FF - The Promise - Thread I - Chapter 1 to 68 - Page 89

Chapter 63

As she watched Akash walking towards his tent, giving her space without a second thought, she grew restless. She looked on and wondered about what she should do? Before she could even think any further, she found herself walking towards Akash's tent. She hesitated as she reached his tent, then took a deep breath and got in. Akash just took a look at her as she entered and without a word, got her sleeping arrangements in place.

Akash lay in the dark, silently staring at the ceiling of the tent as he listened to Abby shifting restlessly beside him. Their sleeping bags were zipped together, they were sharing the space, but she had quickly migrated to her own side as soon as he had killed the light. She hadn't said anything, but her distance was speaking loud and clear.


"You gonna tell me why you're suddenly as far away as you can get from me?"


Abby could hear the confused tone in his voice, but it was laced with irritation and she knew he wasn't going to let it rest.
Abby sighed. "I don't know, Akash."


He sighed. "Is it because of all the marriage talk? Look, you're not gonna hurt my feelings if you don't wanna run out and get married right away and I'd like to think you know me well enough to know that I'm not gonna push you into something like that."


"I know you wouldn't do that, Akash." She had no reason to think that he would react like a jackass or anything.


"Then why're you all the way over there?"


"It's not that I have any doubts about YOU, Akash."


"Explain it to me then... I like to think I'm all evolved and shit, but if you know I'm not gonna pressure you into a commitment you're not ready for and you're not doubting me... then... help me out here, Abby."


"I'm not sure I can really do this, Akash. A steady relationship... just one guy... and then with you. I have never done this before."


Akash fumbled in the dark for the lantern and flipped the little power button on the side, providing a little bit of illumination. "Abby, look at me here, darling." He stared into her eyes for a few seconds. "You think this doesn't terrify me? Because it does. Hell, I know what we're risking if it doesn't work out. I'm willing to take that risk, but if you're having second thoughts just do me a favour and stop this before my heart tips over that last ledge because if you hang around and I fall completely in love with you... I'm not gonna be able to put my feelings on a shelf and go back." Honestly, he didn't know if he could go back now, but better now than later.


"I don't know what to do right now, Akash." She glanced away from him. "I just don't know."


Akash bit his lip and nodded. Abby had avoided serious relationships and he knew what he was asking of her, but he had to face the fact that she might not be able to settle into a relationship with him. "I know this isn't easy for you, so, maybe you should just take some time and figure it out."


She nodded slightly and turned her back to him.


"C'mon, Abby, talk to me. Relationship or not, we are first and foremost friends and we should be able to talk to each other. The fact that we can talk just makes us stronger."


"I don't know what to say to you, Akash." And it was the truth. There was nothing she could say that would really help them in any way right now.


She had a tendency to keep her thoughts and feelings close when she was trying to figure something out, but even then she wanted to be able to talk to him about things.


Abby continued to stare in the opposite direction and hoped he would just switch off the light.


Akash turned the light off again and lay down on his back, resuming his previous perusal of the ceiling of the tent. After a few moments he shifted restlessly and contemplated reaching over and pulling her into his arms. Would she be receptive to that? Or would it just piss her off?


Abby tugged the sleeping bag closer around her body and up to her nose when she could feel the cold creeping in every little space.


"Ya know, even if you can't talk to me you don't have to sleep all the way over there," he said, deciding that it would be better if he let her make her own mind up.


She rolled over a little bit to face him. "I just don't want to hurt you... or disappoint you."


"I know the whole marriage talk is part of this confusion. Don't put that kinda pressure on yourself, Abby." He shook his head at her. "Yeah, if you back outta this it's gonna hurt and I'm gonna be disappointed, but I'll deal with it." He had no idea how, but he'd have to find a way. "But you can't control stuff like that and I don't want you to hold back because of it." He reached for her hand and tugged her closer. "Now c'mere and get comfortable."


She let him pull her in his arms. "Let's just sleep, okay?" she begged and rested her head on his chest, enjoying the warmth that was coming for his body.


"That's all I had in mind, you crazy, difficult woman." He snorted softly.


*****


Adam was warming his hands over the fire that Akash had built while wondering about the rest of the group. He glanced over at Akash when he joined them after taking off on his own for a few minutes. "Everything okay?" he asked when he noticed the other man's expression. Akash was normally a morning person but today he was sporting a I-hate-mornings look, which was his trademark.


"Huh? Yeah, yeah, everything's fine." Just hit a slight snag with Abby, he said silently.


"Where's your shadow?"


"Dragging her ass this morning. She was up late... thinking."

And on cue she stepped out of the tent yawning. She looked like a mess, having not slept well last night.


"Adam, have you seen Madhu this morning?" Abby asked as she finally settled down on one of the camp stools and rummaged through the meal packets.


"Huh-uh."


"Go wake her up, would you? We need to get ready."


Akash rolled his eyes. "Adam is not your messenger boy, babe."


Abby threw the package at him. "Biscuits and gravy this morning, Akash. And don't burn them this time."


Adam just rolled his eyes at them. "If you wanna see Madhu go get her up yourself."

Akash sat down and pulled a couple of packages out of his pack too. "Get your shapely ass in gear, Abby!" he hollered. "Breakfast'll be ready in 15 minutes."


Adam leaned back and waited for the predictable response. Abby wasn't a morning person either, but she was normally much more pleasant than Akash was.


Abby was walking towards the tents. "f**k off, Akash." She turned back to say and at the last minute she winked at him, to let him know that things were okay between them, as good as they could be for now.


Akash grinned and started getting the meals ready. "It's gonna be a good day, Adam, I can feel it."


Adam shook his head. "Only you would think getting cussed at first thing in the morning signals a good day ahead."


"Hey, you guys? Madhu's not in our..." Abby trailed off when the entrance to last occupied tent was suddenly opened and Madhu stepped out, yawning and stretching. "Madhubala Malik, what are you doing over there?" She said out aloud.


"Um..."


Rishab crawled out and got to his feet, giving Madhu a shove as he hurried past her. "Back in a minute," he mumbled. "Gotta piss." Damn, they had stayed awake way too long the night before.


"So... Madhu... shacking up with Rishab," Abby said, smiling. "What's going on? I thought you were supposed to sleep in our tent last night."


"Well..." she tried, still too tired to think straight.


Akash picked up on Abby's teasing stance and decided to play along with it. "Um... Madhu...", he said waggling his eyebrows at her.


But Abby was just so happy to see Madhu blush and by the look on her face realised that they were finally going official with it. Suddenly she ran towards Madhu and threw her arms around her friend and hugged her. "Yay, you guys are going official?" she asked, sounding surprisingly awake.


Madhu rolled her eyes at Abby. "Very subtle, girl."


"I need normal, Madhu," she whispered.


"Something wrong with you and Akash?" Madhu asked when she sensed her friend's weird mood.


"I'm not sure... we kinda had a little thing last night." she whispered.


"Think we can talk about it a little later when everyone isn't staring at us?"


Abby slowly turned around, smiling when she realized that Madhu was right and everyone was staring at them. Oops. "Oh, um..." She pointed at Rishab when he came back into camp. "The most eligible bachelor in Mumbai has been napped up by the most beautiful girl in the world!"


Madhu rolled her eyes. "Shut up, girl."


Abby turned to look at her. "It's true."


Madhu glanced over her shoulder when Rishab joined them again and she smiled slightly, totally forgetting about Abby.


Rishab looked around camp, taking in the expressions of the others in the wake of Abby's unsubtle announcement. Delighted, elated even, but nothing negative.


"We'll talk later, okay?" Madhu told Abby.


"You are sooo with him now!" Abby whispered. "You know we like him and we all can see the difference in you both. It's a good difference, Madhu."


"Why don't you just shut up and sit down, huh?" Madhu asked sweetly.


Abby cleared her throat and nodded, backing away slowly. "Shutting up now."


Rishab laughed at the exchange and released her hand to grab his pack and dig a couple of packages out. "Breakfast time. We'll need to get started pretty soon so..."


"You gonna prepare mine too?" She wiggled her eyebrows.


He held up both packages and then motioned to the others.


"Okay," Akash clapped his hands together, "let's get breakfast underway and get climbing! It's summit day, people!"