Destiny's Play: #HarshAli

07

A/N - the names used in this story are made up by me and are purely fictional.
A/N - I don't know Harshali's preferences so I made it up myself.

09.04.24

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Ruchi and Pranali were seated on a table near the window that overlooked the city. Pranali was fidgeting with her bracelets and wristwatch, awaiting her elder sister's words but Ruchi, being the typical sibling, was dragging out the moment. It made Pranali nervous. "Kuch toh bolo na, Ruchi. Kitni khushi ki baat hai yeh. Teri behen ko itna achha mauka mila hai apni skills ko prove karne ka aur tu excited hi nahi hai. Soch, agar yeh series hit hui toh jab bhi tu kahin jayegi na log tujhe bolenge 'woh dekho, pranali rathod ki badi behen ja rahi hai'. Mere saath - saath tu bhi famous ho jayegi."

[Say something, Ruchi. What a joy this is. Your sister has got such a good opportunity to prove her skills and you are not excited at all. Think, if this series becomes a hit, wherever you will go, people will say to you, 'Look, Pranali Rathod's elder sister is going'. You will also become famous along with me.]

Ruchi let out a chuckle at her younger sister's words and decided that it was enough teasing for the day. "Kitna bolti hai tu, Pinu. Obviously, I am excited for you. Aur rahi baat logon ke mujhe 'pranali rathod ki badi behen' bulane ki... toh woh toh log abhi bhi bolte hai so i am already famous." She laughed out loud looking at Pranali's face... the latter woman was looking at her with wide eyes and open mouth.

[You talk so much, Pinu. Obviously, I am excited for you. And as for people calling me 'Pranali Rathod's elder sister'... people still say that so I am already famous.]

The waiter brought a black forest cake to their table. Pranali looked at it and then at her sister who nodded her head while smiling proudly. "For you," Ruchi said, simply making her lean across the table to hug her. The waiter left to serve other customers while the sister duo shared a hearty afternoon together.

While going home Pranali asked Ruchi that they should buy some sweets for their parents to celebrate the news. While at the sweet shop, Ruchi noticed Pranali looking discreetly at the 'rasgulla' box. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought because no one in their family was crazy for rasgullas. Sure they liked it and ate it on occasions but buying two different boxes for one place seemed odd to her.

Pranali paid for the sweets and tried to sneak the other box inside the car but forgot about her sister's sharp eyes. "Yeh kiske liye hai?" Ruchi asked her, startling the younger woman.

[what's that for?]

"Woh... main... uhm, mere liye hai. Haa bilkul. Main khaungi ise." Pranali fumbled. Her elder sister just smiled at her, her face clearly depicting that she didn't believe her. "The whole box of fifteen pieces?" Ruchi raised her eyebrows in question.

[This is for me. I'll eat it.]

"Uh... it's for... my friends. I want to treat them separately." Pranali excused but Ruchi was relentless in her quest for truth. "Your friends, huh? Tumhe aur tumhare friends ko toh spicy chize pasand hai na? Itni saari sweets kaun khayega? Maybe koi 'special friend' hai tumhara... someone with an 'H', right?" She giggled mischievously.

[You and your friends like spicy things, right? Who will eat so many sweets? Maybe you have a 'special friend'... someone with an 'H', right?]

Pranali turned red and almost dropped the box of sweets. "Na... nahi. Yeh tu kya bol rahi hai. Chhod na." She sat inside the car and asked Ruchi to start it immediately, leaving as fast as she could. Being her elder sister, she understood her thoughts without even Pranali saying it herself.

[No. What are you saying? Leave it.]

Ruchi just smiled and said. "Dekh, main tujhe kuchh bhi karne ko ya nahi karne ko nahi bolungi. Teri life hai, jaise jeena hai tujhe, it's okay but ek baat maan meri... life mein, kabhi bhi apni feelings confess karne mein der mat karna. Hum thodi der wait karte hai, searching for the 'right moment' but woh exact moment kabhi aata nahi hai and it gets too late to do anything else except for regret. Baki toh tu samajhdar hai, mera ishara samajh hi gayi hogi."

[Look, I will not tell you to do or not to do anything. Life is yours, live it the way you want, it's okay, but agree with me on one thing... In life, never delay in confessing your feelings. We wait a while, searching for the 'right moment' but that exact moment never comes and it gets too late to do anything else except regret. You are intelligent, you must have understood my words.]

Pranali looked at her and then gazed down at the box in her hands. She knew whatever her sister said was absolutely right but she herself was confused about her feelings and emotions. Was it only friendship, a deep affection for someone who was there for her when she needed it or was it something more? "Agar mujhe khud hi samajh na aaye ki main kya feel kar rahi hu toh?" She spoke up with uncertainty.

[What if I don't understand myself what I am feeling?]

Ruchi gave her another smile before speaking. "Toh... hum thoda time dete hai apne aap ko aur sochte hai ki hume kya chahiye. Filhaal, aapka stop aa gaya hai, madam." She gave the other woman a teasing look, making her confused. Looking out of the window, Pranali recognised the building as Harshad's.

[Then, we give ourselves some time and think about what we want. Presently, your stop has arrived, madam.]

She turned to her elder sister in question but she didn't even let her ask anything. "Jiske liye itne pyaar se khareeda hai, use de aa." Pranali just blushed but didn't protest, getting out of the car and happily skipping towards the building, excited to share the news with him.

[Give it to the one for whom you have bought it with so much love.]

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Guys, as said before, no new updates till the 5th of May.

Signing off,
Sriya.