A Midsummer's Love Tale

A Midsummer's Love Tale - Chapter Thirteen - The Car Ride

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                                   A MIDSUMMER’S LOVE TALE  

                                         CHAPTER THIRTEEN

                                                 THE CAR RIDE

The next day we had planned a long drive. I managed to convince my uncle with whom I was staying in Delhi that I needed one of his cars. His fleet of cars remained parked in his massive driveway most of the time. He had a Merc, a BMW, Fiat and hold your breath an Amby.

 At first there was reluctance as they were not sure how I would be able to handle their car on treacherous Delhi roads, but on persistent demands from me they later relented and I was handed over the keys to the Amby.

Well the Amby in case any of you is wondering, is the good old Ambassador car which is fast becoming extinct, except used by some people as a cabbie car.

‘Here are the keys. But please be careful with it! Hope you are carrying your driving licence with you, are you?’ was some of the volley of questions I faced as I made my way out with the car.

‘Don’t fret uncle, I drive all the while back home. Even here in Delhi, I’ve been driving around with my friends in their cars.’ This statement left them even more shocked.

‘Take care’ is all they said. I had already planned to pick up Alina from her residence so she was waiting for me outside. She was looking good, wearing a bright pencil skirt with a matching top. She in fact looked heavenly.

I had this sudden urge to gather her in my arms, but couldn’t do it as I was sitting behind the wheel.

I opened the door for her to get inside the car and hurried back to the driving seat.

‘Hey sweetie, somebody’s looking smashing today.’ I commented as she got in besides me in the front street, but that didn’t mean I had given up on my chance to kiss her. Her skirt was riding up as she sat down next to me and boy did I want to feel her there.

She knew instinctively what I was staring at, as only a girl with pretty looks and a terrific figure would know.

 I couldn’t be bothered. I was a man in love and a fiery love affair at that. But all I could do was to give her appreciative impatient glances and continue to drive.

Then suddenly my chance came. An opportunity, so to say, a God send opportunity. There was a red light and I had to stop the car. Before she realized what was happening I had her in my arms. ‘Viks, what’s wrong with you’ she spluttered in a fit of mock anger. ‘People are looking.’

 ‘I couldn’t care less.’ I hissed back. I was a man possessed. I smothered her face with my kisses and she responded back.

‘Oh Viks, you know how much I love you.’

‘Sshh.’ I said, as I continued to kiss her. So involved we were that we couldn’t see the red traffic light turn into green, and were 'woken' up, when there was a huge honking of cars behind us.

I broke apart with a start and drove away fast but not before drawing a huge round of volley of choicest of abuse from all present.

Cheerio. I waved to them as I drove away, and we both had a good laugh. She looked so lovely when she giggled like that. Alas, people didn’t have time to reminisce about lovers. What a pity actually, as love was such a unifying force. It binds two souls together and unmasks the ‘real’ you.

If only these people had ever loved then they wouldn’t be so obscure I thought to myself.

We had planned to drive along Africa Avenue Road and we did that, then we moved over to the Connaught Place circles, first the outer then the inner circle.

Suddenly Alina wanted to go to the Palika Bazaar. Ugh. I thought to myself. The milling crowds inside that structure, was the most disgusting thing.

To top it all, the sweat, the smell of cooked food, chow mein shops mushrooming all over and smoke billowing from their kitchens was a grim reminder of a fire tragedy just waiting to happen anytime.

 To top it all, the innumerable touts who keep standing at the doorstep of each and every shop shouting their wares out, and keep getting in your way.

The most harassed are the foreign tourists because they’ve never seen anything like this. So I was indeed scared and worried both at the same time, and I voiced my concern to Alina. ‘Do you really wish to go there honey? That place is really crazy.’

One look at her face and I decided we were going. Pointless arguing with a stubborn but pretty yet hot headed diva.

When we reached there, it was as I had imagined. In fact on the way in I was accosted by a brash young man, ‘Sir, you wish to buy these goggles, imported Sir, straight from Jaapan! Try them Sir.’

 ‘No please, I don’t want them,’ I told that man somewhat politely, as I moved away. But he wasn’t giving up.

‘Sir, you are missing a bargain. These same pair you will get for not less than 1000 Rupees in big showrooms just across the road. Here it is only 400 rupees Sir.’

 ‘No’, I protested weakly.

‘Alright Sir, last price 350 rupees for you Sir’ he went on.

 ‘No’ I said, a bit firmly, this time and disappeared inside the gate No 1 of Palika Bazaar.

Oh, what a sigh of relief. All this while my lady love was smiling wickedly and giving me her sideways glances as if ‘liking’ my impatience. ‘Why oh why Alina, I told you this place is not my cup of tea.’ I spoke in a complaining tone.

‘Oh come on Viks, my boyfriend is brave, I’m sure he can handle these small pressures’, she told me as she held my hand reassuringly.

 The hell I can, I muttered to myself, as I continued to walk along with her. This girlie of mine was out to test my patience. But why is she doing this, is the crucial question?

A few steps ahead she sensed my desperation and squeezed my hand rather fondly. ‘Don’t look so glum, handsome’ she winked and smiled at me.

 All my anger and fear disappeared in a flash, and the smile returned to my face. ‘That’s more like my sweetheart.’ She spoke as if chiding me. All was well again.

Up ahead we shopped around in Palika for close to two hours. Alina wanted a camera but I advised her against buying it from here as there could be fakes available. However she was way ahead of all this and easily distinguished a 'fake' from a genuine product. She in fact checked the invoice, the guarantee card and what not, finally she decided she'd buy it some other time. 

We then sat at a Chinese eatery and had a Chinese meal to our heart's content. The meal consisted of a plate of chow mein with chilly chicken and prawns thrown in. The cold drinks were compulsory to wash all this down.

In the evening I dropped her back on the 'Amby' and was thrilled at the prospect of driving her home. Much like the man in her life. During the entire journey back she was cuddled up to me and her head was rested on my shoulders. Envious and prying eyes in passerby cars followed our 'progress.'

Ah! Sheer bliss, this......

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End of Chapter Thirteen - A Midsummer’s Love Tale

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