Author - Jui Purohit.

  *Click here for previous Part(3)* The flight crew started the preflight safety briefing. Tara followed the airhostess earnestly and taking out the instruction pamphlet, carefully read through all the guidelines. She seemed quite sincere. Once the hostesses dispersed Tara opened her book.  Akash checked the texts on his mobile phone and put it on flight mode. He glanced at Tara. She appeared anxious.  "Are you alright Tara? Feeling a bit nervous?", Akash spontaneously asked. "Yes, as I earlier said it's my first time flying", Tara replied.  "She seems anxious but there's no excitement about her new experience", Akash's soliloquy.  The flight started taxing and Tara clutched the armrests. And as the flight gained momentum, the book fell off from her lap. Tara wanted to pick it up but couldn't dare to move.  Akash saw all her struggle and said, "Tara isn't it fun to fly? We don't have wings but we can experience the flight sitti...

*Click here for previous part(2)*  "Did you comfortably get through the security check?", Akash was tempted to ask but on second thought, it would've been too obvious, as she was already here. He decided to just drink his coffee and finish his work. So he peeped into his laptop once again while trying to sip coffee from the steel glass. And he stopped to see, he had mistakenly lifted the empty glass. So he rolled his eyes up and lifted the glass with coffee. He heard a soft chuckle, and saw that the girl was glancing at him with a grin.  As Akash saw her, she quickly turned her gaze to the book. Akash smiled and gulped his coffee. He continued working on his laptop and there was an announcement for the flight. Akash read the flight information display and began to proceed towards his gate. "Excuse me", he heard a soft voice and turned back. It was the petite girl standing behind him. "Can you help me please?", she asked Akash, showing him her boarding ...

*Click here for the previous part(1)*  After the primary check, Akash entered the airport. He had done his web-check-in already, so he got his boarding pass quickly. The trolley bag was checked in and Akash started walking towards the security check counter. Just then, a dupatta got entangled in the hook of his bagpack. He felt a pull and looked behind. But the girl had untangled it by then and was moving to the boarding counter. Akash could only see her back, her petite frame pulling the trolley bag. She had wavy hair, let loose. The pink dupatta swayed as she walked. The airline employee was helping her with the boarding process. Akash proceeded for the security check. He put his mobile, laptop and chargers in a tray and was about to pick another tray for the bagpack, when a girl dressed in a pink Salwar-kameez stood beside him. She also picked the same tray. Their fingers touched and Akash withdrew his hand. "Sorry Miss, but the que for women is to the other side", Akash s...

 He glanced at his watch, "Geez! I need to rush", he uttered. He pulled the handle of trolley bag and slung the bagpack on his shoulder. The dragging of the trolley made a harsh sound of the wheels. He looked at the trolley but decided to rush as he was getting late. He checked his mobile. He kept refreshing the app, "Your ride will be here in 3 minutes", read the text. "3 minutes more? What's wrong with these guys? Earlier it showed ride is arriving.... Gosh man! I'm going to miss my flight", he kept murmuring as he came out of the elevator.  The cab was waiting at the gate of his building, gladly, before he reached there. He loaded the luggage.  He got seated in the back seat and shared the OTP with the driver. "7988, can you make it faster? I'm getting late, else I'll miss the flight", he said to the driver.  "Sir there are speed cameras everywhere these days. I'll try my best to drop you in time", the driver said...

*Click here for Part 2*  Anjali stared at the painting. "Yes, it's the same one that I've seen in my grandfather's cupboard. An 'unframed' portrait, he has kept it in the chest that he locks up. But I got to see it once while in his room. When I inquired about it he had said it's a gift. But as it was very old he said he didn't frame it", Anjali said. "Gift! You didn't ask him from whom? Who would gift a portrait of an unknown woman? Why would anyone? It's not a Monalisa or a Madam X", Shalini let out a weird laugh. "Shalini how did you know this? How did you paint this? Who are you?", Anjali was also scared now. Raghav held Anjali closer and said, "Who are you please don't harm Shalini. Please we beg of you". "Beg! That's how it was, eons ago. I had also begged. But no one listened to me. Anjali your grandfather, Raghav's grandfather and Sham's grandfather, never cared. I was in love with ...

*Click here for the previous chapter...(15)* Epilogue : Alora reached the bus stop. The bus arrived in a while. Jia had, habitually, saved Alora's seat.  Alora's favourite routine was back on line, yet she sat down, with 'not-so-fine' expressions.   "Its been two days, I haven't had that dream, I wasn't pulled into the book. Previously I was confused because I was trapped in the dream. Now I'm sad that it's over. I don't know what's happening. I cannot see Armaan anymore. I just wish I could see him", Alora sighed. Jia rolled up her eyes, "Alora, stop being childish now, I'm telling you this for the hundredth time. Maybe you've finished reading the book, so you don't dream about it anymore. Who gets pulled into a book? Am I the scholar or You are? Who should be enlightening whom here?", Jia scolded Alora. Alora leaned on Jia's shoulder as the bus drove past a series of restaurants, malls, hospitals on their way...

  *Click here for the previous chapter...(14)* Confession? : Armaan put the jacket over Alora once again. He asked her to lock in her seat belt. Armaan got in the car. "Where do you stay? Same area where I picked you from? Where do I drop you?", he asked.  Alora was still gauging the situation and the sudden questions baffled her, " I stay...Sir but the party?", she couldn't frame her sentence too. "Party is over. I will find out who spiked your drink. This is not how I want my employees to behave. I've texted the manager. You don't have to worry. Let me know your address ", Armaan replied with a stern voice. Alora thought the atmosphere had become a bit serious now. "I stay far from here. But you can drop me at my friend's place. The same place you picked me from", Alora said, in a soft tone, going with the serious mood. "Okay fine. Put on the jacket properly", Armaan spoke in a commanding voice. Alora listened to him l...