On the Brink of falling in Love (On Hold)

"I think I know better"

~ Itni shiddat se maine tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai ... ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai ~

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As soon as the waiter left to get the plate of cookies, Akash slowly untangled their little fingers only to entwine their arms together as he pulled his chair to sit closer. He smiled brightly when his eyes met hers. He leaned closer as he spoke,

"I can't thank you enough for giving me a chance. I promise I'll never let you down", he then leaned back and spoke in a different voice, imitating Srishti from the other day, "It's really overwhelming, thanks."

Srishti raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in his tone and when she realised that he had imitated her, she smirked as she replied,

"Mr. Malhotra, if you can repeat lines, then so can I" she then spoke in a husky voice, trying to imitate his response from the other day as she completed her sentence, "I did not give a chance to you. I gave a chance to US."

Both looked at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. As the laughter died down, Akash came closer and spoke in a very intimidating voice,

"Its Akash for you."

Srishti slightly blushed at that and the two then spoke about their families, jobs, friends and favourites as they sipped on their coffee. Once they had finished, they left the café and walked towards the bike. Conversations flowed effortlessly between the two as they became more comfortable in each other's presence. Once Akash seated himself on the bike, Srishti quietly followed. She sat closer and firmly held his shoulders. Akash smiled and raised an eyebrow at her through the mirror before teasing her,

"Seems like someone is not shy now."

"I never was shy", Srishti shot back.

"Keep saying that to yourself", he mocked as he brought the engine to life and before Srishti could muster a response, they were speeding towards the city outskirts.

As they drove past the highways, the wind brushing strongly against them, they settled into a comfortable silence. After riding for about forty-five minutes, Akash parked his bike near a small farm. Srishti took the cue and got down, stretching herself from the ride as she looked around, taking in the beauty of the surroundings.

Once he parked the bike on a side, he turned and stretched his hand towards Srishti. His simple gesture, caused blood to rush to her cheeks as she slowly placed her palm in his. He clutched her hand tightly and led her between farms on the opposite side of the road. She simply followed him, letting him take her wherever he wanted.

She stared at his form blankly as he led them through a narrow bridge that looked over a small stream of water. How did he manage to affect her so much, every time? Sometimes, he never uttered a word and still she felt intimidated. How?

Just as she realised that she had been in her own thoughts for quite some time now, she saw him leading her to a flight of stairs that led to an old building. As she looked up, she assumed the building to be the old remains of a deserted mosque. She looked at him quizzically, but upon realising that he wasn't going to answer her question, sighed and ascended the stairs.

Once she reached the top, he pulled her into the building. As the darkness engulfed her, she tightened her hold on his palm as her other hand snaked around his arm on its own accord, and she landed hanging onto him for her life. He smiled at her actions and held her hand tightly, assuring her,

"Shhh... Don't be sacred" he slightly turned to face her, "I am with you", he patted her hand that clutched his arm gently and leaned towards her side, "And I'll always be"