'm fine with it. Can't say that I'm happy. It's just that, I've never seen Shyam ji in that perspective. You know what I mean? And it's just happening so fast. I never thought I'd get married before you, Jiji." she said as took hold of her sister's hands. "I'm still so young. And I... "

"And you what, Khushi?"

"And I..." she started and looked away due to embarrassment before saying, "I'm not even in love with him."

"Oh, my silly sister, you come here." Said Payal and took Khushi into a warm hug that she needed so badly. "This is so you, Khushi. In this, the only troubles you see is how you're getting married before me and how you're not in love with him. Well - "her sister started, creating a little distance between them, "if that's what troubling you then let me tell you that I don't mind that you're marrying before me. My marriage shall happen when the time is right. And as for the other thing - "

"I know!" Khushi said before her sister could continue, "I know! I know! I know! I know you'd say that not everybody marries for love and that, those sort of things only happens in the books and the movies and that, I'll fall in love with him once I get married to him but I thought - "

"Yes. Yes. I know. I know. You thought when the time finally came... the stars in the night sky," her sister said dramatically, imitating her, "would shine brighter. You'd see him and him only, and when he comes in front you," she continued animatedly, "you'd be showered with flower petals and what... stars?"

"I can't be showered with stars," she said with a straight face. "Anyone would burn to death if they were to be showered with stars. What I meant was..."she explained in a child-like way, "I would shine like a star with glitter all over me. And - "

"Oh, but that's so messy. Amma would be mad, won't she be?" Payal teased.

Khushi giggled. "Yeah, we probably have to keep a broom around and a kaam-wali-bai around. But then, what are step sisters for?" Khushi said jokingly and winked which earned her a playful pat on her head and both sisters laughed forgetting all their troubles for the next minute and a half.

When Khushi recovered from her fit, she heard herself sigh and say, "I thought when the moment finally comes, everyone would be so happy around me. The trees and the flowers would be singing, the air would be fragrant, Amma and babuji would be smiling and approving of the arrangements...but this, this. I never thought I'd get married in this situation, like this..."

"I'd still say you have choice, Khushi."

"I've decided, jiji. I'm going ahead with it. I think I'll accept it."

Payal took hold of Khushi's hand before saying, "Have faith in Devi Mayiyaa, Khushi, have faith."

Her eyes filling up with hot tears, Khushi asked, "D-d'you think Devi Mayiyya can make things better?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"You ask too many questions. Look around, Khushi." Payal said and pointed towards the sky, "The skies have a gift for you. Quick!"

Khushi gasped once she spotted it. "A shooting star!"

Without wasting another second both sisters closed their eyes for saying little prayer-wishes before the shooting star disappears and faded into the night sky. Since a very young age, or ever since they had seen their favourite movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, they had believed in the magic of a shooting or a falling star.

Ever since then the sisters would sit by the window at night and wait for shooting stars religiously. For they believed that they held the magic that could make wishes come true.

Twice, in their lives they had witnessed shooting stars and made elaborate wishes to the gods. Had those wishes come true? Nope they hadn't, or at least, not as yet. But the belief lived on.

The first time she and Payal had spotted a shooting star was exactly a week after they had seen their favourite actress, Kajol, wish upon it in the movie. Looking back now, Khushi wasn't even sure if it had been a shooting star or not. It could have well been a jet plane with rather bright light which simply appeared like a shooting star. She did, however, clearly remember her wish, and it was to bring her parents back on earth.

But the second time when they had spotted a shooting star, it had been cold winter night with a cloudless sky. There was no mistaking that a star 'had just broken' and was about to disappear into the black sky before few people stole a wish.

And she and Payal had been the lucky ones.

She had wished for love then. Just love. Not a big house to live in, not for fancy clothes to wear, but just love in its simplest form. She had wished for her to fall in love with a man who would love her back.

And now, a few years hence, she found that her wants and desires were still the same. What had changed, however, were the circumstances. And now, all she wanted to wish for a moment of love. A moment...just a mere moment of feeling loved. She would cherish the moment for a lifetime.

She could very well wish for her to someday fall in love with Shyam ji. He was soon to be her husband, wasn't he? Why then, was she hesitating? Why then, he was not the one she wanted to be loved by. Things would be so much easier that way, would they be? They would have an arranged marriage, and soon, like any other ordinary couple they would fall in love and get lost in the ordinary-ness of their lives.

But when she closed her eyes and tried to focus, a face came in her thoughts which had been haunting her ever since she had landed in his arms a few months back... when life had been simpler. And she had done the mistake of looking into his deep brown glassy eyes.

She should have known then. Those eyes... those eyes would haunt her forever. They would show her things she didn't want to see, or what he never wanted her to see. But she would see them nonetheless.

His eyes would tell her how he never actually means to say the heart-breaking things he would often tell her. His eyes would tell how much in pain his life had put him through. His eyes would also often tell her that he was as soft on the inside as he was hard on the outside. And when he would happen to hurt someone, his eyes would show her his guilt. No words were heard though. He just wasn't the sort of man who used words to convey his feelings.  

Perhaps that is why she was drawn to him? He would do things and confuse her to end. One moment he'd be as prickly as a cactus, and in another, he'd be soft and vulnerable as a flower petal. And she... she would be left to read him.

And when exactly in the process, she fell for him, she didn't know. All she knew was that she couldn't have him. Girls like her simply couldn't be with the men like him. It's just not how her universe was built. It's not how his universe was built. Rich people were supposed to fall in love with rich people. Rich people were supposed to marry rich people. And that is why Lavanya ji was just the right person for someone like him.

And so, as soon as the feelings had started erupting, she had buried them somewhere deep inside her.

But when had her mind and heart ever cooperated with each other?

As soon as she would close her eyes, his thoughts would flood her mind. And the same thing was happening now.

With her eyes closed, she focussed on his eyes, and she wished...hoped... for a moment of love. With him.

She wished for a moment which would be just his and hers. A moment where she could be the women she wanted to be, and not the girl she was stuck being who often found herself under the burden of circumstances. She wished for a moment where he would show her that she could be the woman... the woman he could maybe come to love one day...

She wished for a moment when he wouldn't break her heart reminding her about her status, or how her clothes were so middle class.

No, she wasn't stupid enough to wish for words of love. But maybe a few words of kindness? Of friendship? Maybe another moment where they would stand in silence and stare at the stars?

But then again, she wasn't stupid enough to expect that her wish would actually come true. And yet she prayed, prayed with all her heart for the wish to come to true.

Just a moment... a mere moment of love. Their moment.

ooo

"If you're done gardening for the evening, would you mind coming in for dinner?" said his sister in her shrill yet sweet voice. "My my," she continued and walked up to him when he didn't turn back or reply to acknowledge her presence. "you portray such a poetic picture, Chote. A man - no - A lonely man stands in his garden looking at the stars. Is it his love he's thinking of or - "

"Di, please!" he said turning to look at her and rolled his eyes. "That was a pathetic line. Neither am I lonely, nor in love."

"Aren't you?" his sister asked, looking directly into his eyes.

"No." he said with more force than he had meant to. "I mean... of course not. I don't believe it that sort of bullshit."

His sister smiled a knowing smile at him before again looking directly into his eyes and saying, "Don't you?"

"What are you trying to do, Di?" he asked impatiently.

"Trying to make you admit that you're in love." She said with an elder-sister expression.

He sighed. "Well then, quit it"

"But you are, Chote. You see, you don't realize it, but I see things. I'm a woman after all." She explained.

"You see things which don't exist? Now that's - "

"You work from home mostly these days." She said cutting him off. "You smile..." she said thoughtfully before adding, "sometimes. You take part in family activities, and sometimes, to my sheer amusement, you even tune off and become speechless."

When he continued to stare at his sister, trying to make her stop her little speech which was beginning to sound quite true, she added, "And on rare times like this one, you're even found staring at the stars. I mean at the stars, can you believe?" she said dramatically. "Arnav Singh Raizada staring at the stars!"

He rolled his eyes again before walking over to the table to grab some tissues to wipe his hands and said, just because he couldn't think of anything else say, "Whatever."

His sister laughed at that. "You're so typical. But just saying, if I had to put my thoughts into words, I'd say, you're so in love, my dear, Chote."

"Your saying it doesn't actually make me be in love. I don't believe in such things. You know it."

"Oh ho, Chote." His sister said, irritated. "You're too difficult sometimes."

He shrugged at that and slowly slid his hands inside his pocket to look back at the sky, at the stars. "But you have to admit..." her sister as she joined him in staring at the stars, "you do think of her quite often."

He swallowed. He did. He thought of her all the time. The image just wouldn't leave him. He thought of her when he went to sleep, and he thought of her while he worked. And when she did happen to be around him... he just looked his fill and thought, why? Why her? Why would a girl like her take over and rule the mind of a man like him?

"And when you look at her face..." she said in a dream-like way, "you just can't look away."

And he couldn't. For when he looked at her face, more often than not, he was man lost.

"And when you see tears in her eyes, your world turns into hell. You want to take it upon yourself to make the world a better place for her."

Her face appeared in his thoughts with big droplets of tears rolling down her cheeks. His heart shrunk by at least a centimeter realizing the fact that most of the times he had been the cause of her tears. Oh how he hated himself for the things he had done and said to her.

"And even the thought of her going away from you..."

He turned to look at his sister. His face must have been a picture of horror for his sister's eyes acquired a teasing glint just as she said, "What? Don't worry, Chote, Lavanya is not going away anywhere."

"Lavanya?" he voiced out before he could stop himself. Lavanya? Lavanya? Of course, his sister was talking about Lavanya! Who else would she talk about?

"I didn't name an alien, you know. You can stop looking so lost and confused now." She said and he immediately looked away.

How could be thinking of her? How could he even let himself think of her? Yet again? "I don't love her." He worded.

His sister's face fell. "But you - "

"I said I do not love her." He said bitterly, his voice, now a bit loud.

His sister kept a calming hand on his shoulder. "Chote, it's okay. I was just teasing."

He sighed before turning back to stare at the stars and softly said, "I know."

A couple of minutes passed where neither of them spoke, just kept staring at the dark night sky and at the stars which shone exceptionally bright this particular night.

A while later, Arnav suddenly felt his sister's fingers clutching his arms, her nails almost digging into skin through his shirt sleeves. "A shooting star, Chote, a shooting star. Oh my god!"

"I seriously do not understand your excitement for a stupid shooting star. You know scientifically, they are not even stars. They - "

"Shhh" his sister said and literally slapped her palm across his eyes, forcing them shut. "Make a wish, Chote. Quick! Quick!"

"What the hell. I'm not - "

"It's going to go away, Chote. If you love your sister, make a wish. Now!"

Well that shut him up for good. When Arnav Singh Raizada's sister puts up a condition like that, he knew had to do what she asks for, and in this instance, it was to pray.

It wasn't every day or even occasionally that Arnav Singh Raizada would ask something from the heavens above. What would a man who had everything ask from the heavens?

When he was little, while praying, his sister would prompt him things to ask for. She would often prompt things like, "Ask god for ensuring the family's happiness." "Ask god to give you some brains." "Ask god to give your good grades." "Ask god to give me long hair and never make you bald when you grow up."

He had chuckled at that, but asked the same. He just... never felt the need to ask for anything. Even now, when on rare occasions he was forced to pray, his sister would prompt him things. And he, like the dutiful brother that he is, would oblige and ask for the same.

And tonight was no different. While he stood, with eyes tightly shut, his sister's soft voice whispered, just like he had expected, "Ask god for love."

At his sister's words, Arnav's heart skipped a beat as her image appeared. Her eyes had the usual twinkle and her lips at that heart-melting smile she often adorned.

"Ask god to open your heart and make you see love."

Under normal circumstances, he would laugh at his sister's word. He would roll his eyes and throw his head back and laugh. But not tonight...he didn't know how this was different. All he knew that maybe...just maybe he did want to open his heart? Maybe he did want to see love? For once?

And so, so he wished. He wished for a moment of love. Just a mere moment. Nothing more...just a small moment. For he knew, with his luck, he was never going to get more than that.

Her face clouding his mind, which he could never remove even if he tried, he wished for a moment of love where there will be no feeling of guilt, no harsh words. Things would just be... right somehow. Nothing will matter then... except for the moment they would be in.

x------------------------------x

~ Wishes do come True ~

There was something in the air. But then, hadn't it always been different whenever he had been around?

But something was particularly different about today's air. It had a pleasant chill to it, and yet it was so warm. But then, it always had been awfully warm whenever he touched her.

And now, when he was kneeling down in front of her, touching her so intimately, the air was bound to be warm, was is not?

The touch wasn't even that intimate in correct sense of the term. He just happened to be touching her ankle, examining the sprain which she had so embarrassingly made herself get. But then, didn't she always embarrass herself in front of him?

It was in his touch. The intimacy lied in his touch, so soft and yet so firm. And it remained like that even when he softly said, "It may pain a little" and proceeded to twist her ankle into recovery. And the touch remained like that even when it did pain a little and she clutched his shoulder tightly for support. It was only when he was done and she tried to remove her feet from his thigh that his hold tightened. And when she questioned him with her eyes, he didn't choose to reply. But then, wasn't it always like that? Words were so rare for him. He rarely chose to answer her questions.

But when he simply had looked down and slid his hand into his blazer's right pocket and taken out a silver tinkling anklet, she had her answer. No words, but an answer nonetheless.

She wanted to ask him a million questions about how he was the one who had her anklet which she had lost a while back. She wanted to ask him where he had found it. And why hadn't he given it to her before? 

But it was not the time, she knew. He wouldn't answer them, she knew.

And so, avoiding wording her thoughts, she just sat there, and waited for his next action.

She had a slight inkling of what was to come, of course. But before she could design her thoughts properly, his determined, yet hesitant finger started to put the silver anklet around her bare ankle.

With an overwhelming feeling taking over her, she stared at him. She stared at him with emotions coming to the fore which she could never quite get used.

A moment later, which seemed to have lasted forever, and yet got over so soon, he withdrew his hands and looked up, slowly, and hesitantly, right into her eyes.

Awkward from the sudden eye contact, she looked away and dropped her bunched up sari to cover her ankle as she too, slowly withdrew her feet from his thigh.

She felt him rise to his feet and take a step back to give her some space, not much, but just enough so that they don't end up standing too close to each other when she gets on her feet. But then, why had the distance mattered between them? When his eyes landed on her, it was the rule of the world, that nothing must go right.

Trying not to look at him, she slowly rose from the seat. Still feeling his eyes on her, she began to play with her fingers out of nervousness. How did he always end up doing this to her? Making her feel so many things at once?

She wondered why he wasn't able to take his eyes of her tonight.

Was it because of the red sari she was wearing? Wasn't red his favourite colour?

Or was it simply because he thought she looked beautiful tonight?

No, no one had told her so. But it was his eyes...

It was his eyes which had been staring at her all through the evening.

That look, a girl always knew. A girl always knows why a man was stares at her.

Perhaps that is the reason she had never felt quite comfortable for Shyam ji? Not that there was anything wrong with the way he looked at her... but it was just unnerving, unnerving enough for her to wish that he look the other way.

And the way Shyam ji looked at her was so different from the way he looked at her. She couldn't pinpoint the reason why.

But right now, right now... she didn't want to think of Shyam ji. She didn't want to think of the future, and the darkness it might hold.

Slowly, she looked up at him, who was now standing at a formal distance.

His eyes flickered to hers for an instant, before he looked away and hastily turned his back before beginning to walk away.

She was disappointed, of course. Why, she didn't know. All she knew was, she didn't want him to leave, not just yet. Not right now. Not ever.

She continued to stare at his back until the moment he finally slowed his pace and came to a halt, to look back at her once.

Did he know, she wondered? Did he know that she didn't want him to leave just yet? Did he want to do the same?

She got her answer when he turned back to face her. She looked away, of course. The insides of her stomach were already doing the crazy flip-flops they did each time he looked at her.

But this... this was different, she decided when she looked back at him. His gaze was intense, and yet so warm. Never had she seen his eyes look like they had been doing now. They turned a shade deeper, and yet she could see through them.

His eyes asked something, and she agreed. She didn't know what she had agreed to, but she knew, she knew she wanted it just as much he wanted it.

And yet she was nervous. She didn't know what was to come. And so, when he took a step towards her, she took a step back. And this repeated until her back hit a wall and she had no option but to stop. But his eyes, they were determined.

And when she felt his finger come up to her face and brush her cheek, and push aside the strands of hair off her face, she shut her eyes tightly. The intensity of his gaze was just too much for her to handle.

When she reopened them, his gaze was still the same, except they had softened a bit. His fingers were still struggling with pushing off her hair behind her ears, but now, he was in no hurry. And she liked it. She liked how his fingers were touching her skin. She liked how soft his touch was, as if one wrong move, and she would break. She liked how warm his fingers felt, and she liked how he was looking at her.

And she never wanted it to stop. Never. She wanted this moment to go on forever.

And so, when he cupped her face with a determined look, she let him. And when he moved forward, she let him. When he let his face be mere inches away from hers, she let him. And when he closed his eyes, and brought his lips close to hers, she allowed it.

But when had her wishes ever come true?

Just as his lips were about to touch hers, his phone rang. It's loud, shrilling voice disturbing the beautiful moment.

He must have had realized what he was about to do, because as soon as the 3^rd ring filled the air with its sharp sound, he withdrew his hands and just as suddenly he had done that, he took a step back and looked the other way.

Her heart cried glancing at his expression. Was he regretting it already, before it had even happened? Did he not want it to happen?

When he looked back at her, she couldn't read him anymore. His eyes said so many things at once. It was hard to guess what he was thinking at the moment.

She hoped, she wished that it wasn't regret that he was feeling. For she wanted him to want it just as bad she wanted it to happen. And she had seen it his eyes. The need, the desperation... it matched hers at the moment.

Why must fate be so cruel, she wondered? Why must her wishes always remain wishes? Why couldn't she have her moment...just for once?

Didn't she deserve it? Didn't she deserve one chance, one moment?

The answer, which from within her, was a yes. And so, before he could turn his back at her, before he made himself flee from the scene, she, in a voice so soft, that she doubted if it could be even heard, said,

"Please."

ooo

"Please"

His breath got hitched for a second just as she said it and he searched her face for the meaning it. But all he saw was need... and hope.

"Please." She repeated, this time, louder, her voice desperate. "Please, Arnav - Arnav ji."

He wasn't certain as to what she was asking for? Did she even know herself? Was she asking him to stay? Was she asking him to kiss her? Touch her... like he wanted to? Did she want the same thing?

"Khushi?" he whispered, ready to form a question, but the words never came. What had he meant to ask her?

"Arnav ji," she replied, struggling to explain, "I - please, just - "

She didn't need to complete her sentence. He knew. She knew. With a loud grown he took a long stride towards her to hold her close by her waist, his hold tight and firm, and yet careful and soft so as not to hurt her. But he was an impatient man nonetheless. As his body became tight with desire and the need to feel her, he wasted no second. With another groan, he captured her lips in his.

He sighed feeling her soft, trembling pink lips under his urgent ones. It was like coming home. No, it was like feeling at home after a long, long time. Perhaps, after an eternity? 

When he felt her mouth open to welcome him in, he smiled to himself. He let his tongue enter and mingle with hers. Her sweetness, her taste made his mind swirl. Did she even realize what she was doing to him? Did she ever realize what she kept doing to him?

Trying to catch some breath, he withdrew only to let his lips slide over to the side, to kiss her soft cheeks. "You have no idea how - " he started saying as his lips moved to her neck, "how I - you have no idea, Khushi."

"I wanted this so - so bad, Khushi."  He said as he dropped about a million kisses on her neck and collarbone, leaving wet marks behinds. "You have no idea what you do to me."

She didn't reply. But did she need to? He wasn't even sure what he was mumbling. Was it just his thoughts or was he actually loud?

"You - you - You drive me to the wall, to the extreme edge." He said in between kisses. "You make me so, so mad, Khushi. And still I - "

She moaned and his need increased. Still dropping moist kisses on her neck, his hands slid up from her semi-bare waist and traveled to places he hoped no man had ever touched.

With her soft moans, his kisses increased, and so did the urgency of his hands.

He wanted to feel her soft lips against his again. And in the next second, his lips were again on hers, kissing them open and entering.

And when, after a second, he felt her responding to his kiss, he pulled her closer. He encircled his arms around her tiny waist and pulled as close to him as she could get and continued this kiss of a lifetime. He never wanted this moment to end.

Who would have thought, he asked himself? Who would have thought that one day, she, Khushi, would be in his arms, being kissed by him?

Had he always known? Had he always wanted this? Had he always felt this strongly for her?

He couldn't remember when things had begun to change. Or maybe they had always been the same and it was just him who was realizing it now. This late. Too late, perhaps?

No, it's not too late. Or so he hoped.

He deepened the kiss some more. And they continued at it. For how long, none of them knew. But he only stopped when he started tasting salt instead of the sweetness he was just getting used to. And when he withdrew, he saw tears, big droplets of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"K-khushi? What hap - "

He stopped mid-sentence. Why would she cry? Had he done something wrong? Had he taken it too far? Maybe - Maybe she hadn't been asking for this at all. Maybe -

He sighed out of relief when she shook her head slightly. "I'm - I - " she said, struggling to find words, which happened almost never. She was usually good them. He was the one who had trouble with them, always saying the wrong things, hurting people. Especially her.

"I - " she said, now straightening up and wiping her tears, "Thank you."

"Thank you?" he asked, looking at her tear-streaked face and just-kissed lips. He certainly hadn't expected this.

She smiled. And her expression, he noticed, was serene, as if all her wishes had just been fulfilled, as if she had just come to realization, as if - as if she just gotten what she had wanted and now could be at peace. "Yes, thank you. Thank you for - "

"Kissing you?" he spat out. Always trust Khushi Kumari Gupta to spoil it for him. "I can't believe you're saying this after we've - "

"What else I'm I suppose to say?" she asked, now adjusting her sari, not quite looking at him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no answer came out. He could give out his usual rude reply, say something and then flee. Things would go back to normal.

But only they knew that things could never go back to normal now. No matter how hard she may pretend, things could never go back to normal.

But for this, for her question, he didn't have any answer. And he just stood there, staring at her adjusting her sari and then her hair, and wiping the remaining wetness off her face.

"I'm going back inside now" she announced and was about to walk past him and he was going to let her but luckily for him, his usually sharp brain started working just at the right time, and he took hold of her wrist, forcing her to halt her movement.

"You are doing no such thing."

Her eyes welled up as she struggled against his hold. "They - they'd be looking for me by now. Anjali ji, Lavanya ji - "

"Let them."

"What if someone finds us here?"

"Let them."

"Arnav ji, please." She pleaded, the tears finally escaping her eyes.

As he loosened his hold a little, he said, "Last time I heard you say that, you had wanted me to kiss you."

She looked away that. "Let's not talk about it."

"Why? Why did you thank me for it?"

She looked back at him, and said, "Because you did me a favour. You kissed me."

"How's that a favour?"

"You wouldn't understand. Please - " she said beginning to struggle again, "let me go. If someone spots us here, things would go all wrong."

"And you think things are quite alright now?"

As he saw another tear roll down her cheek, she looked away again, not answering his question. A moment later though, she softly said, "Yes. Yes, they are."

"You're lying." He said as he took a step towards her and raised his other hand which was not holding her wrist to wipe off her tears. "Tell me the truth and I'll let you go."

"Please, Arnav ji."

"The truth, Khushi." he said patiently.

"I had wished for it." She softly said when she finally realized that he won't let her go otherwise. "You did me a favour by kissing me, Arnav ji."

"Why would say that, Khushi? A favour?"

"I'm never going to feel what I felt - Nevermind." she said shrugging it off. "See, now I told you. Can I leave now, please?"

"What if I wanted to kiss you?" he said ignoring her plea. "What if...what if I had a similar wish?"

Her big brown eyes widened at that, but she didn't say anything.

"You - "

"Yes. You might have heard me right."

Her eyes became hopeful and happy for a moment before her expression changed, and with her voice strong and confident, she said, "No."

"Excuse me?"

"No." she said shaking her head, "You couldn't have had."

He gritted his teeth before looking straight into her eyes and saying, "I shouldn't tell you this but..." he paused to bring his face near her ear and whisper, "a week ago I spotted a shooting star."

When he heard her gasp rather loudly he backed up a bit. "Yup, that's right."

"You wished upon a shooting star? You?"

He should be taking offence, of course. Under normal circumstances he would have. But this was not normal. And Arnav Singh Raizada wishing upon a shooting star? Certainly not normal.

But in reply to her question, he just shrugged and said, "My sister made me." ...which was partly true actually.

"A week ago, you say?"

He nodded at that and noticed a thousand emotions flashing her face. "Why?"

"N-nothing." She said, "I just - I just have never seen wishes come true like this."

"It's quite surprising, isn't it?"

She nodded in agreement. For a while, both remained silent. A wave of wind came and played with their hair, and he saw her expression change to a melancholic one. He knew she had questions. He had, too. But he didn't have the answers, and neither did she. And so, before the things started to too complicated and ruin the special moment they had just shared, he slowly let her wrist go out of his hold. "Go."

She looked up at that. And was that a look of disappointment, he wondered? 

"Things will get better." He said assuring both himself and her. "I'll - I'll make sure of it."

"Go now." He said as he saw her eyes welling up again. Of course, she too must have had realised their circumstances. They weren't simple. They weren't easy and nor were they the most fortunate people in the world.

"Go, Khushi." He repeated, trying not to think of the unfortunate things. 

She nodded before she wiped her tears with the back of her palms and walked out of the pool area and left him staring at her back.

He smiled to himself. Maybe things were just not right with them right now. Maybe it had been his first time being lucky. But a wish had been granted. Can't a man wish for another?

After all, wishes did come true, sometimes even for the troubled and ill-fated lot.

Sighing deeply, and with a happy, hopeful feeling, he looked back at the stars. And waited... for another shooting star... for another wish to be granted to him just as he remembered a song his grandfather used to listen to when the times were good, and life was simple. 

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket

Never let it fade away

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket

Save it for a rainy day...

For love may come and tap you on the shoulder

Some starless nights

Just in case you feel, you wanna hold her

You'll have a pocketful of starlight 

And he smiled. He just smiled wondering if such a thing was possible... 

x--------------------------------x

Song - Perry Como: Catch a falling star

FYI, the scenes that I've used are not in the order of how it happened in the show.

Hope you all enjoyed reading it :-)