Hey there!
Welcome to Unfazed - the story of people who deal with life every day and still look at adversity in the eye and give it a wink and a smile. Sometimes, when no one is looking, they cry too.
Join Deeksha Bhalla - AKA Dee - a girl with si...
Regardless of how many players there were, I would always go where no one was, while playing Blind Man Buff. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy none can change. Nonetheless, I continued playing, going towards where I was certain I could hear Ma's laugh when I hit a boulder or something of the like and tripped.
I heard a small "Owww" and felt myself falling forward and mentally braced myself for the fall. I was surprised when it never came and instead, someone caught me midway. In a second, everyone came running and I only heard a long list of questions and the sounds then moving away. With them, went away the hands that had prevented my fall. I assumed it was Harsh – but wait, wasn't he away with Alana?
Too shocked to have taken off the blind fold yet, I slowly took it off to realize I was facing away from where the blanket for the family had been spread. Turning around, I saw Sneha walking towards me and I asked, slightly panicked, "Please tell me I didn't hurt anyone? I heard someone say Oww!"
"We all thought you did – but thankfully, nothing happened," she replied. "Wait – what do you mean?" I asked, still confused.
"Diya's shoe came off undone and she fell – and you tripped over a rock", she explained. I gasped before she continued, "No – no. Don't worry. My boyfriend's brother pulled you out of harm's way and steadied you. So, you didn't fall on Diya. She has a little scrape on her knee which Diana and Bua are putting a band-aid on right now. She's okay. Chill"
"Oh Goodness!! I can't believe this. Thank God!!!" I exclaimed. Even if I hated kids, I would never have lived with myself if I hurt Diya – albeit unknowingly. "It's okay bro – anyway, it's almost time for food – let's get you some water", said Sne. Thanks to her, I didn't miss having an elder sister, ever. "Also..." she continued with a chuckle, "You've been Den for the past forty-five minutes. You should really get some sugar in your system before you faint." No. I didn't miss having an elder sister at all!
We sat in a circle on the blanket and left some space for Sne's boyfriend and his brother. Their father was already there and he seemed to have become fast friends with Varun Mama while we were busy playing. Harsh and Alana had come back too – and though neither of them showed any signs of having had a serious conversation, seated next to me, I could tell that my brother was seriously considering something.
"Now?" I asked Harsh when the adults were busy talking while Sne's guy and his brother had gone to retrieve the food and drinks they'd brought for this picnic. Most of the seated people were passing around the portions of food and if it was urgent, Harsh could have used this chance to tell me.
"Later. Nothing to worry," he whispered inconspicuously to me while passing on a plate of cucumbers to his right. "If you're sure" I said and got up to help Diya with her bottle of juice.
As I returned to my seat and saw the screen of my phone light up, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye. Looking up, I saw a tall, well-built man smiling at all of us from opposite to me. He went and stood by Sneha's boyfriend's dad – whom she had addressed as Raj Uncle.
When he did, Sneha joined him and our group fell quiet. 'Oh – this is the guy', I thought to myself. Sure enough, Sneha followed by saying, "Everyone, I'd like for you to meet my boyfriend – Vishwas."
He laughed at this and said, "Hey guys – Yes, I'm called Vishwas – but my full name is Vishwashesh Sanghvi. This is my father, Rajkiran who seems to know this family better than I do, already."
All of us laughed at this little quirk and Raj Uncle and Varun Mama, thick as thieves now, went ahead to give each other a handshake. Once the laughter died down, Vishwas continued, "And this young man", pointing behind me and Harsh, "is my little brother, Devendra – uff – Deven Sanghvi."
To say I jolted in my seat, would be an understatement.
