All Of My Heart❤️💔

The Party💞

I wore a brown-ish maroon suit to Taani's Birthday party. Maa had it stitched a year ago for me to wear at my cousin's wedding. I wasn't sure if I should've worn it but Maa insisted. She wanted me to be the most handsome boy there. I couldn't understand why. I thought that girls went for the rich guys, not good-looking ones. Not that I thought that I was very good-looking, just average. This truth hit me harder when I stood infront of the mirror, clad in the suit.

  I had spent a lot of time in packing Taani's birthday gift the night before the party. So, I was careful with it and placed it gently next to me in the car. I hoped that she would like it. The party was begin at 5 p.m., but I went half n hour early.
  The gate to Taani's house was open and I saw that some guests had already started to arrive, pulling up in their lavish cars. I parked my modest, second-hand car at the far end of the road, away from the luxury cars, and walked to the house. A tent had been erected on the lawn, which had been decorated with the fairy lights. I scanned the lawn and spotted a few of Taani's friends from our class. They threw shocked glances at me, as if it was hard for them to believe that I had also been invited to the party. The lawn was a buzz with chatter— some were discussing their big business, other rattled on their shopping plans and discussed plan for their foreign holidays. I wondered who amongst these were Taani's parents.
  I was holding Taani's gift close to myself; making sure that it was safe.
    'Reyy..!' Taani called out my name from across the lawn.
  She was a vision. I'd never seen her dressed as a girl before. She had wore a sea-green gown  for the evening.

    'I'm so glad that you've come!' she said, her kohl-outlined eyes sparkling.
Her lips, made prominent with a luscious shade of pink lipstick, stretched into a smile. I couldn't take my eyes off her.
    'What happened?' She asked, as I continued to stare at her without responding to her greeting. 'Don't I look nice? Or you are also going to make fun of me like my other friends.'
     'No. No. No. Taani, you look.... beautiful.' I said.
She blushed and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears.
    'Happy birthday Taani.' I said and handed her the gift.
     'Why did you bring this, Rey? It wasn't necessary,' she said, but then took it from me.
      'I hope you will like it.' I smiled.
  She smiled back. I kept thinking how beautiful she looked.
      'Come lets go meet the others.' she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away with her. I towed behind her, happy as a lovesick puppy.
   One by One, she introduced me to her friends. I already knew all of them since they were in my class, bit I wasn't friends with any of them.
   The lawn started to fill with more guests. Taani excused herself from her circle of friends and went to greet the new arrivals, leaving me there. I didn't want to engage with them and kept quite but one of them tried to strike up a conversation with me.
       'Rey, are you the person who is teaching Taani how to drive?' asked vicky.
   I didn't respond.
       'What do you mean Vicky? Are you saying that he is Taani's driver?' Simmi asked.
        'Yes, he is her driver.' Vicky said, sarcasm dripping from his words. The rest started to giggle.
       'That is the best job Taani could have offered someone like Rey,' simmi said, and lapsed into an another fit of giggles.
   My cheek reddened with anger and humiliation. Why did Taani have to tell her friends about our driving lessons? They made it seem as if teaching her drive was a very menial job. I walked away, their words still ringing in my ears. I saw Taani talkimg to someone. The smile on her face faded when she saw my expression.
       'What happened?' I could make out the words she mouthed, an expression of concern on her face. I didn't reply. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and before they could start to stream down my face, I turned towards the exit.
      'Reyy... Wait! Reyy! I could hear Taani called out my name several times from behind but I didn't slow down my pace or stop. I hurried towards my car.
     'Rey, I'm asking you to stop right now!!!'  Taani's voice had now taken an angry tone.
  I gulped back the tears and turned to look at her.
Taani walked over to where I stood.
     'What happened, haan? Whats the matter? Why are you leaving so soon?'
     'I need to go, alright! I need to go!' I said not looking in her eyes.
      'But why?' She caught hold of my arm and made me look at her. 'What happened?'
       'Did you tell you friends that I am you driver?'
I asked not being able to control myself.
      'Whatt!' She seemed shocked.
      'Yes, thats what I am to you, isn't it? A driver.'
     'It's..... It's not like that. It's not true.' She whispered, almost in disbelief.
     'It is true, Taani... It is true.' I said, I couldn't help the tear that managed to escape my eye and rolled down my cheek.
     'No. Not at all. Come here.' She said, pulling me close and wrapping her arms around my neck.
My heart decided to take a break from work, my knees shook, my tongue dried up— the world as I knew it screeched to a deafening halt.
      'Both of us know what you meant to me,' she whispered, still holding me in her arms.
  I managed to scoop some air into my lungs, my arms limp down my sides. I wanted to hold her too but I didn't know if I should.
      'What do I... meant to you, Taani?' I ventured. The break seemed to have rejuvenated my heart, which was now beating faster than it ever had.
  Still holding me, Taani arched her torso back and stared into my face. Her face was a few inches away from mine, I could feel her breath on mine. Her arms still hung around my neck. She cocked her head to a side and leaned her face closer to mine. She closed her eyes, I closed mine, my heart taking its beating business to a new level. Her soft lips clasped mine and pulled at them ever so gently and then let go.
  This was the first time a girl had kissed me. When I opened my eyes, the lights had dimmed around me and everything was out of focus, except Taani's face. She was looking at me. She relaxed the grip of her arms on my neck and took a few steps back. She tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ears and then turned her gaze away. I didn't know what to make of the situation. She looked nervous. Tiny bolts of electricity fired at each of my nerve endings. The nervousness on her fave relaxed into a smile, which I returned. She turned around and walked away with measured steps. In our first meeting, Taani had stolen a piece of my heart, now she had all of it. I wondered if she even knew it, as I saw her disappear in the crowd..
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