"Now who will carry this beautiful young lady across the fiery path?"
Silence..
Silence..
and more silence..
I stood there stunned, and was almost about to run over to the girls, when someone said:
"I will."
I looked up in surprise; the wind blowing on my face.
A handsome young man made up his way up to me. He was smiling kindly as he offered me his hand.
I made no move.
"Ah," he said, a little embarrassed.
He picked me up and turned towards the path. "Shall we begin?" he asked, enthusiastically. Everyone cheered him on.
"Let me down," I said, between gritted teeth.
"Don't worry, I am good at these kind of things," he assured me, politely as he made his way over.
He lifted his bare foot- I closed my eyes tight. I think the guy was trembling a bit. "You can do this," he assured himself.
Finally, I began moving, moving. As I opened my eyes slowly, I saw the guy flinch in pain. He took two steps when he began shaking. "Argghhh.." he yelled. "The heat is too much!!" His grip on me was loosening, and I feared for my life.
"Hold on tight!" he yelled at me. Of course, I was! It was he who wasn't!
"Idiots," I yelled over to the girls. "Come save mee!!"
Finally, with the help of a few people I was managed to be saved. The guy however was lying on the ground, his face sweaty.
I fanned myself with my scarf, and looked over to the girls. "We should help him na.."
I saw the girls glance at each other... "H-haan!" Tani said, finally.
"Maya, help me take Pre- I mean this person to the car."
Maya nodded and immediately rushed to his aid.
"You guys know him?" I asked them in surprise..
Paakhi came over and whispered to me: "It's Prem. You know.. Raghav's employee.."
"No wonder I felt like I knew him," Kalpi said, indifferently. "Erm, let's go and help him I guess.."
...
Maya poured the whole bottle of water on Prem's face. "Wake up, hero!" she yelled at him, angrily. "Badda aya tu, Kalpi ko uthaane waala!"
"Yaar.." Prem moaned in pain. "Water.."
Maya took a glass of water and brought it to his lips. "Here.. drink."
"Thanks," Prem said, breathlessly.
Everyone watched as Prem got settled before asking him anything.
Maya began talking; "What are you doing here?" she asked bossily.
"Oh.."
"I thought that..."
"You think you're a hero?!" Maya said, not waiting for him to answer the previous question.
"Well, that thing was 300 something degrees, of course-" Prem retorted, trying to defend himself.
"Kalpi, you alright?" he asked, sound a little guilty.
"yeah," I said, "it's okay, you don't stress yourself."
"thanks," Prem said, sounding happier.
"Why are you here in Bhopal?" I asked him, curiously.
"Oh.. business meetings, boss sent me here."
Kalpana nodded. "Oh..kay.."
"Well.." Tani said. "You take rest, I guess. We will take care of anything you might need.."
"Great! Means I have a place to stay.. during my visit here.."
"What-n-" Maya began but Tani interrupted her. "Guests are always welcome," she said, firmly nodding her head.
"take care."
Tani signalled for the girls to follow her out.
"mkay!" Prem said loudly, afterwards.
The rest of that evening, Prem kept yelping in pain and asking Maya for things. She grumpily did everything she was told.
When Tani confronted her (because Prem had complained), Maya exclaimed, "But he's an idiot!"
...
The next morning, I was brushing my hair when my phone started ringing. Baba'
"Hello, Baba?"
"Hello, Kalpu beta, keisi hai tu?" ("hello Kalpu child, how are you?")
"Achi hoon," Kalpi told him..
"How's Pakhya?"
"All good," Vitthal replied, in english.
"That's great Baba," Kalpi said, smiling to herself. "Look, mein aapse baad mein baat karti hun," (Look, I'll talk to you later)
"Okay beta, bye," Vitthal replied.
Kalpi looked into the mirror at herself. There's a lot of things she had wanted to ask him over the past few weeks. How did Ai look? Did anyone ever come asking about me?
Even when we talked on Skype, I'd speak very little. Even talking to my family, felt like I was going too much into the past. And that is what makes me uncomfortable.
...
That day, Prem told us that he wanted to explore the place Bhopal and that he wanted us to show him around.
"Kalpi, will you?" he asked her.
"She doesn't drive," Tani said.
Maya ignores her.
"Chalo.. Kalpi you must try riding the car," Maya says, and Prem nodded in agreement.
Kalpi hesitates. "But I don't have a license!"
"Who cares.. we can tell you, right Maya?" Prem says.
Maya rolls her eyes at him but agrees non the less.
"Yeah.."
"I don't think this is a good idea.." Tani intervenes.
"Chup," Maya scolds her. "And Kalpi, you can get a license later and besides who is gonna know that you don't have one?"
"Fine.." Kalpi said, reluctantly. They bid Tani a bye and Maya, Prem, and Kalpi get into the car.
...
Kalpi presses on the race a little too hard and they zoom forward quickly.
"Don't press too hard!" Maya tells her.
Prem is moaning in the backseat. "Ow, my feet hurt.."
"If you don't shut up, you'll have a black eye," Maya said, as she turns around to face him.
Kalpi passes a red light... "Sorry, sorry," she stutters, as she presses on the breaks.
Once she even was about to crash into a bus, thankfully she pressed on the brakes in time.
"I don't wanna die today.." Prem mumbled from behind.
Maya squeezed Kalpi's shoulder.
"You're doing good; just a little more practice will make you perfect!"
Kalpi gave her a falsely hearty smile. "Thanks Maya," she says through gritted teeth. "But I really think you should drive now.."
And so, Kalpi pulls the car over to the side of the street and they get out to exchange seats.
I see a sign for a sweet shop nearby and can't help it. "Maya, please wait here, okay?"
I jog across the street and I am so obsessed with sweet stuff that I didn't realize a car headed my way.
My eyes widen in shock, but before I realize it someone grabs my hand and pulls me out of the way.
I am panting into his chest and manage to mumble a thanks.
"Be careful! I thought blind people had extra senses!" He yelled at me, as I stood there.
"I'm not- you..
do I know you?!"
The guy fails to meet my eyes.. "no! You're welcome I saved your life. Should I help you get somewhere?"
"Hold on.." I said. "I think I know you!"
"Sam..no Rag-
The guy was gone when I had finished thinking..
"My bad," I mumbled.."why would Raghav be here?"
...
I return later from the bakery shop with a jar of chocolate chip cookies. Maya eyes me while driving.."You're addicted to those."
I grab another cookie. "Mmm," I say, to confirm it.
"Give me one at least!" Prem said enviously.
I threw him a small one.
Prem tried to protest buy Maya shut him up. "Be thankful you get at least that much..she never shares with us."
"But sharing is caring" he told me. "Not when it comes to chocolate chip cookies," I told him between bites.
Maya changed the topic.
"Let's visit the beach first!" Maya announces, eagerly.
...
They all take a seat on the sand, and Maya/Prem start arguing at once. Prem accused Maya of hitting him on the face, while Maya says she was only giving him a high five.
I shake my head, smiling at the duo and I set off for the waters.
I thought I saw someone follow me, but--
Someone just pulls me away and I see it is the same guy.
"You?!"
Udne Ki Aasha
