Once upon a heartbeat! - (6)





*Click here for the previous chapter...(5)*


Heartbeat :


 "Why am I here in his office? I mean....he is not even the lead character of the novel. Then why did I meet him, out of everyone else. Yes, we are polar opposites. And I always wondered how can a person be so perfect! But.....", Alora was thinking. 

"How do the books you read influence your life Miss Alora?", a deep voice interrupted Alora's thoughts. 

Alora looked up. "Its Armaan Mehta! He spoke to me, for the first time", Alora blushed.

"Well, Ar...Sir", Alora cleared her throat. "How do the books influence? How do I tell him that they pull me in....like literally in?", Alora's soliloquy. 

"Sir the books that I read are varied kinds, diferent genres. If it's Science based, it helps me in my academic subjects. If it's a personality building guide then along those lines. The biographies inspire me in various walks of life. And I also like love stories", she said and then regretted the last line. "Should've I not included that?", she questioned herself.

"That's interesting! What's the latest one you are reading?", Armaan asked. He had a distinct twinkle in his eyes.

"Does he know about the book I'm reading? Of course, he is one of the characters. Wait....does he know that I was pulled into the book?", Alora thought. 

"Heartbeat....the book I'm reading is Heartbeat, Sir", Alora replied, trying to gauge his reaction. 

"Heartbeat! Okay tell me more about it", Armaan probed further with more dazzle in his eyes.

At that instant, it felt like everything around had melted away in thin air. And it was only Alora and Armaan in that room. Armaan's sharp gaze made Alora's heart to race. The butterflies in her stomach as if eager to fly out. She couldn't contain the flutter her heart was making her go through. 

"What is happening with me? Am I in love.....with a character of a novel? Or is this real? How did I skip four years of my life? How did I end up here?", Alora snapped out of her reverie as the female interviewer spoke. "You are selected".

"Wait, what? I wasn't even asked questions regarding the job profile. Nothing related to academics. Did my love for books get me through this? Did I miss anything in between?", Alora was wondering and was totally baffled. 

"We are satisfied with your answers. You are academically fit for this job", the interviewers said in unison. Armaan smiled, slyly and nodded too.

Alora searched Jia's number on her phone and called Jia, as she walked towards the footpath. "I'm selected Jia", she cheerfully said.

"Yay! This calls for a party. Let's meet later", Jia replied.

Alora wanted to tell Jia but she wasn't sure, so first decided to find out what was all this about. Alora took a cab and reached home. Thankfully, it was the same society, same apartment, that she lived in, 4 years ago.

Her parents looked slightly aged, with a hint of grey hair. She shared the good news with them. They were excited and hugged Alora. "This feels so real! Of course it's real....or it isn't?", Alora thought. 

They had their food together and Alora went to her room. She scanned the room carefully. Her uniform was not seen anywhere. All her school books were transformed into engineering syllabus books. Her book shelf was still there. She quickly searched for the novel 'Heartbeat' but didn't find it. She searched everywhere, but in vain. She got changed and settled in her bed, pondering about the mysterious day and all that had happened. She was so exhausted that she slept within few minutes. 

Her alarm rang and she sprung up in the bed. For a second, she felt disoriented. She looked around, rubbing her eyes. The books were spread on the table as always. Her tie was lying on the chair. Her cupboard door was ajar. And the calendar showed the year 2020.


*Click here for the next chapter...(7)*


AUTHOR'S NOTE  : Your comments make my craft better. Please let me know your thoughts and do write your names while commenting. Thankyou!

Comments

  1. Sagna BhagatFebruary 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM

    Where this is going? Share more jui ... I'm telling you publish a book i will be the first to purchase.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. juiFebruary 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM

      😘I know yaar.....🤗 Stay tuned to know mor!

      Delete
  2. Deepa V RamanFebruary 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM

    You are introducing very interesting twists and turns in the story! It's going really great, Maitrin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. juiFebruary 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM

      Thanks Deepa😘🤗happy you liked it

      Delete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2025 at 3:18 PM

    Am I dreaming of reading this, Jui? Poornima Sivaraman

    ReplyDelete

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