Hello Everyone.
Chapter 22
When Karthik cant take his eyes off Naira !!
Karthik’s POV.
It’s becoming embarrassing now. I can’t take my eyes off my own girlfriend, the girl I’ve been dating for five years.
My jaw had dropped the moment I’d seen her walk out of the hotel door and I have not returned to normal yet. I thank Naksh for it. Naira and I have been driving for the past six hours and it is the best drive ever. I liked her anyway but I like the new her more.
But it’s bothering me. She does not have to pretend in front of me. That’s not what people in love do, right ?!!
“You really don’t have to do this. I think you’re still fun and awesome.” I say.
“Why do you think I’m doing this for you ?!!” she says and looks at me.
“I don’t know. I mean, Naksh said those things and you….” I started to say.
“I am doing this for myself.” she says.
“Naksh was right. I have grown up. I shouldn’t have. I have been the sane, mature person in our relationship. Maybe it’s time to switch places. I will be the stupid, irresponsible one now.” She says and winks at me.
Her winks are like the lull before the storm. Sometimes it means let’s-go-home, other times it means you-are-so-owned and so on. I wonder what it means this time. I have to
admit that I’m a little scared. I have seen the ‘Keerti part’ of Naira and it’s infinite times crazier than anything Keerti does. I don’t think I can keep up with that now.
Slowly the sun turns orange and sets across the horizon. We have taken a million detours and I’m still not confident that we are on the right track. The maps are all awry and the people around are as clueless as we are. But they still try to help us by giving us wrong directions. Silly helpful people.
A little later, we find ourselves on a long road that doesn’t seem to have an end and our car is the only one for miles around. Naksh’s car can give way anytime and I’m sweating just thinking about it. I look at Naira and her eyes are closed. She is least bothered that there is absolutely nothing in sight. No motel. No dhaba even.
“Do we drive through the night ?!!” I ask.
“Why not ?!! I can drive if you feel tired.” she says and looks at me. She really isn’t concerned.
“Are you serious ?!!” I ask.
“Yes.” she says.
“Anyway, there’s nothing in sight. We don’t have an option.” She adds.
Contrary to what I’d expected and hoped for, she doesn’t panic. Instead, she asks me to switch and takes over the driving wheel. She puts on her iPod earphones and starts to drive along.
Soon, the only light in the pitch-black night are the headlights and the stars above, and the only sound is the rumble of the car’s engine. The darkness around us is a little disturbing. Try driving on a deserted road with the car’s headlights off. I can bet it’s the most uneasy you would ever feel. We are all used to the light around us; darkness unsettles us.
Naira, I am sure, is not thinking about it. I look at her and she is bobbing her head to the music on her iPod. Soon, I am asleep.
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I wake up with a start. I look groggily all around and notice that Naira is still driving.
“Finally !!” she says.
“What time is it ?!!” I ask.
“Five.” She says looking at her wrist watch.
“Five ?!! And you have been driving ?!!” I ask.
“Yes.” she says and smiles. She has driven through the night. Six hours.
“Six hours ?!!” I ask again.
“Yes.” She says.
I ask her to stop the car and she does. We brush our teeth and wash our faces with a few bottles of mineral water we had picked up on the way. I take over the driver’s seat.
The sun is slowly coming out and there are some trucks at a distance. My neck hurts for I had slept awkwardly. Naira, on the other hand, behaves like it’s just another day. Even though she hasn’t slept the entire night, and her hair is a mess, she looks amazing.
Those svelte legs and her perfectly sculpted body is just what you want to see early in the morning. The warm morning sun pales in comparison. She leans back on her seat.
It’s only been fifteen minutes when I see the diary on the dashboard with the bookmarks inside it. It’s so distracting. At certain levels, it takes me back to my college life. The screwed-up life and times of the dead guy bring back some strange memories. I drive on.
Naira has dozed off and my mind wanders to the times I’ve spent with her. I see many couples around and I don’t know how much they love each other, but I know for sure that our love is way better.
She completes me. No matter where I go, what I do, she is always on my mind. Anything I do or strive for is meaningless if I don’t have Naira by my side. Cheesy as it may sound, life without her is meaningless.
I know I’m not the best-looking or the smartest guy Naira can get, but one thing I know for sure, she won’t ever get someone who loves her more than I do.
Three hours more of driving through empty, wide roads brings us to Bhopal. The city is still sleeping when we get there. We cross a few mosques, a huge lake and a couple of parks. But I know we wouldn’t be doing much of sightseeing on this trip.
I stop outside a small hotel, ask the receptionist for the rates, negotiate a little and finalize it. Naira is still fast asleep. I pick her up in my arms and carry her to the hotel room. Apart from the fact that I just love watching her sleep, I think carrying her in my arms is an incredibly romantic thing to do. I am sure it’s something she will brag about to her girlfriends.
I tuck her inside the blanket and lie down right next to her. Almost immediately, I fall asleep.
It’s nearly noon when I wake up. Naira is already up and around. She has a cup of coffee in her hand. She is looking out of the window and looks enchanting.
“When did you wake up ?!!” I ask her.
She looks at me lovingly, comes near me and sits on my lap.
“It’s been a couple of hours.” She says.
“Why didn’t you wake me up ?!!” I ask.
“You look cute when you’re sleeping.” she says.
Aha !! That’s exactly what I think about her.
“Thank you.” I blush. It’s been years but still I turn into a red tomato every time she says something nice about me.
“Aww !!! Look at you.” She cooed.
“What ?!!” I say.
“You’re blushing, Mendhak.” She teases me.
“No, I’m not. I am a guy. I don’t blush.” I state.
“Achha ?!! I thought it was cute. Anyway, if you say you weren’t blushing …” she says.
“No !! I was.” I reply immediately.
We both laugh aloud.
“Oye, I was waiting for you to get up. Let’s go meet him. I can’t wait.” she says and I nod.
I can see the diary in her hand. Obviously she’s been reading it again.
Suddenly her face droops and she looks away.
“What ?!!” I ask.
“We need to meet Alia too.” she says. I nod again.
Precap : Meeting the Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Getting to know VK’s name.
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So the next chapter will be a long one and mostly half of the suspense will be revealed. Finally you all will know what is the full name of VK and what happened during his school life from his best friend.
Coming to yesterdays episode of Yrkkh. I think it was a bit rushed. Only one episode ago did Keerti realize that she likes Naksh and today it has come in the knowledge of the whole family and Naksh. But then I guess the writers want to show Keesh’s love story a tad different from Kaira’s love story. Lets wait and watch what happens.
Do comment. Keep smiling. Keep watching Yrkkh !!