See You Later

Chapter 18

The present: Enroute

Aarush had offered to drive on the way back. But Maahi had refused. She had just dropped the camera bag in the back and had gotten into the driver seat.

It was 7 AM now. Still pleasant outside. So, Aarush rolled down the window again and looked out. They shared a companionable silence for a bit.

He then broke the ice.

"So, are you still enjoying the wedding?"

She took a turn and replied, "Yup."

"The surprise early morning thing wasn't too much?"

"No, surprisingly not. It was a new experience."

He looked at her with interest and asked, "How do you mean?"

She responded, "Well, I've done smaller weddings before but it's never been a surprise. I liked the...the range of emotions this one had."

He nodded and smiled, looking back at the road. He then asked, "May I switch on the radio?"

"Go ahead."

The first notes of 'Tum se hi' started playing as soon as he turned on the radio. She clicked her tongue and leaned forward to change the channel.

"Do you not like this song?"

She paused. She then took a breath and replied, "No, I love it. But...it reminds me of things I don't want to think about right now."

He nodded in understanding. Somehow sensing that she didn't want to talk about it, he changed the subject.

"I bet today's pictures are beautiful. Do you mind if I see them?"

She waved and said, "No, go ahead. You'll have to reach for the bag though. Be careful, okay?"

"Of course."

Once he had got the camera in his hands, he started flipping through the pictures and observing them on the output screen. He had seen her work on social media before. But he felt honoured to be able to see it on the camera here before anyone else did. It felt like she trusted him enough with her work before the world saw it. It reminded him of the time they used to work together and how she would discuss her shots with him and then show him the output almost immediately after. He smiled thinking of those days and then returned his attention to the screen.

What he loved about her work was the way the story translated so effortlessly onto the screen. There was no veneer or pretense involved. It was as no-nonsense and genuine as she was in real life. He could see Kajal's surprise upon seeing the balcony, Vik's secret joy in seeing his new wife looking back at him, Samrat, Vik's younger brother, popping champagne via FaceTime as Naina laughed and held up the iPad. He then flipped and saw a picture of him, sitting cross-legged next to Vik, laughing and pointing at Kajal. He had just asked the bride what it felt like to be married and she had asked him to get her some coffee before she could respond which had caused him to break into laughter. What he loved about the picture was how it told the story as it was. Honest. Unfiltered. Real.

He leaned his head back on the headrest and looked at her. He could see why she was at the top of her game today.

Without taking her gaze off the road, she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He smiled and kept on looking at her. She looked at him quickly and focused her eyes back on the road as she asked impatiently, "What, Iyer?"

He chuckled and said, "I was just thinking about how you're just phenomenal and we've known each other for a decade but we don't have a single picture together. Tsk tsk."

Without wanting to, a picture from many years ago came to her mind. Rather absently, she replied, "That's not true."

With great interest, he turned in his seat and asked, "What do you mean? We have a picture together?"

She cursed herself mentally for being so thoughtless. No one knew about that picture and she had wanted it that way even then.

In order to salvage the situation, she said, "I'm sure there is something out there."

He scowled at her and said, "Mehra. You were in the photography club. You'd know if there was a picture."

"There's definitely a group picture of the lit club. We're there in that."

He scoffed, "What? That doesn't count! I meant of just the two of us. We worked on so many pieces together."

"It counts, Iyer."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Oh God, stop! I'll get you your picture."

He brightened and asked, "Promise?"

Maahi rolled her eyes. Why was this guy getting under her skin again? Could she just not live in peace?

She pointed at the camera in his lap and said grumpily, "Just look at the pictures from today. Quietly."

He refocused his attention on the camera, still smiling. He said, "Fine. But only because they are so good. And don't think I've forgotten about our picture."

She shook her head and took a deep breath, asking the universe for some patience.