Finding Love

Chapter 17

After stopping over at a small shack by the highway, for a refreshing cup of flavoured tea to keep themselves awake and alert, Aaqib pulled back onto the highway, resuming the tedious but fun drive to Ajmer. In the spur of the moment, they had all decided to go on a road trip to Ajmer, without considering the fatigue that would follow with the drive. Now on the highway, four hours into the drive, his shoulder muscles were facing the brunt of their collective recklessness. He sighed in relief, when he spotted the neon sign indicating the diversion to Bikaner. Bikaner meant food. Good food. Divine pampering for the taste buds! A small smile found its way onto his tired face, as he shifted gears, taking the diversion road. He had already informed Salima that they too were to take the Bikaner diversion route, to stop over for lunch. So, he had nothing to worry about, except for the continuous argument between Ayat and Kabir, regarding some new addition to the corporate law mandate in the country. They said they were discussing the pros and cons of the new judgement. But it hardly seemed like a decent discussion.

Pulling into a drive in, he stopped, waiting for Ayat and Kabir to get off the car, so that he could park it. Sighing, when they just continued arguing, unmindful that he was waiting for them to get off, he turned to face Kabir, who was in the passenger seat next to him.

"You two, please stop. And get off the car, now!" Oh, was he frustrated.

Both Ayat and Kabir, stared at Aaqib, surprised, not expecting a sudden showdown of temper.

"Aaqib?" Slowly, Kabir asked, trying not to anger the already annoyed Aaqib.

"What now?" Aaqib snapped, looking up at a bemused Kabir.

Kabir stared at him for one long moment, before softly saying, "I'll drive after lunch", and got off the car, striding towards the shade of a humongous tamarind tree, Ayat in tow.

Irritated and tired, Aaqib steered the car into the parking lot. Getting off, he banged the door shut, and soon regretted it. He realised two things. One, it was not his car. It was Razaak's Mercedes, something very close to his heart. And two, the thud of the shutting, earned him quite a few odd glances. Locking the doors shut, he walked towards the same tamarind tree, lost in his thoughts, head hung down to avoid the sun. A sudden honk right behind him, shook him out of his reverie. He hastened his strides, and got off the way, avoiding to even as much as look at the car. Strangely enough, it kept honking, much to Aaqib's dismay and irritation. He looked up at the driver, nose scrunched up, clearly showing his annoyance. But the minute his eyes landed on the rear window, the scrunch of the nose was gone, and his eyebrows shot up, as his gaze fell upon a guffawing Noorie, who was staring at Aaqib between those giggles, which were so strongly muffled, because of the raised windows. Bewildered, his steps slowed down, ultimately leading him to stop, as he looked into the car, smiling at his silliness. The hearty giggles in the backdrop didn't miss his ears. Looking to his left, he saw Kabir and Ayat walking towards him, laughing like they were going loony. Scowling, he looked at them, features ridden with question, and the right eyebrow quirked up.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing Just that you were so lost in your woes, that you didn't realise that they called out to you at least four times!" It was Kabir who spoke, with a boyish grin plastered to his face.

'Really? Four times? No way!' Aaqib didn't think he was so lost after all. Strange. He never missed out when anyone called out to him. How did this happen this time then?

"Someone's zoned out again, I see," Noorie's words were dripping with sarcasm. She always was sarcastic, just, a little more, when hungry. Say, her tongue was drenched with sarcasm, when starving for food.

"No...." Indeed, Aaqib realised that he was actually zoning out.

"What exactly are you thinking, brother dearest?" Noorie tried her best to fight the urge to roll her eyes at Aaqib's current state. Current miserable state.