Arranged to be mine ft. Shardul Thakur

𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁

I don't know why, my inspo to write seems to be dead. 🥲

~

"Pehle pack karo, phir unpack karo, phir dobara pack karo." Ishika yelled in an irritated voice.

"What is wrong?" Ritika asked.
"Do din se ghar sar pe utha rakha hai."

"Mujhe iss ghar mein koi kuchh batata kyu nahi hai?"

"How can I tell, jab mujhe hi nahi pata?" Ritika asked crossing her arms.
"And I never understand, koi bimari hai kya tumhe aur Ro ko? Why you guys never pack on time?"

"What should I pack? Jab merko pata nahi main jaa kahan rahi hu, main kaise pack karu? Kya pack karu?"

"Take normal casual clothes! Don't irritate me." Ritika ordered.

"Casuals? What if-"
Ishika was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Sammio, it must be Shardul chachu, please open the door." Ritika asked Sammy. "Answer to your every question is here."

Ritika went behind Sammy to check. "Hi Shardul!" she exclaimed.

"Hi!" he waved his hand. "I assume she is awake."

"Brave assumption. But yeah she is."

"Oh great.."

"No, not great. She is in a very irritated mood. All the best."

"Uhh, what?" Shardul gave a weird expression. "You are scaring me Rits!"

"But chachu, Shishi looks scary when she's angry." Sammy warned.

"I am not angry Sam!" Ishika came. "I am just little annoyed." she said gritting her teeth. This scared Shardul even more.

"Chalein, we will get late." he said.

"I have a condition." Ishika said.

"What?" Shardul and Ritika asked.

"I will drive." she said.

"NO! I love my car." Shardul said hugging the car keys he had in his hand.

"I think you heard wrong. I said I will drive. Maine ye nhi kaha ki kisi pahaad se udaungi car ko."

"You can trust her with the car. She knows we don't have any extra lives." Ritika whispered to him.

Shardul handed over the keys to Ishika, and they both went downstairs. "Thoda aaram se..." he said in a low tone.

"Don't you trust me?" Ishika said as she opened the car door.

"No! No! I do." Shardul said as he recalled that Rohirat told him the thumb-rule *Do not argue if she is already annoyed*.

Ishika fastened the seat-belt. "Ab bataiye kahan jaana hai?"

"Very smart! But I will guide you." He said smirking.

Ishika shook her head in disbelief. She tied her hair in a messy bun as she took hold of the steering wheel. Shardul saw this, and instantly pulled out the rubber band from her hair. Ishika gave him a confused smile.

"What was this Shardul?" she asked.

"I like you this way. You look good." he said.

"Toh, wasn't I looking good earlier?"

"Ofcourse you were. But ab zyada achhi lag rahi ho."

"Mujhe driving karte hue problem hogi par, baar baar baal aage aayenge." Ishika presented an excuse.

"Toh main hu na..." he said softly with a slight smirk, "I will tuck them."

"You tell me the way.." she said trying hard not to smile.
He obediently told her the way.

After some time-

"Okay, you can stop the car here...somewhere nearby..." Shardul told her.

"Where are we?" she asked looking around.

"Ummm, we are in Mahim, Palghar. My hometown." he said proudly.
"This is Mahikavati temple."

"Ohh..." she said observing the place carefully.

"This isn't where we were going, but it is an equally important place for me." Shardul said.

'Mahikavati Devi Temple is one of the oldest temples in Palghar district. According to Krittivasi Ramayan, Ahiravan, the brother of Ravan, was a demon who secretly carried away Ram and his brother Lakshman to the nether-world, consulted his friends and decided to sacrifice the life of the two divine brothers at the altar of his chosen deity, goddess Mahikavati. Hanuman, however, reached in time and killed Ahiravan and defeated his army.'

He explained the facts to Ishika.
"Aaii baba ka bohot strong belief hai Mahikavati devi mein, and ofcourse, natural instinct hai ki mera bhi hai. I wanted you to visit it. You are part of my life, so I want you to meet the other parts as well. Chalein andar?"

Ishika nodded positively. She was just surprised at his knowledge.

"Shardul dada, ti aamchi vahini aahe kay? (Shardul dada, is she our sister-in-law?)" A random kid outside the temple asked him. He noddes yes with a wide smile. And the kid went away.

'So the angry bird avatar exists for just me and Shreyas.' Ishika thought and laughed.

They both went in. 

'When did I get this lucky?' Shardul said in his mind, while folding his hands and his eyes closed. 'I never imagined my world out of those four things, My parents, My game, and A friend more precious than a brother. And now her. I don't know if thank you would be enough for what you have given me. I hope you always protect this bond. And help me keep her happy always.'

He opened his eyes and turned to her. "Were you constantly looking at me all this while?" he asked raising his eyebrow. "Instead of praying."

Ishika bit her tongue. "Its called adoring." she said in her defence. "By the way, what did you ask god?"

"What should I ask for, I have everything already." he said looking straight into her eyes. "Just thanked them for what I have."

Ishika looked at him with a proud smile, thanking her fate that she have a guy like him in his life. Full of values.

"Baad mein achhe se dekh lena mujhe, abhi its almost evening. We will get late." Shardul said.

"At least ab toh bata do, kahan le ke jaa rahe ho.." Ishika asked innocently.

"Just a matter of few minutes." He said winking at her.

~

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