R E D R O M A N C E

RAGINI

"I am reaching in 10 be ready!" Swara shouted through her phone.

The day of the ball party had already arrived and Swara couldn't stop panicking about it. She wanted everything to be perfect.

"Swara, it isn't prom, we still have our exams to cross. Relax a bit,"

"No no! It doesn't matter that it is not prom, we'll be ready that time too. But for now I want everything to go perfect! I am reaching your as soon as possible and then we can do our make up and hair," she said as if instructing herself.

"Okay mom."

She had already told Sanskaar to get ready Laksh's house as she didn't want him to see her before Laksh comes to pick me. She wanted everything to go systematically and perfect.

I still hadn't told Laksh that I loved him as I was waiting for today. Past week he didn't brought the love topic, it seemed as if he didn't want to pressurize me into saying I love you to him.

Though I wanted to hear him say those words again.

It was suddenly that the door of my room opened with a thud.

"Have mercy on the door Swara!" I screamed frightened.

"Oops sorry!" She said sticking her tongue out.

"Lets start getting ready! And sweep the floor of their feet," she winked opening her makeup kits.

. . .

"You look so damn beautiful! I am so good at it, na but I do know you look pretty with or without makeup so that doesn't, yet I am allowed to take credit, today!" She exclaimed winking and then looking herself at the mirror.

Observing myself, I did know that Swara did a master job. My eye penciled eyes were now highlighted with a smoky eye makeup while my baby lip lips were now painted hot red, she didn't smother my face in foundation or blush but just enough to atleast cover my some acne on the forehead and chin. She didn't use blush as it would have looked cover with a red dress.

Moving on to my hair, she had made my staright hair into wavy curls which suited so well, I decided against wearing any heavy ornaments, only a small moon shaped pendent given to me by dadda. As I never wore earings my ears seemed blank so Swara added small diamond bead earings there.

Thats how I was dressed for a normal ball party, not even prom!

Though I knew I was happy with my look, I constantly thought that I had overdone the makeup or the dress or actually everthing!

"Shut up. Theres no chance that you have overdone your make up or dress or everything! So zip your mouth and go grab our purses till I complete putting my eyeliner and then we are ready to go minus the boys, who haven't yet arrived," Swara said whole grabbing her blue eyeliner.

I went and grabbed our purses which were lying on the bed. I had a red one while she decided to go for a white one.

We were already ready and had our sandals onn, and now we were just waiting for those two late ifiots to arrive! I mean isn't it said girls take a lot of time to get ready here Swara and I literally got ready in half an hour, both of us. While those two haven't yet left Laksh's home.

"Useless." Swara muttered while I started laughing horrendously.

"What? You see how late they are," she taunted as her smile gave away, and she started laughing too.

+++

"Girls, they are here." Dadda said as we were checking the thousand photos we had already taken. We had already decided that as those late lateefs were already late we would leave as soon as the arrived.

"Finally," we both sighed as we got up and moved towards the door.

"Late lateefs," Swara taunted as Ma and Dadda chuckled.

"Woh-"

"Shush, we are leaving." Swara said face palming as she pulled Sanskaar out. While Laksh stood there looking at me as I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Oye, we are getting late too. Bye Ma Dadda." I said as I quickly pulled Laksh out to.

We were going in two different cars, so Bhai had already left with Swara.

I was moving towards Laksh's car with him following me.

When suddenly my hand was yanked back and I landed on Laksh's chest. His eyes pouring into mine intently.

"Laksh," I whispered before he smashed his lips on mine. It was a very slow kiss, as if he was trying to let his feelings show slowly yet completely. I know he wanted my answe but I had planned it. And now wasn't the time.

"You look beautiful," he said as we broke the kiss.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I winked at him laughing.

+++

"Ragu, I am getting bored." Laksh whined as he chugged his fourth glass of coke.

"I am too," I confessed as I scanned through. People were eating and dancing and talking but there wasn't something I enjoyed. I had already eaten so, you understand.

"Can we leave?" He suddenly asked as he searched my eyes for an answer.

"I suppose." And that was enough for him, as he pulled me up on my feet and started heading out.

"Tsk tsk tsk, look whose leaving." A voice blazed through the loudspeakers. Both Laksh and I turned to the source of the voice.

A decked up Barbie- Kavya was standing on the stage with a mic.

"You all, do you know I had asked our college's detective to find about Heartylove, but but she couldn't. She knew I was going to ask about the identity, and she is so scared to face me that she decided to leave. So bad, Ragini." Kavya taunted with a smirk gracing her lips.

"Ragini," Laksh whispered beside me as he left my hand asking me to show Kavya her true position.

I walked my way to the stage, with a smile of my own.

"Kavya, I am so sorry."

"Aha, I told you all."

"I am so sorry that I have to prove you wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is Kavya that I know who heartylove is. Infact the person is here in this room, but you know what? I am not going to tell or reveal the person's identity. Heartylove was made to help others, to be that one place where people could go to share problems without being judged, they didn't know how the person was yet they felt comfortable sharing their worries, and thoughts, now tell me what if, I just reveal the name. How many of you feel you could still go to the person to share your problem?"

The entire room was silenced as they looked at eachother.

"Exactly, and thats why I am not revealing Heartylove's identity. Heartylove has its own identity, it is an advisor, a friend and I don't want the students of our coolege to be devoid of those. So Kavya, I am not telling you the name. Never, and I will make sure you never find the person. I will make sure, she is attentive. Because she knows who you are."

+++++

"I am proud of you," Laksh commented as I took a sip of my coffee. We were at the beach, the beach where first kissed, the place where he told me who he was.

"It was needed."

He hummed in response as his fingers locked with my warm ones.

"Laksh?"

"Yeah?" He said while he was busy looking at the blue black water as the sand on our feet tickled.

"I love you." I smiled at him softly as hid head snapped towards me. The moon over us illuminated the entire dark beach as it inly increased the beauty.

"I love you." He replied back, as his smile reached his eyes. I quietly layed my head on his shoulder admiring the scenic beauty while my fingers still locked with his, forever.