FORNEVER | ✓

CHAPTER 6 - LONGING

HIM

Thoughts about today had been flooding my head. It was a quiet ride to her hotel. She mentioned how her anna had booked a room for her and I felt relieved. Relieved because she looked tired and I hoped for her to rest. The volcano looked like a serene dream as she looked outside the window. The cool breeze caused the same lustrous locks, which she had earlier thrown back in fury, to play around her face and she didn't protest. The setting sun lit her face with a subtle glow. I stole a glance or two before I brought my attention back on the road.

It was 8 pm and a part of my heart didn't want this ride to end. I didn't know what to tell her or ask her. All I wanted was - to spend just a little more of this day - with her. My mind kept circling in thoughts about how Baba would now react because the office building must've been shut down by now. I drifted away from my thoughts as I turned to my left, was this the last time I was gonna see her?

We reached the hotel and I pulled in. As we arrived at the entrance, I felt my heart sink. None of us had shared a word throughout the ride. While it wasn't a long ride, I still wanted to exchange a few words, before I tell her...goodbye. I felt my chest tightening, even at the thought of this word. I don't know-how, within less than a day, I could feel the kind of emotions I had only heard about, or read about. And interestingly, the old Siddhnath would have thrashed all these emotions, maybe that's why he was kept away from feeling them, by destiny.

I have had relationships before. And I have bid people goodbye, but I haven't missed them like I had started to miss her, even before she had left. Her wrath and then her innocence, both of them had left an imprint on my heart. She felt too pure, to be an adult. Do innocent, pure adults even exist anymore? Well, they must do, I mean, look at her.

I got out of the car to take out her luggage. The chauffeur helped me install the bags into a trolly. As I looked up, trying to see where she was, I found her standing across the car, already looking at me. Our eyes met, and it happened, again. Man, I couldn't put a finger on what this feeling was, but every time our eyes met, I could feel a warm sensation in my chest. I walked over to her and smiled.

"Is this hotel yours too?", she asked, innocently.

I let out a chuckle.

"Unfortunately, no."

She looked up at me and I looked down. While the entrance was just a few steps away, we both slowly ambled towards it.

Here comes the goodbye. No, it can't be. But then, what should I say?

"Siddhanth?", I was brought back to the moment when she called out my name.

"Yeah?" I looked into her eyes. She didn't gaze away.

"Thank you, for today." She let out, with a soft smile.

"Why are you thanking me? I literally hit you with my car..." she chuckled and I slightly smiled.

"Oh wait..." I said as she looked at me with her big brown eyes. Her big, brown eyes....

"Are you thanking me for not kidnapping you?" She broke into laughter and my heart, I felt my heart flutter. It would be an understatement if I said "my heart skipped a beat..." no. I felt it stop.

Her laughter slowly subsided into a smile as she noticed my gaze at her. She blushed. I am sure she did, as she tucked the strand of her hair, that had been playing across her face, tickling her nose - behind her ear. It was a full moon that lit up the sky, but it was her face in that moonlight, that lit up my heart.