His Aratrika (On Going)

64. Date

Author's pov

"Wow,"

That's what Aratrika said when they reached their desired destination which was a surprise for Aratrika.

The expression on her face and the beautiful smile on her face were enough to tell Saptarshi that his surprise didn't go to waste. It was worth it.

"Millennium park. Really?" Aratrika exclaimed gleefully as they entered after showing the ticket at the entrance.

"Yes, Really. Did you like it?" He asked her just to be sure.

"Like it!!! I loved it. I always wanted to come here but never got a chance to do so. Thank you so much for bringing me here." Aratrika said with a bright smile as she hugged Saptarshi by the side.

" Aahaa!! If you give this kind of response for bringing you here, I will bring you here daily." Saptarshi teased Aratrika, wrapping his hand around her shoulder which made Aratrika blush.

Located on Strand Road, next to the Hooghly River is a beautiful park named Millennium Park. The park is 2.5km long and lies on Hooghly’s eastern shore opposite to the Railway Club and near the Fairlie Ghat. The famous Howrah Bridge can be viewed from the park. The park is located in the BBD Bagh area of Kolkata, near the General Post Office and the Calcutta High Court.

The park is named Millennium Park since it is a gift from the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA/CMDA) to the citizens of Kolkata on completing a millennium, the park was inaugurated on 26 December 1999. The park is a part of the first phase of Kolkata’s Riverside Beautification Project.
[ Source : Google]

They entered inside only to be mesmerised by the beauty of the river Ganges. The sky was turning into shades of orange indicating the time of Sunset . The river was looking beautiful due to the reflection of the orange sky.
The cool breeze of winter was adding the icing on the cake.
Aratrika took out her phone and started to capture the scenic beauty.

When she was busy admiring the beautiful surroundings,  Saptarshi was secretly capturing her beautiful smiling face which was glowing in happiness in his heart and of course in camera.

Finally his heart was at peace when he saw her genuinely happy face which was devoid of tension, sadness and fake smiles which he was seeing from the last night.

He smiled in satisfaction.

"Let's go there. " Aratrika said and took Saptarshi's hand while dragging him to the bench which was empty.

After sitting on the bench, they talked about themselves, some random things while keeping her head on his shoulder and him holding her hand.

After sometime, they went to enjoy the boat ride which was altogether a different experience for Aratrika and Saptarshi both. Lighting of the Howrah Bridge was reflecting on the Ganges , the cold breeze and the sounds of the water were making their boat ride worth remembering. They enjoyed the ride holding their hands with a smile on their face and also captured the memory by clicking a selfie of their happy smiling faces with the illuminated Howrah Bridge enhancing the background.

"Let's eat something. " Saptarshi offered  after their ride came to an end which made them sad a bit as they were enjoying the ride way too much. Aratrika agreed instantly as her mouth was already watering because of the delicious smell of the street foods.

They ordered the food from the food zone inside the park. After their order arrived, Saptarshi paid for it and both of them decided to have the food while sitting near the bank of the river so that they could enjoy the beauty of the evening.
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