"Do you even know tum kitni boring ho Riya?",
says Kaamini, making a puppy face.
That brings a smile on my face and also leads to stretching my brows up.
"Bilkul Kaamini, main ye baat bohot achi tarah janti hun. And I am glad, ke tum bhi finally ye baat samjh gayi ho.",
I say, smiling teasingly, never taking my eyes away from the book I am reading.
That irritates Kaamini further and she takes a deep breath out of irritation.
"Well mujhe lag raha tha ke tumhe shaant jagah pasand hai meri tarah.",
I say, placing the book back into the bookshelf, smiling.
Kaamini looks around and says, teasingly,
"Aisi shaant jagah bhi nahi kaha tha!"
That makes me to laugh but I keep it a soundless laughter, aware that I am in a library.
"Yahan to main tumse ye bhi share nahi kar paungi ke mujhe Rajeev Sir se mil kar kaisa feel hua.",
says Kaamini, making a puppy face.
I shake my head and turn to look towards Kaamini and say,
"Jo tum mujhe pehle hi bohot baar bata chuki ho."
That makes Kaamini to blush.
"Kitne din hue hain tum logo ko miley hue Kaamini?",
I ask knitting my brows, my tone almost like a tease.
"Eight days??",
I say calculating.
"Nine!",
she quickly rectifies me.
I arch a brow, looking towards her, smirking and say,
"See! I knew it. Kitni jaldi tumne rectify kiya mujhe."
That makes Kaamini to blush.
"Tumhe pata hai Riya...",
begins Kaamini, raising her voice out of excitement.
"Shhhh!!",
I mind her, looking towards her, widening my eyes.
"Kaamini, relax, hum library mein hain.",
I remind her.
"Wohi to na! Hum library mein kyun hain?",
asks an irritated Kaamini.
"Kyunki mujhe ye book achi lagi hai and I am going to get it issued.",
I say smiling, looking towards her, as finally I get a book which I find to fit my taste completely.
An anxious Kaamini, grabs the book out of my hand, not letting me to cross check the theme of the book and starts walking straight towards the desk of the librarian.
"Arey... Kaamini sunno to...!!"
"Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat se bina mile hi chali jayengi aap Cadet Kaamini Sharma?",
comes the voice which not only skips Kaamini's heartbeat but mine too.
Did she really hear that? A shocked Kaamini turns to look towards me in order to make sure that she hasn't been hallucinating his voice. On discovering the same expression on my face as well, brings another shock for Kaamini. We stare each other dumbstruck, unable to understand how to react; what to do next?
Together we turn to look towards Rajeev who emerges from in between two rows of book shelves, smiling staring at Kaamini, setting the book back into the shelf from where he picked it up, reading.
"Rajeev Sir!!!",
breathes Kaamini, in utter excitement on witnessing Rajeev there.
Rajeev's smile broadens on getting Kaamini dumbstruck.
I, standing at my spot, and keep staring Rajeev, smiling wide. My eyes twinkling with joy on getting to see him in real - in front of me, for the first time.
"Can I shout?",
asks Kaamini, out of excitement, staring Rajeev.
Rajeev looks here and there, widening his eyes, smiling, whilst doing so he says,
"I... I don't think so!"
Kaamini laughs silently, blushing.
My reaction mirrors Kaamini's.
Rajeev laughs witnessing Kaamini's reaction.
I finally manage to gain Kaamini's attention and she asks me,
"Riya tum udhar kyun khadi ho? Idhar aao.",
smiling.
With a throbbing heart, nervousness and shyness mingled together, I slowly walk towards Rajeev and Kaamini, who are staring me, smiling.
"Rajeev Sir ye hai Riya....",
introduces Kaamini.
I smile.
"RNpoint1857",
completes Rajeev on behalf of Kaamini.
That comes as a surprise for me. And I blush profusely. Kaamini smiles wide looking towards me.
"Ab tum soch rahi hogi ke mujhe kaise pata?",
says Rajeev.
I smile looking towards Rajeev, at a loss of words.
"Wo actually jab Kaamini milne ayi thi to tab isne apne dusre friends ke saath saath tumhare barey mein bhi bataya tha.",
he tells me, smiling.
I smile back, blushing, unable to understand what to say.
"By the way tum log library mein kya kar rahe ho?",
asks Rajeev, smiling.
"Birthday!",
I blurt out before Kaamini could say anything.
That comes as a surprise for not only Rajeev but Kaamini alike. They look towards me, perplexed. I go a little nervous. But anyways speak further,
"Ahmm... It's her birthday today."
"Riya!",
murmurs Kaamini, widening her eyes at me, completely flushed by my suddenly revealing the truth.
"What? And you didn't tell me! Kamse kam ek mail to kar deti.",
says Rajeev, surprised.
Kaamini blushes, and says,
"Apne birthday ke barey mein apne aap hi batati kya?"
Rajeev smiles and shakes his head.
"Happy Birthday Cadet Kaamini.",
Rajeev smiles and extends his hand to shake it with Kaamini's.
Kaamini blushes profusely hearing that.
Kaamini with all her heart, smiling wide, forwards her hand, shaking hand with Rajeev, she says,
"Thank you Rajeev Sir!"
"Waise main cake layi hun.",
I intervene quickly, excited.
That comes as a surprise for Kaamini and she turns to look towards me.
"Kya?",
she asks, shocked.
"Haan yahan time spend karke mujhe tumhe kahin achi si jagah le jakar tumhare saath tumhara birthday celebrate karna tha. Socha tha tumhe surprise dungi.",
I say, then turning to look towards Rajeev, smiling, I say further,
"Par yahan to tumhare saath saath mujhe bhi surprise mil gaya."
Rajeev smiles wide, hearing that. Kaamini smiles too.
"Koi baat nahi do (2) se bhale teen (3).",
I smile looking towards Rajeev.
Kaamini smiles too looking towards Rajeev.
"Waise apse acha gift Kaamini ko mil bhi nahi sakta. Hai na Kaamini?",
I ask, looking towards her, smiling.
"Bilkul.",
Kaamini couldn't refrain herself from saying this.
"Hmmm... so birthday celebrate karenge hum aise library mein? Itni shanti mein?",
asks Rajeev, smiling.
"Ji. Ussi mein hi to maza hai. Challenging hoga.",
I say, arching a brow, smiling.
"Oh I love challenges.",
says Rajeev, rubbing his palms together.
Kaamini laughs hearing that.
"Okay. Main abhi ayi.",
saying so I quickly leave, giving them some space.
What gets exchanged between them during that brief moment when I was away, only they know. All I know is when I return back I find Kaamini, laughing and Rajeev smiling.
"Achi friendship ho gayi na aap dono ke beech?",
I ask, joining them, placing the cake on the library table.
"Kyun tum jealous ho rahi ho kya?",
teases Kaamini, looking towards me, and laughs.
Her words catch my attention and I look towards her, narrowing my eyes on her, smiling.
That makes Kaamini to laugh all the more.
Rajeev blushes witnessing the exchange between me and Kaamini.
"Girls will be girls!",
he murmurs.
"Ofcourseeee...",
Kaamini and me reply in unison, looking towards each other and burst out into fits of laughter.
"Sshh....",
Rajeev minds us.
We all widen our eyes. Kaamini and me, clench our tongues in between our pairs of teeth.
After decorating the cake, I announce,
"Okay so! This birthday celebration is going to be a silent one."
"Wow! How unique!",
says Rajeev, sarcastically, smiling, looking towards the cake.
I narrow my eyes on him.
Kaamini laughs. Rajeev, whose eyes are on the cake, doesn't fail to realize that my eyes are on him and he laughs too, staring the cake throughout.
"Very smart! Bina dekhe hi sub notice kiya ja raha hai.",
teases Kaamini.
"Kaamini could you please adjust the strand of hair that's irritating you at the moment, to your right side.",
says Rajeev, without looking towards Kaamini.
Kaamini and I widen our eyes hearing that, smiling wide. Damn! he knows everything. That makes Rajeev to laugh silently, understanding our silent exchange.
Kaamini does as he says, blushing. I laugh seeing that.
"Ab cake tum kaat rahi ho ke main? Because this is looking tempting.",
says Rajeev, still not ending his eye contact with the cake.
Kaamini shakes her head, blushing.
"I thought birthday girl main hun, apko meri taraf dekhna chahiye.",
complains Kaamini, faking her anger.
"Kaamini agar tumhare samne itna tempting cake ho to nazar idhar udhar jayegi kya?",
teases Rajeev, still staring the cake.
"I wish hum kahin aur hote library ki jagah to bohot dant ti apko.",
says Kaamini, showing her fake anger.
I widen my eyes, smiling, enjoying their banter.
"Well thank god hum kahin aur nahi hain fir to!",
says Rajeev, smirking.
I laugh out loud at that.
"Sshhhh.....",
they both mind me in unison.
They too laugh with me, all of us laughing silently.
"Waise maine socha nahi tha ke hum itni jaldi firse milenge.",
says Kaamini, smiling.
I smile hearing that.
Rajeev, staring the cake throughout, says,
"Waise maine bhi socha nahi tha ke....",
he with his index finger gestures towards himself and the cake and says,
"Hum itni jaldi firse milenge."
That makes me to laugh again.
Kaamini gets pissed off and says,
"Rajeev Sirrrr!!! Aap mere barey mein baat karenge ya nahi. Afterall it is my birthday."
Rajeev for some moment looks towards Kaamini, smiling and says,
"Oh! Happy Birthday Kaamini!",
and quickly turns towards the cake again.
Stomping her foot on the ground, Kaamini says,
"Main yahan se ja rahi hun.",
and turns her heels to leave.
Rajeev turns towards her quickly and says,
"Arey...."
Kaamini smiles, thinking finally he would pay attention on her. But she gets taken by surprise when Rajeev says,
"Cake to kat ti jao. Main khaunga kaise?"
Kaamini turns to look towards him, shocked. Did he really say that?
"Rajeeeevvvv Sirrrrr.....",
she scolds him further, standing at more distance from him as compared to the distance she had been standing earlier from him.
Rajeev and I laugh together, silently.
"Okay! Okay! No more teasing chalo ab jaldi se kato na cake.",
says Rajeev, restlessly.
Kaamini smiling, shakes her head and finally cuts the cake not before blowing the candles.
Rajeev skips Kaamini's heartbeat as he suddenly walks closer to her and whispers in her ear,
''Happy birthday to you...
happy birthday to you...
happy birthday day dear Kaamini,
happy birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Kaamini.''
The whispering of his into her ear, makes her to feel tickling sensation, she blushes.
I smile staring them.
Kaamini then feeds the first piece of cake to Rajeev. Rajeev feeds her back.
Kaamini then turns to look towards me and smiling, she walks over to me to feed a piece of cake. I smile and taste the cake, feeding her back.
"Happy Birthday Kaamini.",
I wish her and hug her tight.
Kaamini's eyes turn teary, feeling overwhelmed. She hugs me back and says,
"Thank you so much Riya."
I couldn't help myself from cutting another piece of cake and feeding Rajeev with that, afterall how could I miss this golden opportunity? Rajeev reciprocates the gesture. Kaamini smiles staring both of us.
"It was a pleasure meeting you Rajeev. A dream indeed turned true today!",
I say, smiling.
Rajeev smiles.
"Now I shall leave you both to yourselves. Enjoy. Bubye!!",
I smile.
They both smile back at me.
"Happy Birthday Kaamini!",
I wish her, smiling.
"Thank you!",
she says, smiling.
"Bye. Take care.",
I wish to Rajeev.
"Bye Riya. You too take care of yourself and keep smiling.",
replies back Rajeev.
I smile back.
And I leave them to themselves. What got exchanged between them, only they know. All I know is next day when I meet Kaamini, she seems to be very happy and satisfied, hopefully that is because of the meet with Rajeev!
