KISMAT - A MishBir SS

*part 1*

"Mishti" he muttered with a smile. The girl in question smiled in return, lowering his eyes, her long hair falling down her shoulders.

"You have always been there for us. Our family. You are a great girl. Thanks Mishti"

She nodded

"You're very special. Mishti...."

Abir woke up with a jolt. Shit! Slamming a hand to his head, he pushed his covers down, "stop doing this Abir. The girl is getting married to your brother"

And you are dreaming about her

Shut up! He sushed his own thoughts out

Again!

Irritated with himself he pushed himself out of the bed and got up to get started with his day.

****

"Ben ba, it is strange starting our day without the sound of your sitar"

Meenakshi looked up from her laptop, "good morning, Parul. I told you Parul, my life now revolves around one thing and one thing only"

Parul nodded

"And that is getting my son to say no to that girl Mishti. She will never become my bahu. I'll see to that"

****

Abir reeled back. Anger coursed through him. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Actually, he could. He should have known. He would have known had he not been the emotional idiot he had been the last few days.

Had he not let his guard down, he would have known that minute his mother agreed to mishti's demands of marital courtship that something was amiss. His mother would never agree to such demands. Not in this century.

He pushed the hair out of his eyes, "idiot" he scolded himself.

He had let his guard down, and he had unknowingly set Mishti up for heartbreak. He had asked his brother to pretend he had taken her to the hospital, he had pushed his brother to take her out on dates, and he even sent her flowers in his name - the last one he wasn't proud of. But he had asked Kunal to send her flowers and that boy had forgotten, so he did it anyway.

He did all this so Mishti wouldn't be pushed into a relationship. He wanted that decision to be entirely hers.

All he wanted was her to be happy.

Because she was special

Yeah, she was.

And you like her

Ye -

What? His eyes flew open. No! He shook his head. No! He wasnt going to let that happen

And he wasn't going to let Mishti down either. She had called him her friend. Repeatedly.

He knew what he had to do.

On his way out he was stopped by Jugnu - "Abir bhaiya! Abir bhaiya"

He turned around, "she loved the flowers. She asked me to say thanks to you"

He nodded absentmindedly, and continued walking.

Thank him?! She knew?

"Jugnu wait" he called. Jugnu turned around, "she asked you to thank me?!"

"Haan bhaiya. She said 'jisne bhi yeh phool bejhe, unse thanks keh Dena. Aur kehna ki yeh bahut Sundar hai"

Phew!

"Ok. Thanks Jugnu"

He would tell them everything. He would tell her everything. And then the decision would be hers.

And what about your brother, Abir?

Kunal! Abir stopped, Kunal was in this too. He had agreed to the courtship. What if Kunal - his thought hitched, he gulped, what if Kunal liked Mishti?

His fists clenched unknowingly. Damn it. What kind of a mess had he got them into?!

He looked back into the house - he saw Kunal in the balcony of his room, talking on phone. No. He knew kunal. He had seen him when he had genuinely liked a girl. He had seen him in love. He knew that Kunal didn't like mishti - yet, a small voice added.

That was true. There was something about that girl. It didn't take long for Mishti to Inch her way into people's hearts.

Like yours

If he told the maheshwaris, he thought, deliberately ignoring the annoying little voice inside his head.

What are you going to tell them Abir? That your mother lied? That she doesn't like Mishti? That Kunal isn't interested? That you were the one who saved her, but asked your brother to pretend it was him?

"No" he muttered, he couldn't let his family down. He couldn't do that.

When a relationship breaks, no one questions the boy. But everyone questions the girl and her character.

Vishambar uncle's words echoed in his head. He kicked a pebble out of frustration - no that's not going to happen this time.

He couldn't tell the maheshwaris, but he could talk to his brother. He would find out if he liked her.

He knew what Mishti would say - she would say "it's just been a couple of days. How do you like a person so soon - that too for marriage. I need more time"

He smiled, maybe that's what he should do? Give them more time. And in that time, he would try to make his mother see what a great girl Mishti was.

And you would be okay with that? You would be happy when Mishti and Kunal say yes?

He chose not to answer that, just like he chose to ignore the sick feeling that was overtaking him from the pits of his stomach.

*****

Coming up: Mishti slammed down on the breaks - why was there a huddle in her usual cycling route - that too this early?

Parking her bike on the corner of the road, she got down and started walking towards the crowd - feeling very unsettled, but not understanding why.

She knew why the minute she saw the man on the ground, blood flowing from a deep gash on his head

"ABIR!"