It was sunny outside, he put on his aviators and let the car crawl out of the driveway, enjoying the smoothness of the engine. He drove, sticking to all the speed limits, his foot easy on the accelerator, and smoothed into a parking spot in AR. He would finally get to speak to Khushi.
----
Khushi looked up at the skies as she walked and prayed to Devi Mayya to look after her. "Please Devi Mayya let everything go well today. I'm going to leave it upto you. Whatever happens I will let my life take its own course from now one." Her footsteps were gentler, there was a trepidation to them. Her foot had went into a puddle earlier and her feet still squelched inside them with every step, creating slight squeaking sounds. She didn't know what he would ask, what she would say, all she knew was that it was time. Things had been put off for far too long and it was better to let the world take its own course sometimes. Her mind had been wandering for a while and out of practice her eyes immediately went to her watch, where she noticed that she was 15 minutes late. She cursed herself at the that, she had been too immersed in her own thoughts and calming the nervousness inside her, that she'd ended up completely losing track of time. She quickened her steps, the constant squeak of her slightly wet feet against the plastic sole of her shoe irritating her further.
She was slightly out of breath when she reached AR. She rested against a lamp post, she'd ran part of the way, not wanting to be even more later than she was. She didn't want him to think she wasn't going to turn up, she had been able to tell from his phone call yesterday how anxious he had been. He had been scared that she would have said no and she didn't blame him, she hadn't given him a choice to think anything but that.
Suddenly she looked around, remembering she hadn't had the sense in her to ask him where in AR she wanted to meet him. She looked up at the large solid gold capital letters, glinting off of the sun, remembering her first meeting with him after all those years. The day that had started the rollercoaster ride of emotions she was once again experiencing. "Urgh! At times I'm surprised how stupid you can be Khushi!" she mumbled to herself, furious at yet another mistake. She frowned at herself, attempting to figure out what to do next.
"I see your habit of talking to yourself still hasn't worn off," came the husky voice from behind her, she immediately turned around to face a smirking Arnav. A corner of his mouth slightly turned up, just the way she liked it, instantly taking her back to one such meeting in the past, bringing a slight smile to her lips. He stood arms folded, leaning against a gleaming, black polished car, the handsomeness of his features enhanced through the midnight blue shirt. She watched his slight smirk slowly change into a small smile, it reached his eyes and they glinted in the sunlight. He moved his arms back, resting his hands on the car, then letting his hands take his weight, leaned forwards. She stood rooted to the spot, her smile fading out of nervousness as he slowly advanced towards her. He came to a stop in front of her, his eyes still inspecting her face, not quite sure how to proceed, when all of a sudden a slow drizzle began to fall from the sky. They both looked up in unison, the rays of the sun still piercing through the clouds amid the tiny droplets of rain, with a hint of a slight rainbow setting in the horizon. And in an instant they both looked at each other with slight smiles playing on both of their faces, forgetting everything for a second, squinting through the rain and the sun at each other. His hands automatically, searched and grasped hers in a tight hold. Then he broke one of his hands away from hers and started to turn back towards his car, one hand still holding on, pulling her with him, leading the way. She followed almost blindly, not letting her eyes wonder away even for a split second. He stopped in front of the car, "ride?" He turned back and asked, she nodded silently, loosing herself slightly, in those gorgeous brown eyes. He clicked the door open and gently helped her in, then took the seat belt, swiftly taking it across her body and clicking it in place, she felt intoxicated as his smell lingered around her. There was a stronger edge to it now, but it was the same fragrance and it took her down memory lane once more. He looked back at her face, the slight smile still playing on his lips, his eyes twinkling with that old passion, before he ducked out and closed the car door then reached his side of the car in three quick strides and sat himself down. She watched him lost in a sort of trance as he checked all three mirrors, indicated then pulled out, the small purr of the engine numbing her mind.
I want you with me
When the ground starts to shake
I want you with me
Each day when I wake
And I hope you forgive me
All my mistakes
And yes I'll be with you
To the last mile of the way
He glanced back at her, taking her smiling form, watching him the way he was used to and reveled in the moment sensing a change he had longed for.
Like day turns to night
Stone turns to dust
Life becomes memories
Steel becomes rust
Pain's just a lesson learned
We'll look back one day
And I'll take you with me
To the last mile of the way...
The rest of the journey continued in silence, both lost in their memories, both seeing the glimpses of a better future ahead.
----
Lavanya stood at the large glass windows of ASRs office, looking down at two lovers loosing themselves in each other. Their thoughts unsaid, flowing out with each action. She watched him take the other womans hand gently, a passion to his face that she had never seen towards herself before and the pain and anger scorched through her. He had betrayed her, he was betraying her and she was watching it all in silence. Well he hadn't seen Lavanyas game yet and nor had the silly woman! She walked away from the window, arms folded, her blood throbbing with rage through her veins.
----
Shyam watched from behind a pillar on the sidewalk, his face twitching with Arnavs every look, the way his eyes lingered over her face, the way her eyes smiled back at him and he seethed with hatred towards him and disgust at her. She was his! Only his! How dare she let someone else so much as look at her. He had followed her that morning, she had been dressed differently, more chic than usual, even put on a bit of make up and did up her hair. It wasn't for an interview so it had had to be for something else and this was it. He clenched his fists, already forming a plan and watched them slowly drive off, his mouth slowly forming a snarl, thinking that he for once had the upper hand over his brother-in-law...
Lyrics credit: Last Mile of The Way by Westlife
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