The Sound of Heart beat - chapter 1

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Meghna rang the temple bell three times that caught the attention of the Hindu priest. The deity was embellished with jewellery and yellow color traditional wear. The priests lit the lamp to perform the arthi and Meghna was content as she was on time to the temple. She felt it as a sign that brings light into her life. She called out the priest and requested to do a special detailed puja in “his” name. Yes, she finally found her life partner. :) She was not conservative, but she preferred to be traditional when it comes to him. Hence, she wrote his name with his zodiac sign in a piece of paper and offered it to the priest along with the puja plate. Indeed she was too shy to say his name aloud.

"Karthik - Avittam, Meghna Ashwini...." the priest chanted some mantra in Sanskrit and Meghna came out after circumnavigating the temple. While slipping her feet into the soft cozy slippers, she observed a missed call from an anonymous number.
"It must be him, Karthick." She confirmed without giving another thought. She thought of calling him back after reaching her home to avoid all roadside disturbances and also to have some privacy. But she got a call again from the same number. Her heartbeat pounded so fast and her palm turned chill. It was an emotion mixed with excitement and nervousness. She answered the phone, and spoke to him for the first time.
"Hmm.. Meghna.." the voice from the other side was dulcet and melodious. No wonder, she was dumbstruck with his voice as well.
"Am I talking to Meghna?" Karthik repeated again since there was a long pause.
She tried to answer, but she could not speak.
"Yesssss.." She tried to say, but the only sound that came out was a hissing sound of a snake.
"Well, Karthick this side..."
On hearing the name, her soul felt the feeling of being in cloud nine. She wanted to pause and cherish this moment forever. All together she was experiencing a blissful feel that she never experienced in the past 23 years.
"Can we catch up sometime today?" asked Karthik. The very thought of meeting him drove her wild. She could manage to answer him only in a low, almost in a whispering mode. Karthik quoted the meeting place and disconnected the call.
   
     Meghna had never spoken to anyone with so much tenderness. She liked him so much and her craziness towards him made her heart pulse race like cheetah and heads spin like the falcon. Her feelings towards him are so strong that she felt rejoiced and excited when she thought of him every now and then. Yet, she adored every bit of those pleasing excitements. But now she was worried about meeting him at the coffee day. For sure, on meeting him, her heart beat will pace fast, hands will freeze cold, and head will lurch. Somehow, she pulled courage to meet him. She went directly from temple with the Langa Voni she was wearing. As she opened the coffee day door, people over there shot an expression that was similar to the one people offer when a lady enters the temple with a bikini. She ignored the expression of the people, as her only intention was not to make Karthik wait.

     After one hour of waiting, Karthik reached the venue. He was not bothered to ask sorry for making her wait so long, neither tried to give explanation for being late. Meghna's heart froze like an ice cave on seeing him.
"I just have 10 minutes. So, let me come straight away to the point" Karthik initiated the conversation and came straight to the point.  In fact, Meghna preferred him to start the conversation without formal preliminary pleasantries so that she would not get embarrassed. She was not so strong to look into his eyes, hence kept her focus on the table.
"Meghna.. I want to call off our marriage..." Karthik gave her news that made Meghna's heart stop for a while.(or long!?)

                                  Click here to read the Next chapter (chapter 2)