The Determination

"If you don"t design your own life plan, chances are you"ll fall into someone else"s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much."

Incessant ringing of the cell phone beeps woke me up, tearing the last threads of my slumber. I rubbed my eyes to see the time. It was eight o"clock, I turned off the alarm. I lazily sat up, dangling my legs on one side and stretched my body to the fullest. Wearing the slippers, I padded to the balcony. Fresh breeze stroked my stubble face. Thank God! It"s not burning like Jaipur.

I quickly got fresh and changed into the two piece suit, meanwhile Bharat got up and got fresh. I thought to order breakfast in the room itself to save time of having it in the restaurant and waste precious time.

"Let"s go." Bharat said, fixing his cufflinks.

"Wait. I"ve ordered breakfast in the room." I combed my hair and fixed my tie which I didn"t wear generally.

"Okay." Getting done with our breakfast, we rushed to the hotel where the meeting was scheduled.

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Chauhan." Mr. Lalwani straightened his coat and stretched out his hand.

I gently met his. "Likewise, sir. So, shall we start?"

"Sure!" We sat in the circular table and Mr. Mehta managed to have the opportunity to do the presentation first. In reflex, as we"d planned, Bharat presented his part and like out of the evens, our odd won out. The meeting went well and we managed to save the deal in our favor. The next two hours of discussion and treaties, we decided to have the further discourse over lunch.

"So, Mr. Chauhan! How"d you managed to establish this company so far? You"re quiet young." Mr. Lalwani put up the topic.

I laughed it off, "The fame and name this company has established is not exclusively mine and it has the major portion of dad"s penchant and dedication towards it."

"Our workers, each and every person who"s associated with this company has a right to get the credit." I added sincerely.

"So that means you"re bestowed with a full-fledged empire?" He smirked and I shook my head, stabbing the fish. "No, you can"t say that. The moment I came back to India, dad suggested that I join the company and I didn"t join it as CEO, I was the marketing head at first. So I"ve earned this name and this empire."

"I see!" He sipped his drink, "When are you planning to get married? Any girlfriend yet?"

I laughed again. "Didn"t you just tell me that I am quite young? I would love to enjoy bachelorhood for a while."

The lunch got over and Bharat and I headed to our suite. He was fidgeting with his cell phone when I plopped beside him, decreasing the temperature.

"What are you doing?"

"Was just browsing about the tourist spots here. I mean why not we roam around a little and then go back to Jaipur tonight." He murmured, still gluing his eyes to the screen.

"That sounds interesting."

Shree"s Perspective

"Hey guys? Let"s hop to the dolphin hill. I searched about it in Google and it told me this is the highest point in Ooty and provides breathtaking views. What say?" I asked everyone excitedly when we were having lunch.

"That is risky, Shree!! I think you should disown this thought." Mrigank opposed as predicted.

"No, I want to click some pictures from there because the view is very nice. Please don"t say no." I implored, he was musing but he shook his head. "That"s still risky. I am out of this."

"I am in." Akshat, Aarti and Josh said simultaneously.

"You guys are going alone!" Rhea exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes at her, "How can four people be alone together? Duffer!"

"Listen, I"m not going because I"m already very sick." Rhea refused blatantly, gobbling lamb. I smirked inwardly as I knew that she wouldn"t agree to go there and that was why I asked Akshat to set up a surprise on the dolphin hill. Rhea was so wimp that she wouldn"t muster the courage to peek there.

"You were not ill when you gobbled up the whole pineapple pastry for breakfast." I argued, "And dinner yesterday."

She had vomited after the ride and after that; her oh-I-am-so-sick station" was tuned.

"That is a different thing." She shrugged.

"We are here for fun and to make memories, you chicken liver." I made fun of her and Akshat pressed my hand under the table, apprehensively.

"Fun? Do you know what will happen if I fall from there?" She gasped, imagining the height and her face blanched, "No No, I love my body very much, I"m staying here with Mrigank. You go and have fun. Thank you."

"Weakling." I scoffed but she was determined not to go. I surreptitiously winked at everyone and we finished our lunch.

"Oiee!! Take this shot!" I posed, leaning against the metal grip and Aarti clicked a snap.

"Let"s take a selfie." Josh giggled, butting in and we pouted to get the best snap.

"Are you guys serious here to click pictures?" Akshat ticked off, glaring at us with balloons in his hands and streamers whirling around him.

"No, we will help you but before that, let us enjoy!" Aarti grinned, clicking snaps and Akshat looked at me with betrayal, I rolled my eyes. "Fine, blow the balloons and by the time you will be done. I will help you."

"Promise?"

"Pinky promise, Majnun." I simpered.

Abhimanyu"s Perspective

"Dolphin hill? Seriously?" I glared at Bharat like a schizoid "After wasting one hour on Google. You found this. A hill?"

"Abhi, the tip of this peak resembles the shape of a Dolphin"s nose and that"s why it is called Dolphin Hill. It is the highest point in Ooty with a height of 1,550 meter above sea level and it also gives you breathtaking views of Catherine Falls and...."

"Okay, stop. You don"t need to recite everything that you"ve read on Google. The point is, we"ve to trek up there to see the fall and other things but I am not in mood." I showed him the height. Granted, it would be worth climbing up there but there were other spots too, situated on comparatively low height.

"You"re a party pooper." He jabbed me, "C"mon, let"s hop up."

Unwillingly, I tracked till the tea plantations on the way and I was falling short of breath. The hill was still two three meters above. I sat on the rock nearby and waved my hand, "I am not going to let you make plans ever, Idiot."

"I will get the coke." Bharat gulped air and walked to the canteen at the end of the corner. The view was indeed marveling. Since, we were at least 1,400 meters above the height the wind was cool and dense.

"Here!" I was trance out when Bharat passed me the can, breaking its seal. I drank it in a go and relaxation seeped in my senses. It felt like we"were enveloped with mountains and the clouds had canopied around. One word to describe: Comely.

"We should plan a family outing here." Bharat proposed, "After your marriage, let"s come here with our wives. Kartik, you and I. Sounds great, right?"

I rolled my eyes, "Stop knitting plans. She has not said a yes yet."

"Then ask her since she"s here." I looked at him puzzled as he said that. "What?"

"Look there." He jerked his head at a certain direction and I followed his gaze.

"What is she doing here?" I mumbled, finding Shree there on top of the hill. She was looking a lot different than the last time. In shorts and tube top, she looked carefree and liberal unlike the day I met her at her home. She was very nervous and constrained within the rituals of pretending to be perfect".

"I guess she"s planning a surprise." Bharat made a hunch and I couldn"t refute his assertion. She was trying to throw the steamers across the branch and her hairs were disturbing her. Swiping them back, she resumed her work, stretching herself a little.

"Is she mad?" I said hotly, beginning to stalk up there, "She"s jumping there, almost standing at the edge. One wrong move and she can fall into the deep ravine."

"She can"t be alone there." Bharat pointed out, making sense.

"Where are the others if anyone is accompanying her?"

"Hold on, bro. Nothing will happen to her. Calm down." He pacified me.

"It is impossible now."

Shree"s Perspective

"You tie the balloons. I will decorate the streamers here." I distributed tasks and began to throw strings on the branches one by one. We decided to have mercy on Akshat and end our photo session early. Josh was helping Akshat in decorating placards for a reason unknown to me and Aarti was decorating balloons. Not to mention, we were getting some of the curious and some of the ridiculous responses of fellow visitors. A certain streamer took it upon it to irk me by sticking in the branch. Then there was wind which didn"t help me because my hair blew on my face with every gust.

"You"re still doing it?" Aarti sighed and I groaned. "Wind is blowing in the opposite direction making it difficult."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I will manage." I carefully jumped on the side and in a flash, someone burst balloon near my ear, making me startle and I slipped. I screamed as my grip on the streamers loosened and I heard my friends yelling my name. Before me, there was a deep chasm and I was going to fall on my face. My mind blocked and tears started falling like spring fall but I felt someone pulling me. "I got you."

I couldn"t bring myself to open my eyes or thank my savior and thick, compelling darkness engulfed me and I propped myself against the body that saved me before the voices faded.

"She is waking up."

"It"s my entire fault."

"Shh...be quiet. Don"t stress her."

My head throbbed and a sharp pain skyrocketed from my ankle to the calf as my brain started working. I could hear faint voices but my eyes were stubborn to not obey me. It took me complete two minutes to open my face and register the faces hovering over my head.

"Thank god, you are awake." Aarti engulfed me in a hug and I spasm against her. "Where am I?"

"Hospital." Akshat murmured, caressing my hair, "You are a very bad party planner, Shree. I am not going to allow you to plan anything ever."

"What am I doing here?" I tried to sit up and panicked noticing saline in my vein. "Did something happen to me?"

"It is yet to determine." I heard someone and craned my neck to the entrance to find Abhimanyu strolling in with two people. Confusion found its place in my head as I saw him. Events rewind in my memory and I shivered. Thank god. I am not dead. My eyes brimmed with tears.

"Relax, you are safe now." He said even before a tear dropped on my cheek and he pivoted to the doctor, "Examine her."

"I am fine." I protested, after assembling the fact that apart from the saline in my veins and a sharp pain in my ankle nothing was wrong with my body.

"I believe it is his job to confirm that." I was amazed at the insipidness of his voice. The doctor checked my vitals and my foot. Apparently, I had bruised my ankle and wounded my calf but that wasn"t anything major.

"Is she fine?" Akshat prodded.

"Yes. You can take her with you."

"I will clear the bills." Akshat said and Josh looked at me dejectedly, "I am sorry Shree. I shouldn"t have done that prank."

"It is fine." I wanted to curse him but I didn"t have energy.

"I will bring something for you to drink." He escaped. Abhimanyu looked at me and cleared his throat, "Are you generally so careless?"

I looked away, "No. but, wait, did you save me?"

"I did."

"Thanks."

"No need for that, just take care of you."

"Who is he?" Aarti explored. I debated how to introduce him. "He"s an... acquaint."

"Oh."

"And, she"s my friend." I said to Abhimanyu to which he nodded, "We"ve met."

"Let"s go." Akshat said, walking inside.

"Where?"

"Hotel." Josh answered.

"But your surprise?"

"You are important than that." Akshat said sternly. "C"mon, get up."

"Shut up," I forgot that Abhimanyu was there. "I am leaving for the hotel and you are going to work on the surprise. Aarti and Josh will help you."

"But..."

"No buts." I impeded, "We"ve already worked so much. I don"t want that to get wasted. Just go and prepare everything."

"You sure?"

"Hundred percent. I am going hotel. There was no need to bring me to the hospital in the first place. Idiot." I snorted, landing on my feet and winced a bit.

"Abhimanyu brought you here." Akshat smiled at me, enjoying it and I widened my eyes.

"Um, thanks." I glanced at Abhimanyu. He stared at me wordlessly and exhaled, shoving his hands in his pocket, "I will walk you to your hotel."

***

We walked in the silence, abreast. I wanted to talk to him but didn"t know how to initiate. He wasn"t a friend or close relative. I didn"t know if he was angry at me for what happened today because he didn"t say a word to me.

Finally with a lot of hesitation, I peeked at him, "Thanks for saving me."

"I have told you that it is fine as long as you take care of you and don"t fall in such situations."

"Yes." I found it hard to say. "Akshat, the guy there, is my friend and he planned to propose my best friend, Rhea and I was helping him." I revealed unnecessarily.

"Yes. He told me."

"You two met?"

"Not properly but a little discourse happened between us. Mostly concentrating upon you." He shrugged.

"Oh."

"So, you are into dreamy dates and confessions?" He queried after a while and I watched him. That was my cue; I could directly tell him.

"What happened?" He prodded.

"I do love dreamy dates and confessions." I waited for his response, "But, loyalty and trust matters the most to me and I can live my whole life with that."

He stared at me, mutely as if it was hard to believe. So, I stepped closer, "Frankly speaking I wanted to say no at first but when I thought about what you said" I bit my quivering lip. "I realized it was all I ever wanted."

"I believe you will fulfill your promises." She looked at him expectantly. Finally, he blinked and heaved a long sigh, bobbing his head up and down. "I will. I will accept this relation with my heart and soul and I will give you everything that I promised."

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