Cordially, Yours!

-36-

Harshad lifted his bruised face slowly. His eyes were dilated and glistened with tears. His face was tight and stern. His hands clutched on his shirt. "True that- Ms. Vardhan! But, somebody has to remember who the left overs are and who is going to to come to pick them up."

His words pierces her and her chest that was filled with anger moments ago deflated. Their vulnerabilities were out on the platter. The once best of friends, the once best of lovers were now the worst of heartbroken enemies. The ones known as heartbreakers were heart broken. The beast had left the room leaving their fragile strand of love naked. Harshad closed on their gap and his hands made his way to her arms. The grip was firm but not hurtful.
He looked deep into her soul and she searched for what went wrong in him. Judgments, notions, arguments, present were all kept aside and past was what all remained. They breathed each other's warmth and relived each others presence. Their foreheads rested upon the other and they pressed their unsaid thoughts. The lips shivered together in the urge to meet again just like years ago. But the days had gone by and so were them, Mukti hadn't completely processed through her last thought when a dramatic voice broke in-

"Basanti, is kutte ke sath mat karna!"

Their peak in the past broke momentarily and they turned towards the source of drama. A stranger stood in front of them, draped in a black coat and loose checkered T-shirt with complementary dark blue jeans. Mukti recollected the face as a stranger she had met long ago at the medical-room counter. Unknown to who had intervened, Harshad quizzically looked at him.

"Hello to you, out of the box Sholay!"

"Hello, Mr. Gabar! Waise agar aap but a na jane toh, can I take Basanti with me. Baki adda apka hi. I don't mean to intrude in that. Bas padri mujhe thaka do!"

"Ladki, tujhe! Dude who are you to be here!" Harshad crossed his arms in amusement. A lean, bare muscular man had took a stance against him! What a joke! May be, Nandini did leave a mark on this college, he thought.

"Of course! By definition, main Veeru hua and my Jai, he's not here. But, yaar, look, let's not bring this to a great fight of punches and threats and just cut it off here."

"And Mr. Stranger why do you feel that this will lead to punches and threats. Tujhe kisne bolo hi ki yaha something is happening?"

"Wrong question!" The stranger answered in a bit serious tone.

" Right whoops, let's ask Basanti! Is something happening, babes?" Harshad questioned Mukti in an extra sweet tone. 

She knew being in this situation was no good and may be this lucky familiar stranger was the way out to escape from Harshad's clutches. She held a stern face and printed her fingers on Harshad's face. "Forget it and back off. Your time is long done." She murmured and stormed off.

The stranger took advantage of her exist to profuse the situation he was in and prevent himself a beating. He sneaked off from the back door he came from and caught upto Mukti.

"Hi Janeman!" He passed her a flattery smile. Mukti lightly snickered back at him.

"What?" He questioned shrugging his shoulders. "Don't tell me you don't remember me from that day! Are how can you forget such a great adviser!"

"Yaad hi!" She bluntly said.

"Really? Main ya meri advice!" He budged Mukti slightly in a teasing tone. Unknowingly, a crimson hue glowed on Mukti' s cheeks and her cold heart filled with warmth.

He noticed the blush that took over her and smiled at the recognition and triumph to cross over her walls.

"Always keep smiling! It suits you. Also, just because after it rains, one day, all the water is gonna be under the bridge!"