Destiny: Time To Fall In Love

Chapter 2 : My New Neighbor

I stepped out into the crisp morning air, expecting nothing more than the scent of my jasmine plants. Instead, I saw a man standing in the driveway next door.

My heart did a violent somersault. Mr. Aryan? What on earth was he doing here? I rubbed my eyes, sure that I was still dreaming about yesterday's lecture, but when I looked again, he was still there. He was dressed casually, a simple t-shirt that showed off his athletic build, looking far too handsome for seven in the morning.

Confusion clashed with a sudden, electric surge of excitement in my chest. Then, I saw it: a massive, bright yellow truck parked right at the curb. The bold letters on the side read "Swift-Move Relocations."

Oh my god. He wasn't just visiting. He was moving in. The mysterious, "handsome-as-hell" professor who had dominated my thoughts all night was officially becoming our new neighbor.

The realization hit me like a chemical explosion. I didn't even wait to fix my hair; I spun around and sprinted down the stairs, my feet barely touching the steps. I practically skidded into the kitchen where my mom was calmly sipping her tea.

"Mom!" I gasped, out of breath and eyes wide. "The new neighbor... the person moving into the Sharma house... do you know who it is?"

"Mumma! Mom!" I skidded into the kitchen, nearly overshooting the counter. "Are we getting a new neighbor? I saw a moving truck outside... people are carrying furniture into the house next door."

I started biting my nails, my heart doing a little rhythmic tap-dance against my ribs. I was desperately hoping to hear the words I already knew were true.

"Yes, sweetie," Mom replied, not looking up from the stove. "The house was finally sold. We should probably head over and welcome them in a little while, okay?"

I bit my lower lip to keep from squealing out loud. Thank you, God! You are officially the best! I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, offering a silent prayer of gratitude to the universe. I wanted to jump up and down, but I caught myself just in time. Control yourself, Aashi. Your Mata-shri is right here, and she has eyes like a hawk. I tried to fix my face into a neutral expression, but I probably just looked like I was having a muscle spasm.

"By the way, Mom..." I started, grabbing a sandwich from the plate and trying to sound like I was just making casual conversation. I kept my eyes focused on the crust of the bread. "How many of them are there? I mean... is it a big family?"

"It's a small family, like ours," Mom answered, passing me a glass of orange juice. "A couple and their son. I heard from the real estate agent that the son is actually a professor at a university."

"Oho... a professor, huh?" I took a long sip of juice to hide the massive grin spreading across my face. A professor. My professor.

Mom paused, leaning against the counter with a mischievous grin. "By the way, sweetheart... how exactly did you manage to get up this early on a Saturday? Usually, I have to use a megaphone to get you out of bed before noon."

"I... I don't know," I said, sticking my tongue out playfully. "Maybe the birds were extra loud today?"

I set the glass down and gave her a sudden, bone-crushing hug. "Anyway, Mom, I'm going to go take a quick bath. Then we can go welcome them! And we should definitely take those cookies you baked yesterday. You make the best cookies in the world, and we have to make a good first impression, right?"

"Since when are you so worried about neighborly impressions?" Mom called out as I bolted toward the door.

"Since today, Mom! Just since today!" I shouted back, flying up the stairs.