Dawning

Chapter 13

Hardy and Jassi began their final trek.

One that would lead them their separate ways. Both of them had a lot of going on in their heads. Neither spoke to the other as they made their way though the thick jungle.

Jassi.
"I wanted to get out of London. I wanted to have a life with Sukhi. But here I am, returning with a stranger, who knocked on my door a few months ago. What will I do now? I surely don't have any chance of going back to the home I grew up in. I know it won't have a place for me anymore. Do I just keep following Hardy around like I am doing now? He's done things for me that even my parents haven't. And I've come to quite like him. Maybe more than just like him."

Jassi's train of thoughts surprised her. She never believed herself to be the one to fall in love again. But since Hardy had come into her life, things had changed.

Hardy.
"My guilt was eating at me still. I felt responsible to some degree for how Sukhi and Jassi's lives had turned out. I had all the plans to simply travel to London and bring her back to the safety of her home. Perhaps look out for her until she found her footing again. But I wasn't planning on falling in love with someone I had only heard about. But now, I'm drawn to Jassi like a moth towards fire. I'd give anything to see that infectious smile on her face again. To have her by my side forever, if she'll allow that."

Hardy came to a conclusion amidst his thoughts. He will not say a word. Yes there have been moments between them in the past few months but the situations were tense, they had to count on each other. She would have said something if there was something else. There is nothing so he'll let it go. Let her go.

Hardy stopped walking abruptly. His action caused Jassi, who was walking behind him, to bump into his back.

"Why did you stop?" She asked surprised.

Hardy pointed at the distant outline of Attari Railway station.

"Welcome home." He replied with a faint smile.

"Oh." That's all that she could come up with.

They walked the rest of the distance and practically threw themselves onto one of the benches on the platform.

"We'll catch a train to Laltu from here, I'll drop you home and then head to Pathankot." Hardy spoke after a while. That somehow pulled at Jassi's heartstrings. There was a pause, she didn't reply for a while.

"I heard it you know." She finally spoke, barely above a whisper.

"Huh?" He was confused.

"That day, when you were talking to Kamal and I thought I was asleep. I heard what you told him." Jassi clarified.

"Oh." It was his turn to reply monotonously.

They could hear the train approaching now, oddly enough it was headed to Pathankot. As the train came to an halt at the station, Jassi began speaking,

"Did you mean it?" She looked up at his face.

Hardy took his time reading his face, trying to catch any reluctance. There was none. It was now or never.

"Every single word. Jassi, if you give me a chance, if you trust me, I'll prove every word to you." He held her hand in his pulling her closer. Jassi offered him a bright smile.

"I do."  He returned the smile at her words and leaned down so that their forehead were touching. Both lost in their own bubble.

Their bubble was burst by the loud whistle of the train, indicating it was leaving the station.

"C'mon!"

Hardy ran up ahead and got into one of the carriages. Hardy held onto the metal support bar with his right hand and extended his left hand for Jassi to catch as the train started speeding up. Jassi ran up and caught his hand just in time to get pulled inside the train. Both standing at the door facing each other, having big smiles on their faces.

"You know what this reminds me of?"

"What?"

"That movie which released few years ago? Ah yes, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge." Hardy snickered.

"Shut up!" Jassi playfully slapped his arm before burying her face in his shirt.