One Shots On Abhyutami

Strangers

Abhyudaya Mohan as Charansh Oberoi 

Gautami Kawale as Maya Awasthi

Anshu Bisht as Vikram Singh (Viks)

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The JFK International Airport was buzzing with commuters one hectic Thursday morning, as the lounge looked overly crowded. In a pair of leather pants, heavy boots, and a purple lace top, teamed with her leather jacket, sunglasses, handbag and a trolley in toe, she looked around the place with a frown. Taking off her glares, her almond-shaped kohl-clad eyes were searching across the lounge for a comfortable seat.

Two back-to-back flight announcements came to her rescue as she smiled at many commuters, running towards the gates, leaving the place comfortably empty. She sat on one of the chairs, overlooking the glass panes where the planes were in sight. She placed her handbag carefully beside her on the empty seat and swept her locks away from her face. With a sigh, she took out   "Pride and Prejudice" opened the bookmarked page of the book and began reading. She had arrived well before the time for the flight.

A man in his late forties frowned at her bag and then at her. "Umm, excuse me." He adjusted his specs making her look up "Could you please ..."

"Actually I..." She began as she heard a voice behind the man, "Maya Awasthi??"

"Viks" She frowned surprised. "Viks!" She smiled as the man dodged the one asking, to hug her smiling "What a surprise!"

"I will take this seat thank you!" Viks promptly gave her bag back and took the seat making the other man frown some more and leave to find another seat.

"So?" Viks asked with a smile "What brings you here?"

"Work, actually." She smiled. "Am leaving."

"This is really so unfair Maya, You knew I live here, and now you are leaving. Where to?"

"London." She smiled. "There is a flight in two hours." She shrugged.

"Shit." Viks looked unmindful at his phone "God knows when this is dead." He searched his bag for a power bank and put the plugin, and smiled "My flight is in three hours, so enough time to relive some old memories with the old friend." Maya checked her watch, no check-ins before the next hour, that was quite a lot of time to be bored.

She shrugged happy, "Sure."

"So how is work?" He started bringing them a coffee each from Starbucks.

"Work is... interesting, I am happy with how the NGOs have shaped up, We have all worked hard for it!" She smiled.

"Yes, if you ask me, they should make you a partner, the kind of work you put in as an employee..."

"No Viks, they offered but I... I like to work at the grass root level, AC offices are not for me." She shrugged and stopped at an announcement that prompted the person they sat opposite to, pick up her luggage and leave, in a few seconds the seat was occupied by a man, in a long coat and aviator, who kept down his bag and removed his glares.

"Holy Shit! Charansh!!" Viks's shout almost made half the lounge stare as he hugged his friend. A clueless Maya however remained seated. "I guess today is my lucky day to meet The Charansh Oberoi after ages!" Viks received a hug and a smile back with a soft "How are you?"

"I am fine... I... what brought you here? Why didn't you meet me?" Viks frowned.

"Batata hoon, batata hoon, sit down." His friend let out a chuckle.

"Ohh am sorry." Viks apologized "I should introduce you two." Made the strangers stare at each other "Maya this is Charansh Oberoi, owner of the famous Oberoi Industries, and my college friend. Charansh this is Maya Awasthi, my schoolmate, she works for an NGO at Bangalore."