Meethe Pal

14. Once upon a Navratri (SaRun reunion oct'24)

This OS was written for "Mixed bag of celebration" contest on India Forums for Sanaya-Barun's reunion in their Zouk ad campaign. The cover made by Shiri (__shiri__) is winning entry for Graphics category and this is a runner-up entry overall. Enjoy reading.

--*--

He combed his perfectly styled hair for the umpteenth time. Then reached for his favorite Dolce & Gabbana, a warm and sensual fragrance with notes of amber, and spices, perfect for evening wear. Splashing a bit on his wrists, he checked his reflection once more.

"Bhai, aren't you a little too suave for these Dandiya night parties? Especially that overgrown beard of yours, it's giving you Baba ji look!" Aakash exclaimed.

Arnav threw a sharp glare at his younger brother.

"It's called experimenting with looks!" he said, not hiding his confidence.

"And this experimentation is for one girl, I presume?"

"Which girl?" a hint of crimson was creeping into his cheeks now.

"The same one who you meet only during Navratri. Aren't you going there just to meet her?"

"Kuch bhi! Why would I go there for Khushi?" Arnav tried to keep his tone casual but failed.

"I never took her name, bhai." Aakash's smirk was enough to shut him down.

Khushi was really a mystery, appearing in Arnav's life only during Navratri. They danced together in the vibrant Dandiya circles, smiled at each other, chatted a little and at the end, she slipped away before he asked her out. This had been the pattern for three years now. So far, he only knew her name. But beyond that, she was an enigma.

"Bhai, kahi wo bhoot-voot toh nahi hai na? Like that movie- Stree?"

Hearing Aakash's wild thoughts, Arnav nearly choked on his breath.

"What the-! What rubbish Aakash! She isn't a ghost or any supernatural being, ok?" Arnav said with conviction. There was no way she had any bizarre backstory.

Aakash nodded in agreement but picked another train of thought, "You're right, ghosts can't come near divinity. So, if she were a ghost she wouldn't be at Navratri, right?"

"Shut up, Aakash!" His condescending tone finally did it and Aakash surrendered his hands in the air, in acceptance.

Although Arnav made Aakash shut his mouth, he himself wasn't able to stop his thoughts. Dandiya was never really his thing. He had been averse to any form of dancing. But three years ago, he got invited to the event organized by the cultural minister of Delhi and he relented. He was just starting up his fashion house so attending an event by a minister meant making connections. The rest, as they say, was history!

He clearly remembered Navratri from 3 years ago. Because he met a mysterious, gorgeous woman that evening. A beautiful girl dancing in abandon, gracing every next person partnering with her with a radiant smile as the circle kept moving in opposite directions, switching partners. The next thing he knew, he took the dandiya sticks from his shocked brother and marched towards the circle. Somehow, managing to protect himself as well as others from knocking on their heads with the dandiya, Arnav waited patiently until that girl came in front of him. Although once she came in front of him and smiled, he was rendered speechless. He couldn't say a word and by the time he came to his senses, she was nowhere to be seen.

Similar story repeated the next year.

It was only last year that he managed to hold on to his speech and ask her a question. She told her name but then steered the conversation to her favorite sweet – jalebis. He didn't get a chance to ask anything else before his mystery girl vanished in thin air again!