YOU BEFORE ME

The first long drive

Since no series was going on just then, Rohit was in Mumbai for a long bout, and scarcely a day passed without him meeting Ritika. 

And it was delighting him as much as it was scaring him. Firstly Yuvi paaji didn't know he had got so close to his sister. Secondly, he couldn't be sure if Ritika saw him just as a friend or more. [He was sure he considered her more than a friend]. And thirdly, he could not shake off the feeling that even if Ritika did like him that way, he didn't deserve her.

Ritika was the most cheerful of persons, an eternal optimist. She loved to travel like him; and she was a big animal activist. Rohit had always been a low-key animal activist himself, and somehow being with her made him a full-fledged one.

They signed up countless animal rights organizations together, and worked with them for long hours. Nothing like a common vocation to make two people bond.

They showed each other all their respective favourite places in the city.

The first time they went for a long drive together was on a cold winter morning in February.

One of their activist groups had requested for volunteers for a campaign in Vasai, a village near Mumbai.

"We'll go," offered Ritika promptly, glancing at Rohit. "Can't we?"

"Sure," said Rohit, hoping against hope that no one else would volunteer.

One of the other members said, "Count me in too."

Rohit's heart sank.

And then Ritika spoke up. "You can cover the next village," she said swiftly. "Two are enough for this."

Rohit's heart jumped up again, and he found himself grinning like an idiot for several hours afterward.

Accordingly, they decided they'd set off early morning the next day.

Rohit set around 15 alarms so that he could not miss out even if he tried. He woke up on the fourteenth alarm, thankful to see that it was only 5:30 am. Still plenty of time to get ready and call Ritika. He remembered they had not fixed their meeting place.

After a few minutes Ritika called him. 

"Good morning," said Rohit. "We didn't decide where to..."

"Open your door," said Ritika.

Rohit ran and opened the door of his apartment, half in a daze. Ritika was standing outside with a grin.

"Since we're taking your car, this is the most sensible place to meet," she said.

"I could've gone to pick you up," protested Rohit, realizing that she might have walked all the way this early in the morning.

"I didn't walk, you dolt," said Ritika, seeming to read his thoughts. "I took a cab."

"Oh," said Rohit. "Great," he added, his nervousness at having Ritika in his flat for the first time resurfacing.

He tried hard to hide it.

"I was just having breakfast," said Rohit. "Do you want to eat something too?"

"I already ate but I certainly don't mind eating again," said Ritika, with her trademark smile which accompanied whenever she talked about food. She loved eating. 

Though, Rohit did note, she had a very good figure. For the hundredth time he wondered how anyone could be as perfect as her. And to think he was going on a drive with her today!!

......................................................

It was an great day, cold and windy. Rohit felt paradise couldn't be nicer as they sped through the highway with the windows rolled down, the wind making Ritika's hair fly all over the place and making her look even more beautiful than she usually did.

"This is my favourite sort of thing to do," declared Ritika, when they stopped at a dhaba for an early lunch. "Good weather, good cause and good company."

"I second you," said Rohit. "Especially the company part." He didn't know how he was bold enough to add that, but in last two months, he had slowly but surely felt his general reserve around girls melting away when he was with Ritika.

Ritika caught his eyes and smiled. Rohit smiled back, his heart skipping a beat.

He didn't think he had ever been happier.

.........................................................

They had a long day out in the village and had a splendid time. It was already after sundown when they finally started their car for the journey back home.

"Are you tired?" asked Rohit, as Ritika leaned back on the seat with a relaxed air.

"Yes," yawned Ritika. "Are you? You better not be, cause you're the one driving."

"I'm not...much," said Rohit. "You can sleep if you like."

"Oh no," said Ritika. "I don't want to miss a single moment of the drive back. Look at the stars!"

The village sky was extremely different from the city sky, dotted with twinkling silver dots.

"They are nice," said Rohit inadequately.

"Nice doesn't come close to capturing it," said Ritika severely. "By the way, I remember a poem by Keats I read in childhood...it had a big name, something beginning with 'bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art'..."

Rohit had never been particularly fond of poems in his childhood. "Do you like poems?"

"By a few poets, yes," said Ritika. "Don't you?"

"Erm, no," said Rohit.

"I'll make you love them," said Ritika brightly.

"I'll make you love cricket," countered Rohit.

"I already love cricket," said Ritika. "I'm a cricket manager! Say, do you have a manager?"

"I'm not a big enough player to have a manager," said Rohit.

"Well, you will be soon. I've heard most people think you're the most talented youngster in this generation," said Ritika with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"I'm not," said Rohit hastily. "Virat is."

"You and Virat both, from what I've heard. But I'm sure you'll rise more than him. People like Virat...they get too carried away by success and forget their goal in the end."

Rohit felt annoyed at that.

As much as he liked Ritika, he did not like to hear her running down his best friend. Or maybe because he liked Ritika, it mattered to him what she thought of his best friend.

"I'll make you meet Virat during this IPL," said Rohit. "You come to see a few of the matches, don't you?"

"Yes, quite a lot. I adore Mumbai Indians," said Ritika.

"Well," grumbled Rohit. "I don't."

"Of course you don't," said Ritika with a laugh. "But yeah, I want to meet Virat and see what's so great about him that you're so fond of him."

"He's the best person in the universe," muttered Rohit under his breath.

"Hopeless," Ritika seemed to sigh.

........................................................................

In spite of not wanting to miss 'a single moment of the journey', eventually Ritika's tiredness won and she fell asleep when they were halfway through.

Rohit did not wake her till he reached her apartment, and then gently shook her shoulder, calling her name, also gently.

Ritika woke up and slowly registered that she was already home. 

"Thanks a lot, Ro," she said sleepily as they came out of the car. "I think I've finally found my best friend."

Even if she called him her best friend, it still warmed him.

"I hope we get another village assignment soon," said Rohit.

"Me too," said Ritika.