Excuse any typographical errors, I wrote this on my mobile
and did not bother to proof read.
This is a 4 am creation, do not judge😆
Also, read slowly. 😛
********
They rode in silence as streetlights after streetlights passed by, filling the car with dancing yellow light.
The wide streets of Delhi were very empty at this time of the night.
Suman sat in the passenger seat as she fiddled her thumbs together. She was extremely uncomfortable and the only thing she wanted to do was jump out of his suave, branded car. She loathed being in it. All it reminded her was of the insults he threw at her at the party.
Of course being in the car alone with him did not help.
She had been avoiding him like a plague since the incident and she was sure he was too. She left way early in the morning, under the context of buying fresh vegetables, and came back way past her usual closing time, her excuses on that one varying. The only ones that noticed her schedule change was her Nana Ji and Daboo, the other members of her family simply did not care. Which confirmed Suman's theory about them not realizing that she existed until and unless they needed her.
She let out another sigh and relaxed a bit into the seat, looking out the window. 'Damn you Pushkar', she thought, because he had been the one who called her all week after he learned about the incident and tried to make amends and when that did not work, invite her whole family to celebrate Holi. His plan failed though as both the parties were consciously avoiding each other even though she felt Shravan's eyes at her when she was dancing with Pushkar.
And when every plan of his was foiled, he created a situation where she was forced to ride home with him.
She looked at him, trying to figure out what was going on his mind. His jaw was clenched, his fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly and his whole body was tense.
Suman bit her lip and looked out of the window, tears threatening to fall. The events of the incidents played again and again in her mind, like they did the past week, torturing her.
Is that what he thought of her? That she wanted to be friends with him because he was suddenly so hot and big in his industry?
Agreed she was a very stupid person in her high school times, but she had changed to be a better person. He did not know that she cheered over every little accomplishment he earned, and how it was difficult to control her smile when Ramnath uncle mentioned him. Or how she tried to fish for information from Pushkar about him or how she had to engage in silly talks with Pushkar just for that. All she had hoped for, when she learnt of his arrival was that bespectacled, geeky boy to return and be her friend again.
The person who returned was a very tall man who had a heart full of spite just for her.
He casted a glance at her and his heart jilted a bit when he saw her trying to hide her tears that were threatening to spill. It took all his willpower to not talk to her. He clenched his jaw as he pressed down his foot on the accelerator to get to her house as fast as possible.
He should not have returned to Delhi, he thought. He should have stayed in London and that would have spared him some heartbreak. And the plan that sounded brilliant to his heart a week ago was cussing itself for causing her so much pain.
He wanted answers from her, answers a simple apology couldn't suffice.
His questions demanded her answers which she never gave, even when he asked for them. The nerd that left India had never returned. He had been kind to her, helped her, was there for her when she had wanted him and all he ever got was humiliation. There was a limit to which a person's self esteem could take a blow and he had finished his quota.
He had still waited for that phone to ring and hear her apologize, waited for that friend request that was never sent. He was still waiting for the answers that never came.
The sedan came to a halt, breaking both of them from their thoughts.
Suman looked outside and was sad to see her house. She turned to look at him and was surprised that he was already looking at her. She did not make a move to get out of the car and he did not ask her too.
Unsaid emotions filled the air as their hearts longed to talk to each other. His gaze penetrated her soul and she suddenly was very aware of her hands sitting awkwardly in her lap and every breath she took.
Her eyes clouded and her throat clogged as she struggled to say thank you for dropping her home.
His eyes still fixed at her, he fetched her bag from the backseat and handed it over to her.
He took in a sharp breath as their hands touched, she nodded and undid her seatbelt. She paused for a moment, looking back at him with imploring eyes and then opened the car door.
Shravan felt suffocated. It somehow felt so final and he wasn't sure he liked that. Somewhere deep down inside him, he realized unsettlingly, he still cared for her and his heart ached to talk to her. He realized that the only person fooling him was himself.
So, he unlocked his door and stepped out into the cold night.
"Sumo." He called out, taking three long strides to reach where she was.
She turned as he fetched a packet of color from his pocket.
"Happy Holi." He whispered throatily, standing close to her whilst smearing purple on her soft cheeks, his hands lingering. She looked up at him, her lips twitching slightly despite herself.
She took the packet from his hands while he stood there smiling slightly.
"To you too." She whispered, touching his stubbled cheek, as her heart thudded loudly.
He nodded, muttered a good night and jogged back to his car.
She could see him smirking as he reversed the car which made her grin. She knew now that there would be time to make amends and kiss bruised egos.
She knew now that they could revive their friendship.
"Suman?" A voice called out from the shadows.
"Pushkar?"
"Bhaiyya kaha hai?" He asked.
She pointed at the car which was now moving out of sight.
"Mein ghar kaise jaunga?" He asked, devastated.
Suman chuckled as she threw the rest of the powder at him.
"Chalke."
He deserves it, she thought.
********
Okay, it did not quite turn out to be as I had imagined in my head. But it is not that bad, or so I think 😆
Thoughts are heartily appreciated, constructive criticism is too. It has been a while since I wrote anything.
And Sammy, I wrote this partly because you asked and partly because I wanted a Holi Fic 😆
-❤️ Sanika 😊
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