[a desi bus romance] Vijay and Nila have only one thing in common - they take the same bus at the same time everyday. What if this mere commonality steers their life into a whirlpool of uninvited feelings, wholesome conversations and unexpected conn...
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Vijay remained silent during the auto ride to his house. At first, he wouldn't let her come with him, spouting bullshit along the lines of being a burden to her. But Nila stood her ground and because he was already exhausted, he agreed. If Nila had been in his position, in no universe would Vijay let her go back home alone. If Vijay would do it for her, why would he even think she wouldn't do it for him? Stupid. He was such a stupid man.
He stared at the blurring trees and grey buildings as they moved past them. The light from the flashy billboards shined on Vijay's silent tears that occasionally slipped across his cheek and he didn't even bother to wipe it away, probably because he didn't want her to know. But Nila knew anyway. She knew he was hurting, hurting so much that he didn't want to talk about it or even bring it up with her even once in the time they spent together. Rightfully, she should be somewhat mad that he kept something from her, leaving her unprepared. But all Nila could feel was sadness. Brimming sadness that choked her throat and clenched her heart because this man, this heart-wrenching man of hers, had been going through something devastating and yet been the most vibrant person ever.
"Why aren't you asking me questions, silver?" he said, turning to her. His eyes were glazed, tired and dull like blunt lead.
She inched closer to him so that she could put her arm around his shoulders. "I didn't think you wanted me to."
"I wish you asked so I'd feel less miserable about inconveniencing you," he said.
She curled her fingers around his hair, just tight enough for him to feel a tug. "You listen to me, you idiot. You are not inconveniencing me. You could never be one even if you tried and do you know why? You are charming but you've always been a pain in my ass," she said, and a small smile curved on his lips, "and I fell in love with the same man. Inconvenience, annoyance, idiotic tendencies and all. You mentioning it over and over again is insulting and if I hear it once more, I'm pushing you off this auto, my plane to heaven be damned."
His lips twitched. "You think we get a plane to heaven?"
"Free Business class seats for the best ones," Nila grinned, playing into his attempt at a distraction. It was nice to see her Vijay again, even if it was a glimpse of it.
"Guess we won't be sitting together then," Vijay said and Nila bumped her elbow against his. "What? You're a saint compared to me."
"Hey, I've done mistakes too."
"Enlighten me, sinner."
"I bunk classes."
A rich peal of laughter escaped Vijay's lips. "Sorry to let you down baby, that doesn't qualify."
"Okay, what about cheating? I cheated on a Hindi test in 7th grade," she said, and his mouth opened but she added, "It was the final exam."
"That doesn't make a difference. It was 7th grade. Hardly life-altering," he said.
