Rohini wakes up from sleep. It's 6 AM in the morning. It's too early, but she just can't resist herself from thinking about the mask party tonight. The theme is simple. Strangers meet each other, wearing masks. You can dance with your friends or even a stranger, but face revealing is not allowed. She however, wishes that the music should not be very loud, as she hates it. She is also worried that there might be drugs in the party, the sight of which, irritates her. She is in a dilemma, whether to go or not. Lost in thoughts, she goes back to sleep again.
She finally wakes up at 9:30, because of a phone call. Her friend, Rinki is calling.
"Must be to confirm my presence for today, evening." - She says to herself and picks up the call.
"Hello" - says Rohini.
"Hi Rohini. So, you are coming surely, for the evening mask party today?" - Rinki asks.
"Yes. yes. Surely. I will." - replies Rohini, hesitantly, after a small pause, thinking about what she thought in the morning.
"Okay baby. See you. bye. - Rinki says and cuts the call.
Rohini freshens up, gets dressed for a business meeting she has to attend and leaves the house. She returns back at 5:30 PM. The party will start at 6:30 PM. She quickly goes to the washroom, gets freshened up, wears her party dress on and gets in her car.
She reaches the venue, ten minutes late. Her friends are already waiting for her. She quickly parks her car and joins them.
"As usual sweetheart, you are late." - Rinki smirks.
Rinki smiles and they enter the club. Once on entering, they are given their face masks.
"Please don't put off your masks. It is mandatory to keep it, as it's the theme of party. You can only take it off, in the wash rooms. Enjoy the party. have fun." - The attendant says and show them the entrance way.
The party is on in full swing. Everybody starts to groove with the music. Rohini doesn't like the loud music too much. She grabs a drink and seats down on the corner sofa. A guy beside her is smoking weed. She feels uncomfortable and leaves the room to a nearby balcony.
She stands there watching the Kolkata skies at evening. It is almost dark.There is a red patch of light covering the sky from east to west. She was lost in observing the nature, when some one calls from behind,"Excuse me, are you okay?"
Rohini turns around. A guy, his face hidden in mask, having a sturdy physique and accomplished height is standing in front of her.
"Yeah, I am okay. But, who are you?" - Rohini asks,
"Hi! I am Rohan. Actually, I have been seeing you standing here for quite some time now. So, thought to ask? Sorry, if I disturbed."- Rohan replies.
"Oh Hi! No problem. I wasn't enjoying inside. So, came here. I love to adore nature in silence and praise it's serenity. How about you? Bdw, I am Rohini."- Rohini replies.
"Same here. I love to live in peace. Hey, can we go the adjacent hall. I came to know, they offer some really good classical music. So, shall we?" - Rohan asks.
Initially, Rohini felt slightly hesitant as he is a total stranger. But, he had a strange modulation and softness in his voice, that attracted her. Her brain and mind were at a conflict. But, she decides to listen to her mind and accompanies him.
The hall is almost empty. Rohini feels like taking off her mask, but the attendant requests her not to do so. They start chatting with each other. Rohan's way of talking, habits, nature impresses Rohini. She feels like spending her life with him. He was no more a stranger to her. Everything about him, seems to cast a spell on her, although they know each other for barely not more than an hour. His face is even hidden by a mask. The only visible thing is a black tattoo on his hand, that of an anchor.
"I don't know him much. But, at least I can try to. Every couple were once strangers. He seems to be a real nice guy. I can at least date him, for sure. " - Rohini whispers to herself, and offers to dance with him.
While dancing, she tries to remove his mask, but he denies saying,"Don't. We are better strangers and slowly we should come to know each other. If we hurry, we will fail." Rohini doesn't understand the depth of his words, but she decides to dance with him. She decides to loosen herself, up in his arms. After a short period of time, she feels like kissing him. The time being spent with him, seems to be the best, she ever have had. She tries to lift the mask to kiss him, but again he denies. Slowly, time passes by. She doesn't even come to know, that an hour has passed by.
She receives a call from Rinki.
"Hello!" - She answers.
"Where are you? Come fast towards the exit no. 5 A. We are waiting."- Rinki says.
"Okay." - answers Rohini, and turns towards Rohan. The stranger has stolen away her heart.
"Hey, I will have to leave now. Give me your cell phone number. I will save it." - Rinki says.
"Don't worry. You will find me. " - The stranger answers and slowly starts walking away. Rohini tries to stop him but something from inside, stops her from doing so. He vanishes in the blink of an eye.
Rohini runs towards the exit, as her friends are waiting for her.
Post that day, she tries her best to find out who the guy was. She even tries getting information from the club authorities. But, as the name is very common and she doesn't know his full name, they are not able to help her. Besides, it is not possible for them to keep a track of tattoos every visitor has. So, she gives up all hopes. But, his memories still makes her smile and she wishes someday, she would again meet him. This time, she won't let him go away.
Three months pass by. Rohan is still a stranger to Rohini. She remembers him everyday, but in no way, can she reach out to him. She even doesn't know, how he looks.
Then, one fine day, she is walking down the road, when she sees an astrologer. She has recently, gained a lot of belief in these things. She feels they bring her closer to Rohan. She forwards her hand to the astrologer, which she does almost everyday.
"You once met with the love of your life. But, some how departed. Today, you will meet him, again. Don't let him go." - The astrologer says, leaving Rohini in an utter shock. She doesn't understand what to do, be happy or cry. She doesn't know whether to believe him even or not. She used to show him her hand everyday. But, never did she get such a reply. She hadn't even, ever told him the same. So there is no way, he can know that.
"He isn't bluffing, I guess. For god's sake, he mustn't." - Rohini silently says to herself.
She asks,"What should I do?"
"Wait for things to fall in the right place. Visit the flower shop, nearest to where you live. You will be surprised." - the astrologer smiles and says.
Rohini gives him a small amount of money and runs towards her home. There is only one flower shop, close to where she lives. So, it wasn't difficult to figure it out.
She enters the shop and sits on the waiting desk. Many customers come and go. But. none had a tattoo in their hand.
An hour passes by. Rohini in still waiting, determined to meet him. Suddenly, she feels a soft breeze on her face. She had felt the same, when she first met Rohan. She looks towards the main entrance and sees a man, sturdy and fair, appearances quite similar to Rohan, walking in, He walks towards the tulip counter.
Rohini gets up and runs towards him. He has the same black tattoo, on his let hand. Her heart begins to beat fast. Finally, the day has come. She feels like being in a dreamy state.
Gathering up courage, she speaks,"Hi Rohan. Recognise me? You took too long to meet." - Says Rohini, teary eyed, her voice shaking.
Rohan looks around. He looks even better than she had imagined.
"I had said, you would find me. Surely, you did." - Rohan says and smiles.
"I am so angry, you left without saying anything. I am not gonna let you leave again. I will kill you, if you try to do so. Got it? What if I never could find you? What would have happened then? " - Rohini says angrily.
"Okay Ma'am. I won't. I promise.But, I knew you would. I left it upon destiny to do the needful." - Rohan says and lifts her up. Rohini starts crying out of joy.
"But how could you be so sure?" - Rohini asks.
"I stay in your building only. That day after the party, I followed your car. I came to know, that you also stay in the same building. But, I decided not to walk in to your life suddenly, and give destiny a fair chance. I followed you many times to the workplace and saw you consulting that astrologer, everyday. So, I paid him some money yesterday, to provide you with my location, today and make it look as if a coincidence. Glad, that he kept his words. I would not have delayed it further, had some thing good not happened. I am and will always be your's. I was never away, and will never be. That night, the feelings were mutual. Don't worry. You never lost me." - Rohan says, and smiles. He hands over a tulip flower to her.
Rohini starts crying again. She slaps him hard and then gives him a tight hug. She gets entangled in his arms and decides to never let him go.
Then, one fine day, she is walking down the road, when she sees an astrologer. She has recently, gained a lot of belief in these things. She feels they bring her closer to Rohan. She forwards her hand to the astrologer, which she does almost everyday.
"You once met with the love of your life. But, some how departed. Today, you will meet him, again. Don't let him go." - The astrologer says, leaving Rohini in an utter shock. She doesn't understand what to do, be happy or cry. She doesn't know whether to believe him even or not. She used to show him her hand everyday. But, never did she get such a reply. She hadn't even, ever told him the same. So there is no way, he can know that.
"He isn't bluffing, I guess. For god's sake, he mustn't." - Rohini silently says to herself.
She asks,"What should I do?"
"Wait for things to fall in the right place. Visit the flower shop, nearest to where you live. You will be surprised." - the astrologer smiles and says.
Rohini gives him a small amount of money and runs towards her home. There is only one flower shop, close to where she lives. So, it wasn't difficult to figure it out.
She enters the shop and sits on the waiting desk. Many customers come and go. But. none had a tattoo in their hand.
An hour passes by. Rohini in still waiting, determined to meet him. Suddenly, she feels a soft breeze on her face. She had felt the same, when she first met Rohan. She looks towards the main entrance and sees a man, sturdy and fair, appearances quite similar to Rohan, walking in, He walks towards the tulip counter.
Rohini gets up and runs towards him. He has the same black tattoo, on his let hand. Her heart begins to beat fast. Finally, the day has come. She feels like being in a dreamy state.
Gathering up courage, she speaks,"Hi Rohan. Recognise me? You took too long to meet." - Says Rohini, teary eyed, her voice shaking.
Rohan looks around. He looks even better than she had imagined.
"I had said, you would find me. Surely, you did." - Rohan says and smiles.
"I am so angry, you left without saying anything. I am not gonna let you leave again. I will kill you, if you try to do so. Got it? What if I never could find you? What would have happened then? " - Rohini says angrily.
"Okay Ma'am. I won't. I promise.But, I knew you would. I left it upon destiny to do the needful." - Rohan says and lifts her up. Rohini starts crying out of joy.
"But how could you be so sure?" - Rohini asks.
"I stay in your building only. That day after the party, I followed your car. I came to know, that you also stay in the same building. But, I decided not to walk in to your life suddenly, and give destiny a fair chance. I followed you many times to the workplace and saw you consulting that astrologer, everyday. So, I paid him some money yesterday, to provide you with my location, today and make it look as if a coincidence. Glad, that he kept his words. I would not have delayed it further, had some thing good not happened. I am and will always be your's. I was never away, and will never be. That night, the feelings were mutual. Don't worry. You never lost me." - Rohan says, and smiles. He hands over a tulip flower to her.
Rohini starts crying again. She slaps him hard and then gives him a tight hug. She gets entangled in his arms and decides to never let him go.
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