Castle Of Wind
She clutched the small teddy bear tightly in her hands. She was growing impatient and she couldn't hold it any longer. As if to increase her already burning heart the wall clock started ringing. 10.30pm. it read. That's it! That last bit of her patience flew right out of the window. 16 hours, 30 minutes and 20 seconds is really a long time! isn't it?
With hurrying steps she descended downstairs, she could hear the faint call of her little brother from behind. She chose to ignore it, she had important things to find out rather than answer her typical possessive younger brother!
"Shilpa! Where are you-?" her mother interrupted only to see her daughter run out of the door with a speed of light. She followed her daughter till door step and then sighed when she found shilpa entering their neighbour's house. Yet her nerves weren't convinced. Yeah Mother's heart!
Shilpa panted hard once she was inside, she looked around to see a portrait of hers standing next to a handsome guy-her best friend as she called him. A drop of tear ran down her cheeks as she reminisced the moment. He wasn't her best friend, because she was deeply and madly in love with him. From past 10 years, she did and tried everything she could just to get closer to him! And what did she earn? She earned a place in his heart, a place that was reserved for best friends. And also she earned his trust, the trust which took him 10 years to build. Why you may ask, because Shilpa had once broke it. As they say, broken glass and broken trust cannot be rebuilt! But shilpa had finally earned it again. His trust. But that's not what she wanted! She wanted love.
"Shilpa?" Mrs. Anuradha came running towards her. "are you okay? You seem pale.." she said touching her forehead. "where is Arjun?" was all shilpa asked in return.
Anuradha looked at her confusedly "didn't he tell you? Arjun and Meera have gone to beach-house.." she replied and then with a slow voice she added "I don't think they would come back any time soon.."
That's where her heart shattered. Shattered into millions of pieces! All doubts, all assumptions she had, had come true. She was right! It was never her story! It was theirs, Arjun & Meera's.
Shilpa sniffed as goosebumps seized her body. She had to run! She had to run to hide her tears, to hid the pain, to hide all those emotions that might end up killing herself or rather anyone else. She didn't have right to feel betrayed, because Arjun never gave that hint. He never gave a hint that would convey he liked her more than a friend.
He never gave that hint.
"Darling should I call your parents? You look like you will faint.. shilu.. come.. sit here.." Anuradha was concerned. She made shilpa sit on the couch, but she didn't fail to notice her insensitive expression. And then it all fell into places. Her worst nightmare came true! Shilpa loves Arjun.
"shilpa..? shilpa?" anuradha shook her trying to get her back to her senses. Shilpa stared at those concern-filled eyes not knowing what to say. "i.. i.. sho.. should go.." she stuttered. Anuradha wasn't sure of letting her go. The girl looked like she would pass out any moment. "um.. wait... here have some water.."
Shilpa gulped down some water, just as she thought she had to somehow collect the broken pieces of her heart- "Anuradha.. did you see this? Meera and Arjun's Janam-Kundali matches so perfectly! They made for each other!" Amma shrieked coming down stairs, holding two papers in hand crushing all the broken pieces of shilpa's heart. Was everyone against her or what? Shilpa thought warily.
Amma stopped scrutinizing at shilpa's deadpan state. As on cue shilpa choked on her water under Amma's gaze. All her life, she wanted to strangle that old lady for always commenting on her. Sometimes her dressing style or sometimes her closeness with Arjun! It still remained as a mystery to shilpa, as to why this old lady doesn't hate meera, who might be now kissing her grandson! Anuradha patted shilpa's back to calm down her coughs.
"I need to go.." shilpa managed to blurt out. She had to run, wherever as far as she could. "haan..! you should. Its late night, its not good a girl of this age to be outside the house.." Amma commented. Shilpa had to use all her strength to calm down that itching desire to knock down the day lights out of that freaking old lady! Seriously who was she to tell her all this? If it not for Arjun, shilpa sworn she would have murdered this woman long long time ago!
Anuradha gave her mother a knowing look to keep her mouth shut! "um.. shilpa.. you are okay na? should I drop you home?" Anuradha asked her concerned. Even before shilpa could answer, Amma commented "anuradha, how far is it from our house to next door?"
Anuradha glared at her mother. Shilpa slowly made her exit with greeting nod.
"why didn't meera and Arjun return? Oh my god! Are they spending the night in that house Alone? That to before marriage? Hai Ram! Shantam papam shantam papam!" Amma groaned holding her palms against her ears. "Amma! They are not alone, servants and care-taker are there remember?.. and Meera has come back after 10 years! C'mon Amma let them have their time.. anyway they are getting married soon.. so please..?"
Amma muttered something about present generation under her breath, she still couldn't hold back the shock that Arjun & Meera would be alone in that house. was it difficult to tip those servants and give them a day/night off?
Shilpa heard their words as she retreated towards her house. yes 10 years! Meera had been vanished from their lives for 10 years without any sign of her returning! And it took shilpa, 10 freaking years to gain arjun's trust, let alone be his girl friend! and meera? It just took her 10 days to make him fall in love with her! Just 10 freaking days to get their parents agreed for their marriage! Wow.
Shilpa vaguely remembered a game of hide and seek they had played 10 years ago. Meera and shilpa where hiding, while Arjun trying to find them. shilpa waited with bated breath for what seemed infinity. She then decided to find him if he was lost or something, when she neared a mango tree she saw them. sitting next to each other-upon the huge branch-talking endlessly. After seeking meera, he had forgotton that shilpa too was hiding-waiting to be caught. And why did he forget? Two reasons. One he didn't trust her. Second he was blind for everyone else other than meera.
You may ask why didn't he trust her, oh there was a reason for that too! Shilpa had played a prank on meera without arjun's knowledge which led to meera meeting with a small accident and injuring her left arm. Ever since, he had stopped trusting Shilpa. She had become a nobody from a friend and she dint like it! He had told her that day- "Its only ME! Who can play pranks on meera, who can tease her, who can mock at her, who can call her with nicknames! Nobody else will do that! And I wont let anyone either." It was his words she still remembered.
That day, she wished. She wished that meera would disappear from their life. And guess what?! Her wish had come true! The very next day her dad got transferred and Meera left. There was no contact or news of them since. Shilpa thought she had got rid of her! She thought now it was only her in Arjun's life. But she was wrong.
Standing near that mango tree, she wished again. "why don't someone just kidnap that freaking girl?"
*-*-*-*-*
It was morning 6am. Shilpa sat up on her bed hugging her knees. She hadn't slept last night. She was waiting, waiting against the hope. May be Arjun and meera weren't together? May be it wasn't Arjun's & Meera's love story, instead it was her's and arjun's? just may be?
Her phone beeped, it was Arjun. Shilpa's heart made small jump as she lifted his call. She was ready to blast at him for having not spoken to her for exactly 24 hours! For having not told her about their small trip to beach-house'. but before she could say something. She heard him say, "Meera is been Abducted.."
Was that freaking-old-mango tree some sort of wishing-tree ? and then she felt, may be she shouldn't have wished. Because she knew her story was just like a castle of wind'- there was no base and no gurrantee of how long it would stay. iit would blow off along with the wind! But meera and Arjun were the ones who would write history! Their story was something as divine as taj mahal. And she just wished, that she never wished in first place!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
well it was suppose to be sad and all that. but then i thought why always write emotional? humor is better isn't it?
well you would surely want to know the 'story' of Arjun & Meera isn't it? you would surely want to know who abducted Meera?
what happend?
All that will be answered in my upcoming Story. yeah this time i am trying something beyond my usual write-ups!
oh btw as i have mentioned above its never - Arjun & Shilpa, Its always Arjun & Meera okay?😳
P.s : this OS is written as a tribute to the character Shilpa. poor soul she will face a lot in that story.. so may be i can give her this bit of gift? 😆
and about that story you will soon know!
Buddy Sunshine_bliss for pms. 😊
Do read & review.
Take care,
with love
nams! 😳
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