Tinkling of the Bell Before It Rings

By Sonika Shandilya

We don’t meet people by accident.
They are meant to cross our paths for a reason.
When Jai met Sakshi, by sheer chance, he couldn’t have imagined
he’d one day be visiting Europe with her for a countryside fashion
tour. All he heard was the tinkling of a bell somewhere in his heart.
When Sakshi met Jai the next time, she barely knew their
friendship would run deeper than anything she had ever wished
for.
He is an aspiring police officer and she wants to be a leading
designer in the world of fashion. Will their different paths take
them to the same destination we call love, or will hurdles change
the way love happens?
More than that, is love really enough? Join their journey as they
find out in the Tinkling of the Bell… Before it Rings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Srishti Publishers
• Release date: Sep 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9788188575541

Book preview

Sunny.

Acknowledgements

My parents’ and brother’s love makes me go about doing things, and this book is one such endeavour.

My in-laws, who have loved me the way I am.

Manisha, I want to tell you that your patience in listening to the manuscript and your suggestions have seen me through the book.

My sons Suryaab and Shwetab’s interest in whatever I do, and their appreciation for my work made me an author even before the book was published.

Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar had released and Sakshi was standing in queue to buy a ticket for herself. Yes, a ticket. She had come all alone to watch the movie. All her friends had gone with their respective boyfriends to PVR, so she had deliberately chosen Cinemax, playing safe not to bump into any of them. She was young, pursuing fashion designing and the best looking amongst her friends. Love had not happened to her. She was happily single, lending her shoulder to cry on when her friends had troubles with their boyfriends. She was not missing anyone right now as she waited for her turn at the ticket counter. It was rather odd to go for a 10:30 show, but she had nothing better to do this Sunday morning and it would also be a safe bet for tickets. She wanted to catch the excitement around Rockstar .

She was smartly dressed in low waist jeans and a tight top that accentuated her slim figure. She was quickly approaching the ticket window. She took out some money and before she could say ‘one ticket please’, the man on the other side of the window said, Sorry, houseful! Sakshi threw up her long slim arms – with long hands and fingers of an artist, nails painted in bright red – up in despair. She thrust the money back into her handbag, brushed back her hair, running her shapely fingers smoothly through. The frustration of the situation gave a bounce to her hair as she thumped her way down the steps. The mild winter sun penetrated her glowing skin to compliment her perfect complexion. Her anger was giving her rosy cheeks a light blush. Her dark brown doe eyes lit brightly as the sunlight fell on them, taking away some brown to give a light brown halo to her hair. The sun rays kissed her moist lips and helped the lip liner in further highlighting her shapely lips. She was a little more than five feet five inches and her heels, which she was comfortable wearing to the movie, made her look taller by some 3-4 inches. As she tucked her hair behind the right ear, one could see her tall, elegant neck. The small emerald, ruby and diamond-studded earrings glittered. She decided to wait near the gate and plan her day, now that she had no ticket.

At the far end of the main gate, Jai was restlessly waiting with one foot resting on the wall. He pressed his right foot further into the wall and his eyes searched for somebody. Shit! He hasn’t turned up. It is 10:20 already.

Just then, his phone beeped and flashed a message, "Sorry I am stuck. Can’t make it Vicky."

Now both his feet were on the ground. He took out tickets from the pocket and gestured to a group of boys and girls standing nearby, saying out aloud, "Anybody interested in a ticket to Rockstar?"

Jai’s light blue jeans and Alcott t-shirt fitted his tall lean frame very well. At 6 feet 2 inches, with a long pale blue scarf carelessly wrapped around his neck, he stood out in the crowd. Sakshi heard him and saw it as an opportunity to have a ‘productive’ Sunday morning. She hurriedly stepped towards Jai to enquire about the ticket. Do you have an extra ticket? Jai turned around and could not believe his luck. Instead of that toad Vicky, he was going to watch the movie with this swan. He swam out of her eyes before he could drown, although he would have loved to, but he had to hand over the ticket before she changed her mind.

How much?

150. That was all he could manage to say. Jai’s eyes moved to her brightly-coloured nails on her beautiful hands as she handed over the money.

Thanks!

Sakshi hurried toward the escalator. ‘What thanks! I need to thank all the stars that have lined up today to bring me luck,’ thought Jai smiling. Coming out of her spell, he suddenly realized she was nowhere to be seen. Jai felt like a man marooned on an island. He reminded himself of his rescue helicopter pilot, the ticket checker who makes sure that people sit on their allotted seat numbers. As Jai stepped onto the escalator, he could not wait to reach the hall. The speed did not seem enough for his speeding heart, so he ran up the escalator.

Where is 17f? A, B, C, D, e… here f and 17. He scanned the row eagerly. He spotted Sakshi whose face glowed in the flicker of the screen. He pressed the ticket between his palm and fingers, now sweaty with nervousness. He squeezed his way through the row. As his tall frame sank in the seat, he expected Sakshi to notice him. But she was completely engrossed in the trailer of Don 2.

I hate Shah Rukh Khan. I am much younger to this Khan, and taller too. I am sitting right next to her. Jai murmured to himself. Used to a lot of female attention while at IIT Delhi, he felt it unusual to have not been noticed. His good-looking genes that he had inherited from his parents were put to test today. His thick eyelashes which guarded his attractive eyes were enough to trap any girl. As Jai shifted restlessly in his chair, his scarf accidently brushed Sakshi’s arm, While Jai felt the slight encounter, Sakshi was oblivious of it. Just then, Sakshi’s phone rang, which shifted her attention from the Don 2 trailer. As she dug into her purse to get the phone out, it accidently slipped from her hand and fell under the seat in the front row. Sakshi struggled, but found it awkward to bend on her knees. Jai jumped at this opportunity and his long arm did the job. The incoming call number was still flashing on the screen and his mathematical brain quickly registered the number. Thanks! was all he got in return.

‘Atleast she could have smiled, said hi, and asked my name,’ thought Jai and searched his mind for an excuse to start a conversation. He had perhaps never taxed his mind so much, not even while taking the IIT entrance exam.

The movie began but Jai’s pupil rested at the corner of his eyes, watching Sakshi. Watching her occasional grins that her lips transferred to her cheeks, and the twinkle in her eyes was better than watching a movie. He quickly turned his gaze away as the light in the hall was switched on. It was interval.

‘I should ask her if I can get popcorn for her. No, she might not like my overindulgence.’ As thoughts passed through Jai, Sakshi was already on her way out of the hall to buy popcorn for herself. Jai decided to buy a coke for himself, hoping the fizz would help pop out some bright idea to start a conversation with Sakshi. When he went out, to his disappointment, he could not spot Sakshi. As he walked back to his seat, his spirits were lifted to see Sakshi munching her popcorn in the seat next to his.

How’s the movie? he asked.

good! she said as an obligation for the ticket she got from him.

In the second half of the movie, Jai stopped thinking and just enjoyed her closeness, her perfume, her presence.

‘I hope this movie lasts my entire lifetime. I am feeling so good just sitting beside her.’ Jai was engrossed in these deep thoughts when people started getting up to go. ‘Oh shit! The movie is over.’ Before he could realize, Sakshi had merged with the tide of people. Jai stood in the hall as if a tsunami had struck him and everything of his was washed away into this sea of people.

I don’t know her name, not even her number, how will I find her? Talking to himself, Jai began walking towards the exit, dragging himself to his Scorpio. With a pulled down face he entered his house.

Hi Jai! How was the movie? His mother asked as she looked up from clipping old roses in the garden.

It was okay mom. He rushed inside, avoiding any details regarding the movie. There were too many questions in his mind which needed answers and he was in no mood to answer his mom’s questions. What would he know about the movie? He could only tell about the beautiful girl sitting next to him. As he threw himself on his bed and sank into it, his scarf’s end lightly brushed his face. He felt the same feeling when his scarf had brushed Sakshi’s hand. He now held the scarf as he would hold her hand and brought it close to his cheek. ‘This is girlish,’ he thought but continued to caress it nonetheless. He made sure the door was locked. Just because the scarf had brushed her arm once, it had become so soft, it was feeling so tender. Oh, if only it was her hand! He wondered how that would feel. "Out of the world man, simply heavenly, but if it was her hand in my hand right now." As he tossed and turned in his bed, his mother called him for lunch.

I am not hungry mom.

"Why don’t you want to eat roti-sabzi? Okay tell me, what do you want to eat? I’ll make it."

I want popcorn, he said aloud with that pretty girl on his mind.

What? You want popcorn for lunch? His mother was surprised by his choice of meal, but Jai’s mother always liked to do, say, and listen to her sons. Jai was two years elder to his brother Sid, who was his junior at IIT Delhi, and was home for vacations.

What bro, you didn’t get popcorn in the theatre today? Sid was writing the last line of his assignment as he called out loudly from his room next to Jai’s. "Bro, I’ll be through with my preparation of the semester exam, so can we go to see Rockstar next Sunday? Sid was out of his room now and was about to knock when Jai opened the room and said Yes". Without the aid of any logic, Jai thought that he could meet the girl again. Their mom joined them in the room with a bowl of popcorn.

Oh really Jai, that means the movie is good enough to be watched twice. Jai had to strain to understand that the talk was about the movie, because his mind was on the girl.

Movie… ya fine, well, good, said Jai saving himself from saying more by popping popcorn into his mouth. Before his mom could start asking more questions about photography and music in the movie, he said, Mom, I need to catch some sleep now so that I can make people dance at Bottles and Chimney’s. Jai was a DJ at Bottles and Chimney’s. He wanted to unwind, do fun stuff, do things out of routine, stay away from books for a while. That, he thought, would keep him away from another season of preparation of civil services exam which would start in a few months from now. His ambition was to become an IPS Officer like his father and grandfather. One more ambition was added today – to find out the name and address of the swan that flew with his heart. But how, that was the big question. If his previous record was to be checked, he had achieved whatever he wanted. So far, he knew how to tackle his goals logically. If it was an IIT entrance, he would have joined coaching classes, worked on his weak points, but this goal itself was different. He had no clue from where to start. His mother’s words started ringing in his mind, If you really want something from your heart, you always get it

I really want her…, he started listening and saying this and finally, sleep took over. It was seven in the evening when the incessant ringing of his phone woke him up. It was Vicky calling. As he looked at his screen which had now gone blank, he recalled the number he had seen on that pretty girl’s phone. Yes, it was 9966717001. He could dial the number and get some information about the girl. Jai jumped out of the bed. His fingers ran over the numbers like water spreading over parched land.

Wow! It is ringing. He could hear his heart thumping. good evening! This is Nisha from Daffodils boutique.

Ya, could you give me your address please? Jai slipped on his sneakers and drove off to Road No. 10, Banjara Hills to the boutique. When he had read the poem Daffodils in Class VI, he had never realized that William Wordsworth would help him find his girl. So many times he would have gone on Road No.10 and had never paid heed to this boutique. Well! Today his eyes scanned all the shops and finally rested on Daffodils. Jai jumped out without closing the door of his car. His restlessness even transferred to his scarf which bounced on his broad chest while Jai ran towards the boutique.

The lady behind the counter was pleased to think of the enthusiasm of people to visit her boutique. Yes, how can I help you? She asked with a broad smile.

You can help me trace somebody I am looking for.

The lady’s grin disappeared as she asked, Who?

See ma’am, don’t get me wrong, but it’s about the most beautiful girl in the world. Jai’s eyes lit up as he began to tell the lady about the pretty girl.

You mean I should see the dialled calls in my mobile and give you the number! Sorry I can’t share somebody’s number with strangers, she said coldly. Jai’s enthusiasm got drained out of him and hopelessness filled his heart, making it heavy. Slowly lifting his steps, he sat behind the wheel. The steering wheel was kind enough to lend its bosom for Jai to rest his head on. There was darkness inside as well as outside the car. Jai’s thoughts could not swim through the darkness. He lost track of time. He heard his phone ringing and through the hollow of the wheel he saw it was Vicky.

As the ringing persisted, he answered. Hello! he said.

Hey, where are you? Have you quit the job? There was bewilderment in Vicky’s voice as he asked.

What! No, I have not quit.

Then why haven’t you come? It is already 9:30.

I’ll be there soon, reassured Jai as he revved up the car. Mechanically, he drove down the

Reviews for Tinkling of the Bell Before It Rings

[Pranchi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a cute love story.
♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️