“Arre namaste bhabhi. Aaiye aaiye.”

Her mother welcomed and the lady smiled warmly.

“Arre nhi nhi bas. Mai toh aap sabko invite krne aayi thi. Aaj shaam ko ek chhoti si party hai hamare ghar. Hamari 30th anniversary hai aaj. Aap sabko aana hai.”

She said and Pratishtha smiled. She walked towards her and greeted her warmly.

“Happy anniversary aunty. And ofcourse zarur aayenge hum.”

“Haan haan bilkul. Aaj toh hamari Ishu ka bhi birthday hai.”

Her mother said and Pratishtha lowered her head with a shy smile. She didn't know why it always made her embarrassed when her mother spoke about her with someone. She didn't know how to react.

“Arre phir toh double party banti hai. Happy birthday beta. Agar koi plans hai aapke toh koi baat nhi. We understand. Par aap aayenge toh bhut achha lagega.”

“Kaisi baatein kr rhi hai aap. Plans toh bante rahenge. And just like you said. Double party banti hai. Bilkul aayenge hum.”

Her mother said and Pratishtha nodded while smiling.

“Thik hai phir. Aaj ka tumhara cake hamare saath cut kr lena.”

Dheer's mom said and all of them chuckled. Pratishtha told her father about the invitation. He frowned at first but then shrugged and nodded.

“Sahi hai bhai. Party pak gyi achhi khaasi.”

Pratishtha was getting ready. She had chosen a pretty satin silk dress in olive colour with puffed sleeves. She kept her makeup minimal but wore a beautiful shade of nude lipstick. She looked pretty.

Her mother put a kala tika behind her ear to ward off any evil eyes and they moved towards their neighbours house with a gift in her father's hands.

They greeted and congratulated the couple. Dheer’s mother looked very beautiful and elegant in her red zari saree and his father looked handsome and dashing in his red kurta.

They wished her too to which she thanked them with a light blush on her face.

Pratishtha’s eyes involuntarily moved around the place. They stopped when she spotted him. Talking to some people of the locality.

He was wearing an olive coloured shirt with black jeans and paired them with black boots. They were twining!

As if he heard her thoughts, his eyes moved and stopped on her and got stuck. She saw the change in his expressions.

His smiling expression changed into one of awe. She saw him take a quick overview of her and she blushed when his gaze raked down her body and back to her eyes.

He gulped and said something to the person he walking to before making his way towards her. Pratishtha panicked seeing him walk towards her and looked at him wide eyed before looking around nervously.

He stopped right before her and all air wooshed out her chest. He was close. Too close. She could smell his cologne. He smelled exotic and erotic. She bit her inner lip to prevent herself from blurting out something inappropriate.

“Happy Birthday.”

He whispered and she looked up at him. Right! It was her birthday. And he came to wish her. It made sense now.

She gave him a nervous smile because of his proximity and thanked him.

“I have something for you. Hold on.”

He said and rushed somewhere while she looked confused. He returned two minutes back and passed her a small box.

“I hope you like it. I mean I like it so I got it for you but I don't know if you'd like it or not because I don't what you like but it's pretty so I think you'll like it. Agar phir bhi pasand na aaye toh let me know we can change it and get the one you'd like and-”

“Dheer! Stop!”

He looked at her and nodded and she smiled.

“Thank you for this. Iski zarurat nhi thi but still. Thank you. And I know I'll like it.”

‘Tumne jo dia hai.’

She added in her mind. He relaxed and nodded.

“Come on. Let's enjoy the party.”

She nodded and they started mingling with everyone. Pratishtha flushed with embarrassment when Dheer's parents called her forward while cake cutting.

It was so sweet of them to actually get a cake with her name on it. She thanked them a lot of times and Dheer's mother hugged her warmly.

Everyone was having dinner. Pratishtha wanted to use the washroom and was looking for Dheer's mother to ask her where the washrooms were.

She spotted her near some guests and quickly walked to her. She smiled at the ladies before turning to Dheer's mother and whispered in her ear.

“Aunty! Mujhe washroom use karna hai. Kaha jaau?”

“Arre wo saamne room hai na. Waha ka use krlo.”

She said and directed Pratishtha by pointing her finger towards the direction. She nodded and walked towards the room.

When she was free and looked around the room, she realised that it was Dheer's. There was a huge portrait of his on the wall just in front of the bed. Self obsessed human!

The other wall had a group of a lot of small pictures arranged in a collage. She walked towards them and started looking at them with a smile.

Her gaze then fell on something which made her eyes widen. What was this doing here? Did he-?

The door of the room opened and Dheer stepped in only to stop in his stride.

“Ummm…sorry. Did I come in at the wrong time?”

He asked, looking away thinking that she might be doing something.

“Nhi nhi! I just needed to use the washroom. Aunty told me to come here. I didn't know ye tumhara room hai.”

She said and Dheer walked towards her.

“Why are you naked here though?”

She asked, pointing at the picture. Dheer chuckled and put his hands in his pocket.

“I'm not naked. I'm wearing shorts.”

“Only shorts!”

“That's because that's a waterfall! Why are you looking at them though?”

“Tumne display kri hui hai!”

“Mere room mai. Where only close ones are allowed. People who've seen me like that.”

He teased and took a step closer to her stepping in her private space and she gulped nervously.