As promised Taylor Swift OS series ;). Now I listen to like any song if it sounds good and for a long while after Love Story I wasn't her biggest fan but I can't get over how perfect all of the songs in her new album "Red" seem to be! So this is my tribute!
~
All I feel in my stomach is butterflies,
The beautiful kind making up for lost time,
Taking flight,
Making me feel right.
- Everythign Has Changed, Taylor Swift
~
Arnav Singh Raizada sat
at his corner of the cafe. It was late in the evening, his typical alone time
and he watched as the daylight slowly dimmed into the dark night, the fading
sun making way for the glimmering moon and twinkling stars. His pen remained
frozen on that position on the thin-ruled paper as that complete look of
serenity passed through his face. It didn't hurt him to remember her anymore;
his mother because in the end things happened in life but you just had to move
on, even if it meant moving on with the broken pieces.
He resumed his writing,
where was he again? His pen halted at the sound of his phone vibrating against
the hard wooden tabletop. He brought it in front of him, his brows furrowing at
the few lines he could see in the preview and he slid it on to view the rest.
Dude just agree! La & I really want
this to work. The chicks nice just a little down! And you need to get a life!
He smirked at NK's
annoyed text message; he had been hounding Arnav down over going out with his
girlfriend’s best friend for over a week now. And he finally decided to give
in, what harm could it possibly do? Besides he was going to finally move on
with life right?
In the distant abyss of
his memory though a face churned somewhere, a tinkling laugh, soft hazel eyes
but he made a point not to dwell too much into it, the time for that had been
and gone.
****
Khushi stood in front of
her bedroom mirror whilst Lavanya lounged on the bed in the background, her
fingers expertly flicking through the pages of a magazine. She looked up for a
few minutes watching her best friend fumble over what to wear.
"You know babes it
really doesn't matter what you wear you look fab anyway," Lavanya tried to
put Khushi at ease, wanting her friend to finally be happy. She remembered
Khushi's sleepless nights, the piles of tissues, her bloodshot eyes as she
cried and then that jerk who had dared to play with her heart all over again.
If she ever saw him again she swore she would ram her heeled shoe up his arse.
A slight smile passed
through Khushi's face as she pulled the white cotton t-shirt over her tightly
fitting skinny jeans. "Isn't this too casual though?" She asked, her
voice low, her eyes still downcast.
"It's a cafe
hunnybun not a club," La retorted, rolling her eyes and focused back on
the magazine then suddenly remembering something looked up again,
"actually it's a bit weird, a cafe for a first date," she commented,
her face thoughtful then waving her hand let it go. "Oh whatever! To each
their own!"
Khushi smiled, that
small smile that still didn't quite reach her face, the heartbreak still too
real, omnipresent, only a click away from reaching the surface. But she had to
move on, he wasn't worth her time.
Noticing her friends
glumness once more, La got off of the bed and walked towards her, placing her
hand on Khushi's shoulder and pinching her chin with the other, "chin up
babe," she smiled. "Everything happens for good and who knows this
might be your prince charming," she winked.
Khushi couldn't help but
laugh this time; La always had a way with her words. Leaving a smiling La she
slowly walked over to the cupboard at the far end of the room, stopping in
front of it and letting her finger skim over the metal handle, the silver
obscured by white paint in places. Finally tightening her hand around it she
pulled the door open to reveal the many pairs of shoes, in every colour in all
different styles. Bending down she pulled out a pair of healed boots, tanned
and laced, possibly only worn a few times. A slow reminiscent smile spread
across her face and she felt the first spells of happiness bloom. She placed
her feet in them slowly, allowing herself to revel in the feel of them, how
good she finally felt. This had been the last step; towards moving away from
that relationship, from him, he’d never liked her wearing heels.
She stood in front of
the mirror again, adjusting the way her jeans rested on her hips once more, her
eyes distant as her mouth curved down a fraction. She remembered mornings of
conversations, the smell of coffee, deep chocolate brown eyes and she swallowed
hard. Prince Charming she would never find again, she’d just have to settle for
second best no one could replace the void the he had left.
Took a deep breath in the mirror
He didn’t like it when I wore high heels
But I do
Turn the lock and put my headphones on
He always said he didn’t get this song
But I do, I do
La looked up again, her
curious eyes taking in the features of Khushi’s face that had rapidly changed.
She stood up again, leaving her magazine aside and walked over to stand behind
Khushi.
“What’s wrong babe?” She
questioned analysing her features, then placing her hands on her shoulders
turned her around to face her. “You need to stop thinking about him, today is
the day you move on,” she said, pushing her fingers into the curves of her lips
and pushing them up.
A slow smile passed over
face, “I wasn’t thinking about Shyam, I’ve moved on from him and that too
gladly,” she finally worded her thoughts. “I was thinking about him, the one
that I know I’ll never be able to move on from,” her eyes met La’s suddenly,
the tiny drops of water that had gathered in the brims of her eyes all but too
evident. “You know I think that was the main downfall of my relationship with
Shyam, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replace him.”
“Chin up babe,” La
replied, pinching Khushi’s chin and pushing it up, “who knows what today will
hold,” she winked, suppressing the wide grin that threatened to escape her.
****
He looked up slowly, the
tantalising tinkle of the many wind chimes that moved in the wind reminding him
of her once more. Maybe agreeing to this date was a bad idea; he just couldn’t
get her off of his mind.
He looked up to the door
suddenly, a deep hidden feeling stirring in the depths of his heart somewhere.
He couldn’t place it, the cause for the sudden rapidness to his heartbeat. It
was nearly 6pm, he gulped, maybe he wasn’t ready to move on just yet, the scars
of what had happened, what he had created still only a mere few layers beneath
the surface.
His mind whirred back to
the last time he’d seen her, spheres of hazel, glazed over with tears as they
slid down her cheeks and fell to the ground in little drops.
“I just think we should break up, I want
time alone, away from everyone, away from you.”
He remembered his harsh
words, his cutting voice that had contradicted his every thought, his emotions
in a muddle, conflicting and painful as he had tried to stifle them and spare
her of the pain his future could hold.
He remembered how he’d
walked away without so much as a glance backwards, placing a stone on his
heart. And now how he yearned for her, to hold her in his arms and rest his
head on her shoulder, feel the warmth of her, the safety of the cocoon she
created, the way her laugh vibrated in hears even after she was done. But he
couldn’t undo what had been done, he’d let her go and he didn’t deserve to have
her back just because he knew all was well again.
He looked up again
suddenly, his heart almost stopping for a moment. He stood up abruptly, the
pieces of paper over the table scattering, pens rolling over and falling to the
floor.
She stopped mid-step,
her heart pounding away in her chest, her eyes wide.
He took a step forward
as she took a step back.
Their gazes clashed.
Walked in expecting you’d be late
But you got here early and you stand and
wave
I walk to you
She was sure this was an
illusion, she’d allowed herself to think about him too much today, her mind was
playing games on her and she just needed to run out, otherwise the guy who she
was supposed to meet today would take her to be demented.
He tried to fix his
scattered thoughts, tried to allow pieces to fall together. It was 6pm and NK
knew of Khushi. La? Was La Khushi’s friend, did it stand for Lavanya?
“Khushi,” his voice came
out in a whisper and she stared into his eyes in wonderment.
That felt real, like he
was really here, in front of her.
He took a few more steps
forward as she stood rooted to the spot.
“Arnav,” she mumbled
this time, not quite sure of herself, of her mind that was prone to playing
games.
“Khushi,” his lips
spread into a slow smile and this time she knew he was real.
She took a step forward
then another until she began running and she had flung herself into his arms,
colliding into his chest, her arms going around his neck.
“Khushi,” he whispered
once more, that tiny smile widening as he sent his arm around the small of her
waist, resting his head in the space of her neck.
She couldn’t stop the
tears that grazed her cheeks, he was here in the flesh in front of her, she
didn’t know what to do, her thoughts lost in an incoherent muddle somewhere and
then she stiffened, his final words ringing through her ears.
He’d broken up with her,
eight months ago; he’d left her, not even offered a final glance back. She
pushed back against the hold he had on her, peering into the depths of his
melted chocolate orbs.
He felt his smile die on
his lips, could read her thoughts as her brows scrunched together and she
looked to him in confusion.
She pushed back away
from him then, breaking away from his hold. “You left me,” she accused.
“I…” He didn’t know what
to say, he was stumbling over his own conflicting thoughts.
“You never called, you
didn’t reply to my texts, you just left!” She shouted and he didn’t know how to
reply.
“I thought it was the
best option, I didn’t want you waiting for me till I could get back, if I could
get back,” he finally replied his voice low, his eyes downcast, not meeting her
challenging gaze.
She frowned, that wasn’t
an explanation, not to what she had gone through, the attempts that she had
made to move on, onto a relationship that she would forever regret.
“That’s not…” She began
still looking for the right words to not hurt him with.
“Good enough, I know,”
he finished off for her, his chocolate brown orbs meeting hers once more, “but
you know I make rash decisions,” he admitted.
She couldn’t control herself
any longer, she’d known all along his every feeling. He’d taken a gap year and
went back home because his mother had been ill and then she’d passed away. NK,
his friend had told her and she knew why he hadn’t gotten back in touch with
her, that was Arnav, it was the way he thought.
“You could have called
me once you got back,” she finally replied, her tone still accusing, she
couldn’t keep in the anger that she had held somewhere deep inside of her.
“I didn’t know if you’d
moved on and you don’t deserve to have your heart played around with like
that,” his gaze fell to the floor once more as he said it.
She felt her heart go a
little at that, this is why she loved him, because of how he always thought it
necessary to put her before him.
She moved into his
embrace again, all her inhibitions, her anger forgotten, she placed her face
against his chest. “Why are you here today?” She questioned then.
His arms tightened
around her, glad for the comfort that she offered, her safe haven. “I’m
guessing I’m here to meet you,” that mischievous glint was back in his eyes as
a slow smirk spread over his face.
She moved back in his
embrace, pondering into his eyes, “to meet me?” She questioned, utterly
confused but with her own lips tugging into the smallest of smiles. He looked
good when he smiled, she’d missed him so much, she’d missed this warm embrace
of his, the smirk that he pulled off so well.
“Well,” he drawled, “erm
I came here to meet NK’s girlfriend’s best friend who was looking to go on a
date with me,” he finished off finally, his lips widening into a smile.
Her eyes flickered
through the features of his face as La’s words began to play over on her mind
and it all made sense now but two could play at his game. “Well I guess you
should meet her instead then, I’m sure I can find someone else,” she mumbled
pretending to be upset and feebly attempting to push away from his embrace.
He raised an eyebrow,
smirking once more, “oh really? I think I should, seeing as you aren’t
interested,” he murmured, pulling her back in, completely ignoring all of the
disapproving looks that were thrown their way.
She smiled back against
him, “I missed you,” she murmured.
He sighed, he hadn’t had
the strength to ask her to come back, he was glad for what NK had done.
“I love you,” he
murmured back into her hair.
He moved her back a
little, appraising her, he’d missed her, almost forgotten how good she looked,
how breathtakingly beautiful she was.
“You still look as beautiful,”
he whispered, tightening his arms around her, placing a gentle kiss on her
forehead as her smile widened. “And you’ve got your heels back,” he remarked,
smiling, he remembered that she’d stopped wearing them a few weeks before he
had broken up with her because she had sprained her angle.
She looked up at him
again, surprised that he’d remembered, her mind involuntarily picking out at
the jarring differences between Shyam and Arnav, “I’m out to impress this guy,”
she mused dreamily, “he has a thing for heels you know,” she winked.
“Is that right?” He
chuckled, “well hopefully in your attempts to impress this random guy you don’t
end up toppling over again and spraining that ankle of yours,” he replied.
“Well I’m sure this one
will catch me when I fall,” she retorted feigning anger, gently shoving him
back then broke into a giggle at his laughing face. She loved it when he
laughed like that.
And you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m
funny cause
He never did
I’ve been spending the last 8 months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a café
I watched it begin again
“I’m sure he’d be able
to catch up with you if you don’t end up running like a headless chicken
again,” he said in between laughs and she pushed him back giggling.
“I wasn’t running like a
headless chicken! You Raizada are just not fast enough for me! Even when I’m
wearing heels!” She stated back pointing her finger his way.
“Oh really?” He
questioned raising an eyebrow, his hand going around her wrist then pulling her
in, his scorching caramel orbs leaving her slightly dazzled for a minute.
“But I’ll always be fast
enough for this,” he smirked, moving closer. She felt the blood rush through
her veins once more, her breath hitching in her throat, she felt the familiar
rapid beats of her heart, to the rhythm that was defined only for them.
He watched the slight
quiver of her lips as his own hovered only inches away, the flutter of her
lashes as her lids remained closed. He let his hands cup her face, moving
closer still. “I missed you,” he murmured finally, taking her lips into his,
her gentle reply making him feel like they had never broken up in the first
place. She let his fingers entangle in his hair, pulling him closer, her lips
hungry against his, how much she’d missed this. He lifted her up a fraction as
she sought entry into his mouth and he let her, letting their tongues clash,
intertwine, loosing himself in the love and warmth which only she could offer.
Their lips moved to a known motion as his tongue sought every corner, every
ridge of her mouth.
I’ve been spending the last 8 months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a café
I watched it begin again
“I’d forgotten how good
you looked,” she remarked as they walked down the beach, her fingers interlaced
through his.
“Aah that’s a shame, no
wonder you were ready to date a random guy,” he smirked.
She slapped his arm
playfully, “and I’d forgotten how much of an arrogant ass you are!” She chided.
She stopped suddenly
then, moving in front of him, her other hand intertwining through his as he
looked back at her questioningly “How are you though?” She finally managed to
ask.
His face dropped for a
fraction of a second but he hid it the next, only too aware that she’d already
caught on. “It was difficult at first,” he finally murmured, looking away from
her, towards the horizon, the flutter of wings of seagulls as they took flight.
“But I think I’m okay now,” he reassured looking back towards her.
She nodded back, she
knew what he felt; she’d lost her parents at a very young age too.
She looked away this time;
she caught sight of a struggling wave as it lapped against others, fought with
other waves that threatened it, its every effort focused on reaching the shore.
“I tried to move on,” she finally mumbled, she felt guilty; she wanted to tell
him, she didn’t want him to judge her.
He frowned a little then
a slow smile spread over his lips, he couldn’t help but feel proud of her; this
was why he’d fallen in love with her, why he would never fall out of love with
her.
He pulled her back into
an embrace, “it doesn’t matter,” he murmured into her hair, placing a gentle
lingering kiss. “Besides I’d done voodoo on you to make sure that they wouldn’t
work out,” he smirked against her hair. “Actually no,” he moved her back a bit
and watched her bewildered eyes for a second, “I didn’t need to since you’re so
annoying anyway,” he smirked, “no one else would go to the trouble of putting
up with you,” he chuckled as she shoved him back.
“Shut up, that’s mean!”
She pouted as she fell into a giggle herself.
“It’s mean?” He
questioned raising an eyebrow as she moved over and linked her arm through his,
“because I’m the one that demands jalebis in the wee hours of the morning,
sends threatening text messages when I’m late for something,” he began to list.
“At least it’s better
than a certain someone that replies with K after I’ve sent him a huge text just
because he can’t be bothered typing a few words, makes up lame excuses after
doing stupid things,” she retorted making a face at him.
“Well then I propose
that as we are equally flawed as each other, we should go out, you know
apparently things like this work out,” he winked stopping in front of her.
“Oh I dunno,” she mused,
“it just seems like I could find someone so much better,” she tapped her chin,
screwing up her face as if in thought.
He pulled her back
against her suddenly, taking her lips into his, then breaking away for a
second, “Actually sweetheart I’m not leaving you an option here, we’re going
out,” he murmured into her lips, his husky voice sending goosebumps over her
skin as he took her lips in once more and she sighed against them then moulded
herself into the haven of his embrace.
And you throw your head back laughing
Like a little kid
I think it’s strange that you think I’m
funny coz
He never did
I’ve been spending the last eight months
Thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a café
I watch it begin again
But on Wednesday in a café
I watched it begin again…
