Chapter 34

His eyes met hers and everything stopped. For her and for him. She could feel the intensity in his eyes which she has never felt before. It was new. But without wasting a minute she averted her eyes and made her way to her friends.

Shrithik felt something bubbling up in him. The way she averted her gaze made it clear that something was wrong.

He got up and made her way towards her but she got up and made her way out of the mall. Not giving him any chance to speak to her.

She continued this the whole day. She stayed with her friends, talking to them the rest of the day. Always surrounded by someone.

She was doing it because now that she realised that she liked him, she's feeling a lot more than before. And as she knows that he likes Shrishti, she should not have any feelings for him.

After having her dinner, when she was going back to her room with her friends, she was pulled by her elbow in a dark room and pinned to the wall.

Soon lights were switched on and the culprit was revealed. And he was none other than Shrithik himself.

"What are you doing old man?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"What am I doing? What are you doing?"

"Well for now, I am being pinned by the wall and I'm not able to breathe properly because there is no distance between us."

She snapped and he rolled his eyes.

"Bear it. I'm not gonna move until you tell me why you are avoiding me?"

"Avoiding you? I'm not avoiding you. What can I do if my friends want to talk to me and were by my side for the whole day?"

He crouched down a little so that his face was in front of hers.

"So you are not avoiding me?"

She shook her head in no and he released her.

"Okay then. You may leave."

Without wasting a minute she ran away. He stretched and sighed.

He knew that she was avoiding him but he was not willing to stretch that small topic that they might fight. Afterall, who knew it better than him where to stop and where to not?

She ignored him for the other day also. It was Tuesday and somehow Jay managed to get her agree to go with him to the sabji mandi (a big vegetable market) to get mangoes.

Shrithik who was suspecious of Jay and was dead set on observing Sameera to get why she was avoiding him, followed them.

Jay and Sameera were quite normal thanks to her abilities to act indifferent.

Shrithik gasped a big gasp as he saw her laughing at something Jay said.

She has been avoiding him for 24 hours and 52 minutes and she's here laughing with that lame guy? Yikes.

Narrowing his eyes he dialed Shrey's number waiting for him to pick up.

As soon as he picked up Shrithik started speaking.

"She has totally ghosted me buddy. Do you know that she didn't even look at me? No she didn't. She has been avoiding me and here she is laughing on something lame that lame Jay guy said in sabji mandi inspecting mangoes. And who the hell taught her that? I fucking did it."

He gritted the last past and Shrey groaned. With a sleepy voice he asked

"What time it is in India?"

"5:00 pm. Why?"

"Because it is 7:30 a.m. in Canada and I was sleeping. And the bastard whose name is Shrithik freaking Chauhan disturbed my sleep, because he seems to have a problem with my sleep."

"Stop whining like a baby. Tell me what to do. Because I swear if she continues ghosting me I'll add paneer and cheese to everything she eats."

"Will you shut up and let me sleep?"

"No. Tell me why she is ghosting me."

"Ughhh. By anyhow did she see you eyeing any girl? Let it be in a magazine or in real. Did you eye any girl in front of her?"

Shrithik furrowed his eyebrows and scrunched up his nose. How will he know if he ogled someone in front of her? He must be busy staring.

"I......don't know."

"Then leave it. She will talk to you when she wants. It's not that of a big deal. And you also ghost me out of nowhere. Bear it."

"But she is avoiding me and only me."

And when he saw her hitting Jay on his hand playfully, he gritted

"Shrey. I'm gonna bash his head on a car."

Shrey sighed.

"That lame Jay guy's?"

"Yeah. And I'm telling you all the 28 bones of his skull are gonna pop out."

"You are jealous."

"Yea- What?! Jealous? Me? Don't talk nonsense."

He snapped and Shrey rolled his eyes.

"What I'm saying is absolutely right."

"No. You are not. Why will I be jealous?"

Shrey sighed. Shrithik was really an oblivious fellow.

"Because you like her-"

"No. I d-"

"Shut up and listen to me otherwise I'm hanging up and blocking you. Got it?"

"Yeah. Continue."

"Well. My friend here will give you the proof."

Saying this Shrey gave his phone to his roommate who was popular by the name of Love Guru in the whole campus.

"Yo bro! I'm Love Guru. Now tell me what's your problem. I have solution to every relationship problem."

That guy whose name is still unknown spoke in Indian accent.

"You are an Indian?"

"Yes I am. But leave that. Tell me your problem. Ahh! Leave that also. I know your problem. Tell me does something slow down when you look into her eyes?"

Shrithik tried to remember if something like that happened. And it did happen a day before. Nothing slowed down, everything just stopped.

"Yeah. It did. Everything stopped."

"Are you feeling like you could kill the guy she is laughing with right now?"

"Definitely."

He spoke and the Love Guru on the other side of the phone smirked.

"Have you ever thought of kissing her?"

Shrithik ran his hands through his hair. That love Guru guy is annoying.

"Please pass the phone to Shrey."

He said and the person on the otherside laughed.

"She must be really hot that you can't tell me."

"I'll kill you!"

Shrithik growled and the person on the otherside smiled.

"That's it. You like her. Maybe you even love her."

Shrithik suddenly went silent and Love Guru gave the phone to Shrey.

"You got the answer? You like her and I know you are understanding what my friend said. Bye- and one more thing. The anger that you feel when she talks to some other guy is called jealousy. Bye."

Saying this Shrey hung up and Shrithik just stood where he was looking at his phone.

He likes her?

From what he got to know just a moment ago, he definitely does.

That poor guy who just now realised that he could feel two more emotions was in deep thought when Sameera saw him.

With furrowed eyebrows, hands interwined, wearing a reddish brown tshirt and a pair of glasses, which she gave him on friendship day, he was staring at another girl. What she didn't know was that he was zoned out once again.

This time Sameera couldn't control herself and stormed towards him. Pinching him hard she growled

"Stop ogling girls."

A confused Shrithik made a confused expression. Sameera narrowed her eyes at him. Once again pinched him hard and then muttering a loud 'idiot' she stormed towards Jay, hooked her hand with his and walked out of the mandi with a confused Jay by her side.

Shrithik once again dialed Shrey's number. Shrey barked as soon as he picked up

"What now?"

"I think she is also jealous."

Love Guru snatched the phone out of Shrey's hand and asked

"And why do you think so?"

"Because she pinched me hard two times and told me to stop ogling girls."

Love Guru laughed and said

"She totally likes you bro. She totally likes you."

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Sameera continued avoiding and ignoring Shrithik for one more day. The whole day of Wednesday, which was also the day of haldi ki rasm was spent by Shrithik trying to talk to her and her ignoring him.

On Thursday when all the girls were on their way to the temple to perform the ritual of Mata Pujan he kidnapped her. Not literally. He just dragged her out of there.

"What are you doing?"

She asked as soon as she was out of her friends' hearing zone and freed her elbow from his hold.

"You are coming with me."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"To where?"

"Zoo."

"Zoo? I don't want to go to the zoo."

She said and looked sideways.

Just acting. She was so much dying to go to the zoo. In her twenty years of living she has never been to zoo.

"But you have to come. You know how much I'm afraid of animals."

Shrithik spoke in a girly tone and made a scared expression.

Sameera scoffed. There was literally nothing on this planet that could scare him. He once picked up a frog and a chamilion barehand.

Without saying anything Shrithik flung his hand on her shoulder and started walking. They both were totally quiet when Sameera noticed that they were walking on a road with small food stalls on each side. There was literally nothing else than the food stalls and the large amount of people in each stall.

"Old man. Where are we?"

She asked and he looked at her.

"You see how many food stalls are here. I was thinking to chop you into pieces and add those pieces into a well made Biryani. And then I'll also open a stall with the name 'Special Sameera Biryani'. You good with that?"

He said and she hit him in his stomach.

"Shut up old man. I know the name of this place. It's at the tip of my tounge."

"Then let it be there. And just walk."

"Old man!! Please. Tell me."

She whined and he smirked.

"Nuh-uh. Just let your brain get strained for some time."

She pouted.

"This is not fair. First you are not telling me and then these smell are distracting me. How will I concentrate?"

"Don't concentrate. It doesn't suit you."

"Please. Old man. Tell me the name of this place."

"No. It's confidential."

Suddenly a bulb lit up in Sameera's brain.

"I remember now. It is-"

"Khau Galli"

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Haldi ki rasm (haldi: turmeric)

Haldi ceremony is one in which turmeric paste is applied on the body of the bride and groom before their wedding. The Haldi ceremony is held on the morning of the wedding day at the bride and groom's home or at the wedding venue. In some cultures it is performed beforehand. It has scientific reasons as turmeric is known as an antibiotic and it is believed that it helps in purification.

Mata Pujan/ Gauri Pujan

Gauri Puja is considered a woman's festival – with both, married and unmarried women praying to the Goddess Parvati. While married women thank the goddess for their happy marriages and great husbands, unmarried ones pray for the same. This is why this prayer holds a special place in weddings.