Nayab, a brilliant and meticulous MBBS student, possesses a mind built for calculations and precision. Her dreams are set on excelling in her medical career, leaving no room for frivolities or romantic distractions. Meanwhile, Danish, a vivacious an...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
___________________________
"Ladies and gentleman, we've landed in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The temperature outside is 29 degree celsius. For your safety and for the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened and keep the aisle cleared till we park at the gate. Thank you." The pilot's voice echoed through the speaker.
Nayab stuffed the novel she was reading inside her bag and looked out the window. A few planes of different companies were standing at the runaway, a few employees working around.
"Your checked-in baggage will be available in belt number four." This time it was the air hostess.
Half an hour later, Nayab was picking up her heavy luggage off the belt number four. She kept it on the luggage cart with a huff and dialed Ramit's number.
"Ramit bhai, it is me, Nayab." She said when he picked up.
"Yes, where are you?"
"I am just exiting from the arrivals gate." She said, pushing the cart with her.
Ramit, who was standing just outside the arrivals gate, paid attention to all the people coming out until his eyes found her. He raised his hand to wave at her. "I see you."
She saw him as well and waved back before cutting the call.
"Hi," She reached him and smiled.
He returned the smile. "Wow, you've grown."
Ramit was Hamza's college friend in Delhi. His family was from Mumbai, so after finishing his degree, he moved back to Mumbai to stay with his parents. When Nayab found out that she had gotten admission in one of Mumbai's best hospitals for her PG, she knew she had to take it. Her father and brother were concerned about her safety, so Hamza contacted Ramit to ask him if he could arrange a good apartment for Nayab to rent. As fate would have it, Ramit had recently invested in an apartment and was more than happy to rent it out to Nayab.
Ramit offered to put her luggage in the trunk of his car as she took a seat in the passenger seat. He got behind the wheel a minute later and hit the accelerator. The car zoomed into the streets of the bustling city of Mumbai.
"It has a unique charm that captivates everyone who visits the city. It has something to offer to everyone. And its people, God, they're so friendly and hospitable. They will make you feel at home in no time." Danish had said that to her on the night they took a walk at the beach. As the city sped past through her eyes as she enjoyed the drive, she couldn't wait to find out how true those words were.
Even after three long years, Danish was still somewhere present in her. It was not like she missed him, or was waiting for him. She had given up on that hope a long time ago. But it was as if his words, his touch, his very essence was still alive inside her.
When she first read the congratulations mail from the Mumbai hospital, the first thought that came into her mind was that she was going to his city, his home. And that thought filled her up with a strange excitement. It was, maybe, the closest she could ever be to him.
The car drove inside a nice looking society. That made her snap back from his thoughts. Ramit pulled the brakes in front of a tall building and asked Nayab to get off. He got the luggage and they walked inside the building. The security guard greeted him.
"She is going to be the new tenant." Ramit informed the guard. He greeted Nayab as well and welcomed her.
The lift then took both of them to the seventh floor. He took out a key from his pocket and dangled it in front of her. "Your new home," He said, pointing towards the apartment number 706.
She took the keys and unlocked the door. The white themed apartment was really soothing on the eyes. The place was not furnished, and Nayab was already mentally planning what kind of furniture she'd use to fill up the space.
"Do you like it?" Ramit asked.
She came out of the bedroom with a smile. "Yes, it is perfect for me. Thank you again, Ramit bhai."
He shrugged it off. "I will take your leave now. My lovely wife is waiting for me at home." Nayab didn't miss how his face sparkled at the mention of his wife.
"How is bhabhi doing?" She remembered Hamza had attended his wedding a few years ago.
"Awesome. You should come home someday for dinner. She would love to host you." He offered.
"Sure, let me get settled first." She politely ducked the offer. She might not be as big of an introvert as she was three years ago, but still was an introvert, nonetheless.
He told her about the grocery stores and malls nearby to get her basic necessities before leaving. She then made a call to her mom to inform her that she reached safely.
"Ramit bhai had arranged for a mattress, so I can sleep on that for now. But I need to order the furniture asap." Nayab spoke as she pulled out a fresh bed sheet from her suitcase and started to spread it over the mattress kept in the bedroom.
"Yes, use your father's card to order them." Gulshan replied. "A couch, bed, washing machine, fridge, AC, TV, all these are the priorities."
After cutting the call, she ordered herself pizza before going on an online website to order the furniture. That took quite some time. Finally, after placing the order, she took her pizza to the balcony of her bedroom. From her vantage point on the balcony, she had a perfect view of the city. She could see the towering skyscrapers in the distance, and the colorful street art that adorned the walls of the buildings nearby. And as she watched the world go by, she knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be.
▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️
Everyone who said Mumbai, you were right and a genius. ♥️
