PANI-a story we wish were true !

Part 66

Recap: Veebha convinces Niti to stay back on the show but Parth has given his decision to quit. He is serving his notice period of 1 month.

Both their cars were parked one beside the other and since it was just the two of them on shoot that day, they could not help but think about the good old days they had spent with each other happily.

As Parth drove off, he kept looking into the rear view mirror to check whether Niti's car was following. By the time he reached the main gate, he never found her car coming behind and that made him worried. He stopped and took his car reverse to find that her car was still parked at the same place and she was sitting inside probably struggling to start off. As soon as he realized she had been struggling to start her car, he wanted to go and help her out. But he was left in a dilemma whether to go or not, whether she would be comfortable taking his help. He was very well aware that there was nobody around who could help her except for him. The entire crew had left by that time and it was just the two of them in the premises.

He was sitting there in his car, wondering whether it would be appropriate of him to go up to her or not when he heard someone knock on his car window. He looked up to find Niti standing there asking him to lower his window so that she could talk. She did seem to be nervous on having to come and talk to him but he knew she was helpless and he did not want her to feel that embarrassment. He therefore, instead of lowering the window, opened the door and got down from the car to talk to her. Looking at her nervousness, simply talking through the window would have been rude on his part was what he thought.

Niti: (nervously, trying to avoid eye contact) I'm sorry for having to disturb you. Actually my car isn't starting so if you don't mind could you please help me out ?

He kept looking at her constantly looking here and there, avoiding eye contact with him. Her nervousness almost killed him. He then badly missed those days when there was so much comfort between the two of them. They could talk to each other about anything and everything and there was no nervousness or embarrassment about anything. He simply nodded and followed her to her car and tried to figure out the problem.

He wasn't a mechanic but looking at the condition of the car he was immediately able to make out that it needed proper mechanical support without which it would not be able to function. He was about to declare that to her and offer to drop her home instead as the car was genuinely not in a state to get started, but he realized she might take him in the wrong sense. She might assume he is pretending such a thing so that he could get to spend time with her. He thought it to be a bit inappropriate and therefore, instead of offering her the drive, kept trying to fix the problem somehow even though he knew it wasn't to be fixed ! After a while he moved aside and gave out a sigh.

Parth: Umm, I'm sorry actually this requires the mechanic's support. I tried but I won't be able to fix it.

He didn't immediately offer to drive her home as he found it uncomfortable and inappropriate for her, looking at her nervousness. She kept staring at the car for a while, wondering whether she could ask him to drop her home as it was quite late and her home was far away. After enough of silence between the two of them, Parth finally spoke up,

Parth: Listen, I don't mean to make you nervous or uncomfortable but if you don't mind, I can drop you home. It's quite late and trust me I did try my best to fix your car but since it's not possible therefore I'm offering. Only if you don't mind.

Niti: (nervously) Okay !

For the first 5 minutes of the drive, none of them spoke up anything. Both of them were lost in the old times when Parth used to pick her up and drop her home from shoot. In the earlier days of their friendship, when Niti's car was in the garage and Parth had helped her out by offering her a drive daily to and from the shoot, those days had brought the two of them much closer. Their friendship had evolved over those drives and none of them realized as to when did the friendship turn into love.