Amsterdam To Ambala. ✈ ✔

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIII - "Just friends!!!"

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She barged into his room, bubbling with her ever green enthusiasm, something in her that made it hard for anyone to resist her. She was always so full of energy, so warm and kind yet so brutally honest that you'd feel bad for yourself if you encounter her. You talk to her for the first time and you'd feel like you have known her since forever. Such was her captivating and alluring personality. How could anyone not fall for her?

However, as she entered his room, the lips that were curved upwards reversed downwards. She narrowed her eyes at him and watched him carefully with a frown now present on her lips. As much as she liked him in those nerdy glasses that made him look a thousand times more adorable than he already was, she hated him for being so much awkward socially. He avoided people as much as he could. He was never completely comfortable around the family members. Tisha was obviously an exception to everything almost. He was always immersed in his books or his own imaginary world where there were just rainbows and unicorns. No one ever got hurt. No one judged others. People had brilliant morals and the most important thing, compassion. In short, the ideal world.

Tisha had stopped living in that world a long time ago for she had realised that the life is much harsh as compared to the fake happy endings shown in the books and movies. It's nothing like that. It was never like that. Not for her, atleast.

He was so much engrossed in his work and his writing that he didn't even realise her presence and mind you her presence was felt by even a sleepy person. But Aman was Aman after all. As she began to observe him closely, she found him really fascinating. The way he would set his reading glasses again and again with his middle finger, the way his ink pen worked effortlessly on the blank pages filling them with words so beautiful that she couldn't even fathom, the way his hands move like a calligraphist creating an intricate design. As she caught a sight of his handwriting, she was blown away. He indeed was a calligraphist. His handwriting, so intricate and neat that she almost felt like she would ruin it by looking at it. It was the finest print she had ever seen. Instead of writing on a laptop or a typewriter, he preferred hand writings. As much as she wished to see him like this, but she was getting bored sitting alone in her room, she wanted to go out with some company and there was no better company than Aman. She loved to tease him and enjoyed the way he was always trying to run away from her probably thinking, What a psycho!

"Aman!" She spoke quickly in a loud booming voice that made Aman startle and he almost fell off his revolving chair.

"Oh God." He gasped out loudly placing his hand over his heart.

"Let's go out na, Please. You're so boring. Come with me. I will take you somewhere new today." She proposed rolling her eyes at his dramatic self.

"Not right now. I will forget whatever I have in mind and once I forget, I won't remember it again in a hundred years atleast."

"Oh please. Get out of your books sometimes. Feel the world. There's so much better to do than these stupid novels and stories."

"It's one of the best feelings in the world. Trust me."

"How come? There's nothing real in it. All the stories have just one crap. 'And they lived happily ever after.' Real life main aisa kahaan hota hai?" [It never happens in real life.] She frowned.

"Issi liye to hum apni khushiyan kahaniyon main talaash karte hain." [That's why we try to find our happiness in stories.] He spoke fluently, making her awestruck. She tried to speak but couldn't. He had made her speechless for the first time. The depth in his words, the emotions in his voice and some hidden agony beneath made her enter into a trance. He smiled seeing her at the loss of words. He flicked her nose with his forefinger and turned around.

"I will join you in a short while once I complete this chapter." He spoke and she replied with a faint 'Okay.'

She fell down on the bed and waited for him to get done while examining his stuff at times to get rid of her boredom. She picked up a novel and flipped through the pages. Only the width of the book freaked her out. Aman sat there quietly lost in his dream world and making everything work.

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"Hey, whose guitar is this?" Aman asked excitedly as his eyes fell on the dusty guitar in the store room when they were about to go out.

"My sister used to play." She replied in a melancholic tone.

"Oh. I am sorry."

"It's fine. Do you know how to play?" She asked.

"Yes. Kind of." He replied, unsure of what to do.

"Then play. It's been here ever since." She wiped the tear from the corner of her eyes.

"You sure?" He asked again.

"Positive." She assured. He took it out and she cleaned it with the old piece of cloth. They went out towards the lake. Tisha sat near the water, somewhat lost today. It was another bad day for her or just mood swings but whatever it was, it was bothering her alot and her face was in a continuous frown unlike the beautiful smile gracing her face which Aman had gotten used to of. He sat against the tree and took out the guitar. He tightened the strings and tuned it well before strumming on the strings. He began to think of what to sing and suddenly he got a brilliant idea. He could surprise her. Maybe it would make her smile. There was one Hindi song that he had remembered by heart and had played it several times before as well. He began to play the tune as Tisha looked back in surprise at that familiar music.

"Hmm..Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga..."

"I never knew you could sing this well and that too a Hindi song." Tisha smiled in awe and wonder.

"I knew this one song so I thought, why not!" He popped out his tongue.

"Your voice is so so beautiful." She was all hearts for his this talent. "Like why do the already talented people have all the talents. You write. You sing. You play guitar. You design. Is there something more that I am unaware of?" She blabbered.

"Time will tell." He chuckled.

"Teach me to play guitar as well." She requested, getting excited.

"Sure."

She settled beside him as he placed his arm around her and they began to practice together.

All for that one precious smile. He thought, unaware of the fact that he had lost this race too.

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Umm thoughts?