16
WE ARE DREAMERS, NOT IDEALISTS

May

"Scandalous!" Ishan yelled as he barged into Abhishek's room who was shaving his slightly grown out stubble.

"Kya hua drama queen?" (What happened, drama queen?) Abhishek casually asked, keeping the razor on the black marble counter. He walked out of the bathroom, sliding the ivory coloured door, some foam still on cheek.

"Dearest Gentle reader," Ishan started his dramatic yap, settling down on the edge of the bed. "Lord Gill witnessed a scandalous affair a day before, when Lady Sharma was seen leaving Lord Sharma's bedchambers,"

"She had something with me, she was taking it before going back," Abhishek dryly replied, unbothered by his friend's theatrics.

"Oh, what is this little something? Your heart,"

It's always with her.

"Tere paas koi aur nahi hai? Kisi aur ko jaake sata," (Do you not have anyone else? Go annoy someone else) Abhishk mumbled, opening the wardrobe to put on a jacket. It felt chilly.

"I'll just adjust the thermostat," Ishan quickly offered, but Abhishek shook his head, almost cutting it off.

"No no, I like the room to be cold," he mumbled, "It's too summer and hot,"

Ishan squinted his eyes, unconvinced.

____

Aastha woke up, the pink diary right by her pillow. It reminded her of last night. Wine, tears and unnecessary flashbacks. She hated those memories. Those moments always riddled her with guilt. Not her best moments at all. It reminded her of the fact that Abhishek was a dream. A dream which she was supposed to forget.

"Hold up," she loudly said to the wall. "No negativity in the morning.Tis' a good day," she cheered for herself. "When will I use 'tis' in a good sentence?" she quickly mumbled.

Since she had holidays going on, Aastha decided to sit back and relax, watch something, order in. The radio was playing on her phone, while she took her vitamins from the shelf, sitting down on the sofa to order Indori poha...

After two hours.

The bell rang, startling her so that her phone almost dropped out of her hand. It didn't. She got up, straightening the long tee which she had donned, yawning softly.

"Madam parcel," Aastha nodded, expecting her ayurvedic shampoo.

"Paani chahiye bhaiyya?" (Do you want water?) she offered but the man refused, quickly walking away. She shut the door, walking in, taking slow steps.

"Ek minute, kuch aur bhi order kiya tha na?" (Wait, had I not ordered something else?) she felt slightly disoriented, thinking of what she had been doing on her phone for all this time. "Poha." she quickly remembered, opening her food delivery app.

Nada.

She had not requested for food. There was nothing in the application. The packet opened. It was the shampoo. The ticking of the clock suddenly felt too loud.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Aastha felt uncomfortable, looking up at the wall clock, the second hand ticking away into what felt like doom.

____

"ABHAAAAAYYYY!" Aastha groaned as she plopped herself on the beige couch. "When's the guy coming?" she cried out. Her now-husband sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Pata nahi bhai," (I don't know) he mumbled, voice low, "Kya raita fail gaya," (What a mess!)

It was Aastha and Abhishek's wedding's three-month anniversary, but all their romantic plans had gone down the drain because none of them followed up on their electricity bills, both assuming that the other person had got the job done. The humid weather of the 'city of dreams' did not help in any way, making the two sweaty and cranky.

Plus, as always it was pouring in Mumbai, and the electrician sent by the electricity board was stranded in some traffic jam hours away from their home.

"Oh thank god, he's calling," Abhishek rejoiced as his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"What happened? How much longer is he going to take?" Aastha asked as Abhishek hung up.

"Tomorrow," Abhishek declared, aghast. "Uncle traffic mein hai par family emergency, he has to go back home. Plus Sunday and all the other electricians working at MSEB have a holiday,"

"We'll just call the electrician who works in the society." Aastha said. Abhishek looked lost in thought. "Abhiii..."

He snapped out his thoughts, lips curving into a smile, eyes twinkling.

"Ek baar bhaag chuki hai mere saath, wapis bhaagegi?" (You've run away with me before, you want to elope again?)

"Kaha?"

____

Aastha got out of her sofa, tiptoeing to the window. It was raining. She could hear the rhythmic pitted patter of the raindrops, the trees greener. She almost scoffed, was she romanticising the rain? She opened the window trying to let the soft breeze in, the diamond on her ring shining in the daylight; but instead she was slapped in the face by hot, humid wind.

Typical. Aastha laughed, shutting the window, blissfully unaware of the new storm the day's rain had brought with itself.

It's always that one moment.

That one moment which triggers a chain of events in your life. It's that one look, that one smile, that one opening a window which pens a story that pivots the trajectory of your life.

It's called the butterfly effect.

____

Aastha was busy dusting off the sand from her dress when a dog almost leapt on her. She squealed, falling a few steps behind, in shock. But as she saw tiny, beady eyes and a wagging tail, she giggled.

"Hello, hi, hi cutie," she sweetened her voice to talk to the dog when a panting man caught up with her and the dog.

"I'm so sorry,"

"Oh no, it's absolutely fine, your dog is just a cute little boy," she grinned, petting the furry animal.

"Oh, that's not my dog," the man casually remarked and Aastha squinted her eyes at him, confused. "I met buddy today," he replied causally, smiling ear to ear at her.

Aastha smiled, nodding but the squint of her eyes returned.

"Have we met before?"

"Hm, I don't think so," he said, removing his sunglasses. "I'm Abhishek Sharma,"

Little did the two know that they'd just met the person they were going to marry. 

hehe bye <3 

only legendary crashouts help me write this story lmao xx