"I thought you hated hugs" , I voiced out as he wrapped his arms ever so gently around me.
"I still do, but hugs from you are an exception", he pulled me closer, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Intrigued, I slightly tilted my head...
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As I stepped into the balcony, a rush of cool breeze enveloped me, doing nothing but heightening the unsettled thoughts.
I leaned against the railing, staring down at the cityline that stretched ahead of me. Though the downpour had ceased, occasional drops still found its way to me , gently tapping my skin.
I hated the sudden turn of events. Everything was going well. Me, Prisha and Swara were enjoying each other's company, cracking silly jokes here and there and enjoying our food and the movie until Swara brought up the topic of her Manali trip. How could she even think that I would be allowing her to go on a college trip and that too in absence of the supervision of any of the family members. Goosebumps erupted on my skin as the thought of allowing her to go to another city crept in my mind. There was no way I was sending her. I was determined not to send her alone.
The sound of the balcony door sliding open broke my thoughts. My body stiffened as I heard soft footsteps approaching me. I instantly knew who the presence belonged to when she came and stood beside me. Prisha's shoulders brushed against my arms gently, easing the frown that had formed on my forehead.
"Please Prisha. If you are here to convince me to let her go then I am not in the mood to listen to anything." I asserted, trying to muffle the conversation then and there.
"Oh I am certainly here to convince you and you are going to listen to me Mr.Rudy " a smile threatened to form on my lips when I heard her calling me by the nickname she had initially given me.
"I am serious, Prisha." I started, my voice low, "I am not letting her go on some stupid trip with her college friends." I said, gripping the railing harder.
"And I am serious too, Veer. You have to let her experience certain things alone. She is a grown up now. You can't just shelter her forever" Prisha sighed softly beside me.
I clenched my jaw, the tightness in my chest refusing to ease. "It's not about sheltering her. It's about keeping her safe. You very well know that anything could go wrong out there."
She didn't back down. Instead she inched closer to me. "Yes. I know very well that anything could go wrong at any time. And I know the thought is unsettling. But you have to let her enjoy her life too and let her make decisions for herself."
"She is still too young." I argued, my voice sharper than I intended.
"She is young but she is responsible. For whatever short span I have known her, I for a fact know that she is more mature than any other person of her age. Your parents, you, have raised her so well. You will have to trust her."
