Once Upon A Hullabaloo!

EPILOGUE

Kshitij's POV:

The Tuscany sun poured in through the window. I stretched myself and involuntarily reached out for her. My hand fell on the empty side of her bed and a slight disappointment washed over me. I threw the bed-sheets off, got up on my feet and looked for my pants that were tossed in some corner  yesterday night.

Sliding my feet inside them while looking over at the cozy Italian garden from our cottage window, I made my way to the drawing room. I leaned against the door frame to behold the beautiful sight.

My wife was sitting at the wooden work-desk facing a window. She was wearing my shirt from last night that barely brushed her creamy thighs as she sat there with her legs folded up on the chair. With the creases of struggle on her forehead and nails between her teeth, she was concentrating on the illuminated screen of her laptop. 

If I didn't know her rage better, I would have scooped her up in my arms and taken her back to the bedroom again.

Omanah and I had a glorious year together before we finally tied knot six days back and I whisked her away to the peacefulness of Tuscany where I didn't have to share her with anybody. The year had its own ups & downs and a lot had changed. 

We never ceased to have our own share of dramatic fights but both of us had learned from our experiences. She was learning to embrace my limitations while I had begun to control my frustration since I realized that she only wished for my happiness. 

If I had to measure our growth as a couple then I must mention that she had managed to arrange a double date for us with Jay and Sanjana and I had successfully smiled through the dinner. Even though it was only Jay and Omi who talked the most, the silence between me and Sanjana wasn't an awkward one. 

In fact, I wouldn't be lying if I said that Sanjana and I bonded on a different level. It felt like we were silently reconciling like parted, old friends who were willing to work out their differences for the sake of their loved ones. 

Both my parents, especially mom was so delighted about the positive changes in me and my relationship with Sanjana that she couldn't wait for Omanah to marry me. It was a great task to stall her excitement for a year that Omi and I wanted for ourselves. 

Omanah's loud sigh brought me back from my trail of thoughts. She defeatedly spluttered at her laptop screen. I walked upto her and softly kissed her where my huge shirt had slid off from one of her shoulders.

She caressed my cheek, "Good morning."

"Good morning." I whispered in a heavy morning voice and kissed the top of her head, "How is the book coming along?"

"Vivaan is expecting at least the first three chapters by the end of this week and I haven't even started." She bit her lower lip, "According to him, I'm supposed to finish this novel in the next eight months and mail it to all the publications recommended by him. I don't think that's happening." 

Since Vivaan's magazine business was all set and running, he had personally taken up the responsibility of guiding Omi in her second attempt at novel writing. He was of an opinion that she had everything in her to become a successful writer, all she needed was some experienced guidance which he was more than happy to offer.

"Let me see what you've come up with until now." I bent down to check out her laptop.

Her word file page lit up with a down-pour of words on it-

'Ever wondered what would have happened if Chandler Bing's ever sarcastic mouth wouldn't have slipped in time to let Rachel know about Ross's not so little crush on her in F.R.I.E.N.D.S?

If not for that 'palat' in DDLJ, How would have Raj ever realized that Simran was already heads over heels in love with him?

Where would have the story of Pretty Woman headed to if Edward wouldn't have taken a detour on Hollywood Boulevard to ask for directions and run into Vivian?

Moving towards the classic fairy-tales:

What if Cinderella wouldn't have been clumsy enough to leave her glass slipper at the steps of her Prince Charming's palace?

How would have that frog-prince managed hopping around for the rest of his gloopy life if that gorgeous princess hadn't frenched him?

Well, if it would have been the other way round for these epic stories then I think I wouldn't have ever had this beautiful fantasy of 'Happily Ever-Afters'. But now that the damage was done, here I was- two and a half decades old, wondering if I had already missed out on that one defining moment which could have spun a 'happily ever-after' to my crippled tale of endless renunciation of love life.

Frankly speaking, I trust my party-pooper self to wear strapped shoes to a ball and also manage shooing the frog away with a cane stick- None of which could ever culminate into my much fancied Happy Ending.

With a couple of bizarre crush stories from my embarrassing teenage years as my most claimed experience in romance (I don't think it counts, but anywho), I was absolutely certain that I had already dismissed my 'the one' with a snide remark, thus goofing up my destined moment of lost slippers or kisses with perfection.

But, I was completely oblivious to the fact that,

It doesn't always have to be a glass slipper or a kissing frog. Sometimes it takes a loopy, little hullabaloo!'

I stood up straight and  smiled proudly at my nervous wife, "I'm no expert but I can tell that your story has quite an engaging beginning. You're doing great, carry on and I'm sure you will finish this story in less than eight months." I encouragingly rubbed her shoulders but the frown didn't leave her beautiful face, "What are you so confused about, Omi?"

She scratched her forehead, "I've been struggling to come up with an appropriate title for past half an hour."

I exhaled sharply and looked back at the prologue she had written. After a thought for a few long minutes, I found exactly what she was looking for. Bending down over the keyboard again, I quickly tapped at its keys . 

Satisfied with my job, I stood up straight again and folded my arms to let her read what I had written. 

Omi glanced at the screen and turned to me with a brightest smile on her face, "It couldn't have been more perfect!"

The bold black letters proudly beaming at the title of the page read- 'Once Upon A Hullabaloo!'

***************THE END****************