They had been driving a while now. Neither spoke...neither looked at the other...the weather outside had grown quiet too...what had been a windy evening was now a stuffed, suffocating stillness...quite like their past day had been..
Ever since he had vented out at her for the umpteenth time in their lives and for once her patience had broken and she had slapped him..hard..with all the love inside of her, with all the frustration and helplessness she felt whenever he transformed from the loving, sensitive , emotional man she loved into that reckless, out of control, depressed mess...she had slapped him with all her rights on him as a wife, as a partner to his pain, as a lover who wanted to share his pain...as a lover who wanted him to share a part of himself with her...as a lover who wanted him...heart and soul...yup just him...
Was she wrong? ..did she cross a line in showing her ownership on him in this manner she wondered. .for the first time in an hour or so...stealing a glance at him...
He was focussed on the road..his brows knitted together in concentration, his jaw set in what was almost a scowl...her angry Ravan Kumar ...she mused...and as if on cue the angry clouds in the sky rumbled, threatening to burst and pour...it's as if they read her mind too ...she thought...and chuckled inwardly...her hand dropping inadvertently to the side..and brushing against his left hand placed over the gear stick...
His knuckles touched her palm...and the contact and her deep intake of breath.made him turn ...looking straight into her eyes...
She steeled herself to face another onslaught of anger probably at her attempt to disturb his concentration or having no control on her hand ...or some other inane excuse...and almost made to look away..but then stopped...
His eyes. ..the eyes that were the centre of her small universe..those eyes that she claimed to know how to read..but mostly left her clueless...or worst still left her too enchanted to bother reading or deciphering... ...those eyes weren't angry. .they weren't mocking either..instead she saw a strange tenderness..a strange adoration. ..a strange 'love'...and a strange brewing passion...a raw intensity ..that sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine...making her hold her breath. .hard...
A sharp clap of thunder , and a streak of lightning brought her out of her reverie as he shifted his gaze back to the road. ...
'Looks like we are in for a big shower, the weather has been building a while ' ..he said. .breaking their long silence...
' Oh how I wish it does' , she replied, ' how I wish'..she sighed again...
And as if responding to her pleas. ..the heavens opened up and it poured ..a crazy , heavy downpour, drenching the roads and everything around ...
' Did you learn to predict the future too , madrasan?' ...he shot back..turning to her with a lopsided dimpled grin...
Her heart leapt up..'so the weather had really changed'..she mused...'kuch bhi', raavan kumar. .she smiled back.
...but his eyes didn't leave her face yet...her eyes..her lips..her smile..his gaze ran over them all...as if caressing her..
She turned..feeling his gaze. ..he looked away..shaking his head ...and suddenly the car jerked to a stop...
'What happened Raman?', why did we stop..?
'You are the one who can predict things madrasan, not me..i will have to open the hood and see to know.'.he drawled. .a naughty smirk on his face..earning a glare from his JKR...
'Let me go check..you stay here...he said, opening the drivers side door and stepping out..
To be continued. ...
Cricket
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