STRANGERS

Humming to old classics we came under the shade of...

♫♫Aksar Is Duniya Mein , Anjaane Milte Hain

Anjaani Raaho Mein, Milke Kho Jaate Hain

Lekin Humesha Woh Yaad Aate Hain ♫♫

INDIA (At around 11:30 at night)

"Zara tasveer se tu nikalke saamne aa meri mehbooba..." the voice of the person brought him out of his memory retrieve to realize the earphone which was plugged in, was out from mobile's socket already and the song was now playing for each creature present in that area to hear which included just him and the stranger before him.

"May I?" her voice was soft and polite and he just nodded not knowing if he was to deny with all the what if's going on in his mind but again he remembered what once his lady had told ,

"Manik, however bad they may be but if they have started a conversation with politeness it's our duty to return it."

And how could he not oblige to her when he was sitting by the same cliff which have listened to each and every talk and witnessed every moment of their 7 years of togetherness.

"So? "after stopping the song he raised an eyebrow at the stranger who have now made herself comfortable in his car's bonnet " You love calmness that comes with this breeze caressing your skin now and then or it's just that you are found of stargazing ? "

At his this question she stared at him like she could see past the calmness in him. He quickly adverted his gaze and shifted quiet uncomfortably under her gaze. She as if understanding his hesitation looked ahead.

"What if I say I want to be a storm shaking the foundation from depth and this breeze is all about the smell of someone close lingering in air. "

Listening to her he felt like he was talking to himself only. The only difference being she spoke all this with a smile while he was always a serious person.

Not knowing what to speak he voiced out the first thought that came to his mind.

"Then stargazing?" she chuckled at that and replied,"I love the chaos surrounding the cosmos rather than the twinkles of this stars."

"Seems like we are sailing on the same boat ." he spoke keeping his eyes fixed on the sky ahead where the tiny stars where shining but the moon he admired the most was nowhere in sight.

Maybe because she was not there with him. His Moon. His Love.

But again not wanting to flow in the flood of emotions that comes with her name he decided to rather speak to this stranger only. As if guessing his thoughts she spoke herself,

"So, what do you think about this calmness?" she asked while closing the eyes and feeling the breeze caress her skin. But the way she did that just made him remember his girl who will do the same every time they were here.

And without knowing he spoke what he used to, every time he saw her.

"Beautiful.." that one word was enough to make the stranger to open the eyes wide and look at him. That's when he was brought out of his admiring session and he quickly adverted his gaze and turned next side.

Not getting any reply for long he turned to have a look and found her staring at him. He again quickly adverted his gaze and that's when he listened a slight chuckle leaving from her. He was embarrassed.

"She will be lucky.." he looked at her with confusion clear in his face. " The one in whose photo you were so lost that you didn't even realize anyone's presence around you.."

He smiled at that but a rather sad one as if fighting an inner turmoil of either saying anything or not.

"Yeah. She is my love. My Nandini. After about..." he looked at his mobile for the time.." 20 minutes it's supposed to be our seventh anniversary. " but there was no enthusiasm in his voice.

"What went wrong then?" she asked out of blue and he look startled. "She is not here simply says that something is not right." he was uncomfortable at this.

"It's okay if you don't want to share. I understand. " she said while keeping her hand in his and squeezing slightly. And again he remembered her voice,

"Sometimes it's better to let it out infront of someone who does not know you cause they won't judge . It's okay to speak Manik."

"We crossed many hurdles in our life and thought we could do the same this time too. But guess what, long distance relationships are truly not meant to last." he said remembering how he refused to go to the airport when she had to leave for LONDON as he knew he won't be able to let her go . A big opportunity it was for her and he was the one who convinced her to go but with difference in land and time they too drifted apart.

"Umm..where is she now?" the stranger asked in a calm voice .." LONDON. She is there to pursue her dreams and she is doing great. I am so proud of her." he said remembering how she was doing her best and he was somewhere happy that at least he could be a part of her journey though that was coming to an end.

" How long?" she asked and he replied without hesitation as if the stranger was no long a stranger but a long lost friend. " 3 years. "

"I didn't ask that actually. I meant to ask how long since you guys last talked?"

"5 months." he replied with a monotonous voice. He still clearly remembers how they decided that it was time they get over it. Neither was it a goodbye nor something like it's over just a final I love you's were shared and the line was dead. After that neither he called her nor did she.

Their birthday's too came and went but neither of them were strong enough to wish each other rather seeing her photo and crying to sleep was his favorite hobby. The dark circles were clear indication of his sleepless nights.

"And I thought it was years. " she said with a laughter and he was angry. And without thinking he shouted.."How dare you say that? Do you know what's it like to lose her? It's like I am dying inside bit by bit." she stared at him with slight tears in her eyes but was quick enough to blink them back.

Don't know why but he felt guilty looking at her who was string at the sky above. HE didn't know what to say when Nandini's voice again filled his mind,

"You should learn to apologize Malhotra. It does not reduce your height you know." she had said this teasing him when he was finding it hard to apologize.

"We were together for 5 years " the stranger spoke and he looked at her. There was a longing in her eyes and pain whose intensity was so much that he could not even think about it.

" You know the best part, it was our anniversary. 5th anniversary. And he had said he was planning a surprise for me. I somewhere knew he was going to ask me for marriage and I was on cloud nine. That feeling was out of the world." she had now turned to face him .

" I waited at the venue for like hours and he didn't come. After dozens calls and messages my phone rang with his name and that's how our long-distance relationship started ." she seemed like she was relieving the whole thing.

He didn't know what to say but again composing himself he asked.

"Are..Are you guys together now?" he asked with a shaky voice dreading the answer of what if she was facing something like him. What if this long distance didn't worked for her as well?

"Yeah. We are. Seems like this long distance that you say didn't affect us though we were the one with the longest distance one could ever have." she said with a chuckle and he could not decipher what that meant.

"Wanna meet him?" she asked him with all the more enthusiasm. He look flabbergasted at that. He just nodded not knowing what more to say..

"Out there. " she pointed at the sky." The farthest star shining dimly at the corner. That's him. My Abhi. " she said and it took just a second for him to realize what she meant. His voiced ditched him and he kept staring at her when a tear left her eye but she quickly wiped it.

"The phone call was about him meeting with an accident and till the time I reached he was gone. I didn't even get to hear his voice last time or hold his hand to tell he will be okay . We will be okay. He just went by giving me the biggest surprise of my life."

And before he could say anything his phone rang indicating it was 12 o'clock. The start of his seventh anniversary and she was not there.

"At least you can wish her , it's just one flight to take you to her but I cannot even do that. After few days it's our anniversary and after 3 years I still get confused whether to smile remembering the day we met or cry remembering he was lost in the abyss from where there is no return."

As soon as she completed, he took her in a bone crushing hug. She hugged him back knowing she needed that too..

"I don't know what he was like but if he loved you like you do , he will have just wanted to say, there is someone almost exactly the same like me but just a little bit funnier, a little bit emotional and simply a better version of me waiting for his lady love. "

"By the way, I didn't catch your name?" he asked breaking the hug.

"Abhi's LOVE." she replied forwarding a hand and he shook it with a grin and replied,

"Nandini's HUMESHA."

While in LONDON at same time

"Main duniya bhoola dungi teri chahat mein.." finally she came out of her thoughts full of him to stare at the stranger looking at her with a curious eyes.

"Hmm?" she asked unsure of what he meant? Was he trying to flirt? But by the looks it didn't look so and he just confirmed it.

"You were so lost in your world like mein duniya bhula doongi types.." he said and chuckled himself while she gave him are you serious look.

"Sorry , that's my habit to crack lame jokes. But hey, it works sometimes." he said in his defense and she smiled at that and gestured for him to have a sit across her.

"So?" she raised an eyebrow at him gesturing to the empty coffee shop and he coming to sit beside her. His eyes held that mischievous glint and she knew what was coming next so without giving him time to speak she spoke herself.

"Except for the fact that I am beautiful and you are here to flirt ." he laughed heartily at that.

"Touche. " she too smiled , a small one though but after a long time she was doing so and the credit really went to the person sitting in front of her.

"You really know how to read a person or am I someone special? " he asked her while she just shrugged and thanked the waiter who brought her order and he did the same.

"You are too predictable." she replied but something hit her mind almost instantly.

"You are so predictable, Manik. " and that child like pout he had given her. How much cute he looked? His greek god like sharp features where no any comparison to how cute he looked. And that was reserved just for her.

"Hello" .."hmm?" she came out of her memory lane to find a curious stranger before her.

"You seem distracted. " he said while taking a sip of his espresso and scrunching his nose in distaste. His each move was observed clearly by her.

"Seems like you don't like the taste of it ." she said while taking the sip of her black coffee and somewhere she too hated the taste.

"Guess what, I can say the same looking at your expression." he said while again taking a sip of his espresso and this time too the taste was no different.

"Okay so here I am using the girl's first card. " he pouted at that and it was really funny that she could not stop herself from laughing out loud.

"Hey, you are laughing like I seem so bad. My girl loves me for that cuteness only." he said with a pout again .

"Yeah sure." saying so she controlled her laugh but the giggles were still escaping.

"If you don't stop I won't tell anything." he said she finally gestured him to speak by putting her finger in her lips stating she will keep quiet.

"If I explain in my way, it will take more than a day so I will tell in that boring way with no any dramatic essence. " and to this she could just roll her eyes. Seriously without a drama.

"You know long distance relationship sucks. " and that made her shiver in her place. Was his condition too like her? Was the person he loved too not with him? The what if's brought her back the memories of this 5 months where she didn't have one night without nightmares .

There didn't went one day she wrote something to her manik just that she could not press the send button. So many messages in draft. Somewhere more than him she was at fault too.

"My love, my Navya is a doctor in Indian Army. And being one of the best at her work and seeing her devotion towards her work, she is mostly sent to the camps with high risks . The risks of her life being in danger are always so much and with no communication, and me being in another country just adds to our misery. " with his each word Nandini could just feel , could she even blame long-distance for her separation with Manik that too after six years, scratch that seven years of togetherness.

"Always when I miss her I drink espresso. Her favorite. " he concluded with a smile. And she too smiled seeing the look of longing but that love he held when he whispered her name made her remember her Manik.

"My mind knew you were the one even before I realized I love you. My heart was beating for you even before I realized you are my heartbeat." his eyes were full of love, respect, hope, trust and a myriad of emotions were swimming in it as he uttered those words six years back while confessing his love to her for the first time.

"Now your turn." he said bringing her out of her thoughts.

"It's our 7th Anniversary today and we are not together . Six years of togetherness just came to an halt with just the exchange of I love you's five months back ." she stated straight-forward not knowing what more or less to say. "Black coffee was my Manik's favorite."

"Where is he now?" he asked observing her each movement.."India"

"Which place?" he asked again and she frowned yet replied, "Mumbai"

"Great. After a year I am going to meet my love. It's today evening's flight and I will reach till tomorrow night at Mumbai. She has the same timings and her flight from Assam will land at same time in Mumbai . " he said and she looked at him confused of why was he saying this to her.

"Wanna join ? " his question took her by surprise . Seeing her confused face he continued..

"A cup of coffee just stirs the taste bud and memories but his presence with soothe the aching in heart."

"What if..." but before she could complete her sentence he spoke..

"What if's always are the reasons for separation? I think this six years or more taught you enough of that." he said and she knew he was correct and again her manik's voice filled her mind..

"The more what if's crosses your mind, the more fear develops. It's in you to see beyond the what if's and believe then only will you reach to your goal. And I ,Manik believes that this distance will not matter till I love u and trust me, that won't stop even after I stop breathing."

This were his words when he convinced her to take the offer to work in LONDON, to take a step away from his embrace to fulfill her dream and now it was her turn to return back to that embrace.

"I think your company will not be that bad for a flight." she finally added and he breath a sigh of relief.

"Finally, my dream came true." he said will a full blown smile and she looked at his with a raised eyebrow.."What dream?"

"To be a cupid to someone. And I guess I did fulfill my dream." she could not stop herself from grinning at her this statement.

"Trust me , I wanted to be the same. But you are already together with your love."

"Actually not.." she was stunned at that but relaxed when he continued.." we just get to spend very very less time with each other so you can pray you know. Sometimes the god listens to the ones with pure love towards love . "

"Are you a writer by any chance?" she asked while he shook his head.

"Let's introduce ourselves then. It's Cabir. Cabir Dhawan,"

"Nandini. Nandini Murthy."

"It was nice meeting you Nandini. "

"Same here Cabir. "

"So I think we should take our leave. You will want to pack too." he said and she grinned at him but again frowned..

"Tickets?" she asked while he assured her..

"Leave it to me. I will get it covered.Will see you at the airport."

"See you cabir." and she hugged him which he reciprocated back..

"I will pray to Aaiyapaa that this time when you meet , it will be for forever." and he could just smile in the hug.

♫♫ Aankhon Se Baat Hoti Hain,

Dhadkan Bhi Saath Hoti Hain

Koi Na Samjhe Ye Ishq Ki Zubaan ♫♫

"Final call for all the passengers of Indian Airline flight 111"

But there she was looking at the eyes which held so many emotions love, trust, complains, accusations, anger, but most of there were the twinkle that one has when they are home and her eyes were depicting the same.

Who said they broke up? This five months were just a pause in their life where everything kept moving but they were stuck and now when they were moving towards each other that five months seem like nothing.

Their eyes were doing all the talking for them and their heart beat has accelerated a lot then normal pace but they both knew it's till they both are in each other's embrace.

And finally he held her in his embrace , the embrace which was the only home for her and finally he felt like he was in peace as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

The hug was the filling of their months of separation but was it? No, it was a celebration of marking their seven years of togetherness.

"Happy Anniversary Nandini."

"Happy Anniversary Manik."

♫♫ Dheere Dheere Se Woh, Dil Mein Bas Jaate Hain

Chori Chori Se Woh, Dil Ko Churaate Hain ♫♫

FEW WEEKS LATER

"I like you more when you are drunk." he said while coming behind her once again.

She turned to glare at him at his that comment. If looks could kill then he would have already died thousands of time since morning.

"When you are drunk, you behave so sweetly. No sarcasm, no glares. Just that beautiful smile of your that can light my world and that cuteness..uff...my heart always skips a beat when you talk with that sweet voice. " he said all dreamily and looked at her to see her glaring at him..

" And when you are sober you are like this. You just know one thing get angry , shoot daggers through your eyes and after few more seconds punch ." and after completing this he have expected the same punch but instead of that he just heard a beautiful laugh leaving her lips.

"You look so cute when you sober. I will surely like to see the drunk you. " she said with a wink and that redness that spread in his face.

"I guess my heart just skipped a beat seeing you blushing." and he was flushed at her this comment . Who told only girls can blush? Boys do too and that's the best sight.

"So, can I take that as a yes?" he asked while controlling himself.

" For what? " she pretended to be confused and he frowned.

" For the date Mukti. " she raised an eyebrow at that and he sighed..

"Okay fine." he took a long breath and finally spoke the words..

"Abhimanyu's Mukti, Will you go on a date with me?"

"Sure Zubi boy." and he glared at her but gave in when she hugged him.

"I love u so much Abhi for sending a cupid as the STRANGER to get my life on track. Thank u so much stranger." she thought and wished for the strangers happiness .

♫♫Phir Ek Din Woh bichad Jaate Hain♫♫

NEXT DAY

Breaking News

Indian Airlines Flight 111, an international flight from London collided with Indian Airlines Flight 222, a flight from Assam to Mumbai during landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport due to bad weather leading to lack of communication with air-traffic tower which resulted in mid-air collision while trying to land on same runway causing the explosion taking life of each soul present in both the aircraft.

"I will pray to Aaiyapaa that this time when you meet , it will be for forever." and her wish was granted.

"You made me love those dimly lit stars at dusk, the glowing fireflies in the moonlight and the chaos of that dark night. And I do not know when I fell in love with you, except them. And just like they are for eternity, we are for eternity too." he whispered as if she could hear for one last time before the darkness engulfed him.

"You are my warmth of wildfire in lonely nights, galaxies lighting the lifeless roads in sight and my guardian when I cry at night. You embrace is the only home I need. I am yours for eternity, Cabir . Not even the death could do us apart. " her final words before she opened her eyes in his embrace after falling in the abyss of darkness.

♫♫ Yeh Dil Jo Pyaar Maange Hain, Saccha Dildaar Maange Hain

Jaane Mohabbat Mile Kise Kahan ♫♫

And the verses says it all for one's imagination.

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