Perfect Strangers ✔

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Priyanka smiles at Nandhini.
Priyanka: hi.. congrats to you both.

Nandhini: Thank you so much! And you?

Ayush has not come out of the shock and now his tension gears up.

Priyanka: I am.. Ayush's neighbor.

Nandhini: oh! Thank you for making up! Please make yourself comfortable and have food.

Priyanka: ok! Have a great life ahead!
Priyanka leaves from there.
Ayush suddenly reacts.

Ayush: (whispers to Nandhini) my friend is leaving, I will have a talk with him and come.

Nandhini: yea ok!
Ayush rushes; pulls his friend who brought Priyanka there and takes him alone.
He is Karthik, their college mate.
They all were together at that time.

Ayush:(sternly) hey! I invited you and you have brought her!?!

They both have a deep conversation. Karthik reveals something to him. Ayush face totally changes hearing it.
Priyanka watches them getting serious. She gets near him.

Priyanka: Ayush, Karthik please stop this! (Not able to face them; hides her tears) Everyone will be watching this... i know this is about me. I don't want to create any problems.... (wipes her tears)
Ayush... i wanted to see you for one last time! I am leaving out of station... sorry.. i am leaving...
(She couldn't control her tears; gets out of the hall).

Ayush tries stop her but stands; still couldn't come out of the shock.
Nandhini searches for him, gets near him. Karthik see her, tries to be normal.

Nandhini: Ayush, guests are coming to see us...

Karthik: I will take your leave.
Bye..

Nandhini watches Ayush tensed.

Nandhini: are you ok, Ayush? Can i get water for you?

Ayush: no.. i am.. lite headache..

Nandhini: oh! Should I bring pills?

Ayush: no.. i..
Gaurav comes there.

Gaurav: ma, what are you two doing here? Everyone is waiting for you... come da!

Nandhini: no uncle.. Ayush is..

Ayush: no! Nothing! Lets go come..

Nandhini: but.. ok..
Nandhini senses something not good; but forgets it.
Ayush is under pressure, controls it.

Soon, event gets over. Families go to have lunch.

Nandhini: Ayush, come lets have lunch!

Ayush still tensed and confused
Ayush: no, you carry on!

Ayush leaves from there. Nandhini feels sad. She wanted to spend sometime talking with him.

Nandhini: (mind voice: he must be tired so he is like this. I will talk afterwards)
Leaves for lunch.

All have lunch and start to leave.

Ravi: Ayush didn't even have lunch!?

Gaurav: yes! What happened to him?

Nandhini: uncle, actually he was having headache. Let him rest sometime.

Bina: ok da! We will take care!

Nandhini: Aunty! Can you please ask him to call when he is free?

Bina: yes dear! I will take care of him! Soon he is going to be yours!

Gopal: yes! Ok we will leave.

Ashish: uncle, i have informed the food contractor to be in mandap by 3 pm so that he could prepare for dinner for reception.

Gaurav: yes dear! Morning we will have wedding at temple near mandap and reception in evening.
That day is really going to be tiring.

Ravi: yes pa! We have only 4 days more!

Gopal: we have made arrangements for it... only some are left... some invitations are to be given..

Ashish: yes thatha.

Ravi: ok! Lets see. We will take your leave.

Gaurav: yes pa! Call me once you reach.

Ravi: ok!
They leave; Nandhini is still not convinced, she wants to see him, talk with him, but leaves from there.

Scene ends.

Ayush walking up and down; he is confused, stressed. Bina knoks his room door. He opens.

Bina: dear! Are you ok? Come and have some food then we will leave.

Ayush: no ma! We will leave home, i will have food there.

Bina: ok.. but what happened dear?

Ayush: no.. i am ok.. now.

Bina: Nandhini was very worried about you! She told you to call her... talk to her..

Ayush feels stressed hearing her name. Inside his mind, there are lot of questions, confusions pirking him.

Ayush: ok..

Bina: (to Gaurav) tell the food contractors to pack the leftover food and give it to people in need.

Gaurav: I have informed them.. we will leave we have lot of work to be done.

They leave from the mandap.

Days roll by.... filled with work, tension and excitement.
One side everyone was awaiting for that day, Ayush was wanted time to stand by. He's confusions grow up day by day, he couldn't reveal it to anybody, hides everything inside.

Nandhini is very happy to start new pace of her life. She enjoys each and ever minute happily with her family.

Day before wedding, morning,

Nandhini is packing her belongings and almost finished it. She looks her room which is fills with lovely and immortal memories of childhood till now....
Tears come from her eyes, she wipes it and smiles.

Nandhini: we should be ready to move on in life..... change is constant..... i miss you so much mom! Please always be with me!
(Suddenly gets excited) yassss! Sydney I'm coming!!!!

She is excited to the core! He is exactly opposite to this!

Soon the two families reach mandap by afternoon so that they can get ready together and get to temple at morning.

TBC