Characters in this chapter:

Jung So Min as Naina Dewan

Kim So Eun as herself aka Sia

NamGoong Min as himself

Chapter 1: Togetherness

The winter night in the beautiful city of Melbourne was considerably quiet as the biggest part of the population, the students, were busy preparing for the university exams. The otherwise lively city put up a dull show on the freezing October night. The libraries are open till midnight and all the food joints in the downtown are banking on the increased delivery orders from the student dorms. The atmosphere is serious as sincere pupils are studying all night long and trying to stay focused for the upcoming tests.

But, the ambience is a little different on a cosy room of a condominium situated in the heart of the city. Books and papers are scattered over the floor, pizza boxes with half eaten pizza and soft drink cans added the clutter to the already messy room. Hip-hop music playing on the pink laptop set the mood to the relaxed and laid back nature to the room.

“Babes! play the new album please,” ordered a soft voice flipping through the pages of the fashion magazine.

The pair of beautiful hazel eyes shifted its attention from the magazine and quickly glanced at the tracks playing on the computer. A broad grin appeared parting the two perfectly shaped cherry lips as the next song started playing. She tossed the magazine away and grabbed the laptop and started browsing intently. The light from the laptop reflected on her pale skin making the heart shaped face look as enchanting as ever. She took a big bite from the pizza lying on the box next to her and declared loudly

“Sia, I am going to book the tickets tonight”. Her voice clouded from the constant chewing on the pizza

“Naina, I told you before that I will pay for the tickets,” answered another soft voice looking up from the cell phone.

Her sharply cut pretty features revealed elegance in every sense.

“But Sia, your family is already sponsoring my stay in Seoul, let me at least fund the travel for both of us” Naina tried to justify.

“Naina, mum specifically ordered me to ensure that you don’t spend any money. She says, it’s her gratitude towards you for having supported me like a true friend in this foreign country for fours years now” said Sia with a grateful smile.

“Babes! Still I,,,,” Naina was interrupted as Sia moved closer and locked her into a tight hug, “no more arguments Naina, its decided! I am so grateful for so many things you did for me in the past years, let me do something for you as well. I want to make this trip a memorable one for both of us. Take this as a gift from me,” explained Sia slowly breaking from the hug.

The girls smiled lovingly at each other silently recalling their years of togetherness.

Sia came to Melbourne from South Korea for studies and met Naina on the first day at university and since then the girls are inseparable. Coming from a non-English speaking background, Sia struggled in her initial days in Australia and Naina helped her to settle in with the Australian way of life by taking care of her as a genuine friend. Her Korean name Kim So Eun was shortened to Sia for convenience. Financially Sia was competent enough as she belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Korea but she missed her parents and friends terribly. Subsequently, Naina stepped in as a strong support and made her university life very enjoyable and fun. Through the years, the girls became best of friends and their bonding strengthened with time.

“We are leaving in three weeks and I haven’t done any shopping yet oh god!” sighed Naina breaking the trance and coming back to reality, “ and the exams on the top of it is killing me,” she continued with a worried look.

“ Ummmm, I can’t wait for the tests to get over and fly back home.” Saying that Sia stretched her arms and relaxedly fell flat on the bed closing her eyes.

Naina did not take long to recognise the gentle smirk on her friend’s face and the longing tone in her voice and quickly slipped in next to her on the bed keeping her laptop away.

“You must be really missing Gong min, right?” teased Naina mischievously without taking her eyes off the ceiling.

Sia popped open her eyes embarrassed at the sudden mention of her fiancé and turned sideways to face Naina.

How come Naina gets to know what I feel, she must be a mind reader, she cursed herself for being caught.

“No, no,I,,I ,,,just meant.” Sia struggled to defend and bushed a deep red.

Seeing her friend trying hard to come up with an excuse made Naina chuckle. She can’t resist messing with this lovesick image of her bestie.

“Babes, you are flushed just by his name, I wonder what will you do when you are married to him in two months time” Naina said in between giggles.

“Ya! will you stop it now” Sia squealed awkwardly at Naina and buried her face in between her palms.

Naina tried to pull her hands away to see her hidden face. Sia slowly folded down her fingers to reveal her heated face. And then Naina threw her last bait to extend the torture.

“You will be like, Oppa I used to dream about you every night while I was away, I cannot hold it any longer, please take me” Naina acted out in an extremely obscene way.

Sia’s mouth dropped open at that unexpected bawdy behaviour and then she narrowed her eyes in vengeance “ Naina! you are dead meat…I,,”.

Without finishing her statement she sprang up in an attempt to hit Naina with the pillow. Naina however moved swiftly off the bed to escape the blow and started laughing hysterically amused by Sia’s reaction. At that, Sia went after Naina and chased her around the room, throwing whatever she got within her reach and turning the already messy room into an inhabitable dumping ground. After sometime, the girls collapsed in the couch exhausted from the running around. They scanned the disastrous condition of the room and burst into a fit of laughter.

“Babes,,,, we have,,, to write the test in two days and see our condition, I have to go through all the tutorials,,,” Naina said panting heavily holding her stomach which was aching from the laughter.

“ Yeah right,,,,we should be studying now” Sia replied recovering from the wave of laughter as the reality dawned upon her “lets clean the room quickly and get back to the reading” She dragged Naina out of the couch to start cleaning.

“Where are you guys going for your honeymoon” Naina asked lazily picking up the clutter from the floor.

“We haven’t decided on any place yet. I want to see the snow but oppa is more into safari and wild adventures and so we are kind of dicey between South Africa or Europe” Sia said organising her closet.

“By the way, have you decided what you are gonna do for the two weeks alone in Korea while I will be away for my honeymoon,,,” Sia asked curiously “I feel really bad to leave you alone in Korea for two weeks” her voice sad this time.

Naina noticed concern emerging in her friends’s eyes. She went up to her and held her hands tightly and they settled on the side of the bed.

“The whole reason of us going to Korea is your wedding…Umm,, We are going to spend the next two months shopping, preparing and doing all the fun stuffs best friends do before their wedding. So a hiatus of two weeks is not going to bother me. I should at least give you love birds some time off,,,” Naina comforted Sia “,,,And,, I also needed sometime to my self,,,” Naina concluded with a vision looking down

Sia noticed the change in Naina’s expression. She captured Naina’s thought instantly

“Yes I know,,,, you mentioned you wanted to visit your birthplace”

Sia held Naina by her shoulder

“Yes,,, so I have made my mind to visit Busan and do some self-discovery” Naina left a sigh.

Naina was born to Korean parents who abandoned her at an orphanage in Korea from where she was adopted at a tender age of 8 months by an Indian couple and was brought to Australia. Naina’s parents told her the story of her journey from Korea to Australia when she turned 16 and how she got her Indian name. That explained a lot of her questions from childhood that why does she looks different to her parents. In order to give her proper parenting, Mr and Mrs Dewan never had a baby. Naina means the world to them and so is for her. Ever since then, Naina wanted to visit Korean and she had made several attempts to pick this up with her family. Sia’s wedding in Seoul came as the perfect opportunity for Naina. However it took hours of serious discussion at the Dewan household to convince her parents. Initially Mrs Dewan did not approve but later on gave in just to see her daughter smiling. She was petrified by the fact that Naina is going away for the first time that too for the whole summer vacation of three months. She always had this fear in her heart that one day Naina will question her identity and might as well go in search of her biological parents and that day she will not be able to stop her. She has to let her go. Naina promised her mother that she is going just to pay a visit to the land of her origin and that she will come back to where she belongs, her home in Melbourne, to her mother.

“I hope visiting your birthplace will make you fulfilled” Sia assured.

“Yes even I hope so.” Naina replied with confidence.

“I wish you find your soul mate in Korea. You never know this trip might actually turn into your destiny” Sia chirped clasping her palms.

“What rubbish! Don’t you forget I am already in a relationship with Steve” Naina shoved the cloth she was folding onto Sia’s face.

“RELATIONSHIP ,,,Naina seriously?” mocked Sia “I cannot stand the sight of that guy. What do you see in him? Looks like a thug,,, and he doesn’t even care about you” Sia enquired in disbelief.

“I am in love with Steve” Naina replied sternly.

“That’s not love, that is just a infactuation” Sia kept a stand.

Naina realised it is a pointless discussion heading to nowhere. She shook her head and stood up to leave when Sia stopped her by holding her hand.

“Ok, so tell me ,,,,Do you feel butterflies in your stomach when you think of Steve? Do you feel uneasy and restless if you don’t see him for a day?” Sia’s eyes desperate from an answer.

“Unbelievable Sia!! Why will I feel that way?” Naina answered letting out a mocking laugh “I know I love him because we are compatible and out tastes are same and we are good for each other in the long run. If this is not love, I don’t know what it is” Saying that Naina gently pulled her hand out of Sia’s hold and turned back to continue cleaning.

“Love cannot be defined in words Naina” Sia’s voice halted Naina. Sia went up to her friend and cupped her face lovingly.

“You will have to fall in it to know what is it. It is a wonderful blende of so many emotions that are unknown to you now. It’s a ride,,, a beautiful journey that you embark on together with him,, your soul mate,, He will enter your world without knocking, his presence will bring you immense happiness, will make your heart beat louder than you have ever known, his proximity will make you go weak on your knees, nothing in the world could make you more happy but a small glimpse of him, unknowingly he will become the most prized possession of your life and slowly even before you realise living without him will seem impossible, and the day this happens with you, you will know you are in love my dear” saying that Sia gave an affectionate smile.

Naina was left speechless. It took her a good minute to speak up.

“Very funny Sia, That’s never gonna happen” She mocked trying desperately to hide the fact that Sia’s words arose a curiosity in her.

“We will see” Sia replied coolly.

Sia’s phone started ringing. She pulled out the brand new iphone from her pocket and gave a broad smile seeing the name flashing.

“Yeoboseo Oppa” she answered the call exuberantly. “eotteoke jinaes,,,,,,”

Sia continued with her call without noticing that her friend has zoned out.

Naina slowly walked towards the balcony lost in her thoughts. She held the railings and looked up in the sky. The night breeze swept across her face and she hoped the cool wind would also calm her racing heart. Those words still echoed in her ears and pierced deep through her subliminal self and awakened a feeling that was unknown to her and unwantedly she kept pondering over what those feelings meant. Momentarily it seemed surreal and deep inside she felt an undefined attraction to believe in all that Sia said. 

Is something like this even possible?

Could someone be out there waiting for me to fall in love with?

“Naina what are doing here, it cold outside” Sia jerked her out of her oblivion.

“Yes, lets go inside” Naina confirmed

The girls walked back into the room

“Done with your daily goodnight honey stuffs?” Naina imitated Sia

“What?, that was my oppa” Sia blurted out shockingly and smacked Naina on her forehead

“That’s what I am saying,, your daily routine of goodnight kisses to Gong min oppa” stated Naina kind of confused with Sia’s reply

“Gosh Naina! it was my brother on the phone, Hyun Joong Oppa” Sia frustrated this time

“Ooops Hyun Joong,,,, sorry ,,,” Naina smiled sheepishly realising her mistake and stuck her tongue out.

After some more minutes of mucking around, the girls got back to the reading. The rest of the night was uneventful as they had a lot of reading to cover.