Strings Of Love

Chapter 6

"Seat belt laga le." Words left out of Sidharth's mouth out of habit.

"Okay." Shehnaaz obliged.

"Aage se right." She guided him on the way to her home through the roads.

"Right Ya left?" He asked, gesturing to her hand pointing left on the road but she just said the opposite.

"Ha, vahi. Mera matlab left. Left lena yaha se." She corrected herself. He nodded, taking the turn as told and giving her a glance.

She wasn't crying now but it looked like she had cried for a while but he didn't ask. Who was he to ask, after all, perhaps everyone was allowed to have a moment all to themselves once in a while.

"Mausam kitna acha tha thodi der pehle, achanak barish hone lag padi! Pakka light chali jayegi ab!" She muttered to herself, twisting the corner of her lips, annoyed.

"Hmm, aisa hi hota hai yaha. Abhi aayi hai Mumbai?" He asked her.

"Nahi, thoda time ho gaya hai yaha settle huye. 5-6 mahine, I guess. Tu?" She replied.

"Ha, bas paida hua tabse yahi." He chuckled and so did she. He saw her scrunching her face every time there was lightning and he could conclude that she wasn't a fan of such stormy weather. Little did he also notice her slippers had mud on them before she got in, he made a mental note to clean his carpet off once he's home.

"Yeh jo Sai Mandir na, yaha se left." She guided him again.

"Raat ko walk karne itni dur tak jati hai?" He wouldn't lie, he was very surprised.

"Ac-actually aaj pata nahi chala kab itni dur aa gayi." She came up with something, looking away.

"Lekin, thank you! Tu nahi milta toh mai barish me bohot buri tarah phas jati!" She thanked him earnestly.

"Hmm. Vaise tu sab se itni baatein karti hai ya aaj koi special occasion hai?" He asked, really surprised by the fact that someone could talk so much with a mere stranger. At least, he wouldn't.

"Excuse me! I was just trying to make conversation here." She clarified, taking his words on her ego.

"Ab tu meri help kar ke mujhe ghar tak chhodne ja raha hai, vo bhi itni barish me. Ek bari maine teri help ki aur iss baar tune kardi. Maine socha, thodi baat cheet kar lete hai dosti ho jayegi." She added.

"Ek minute. Tune meri help kab ki?" He doubtfully asked.

"Haww! Teri jab T-shirt kharab huyi thi tabhi tujhe dukaan tak kaun le kar gaya tha. Mera bhoot?" She asked, agitated. Even though Sidharth knew what she was talking about, he pretended as if he didn't, just for fun.

"T-shirt kharab nahi huyi thi, tune chutney girayi thi. Tu hi leke jati!" He replied, as casually as he could.

"Ha toh sorry bhi toh bola tha itni baar!" Shehnaaz fumed like a bull at the ungrateful man in front of her, she wished she could just storm out of his car if it wouldn't have been raining like cats and dogs out there.

He broke into fits of laughter at her reaction, the way she clenched her jaws, her nose flared and her eyes almost peeped through his soul. "Tu kitni jaldi chidh jati hai? Calm down woman, I was just kidding." He chuckled.

"I don't find you funny!" She added with the most forced smile on her beautiful face.

"Acha toh tu kya bol rahi thi? Hum dost ban sakte hai?" He asked, trying to cheer her up again.

"Sochungi." She replied with an attitude.

"Tera ghar aaye usse pehle soch lena." He suggested.

A ping caught their attention, it was a notification from Tinder letting her know that a guy was texting her. "Kabhi Tinder try kiya hai?" She asked him.