Fliers - 8

Mayank reached Mandira's hotel in an hour. He waited for her in the lobby after calling her. She came within 2 minutes. She was wearing a pink suit with white chikankari embroidery. Her white duppata was moving with her like waves in the sea. She had left her long hair open. Her smiling face looked like the sun peeking out of dark clouds. When she saw Mayank her mild smile became a bright, broad one. She waved her hand. Mayank waved back and smiled.

When they stood facing each other Mayank brought his mouth close to her ear and said " You look like sunshine dear." Mandira started blushing. Mayank said "so let's go" Mandira nodded and started walking behind him. When her heart started beating at a normal pace and she was bored of silence she asked Mayank "where are we going?" They had reached the metro station by then. Mayank answered "Purani Dilli" and moved towards the counter to bye tokens. Mandira was a bit surprised to hear that. She had not expected him to be someone who would go to the crowded neighborhoods of the city. She was also surprised when he came to the metro station. She had expected that he would take her to some places like museum and other textbook monuments like Red Fort and Qutub Minar in his car. Nothing like this. While she was lost in her thoughts someone came and grabbed her hand. She turned her head, Mayank was holding her hand and pulling her behind him. She followed him.

They deboarded the train at Chandni Chowk metro station. After that, they explored all the streets of this part of the city. They went everywhere from Paranthe wali gali to Chawri bazar. They ate every street food that they found. Jalebis, golgappas, chaat, chole bhature, Shathi tukda, kachori, Kebab every thing. Name it they had it. When Mandira saw him indulging in street food she was surprised again. She had never expected him to eat street food and to enjoy it too.

By sunset, they had been everywhere. Now they were sitting on the stairs of Jama Masjid. They sat there looking at the sky changing its hues from blue to mild red and pink. Suddenly Mayank got up and asked Mandira to come with him. Mandira got up and took his hand. Mayank took her through the streets. He looked at his phone screen a few times asking for help to their local guide 'google maps'. After a few minutes, they reached an old building. It looked like an old mosque.

Mayank stood there holding Mandira's hand. It was a building of red sandstone lacking tall minarets or huge domes. When Mandira looked a bit puzzled then Maynak told her " This is Fatehpuri mosque. It is named after hah Jahan's other wife Fatehpuri begum." Then he took her inside. She looked at the building. The simplicity of the mosque was heart-touchingly poetic, especially in that twilight hour when the sky over the courtyard was pale blue and the moon newborn. It looked so ordinary yet so magical.

But she was still confused why Mayank brought her there. She looked at his face to find her answer. He knew what she wanted to know. "You are just like this place. Simple, inconspicuous, and insanely beautiful. ......and this simplicity of yours has made me fall in love with you insanely. I LOVE YOU MANDIRA. Mandira said nothing. She hugged him like they were not two but one, each other's special someone.

The not so famous Fatehpuri Masjid stood witness to the happy ending of a beautiful chapter and an equally beautiful beginning of a saga.