Continued from the post above
To see Geet laughing and enjoying so much, I feel giddy with joy. I don't think I have ever seen her laugh and dance so freely. It makes me proud of myself to think I have somewhere been the reason for the glorious smile on her face. She laughs when I hold one of her hands and we try tap-dancing like the rest of the couples, but instead bumping into each other, she laughs when we actually manage a move as we clap our hands in sync to the music, and I laugh with her. All through this dancing, the only moment I don't appreciate is when the partners are changed, with her going to dance with the man on my right and a woman from the left coming to dance with me. She is oblivious to the wanton eyes of the men around her and the effects her mirthful laughter has on the male breed present around the room - at least the young ones, and I keep my eyes on her as she circles the room, dancing with four different partners before coming back to me. I get solace from the fact that none of the dance moves require the partners to touch each other, just a little feet-tapping and clapping before twirling to the next partner.
As the music ends, the whole crowd erupts into applause and the announcer requests everyone to find themselves a seat for the next game to begin. I hold Geet's hand and take her to the seats as she exclaims how much fun it was to dance like this. When the crowd settles, the announcer starts explaining the next game as I pull my phone out after feeling it vibrate.
Did you do it yet?
I roll my eyes at Ayush's message and send him a pissed off emoticon, clearly letting him know my opinion about his nose-poking, not that the emoticon will make any difference to him. I pay attention to the announcer laying out rules of the next game. It isn't a game but it's just a 'speak the truth' round. It requires each partner to speak out what is in their heart regarding the other one; one thing that they like and one that they dislike. The announcer prompts the first couple and the round begins with people telling their what they like and dislike about their partners, women pout when their men tell what they don't like but smile brightly when the plus point is revealed. The crowd hoots and claps when the couples hug or gaze at each other lovingly.
When our turn comes, I take the lead and decide to say it first because I can feel Geet's unease. 'Well, I can't really say I dislike anything about her.' The crowd hoots, making me pause and the announcer insists there must be at least one thing. 'I think her seclusiveness, her tendency to seclude herself from everyone.' Sounds of 'aww' erupt but I hold a finger up. 'I might add, though, that this is exactly the one thing I like about her too. I love her ability to stand out and a class apart from all the other people she is surrounded with.' Applause breaks out in the room with teasing hoots as I observe Geet's reddening cheeks and lowered eyes. I nudge her to speak as everyone is waiting. She raises her eyes, gazing at no one in particular as she seems to be thinking. I know this is a once in a blue moon chance to listen to her speak so openly about what she likes and dislikes about me so I wait with bated breath.
When she doesn't say anything for a few moments, the announcer jokes that she need not be afraid of her boyfriend, that is, me. She smiles a little before speaking. 'Every person has goods and bads in them, and that is a fact. If there is anything at all in Maan which I don't like - and trust me, there isn't anything - I won't say it aloud for him to know and try to change. I like him just the way he is.' There is silence around for a moment as I feel a tingling sensation run through my whole body. Even as the announcer exclaims she has given a diplomatic answer, the crowd claps and I still can not believe my ears to have heard that from Geet. As the announcer silences the crowd, he turns to Geet and tells her to at least say one thing she likes about me. 'He is a very caring person. The way he keeps in mind every little thing that would make his loved ones comfortable, it is absolutely endearing.' I look at Geet to find her looking at me with soft hazels, a slight smile on her lips. The clapping of the crowd pulls us out of the little moment and we listen as the round continues with the next couple till it ends with the last one. All through this time, I cannot keep the grin off my face, which is due to what I have heard about myself - and more importantly, from the one person who is very special to me - rather than listening to the other couples.
The next and the last activity for the couples is announced. Somewhat similar to the previous round, this one requires us to talk but the talking here consists of answering one question asked to you about your partner. If the answers of both partners are correct then the reward is for them to dance, the condition being that the dance has to be either a romantic one or a passionate one. The guys cheer when this is announced and I hear Geet gasp which makes me grin. If either of the partners give an incorrect answer, they will be required to sing a song to their partner. 'I can't sing.' Geet whispers to me. 'But you can dance, right?' She looks at me with wide eyes. 'But the kind of dance that... that... they... I... you...' She stutters while I simply look at her, pretending everything is normal. 'But we are not a couple!' She finally manages but I have my answer ready. 'We are. For these people sitting here, at least. If we refuse to dance, they're going to be doubtful and you certainly don't want to be kicked out of here since this place is only for couples. That would be embarrassing.' I use the trump card which makes her argument weak. She sighs so I try to cheer her up the other way. 'What? Not up to the challenge of dancing, are we? Scared, right?' She looks at me with a gleam in her eyes. 'I'm up for it! Definitely not scared!' I grin and hear her speak in a laughing voice. 'Good try, Maan!' I wink slightly. 'It worked.'
Before beginning the game, the men and women are asked to sit on the opposite ends of the hall. If the answers are correct, the couple will dance in the centre and if they're incorrect, they will have to sing loud enough for their voice to reach across the room from the place they are sitting at. As I sit across the room, I notice Geet smiling slightly at something the young woman sitting beside her says. The game starts, couples are questioned and we get to see a few romantic dance performances as well as some offbeat singing which make us laugh. Some even sing romantic songs, making their partners happy. The announcer turns to me with a question. 'A fictional character she loves and why?' I know the answer. 'Mr. Darcy, from the book Pride and Prejudice. It is his imperfections amidst his perfections that she loves.' He turns to confirm it from Geet and she nods with a wide smile. He asks a question from her too. 'His favourite sports car?' My breath stops. She doesn't know it! Damn! Her voice is unsure when she answers the question. 'Ferrari.' The announcer turns to confirm it from me and I nod. I haven't ever told her about it.
-------------------------------------I let out a relieved breath when Maan confirms my answer to be correct. The announcer tells us both it is time for us to dance so Maan gets up from his place and walks slowly towards me as I keep standing in my place even as hoots and cheers fill the air. I try to appear confident but the cheers surrounding us and Maan's gait combined with the small smile on his lips make it increasingly difficult. He holds his hand out for me and I put mine in it, the anticipation of the oncoming dance making my heartbeat faster. He leads me to the centre of the floor as he asks in a whisper how I knew about the car. I tell him I saw a poster in his room the one time I entered it months back. He comments that the car was actually a Porsche. I look at him surprised.
'But you just said Ferrari was correct.' He smiles a little and I look at him suspiciously.
'So you lied about Ferrari being the correct one.' He grins unashamed and I can't help smiling back as we stand face to face in the centre.
'Did you do it to get the dance or did you want to save me from singing?' He winks slightly just as the song begins playing in the background.
'Both.' I recognise the song to be one of the romantically passionate songs played for couples in love. My nervousness appears again and Maan notices it.
'Geet, don't think about the song and don't think you're dancing in front of these people. Just look here. Look in my eyes and follow my lead.' I oblige and look into his eyes, the reassurance mixed with the intensity in them hold my gaze.
-------------------------------------With her in my arms, I feel like a part of my dream has come true. The music requires us to dance in sync while being fully immersed in the feel of it so I tell Geet to look in my eyes and get encaged in the soft hazels which hold an indecipherable emotion in them. I begin with the dance and she completely follows my lead effortlessly as I move her around, spin her away and pull her back to slam into me. A little whirl, a twist, a dip, is all it takes for me to lose track of where we are as I bring her closer and lift her from the waist, turning a full circle with her in my arms, a move which is reminiscent of our first dance together. As I slowly bring her down, her eyes still locked with mine, the music fades and loud claps bring us back to the present, both of us breathing heavily as her cheeks turn bright and we both turn to look at our audience applauding for us. I don't remove my hand from her waist for the time that we stand in the centre before we are pulled apart for the rest of the game to continue. With adrenaline still coursing through my veins and my hands still itching to hold her to myself, I watch the rest of the game.
The crowd disperses almost by four in the evening, which is two hours from the time we joined it. Geet and I walk out of the hall hand-in-hand, being perfectly at ease and not bringing the topic of our dance into conversation. She has reverted back to her excited self, waving to the other young woman who was in there with us, talking to me about how much fun it was to do all that stuff. I agree with her as we walk towards the exit and she looks around. As we step out, she turns to me.
'Back home now?' I look at her with a lopsided smile, shaking my head at the same time.
'Don't you remember what you agreed to when we decided on a date?' Her bewildered face tells me she doesn't exactly remember so I remind.
'I had asked you out for a "dinner" date and all the activities apart from that are moments I stole from your time.' I wink at her as she just looks at me, blinking rapidly.
'You mean all this wasn't...' She points behind her, indicating to the carnival we have just come out from.
'Oh it was a part of our date but we aren't done yet. Not before dinner, that is.' I grin and she looks at her watch, asking how we are going to spend time until dinner.
I tell her that we are going to walk through the town, exploring this place and generally passing time leisurely, before we will go for dinner. I ask her if she is tired and wants to rest for a while, sitting in the car or on the benches near the parking lot but she refuses, telling me she would like to begin the expedition right away. I grin at the enthusiasm in her voice and offer her my hand before turning our direction towards the town even as she asks about the car being left in the carnival's parking lot. The main area of the town is a measly ten-minutes distance on foot from where the carnival has been rooted and as we walk, she calls her sister and I call Mom, informing her we have just come out from the carnival and we are now heading towards the town before dinner.
-------------------------------------As we walk, our hands intertwined, we look around the small shops and the people bustling around the area. One relatively huge building for a town so small appears making us curious to know what it is. A few steps towards it lets us know it is a library which surprises both of us.
'I wouldn't have thought a town this small would have a public library.' I look at a young girl entering the glass doors.
'Well, neither would I. And it seems like it is actively used too.' I state as I notice a guy coming out of the building. I turn to Geet.
'Want to take a look inside?' She shrugs.
'Sure.' We enter the library and the first person to come into view is a middle-aged woman, dressed in neutral shades, framed glasses resting on her nose. She is sitting on a desk which reads "Librarian" so we both smile at her - which she doesn't return before turning her attention back to the registers lying open in front of her. Geet looks at me strangely at the librarian's not-so-welcoming response so I shrug and we head to the racks of books.
As we look through the limited number of racks, Geet keeps her comments going in whispers since silence has to be maintained. I stay close to hear what she says even as her eyes don't leave the books, her hands glazing over them.
'They have some classics, but they're not updated with the latest novels. Hmm... Books related to history and geography are in quite an abundance. Oh, look! They have some poetry too. Wordsworth!' She says that so happily as she pulls the hardcover book out into her hands that I can't help asking.
'You like Wordsworth?' She nods, looking through the index.
'He was one of the initiators of simpler poetry, you know.' I nod.
'I have read that. So you like poetry?' She smiles in answer as she opens the page to "Daffodils".
'Is it limited to reading or do you write poetry too?' She looks up at me and states matter-of-factly.
'I do write it sometimes. But it's only limited to the time when I get some inspirations.' Her eyes move back to the book and she turns the page to another poem.
'Inspirations like what?' Her eyes remain glued to the book as she answers casually.
'Like when I really saw yo-' She stops mid-word and pauses for a moment before altering her sentence.
'They're random. Nothing particular about them. So Maan, don't you like to read? As in novels or poetry or something like that?'I feel like she was going to say
'saw you' but she stopped herself before changing the topic. I wonder if it is something like that or if it's just my imagination, but whatever it is, I let it go and answer her.
'Not really. I do read sometimes but I would rather prefer doing math than read a story of how they hated each other at first, they couldn't even stand each other's sight and by the end of it, they couldn't stand not having the other in their line of sight!' I roll my eyes and she laughs quietly as she puts the book back in place and we head out after having spent a quarter of an hour in this library.
-------------------------------------As we walk down the path, looking at the small houses mingling with the shops, all of them having sloped rooftops, we talk about random things.
'You know Maan, I have always had a fancy for things related to the olden times. They have a unique grace about them. Like the furniture.' She looks at me.
'Antique furniture, or even modern day furniture with historic designs is just amazing. It has a certain class and a feeling of royalty in it. I don't get that feeling from the contemporary furniture and many other things.' I glance her way.
'But contemporary things are sleek and stylish. They aren't so bad too.' She nods.
'I know. It's not like I dislike contemporary-styled things, after all, the modern era has only made life easier than it was earlier. It's just that... Old things are much more elegant, whether it be the furniture, or any decorative pieces or the architecture with all the bows, arches and domes. It's like those things tell stories of their own.'I nod in agreement.
'True.' A moment of silence passes when we see a gift shop and I take her inside. The bells hanging on the door tinkle as we enter, making the only salesman inside aware of us and he looks up, smiling politely. We look around the shop, seeing the different handmade articles and colourful souvenirs of the place. Geet looks interestedly at some teddybears so I ask her in amusement if she likes them. She laughs at my tone.
'Not me, but Raya does. She has a whole collection of them.' I smile.
'I should've expected it.' She smiles too.
'She is a child at heart. And most of the times, in her actions too.' I laugh and tell her to get some teddy for Raya. She nods and picks one cute Winnie-the-pooh teddy which has a pot of honey in its hands. As we move to the counter to pay for it, I ask her if she wants something for herself too, but she refuses and pays for the stuffed toy. Just as the salesman packs it in a shopping bag, I take the receipt from him and ask him if he can keep the toy with him for some time. He agrees when I tell him that we are just taking a round of the place and will be back to pick it up.
-------------------------------------We continue walking down the main street with him holding my hand again, just generally talking about the weather and the street and the buildings and anything we can talk about. We come across a roadside stall where a few chains are hanging. Maan asks the man at the stall what kind of chains these are and he tells us the specialty about them. He has a unique talent of being able to write on a single rice grain and preserve it in a transparent plastic capsule, attaching the capsule to a chain or a string to make some out-of-the-box jewellery. He shows us a few of his inked grains and both of us are amazed to read some common names as well as names of deities written on such a tiny thing. Maan exclaims it's cool and tells him to write something for us. On his question, Maan explains that he wants the man to write our names on it, both of them on two different grains. I listen on silently as the man gives Maan a paper and a pen for him to write our names on it so he doesn't misspell while writing it on the grains.
As he begins working, Maan and I watch closely, seeing his deft fingers holding the delicate rice grain carefully as he writes the required names. As we watch him put the first grain down and pick the second one in his fingers, I whisper to Maan the question I want to ask.
'Maan, why both of our names on both the grains?' He turns to me with a slight smile.
'It will be like a memorabilia for us, reminding us of this day and the fun we had together.' I smile at him, nodding a bit as I revert my eyes back to the man and see him capsuling the grains, filling the capsule with a special liquid which, he explains, will keep the grains protected as long as the capsule is unopened. He asks if we want them to be attached to chains or strings, as lockets or bracelets. Maan selects chains and as lockets so the man quickly completes the task and hands over the two lockets to Maan in a small, brown-paper bag. As he pays the man and we begin walking down the street, he takes out one of the lockets and we examine it.
'"Maan & Geet"'. He reads aloud and looks at me.
'Isn't it nice? I mean, the way he has written it and with the date written on the other side, we will never forget it.' I agree with him and he puts one locket in his pocket and gives the other one to me, wrapped in the paper bag.
-------------------------------------A little further from the stall of the rice artist, an open-front shop of snacks and juices comes into view where some fresh French fries are visible so I take Geet there.
'Come let's have some fresh fries and coke because we still have about an hour or so before dinner and I'm sure you're a little hungry too.' She begins to protest but I don't let her speak.
'No no! I am not listening to anything. You are eating, even if it's only to give me company because I'm starving and I won't be able to eat anything if my date doesn't.' She lets out a huffing breath so I grin.
'Let's go.' I pull her towards the shop and order some fries and coke for us. With the order in my hands, I look around for someplace to sit and just a few feet ahead of where we are standing, I spot a wooden bridge without any side supports built only about half a foot above a thin stream of water. I point it out to Geet and we decide to sit there.
Before stepping on the bridge, I stop Geet and put one foot on it and then the other, slowly putting weight on the wooden structure to check if it's strong or not. It seems like it is so we both settle down on one corner, our legs dangling off the bridge, our bare feet submerged in water, her sandals and my shoes lying at our sides. We begin eating the hot fries which burn our fingers more than once and we laugh at each other blowing slightly on our burnt fingers. The fries have been packed in a single box so as we eat, my fingers brush with hers more than once but I don't feel her cringing away from the contact.
'This feels really good.' I look at her questioningly.
'This.' She points with her eyes towards her swinging legs and I realise she is talking about the stream.
'The flow is so gentle and soothing that it feels like it's taking away any tiredness of my body.' She closes her eyes.
'And this breeze. It's all so peaceful over here. No hustle bustle, no noises and no disturbances. Serene, I will say.'I take the opportunity to observe her. The round and slightly dimpled chin, the full lips, the pert nose, the almond shaped eyes which are closed at the moment, the long silky hair falling to her lower back, she is undisputedly one of the most gorgeous natural beauties I have seen who don't even need makeup to look prettier, though I have to admit to myself that with the slight makeup Anaya has done to her, Geet's features and especially her eyes, have become even more pronounced. With her eyes closed and the tranquil look on her face, I can't help but state what is running in my mind.
'You like such places. Places where you can be alone, at peace...' It is a statement and not a question and she opens her eyes to look at me wordlessly.
'You would rather stay to yourself than be one amongst the crowd, right?' She smiles slightly, her eyes still showing the confusion about what brought my words on.
'What makes you think that, Maan?' I shrug.
'I was just wondering, you know, that is it your choice or is it your nature. Though my vote will be for both.' She chuckles.
'You are right. It's both. I prefer staying to myself and minding my own business.' She smiles as if it's the easiest thing to understand.
'But that means having fun with a couple of friends is out of your comfort zone.' She rolls her eyes.
'No. I prefer staying to myself unless I have a company which understands me the way I am. Just like any other person, I have my own reservations and my own guard which I only let down in front of a few selected people.' She says it matter-of-factly and a slow grin spreads across my face.
'Then I think I'm one of the luckiest ones in those selected few.' She knits her eyebrows, puzzled so I explain.
'To have witnessed more of the hidden Geet with her child-like excitement and a knack for having fun.' She laughs out loud.
'No, seriously! I've been extremely lucky to witness that twice, the first time when we went sight-seeing and now, today.' She is still laughing as she nods.
'Sure, sure! But that's quite a lot about me that you know. I don't know much about you. Except for the obvious, that is. So tell me about yourself.' I raise an eyebrow.
'I think you do know almost everything about me. What should I say?' She shakes her head slightly.
'But I don't know specific things about you. Like your hobbies and your favourites and stuff. So tell me that.'-------------------------------------'Okay. But let's talk while walking back. We need to leave now.' He gets up, dusting his jeans and holds his hand out for me, which I take and let him pull me up. We put on our shoes and begin walking as I question him about all his favourites; his favourite hobby, his favourite time pass activity, his favourite colour, his favourite movie star, his favourite song, everything that I can think of. I discover his choices are pretty simple yet a little different from the other boys of his age. While boys his age would love hanging out with their gangs and enjoy in their free time, Maan prefers staying at home and having a comfortable time with his Mom and brother. Considering the kind of man I have known him to be, it doesn't surprise me at all. He asks me some of the questions I have asked him and we keep walking in a slow pace as I answer him. While answering one of his questions, I look ahead of us only to stop dead in my place. Since we were both looking at each other, neither of us noticed where we were heading and I look at Maan with wide eyes.
'We... We have come the wrong way. This... This cemetery -' I point to the area in front of us, the trees barren of vegetation and graves visible from the steel fences.
'It wasn't there when we came.'-------------------------------------I stare at the forsaken land in front of us, a chill running down my spine at the emptiness it screams of. Snapping out of the trance, I quickly look around the area, spotting the wooden bridge a little farther at the end of the long and slightly curved path we have been walking on. I look back at Geet to find her hands clasped together in front of her face, eyes closed and head a little bent down as if she is praying or something.
'Geet.' I call her in a low voice and she looks at me, her eyes vulnerable. She blinks and I see the effort she is trying to put into appearing normal.
'I was just praying for them.' She points vaguely towards the graves as she completely turns to face me. I don't respond to that and neither do I hold my hands together in prayer but I silently shoot a prayer to The Lord for the souls of the deceased people to rest in peace. I hold Geet's hand and lead her back the way we have come from even as I notice her turn her head back towards the cemetery as she walks.
I keep my strides quick, eager to get myself and Geet away from the strange feeling seeping through us after suddenly having come face-to-face with the ultimate truth and the only end of life. A heavy silence surrounds us as we cross the bridge and make way to the buildings of the town now visible.
'It's strange, isn't it?' I hear Geet speak in a sad voice, our steps a little slower now.
'We know the separation, the pain of having a loved one leave you forever... It's inevitable. Unavoidable. Yet we try to hold on to them... We make every single effort we can think of to have them with us... To keep them with us...' I know she is remembering her brother and the unfortunate events linked to his passing away but something about her words makes me think of her and me in the same situation, of her going away and of me trying to hold on to her, to the hope of having her with me.
'That is because those people are close to our heart. We don't want them to go away.' She has her eyes downcast and my Dad's image crosses my mind.
'And the separation which we cannot reverse, the one which we have no control over and the inevitable pain we feel over it, we can do nothing about it except think of all the good memories we have with them.'Silence takes over us again as we quickly walk down the way towards the car park, stopping at the shop to pick Raya's gift. I try to cheer her up a bit by talking about Raya and her childishness, about Anaya and Ayush and their craziness and sharing with her a few instances where I was caught up between the two and was forced to act as a mediator. I silently sigh when I feel her getting involved in what I'm saying, interestedly listening to the stories I tell and laughing when I narrate the incident when I had to stop Anaya and Ayush from fighting like kids by standing between them and pushing them away, receiving a few light slaps and pushes from them in the process.
-------------------------------------By the time we reach the car, I feel very much relaxed and normal, having pushed away the sudden and to a certain extent, illogical bout of emotions and sadness. All thanks to Maan. As he starts driving, I comment that it is close to sundown to which he says that we aren't very far away from the restaurant. I notice him taking the highway first and then turning off to a side road where he says the restaurant is. He parks the car in front of a medium-sized building which has a hut-like structure and a sombrero made out of lights bordering the name which indicates this is a mexican restaurant. We both step out of the car and Maan holds the door of the restaurant open for me in a gentlemanly fashion. The interiors are quite spacious and I notice straw-made lamps hanging on the ceiling which gives the place a very welcoming feel. Maan takes his name at the podium and the maitre d' leads us around to the back of the restaurant and shows us the private booth set for two. An open archway gives way to reveal a table for two, neatly set with the cutlery. I step inside before Maan and observe the candles lighted in the corners of the room in sets of three. As the maitre d' leaves us after informing a waiter will be here to take our order, we both take our seats and I tell Maan this place is so nice.
-------------------------------------I smile at Geet and tell her this place is one of the most sought after places in this town and is renowned for its mexican ways as well as for the quality food. A waiter appears just then, dressed in traditional mexican clothes with a colourful sombrero perched on his head. He gives us both a menu card and I ask Geet her choice.
'I don't know. What are you taking?' I look at the card again.
'Let's try traditional mexican. What say?' She shrugs.
'Okay.' We order some traditional mexican dishes with mexican beverages even as I comment how difficult the names are. As the waiter leaves, I turn to Geet and observe her looking out of the window at the back of the booth. Following her eyes, I notice the twilight and the beautiful colours it is spreading across the horizon.
'You know,' I say conversationally and Geet looks at me,
'I have always been fascinated by sunsets. The amazing splash of colours so perfectly blended, it is a sight to behold!'She nods in agreement, reverting her eyes to the scene as I hear her speak.
'And the way the sun sets, right in front of our eyes, from the big ball of fire floating high in the sky, it becomes a semicircle and decreases till it disappears completely, that is some thing I can never get used to, not when I was little, not now and most probably, not years down the line.' With my eyes still on the slowly setting sun, I speak after a few seconds of silence.
'Do you know a setting sun symbolises the end of a day, the end of a journey...?' She looks at me with a slight smile.
'I know that but I prefer thinking of sunsets in another context.' At the curiosity on my face, she smiles a softer smile, her eyes moving back to catch the last glimpse of the fading sun.
'Even though the sunset is believed to be the symbol of the end, there is still something after that. A sunset makes way for a beauteous night with twinkling stars and a shining moon. The sunset makes way for such a night which we spend in hopes of a new day, a new beginning.' As the sky begins to darken with the absence of the sun, she turns to me.
'So a sunset isn't saddening or bad. It's just a matter of how you perceive it to be.' She smiles at me and I feel my features school into an impressed expression. The waiter comes back with our order, placing the dishes in front of us and leaving after asking if we need anything else.
As we dig into our respective plates and relish the food, I offer Geet to taste mine and she lets me taste hers in return. A strong sense of deja vu hits me as I realise Geet and I had shared our desserts in my dream.
'This is spicy but it's too good!' She comments as she takes a sip of water.
'Mmm-hmm.' I only mumble in response, my mouth full with food. The traditional drinks are as tasty as the food, if not more. By the end of the meal, we both are full and content. She excuses herself to freshen up and I decide to quickly get the gift from the car. Moments after I come back to the booth and sit down, putting the packed box on the floor beside my chair, Geet enters and smiles at me. I ring the call bell and the waiter comes to clear the table, asking if we want any dessert. Both of us are too full for any so I just ask for the check.
When the table is cleared and the waiter is gone to get the check, I pick the box and put it on the table, sliding it towards her tentatively, carefully looking at her face to read her reactions.
'This is for you, Geet.' I notice her surprise evident on her face.
'But what was the need, Maan? You've already done so much -' I cut her off by reaching out and grabbing her hand resting on the table.
'Sshhh! I wanted to, okay?' I smile with a wink.
'And anyway, a guy gifts something to his girl on their date, right?' She rolls her eyes even as a very light pink spreads across her cheeks. I slide the gift more towards her, hiding the little anxiousness under the guise of being cool.
'Here. Open it if you want to.' She doesn't protest and reaches for the box, cautiously peeling the tape to take the wrapping paper off. The box which comes into view is just a simple brown cardboard box which doesn't give any hint of what is inside.
She opens the box and takes out the gift, revealing the snow-globe with a brown wooden base which has some words carved into it, the glass of the globe showing the delicate looking red rose fixed in the base. The rose isn't real but the effects given to it make it seem like one. I see her eyes become round in wonder as she tilts the globe to read the words loud enough for me to hear. '
"Life's most deep feelings are often expressed in silence and the one who can read volumes from your silence is your true companion."' She looks up at me.
'It's lovely, Maan! Thank you!' I smile a little.
'You like it?' She nods, her eyes moving back to the globe in her hand. She shakes it a bit and the tiny snow-like particles fill the globe, covering the rose in the process. I watch her wide eyes fixed on it, a small smile on her lips and a satisfied smile spreads on mine. When I had bought it the day before, I wasn't entirely sure if it is an appropriate gift or not but I liked the words and bought it. Now I know it wasn't a wrong decision.
-------------------------------------I run my hands on the carved words once again, reading them for the third time in the last five minutes.
'These words are so... so...' I can't seem to find a word to say.
'I can't express how beautiful these words are.' My eyes move to the rose.
'And this rose. It's like glowing.' My fingers caress the glass of the globe in an attempt to reach the flower. The waiter comes in at the moment, not letting either Maan or me say anything else. He gives a small leather folder to Maan and he takes his wallet out while I set about putting my gift back in the box. As I put my hand under its base, I feel a protruding knob-like thing and I turn it over to check what it is. It seems like a key so I carefully twist it a little and a soft music starts coming out of the globe, making Maan and the waiter turn to me. While Maan smiles at me looking at the rose again, the waiter lowers his eyes as Maan gets back to his wallet. Just as the music ends, I quickly put the globe in the box and look at Maan. He hands over the leather folder back to the waiter as the waiter smiles and thanks us for coming to this restaurant before making his way out.
'I think we should leave now.' I look at my watch and realise it is almost seven. I agree with Maan as he gets up, offering me his hand, which I take and rise from my seat, hanging my bag on my shoulder and holding the box of the globe close to my heart as we walk out of the restaurant and into the silent night. Before starting to drive, Maan's phone rings. It seems like it is his mother's call and he informs her that we are just leaving the place and will reach there in an hour and a half. Hanging up on his call, he starts driving, concentrating on the roads in the darkness outside. After a few moments of silence and the smooth motion of the car, I rest my head against the headrest and my eyes drift close.
-------------------------------------After a few minutes of driving, I realise Geet is very silent so I glance over at her to find her head resting against the headrest and her eyes closed, her face devoid of any emotion. It seems like she has fallen asleep. I smile.
She must be tired. Fifteen minutes pass in absolute silence as I keep my eyes and my mind focused on driving. It isn't like I never drove at night but I haven't really driven out of the city while being the responsible one. It has always been Mom or Ranbir with me if I ever needed to drive out of the city at nights, which is actually a very uncommon thing. With no other elder with me and with Geet here, Mom is very concerned about both of us and I could read that in her voice on the phone. My phone rings again and I notice it's Ayush. I don't want to pull the car over, not at this time, so I cut the call and send him one of the already-fed messages in my phone, letting him know I am driving.
Half an hour into the drive, I feel like I am getting sleepy too so I start to drum my fingers against the steering wheel just for the sake of some thing to do. I glance at Geet and decide that she probably won't be disturbed by some music in low volume so I turn the stereo on, listening to one of my favourite CDs. It works and I am able to push away any bits of drowsiness out of my mind, carefully driving and avoiding any bumps in the road so her sleep won't be disturbed. My phone beeps to indicate a text message. It's from Ayush and instead of feeling any embarrassment or any awkwardness, I laugh slightly as I read it.
I know you're driving and you won't reply but I know you read your messages even while driving so I'm taking the opportunity. ;)
The thing is, I can bet on my favourite chocolates that you haven't kissed your girl yet. So I'm here once again telling you to be a man and kiss her goodnight before letting her go. You know a date doesn't end without a kiss, right? And I'll be waiting to hear from you tomorrow that Maan and Geet are officially a couple now. :D
I look at Geet to find her nestling her head against the headrest before going still again. I pay my attention back to the road as the rest of the journey passes in silence with my favourite list of songs playing in the stereo. When my current favourite begins playing, I can't help but sing along in a low voice.
'Hum tere bin ab reh nahin sakte
Tere bina kya wajood mera.
Tujh se juda gar ho jaayenge
Toh khud se hi ho jaayenge juda...
Kyun ki tum hi ho
Ab tum hi ho
Zindagi ab tum hi ho
Chain bhi, mera dard bhi
Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho...'
I turn to look at Geet adding her name at the end of the stanza in an even lower voice. This is the only romantic and slow song in my list and I admit it to myself that when I first heard it, I could only think of myself and Geet. Every time I listen to it, Geet is the only person in my mind and I always add her name at the end of this stanza. The songs continue playing as I am lost in my own musings as I drive. The whole day has been wonderful with Geet, the dance, the games, the walk, the talks, knowing her a bit better, seeing her willingness to know me better. Yet I haven't told her I love her. There isn't a question of her liking me because I know she likes me. As a friend, at least. But not knowing how she might react to my confession, not knowing if she will accept it or not, the fear of rejection, it has me holding my feelings back. I want to tell it to her, I want to tell her how much I love her and from when, I want her to know how precious she is for me, how close I hold her to my heart, and I want to say it all to her before she leaves. I want her to know I'll be here for her, trying to be a support even when she is miles away. Drowned in my own revolving thoughts, I mechanically drive to the hostel after reaching the city. Pushing my thoughts away, I kill the engine and just sit for a moment, staring at her peaceful face which has a slight smile.
My lips curve into a smile too as my hands itch to reach out and touch her soft cheeks, to wake her up with a gentle touch. I get out of the car, walking over to her side and opening the door. Leaning in a bit, my hand reaches to shake her from her shoulder but I stop myself, giving in to the temptation of touching her face even though I know I shouldn't while she isn't aware. I slowly reach out to push back the strands of hair falling on her forehead. Just as I lightly touch her hair, I hear her voice filled with laughter. 'I am awake, Maan.' Shocked for a moment, my hand stills as she opens her eyes to look at me. When her laughing eyes meet mine, I hurriedly pull my hand back in embarrassment at being caught, even as she laughs, unbuckling her seat belt and climbing out of the car. 'I wasn't asleep.' She says it again and I smile a shaky smile, wondering if what I'm thinking is true. 'You were awake for the whole ride?' My cautious voice is met by laughter from her end as she nods. I gape. 'Why were you pretending to be asleep?' She playfully shakes a finger at me. 'I never pretended. You just assumed I was asleep when I had my eyes closed.' Something occurs to me and I warily question her. 'That means you heard me singing...' I trail off as she nods enthusiastically. 'Oh yes! You sing quite well, did you know that? I am impressed!'
For a moment, I stand silent as she laughs but then I join her too, laughing at the situation, a small part of my mind registering with a mix of relief and disappointment, the fact that she might not have heard her name. As our laughter quietens, she leans in the car to get her handbag, the bag with Raya's gift and the box of her own gift, while I nervously shift from one foot to another. Should I? No. Maybe I should. I try to convince myself. Ayush said a date doesn't end without a kiss. I should. No. She might not like it. What if she slaps me? My internal debate halts as I see her getting out of the car, smiling softly at me and leaning towards me.
And she does!
Edited by mayyo - 11 years ago
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