"Bheegi bheegi raaton mein, badalte hain andaz, badalte hain jazzbaat"

~ Kabir ~

Andaman And Nicobar Islands, India

We were stranded on a rainy night. And Meher was crying in my arms.

What an irony.

I kept patting her hair until her cries were muffled into sniffs until she finally stopped crying. She parted away from me and wiped her face with her sleeve. Her face had swollen from all the crying, making her look like a kid who just wanted a bar of chocolate to stay happy. So innocent, so pure and so—

Cute.

I would never say that aloud. She would think I have started liking her. I shuddered at the thought of it, I would never want to tread on those waters.

The rain didn't stop, and we just kept waiting under the bus stand's shed. Frustrated, I looked around for a shelter for us to stay the night as it didn't seem feasible to wait in this dingy bus stand for the entire night.

So I got up and put a hand over my head so that I could run around to look for shelter. But something tugged me from behind before I could leave the stand. I turned to see Meher holding the hem of my t-shirt, getting up. "I will also go wherever you are going," she informed, mirroring me, putting her hand over her head.

"No," I held her hand and got it off my t-shirt, making her sit down. "You'll catch a cold. Let me go and look for some shelter and I will come back with some help to get you."

But Meher was being adamant. "No!" She swatted my hand off her shoulder, "Take me with you, Kabir, who knows what kind of danger lurks around here," she looked around warily.

"No one is going to harass you in this weather if that's what you are thinking," she narrowed her eyes at me, confirming my doubt.

"Do you want me to admit aloud that I am scared, Kabir!" her scream got muffled in the sound of the downpour and I realised what she was feeling. Empty roads, pitch dark and no street lights. A person was bound to get scared in this kind of weather. It was better to have a company rather than having none at all.

"Okay okay, let's go," my hand slipped into hers and we walked straight, leaving our bikes behind. The sound of thunder hadn't died and I was worried about the lightning striking us. My calf muscles were throbbing with all the riding and now this walking pained me. I felt like a car had run over my legs a couple of times.

It felt as if we walked a couple of miles until I heard Meher calling me. "Kabir, there's light!" she chirped with excitement. As if I had found a newfound energy inside of me, I looked around, "Where?"

"There," she pointed her finger to the right and I followed her line of direction and indeed there was a light coming out— our only ray of hope. We ran in the direction of that light, trying to keep our eyes open while we were severely soaked in the rain.

As we reached near, the vision slowly got clearer as we saw a house visible under the huge street light, now that I could figure. It was a one-storey concrete house, completely whitewashed with red borders. There was a gate and a clean pathway that led to the house, a garden was spread over on both sides.

It seemed like a local's house.

"It's someone's house," Meher moved closer to get a good look. I hummed, moving closer to the gate along with her.

"Should we go inside and get some help?" she looked at me hopefully and I nodded, it wasn't like we had any other option. There was a bell on the wall of the gate and I pressed it twice, hoping someone would come and let us in. We waited for a solid two minutes until we heard the door creak open, a lady, seemingly in her mid or late forties came out, with a man following closely behind, which I assumed to be her husband.

With brisk steps, they reached the gate, flashing a torch in our faces. I averted my face as the light directly entered my eyes and I heard them speak. "You guys are soaking wet," I heard the man speak first, "are you a tourist?"

"Yes," Meher answered for us. "Actually, we were riding and lost track of time. By then, it already started raining and the network was kind of bad. Also, there were no cars on the road. Can you please let us stay for the night? This is my ID," Meher showed her identification proof to the couple so that they didn't think we were some kind of fraud wanting to loot them. The kind man handed us his umbrella, which I took, thanking him. "Come on in, you guys will fall sick in this weather and it's not safe," the lady opened the gate for us and let us in. We walked over the stone pathway to their house.

Kicking off our shoes and socks at the door, we entered their house. We directly entered the main living area. The house was based on a modern design with a wood brown, beige and off-white theme. The L-shaped living area was filled with three big couches on each corner with a TV plastered in front of it. In the centre, there was a big wooden teapoy with a huge vase placed at its centre.

On looking at another portion, there was an open kitchen and from a few metres from it was a dining area which had a dining table for six.

These people were well off, according to their standards.

"You have a beautiful home," I heard Meher compliment the lady, and the latter mumbled some words of gratitude.

The man walked over to me and handed me his card, "I am Ayush Sinha and this is my wife Kirti. I run a restaurant just a few miles from here."

I fetched my wallet and took out my visiting card. "Kabir Raizada, I am from Mumbai and that's my wife Meher."

The man took the card from me and for obvious reasons, his eyes widened but then later on, he looked at me with a warm smile. "You wouldn't want us to butter you right?" my lips twitched at the joke and I nodded.

"Newly married?" He continued the conversation and I gave him a small smile, nodding again. "Ahh," Mr. Ayush patted my back fondly, "It's that phase of life. Enjoy it well," he winked at me.

I blinked to process whatever he was saying. Wait, what?

Before I could respond, I was ushered to one of the spare rooms they had along with Meher with the two of us, soaked in rain with our clothes sticking to our bodies like a second skin. The lady, whose name I believed was Kirti, handed me and Meher spare towels and new clothes to change. "These are Ayush's clothes and these are mine— I hope it fits your style," the woman didn't stop smiling at us. "Thank you so much, this means a lot," Meher held Kirti's hands and conveyed her gratitude.

Trust me, Meher was a smooth talker. The lady immediately got comforted with her words and the two started conversing while I went to the washroom to get changed.

Shutting the washroom door behind me, I finally had a moment to myself. Putting the fresh clothes and towel on the rack, I sat down on the floor, thinking over what all happened throughout the day.

I and Meher had a meal together, without a fight. We rode together, ate street food on the way, clicked pictures and then got stranded in the rain— the bottom line was, through all these moments, we were happy.

Together.

We made the most of each moment we had, together.

Even though I didn't wish to think about it, I could strongly feel that something was seriously changing between us, or at least inside of me. I am not resentful, nor I could try to hate her anymore and this feeling, is scary.

This feeling has been picking me up for days as if it had become some sort of background noise. There's a lot of traffic in my heart, a blockage that I am constantly struggling to get out of. There are times I could do something about it, but there are also some moments where I couldn't. Yet I have so many responsibilities, so many things to accomplish, yet my heart yearns for something more, something so known yet so unknown.

When I came out of the washroom, Meher was sitting on the bed, already dressed, going through her phone. She was wearing that sleeveless long kurta we see on TV, with pants wider than her leg size, what are these even called?

Palatios?

Platoons?

Whatever. Yeah, so she was wearing that. That shiny red chuda was still on her hands and her neck was adorned with the mangalsutra which I noticed she wore regularly and never took it off. She had a little dot of sindoor on her forehead.

Something about that look felt fulfilling. She looked so beautiful in that simplicity, in that nuptials, she looked—

Mine.

I shake that thought away and walk up to her. "What are you doing?"

She looked up at me and flashed me her phone with a smile. "I was texting with Malhar," I frowned upon hearing about that cheery tour guide. "What about him?"

"He says he can't come over at the moment to pick us up as the rain is pretty bad. According to the weather reports, it is going to last till tomorrow so we are kind of stuck here," This wasn't the information I was expecting to get.

"You look upset," I stated as I observed her upset face. "We don't know till when we are stuck here, Kabir. Every minute of a vacation counts Kabir. We might miss so many things," she complained while I stood there, understanding her words. This was her favourite place to be and the fact that you get stuck in some unpleasant rain situation was a bummer.

"Meher," I sit down, turning towards her. "What do you think you will miss tomorrow?"

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she watched me in question. "What do you mean?'

"Answer my question, Meher. What would you miss tomorrow?"

"How would I know the future?"

"Exactly my point," I enunciated. "Who has seen the future, Mini? You don't even know what is going to happen so why are you getting upset by the future?"

She fell silent, carefully listening to what I was saying.

"Don't be worried about what will happen in the future, enjoy the present," To this, she smiled before asking. "Kis film se yeh dialogue uthaya hai?"

I chuckled before answering. "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani."

To this she laughed, playfully hitting my bicep. "I am surprised you even watched this movie."

"Of course, I did. Who do you think I am?"

"A grumpy man whose life revolves around firing his secretary at least ten times a day," she mocked me, sticking out her tongue.

"So that weasel is going around complaining about me to you?" I look at her incredulously.

"Nah," she waves her hand nonchalantly, "gossip travels faster than light."

It was about time I seriously fired that lady.

A knock on the door disturbed our banter and I looked towards the door. It was Ayush, who was calling us for dinner. The three of us walked over to the dinner table where the food was already set.

I hadn't realised how hungry I was until I saw the food. I didn't speak much as I filled my plate with all sorts of dishes that were kept on the table. On the other hand, Meher took her own sweet time to fill her plate and talk with the couple.

"Acha Meher," Kirti says, "I saw your wedding pictures on social media. You look no less than a queen."

"Thank you," I had never seen Meher being shy at anyone's comment. This, however, was a first.

"How did you guys fall in love?" Meher and I looked at each other. I signalled her to answer while deciding to pitch in the middle, throwing in a few answers.

We repeated our story which by now we knew by heart. There was a look of joy on Ayush and Kirti's faces on how we narrated our story as if it was straight out of a fairytale. There was nothing true about the story except that we mutually decided to get married not because we found each other compatible but because we could help each other achieve a bigger goal.

"When I told my daughter that we have you both at home, she got excited and started sending me a lot of articles about you, she even follows you on Instagram," she told Meher, whose cheeks turned pink at the compliment.

"You have a daughter?" Meher continued to converse while I made conversation with Ayush asking them about their business which later on deflected to some other topic.

The conversation didn't cease to end until midnight. It wasn't until Kirti yawned and Ayush joked about mid-life crisis, that we made our way to our respective rooms.

Meher closed the door behind us as we entered. "You will take the right and I'll take the left, right?" Meher smiled and nodded, lying on her side of the bed.

Switching off the lights, I lay beside her, the sound of the fan reverberated in the room as silence engulfed the space.

Minutes passed and I couldn't hear her sleep, no soft snores, no systematic breathing. "You aren't asleep?" I asked her, finally breaking off the silence.

"I am so tired yet I am not able to sleep," she answered, her voice measured and calm. "Maybe it is the new bed, it is difficult for me to adjust."

"Hmm."

"What about you, Kabir? Why can't you sleep?"

"Me?" I was surprised that she continued the conversation. "I don't know, there are so many things on my mind, that I am not able to put it aside."

"I think, I get what you're trying to say. When you have been through so much in life, living becomes tedious and you feel lonely," I knew that she was saying that from her heart and not to pacify me. She was probably one of the only people in my circle who would understand what I was trying to convey, we weren't that different in that sense.

"You knew all about Radhika but I know nothing about the man you loved. Not fair, right?" Meher hummed and I could feel her smile, even though I couldn't see her face.

"Abhimanyu Tripathi, all of us called him Abhi because it was short, simple and very typical. He saw me for the first time during our college fest when I was in my first year of Bachelors' and I met him the first time when a close friend of mine introduced her friend group— Sahil and Abhi were her friends. We spoke, and the four of us became friends, closest buddies. It was just friendship between the four of us at first but Abhi and I treaded into something more. We spoke more on the phone, met each other in cafes without our friends, and shared personal stories. I started liking him very soon because that was what I liked in a man— calm, kind, generous, loving and helpful, he was all of that. What I didn't know back then was that he liked me too until he confessed," The way she described him didn't feel like he was dead, it was as if she was describing someone who was very much alive.

Meher couldn't enjoy love the way I did, but the way she spoke about him, it felt like she had spent her entire self on loving that man.

"He seemed like he was a great guy," I didn't know what to say further.

"That he was," Meher says, "and so are you." I didn't know why she said that amidst this conversation or how was it relevant. But I think I wanted to hear it.

I heard her turn, and in the darkness, I could only see her silhouette that was facing me. I turned too, facing towards her. I could feel her breath on my face, I could hear her breath hitch at the closeness.

"Do you really think that?"

"Mhmm," I heard her. "You are a man of words, you are just and kind in your own way, you don't show it but you do care."

"Itne kam time mein jaan gayi mujhe?" she laughed softly, I couldn't fathom what she found so funny about it.

Gulping another bubble of laughter, I heard her say, "Jaanti toh hamesha se thi, lekin tumse kabhi kaha nahi tha."

"Well, fair enough." I chuckled.

"Kabir,"

"Hmm?"

"If all those things that happened between us or those events that led to the kind of relationship we share today would have never happened then what would we be then?"

It was not just Meher who thought about this possibility. Many a time, I did too— I thought about how we would have been if there was no hatred, no malice, no competition between us. Would we still be enemies? Or something else?

"I think," I say, "We would have been the best of friends," she laughed making me smile. "I mean what are the stakes?"

"I wouldn't deny that," she played along, obviously finding that possibility to be highly unrealistic and funny.

"But," I continued, "I like what is there now between us. Some things happen for a reason. Also, this," I wagged my index finger between us, although I don't know if she could see, "is great as it adds depth to my character."

To this she shrivels in laughter again, I feel her side shake as I hear her say, "What are you, angry young man?"

"I mean, can you deny that?" I shrugged nonchalantly, to which she laughed again. "Sure, sure," she gulped another giggle which was about to pass up her throat.

"Sleep, Mini Mathur Raizada," I didn't know what got into me but my fingers reached up to her face, gently locking her free strands of hair behind her ear. I wasn't sure what she felt like considering it was dark, but she didn't swat my hand away from her face.

"I like the upgrade of my name, feels regal," she reacted instead, putting me in a state of confusion. Was I too much?

While I slowly pulled my hand away from her face, I felt a soft but heavy heave of breath on my face, as if she was holding on to it for so long.

I smiled.

Things are changing, at least for Kabir. I like how the chapter turned out, considering I was confused about what to write over the past two weeks. Writing romantic sequences is easy but writing up those sequences which lead up to that is painstaking. A trip always changes the relationship dynamics between two people, for better or worse. Let's see what this trip has stored in for Kabir and Meher. Let me know your thoughts in the comments on this chapter.

My summer holidays are going on and I am trying to enjoy it to the fullest. What about you guys? What are you all doing this summer?

Do VOTE, SHARE and COMMENT. Comment a heart if you enjoyed reading this chapter.

With Love,

Akii.