Love At First Sight
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Love at First Sight
Chapter-1
A boarding announcement was made for the Air India flight to
Mumbai. Harish entered through the security door and moved on to his designated seat
number A 14 and was surprised to find it already occupied by a beautiful attractive girl.
He looked at his boarding card to re-verify his seat number.
“Excuse me, mam, you are occupying my seat,” he told her
politely.
“Can you take the middle seat, please?” she responded humbly.
“Ok, mam, no problem. Enjoy the window seat,” he consented with a smile on his face.
He could not refuse the pretty girl. He was a frequent flier
and had faced similar situations, but it was a different case today. He will still be
sitting next to the beautiful girl. He placed his laptop bag in the overhead
cabin and sat on the middle seat. The girl looked at him with a smile and
thanked him.
“Hi, I am Chanda,” she said.
“Hi, I am Harish,” he replied, shaking hands with her.
“Are you from Mumbai?” he asked.
“No, I am from Kolkata. What about you, Harish?” she
inquired.
“I am also from Kolkata and work in Mumbai,” he said.
“That is great. I am going to join a company in Mumbai,” she
informed.
“That’s great, Chanda. Which company will you be joining? He
was happy to note that she would be in Mumbai.
“I will be joining a company called Ram Chandani Solicitors
and Associates. What do you do?” she said.
“I work in a global company dealing in designing and
manufacturing multi-layered motherboards for electronic equipments,” he
reciprocated.
Chanda was good in conversation.
“Who are there in your family,” she wanted to know.
“My father and me. My mom already passed away, and dad stays
in Kolkata,”
“Are you not married?” she asked, looking at him.
“I am single. What about you?” he said.
“I am also single,” she replied with a smile.
He felt as if she was probing into him and trying to judge whether
he could be a good friend. She was very beautiful and he had begun to like her. He felt as if she was hypnotizing
him, and his heart beat increased. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
This was an arranged marriage fixed by their parents. She
was working in a call center in Mumbai. He tried to love her, but she did not
reciprocate. The more he tried to get closer to her, farther she drifted.
She never tried to adjust with him.
He often bought gifts for her, but she would judge them
for their price only. She demanded costly ornaments on her birthday and would quarrel
if she did not like them. To show her annoyance, she would sleep separately in
another room.
She was good-looking but very cruel-hearted. She did not like
cooking food and had hired a maid for cooking and household work.
Shiela avoided accompanying him to social functions or parties; most of the time, he was compelled to go alone, placing him in a very awkward position. The hosts would ask for his wife, and he made false excuses for her absence.
She would not even come out of her bedroom when his
relatives or friends visited.
Harish was very upset when she refused to attend his mother’s funeral at Kolkata. He was very hurt due to her rude behavior and disrespect towards
his old parents. He was deeply pained and stressed due to her ill-nature. The
sedentary life and overwork in the office were leading him to depression.
She was a working lady and kept herself busy in her office work,
and did not bother to maintain a cordial relationship with him.
One of his elder brothers, working in Melbourne, Australia,
had died in an accident, leaving behind his wife and two kids, and he rushed
there to attend his funeral and last rites.
It took about one month to settle some critical matters
relating to his late brother and insurance claims etc. His sister-in-law Ranjana
had requested him to stay there till the settlement of all the claims.
His office in Mumbai was very cooperative and granted him
leave for the period of absence. However, he was shocked that Sheila had left
his house with bag and baggage and was staying with her parents. She did not have the courtesy even to inform
him.
He called her, and after trying several times, she picked up
his call.
“What do you want? Stay there with your sister-in-law in
Australia and get married to her,” she shouted.
“What’s wrong with you, Sheila? Please come here; we shall
discuss,” he requested her.
She disconnected the call leaving Harish angry, sad, and
depressed.
Surprisingly he received a pleader notice with a copy of the
petition filed by her in the Session Court a week back. The Court had passed an
order seeking his comments and replies to the points she raised within a month.
Harish was a habitual alcoholic
and cruel person. He was a drunkard and used to assault her regularly
physically and mentally. He did not give her money for personal expenses.
He was a man of bad character and had many girlfriends who
visited him regularly.
She had alleged that he was in a relationship
with his widowed sister-in-law in Melbourne and intended to marry her and settle
in Australia.
Given the above, she requested the
court to interfere and sought an interim order directing Garish to pay her a monthly maintenance
cost of Rs.1 lac.
Harish was distraught to see his wife’s false allegations
and was suffering from insomnia and depression.
Chapter-2
He was in his deep thought when Chanda tapped him on shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked at Chanda. She indicated towards the air
hostess, standing in the aisle with the food trolley. She had brought his
snacks.
“What would you like to have?” he asked Chanda.
“I did not place an order while booking my ticket,” she replied.
“I am ordering coffee and sandwiches for you,” he told her, placing
an order without waiting for her reply.
The air hostess placed their snacks on the tray tables and left.
“I was thinking of not eating anything but I accept your
kind gestures. Thank you, Harish,” she said.
“Let’s eat,” he said, opening his food packets.
They ate their sandwiches with coffee.
Both had become quite friendly by now. She talked about her
family and education.
Her parents had died long back; she was brought up by her
Nana (paternal grandfather), a prominent lawyer in Kolkata. Due to his influence, her interest in law increased and she studied law and graduated from Symbiosis School of Law, Pune.
She completed her Master of Business Administration and
assisted her grandfather, who was practicing in the Kolkata High Court. After her grandfather's demise, she applied for a job at Ram Chandani Solicitors and
Associates in Mumbai, an upcoming group of solicitors. The working experience
in Kolkata High Court and qualification of MBA went in her favor, and she was
offered the job.
“I have told you enough about me and would like to hear
about you,” she said.
“Well, I completed my graduation in electronics and
communication from a college in Bangalore and also did my MBA from Karnataka
University,” he told.
“I am working in an electronics company in Mumbai, as already told
you earlier,” he said.
“Regarding my family, my mother has passed away and my dad stays in his house in Kolkata with my younger brother, dealing in the wholesale business of children’s garments,” he concluded.
“Did you not get married?” she asked.
Harish hesitated initially but told her about his wife and the
case she filed in the Court of the Session Judge, Mumbai.
He was very disappointed and nervous talking about his wife.
His eyes were watery.
She held his hands to comfort him and said, “I am so sorry to
hear about it. You seem to be an honest and good person; I would like to see
the petition filed by your wife and your affidavit in the court and up-to-date
orders by the Hon’ble Court,” his pathetic condition moved Chanda.
“I have already filed a divorce case against Sheila,” Harish
told her.
“I will be in touch with you. Please give me your cell
number,” he responded.
They both shared their cell numbers.
He was surprised to note that she was still holding his hands.
“What about you, Chanda? Why is a beautiful girl like you
still single?” he asked.
“I will share that with you when we meet in Mumbai,” she
assured him with a smile.
It was exciting; they both liked each other. Chanda was still holding his hands.
Harish was already married and about to be divorced, but
this did not affect her. Harish had already begun to fall in love with her.
The flight attendant announced that the aircraft was about
to descend and requested the passengers to keep their chairs upright, close the
tray tables, and fasten the seat belts and hand baggage stored in the overhead
cabins.
Their seat belts and hand baggage were already in place. She was still holding his hands tightly. The fragrance
from her body filled his nostrils and made him feel like they were in paradise.
The flight landed and parked, and the aero bridge was
connected. The doors were opened, and passengers started leaving. Harish and
Chanda collected their hand baggage and came out. They held each other and
moved towards luggage belt number 3 to collect their checked baggage.
“Where will you stay?” he asked Chanda.
“In Khar East, near the metro station. The office has hired
an apartment for me there. Someone from the office is coming to pick me up,”
she replied.
“Where do you live in Mumbai, Harish?” she asked.
“I stay in the Andheri area,” he replied and gave his
business card to her.
“You know what? I have fallen in love with you,” she
whispered in his ear and hugged him. Then, she kissed him on the cheek, and he was
stunned.
He pinched himself.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“Meeting such a beautiful girl like you is like a dream. I
just wanted to verify whether it was real or a dream,” he replied and laughed.
“Do you like me?” she wanted to know.
“Yes, I need much love, and I am sure we can be a good match,”
he replied, kissing her hand.
“I will call you after I reach my hired apartment,” she
said.
A person from her office was waiting outside. She shook
hands with Harish and departed.
A car from Harish’s office was waiting in the parking. He
loaded his baggage and left for Andheri. He stayed there in a rented apartment.
It took about 45 minutes to reach his house. He had a quick
shower and wore a light green two-piece suit with a matching tie. He looked in
the mirror and smiled. He remembered Chanda and called her.
“Hi Harish, have you reached home?” she asked.
“Hi Chanda, I already reached and am now on my way to the office,”
he responded.
“Your office is in the Khar East area, isn’t it?” she
inquired.
“Yes, Chanda, you are right. Where is your office?” he said.
“My office is also in Khar East near my residence. So I am
getting ready to go there,” she replied.
“Ok, Chanda. Call me after joining your office,” Harish said.
“Sure. Have a nice day,” she said and disconnected.
Harish reached the office, and he had a hectic time, attending
two meetings with clients in his office. Took stock of the production achieved
and the pending and fresh orders.
Chapter-3
Niraj, his Executive Manager of Marketing, and Urmi, the
Accounts Executive, came to meet him. Both of them were his old friends from
college in Bangalore, and he admired them for their excellent work in the office.
So they were regular visitors to his house on weekends.
They went out to the restaurant across the road for lunch. It
was a nice restaurant serving vegetarian foods, and all the executives from his
office went there for lunch. The ambient and quality of food were excellent and
healthy. The floor manager received them and offered them a corner table, their
favorite place.
Niraj asked him whether he would take a beer, which he
declined.
“Hey Harish, how come you declined? Are you ok? I can see
you quite happy,” Niraj asked.
“I am fine, Niraj. However, I do not want to take beer
during office hours,” he replied.
“Any update about the court case?” Urmi inquired.
“I had already submitted my affidavit through a lawyer. And
also filed a divorce suit against Sheila, but the court is yet to fix a date
for the hearing,” he informed them.
His cell phone started ringing. This was Chanda calling. He
picked up the phone.
“Have you taken lunch? She asked.
“I have not yet taken lunch. I am vegetarian, and no good
vegetarian restaurant is available near my office,” she said.
“I have just come to our favorite vegetarian restaurant
opposite to office. I think your office is about 2 km from here. I am sending
you the GPS location of this restaurant ‘Swadist.’ Why don’t you come here? Do
you have an office car?’ He invited her.
“Yes, there is a pull car. I will be reaching out to you
within 5 minutes. Our driver says he knows the location.”
“Ok, honey, please come. In the meantime, I am placing a lunch
order for you to save time,” he replied.
Niraj and Urmi both were staring at him and looked surprised.
“Who is that girl? Your girlfriend?” Niraj asked.
He told them about Chanda, and they were excited to meet
her.
“Do you like her? Will you marry her? Is she interested in
you,” Urmi fired questions at him.
“Yes, Urmi, I think it is love at first sight. She is
excellent and is interested in me,” he replied.
Urmi excused herself for a few minutes. There was a florist
shop next to the restaurant. She rushed there and brought a bucket of rose
flowers.
Harish went outside the restaurant, and Chanda alighted from
the car. She was wearing black trousers and a white top. He took her hand and led
her to their corner table. Niraj and Urmi stood up to welcome her.
“Welcome to Mumbai, Chanda,” Urmi said, giving her the
flowers.
“Welcome, beautiful lady,” Niraj said.
And they settled in their seats.
“Glad to meet you, Urmi and Niraj. This seems to be a nice
vegetarian restaurant and not very far from my office. Do you come here
regularly?” Chanda asked.
“Yes, Chanda, this is the best vegetarian restaurant in this
area. The ambiance is pleasing, and the foods are excellent,” Harish said.
“Are you all vegans?” she wanted to know.
“No, we are not vegans but prefer vegetarian foods. Harish
is a pure vegetarian,” Niraj explained.
Chilled buttermilk was served, and tomato soup came with
some light snacks. The main course consisted of Vegetable Biryani, Tandoori
Roti and Nan, Dal Fried, Vegetable Kofta, Mixed vegetables, green salad, papad,
and a sweet dish.
The aroma of the tasty foods increased their appetite, and
they started eating. Urmi and Chanda sat side by side, and Harish and Niraj
were seated opposite them. Urmi and Niraj were delighted to meet her.
“Do you like Harish? He is an excellent guy. We all like him
because he is so good, knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful,” Urmi questioned
her.
“Yes, Urmi, he is a very nice guy; I like him,” she replied,
looking at Harish.
After lunch, Harish invited her to his apartment. She told
Harish to pick her up from her residence at 7 pm. Harish dropped her in the car,
and she went back to the office.
Harish returned to the office. Niraj and Urmi congratulated
him for getting a lovely girlfriend.
He got busy with work, and around 5 pm, he was ready to
leave the office.
“Should we not have a celebration?” Niraj asked.
“I called her to my house in the evening to discuss my court
case,” he replied.
“I need to talk with her and try to understand her mind and
feelings about me,” he continued.
“I will arrange a dinner within a couple of days. Maybe on
the coming weekend,” he told them.
Niraj and Urmi were engaged and had done court marriage.
They were staying together in an apartment close to the residence of Harish in the
Andheri area and hence used to share an office car for pick up from the house
and drop off.
They had met Sheila and seen her ill-treatment of Harish.
She did not care or love him at all. Poor Harish was such a lovely soul that he
tolerated all the atrocities by her and tried his level best to save his
marriage, but his wife did not change at all. Instead, she filed a case against
him with unfounded allegations.
Harish went to Melbourne when his brother Deep died in an accident,
performed the last rites, and cared for his widowed wife and two kids. He
helped her file documents for insurance settlement and claims in his office. He
extended his stay till his sister-in-law got a job. She needed the position to pay
the remaining installments of EMI to the bank for the house loan and to bring
up her two kids with a good education. He returned just after 30 days, but
Sheila had already deserted him. She returned to her parents in Kolkata and
filed a maintenance suit against him.
Harish was shocked and broken. He felt very hurt due to the
false allegations made by her. She had attacked his character, and he could not
bear that and decided to divorce her.
During this challenging time, Niraj and Urmi stood firmly by
his side and appeared as witnesses for him in the court. Finally, the judge
said that the divorce case could be admitted after the finalization of the
maintenance suit filed by his wife.
Harish was their close friend, and they were worried about
him. So, they kept visiting him regularly to give him company and to cheer him
up. Harish was hardly 32 years old and needed an excellent life partner. So,
they were happy to meet Chanda because she was good-looking, well-educated, and
a lawyer who could think of ways to settle the maintenance and divorce cases
early.
Chapter-4
Harish freshened up, showered, and wore casual trousers and a
T-shirt. He looked in the mirror and was satisfied with his look. He checked
the interior; everything was neatly arranged. It was now 6.30 pm, and it would
take 30 minutes to Chanda’s apartment in Khar. He called Chanda and informed
her that he was on his way.
He took out his personal Tata Nexon car from the parking and
was happy that the car was sparkling clean. One of the building maintenance
staff used to clean his vehicle regularly, for which he paid tips to him. He
sat in the car and started. The seats were made of artificial leather, and driving
the car was smooth. He suddenly remembered Sheila, who was not excited when he
bought the car. Oops, why should I think about Sheila? She has deceived me. A
quarrelsome greedy woman, it was good that she left him, he thought.
He had to stop at a crowded traffic signal. Chanda called
him.
“Where are you, Harish?” she asked sweetly.
“I am almost reaching,” he replied.
“Please come to my apartment,” she said.
“Sure, I also wanted to see your flat,” he told her.
He reached the New Grand Apartment and parked the car. The
security guard in the lobby asked which flat he would go to. He told the flat
number to him.
“Please take any of the lifts for the 5th floor,
sir,” the guard said.
He moved ahead, entered a lift, and came out on the 5th
floor. He moved to flat no.508. He was about to press the calling bell, but the
door opened, and Chanda stood there.
“Good evening. Welcome,” she said and moved, allowing him to
enter.
This was a two-bedroom flat with a moderate drawing cum
dining hall. She took him around. The house was fully furnished except for the cookware
and dinner set.
“I have to buy the cooking utensils, a dinner, and a tea set,”
she told Harish.
“Don’t worry, we shall buy these just now before I take you out
for dinner and to my apartment,” he said.
“Are you ready?” he asked her.
“Am I not dressed properly?” she asked him.
“You are looking great, baby,” he complimented her.
She wore a pink saree with a matching blouse and pink high
heel sandals. I was having a feast of her beauty.
“What are you looking at,” she asked with a mischievous
smile.
“God. You are deadly beautiful,” he said honestly.
“Why deadly?”
“Because my heart is beating very fast,” he said.
“Let me see,” she went close to him and placed her palm on
his chest.
“WOW, you are right. Your heartbeat is high,” she said.
She went and brought a glass of water for him and asked him
to drink.
They came out, and Harish went to the nearby Super Store and
purchased the essential cookware, a bone China dinner set, a tea set, drinking
glasses, some groceries, milk, butter, bread, etc. The bill was around twelve
thousand, which Harish paid. The materials were loaded in his car, and they
returned to her apartment and taken to her flat by security staff. Harish gave
him a tip, and he was happy.
“Now, where do we go,” she inquired.
“Now it is 8.30 pm, so I would take you straight to a nice
place for dinner and then to my apartment,” he replied.
“And then?” she asked.
“Of course, I would drop you at your apartment from there,”
he said.
“And if I do not want to return to my apartment so late at
night?” she wanted to know.
“Whatever be your desire, it will be done,” Harish said.
“We are getting late for dinner; let’s go now,” he
requested.
They entered the guest’s parking and sat in the car while
Harish was driving.
“Where are we going for dinner?” she asked him.
“Wait for a few minutes, dear; we are approaching the
destination,” Harish said.
They reached a restaurant; the name was “Govinda.” The
restaurant’s shape was like a temple. The lawn in the front was well-groomed
with several fountains. Colorful flowers were grown in the surrounding area,
and the facia of the frontage was decorated with stone sculptures, giving it a
magnificent look beyond the imagination.
She was fascinated by the architectural beauty of the
restaurant building and the natural surroundings. She clicked a few pictures with
her mobile camera.
The hall inside was quite large, and many stewards dressed
in traditional Vaishnava dresses served the guests food (Prasad). Soft
instrumental music was very soothing. The floor manager came and asked whether
they had bookings. Harish gave his name to him, and the manager took them to their
reserved table already booked by him.
Despite the large crowd, there was no noise inside. We went
to the washing area, cleaned our hands, and returned to our seats. Chanda was
delighted to be there.
“Thank you, Harish. You are a very noble person. I am used
to taking pure Satvik foods (no onion and garlic), and taking Prasad in this
restaurant run by the ISKCON temple is a great blessing to us. I like your
choice,” she appreciated him.
She was sitting next to Harish and held his hands. Her
happiness was evident on her face. Harish was glad that she liked this place.
The food started coming. First, jal jeera, then fresh juice and
milkshakes; the buffet consisted of steamed rice, pulao, biryani, dal(lentil), fried
vegetables, several vegetable curries, salad, sweets, kheer, and papad.
People moved around the food counter for self-service. In the
case of Harish, the stewards served the food to their table. They enjoyed the
food (Prasad) and came out.
Harish came to his apartment with Chanda by 10 pm. She moved
around the house, and then they sat in the drawing room. Harish had switched on
the air conditioner as it was hot and humid.
“What are you thinking, Harish? Why are you quiet?” Chanda asked
him, holding his hands.
“I was wondering why you like me?” he asked.
“Because you been my husband since our previous lives, and I
was waiting for you,” she said.
“How is that possible, Chanda? We just met today only,” he
was surprised.
“I know you are not convinced. However, everything will be
clear after I explain it to you,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.
He closed his eyes. It was a very soothing feeling and
appeared like a dream. He placed his hands around her waist and pulled her towards
him. She did not resist him; instead, she cooperated with him and started
kissing him. Harish could not understand why he was attracted to her since
meeting on the flight. She held his hands on the flight as if they were old
friends.
“Now listen to me carefully. I will explain the reason for
our attractions,” she began.
“My paternal grandfather Nand Gopal Ji was a renowned
advocate, good numerologist, and astrologer. He used to teach numerology to me
also,” she began to explain.
“He studied her horoscope as well as her Numeroscope and
revealed that in her last few lives, she was married to a nice person, whose
name started from Hari, and she would meet him in this life too. His Name Number
(Psychic or Driver number) would be number 5, and his date of birth would be 5,
14, or 23,” she paused to look at his reaction and continued.
“Her Name Number and Hari’s name number would be compatible,
and their Numeroscope would be 100% matching,” she paused and asked for his
Name number.
“It is correct that I was born on the 5th of February,”
Harish admitted. However, he was shocked by this fact.
“I was born on the 2nd of November, so our Name
Numbers are well matching,” she revealed.
“Number 5 represents the planet Mercury and Number 2
represents the planet Moon. Both these planets have excellent match and
compatibility,” she declared.
“My grandfather said that your name will start from HARI,
and your name is HARI SH,” she said.
“These are the reasons for our attractions. As soon as I met
you on the flight, I got attracted to you, and the same is the case with you.
Are you convinced up to some extent?” she asked.
“I don’t know what to say! But, perhaps, you may be right,”
he commented.
“I will do complete matching of our Numeroscope as soon as I
get the time and prove that we are meant for each other,” she said, embracing
me.
“The time now is 11.30 pm. Would you like to go to your
apartment?” he asked.
“No, I would like to be with you, not going back,” she was
firm.
“Ok, fine, let me find some sleeping suits for you,” he told
her.
She selected one of his night suits and changed her dress in
the bedroom.
“Let’s sleep now. " We got to wake up early,” she said
and slept with him in bed.
She seemed so satisfied and happy to get me. She was so
overwhelmed to be with him that she held and cuddled with him.
God is Great. Harish’s life changed after meeting Chanda. We
met our lawyer and requested him to try for an early listing of the maintenance
case.
A date was fixed when Sheila appeared. Our lawyer argued
that the amount she demanded needed to be lowered and realistic since she was
already earning from her current job. The Judge asked her whether she would
like to return and stay with Harish.
She declined to return to Harish.
After one more hearing, the Judge allowed maintenance of
Rs.25,000 per month, which Harish agreed to pay.
In the next hearing, the court admitted the divorce case.
However, it allowed the divorce without any further compensation after six
months of separation, as Sheila had deserted Harish at her own sweet will.
Sheila went to her parent’s house in Kolkata. Her office
transferred and posted her to Kolkata Branch.
Harish was greatly relieved after the Hon’ble Court granted
the divorce. Niraj and Urmi gave them company in all the celebrations.
They were happy to note that the Love at First Sight
between Harish and Chanda had turned into deep love and passion for each other.
Harish and Chanda decided to go for a Court marriage and
throw a dinner party. They submitted their application to the Registrar in
charge of Marriage. His father and younger brother came from Kolkata. The
maternal uncle of Chanda also arrived to attend the functions. The sister-in-law
of Harish invited them to Melbourne for a honeymoon trip.
Harish and Chanda lived happily together, immersed in deep
love, peace, and enjoyment.
Disclaimer: This story, or any other story posted on this Blog/Web site, is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents portrayed in these are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to the actual person/persons, living or dead, events localities is entirely coincidental.
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