The Start Of Something New - Part I

The Day Of

A/N: I know that after a recent announcement from Niti it may look absurd to still write about PaNi, but I'll just say I'm gonna continue writing about them cause I've loved them as individuals and I've loved them as a pair. I will continue to love them and most importantly I will continue to write and believe in them cause PaNi is a thought, a concept, a thing of beauty. To me they are a fragile but sacred connection.

All of last week they had gone shopping, screamed in disbelief in the middle of the day (Kirti had), made placards and spoken about Manik. Most of which had seemed extremely stupid to her. Mostly the making placards thing. Even after so many years Niti clearly didn't understand Kirti's quirks. So she had tried to talk her out of it.

"Kirti we don't even know where we stand. We do but not practically right? Maybe he won't even see us and all this will go waste!"

"How can you be so sure of that? Maybe he will, think of the positive and besides it's a chance I want to take. I wanna show him my love regardless" Kirti replied not looking at her friends questioning expression.

"You didn't take what I said at the dinner table about him being a small time star and all, seriously. Did you?"

" I suppose not." In the end Niti gave up.

They made huge Placards of white and yellow that read "I love you more than waffles" cause Kirti loved waffles to the end of time and "Marry me" to which Niti had inevitably asked-

"He's twenty. Why will he get married now?"

"I'm eighteen but if it's him that I get married to, I won't mind."

"Yeah sure."

"Niti... Niti... Niti?!" Her mother shouted at last. "Where are you lost?"

"I'm sorry what?" She said coming out of her trance.

"Go and take a bath if you want to go the concert?" Her mom said meaning she had to do it right now. "You slept till late and there isn't much time left. You have to shower, then Krish and Dad and I both have to leave for work so make it quick alright?"

"Yeah mom, don't be paranoid. I'll just go" Niti said getting up from her bed. She had been sitting and replaying the events of the past week in her head and her irritable behaviour is quite evident even in her memories, her trying to reason with Kirti and failing to or understand what was good about this guy and getting annoyed at the thought of the concert and him. All this wasn't new, she knew that. What puzzled her was, in between all this when did she warm up to the idea of the concert? Maybe it was when she agreed to buy a pair of new jeans or maybe when she recently watched one his performances with Kirti without making any comments. The interview later however didn't give her the same vibe as the former.

"What sets you apart do you think?" The interviewer asked.

"I was born different. It's more than one thing that sets me apart and I don't think anybody but myself can be me" he said.

There was a huge round of applause when he finished the answer and wore a cocky smirk on his stupid face.

"You have a huge fan base, predominantly female what do you have to say about that?"

"I am pretty irresistible. That settles the deal I guess" he said with the same expression as before. "Right ladies?"

A loud cheering and surge of 'yes' started pouring out and when he winked in response, a girl in the first row died. Not literally, she fainted.

She hated him then. But that somehow hadn't stopped the 'feeling'. Even now as she was going for bathing, she felt a tiny bit excitement surging through her body. It felt like she was betraying herself but it wasn't a bad feeling. And besides it was only a little, minute bit and only for his songs, not the person.

She had that thought and a couple others while she showered, ate and even while she got ready. It lasted until she heard Kirti's voice in loud bouts and turned back to see her friend run at her in full speed and in no time she was on top of her like a giant koala.

"Oh my God Ni, I'm gonna see him" she shouted in her ear, then added a little softly "You made this happen, I love you."

"I love you too and I'm happy too" she said giving Kirti a bone crushing hug before she separated herself from the tight embrace.

"How do I look?" Niti asked turning back to look at the mirror.

"Why do you care? You don't like him?" Kirti asked surprised.

"I like to be well dressed regardless of who'se looking at me. I do it for myself not the boys" Niti explained.

"Well... if I wasn't so hung up on him and you didn't hate him as much, I'd say he'd be gone for you if he saw you today" Kirti said and Niti cocked an eyebrow as if to ask 'really?' "As much as it pains me to say that, yes! And now come, we'll be late" she said catching hold of Niti's wrist and dragging her.

The whole way to the stadium they didn't talk much, both were lost in their own thoughts, exchanging a few words perfectly punctuated by Krish's irritated groans.

"Hop out" her brother said as soon as they reached one of the entrances, or so hey presumed.

"This doesn't look like an enterance" Kirti said as they began walking towards the door. "There isn't any sign or anything."

"Are we even on the right place?" Niti asked in an irritated and fearful voice.

"Yeah, yeah I've checked the location online maybe we're on the wrong side or something" she said trying to keep her hopes up. The doors were open, and they were huge to be honest but there wasn't even a single ray of light, it was too dark for anyone or anything to be here.

The next few minutes they stood there, walked around a bit trying to make sense of the place, but to no avail. They even spoke to the few people who they saw around there, who they assumed, must have helped them to the best of their abilities but they still didn't get a thing. The concert was set around a huge area and the management was clearly bunkum. All the entries and exits were utterly confusing!

"Niti I'll take a round along this place, I guess we're on the backside" she said making a thinking face. "While I'm at it, just wait here okay. If I find the enterance I'll give you a call and you come there" she said and asked at the same time.

"Cool" Niti replied and Kirti walked to where they came from, took a right and dissapeared. She had not stood for more than three or four minutes when a huge car( that she could get a glance at when she squinted her eye) came at full speed and before she could make sense of anything and move away it came crashing onto the puddle formed on the freshly dug road. The mud mixed with filthy, smelly water came flying, and in no time she was completely drenched in it.

A/N: Well that's some stinky business!! And Thnx to kyy I can perfectly picture Niti drenched in mud.