Love Happens With A Twist

11

Mumbai

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She kept her phone close to her belly when she entered the car, but was too tired to check on it as she couldn't sleep throughout the night. So, she was very exhausted.

"I don't know if you eat roadside food or their tea. I'm going to..."

"Don't bother. I will order it when we reach Delhi. My friend owns the best restaurant there." She murmured, closing her eyes to finally get some sleep.

"You won't be ordering food at my house."

"Please save it for later. You didn't let me sleep last night. Do me this favour and be quiet now." She exclaimed and hissed at the end.

"Are you even aware of how many hours we're going to spend on the road? You haven't....."

"Mr. Abhimanyu, I would really appreciate it if you'd stop poking your nose into my matters. I know what I'm doing. Stop trying to act like I'm your responsibility whatsoever. Like I said, I'm not your wife. I'm with you until I destroy the tape."

****

They were ten hours into the journey. He was driving with the radio off and the air conditioning on for her so that she could have a convenient trip since he was sure this was her first time travelling in a car for such a long journey. Her soft snores echoed, which served as a calming tune for his mind.

Her eyes pried open gradually while releasing a wide yawn from her mouth, and her eyes saw the long highway they were on. Both sides of it were bushes. She touched her stomach, which growled, while he speeded so that they could reach their destination sooner than the estimated time.

"Aren't you tired? Let's park and rest. Then I will continue to drive," she said, wanting to use a restroom, the sole reason she woke up.

"Do you want to use the restroom?"

"I doubt there's one around." She looked. There was no way she would enter a bush to release it. He parked for her and also for him because he too was pressed.

"No way! I won't..."

He went out after grabbing a bottle of water, and she too followed him because she was scared of being alone in the car in the middle of nowhere.

"It's not safe. Don't pee or excrete here. Please. I don't want to be accused if something happens to you."

He nonetheless entered and peed because it was not his first time stopping by on the highway when travelling to Delhi. She became worried sick when he took long, as the bushes were making it difficult for her to see if he was still alive or not. When he came out, she heaved a long sigh of relief, and he said,

"Don't be scared. Nothing will happen. Let's not delay, as we still have a long journey ahead. Go and pee while I add fuel to the car." She collected the remaining water in the bottle, still reluctant because what if she enters and a snake comes up, or another wild animal?

"No snake will come or a wild animal." She heard him say, reading her thoughts, and she turned immediately, giving him a suspicious look.

"How do you know what I was thinking?"

"All women are afraid of snakes and wild animals. Don't consider yourself special. You think like everyone." He said while refilling his tank.

She smiled. "I am special, though. And I am not like all women. I am Poonam. I stand out." She turned and entered through the grasses to empty her bladder. She was indeed still scared, but she refused to let him categorize her with all women.