After that lunch date with Rabia, the Bandra Bandwidth was getting stronger. I dropped her off by bike at Bandra Station, from where she took a train to Sandhurst Road. I went home and was constantly thinking about the first meeting. She was getting fully involved in me, but what about me? I was fascinated by her beauty, but I knew there was someone else who was very close to me & it was also a time for her birthday celebrations. I was not a flirty type of person who could date two girls at a time.
Also, a relationship with the Iraqi Girl would not go well with my family. But for some reason, I had to continue meeting Rabia. It was for a purpose and I knew I did not have an option to back out. I reached home at around 4 PM & for a change had an evening Tea at my home. Suddenly I remembered tomorrow was my would-be fiance’s birthday and as always our college group will be celebrating the event together.
I saw Rabia’s message insisting for a call but I told her that I am very busy this weekend as I want to prepare for my online MBA exam. I told her that I would call her late at night. I saw some interaction in our college’s WhatsApp Group and I assumed it was for tomorrow’s venue for Shraddha’s Birthday. It was Shraddha’s message in the group that she was going out somewhere with her parents tomorrow so her birthday celebrations will be done next weekend. I breathe a sigh of relief because meeting Shraddha at this juncture would be difficult for me.
But my relief was short-lived as I got a message from Shraddha “This birthday, I want to celebrate with you”. We are meeting tomorrow at JW Marriot Juhu for a buffet lunch. That was a perfect nail in a coffin situation but I had no option but to accept her proposal. Spending time with Shraddha was one of the best moments of my life but not at this stage. Rabia was on my mind currently & I had no option but to go ahead with her. So it would have been better if I had stayed away from Shraddha for the next few weeks. But destiny had other plans.
So my night began with two calls. The first one was Rabia which I smartly ended after a few minutes convincing her that I was preparing for my Exams. The second one was at 12 AM to wish Shraddha a Happy Birthday. She was very happy talking to me after a long time & I promised her that I would make her special day more special. On Saturday it was Lunch with Rabia & and on Sunday it was Lunch with Shraddha as a part of her birthday celebrations.
We met at 12 PM sharp at JW Marriot. She was happy to see me. I wished her Happy Birthday to which she smiled & accepted my wishes. Normally our meetings are full of long conversations but this was different. I had many things going through my mind so was not able to concentrate on the present situation & for a change Shraddha was also silent. She was a bit surprised by my behavior. After a few minutes of silence, she asked “Is anything wrong with you”? “You are looking so lost dear, It is my birthday & as you know I wanted to celebrate it only with you. That’s the reason I lied in our WhatsApp Group.
I came to know that she was getting upset & I made it a point to forget about Rabia and for the next few hours enjoy the birthday celebrations. I immediately praised the red gown she was wearing & told her that she was looking even prettier. She also complimented me for my dressing sense. I don’t wear formals much but since it was JW Marriot I was well dressed up. Next couple of hours it was only me & Shraddha. We enjoyed the Sunday Buffet at the Marriot & took a sea–facing table. Both of us were Beach babies as we stayed near the beach & spent a lot of time experiencing the magic of the Sea.
The Sunday buffet at JW Marriot has many dishes. Soup, Starters, Salads, Platter, Indian Breads (Roti), Vegetables, Rice Options & Dessert. We enjoyed the lunch and our time together. For some time I had also forgotten about Rabia & was enjoying Shraddha’ Company. After lunch was done she insisted on a short walk on the beach to which I agreed. It was an overcast day so even though it was noon the walk on the beach was comfortable. We both liked walking on the wet sand very close to the water as the sensation of seawater touching your feet is indeed magical.
As we were walking Shraddha asked me about my future. I was a bit surprised and told her that I was focusing on my job & upgrading with some Management Courses. Next, she asked about marriage to which I was in a state of shock. Are you seeing someone? She asked. I told her you know the answer Shraddha. It was like a googly for her and impatiently she said to me “Everyone in our group knows there is something between us, even our parents feel the same. We enjoy each other’s company so now should we formally get into the relationship”? I was once again lost for words but smartly tried to control the situation.
I replied “You are right Shraddha, We need to make this official but I will need some time. Currently, I am working but I have some more career aspirations. Maybe a year maximum it will take for me to upgrade myself completely so that I can look for better opportunities. But I won’t keep you waiting for so long. Maybe a month or so max & after that we will tell our parents and make our relationship official. As you told it’s, just a formality but we should be doing it. Right? To which she responded with a sweet smile. I told her to come back to the hotel & cut the special Chocolate Cake that I had ordered for her. The restaurant played the Birthday Song & there was a decent crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” with me. After the cake-cutting was done I gifted her a dress & a couple of books. So thankfully for me, I was able to be at my normal self during Shraddha’s birthday celebrations
Here is the 4th Part in case you missed it