ibaadat: Worshipping Her.

Chapter 9

Ibaadat's pov:

The mountain air was crisp and cool as we left behind the flat plains, winding our way up to Dehradun. The early morning sunlight filtered through the dense forest, casting playful shadows on the road ahead. But inside the car, it was anything but peaceful. Avni had taken control of the playlist, and the moment she hit play, the car was alive with the beats of Punjabi music.

"Haanji, shuru karo party!" Avni shouted, cranking up the volume. The speakers thumped with the opening notes of "Old Skool" by Sidhu Moosewala, and the car vibrated with the bass.
("Let the party begin")

I couldn't help but grin, letting the music wash over me as I maneuvered the car around the tight bends. "Bass karr bhene, swere swere hi shuru hogyi tu!!"
("Cool yrr , you started the party early in the morning!")

"Yrr, gaane sunke kon rok sakda apne aap nu!" Avni said, snapping her fingers to the beat. "Nale tu kyu ena chup bethi ee, enjoy kar baii!"
("Who can stop themselves from dancing to these songs? And why are you sitting so quiet, enjoy it!")

With that, she started doing bhangra moves in the passenger seat, her arms flailing in a perfect but hilarious imitation of a dance routine. I burst out laughing at the sight of her trying to jam while seated.

"Avni, tenu dekh ke eve lagda jive hun hi tu nachan lgg jana" I teased, dodging a sharp turn with a wide grin on my face.

("Avni, seeing you, it looks like you're turning the car into a dance floor!")

"Ahi karna meh !" she shot back, not missing a beat. "Tu bas gaadi dhyan nal chala!"
("That's the plan! You just drive carefully!")

As the chorus hit, Avni leaned out the window, her hair whipping around her face, and started belting out the lyrics at the top of her lungs. "Pyaar bolda ee ve jatta chhadd ke!" she sang, her expression a mix of intense focus and sheer joy. The sight was so amusing that I nearly swerved off the road, laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes.

"Avni, dekh agar tu ene drame karegi ta asi Dehradun di jagah Shimla hi land kar jana!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
("Avni, if you keep this up, we'll end up in Shimla instead of Dehradun!")

"Koi nahi, Shimla ch v ahi karna aapa..!" she retorted, sliding back into the seat with a wink. "Bas, ahh gaana khtm ho len de!"
("No worries, we'll bring our swag to Shimla too! Just let this song finish!")

As we drove on, the playlist shifted to a slightly more mellow track...Satinder sartaj's "sajan raazi." I sighed in contentment, letting the music fill the silence. But Avni was having none of it.

"Eh, Ibaadat, tu romantic mood ch kyu aagyi? Hum yaha trip par aaye hai tu pyaar-vyaar ka mood kyu bnake bethi haii?" she chided, though there was a playful note in her voice.
("Hey Ibaadat, why are you in romance mode? We're on a trip here, why are you creating a love mood?")

"Arre, thoda chill karne de yaar! Waise bhi, pehle tu hi keh rahi thi ki feel kar," I countered, rolling my eyes.
("Come on, let me chill a bit! Besides, you were the one who said to feel it first.")

She grinned, clearly not done yet. "Chill toh tu kar rahi hai, par tu yeh song se apne sapno ka rajkumar dhundhne lag gayi hai!"
("You might be chilling, but you're now looking for your dream prince in this song!")

"Tu apna kaam kar, playlist pe focus kar," I shot back, my tone mock-serious.
("You do your job, and focus on the playlist.")

"Jee huzoor, abhi aapke liye ek acha sa track lagati hoon!" she said, her fingers flying over the phone as she searched for the next song.
("Yes sir, I'll find a good track for you right away!")

Within moments, the car was pulsing with the energetic beats of "Darji" by Gippy Grewal, and we were both back in full jamming mode. Avni started tapping on the dashboard like it was a dhol, while I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. The song's infectious energy made it impossible to stay still, and soon enough, we were both singing along, our voices blending into the music.

"Das kive change karr la kam darji da chale mere kar ke!" I sang, trying to keep up with the rapid-fire lyrics. Avni was beside herself, doing exaggerated hand movements to match the words.
(Lyrics of the song)

"Aaj tu full-on concert mode mein hai!" Avni laughed, giving me a thumbs-up. "Dehradun wale bhi teri awaaz sunke sochenge ki yeh superstar kahaan se aa gayi!"
("You're in full concert mode today! The people of Dehradun will think, where did this superstar come from!")

I shook my head, laughing along. "Main nahi, superstar toh tu hai, Dehradun tere dance moves ke liye tayyar nahi hai!"
("It's not me, you're the superstar, Dehradun isn't ready for your dance moves!")

As we continued down the road, the landscape shifted, with the mountains growing taller and the air cooler. But inside our little car, it was all about the music, the jokes, and the easy camaraderie that only comes from years of friendship.

We passed by a group of hikers who waved at us, probably wondering why two girls were having what looked like a full-on party in a moving car. Avni, ever the extrovert, waved back enthusiastically.

"Oye, humare fans mil gaye!" she said, grinning from ear to ear.
("Oh look, we've found our fans!")

I rolled my eyes. "Fans nahi, kehnde hone do ke kudiya pagal ne..!!"
("Not fans, they might think we're crazy girls...!!")

The laughter continued as we made our way toward Dehradun, the city slowly coming into view in the distance. But even as we neared our destination, the vibe inside the car remained the same-pure, unadulterated fun.

"Tu dekhna, Ibaadat, yeh trip hamesha yaad rahegi," Avni said, her tone suddenly serious as the music faded to the background.
("Just watch, Ibaadat, this trip will always be memorable.")

I glanced over at her, my smile softening. "Woh toh hai, yaar. After all, yeh hum dono ka special road trip hai. Aur yeh music, yeh masti-sab kuch perfect hai."
("That's for sure. After all, this is our special road trip. And the music, the fun-everything is perfect.")

She nodded. Whatever awaited us in the city, one thing was certain: with Avni by my side and our playlist on repeat, this trip was already a hit.

Road trip aesthetics: