Take Me Away

Chapter 14

The next morning, Heer's body clock awoke her earlier than usual. She squinted at her phone to see that the time. Ugh. She looked out the window and saw that it was still dark outside. Great. She could probably go for a walk. With that, she pulled on a sweatshirt, a thick jacket and wore her shoes.

She stepped out of the hotel and felt the cool, crisp air all around her. Ah this was good. She marched out and took nice long strides. She was already feeling really good again. She had called up her mother and caught up on her day yesterday. Speaking to her mother always made her feel good. If that wasn't enough, she even got Mr. Nair on the line. His dry humour had her laughing.

She pulled out her earphones and plugged them into the phone. She switched to her old jazz playlist and kept walking. Her stride picked up as the songs changed. She then looked at her phone to see that she had been walking for an hour. Her eyes widened. She didn't even realize how long she'd been walking. She turned around and started walking back. She looked around to notice her surroundings. In her power walking mode, she didn't realize where she was. There was only one conclusion. She was lost.

She just kept walking when she saw the light. The sun was beginning to rise right in front of her. As the sun rose, she was overcome with a strange sort of joy. An invigorating victory almost that she was out here, with only the sun for company. It felt so good to bask in the early morning sun far, far away from everyone and everything that for the first time in so many years, she felt like she was shining as well. For the first time, she felt carefree.

As she walked back leisurely without a care in the world, she spotted the hotel on the top of the hill. She made her way slowly. In the middle of the way, she saw a red bench calling out to her. The view behind the bench was even more stunning. She happily marched and plonked herself on the bench. It was time to enjoy the rest of the sunrise.

When she finally reached the gate of the hotel, she saw Ishaan getting out. She smiled at him. He smiled back. The hoodie was back on. She reached out and tugged it lower playfully. His gaze went up and his grin widened.

"You seem chipper. Where have you been?"

"I went for a walk. It was really nice!" She smiled at him.

He blinked and looked at her. She did look happy. He then smiled and said, "I'm glad." He then gestured outside and said, "Would you like to join me for another round?"

He extended his arm. She looked down and looked up at him. She had never walked hand in hand with a guy before. She had only seen it in movies. Up until this moment, she wouldn't have believed people even did it. He almost felt like fiction to her. She smiled and hesitantly placed her hand in the crook of his arm.

They set off on another path. She knew she shouldn't feel this happy. This kind of happiness would only make her miss him more later. But for once, she gave in.

Author's Note: I know it's been a long time but I hope these two chapters make up for it. How have you guys been? I hope you've been keeping safe!

S.