Esha's POV
"Hame koi takleef nahi hogi, agar aap hamare saath ayegi toh hum dono ko accha lagega. We insist." He said. Our eyes met, and a soft, unspoken plea hung in the air that connected our gazes.
("We won't suffer, if you come with us, then we will feel good. We insist.")
"Theek hain" I finally relented.
("Ok")
Our journey began. The car was a vault of silence, a quiet broken only when Meera Aunty, a self-proclaimed fan of old Bollywood tunes, put on some music, especially Kishore Kumar.
Ek ladki bhigi bhagi si
Soti raaton mein jaagi si
Mili ik ajnabi se
Koyi aage na peechhe
Tum hi kaho ye koyi baat hai,
Hmm...
Dil hi dil mein chali jaati hain
Bighdi bighdi chali aati hain
Doondh laut ti huwi balka ti huwi
Saawan ke suni raaton mein
The song was a sudden jolt of déjà vu. My eyes drifted to the rear-view mirror, drawn to the man who was part of this moment. I couldn't tear my eyes away. After a good stare, his eyes met mine in the mirror. For two seconds, our gazes locked before he quickly looked back at the road. The ride again felt silent. Meera Aunty broke the silence.
"Yeh gana accha hai, hain na?"
("This song is good, isn't it?")
"Ha," Aakash and I responded in unison. Again, the ride went silent.
"Aakash, tu uss shop ke samne rukayega. Parso Krishna Janmashtami hai. Puja ke liye puch samaan lena hain," Meera Aunty asked, pointing towards a Puja shop.
("Akash, you stop in front of that shop. The day after tomorrow is Krishna Janmashtami. I have to buy some things for the puja.")
He pulled over, and she got out, leaving us alone in the car. The silence became almost unbearable. My phone's ring broke the silence. When I grabbed my phone and checked, it was my father. I picked up his call.
"Ji, Papa" I answered
("Yes, Papa")
"Haa, mein theek hu" I replied, my voice a little too slow in the stillness.
("Yes, I am good")
"Mein thodi der mein aa jaungi."
("I will be there in some time.")
"Bye"
I ended the call and felt his eyes on me. I looked up, and our gazes met once more, a brief flash of something I couldn't name before we both looked away.
"Umm... did your car break down again?" Aakash asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper, to which I just hummed.
"Is it due to rain?" Again, I just hummed as I was unable to form words. Again, the silence returned more awkward than before.
It was a relief when Meera Aunty returned seven minutes later and settled into the passenger seat.
When we arrived at my house, I got out of the car and turned to them.
"Thank you, aunty, and I am so sorry ki aaj aap log late ho gaye."
("Thank you, aunty, and I am so sorry that you guys are late today.")
"No, I am happy that you agreed to come with us."
"Thank you!" I said, looking at him. He offered a small smile in return.
"Mumma, mein ghar aagayi." I announced, keeping my bag aside and sitting on the couch.
("Mumma, I am home.")
"Tired?" My father, Ramesh, looked up from the TV. I nodded slightly.
"Tu cab se aayi kya?"
("Did you come by cab?")
"Nahi, mein ne bola tha na ki bua ke ek friend ne dance classes join kiya tha. Unhone.....I mean unke bete ne choda." I explained that the words feeling clumsy.
("No, I told you that one of Bua's friends had joined dance classes. She... I mean, her son had dropped me.")
"Accha. Jaa jaldi se fresh hokar aaja. Dinner ready hai."
("Ok. Go and freshen up. Dinner is ready.")
I went through my usual evening routine, and when I came downstairs, everyone was already seated at the table, waiting for me.
"Lo aa gayi didi. Abhi shuru kar sakta hu na? Bohot bhook lag rahi hai.." Abhinav said when his eyes went to Esha, who was pulling her chair.
("Look, here comes Didi. Can I start now? I am feeling very hungry.")
"Hoo, tu mere liye thodi der ruk bhi nahi sakta?" Esha said, playing along with her brother.
("Can't you wait for me even for a little while?")
"Toh ab tak kya kar raha tha mein. Waise bhi mein toh ruk jaunga tere liye but mere jo pet mein chuhe daud rahe hain woh toh pakka nahi rukenge."
("So, what was I doing till now? Anyway, I will stop for you, but the rats running in my stomach will not stop for sure.")
He quipped, and everyone laughed. We had dinner and sat down to have a small talk before departing for our respective rooms.
I fell onto my bed, grabbed my phone, and opened Instagram as I didn't use that app for a while. After a quick scroll, a thought came to me. I went to the search bar and typed in "Aakash."
Two accounts down, I found it. Aakash.Raichand. The account was private, but Meera Aunty was a mutual follower. I hovered over the "Follow" button, caught in a wave of hesitation. My finger moved on its own, sending the request. I panicked, quickly unfollowing him and throwing my phone on the bed due to embarrassment.
A notification popped 15 seconds later: "Aakash.Raichand has requested to follow you." He had seen it. I accepted his request and followed him back. He quickly followed me in return. I scrolled through his profile. It was simple, no bio, mostly work-related photos with a few casual ones mixed in. He seemed like a man dedicated to his work. After going through all his posts, I put my phone aside and fell into a deep sleep.
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Aakash's POV
She got out of the car, and a sudden restlessness came over me. She was the only girl who had ever truly captivated my mind.
After she got inside her house, we left and headed home.
"Maa, app shop par toh gayi thi par kuch bhi nahi liya aapne?" I asked.
("Mom, you went to the shop, but you didn't buy anything?")
"Chod, tu nahi samjhega" she said with a smile on her face.
("Leave it, you won't understand")
"Aakash, I have noticed that when I am not looking at you, you have been found staring at Esha. Now, don't lie about it because I have been observing you since yesterday. Your eyes were fixed on her, and you seemed least interested in the conversation we were having." she said.
"Good observation skills, I must say." I conceded.
"Toh bol phir kya baat hai?" she insisted.
("Then tell what's the matter? ")
"I will be honest, jab se mein ne use dekha hai tab se she is on my mind. Mujhe nahi pata kya ho raha hai, par itna toh malum hai kuch ho raha hain."
("I will be honest, she has been on my mind ever since I saw her. I don't know what is happening, but I know something is happening.")
"I think I like her," I confessed, pouring my heart out.
"Accha toh ye baat hai, tabhi mein sochu ki tu uske hone par itna chup kyu ho jata hain." She said with a smile on her face. She didn't ask more questions.
("So that's the matter, then I wonder why you become so quiet when she is around.")
We arrived home, freshened up, and had dinner. Afterward, I went to my room and opened the window, enjoying the post-rain breeze. The rain had stopped about fifteen minutes ago.
Just then, my phone chimed with an Instagram notification: "Esha_Mishra has requested to follow you." A small smile spread across my face. I opened the app, but the notification was gone.
I searched for her username, and there it was. She was the first result. Maa was a mutual friend—that's how she must have found me. I sent her a follow request, and it was accepted in no time. I went through her profile. She seemed so simple, with a bio that said she sketched. Interesting. Most of her photos were of her in traditional outfits. I scrolled through all of them before putting my phone aside and slipping into a deep slumber.
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Hey Folks!!
Sorry for the short chapter..
Hayee, their profiles are shared, but they seem to be awkward to start a conversation. If they do, how would it be? For that, stay tuned!!
Hope you like this chapter. If yes, please like the chapter and comment on your favourite part.
Thanks for reading ❤️..