one step closer

one step closer

Chapter 7


‘Who’s Prithvi? What does he mean by this? If he’s not Prithvi then who am I talking with?’

Vidhya looked at his face to check whether it was the same person from whom she got her hall ticket. And she was now sure that he was the same guy. ‘But then why is he saying like this?’

“Sorry, I have some confusion. You are the one whom my hall ticket got exchanged with and I returned it back to you…”

His laughter stopped her in middle “ho so you thought I’m Prithvi?” he laughed again getting her irritated.

Seeing her face expression he controlled his laugh and said “yes I’m the one whom you bumped on that day and then didn’t bother to look at the person. And I was the one who returned your hall ticket.”

“So why is your name not Prithvi?” Vidhya asked him.

“Because that hall ticket was not mine, it was my cousin Prithvi’s.”

“ohh.” Vidhya gasped, but still her confusion was not cleared.

“First let me say my name. I should have introduced myself before. I’m Tejas and friends call me Tej.” He showed his hand to her and she shook it and they laughed slightly.

“That day during your end semester exam I came in here to get admission for my first year MBA. Prithvi is my cousin who was then studying b-com final year. He forgot his hall ticket and since I was coming to college that day I grabbed his hall ticket from his house. And what happened next you know right..”

She nodded her head and they laughed about her misconception.

Soon they started to meet frequently and then friendship bloomed followed by love. They convinced their parents and they liked Vidhya and Tej and they accepted it. Vidhya’s father venkat was quiet hesitant initially seeing Tej’s family’s status level. But then he too accepted after getting to know their character. They were really humble of a kind.

Yesterday was May 17[SUP]th[/SUP], marking 1 year anniversary after he proposed her last year. He just made it special and gifted her that diamond bracelet.

“What happened? Dreaming huh?” Mythili asked her sister Vidhya bringing her out of her thoughts.

Her cheeks turned red and Mythili said “vidhu, do you have any idea to go for shopping today?” Vidhya nodded her head “then run, we are getting late.” Mythili said.
………………….
“Wow! This shop does look great.” Mythili said to her sister.

They were standing outside RS jewelers that belonged to Tej’s family. They came here to do few more shopping for the engagement day.

The shop was in Tej’s parents Rajendran and Sarojini’s name-RS. They had come in here to get few jewels.

Mythili’s smile disappeared as Raghav came out to welcome them with his parents and brother. She plastered a smile and pretended as if he didn’t exist there.
The elders found themselves a place in the office room and wanted to discuss regarding the engagement. They asked the young generation to select jewels for Vidhya by themselves.

Mythili’s mother Anuradha before leaving pulled Mythili for a private talk and asked her to get a jewel set for her if she likes. Mythili denied it saying “let’s first get for Vidhya ma, already I have many jewels and I’m not much interested in selecting one for myself.”

Anuradha was surprised hearing her reply. Her younger daughter, whom she considered quiet immature than her elder one shown out to be the one who understood the situation and behaved accordingly. Still she once again asked her not to worry about the money and get one for herself. Mythili just smiled in reply.

The young blood moved to the jewel set section. Vidhya started selecting for herself and Tejas was giving her ideas. Raghav who had gone out to attend a phone call came in and found Mythili smiling to herself. As she heard footsteps near her she lifted her head and found him standing near her. He arched his eyebrows asking why she was smiling alone.

She arched eyebrows and showed him Vidhya and Tejas side.

A smile crept in Raghav’s lips as he looked at the future couple. Tej was holding an earing from the jewel set close to Vidhya’s ear and they both were looking each other in the mirror, they quiet forgot the surrounding and were staring their image in the mirror for quiet longer time. Raghav cleared his throat bringing them back to reality.

Vidhya’s slightly blushed and Tejas smiled sheepishly, waving his hand between his hairs. Raghav turned to Mythili and pulled her in for a conversation.

“You are not selecting huh?” he asked her.

“No, it’s Vidhya’s marriage not mine.” She replied back.

“I know that.” He said to her.

“Then why are you asking me?” she enquired him back.

“I asked why you are not selecting one for yourself.”

“I’m not that interested to get one.” She shook her shoulders and replied.

“Ho.. at least just look at few model. You might like something.” He gave her an idea.

“No.. uhhmm..” she was searching for few words. Before she could find something to
say Raghav turned to Vidhya and said “Your sister is so selfish anni.”

“Why so?” Tejas asked his brother.

“She’s not helping me in selecting a jewel set for my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” the three asked in union.

“Yes, is there anything wrong for a 22 year old who’s going to be 23 in 6 months to
have a girlfriend?” he asked them back.

Two heads nodded and one head was too shocked to respond.

“Who’s that bro? Do I know her?” Tej asked his brother. He was sure that Raghav was just kidding.

“Yes, obviously you have seen her. She’s the one who’s going to come tomorrow from Hyderabad for your engagement.” He said and Tejas smiled at him.

Vidhya looked confused, the same was with Mythili, but she was extra confused plus irritated and she couldn’t just imagine him having a girlfriend.

Raghav smiled to himself seeing Mythili’s state.
“So Mythili are you going to help me in selecting one or not?” he asked her.
Mythili agreed to him not wishing him to call her selfish one more time.

“I don’t think she’ll like these gold stuff.. Better check in diamond section; Remember last time she said she wanted one.” Tej said to his brother.

‘oh why wouldn’t she not like gold? Only diamond and platinum huh? Too much.. why does he have such a demanding girl friend? And what does last time mean? Does she always get jewels from him? Does he spend his whole money just for her jewels? Anyways why should I care about this stranger and his stupid girlfriend.. let him spend his whole savings on her.. ’ Mythili cursed the unknown girlfriend of Raghav to herself.

Mythili followed Raghav to the diamond and platinum section.

Tejas chuckled and explained the unsaid to his confused fiancée “don’t start to think he has one girl friend. I said you about my cousin sister Meena akka na? Vidhya nodded her head and Tejas continued. “Her daughter Roja is whom he’s speaking about.” Vidhya laughed.

Roja was a 12 year old girl. She liked both her uncle Tejas and Raghav. Raghav was her favorite one though, the one with whom she fought the most and enjoyed the most too. They both always fought like small kids, but then at the end they’ll just be back together. Raghav taunted her all the time and one of which included him calling her as his girlfriend. Roja got irritated and asked him to buy some jewels from his pocket money coz it’s his duty. When Raghav got her a small gold stud, she asked him to get one in diamond next. That’s what Tej was reminding his brother. It was not a serious one though.

But Mythili who didn’t know about any of this reluctantly went to select for Raghav. Raghav asked them to bring a collection of diamond pendant.

Mythili quiet forgot that she was selecting for her enemy. Raghav or his girlfriend or both of them can be considered as her present enemy.

She really loved a small pendant which had two hearts one slightly overlapping the other. It was a small one with few diamond and red stone studded in it. it was like two hearts together making one or you can say two souls and one heart.. a perfect sign of love. Mythili really loved it so much that she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Raghav noticed this and asked her “this one is great right.” She nodded her head.

“I guess I’ll get this for her.. uhmm my girlfriend.”

Mythili got back to her senses. She didn’t want Raghav to give this to his evil girlfriend. She searched for some stupid naïve reason to not let him get this one.

“No.. no.. this is not that good to be gifted. It has very few diamond stones and it’s so small in size. Your uhmm that girl wouldn’t like this for sure.”

Raghav scratched his head and said “I’m very much mixed up in selecting.. Let me better bring her here and let her select instead. You know if she doesn’t like the one I select for her and gets angry then I’m all gone.” He chuckled.

But Mythili didn’t find it funny. ‘Then why did I waste all my time here? If you never had idea of getting this gift without her then why did you call me at the first place? Go bring your girlfriend in here and make your bank balance zero.’ Mythili thought these to herself. Raghav belonged to the groom side and she would earn a problem had she said it out loud. So she just cursed her fate and mind talked her reply.

In the middle of her mental talk she didn’t hear Raghav’s phone ringing.

“100 years!” he said to her holding the mouth of the phone so the person in the other end wouldn’t hear.

“What?” Mythili asked him.

“It’s my girlfriend on the phone. We were speaking about her and she ringed at the exact time.. ” He replied immediately and continued his talk on the phone. “hi sweetie..”

‘100 years? Let her live but not with Raghav. Hey wait why am I saying like that? I don’t care about him or his so called girl. Actually I just don’t want that innocent girl to waste her life with this devil. And that’s the reason for me to say so. And what did he call her as? Sweetie? My foot... Too sugary to be called as’

Raghav ended his call and looked at her with a grin and said “She agreed that she would select it by herself.”

‘Whatever…’

“What’s her name?” Mythili asked him the first time about her.

Raghav laughed to himself clearly understanding her state. “Let me give you a clue
instead. It’s found in many place, in many colors, and loved by many people.”

“Is her name gems? Or some chocolate huh?” Mythili asked him back sarcastically.

But Raghav laughed at her instead “Mythili you are still a child, you have to grow up.
Her name is..” he paused and said “Rose.”

‘Rose? Does people keep name like this? I thought it was found only in titanic film. And why does he behave so filmy when it comes to her? Does he imagine himself as her jack?’

She simply nodded her head and they both went to Tejas and Vidhya.

They had selected two necklace set for Vidhya and one bracelet for Tejas which was supposed to given to him by Vidhya’s brother during the function during the night before his marriage date.

Venkat paid the money for it and they had lunch in the nearby hotel and then Vidhya’s family departed to the hotel and Tejas family to his house.

All the relatives of Vidhya reached there the next day evening. The preparation for the engagement was on full on speed. All the responsibilities were taken by the groom side according to the custom.

The function was planned to be held in Tejas house itself.

Tejas and Vidhya eagerly slept that night dreaming how the function tomorrow will be. The date for their marriage will be fixed tomorrow.
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thanks for all those who have replied fr my work..