NOT SO LOVINGLY, YOURS

CHP:03 - MUMBAI KA VADAPAV (MUMBAI'S VADA PAV)

INIKA'S POV:

It was 5:30 p.m. and I was walking out the airport. The flight was pretty smooth. Luckily, I reached the airport on time or else I definitely would've missed my flight. But I did not, Thanks to Ansh I thought to myself. I pulled my phone out of my handbag and saw a text from Aarav.

[5:15] Aaru                                                                                                                                                                                 Land hui kya? I'm waiting outside jaldi aa! (Have you landed? I'm waiting outside come soon!)

[5:32] Inu                                                                                                                                                                                    Haa just, bass bahar hi aari hu. (Yes just, coming outside)

It took me another 5 minutes to reach to the gate. I stepped out and started looking around for Aarav. I saw a board among the crowd of people that read 'TWO YEARS LATER' and then i looked at the person holding it. 

With a smug smile on his face and the board in his hands; dressed in formals Aarav came up to me. I ran to him and gave him a tight hug! It had been 2 years since I last saw him. Although Goa and Mumbai were not that far away, he had gotten quite busy with his start up and had been working tirelessly for it. Now that his startup had finally got the funding he has been in a little relaxed state. But I'm pretty sure he has just come back from a meeting looking at the way he is dressed, it's sort of obvious.

"Ahhhhhh I misssed you Aaru!!" I say half breaking the hug and then hug him again tighter.     "I missed u too Inu" he said welcoming the hug. Finally breaking the hug, he helped me with my bag, and we started walking to car talking all about the proposal and what happened next. "And the funniest part is Viti thought I was again just fake proposing to embarrass her but when I pulled out the ring, she got up so quick in excitement that she almost tripped and fell over me" he said laughing. 

"I am so happy for you Aaru I cannot even explain.... but I pity the poor girl, she has to bear you and your antics for the rest of her life" I said ruffling his hair sitting in the passenger seat. "Aye chup kar!..... I pity the bichara banda jo kabhi biyah ke tujhe apne ghar leke jayega. Bhagwan hi bachaaye usse" (Aye Shut up! .......I pity the guy who is going to wed you and take you home. God save him)

"There is no Banda Shanda....But anyways yeh sab chhod yaar. Vada pav khilaane le chal. Mumbai ke vada pav ki badi craving ho rahi hai!" (There is no guy....But anyways leave this topic. Treat me to some vada pav, I'm craving mumbai's vada pav) And with that he started driving to our favorite Vada pav spot! 

After that we went to Aarav's place and met Shalini aunty. We spent the evening there and Shalini aunty had prepared an extremely large spread for dinner. After a hearty dinner and extremely and nostalgic conversations me and Aaru were seated in his room waiting for Shalini aunty to finish packing some food for Viti.

I was going to be staying with Viti for the next week. She usually stays at her top floor penthouse whenever she is in Mumbai. Usually, she accompanies her older brother Som Aharya- the most egoistic, presumptuous and chauvinistic man I have ever met. Whenever he is in town for business. Accompanying him gives her an excuse to spend some time with Aarav. But now that her brother isn't in town, I'll be staying with her. Which wouldn't have been the case if he was in fact in town. I do not want to share the same roof as him. I just cannot tolerate his presence anymore since......