Her phone shrilled from the bedside. She stretched her arm and picked up the call, her head still burrowed under the pillow.

'Who is he?' came a loud question from the other end. It could only be one person: Maya, her best friend. 

'Why are you calling me this early in the morning?'

'It is not early and don't change the topic,' Maya warned, 'Who is he?'

'Who?' Ragini drawled, still too tired after the wedding festivities the past two nights before her brother Suraj and his wife Meera flew away for their honeymoon.

'Don't even pretend you don't know what I am talking about. Just because I haven't had a chance to get you alone to ask you about him since the wedding didn't mean I didn't see it.'

Ragini felt her heartbeat skip. She still for a minute before quietly saying, 'I don't know what you are talking about.'

'Liar!' Maya yelled into the phone. 'You want me to believe handsome men carry you in their arms every day?'

Ragini bit her lip and squeezed her eyes.

'Don't even think about lying now,' came Maya's stern voice.

'I dont know,' Ragini replied softly.

'What do you mean you don't know?' Maya huffed. 'Come over right now.'

'I am tired.'

'I don't want to hear those excuses. You are coming over now ...unless you want me to come over and ask you in front of Janki Aunty.'

Ragini gasped, springing up in her bed. 'You wont!'

All Ragini heard from the other end was a loud evil laugh.

***

Ragini rushed to her bike glancing at the watch all the time. She had half an hour more before she had to be at Maya's house. She had no doubt that her best friend would make her threat come true if she didn't turn up. Her mother was like a second mother to Maya after all. 

When she reached her bike–the only thing she was allowed to drive ...for now–she saw that someone else had been there before. Three stems of pink oriental lilies rested on the seat with a ribbon tied around and a card hanging from it. Ragini looked around. There was no one. She picked up the flowers. Her favourites. The card had just one word: Friends?

Who left these? What the hell did that mean? 

'Bahadur!'

The man in question rushed towards her. 'Yes Madam?'

'Who kept these?'

Bahadur looked confused and shook his head. 

Ragini started at him, narrowing her eyes, but the man stuck to his confused expression. Finally Ragini huffed, hung the flowers to the small hook in front of the seat and started her bike. She would deal with him later. Right now getting to Maya was more important.

Ragini had just stepped out of the gates of her house when a loud horn boomed. Ragini applied quick brakes, standing on her feet quickly as she looked around. Her heart ticking faster as the sudden noise. Her eyes fell on the person standing next to the source of that noise. 

Sanskar.

Her eyes widened seeing his bright smiling face. Her lips parted letting in waves of nervousness that set her head buzzing with crazy thoughts. 

'So?' he asked nonchalantly, jerking his chin towards her. 

All she could do was watch him open mouthed, her brows now furrowing on their own volition. 'What?'

He chuckled. 'That is really your favourite word, isn't it?'

'What are you doing here?' she asked, her brows creasing deeper now along with her frown.

'I wanted to see you and get your answer in person.'

'What answer?'

'The one on the card,' he said leaning against his car.

'You sent these flowers?' 

'I can see you liked them.'

Ragini crossed her arms, 'No I didn't.'

'You didn't like your favourite flowers?' His lips curled into a soft smile that made the pulse on Ragini's neck race some more. 

'How do you know they are my favourite flowers?'

'What would that say about me if I didn't even know the favourites of the person that I love.'

'You don't love me. You don't even know me.'

'I know enough to fall in love with you,' he said pushing away from the car, 'and the rest, we will have a lifetime together to know.'

'That will never happen. I am not interested in you.'

'Are you really sure about that? Want to test that by becoming my friend?'

'Nothing will change. And you know it too! That is why you are talking about friendship now.' 

Sanskaar grined, 'Friendship is the first step of love.' 

'I don't make friends with people I don't like.'

'Is that why you kept the flowers? Because you don't like me?'

'I didn't know they were from you.'

'Now you do,' Sanskaar said, raising his eyebrow.

'I dont take the dislike of certain people out on innocent flowers,' Ragini said primly.

'What about the innocent person who bought those flowers?' Sanskaar's smile grew brighter as he took a step forward.

'You are not innocent.'

'What have I done to be tagged that?'

Ragini narrowed her eyes, 'You know what you have done.'

'You mean saving you?'

'You didn't have to carry me around for that!'

'You didn't object much to it.'

'What was it when I was screaming at you to put me down?'

Sanskaar took another step forward. 'What was it when you stopped objecting and stayed quiet?'

'I was being passive aggressive,' she muttered, her eyes still watching him through narrow slits.

He opened his mouth wide, 'Ahh! Is that what it was?' he asked smiling, shaking his head. 'I would have told you it wouldn't work on me.' 

Ragini looked away fuming, The guy just didn't give up! 

'Where are you going?' he asked nodding at her bike.

Maya! Ragini's eyes widened as she realised she was getting late. She needed to get away. Quick. 

'I will drop you,' Sanskaar said, not waiting for her answer.

'Why? I can go on my own.' 

Sanskaar shrugged his shoulder. 'You have to give me a chance to prove my innocence after that comment.'

'Don't you have any work to do?'

'It is not as important as you.'

Ragini rolled her eyes. The guy had walked straight out of some romantic movie sprouting cheese dialogues. Do you best. It wont work on me!

Sanskaar smiled and walked a little closer, 'My Nana says that if you are smart, hardworking and determined enough, you can make up for lost work. But if you find a girl that make you realise what love really is–make your heart come alive–never let her go. You wont find that again.'

'So you are unemployed,' she shot back.

'Let me drive you,' he said softly, looking her in the eye, 'Give me a chance to show you the real me.'

'I don't go anywhere with strangers.'

Sanskaar took a step closer, his eyes focused on her, his voice soft but serious, 'I am Sanskaar Pratap Singh.' 

A step forward. 

'Besides my parents, its just my sister and me in the family here in Mumbai. I thought we were enough. Until I met you. Now, I feel that my family is incomplete without you in it.'

Another step.

'I am not unemployed. I run my own business. I worked hard to build it and I am proud of it. It is small but growing fast and makes enough profit. But that profit and success wont mean much if I cannot use to to ensure that I look after you and your every desire.'

Another step closer. 

'I know you want to have a career of your own. I respect that about you. I want to be there with you–by your side–supporting you.'

Ragini felt her hands growing colder. Her heart beat raced. Her stomach felt as though she had a squash ball bouncing inside of it faster and faster as he came closer.

'I want to be there with you, to catch you before you fall; to make you smile.'

Ragini looked up at Sanskaar. He was standing less than a feet away from her. His eyes boring into hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried hard to look away.

He tucked a wayward fringe of her hair behind her ear. 'And I love you.'

***

Ragini tossed again. That was all she had done the entire night. All because of him. Sanskaar!

She had managed to escape him and run away before he could play with her head anymore. She had nearly broken two signals before she made it to Maya's house ten minutes late. She hadn't broken those signals before of her rush to get to Maya. No. They had been because of that ...that stupid man–handsome but stupid idiotic man. She had been distracted all evening wondering how the hell did he know so much about her. 

It was what had kept her awake.

She refused to attribute any of it to his deep black eyes that bore into her soul, scaring to spill her deepest secrets. She also refused to believe that it had anything to do with the words he spoke–cheesy that they were–or maybe even heartfelt that they were.

She huffed and punched her pillow letting out a growl before slumping on to the pillow again. She loved sleeping. And it was bloody 4AM in the morning already and not a wink! 

***

A scream woke her up. She sat in the bed, startled, confused, unsure about whether it was a dream or some illusion. Then she heard it again. Her mom. 

A quick glance revealed that it was 10AM already. She felt drowsy still. She wanted to sleep. After another yell, she sighed and got out of the bed and walked down the stairs into the living room.

'Why are you screaming, mom?' Ragini drawled.

Janki was watching her with raised eyebrows, her hands on her waist as she stared her daughter down.

'What?' Ragini asked catching her eye, frowning. What had she done now?'

Janki moved aside to reveal a really big bouquet of pink oriental lilies.

Ragini's eyes caught on the flowers. There were a lot of them. It must have cost someone a fortune. 

'They came for you.' Her mother's voice was pointed.

 Ragini's eyes snapped to look at Janki. Her heartbeat spiked.  Sanskaar. It had to be Sanskaar.

'Who sent them?' Janki asked, sharply.

Panic shot through Ragini. She opened her mouth a couple of times to speak. What was she supposed to say. She was going to kill Sanskaar for this. 'I ...'

'You what?'

'Didn't they come with a card?' Ragini asked, pulling a blank look quickly. Years of training under the tutelage of her father. 

'If there was one, why would I have asked you?' Janki asked narrowing her eyes.

'How would I know then?'

'So someone randomly send you flowers worth at least 15-20 thousand rupees?' Janki asked crossing her arm.

Ragini shrugged. 'Are you sure they are for me?'

'Is there any other Ragini Rathore in this house? Anyone else who likes pink oriental lilies?'

***

Ragini started at the flowers in her room. She had played innocent with her mom all through the grilling. Finally, her mother and huffed and let her know this wasn't the end of it. It had gotten worse when Ragini had suggested bringing the flowers back into her room. They were her favourites. She didn't want to throw them away. If someone made a mistake, they would come and pick these up, she had told her mother–knowing well no one who come for them.

Now here she was staring at the flowers and wondering about their sender: Sanskaar. 

What was she to make of the man? She felt like she was all over the place. Normally, she would have spoken to Maya on this, except that Maya was all for her being with the handsome dude as she described Sanskaar. She hadn't even told Maya about the first bunch of flowers because of that. This! This was out of the question. 

She needed to talk to Sanskaar. Get him to stop this ...this madness. If he sent a bigger bouquet next time, her mother would grill her to death. 

She started at the flowers again. They looked beautiful. He had spend a fortune of them. Stupid man! 

How was she going to get hold of him. She didn't know much besides his name. She didn't even have his number. Who could help her? He had come for her brother's wedding. She was sure he wasn't related to any of the guest of their side. He had to be on her Bhabhi, Meera's list unless he gate crashed. No. He was dressed for the wedding. 

She bit her lip, stared at the phone for a long time before taking a deep breath and dialling her Bhabhi's number.

'What is it now?' Suraj asked

'Now that you are with Bhabhi, you cannot even say a simple hello?' Ragini complained.

'Oh it's you' 

'What do you mean it's me?'

'I thought it was that family friend of Meera's again. He is hellbent on destroying our honeymoon. If he calls again ...when I get my hands on him–'

'What?'

'What?' Suraj asked in a distracted voice, 'Sorry. That Sanskaar ...'

Ragini's heart raced. Sanskaar had called Bhabhi? That was how he knew about her favourites. He had been bothering her brother and Meera Bhabhi on their honeymoon. He really was crazy!

'Why did you call?' Suraj asked.

'I want to talk to Bhabhi. Why are you picking up her phone?' Ragini asked moving away from Sanskaar's topic quickly.

'I am guarding her phone from his calls,' Suraj said, 'Why do all of you want to talk to her? You are not even giving us some time alone.'

'The sooner you put Bhabhi on the phone the sooner you can have your private time,' Ragini said primly. 

There was some hushed whispering on the other end before her Bhabhi got on the line. 'Sorry about that. Your brother has gone crazy–'

'I am not crazy' her brother's voice could be heard from the other end.

'–what did you want to talk about?'

'Who is Sanskaar?'

Thanks so much for reading. Do let me know if this is a story that you want me to continue writing. If it is boring, then I wont spend more time on it. 

If you do like it, please do vote and comment. It helps me know if I am actually writing something that is interesting.