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But I didn't. So, I wasn't prepared for the cyclone that was headed my way. A cyclone that would destroy all the meaning of my life. A cyclone that would cause havoc in my absolutely normal, boring life. A cyclone that would make me want to laugh and cry at the same time, like a lunatic. Maybe they were a cyclone, or maybe not, but I didn't know about it. Yet, they weren't anything less than it.
A cyclone named the Raivardhans.
5. PAANCH
"Whatin the hell took you so long?" That was how I was greeted up on entering the club. No hi or hello or even 'you look so nice in the borrowed clothes!'
Okay, that might not have been something to be expected. It would be moreover full of mortification...
I turned around to face the owner of the voice. The short fellow around my height, with typical black Indian hair and his blinking brown eyes, stared at me.
"Is it just me or does she really look different?" Mayank finally spoke after staring at me for a whole minute like a mute.
"Thank you," I grinned toothily at him because getting that out of him was just as good as hearing that I was looking gorgeous. He was never generous with his compliments, except for Prerna, he would never compliment any other girl. Even if it was his best friend.
Shaking his head, he started barking orders around, "Pratyusha, check with the DJ yaar, why isn't that guy here yet? Madhav, tell them about the plan."
Then he turned towards me, "Rynah please check with the food and the cake. Those are the most important aspects of this party that I am entrusting you with. Make sure that they have nailed it."
He patted my upper arm twice before going back with other preparations.
And I understood his desperation. He wanted everything to be perfect for Prerna, and it was really cute and romantic of him to plan the party and worry that it wouldn't be up to the mark.
I did what he had asked me to. The buffet was set on the rooftop space of the club. And the cuisine just tasted heavenly. I fell in love with the lasagne and chili chicken. I even requested to taste it twice. The time just flew so fast and soon it was the time to surprise Prerna.
Mayank had left to‘lure’Prerna to the location, as he was putting it, about half an hour ago while we waited for them patiently. The last minute preparations never seemed to come to an end.
Prerna could be really handful sometimes. Especially when she was at hertime of the month. Ah ha baby, period were Mayank’s nightmare. And... That happened to be today...
"Where are you dragging me off like a criminal, Mayank? Careful! Do you want to make me limp for the rest of my life? And I told you already that I cannot at all dance in this condition, what if I make a tattoo behind me on my dress? If that happens, I will make you wash it till I have my white dress back!" We could hear Prerna nagging from the other side of the door while we controlled ourselves from laughing uncontrollably. Seriously, this time it was way worse than the other times. Poor Mayank...
"Gosh, baby! Do you have to talk about all that now? And why did you wear a white dress when you were... You know what I mean, right?" Mayank had freaked out, we could evidently hear it in his voice.
"Periods, Mayank! It’s called periods, menstruation! It’s not ‘you know what I mean’ and I will wear what I want! Whether it be a white dress or a granny’s dress or a bikini! We are in a free country and I will make you wash the stain if it happens to occur," Prerna's tone was very heated and I swear I could picture Mayank sweating profusely standing before her, under her perfectly manicured nail of her index finger. It was always the same and I don't think that it was ever going to change.
Then the whispering started that we weren't able to hear, but I was damn sure that it was Mayank who was pleading his case to her. And soon after that Prerna cut some slack on him, "Okay baby, this is just one time. Only for you."
With that said, they finally opened the doors as everyone shouted, "Surprise! Happy birthday!"
Prerna was genuinely surprised as she started to laugh which changed to her joyful tears soon after and hugged Mayank, very tightly might I add.
That was the famous Mayank’s magic, only he, Prerna and God knows what he tells her that she always gives in to him, no matter how serious or ridiculous the situation would have turned out to be. He was like her kryptonite.
She was in a chain halter neck asymmetric dress paired with silver pencil heels. Her burgundy hair was now straightened. The gray freckles in her brown eyes sparkled at the sight before her.
I walked towards her when they had pulled away and gave her a big hug while singing, "Happy birthday, lazygurl."
"Thank you so much, crazygurl!" She sounded elated, making me more happy for her. Those were our nicknames for each other, 'lazy gurl Prerna' and 'crazy gurl Rynah' especially with an American accent following their slang just because we both do so much justice to those names. And Prerna had a thing for American English.
When we parted from our eternal hug, I and Mayank stepped aside, letting others greet her before I took out the envelope from my back pocket and handed it to her. I was so glad that it arrived right on time the previous day at Aunt Lasika’s house.
"What's this?" She curiously opened the envelope and looked at the contents inside before she started to squeal like how she squeals while running from lizards and gave me another big hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"
"What did you give her that she looks like she's going to faint now?" Mayank who had been patiently standing there all this time asked, baffled, "She didn't even show this much excitement for my party arrangements!"
"It's two concert tickets for A. R. Rehman's performance in Mumbai! I have always wanted to go to his concerts!" Prerna chirped happily while I gave Mayank a superior smile.
"And all my hard work just went down the drain, didn't it?" He said it with the face of a little boy who just lost his favorite toy.
