(inline comments appreciated)

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"Mimi, hum pehli baar ghar se akele nai jaa rahe and aise bhi 13 log akele nai hote." Manan whined as their great grandmother fussed over them.

"13 log? Hume toh laga sirf tum 7 jaa rahe ho?" Gayu asked and Manan bit his tongue realising his mistake. "Arre mumma who Harini di and Reem di bhi aarahi hai" Vatsal said quickly.

"Toh bhi 9 log hue, baaki ke 4?" Kartik questioned. "Papa mere friends hai college ke who log Mumbai se hume join karege." Akshu said as if she was mentally prepared for the questions.

"Also, before you question further, meine unke naam and numbers mumma ko whatsapp kar diye hai! Now bye oldies," Akshara said in a go and pulled her cousins before they are further interrogated.

The cousins settled in the mini bus, as they had planned a road trip to Goa instead of flight or train due to the last minute addition of Sanyam, Ziya, Anisha and Nishtha. "Chutki, tune kounse friends ke number message kiye mumma ko?" Kairav asked.

"Arre, Aarohi, Vatsal ka best friend Neil and Ziya ka. Neil already Goa mein hai so no problem, Ziya aarahi hai humare saath and Aarohi koi doctor's seminar ke liye select hui hai Birla hospital se so woh aaj raat ki flight se Goa hi aayegi." Akshara said and Krish questioned her, "Tujhe, har time sab kaise pata hota hai? And kitne plans ready rakhti hai tu dimaag mein? Idhar toh ek ulte question ka reply sochne mein 10 minute lag jaate hai."

"Bhaiyu, how do think meine family se mera cyber security mein career chupaya itne time tak? Also ab ye topic pe baat nikli hai toh bata du aap sab ko NDA sign karna padega ki aap log kisi ko nai bataoge about me being hacker." Akshara said.

"Kyu? I thought tu family ko batane wali thi." Vatsal inquired and Akshara said, "Arre, I accepted Crime branch ka offer but with a condition mein sirf background se kaam karugi like undercover because fighting and all is not my cup of tea. Mujhe still training leni padegi self defence ki and exam bhi deni padegi but sab secret rahega, ye kisi ko batna nai tha but you people know isliye you have to sign NDAs."

"Matlab, you'll be like a spy? That's so cool, di!" Manan gushed and Akshara smiled.

"Chalo all the best agent sahiba but now no more career talks, only enjoyment." Vansh said and everybody laughed.

"Aage highway ke pehle rokna, aur logo ko pick up karna hai." Kairav said to the driver and then turned towards the rest and said, "First time mil rahe ho Ani se please apna drama start karke mujhe embarrass mat karna and please no teasing."

Manan gave a sly smile and said, "Woh toh dekhege!! Waise Chutki di guess ye dono kounse type ke couple honge? Neeti and jiju are lovey-dovey, Vatsal bhai and Ziya di are Tom and Jerry, Krish bhaiyu and Harini di are shy ones."

"Well, woh toh milne ke baad pata chal jayega! Also, khud ka bhul gaya tu bolna, you and Nishtha are Pyaar dosti hai wale couple" Vatsal replied.

Soon the cousin gang was joined by Sanyam, Ziya, Reem, Harini, Nishtha and Anisha. Obviously, each pair was teased by the rest NeeYam took the teasings with a smirk but didn't stop their PDA, HarSh blushed badly and fumbled in their replies, KaiSha laughed it out but their face had a peaceful smile, ZiVa started fighting to divert the attention and NIshAn tried to deny their feelings. Reem and Vansh also stole some glances when they thought no one is looking.

The sitting arrangement was such that it gave Akshara the last seat whole to herself. Seeing all her cosins, happy with their partners she thought, "I need someone too. Bhagwan ji mere liye koi banaya hai ya nai? Woh mimi ko nai pasand hai woh wala Abhimanyu Birla bhi chalega, bus koi bhej do! Mujhe bhi chahiye love story, nai karna aur third wheeling." She was so busy in her thoughts that she didn't realise when her hands searched Abhimanyu Birla on Instagram.

She realised it when the bus halted with a jerk, she looked at her phone and thought, "Banda acha dikhta hai but bada hai mujhse age mein I guess, bachi lagugi iske saamne mein!!"

Her thoughts were broken by Ziya calling her name, "Akshi, kaha khoyi hui hai? Kab se bula rahi hu. I was telling ki hum yaha pe break le rahe hai sab neeche uttar gaye tu bhi chal"

The two girls came down and went towards the dhaba where the rest of them were waiting for them. Krish took Akshara to a corner after giving their order. "Chutki, mujhe na Harini ko kal raat ko propose karna hai, it's our first meet anniversary tomorrow but hume waha pohchane mein kal duphar ho jayegi, itne kam time mein kaise manage hoga? Tera friend waha haina, usse bol na resort ke beach pe arrangements karvaye, please!!"

"Fikar not bhaiyu, when Akshara here! I'll call Neil and ask for his help and ya don't worry it will be a secret." Akshara said and then added, "You join them, I'll roam around that garden and then come"

"Thank you so much Chutki, okay jaldi aana aur chalte chalte bohut dur mat chali jana." Krish said and left while Akshara moved towards the garden.

She sat near a small pond of lotus flowers and closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze and humming no particular tune. There was a serene smile on her face making her look like an angel.

She then opened her eyes started singing a song looking towards the lotuses that were swaying with the wind, it looked as if the flowers and Akshara were conversing with each other.

"Beautiful" she heard and turned towards the voice.

"Excuse me?" she said to the man in front of her and then took a proper look of him and thought, "Abhimanyu Birla? Why does he look like the man I just saw in the phone?"

The man shook his head and said, "I was calling the scenery beautiful. You it looked like a scene from those Disney movies, a princess singing and the nature responding."

"Flirt kar rahe ho toh bohut ganda attempt tha!" Akshara said without thinking.

The guy gave a sheepish smile and said, "Nai genuinely tareef kar raha tha. You have a great voice and the lotuses were surely moving in your rhythm. Waise I am Abhimanyu, Dr Abhimanyu Birla!" He forwarded his hand for a handshake.

"Well, tareef ke liye shukriya! I am Akshara Goenka" she said and shook his hand.

"So, singer?" he asked and recevided a reply, "Waisa hi kuch samajlo. Interview ki practice kar rahi thi mein"

"I don't think so ye lotus tumhe honest feedback de sakte hai but I can so sing to me instead!" he winked and she chuckled at his flirting attempt. "Well ab tum mere prince charming hote toh gaa deti but kya kare you ain't one, so ye princess tumhare liye kyu gaay?"

"Well be the princess who doesn't wait for her prince charming! Modern day princess thodi Disney ke criteria mei fit baithti hai? Also, if this princess wishes I can be her prince charming! You know mein safed ghode pe toh nai aaya but safed bike garden ke bahar hi park ki hai" he had another cheesy reply ready.

"Chalo itna keh rahe ho toh I'll sing! Tum bhi kya yaad rakhoge princess Akshara ko. Koi sugesstions?" Akshara asked dramatically.

Abhmanyu nodded and said, "Lag ja gale! Meri maa ka favourite hai, so mera bhi" Akshara grinned and said, "Mumma's boy! I like it." She then started singing the requested song and Abhimanyu motioned his phone as if asking permission to record, Akshara nodded and he recorded the voice of the first girl he flirted with, for whom his mind decided a cheesy pick up line was a conversation starter.

"Chalo ab I need to go but raahi fir milenge chalte chalte. Waise I am going to Goa with my cousins, you?" She asked and he replied, "Goa for a doctor's conference. Maybe this lowly one would meet princess Akshara there again. Anyways I liked talking to you."

Akshara smiled, "Me too, let's meet in Goa if possible." She gave him a paper with her hotel address written and a guitar and lotus were also doodled on it.

They both reached the gate where Abhimanyu's bike was parked. "I like this safed bike Mr Birla" she winked at him at left towards the dhaba before he could reply. He stood there frozen with a huge smile on his face.

He actually couldn't believe, he behaved like a hormonal teenager in front of a girl he met for the first time. Smiling to himself, he connected his earphones to the phone and played the recorded song. "Goa is going to be fun" he thought.

On the otherhand Akshara stopped infront of the dhaba and then looked back, Abhimanyu was on his bike, she smiled and thought, "Well Abhimanyu Birla is certainly very interesting."

****

So we finally have the AbhiRa meet.

Did you like the meet? I was planning a tashan wala meet but it would have been similar to KaIra so a flirty first meet.

Hope you guys enjoyed it.

Do vote, comment and share.

Love,

Writer