MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU

His Ignorance

Meera stood facing the mirror, her fingers fidgeting with the dupatta of the dress Kabir had chosen for her. The fabric felt different against her skin, imbued with a memory that made her heart flutter. Navya, walking past the room, caught a glimpse of her sister's meticulous efforts and did a double-take before entering.

"Uff! Meera di, who are you planning to impress today?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Shut up! You always say such nonsense," Meera retorted, trying to attach a pin to her dupatta. Navya stepped closer, placing a hand on Meera's shoulder.

"By the way, di, that guy from yesterday was really handsome, wasn't he?" Navya teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yes," Meera said dreamily, momentarily lost in her thoughts.

"Ohho, so di likes him?" Navya teased her even more, enjoying the rare sight of her sister being flustered.

Meera turned around, glaring at her younger sister. "Look, Chhotaa, don't bother me, okay? Don't you have school to go to?"

"Nope, today is a holiday," Navya replied, barely suppressing her giggles.

Meera placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, and what's the occasion?"

Navya's expression turned comically somber as she replied, "Not an occasion, di, a tragedy."

"What do you mean?" Meera asked, slightly alarmed.

"The school founder passed away, so," Navya replied dramatically, barely holding back her laughter.

"Really? Show me your diary, we'll see about that. You're killing off your founder while they're still alive," Meera commented, catching on to the joke.

"Hey, I was just joking. Don't you remember? You signed the notice yesterday. There's some repair work going on in the school, so the whole wing has a holiday," Navya reminded her, her face now serious.

"Alright, alright, but now you go," Meera said, placing a bindi on her forehead, her reflection beaming back at her.

"Why?" Navya asked, tilting her head curiously.

Meera simply placed a dot of cream on her face and replied, "Because, Navya ji, unlike your school, my college doesn't have a holiday, so I need to go."

Navya pulled her cheek playfully and said, "Okay, have fun! Have a nice date."

Meera glared at her for the comment, but Navya just giggled and left the room. Meera checked herself in the mirror once more, her smile widening as she noted the different glow on her face. Picking up her bag, she ensured all her essentials were in place and stepped downstairs. Meera took her scooter and drove off to college, her heart fluttering with excitement. When she entered, she could feel everyone's gaze on her. Her friends admired her outfit and commented that she was blushing.

After attending all her classes, she considered going to the cafe later that evening. Tanuja approached her with some notes, asking for assistance. Meera addressed her questions with patience and clarity.

"Meera, let's go have chaat today," Tanuja suggested, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"No, Tanu, I have some work to do. You go ahead," Meera gave an excuse, her mind already drifting to thoughts of Kabir. Tanuja shrugged her shoulders but left without pressing further.

Meera drove her scooter to the cafe, her heart pounding with each passing moment. She walked inside, her eyes scanning the room for him. She found Kabir near the counter and waved at him. Kabir glanced at her and passed a small smile, his heart aching at the sight of her. He didn't want to gush over her sweet smile; she already belonged to someone, and somewhere it pinched his heart.