Read Part - 1 here -> The Girl in the Mall - Part 1

Hmmm so where were we? Oh ya the movie had just ended and we followed her out back into the mall. Well she kept glancing back at our group so that gave us even further reason to pursue our goal. I guess they were hungry because we soon found ourselves sitting in Pizza Hut trying to figure out what to order(Ahem,actually we were a little low on cash so umm we had to Google the entire menu to find the cheapest stuff). Eventually we ended up with 4 slices of garlic bread for the three of us(you should have seen the look on the attendant's face when we said " One garlic bread pls, that'll be all". He actually asked us thrice if we wanted anything more.The nerve of some ppl!

Ok back to the story now. So here I was sitting diagonally opposite her in order to have a clear view of her(her face I mean...filthy minds). She obviously knew I was staring so she had to show some 'bhaav' after all(these girls I tell you). After 10 mins or so, she too got into the game and we started a game of 'Who Blinks 1st!' And so we stared and stared and stared. Ah, those beautiful eyes still haunt me day and night. Well,I never even got to taste even a bit of that garlic bread(some friends I have)but who cared anyways at that point of time.

After Pizza Hut, she and her friend walked into a huge garment store(I think it was Westside but like I said I could have cared less even if it was Hell) and we dutifully followed them like lambs to the slaughter. From one section to another, from 4th floor till the 1st, always keeping her within my sights. Until she disappeared that is! We searched the entire 1st floor better than the FBI but still no sign of her. One minute she was there and the next she went Kapoosh!!

Until Saurav's brilliant idea,"She must have gone to the basement, I saw a sign saying that's the girls section." So down we went and as soon as we went there, 3 pairs of salesgirl eyes stared at us as if we had committed Harakiri. Why you may ask? Well, 'cause we had just entered the Lingerie section!! Imagine, 3 guys and 3 salesgirls and the lingerie section. Now I don't know who was more embarrassed,They or Us. And to top off his brilliant suggestion, Saurav comes up with THE most(no words to describe this) excuse,"Lets go to the toilet guys!".That too aloud! Now remember, there are 3 girls, 3 guys and the lingerie all around us. Don't you think it wasn't the best time to excuse ourselves to go the loo. U get my drift right?? Well in a sense he was right. It was the girls section after all!!!

Anyways after escaping(read running for our lives) from the men-not-allowed-and-should-not-be-seen-here department, we went and searched the only other likely place they could have gone. Outside the mall,that is (Brilliant na,I still congratulate myself for figuring that one out). And yes she was there, standing right next to her car (A red Santro, see I still remember..Isiko kehte hain saccha pyar). "Oh my god, she's leaving",I thought. "This can't be happening to me!". But there we were, standing about 10 meters apart waiting for the other one to make the 1st move. I know I should have done something but as to exactly what I should have done I still don't know (C'mon girls, you know how tongue-tied we guys are in moments like these).

And then she Smiled. And I mean that smile which can light a thousand bulbs. That mischievous, naughty, lovable smile that you don't normally hand out to every other person that you meet. And with that she got into her car and drove off into the sunset leaving me expressionless in her wake.

I stood there rooted to that spot for the next two minutes until I felt blood flow in me again. Did that just happen or was I still dreaming? Only when Abhinav and Saurav dragged me off from there did I get back to reality. She was really gone, just like that!!

And now I am serious. I mean was that it? After all that happened since the morning, was it really meant to end this way? Because believe me, there was something between us. It was there when I first saw her, it was there in the hall, more so after that and that connection reached its zenith when she gave me that smile. I know many of you must be thinking " Haha,kat gaya iska or that both of us were just flirting". Ya I do agree, it was timepass but there's no way I can explain to anyone of you why this time it was so different.

So what happened to that girl, you may ask or what's the use in writing all this if she went away!! But like I said, there was something between us and that's why "The Girl in the Mall" might have left but the "Girl from the Mall" certainly didn't. Yes, I met her again!! As to how I met her again and what happened after that, well you'll just have to wait a little more.

Next Week : The Girl From The Mall - The Grand Finale

I actually wrote this one about a year back and since I have nothing exciting to look forward to this Valentine's Day, I thought let me post this as a tribute to my future(hopefully) Valentine. It's a bit mushy but nonetheless, here goes:

He was already getting bored and wondered why he’d ever agreed to do this. Then he felt guilty for feeling this way. It was his parents’ anniversary after all. And he himself had decided that he’d take this Thursday off to take them shopping and then later for dinner. It was the least he could do to make them happy on their special day.

Aryan smiled to himself as he saw his mother selecting the salwaar suits for herself. Her happiness was reflected on her face. Like a girl picking up clothes for her college wear, his mother was all smiles and arguing like all females do with the salesman. His dad, on the other hand, was like all typical males. Nodding when required without really paying attention to what his wife was saying, Aryan knew his father was definitely not enjoying this. As if sensing his gaze, his father turned around and gave his only son a why-did-you-have-to-include-shopping-in-this look. He could only shrug and smile at his father.

Standing outside the shop and turning around, he ran a quick look around the mall in order to divert his mind. “Damn”, he thought,” No good looking girl also around”. At least if he was in office he could have slyly stared at that new girl whom the whole office was eying. “Ah well you have to sacrifice certain things for your loved ones sometimes”, he said chuckling to himself. And that’s when he saw her.

Kashish was your normal 23 old girl. Plus she was smart and beautiful and she knew that. That’s what made her even more appealing to men and she had had her share of them as well. Speaking of men, she noticed that tall, lanky guy on the 1^st floor as soon as she entered the mall. And why wouldn’t she? He was staring at her as if he had never seen a girl before. "Typical male behavior", she said to herself and quietly followed her mother without giving him a second glance.

Aryan simply could not take his eyes off her. She was mesmerizing in every way possible. Fair, good height, and well dressed in a simple tee and jeans, he could only stare at her beauty. She had noticed him as well, he was sure about that. He knew he was handsome in a careless sort of way and she had indeed glanced up at him. But there was nothing he could do. She was with her mother and his parents were inside the shop. He couldn’t be so shameless also. But then the prospect of letting go of her so easily did not appeal to him. He decided to take his chance. Stepping inside the shop and making an excuse that he had spotted a friend and that he would be back in sometime, Aryan made his way down to the ground floor. He spotted her inside Pantaloons and quickly followed both mother and daughter inside the quite empty store.

She noticed him entering the store. "What a Romeo", she said to herself half smiling. Although she had to admit that he looked handsome with his hair falling oh-so-carelessly over his face. On the whole he did look smart and kind of cute. She kept glancing at him every now and then while pretending to pick clothes from various shelves but had to be careful with her mother close by. As for his part, Aryan knew that both of them were on the right track. All he needed now was luck and some timing.

Kashish picked up a few tops and told her mother that she’d try them on and come while her mother moved over to the men's section to look for some shirts for her husband. This was the opportunity that Aryan had been looking for. He quickly made his way towards the trial rooms and was relieved to find them all empty except for one. "That’s good", he thought. Now all that was required was timing and his patience would finally be rewarded. He heard the trial room bolt open and moved quickly so that he found himself staring face to face with the girl of his dreams. A second’s hesitation before Kashish’s hand reached out grabbing him and pulled him inside the trial room.

Grinning, she turned towards him and said," Next time Mr. Aryan, make sure you take your girlfriend out to a more romantic place. Happy Valentine’s Day Sweetheart! “With his arms round her waist and hers around his neck, the two lovers locked lips as the world melted before their love filled eyes.