See You Later

Chapter 32

The present: Enroute

Maahi got done with work surprisingly early. For her that is. It was only 8.30 PM. She looked outside her cab window and looked at the sea. It was always relaxing for her to look at it. They passed by an ice candy seller and she smiled automatically thinking of Aarush's theory. She asked the driver to stop ahead for a moment and she stepped out of the car to get herself one. She definitely felt like the day warranted it.

When she asked for one, she remembered Aarush's condition for sharing this helpful life hack. After all, she was close to his side of the city.

"Bhaiyya, ek aur dena."

A little while later...

It took longer than usual for him to open the door.

Aarush was rubbing an eye when he saw her. He looked so sleepy that Maahi thought he would fall over any minute. But the minute he caught sight of Maahi, he instantly broke into a smile.

"Mehra?"

"You okay there, Iyer?"

She walked in as he opened the door wider and stepped back to let her in. He kept going backwards lightly with little idea of what was happening. He mumbled, "Yeah, yeah. I um..." He then blinked and tried to make himself more alert for her. Then he completed his thought, "Um...I had two impromptu shows. So, I couldn't...sleep enough. What...time is it?"

She looked at her watch and said, "It's nine. Wow, you must be really sleepy."

She placed a hand on his arm and said, "Go to sleep. I'll come back later."

Clearly what she said didn't work for him. Because the very next minute, he said, "No. Nope. Hmm." She had just turned around to leave when he reached out and engulfed her in his arms from the side. He then held her like he was a reader and she was his favourite book.

She stood still for a second, unsure of what to do. She felt warm, enveloped like this. She didn't know what to say. He also smelled so good.

Better sense prevailed soon enough. She tried to push him away but he shook his head and held on. But she was an expert at building walls. So, she pushed again and said, "Iyer, stop. You need sleep. Come here."

With that, she got out of the side-hug, held his hand and pulled him in a direction. He absently walked wherever she led him. She made him sit on the sofa and kept a giant cushion next to him. He blinked his eyes open and looked at her.

"Hi Mehra..."

"Shut up for a bit and sleep, Iyer."

He smiled and let her put a throw on top of him. He just hummed, "Hmmmm..."

Before she could step away, he mumbled, "Stay, okay? Just...stay."

Maahi smiled lightly and said, "You're falling asleep as we speak. I'll see you later, okay?"

He shook his head stubbornly and said, "No, no see me later. See me now. Hmmm."

And just like that, he fell asleep.

She sighed and looked at him. He slept on peacefully as she studied his face no holds barred. She picked up her bag and set it aside. She took the ice candies and put them in the fridge. She closed the balcony door and drew the curtains. She texted her brother to check if he was at home with Dadaji. Once it was confirmed that he was, she sat on the couch opposite Aarush, took out a jacket from her bag and draped it over herself. She found a large, comfy cushion and laid her head on it. Before she knew it, she fell asleep herself.

She may have been dreaming a few hours later. She never was a morning person. This next part, she could honestly never confirm if it actually happened. She felt someone call out her name. She ignored them as per usual. Who the heck wakes someone up when they're this sleepy? She had finally fallen asleep on this glorious cushion that seemed to mold itself to the shape of her head. Mmmm memory foam. She tucked a hand under her head and continued to sleep when she felt a warm hand on her cheek. She dug herself further into the pillow. Her name was called out again along with a question that asked if she was alright. She hummed her assent and turned around to the other side. She suddenly felt a breeze and shuddered and curled up further into the couch. She then felt warm again. She tugged on the cloth causing the warmth tighter around her shoulders and drifted off again.