AnuPre OS || Proposal || Kasautii Zindagii Kay | Parth Samthaan | Erica Fernandes

The lights, the colors, the clothes and the crackers Prerna loved everything about Diwali. As she entered the Basu house she couldn't help but be overwhelmed. She admired the rangoli that was being drawn near the entrance. The whole place was lit up beautifully in small white and gold colored lights and decoratives.

Prerna looked at the gifts in her hand. Her father had been adamant on getting everyone in the Basu family a gift or two. However her mother opined against gifting those who didn't value it. Prerna shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her eyes searched for some welcoming friendly faces as she followed her parents carrying the gifts.

Her father took the gifts meant for the Basus from her hand. Prerna recollected their game to decide who will hand the gifts to which Basu. 'Who will bell the Basus?' it was called.Her father had been livid when he found out they were making fun of his boss' family.  He then decided to offer them the gifts himself. 

Prerna happily looked at the smiling faces around her. That was until her eyes landed on a particularly handsome male specimen. Anurag sat with a group of girls trying to gain his attention. She battled her inner Voldemort to help Anurag get out of their clutches. She slowly made her way towards him covering his eyes with her fingers.

Anurag smiled as he felt the delicate fingers cover his eyes. He instantly recognized them as Prerna's, courtesy her latest obsession with finger rings these days. He decided to have a little fun and asked the girls, "such long fingers. Girls are these a Dementors fingers?"

Prerna immediately moved her hands  to his cheeks pulling them hard and asked him in a sing-a-song voice, "Awnu, do Dementors pull cheeks?"

"Ow-no, no don't do that and don't call me Awnu",  he complained.

"Oh should I call you Ow-no then, Awnu?" She  stuck her tongue out at him.

"My name is Anurag, Anurag Basu", he frowned. He grabbed her hand and sharply at tugged them. It made her tumble forward. Her chin landed on his left shoulder blade with a thud. 

Prerna made a face mimicking him childishly, "Anurag, Anurag Basu".

"Help me out of this Anurag Basu fan club", Anurag pleaded realizing only she was close enough to listen to him. She glanced at the other members at the table. All the girls were glaring at her, how typical, she sighed. 

"Anurag your fanclub is so amazing. See they are all glaring such deep holes into me that I feel hole-y", Prerna giggled loud and clear for all the girls at the table to hear. Some of them looked away embarrassed, while the other shameless ones intensified their glares. Anurag was just shocked to see her address them so bluntly. He expected her to be a little subtle

She straightened  up her back patting Anurag's shoulder, "should I tell your sister you are too busy to help?"

"No! I'll come", Anurag leapt out of his seat eagerly following her making her stiffle her laugh.

When they were out of earshot from the girls Prerna let out her full blown amused laugh. Anurag couldn't help but join her smiling wholeheartedly. Prerna glanced at him, "you know those girls practically kiss the ground you walk on? I wonder how amazing it would be have my own fanclub".

"It's not that great, trust me. But if you are very insistent I could start a fanclub for you. Infact I could be the first member of your fanclub", Anurag offered.

"Oh brilliant, that means I should start running away from you now", Prerna played along. 

Anurag held her by her arm pulling her close. "No way am I letting you slip like those girls did to me. I'm smarter than that, give me some credit", he rolled his eyes.

"Okay Mr. Hermione, where's my gift?"Prerna asked forwarding her hand. 

Anurag held her hand, " it surprises me you read 7 books despite disliking reading."

"Well you read my Mills and boons types of romance novels, even bigger surprise. Besides Harry Potter was fun, can you imagine accounts or economics being fun? Definitely not", shuddered Prerna.

Anurag pulled her with him into his room, closing the door and walking into the closet. He picked out her gift and put it in the inner pockets of his suit.

In the meanwhile, Prerna looked around his room it was a pleasant shade of cream on the walls and a big red and gold four-poster bed lay against it. She saw a small intricately drawn rangoli in the balcony. Next to it, on the window sill, there lay a plate containing bowls of colors. She turned towards Anurag, "did you make this Rangoli?"

Anurag vigorously shook his head as a red hue crept up his neck. He didn't trust his own voice to lie convincingly to Prerna. Prerna dug in her little bag to take out one carefully packed gift handing it over to Anurag. He looked at it quizzically until she motioned him to open it and he did so dutifully. His eyes widened at his gift, a book named 'How To Compliment A Girl'.

"This is such a mean gift Prerna, I know how to compliment a pretty girl", he mumbled.

But sadly for him, Prerna caught his words and narrowed her eyes at him, "oh really?! When was the last time you complimented any girl?"

Anurag scratched the back of his neck  trying to recollect the last time. He looked over at Prerna she looked pretty in her silver lehenga choli. He grabbed her hand pulling her to him, resting his hand on her waist. He moved a stray strand of hair that fell on her eyes when he pulled her, "you are looking beautiful Pretty Prerna".

She felt the fuzzy feeling bubbling again. His closeness affected her, made her nervous, she looked everywhere but didn't meet his intense eyes which were enjoying her reaction. He took in her reaction before he released her. 

She gathered her scattered thoughts looking up. She get her lips which felt too dry all of a sudden, "Y-you r-really can't compliment a girl". 

"No issues, now I've this book. I'm sure it will help me through", he flashed the book in front of her. 

She grew unsure of her gift for a moment as she listened to him. He knew he had her full attention so he continued, "incase it doesn't help, I still don't have to worry. I'm sure you'll help me learn so that I can compliment  my future wife better, right?"

"No way I refuse to be your practice dummy", she was now sure gifting him that had been a bad idea. She lunged for the book.

He pushed the book on top of the cupboard where he knew her hand won't reach. He clucked his tongue, "snatching back gift is bad manners."

"Not giving one is even worse, I guess Snape hasn't taught you well", she muttered. Her eyes widened when she realised what she'd said. She called his mom Snape. According to Prerna, Mohini Basu was Snape who had  love beyond boundary for Lily aka Anurag Basu, her son. She pitied his future wife because she could for see his wife being James Potter. Snape and James in one place explosive, her eyes widened.

Prerna returned to reality when Anurag snapped his fingers. She looked down to see him on his knees, "After all these time of being 'just friends'. Will you be my one and only most important girl in the world?"

She was shocked, surprised, frozen. But above all that she was happy. She had longed to hear him say that for a while now. She smiled before replying, "Always."

She looked at the ring now resting snuggly against her finger, "don't you find it funny our ring should have a deathly hallows mark?"

He rested his forehead against hers, "absolutely not, Harry Potter is how we first became friends. Although right now it's just a promise ring. I promise it will be some other ring soon. And no you won't ever be my practice dummy, you are IT for me.."

Prerna's cheek hurt from smiling so wide. She felt his warm breath fanning her. She saw Anurag  leaning down for a kiss. They would have kissed at the very moment, if only her phone hadn't rung to ruin the moment.

Anurag groaned, "maybe l'll give a book teaching you how to not ruin moments over the Christmas."

Prerna giggled at the frustrated Anurag moving away, "Bdw I know you made the Rangoli".

She dipped her finger in the rangoli colors flicking his nose. She quickly caught a glimpse of him with green color on his nose as she made her way out of the room. She could hear him yell, "Prerna it's Diwali not Holi!"

Writer : Three. Broomstic