Night of 25TH

CHAP 40: Flight of Hearts

Past:

Shubman

The next morning, fatigue weighed heavily on me as I had stayed up late packing my bags for a trip to Mumbai to meet my ex. I found myself fitting the last of my clothes into my suitcase, and as I glanced at the clock, it read 9 am, with our flight scheduled for 12.

I informed Chucky that I was in the process of booking her ticket, but what she didn't know was that I had decided to tag along. Dragging my bag into the living room, I sat down and quickly gulped down the breakfast Mom had prepared.

"Eat slowly. And what about my tickets? Aur tu kahaan jaa raha hai, yeh samaan leke?" Chucky bombarded me with questions all at once. I closed my eyes, exhaling a sigh of tiredness.

"Speak, will you?" she asked, growing irritated.

"Subah subah kitni taqat hai tere pass," I replied, taking a sip of the apple juice.

"Haan, bohot hai. Ab jawab de," she demanded.

"Yes, I've booked our tickets," I replied, rubbing my face to shake off the last remnants of tiredness.

"Our?" both Dad and Chucky questioned, their eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Yes, 'our.' It's been days since I've seen my friends," I explained, shifting my gaze from Dad to Chucky, silently conveying a message with my eyes. Chucky responded with an exaggerated "oh yeah" expression, but swiftly composed herself, meeting my stern gaze. She then looked down, nibbling on her breakfast.

"Pakka na, Mumbai hi ja raha hai na ya fir kahin aur, pehle ki tarah?" Dad questioned, his grip on the fork tightening, and I gulped.

"Mumbai hi ja raha hoon, aur iss baar toh Chucky bhi hai. Usko puch lena," I answered, visibly anxious about his reaction.

"Voh toh mein karunga," he said, looking straight into my eyes. "Anya, make sure to send me a picture of him at Mumbai airport along with you," his voice softened as he spoke to Chucky.

"Aho, Uncle Ji," Chucky obeyed, not as innocent as she may seem.

My entire family came to drop us off at the airport, well, I can say they came to drop Chucky. As we stood in front of the airport, Mum and Shahneel seemed saddened by the fact that she was leaving; they had bonded quite well over the days.

"Come soon, we will miss you," Mum said, hugging Chucky.

"Yup, it was fun meeting you. Next time you come, inform us in advance so we can have those girls' time," Shahneel added, bringing Chucky into a bear hug.

"And make sure you keep an eye on him," Dad instructed, looking me up and down.

"Oh, I'm gonna miss you all. Next time you guys come to Mumbai, come to my house. Mum will be happy to have you all," she answered, still hugging Shahneel sideways.

"And yes, Uncle, I will have my eyes on him. If anything happens, you'll get a direct message in Chandigarh," she said, pointing her hands towards me.

"Okay, guys, mujhe bhi chodne aaye ho airport. Hug me at least too," I said, pouting, feeling left out as all the attention was on Chucky.

"Should we?" Shahneel asked, raising her eyebrows at Mum and Dad.

"Mumma..." I whined.

"Shahneel, stop troubling him and come here, baby," Mum said, bringing my face down and placing a kiss on my cheek. Soon, Dad and Shahneel joined the hug.

I looked up to see Chucky with her hands on her heart, admiring our family hug. Stretching my hands, I pulled her into the hug. At first, she looked sceptical, as if she might be intruding on my moment, but that look quickly changed to her dimpled smile as my family embraced her as part of our family.

Author

As they bid their goodbyes, Shubman and Chucky playfully entered the airport, engaging in a fight over who would roll the cart of bags. Pushing and shoving each other, the fight reached a point where Shubman, with his athletic prowess, accidentally pushed Chucky more forcefully than intended, causing her to tumble onto a nearby passenger. Panic flashed across Shubman's face as he swiftly picked Chucky up, apologizing profusely to the surprised traveller. Glancing back anxiously to check if his mum had witnessed the incident, he was dismayed to find her sternly observing their antics. Raising his hand to signal that everything was okay, he turned around, holding Chucky in one hand and rolling the cart with the other, making a quick escape before his mum could express more disapproval.

"Absolute characters, these two are," Shahneel remarked, laughing while perching her elbows on her parents' shoulders.

"Chucky has a mischievous nature hidden behind that innocent face; I noticed it during breakfast," Shubman's dad chuckled, watching the duo disappear into the bustling airport crowd.

"That's what makes them complete—Shubman's introverted nature and Chucky's extroversion bring out the hidden mischief in him," Shubman's mum admired, looking at the airport where her son and his best friend had been engaged in a fight moments ago.

"But our Shubi is too dumb to accept the love he has for her, terming it as friendship," Shahneel commented, attempting to sneak the car keys from her father to drive herself. However, a stern look from her father halted her.

"Shahu, stop saying that to Shubman; he is your brother," Keart Gill reproached, not approving of the way her son was being addressed.

"Oh, Mommy, admit it, he is," Shahneel said, settling into the car's backseat. Keart Gill sighed, acknowledging her daughter's insight that her son was somewhat naive in matters of the heart. Glancing at the airport one last time, she felt a tug in her heart, sensing that something might happen during this Mumbai trip, although she couldn't decipher whether the feeling was good or bad.

"Keart, let's go," Lakhwinder Gill called out for his wife. Nodding, she sat inside the car, resting her head, contemplating the mysterious feeling within her.

Meanwhile, inside the aeroplane, Shubman had already dozed off, leaning comfortably against Chucky's shoulder. As the flight took off, Chucky's emotions soared too. Despite advising Shubman to talk to his ex, only she knew the weight on her own heart while doing so. She was aware of her ex's wrongdoings but wanted him to hear her out once, considering the possibility of miscommunication. Although she had the power to make him stop, she didn't want to be selfish and deprive him of the love he deserved.

Leaning her head back to suppress the tears threatening to fall, she composed herself and looked outside, watching the clouds pass by, much like the hopes she had. She hadn't expected her comfort to vanish so soon, but destiny seemed to have other plans. Leaning her head against his, she whispered, "I hope you don't stop being my best friend after becoming a boyfriend.