Destiny or Coincidence?

Abhilash Ponnam

After Athira left the hotel with all the girls for shopping, we started arranging all the things we needed for the plan when Dev came inside my room looking anxious.

"What happened?" I asked looking at him while keeping things in the bag. Karthik and Adi also looked at his side after listening to my comment with confused faces.

"Nothing... Little bit tensed. That's it" Dev said taking a deep breath before answering us.

God, this guy will piss in his pants if he behaves this way all the time.

"Little? But from the way you look, I don't think it's just a little," commented Adi chuckling while looking at Dev with laughing expression. Looks like someone is enjoying this situation a lot.

"Ok. Not just a little but hell, I'm freaking out here" said Dev feeling defeated by releasing the air he was holding and slumped onto the bed with a thud sound.

"Listen, everything is going to be fine. And don't get tensed or anxiety because if you don't turn up then Athira might kill me on the spot" I said shaking my head with a smile remembering the threat she gave before she left the hotel.

"She loves you too much to kill you," commented Dev while scoffing with a look of a bore on his face.

"Ok, that might be true. But still, i don't want to face her anger ok." I said zipping the bag up and placing it near the table and taking a seat beside Dev.

"I will go. Don't worry. I don't want to regret later thinking that I should have done like that or like this. It's better we face it today so that we won't regret it later" he said with a determined tone that assured me that he won't chicken out at the last moment. Maybe it's just his nervousness that's making him this restless. And i know that nervousness a lot to understand his situation.

"Good, now that it's over. Can we start? We have like half an hour journey plus decoration which is waiting for us in this" said Karthik lifting his bag and indicating it to show the material that's been packed for the decoration purpose. 

"Yes. let's go" Dev said getting up and stretching his body to release his anxiety. Kartik and Dev both went outside saying that they will be waiting at the parking lot in the car while we both reach there. But i can see the expression of Adi which is eager to find out the answers to these unknown questions. 

"What?" I asked raising an eyebrow in question.

"What what?" He asked me to return in the same way by making me release a breath of defeat. He wants me to open up first. Not going to happen, big bro.

"You have got a look that says 'you are hiding something'" I said looking at him with a neutral expression.

"If you know my look that well then why don't you explain everything about what's happening here?" he asked looking at me with a gauging expression.

"This?" I asked showing the bag that I was holding in my hand and continued, "this one is decoration material" I said as if I don't know about what he was asking but I very well know that he meant Athira. 

"Good play bro. But I am smarter than you and we both know that you already know what I am talking about" he said with a sinister smile that says everything that he caught onto the lie i was trying to make him believe. 

I sighed defeatedly and glanced at his way, thinking about my next step and checking my options to play safe rather than reveal everything. But came out with nothing but empty-handed. So i decided to tell him the truth.

"Look, bro, i love you so much but this matter is not mine to share with you. If its mine then i would gladly share but its not my place to say everything. You should ask Athira about it but i suggest to wait because she won't be able to answer it now" I explained looking into his eyes seriously by communicating with my eyes.

"This is about her mother right?" he asked guessing it correctly that i was surprised looking at him. But I just nodded my head in agreement and he returned it by understanding the silence. 

We both stood there in our own thoughts for a while before I realised that we are going to be late.

"Common, we are going to be late," I said picking up the bag and started walking towards the entrance of the door when he too came back to his senses and took hold of another bag and came out. We both locked the room and went to the parking lot to reach our destination.

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After two hours of continuous working and setting up everything, we have completed our big task for his crazy proposal. Although I have to admit that it looks kind of romantic and i am getting jealous of him that he was trying everything to win her heart while I just stood there standing like a statue when my queen proposed me. 

I too need to make a plan and surprise her to show how much she means to me. 

Yes, i have to do it. Why didn't I have thought of this before? She probably thinks that I am the unromantic and practical guy for not making it any special for her. Dammit, I need to change it.

But first, I need to make sure that she is alright and my heart is longing for her presence beside me. 

I was in my own thoughts when my mobile vibrated inside my pocket indicating that i got a message. So I took it out to see that they are coming and was only five minutes away.

"Guys, they will be here within five minutes. Hope everything is ready" I shouted at my guys to let them know that our plan needs to start the moment they come to the beach.

It was all Dev's plan from the start and i have to agree that he has a brain that can easily make all the girls fall for his stunts and acts. No wonder Charitha fell for him. 

He made us buy red roses and petals first, then a big bouquet of red roses with a big teddy bear and chocolates. And last, a platinum ring to propose to her. He even bought the big letters of 'I' and 'U' with a red colour pillow of love shape. At first, I didn't get his idea and it was so confusing. But when he explained everything to me, it really looked romantic and i really hope that it will work out for him. 

Then he made us write small quotes of love and feelings on each one of the cards with a rose attached to it. Again it was confusing to see all ten cards but when asked small children who were about 10 to 12 years of age to give cards to the girl he shows, i realised his idea. He wanted the children to give each and every card before she comes to the main part of the beach where we decorated the path she walks with rose petals until the end where Dev stands with a rose flower in his hand. 

I would have been very eager to watch all of this if not for my girl being upset and sad. I want to be beside her at this moment that I am not enjoying this plan I wanted to before. But I don't regret it because, at the end of the day, she is my first priority and always will be. 

When the car parked at the entrance of the park, I took out my mobile to start the shoot because I have been given the task of shooting the whole proposal. 

When all the girls got down from the cab and paid the driver, a child came near to the girls and asked something to them. Maybe he was asking whos is charitha because everyone looked at her side and indicated to her. Then the boy gave the card and rose to Charitha before running off in another direction. All this while my eyes involuntarily went towards my girl to see if she is alright and when i saw the dreamy smile on her face, I knew that she was enjoying the moment as all the others girls are doing.

God, seriously all the girls like this kind of romantic gestures and surprises. And Dev definitely kept a target for me to reach there now. 

Charitha slowly opened the card in confusion and read the content in it with a surprised expression on her face. Athi looked at me to indicate that it is working and I nodded my head to say them to continue their walk towards the beach. I can see the shock, surprise and excitement on Charitha's face to know that she is enjoying this and is probably looking forward to it. 

Everyone can clearly see the expression of hers which is ready to explode at any moment right now. And if i am right then she might even cry at any moment from now on.

With the help of girls encouragement, she took the first step on rose petals when the slow romantic song played by making her even more surprised than before. Now it was girls turn to be surprised because the music part was the last moment decision for us.

She slowly started walking towards the direction of the petals showed and after crossing the border where it goes somewhat downside to the beach, she can easily see the person standing at the end of the way which made her gasp in shock.

Now, she can clearly see Dev standing there with a rose in his hands and was anxiously waiting for her to reach him. He really looked like he was about to run away if anything goes wrong which looked hilarious because he is very good with girls and all this stuff. 

When Charitha reached near to him with a distance of five feet between them, he slowly came towards her and gave the rose he was holding in his hand by placing a small kiss on her hand. 

Then he slowly stood up without saying anything and took the pillow which was hiding behind Karthik and brought it towards the front side of him to show her and at the same time, Adi and karthik stood beside him where Adi occupied right side of Dev by catching 'I' letter in front of him with Karthik standing left side of Dev by holding 'U' letter. Now everyone can clearly see what they are holding it. 

Dev was silently proposing her by standing in the middle and catching hold of love symbol pillow and looked at her with the most sincere smile and so much love in his eyes. 

"Charitha, i know that it's very soon and all that, but I really like you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You made my heart beat faster the moment I saw you in the office for the first time, but I didn't realise it because I was an idiot then. But now i know the feelings and emotions I am going through and I want to feel this way throughout my life. And trust me, it's only possible if you are beside me" he said looking at her with so much affection in his eyes.

Slowly my girl made her way towards my direction and rested her head on my shoulder by catching hold of my hand in hers. 

"How are you, dear?" I asked looking into her eyes to see if she cried again.

"I am good," she said giving me a small smile which did not reach her eyes and I knew that she was acting bravely in front of her friends. I fell even more in love with this girl at that moment. She is standing here just to make her friends happy even though she is hurting inside. I am so proud of her that just placed a kiss on her forehead and continued looking in the direction of the couple to see that Charitha started crying listening to the words of Dev. Yaa, he can do that with his emotional words.

"I love you, Char, I really do" he finally said it out loud after taking a moment to gather himself but i can see how stiff he stood and i know for sure that he was very nervous at present. 

I prayed in my mind for her to say yes and not to make him wait much longer because he might fall down at any moment because of the stress he is going through.

"I love you too idiot. And I am doing it from the day i saw you first" She shouted excitedly while crying all the time and jumped into his arms by running and hugging him tightly that we all shouted in excitement and happiness that finally she accepted him and everything is fine. 

He slowly made her stand after their emotional moment and brought out the ring from his pocket and showed it to her, to which she eagerly nodded her head by placing a hand on her mouth to stop from crying even more. 

He placed the ring on her finger and kissed her passionately with all his love and feelings that Athira started crying in happiness for her friends. Even Sahana was in a video call with Riya and Rishi where Riya was crying in happiness by clutching to Rishi. I can see that Rishi was also emotional but the only difference is that he was not crying like the rest.  

Their friendship was so fascinating to see because of how close they are to each other. If one was happy then the rest of them are happy, if one was sad then the rest of them become sad. If one gets hurt then the rest of them will get angry. Their bond is unbreakable that it surprised me at first but being close to them, I learned a bit about their friendship and closeness. I am so happy that she found them as their friends who are loyal to each other and are ready to do anything for one another. 

When everyone was happy, Athira pressed my hand and whispered "let's go" with a face of a broken heart that it burned my heart seeing her like that. 

I immediately gave the video to Adi saying that we will be going to the room and left from there. When we were out of sight from others, she immediately broke down into tears which she was masking and controlling throughout the day just to see her friend happy. Seeing her like that made me proud and break me apart at the same time. Should I be proud of her bravery and sacrifice for her friend or should I break apart seeing her in this state? 

Keeping all of my thoughts aside, I silently wrapped my arms around her by gathering her in my arms and started walking in the direction of our car. All the way to the hotel, she was crying her heart out loud by clutching onto me that it tore me apart into millions of times but I controlled myself and took care of her. 

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Hello everyone,

Here is your awaiting chapter. I hope that you like it.

Do let me know your thoughts and opinions on this chapter. will be waiting for your responses and comments eagerly.

Don't forget to vote, comment and share it if you like.

Will update the next chapter within one or two days.

Till then... See you...

Love...

Sprinkle...