Author - Jui Purohit.

*Click here for the previous chapter...(10)*  Outside the cafe, Neil stood leaning against his parked car. The sky was already dusky. He, being despondent stared at Neha's number on his phone, 'My destiny' he read aloud and pressed the call button. He put his phone on speaker as he knew it would ring endlessly. "Hello", Neil heard a strange voice on the other side. Flabbergasted, he turned off the speaker mode and put the phone to his ear, "Who is this?", he asked. The man said that he is a cab driver and Neha had left the phone in his cab, "From this number there were numerous calls, so I wanted to call back but the phone is locked. When you called again, I finally picked up", the driver said. He added, he wanted to return the phone but was busy for the day. Neil breathed a sigh of relief. Atleast it was verified that earlier Neha hadn't ignored his calls. He asked the driver his whereabouts and left to get the phone back. Neil turned on t...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(9)*  A college going boy sat near Neil on the bench. He was listening to songs with his headphones on, yet, on a high volume. Neil could hear the song clearly.... "I found a love for me,  Oh darling just dive right in and follow my lead,  Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet,  Oh, I never knew you were someone waiting for me.... 'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love, Not knowing what it was, I will not give you up this time......" (Perfect by Ed Sheeran) Neil couldn't stop his tears. Though he appeared all strong, he got emotional. He somehow, wanted to reach Neha, right now. He had so much to say. He wanted to tell her why he had left the college, how he had always liked her, how he had spend his days lonesome, all the way across oceans, in a foreign country, how he had dreamed of being with Neha, once back, how he had seen Neha with their common friend before and had attended her birthday party just because he wa...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(8)*  Neha had just returned from the office. She freshened up and sat at her study table to read her book. The bookmark had gathered dust on it. She smirked to pity herself, that she hadn't found time to even open a book since months now. She was so caught in juggling chores that she didn't have moment of leisure.  She took out the bookmark to clean it. It had two shades of blue, the blue of sky and blue of sea. The blue made her think of Neil and instantly her phone buzzed.  The name flashed 'Serendipity'. Neha smiled and picked up the phone.  "How are you Neha?", Neil inquired.  "I am fine", Neha answered.  Neil laughed, "Let's not be so formal. You've your day off tomorrow right?. "Yes, it's Sunday", Neha said. "So if you are free, can we meet?, Neil asked enthusiastically. Neha restricting her giggle said, "Yes we can". She was more than happy and wanted to say that...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(7)*  Neil's car took a screeching halt as Neha asked him to stop half a km before the office building.  Neil inferred that Neha doesn't trust him as yet. He had to do something to gain Neha's certitude.  Neil casually asked Neha, "Do you have a boyfriend?". Neil was determined. He wanted Neha to know that his intentions were honest. "When I look into your eyes,  I can see a love restrained,  But darling when I hold you Don't you know I feel the same, Nothing lasts forever and we both know hearts can change, And it's hard to hold a candle  In the cold November rain..." (November rain - by Gun's and Roses). Neha was taken aback. It was too direct a question. She stammered, "Ummm...I've never had a boyfriend".  "We've been through this such a long long time Just trying to kill the pain, Love is always coming, love is always going, No one's really sure who's letting go today, ...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(6)*  Neil approached Neha, "Are you ok? I rushed here when I heard you on the phone, talking about going to hospital", he said, scanning whether she's hurt anywhere.  "I am alright Neil, can we talk later, I've to urgently reach my office", Neha tried to dodge the situation.  "Yes, absolutely, I will drop you there", he said, in an affirmative tone. "It's ok, I will take a cab, my office isn't closeby. I don't want to trouble you with it", Neha scrupled as she replied.  "We were classmates once, Neha, I can be of some help for sure", Neil sternly said. Neil's gaze was intense once again. Neha wavered and said, "Ok, please drop me then". "Can I call you baby? Can you be my friend? Can you be my lover up until the very end? Let me show you love, ohh, I don't pretend,  Stick by my side, even when the world is giving in...." (song by Pink Sweats) Neil...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(5)*  Neha caught a cab to reach the hospital in time. Her phone rang, she picked it up, it was Neil. "You didn't answer my text", he said. "Will call you later, can't talk right now", she said. "Take me to the City hospital", she told the cab driver and hung up her phone. "In my search for freedom and peace of mind, I've left the memories behind,  Wanna start a new life But it seems to be rather absurd, When I know the truth is that I always think of you....". (song by Michael learns to rock (MLTR)). Such was the condition of her mind. She cleared her thoughts, took a deep breath and focused on task at her hand, her father's health. Her dad, from past four years, was admitted in the hospital. He was paralysed after her mom died. Neha was struggling hard to pay hospital expenses and manage her accounts. Like the party she attended the other day, she used to rarely splurge on herself. But if s...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(4)*  Neha's face was all puffed from crying the entire night. Early in the morning, she was getting ready for her office and her phone beeped. She had received a text message from an unknown number. "Can we meet again?", it read. "It's Neil", she thought. She ignored the message and rushed for the office.  She stood in the line at the bus stop. The bus was already full, so she had to stand again, in the bus. She peeped in her phone to check whether her face was better, but the puffiness was still noticeable. The bus braked abruptly and her hand felt a drastic pull. It reminded her of the party, when Neil had pulled her hand, out of the blue. "How did he recognise me in that insufficient light? Why did he hold my hand? Had he liked me previously?", she kept getting hundreds of thoughts. She was so into her own brooding that she hadn't given a thought to Neil's behaviour. "He wants to meet, is he i...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(3)*  The car reached the dorm. Neha hurriedly tried to get down, thanking Neil for the lift.  Neil handed over his mobile phone to her, "Save your number", he said. Neha was indecisive about giving her number, but Neil's gaze thawed her emotions.  She typed her phone number and gave back his phone, thanked him again and rushed to the dorm.  Neil looked at her phone number, thought for a minute and saved it as "My destiny". He smirked and drove off. Neha reached her room, panting. Her roommate was listening to the song by Roxette, "It must've been love, but it's over now, Lay a whisper, on my pillow, Leave the winter, on the ground, I wake up lonely, there's air of silence,  In the bedroom and all around,  Touch me now, I close my eyes And dream away.....". Neha closed her eyes and her thoughts took her back to college days. This flamboyant boy who never attended his lectures, suddenly had started comi...

  *Click here for the previous chapter...(2)* "It feels like our first night together,  Feels like the first kiss, It's getting better baby, No one can better this Still holding on...You are still the one..." Neil lowered the volume of the music player, "Where do I drop you, Neha?", Neil broke the ice. Neha hesitantly said, "Ummm...ladies dorm, I stay at the dorm". She couldn't meet his eyes. Neil set his GPS to the said address and raised the volume of the song again. "So if you're feeling lonely, don't,  You're the only one I'll ever want I only want to make it good So if I love you, a little more than I should....." "You remember me? And you knew my name?", Neil inquested bluntly.  "I....I...you were quite famous in the college, who didn't know you?", Neha replied, still avoiding his eyes. Neil wasn't satisfied with the answer, with a grin he said, "And I always thought you were never in...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(1)*  Neil scanned every nook and corner of the club but couldn't find Neha. He went outside to see if she was there, but invain. Neil pulled out his car and drove on the streets nearby, to see if she was around. It was crazy of him to do so, but he didn't want to miss her this time. "It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart, Without saying a word, you light up the dark, Try as they may, they can never explain, What I hear when you don't say a thing......". The song by Ronan Kneating, was playing on Neil's music player and he got lost in his reverie. Neha was a shy, quiet girl, in her college. She didn't have many frinds. She was a studious girl and never hung out pointlessly in the campus. She attended all her classes and headed straight home. The place where she was spotted other than her classroom, was the library. Neil on the other hand was a flamboyant young man. Not very good at academics but was a g...

 A red flowy dress with black stilettos, was her idea of a party look. For it was her first time to go to a club, for a birthday party. Also, she was getting her feet wet by wearing a party dress and stilettos.  Neha had to scrimp for months to buy those expensive items, cutting down her conveyance expenses, keeping the coffee breaks to minimum and saving on other unnecessary overheads. Today, she was thrilled, to beautifully furbelow and flounce herself, with these treasured possessions. She looked into the mirror. She had never felt so confident, the expensive outfit was doing wonders. She herself was in awe! Neha joined the line, tiptoed with gift in one hand and sling on the other shoulder, to the entrance of the club. The security fellow put a sticker band around her wrist, she smiled and thanked him. As she held the door ajar, she could hear the loud beats of song playing inside the club. She stepped into the packed hall, full of young people dressed to their best. The p...