Together Forever

Chapter 24: Night walk

Watching the moon which gave him momentary peace, Sanskaar waited for her to come leaning against the lamp post. The  slow creaking sound of the gate caught his attention, his eyes moved from the moon and looked at Swara who was waving her hand at him with a smile as she walked closer to him.

She looked different in her black joggers, hair pulled in a messy bun while her strands were already out with some tugged behind her ears and some still on her face and surprisingly she had wore spectacles which he has never seen.

Swara for another time turned behind to see if anyone was following her because if she knew the consequences of what would happen if she gets caught for roaming around like a ghost outside. 

"I didn't know that you were a chasmish?" Sanskaar asked and that was when Swara remembered that she had forgotten to keep them away as she was busy checking if everyone was in their rooms so that she could come out.

"Ah! I use these when I go to paint so I just got use to them." She grinned and placed her hand on the spectacles rim. "Let's see go." Swara whispered and dragged him with her until they were out of her lane. She sighed in relief and Sanskaar smiled.

"What makes you want to roam at 3 AM?  and do you even sleep Miss.3 AM best friend?" Swara giggled when she heard her nickname and tugged her hair strands behind her ears which ultimately didn't last long and came back to her face, again.

"I do sleep Mr. Flirty best friend. It's just that it's been so long since I roamed around at nights and I needed a company. Jay would be sleeping and so I called you but you took my call within one ring as if you expected to get a call from me. Care to answer?" Swara asked. She didn't expect him to pick up the call on first place but surprisingly he did and he didn't sound sleepy. She knew Sanskaar was someone who doesn't comprises with his sleep except for three things- exams, grandmother and mood off. They don't have exams at least for a month, he would have informed if anything was wrong with his grandmother and the only choice left was mood off.

"Just!" Sanskaar quickly averted his eyes away from her and Swara was quick to notice him lie.

"Yeah it's only 'Just'!" Swara nodded her head emphasizing his word. It didn't take rocket science for him to understand that she found him lie and cursed himself for not able to lie properly, neither to his grandparents nor Swara.

Swara and Sanskaar found a small kulfi stall, despite his protest she got two for each of them and sat on the bus stop, having their own kulfi and mourning in delight with every bite.

Sanskaar was busy savoring the taste of frozen dairy dessert and had completely forgotten everything that made him sleepless. A soft smile spread across her lips, it was so easy to lift up his moods with small things.

Was he just the same boy who denied when told she was going to order kulfi? She shook her head in disbelief.

"So what it is?" Swara questioned as she finished her kulfi.

"Kulfi! Swara you are even wearing spectacles and can't you see this?" She rolled her eyes at his comment while Sanskaar looked her innocently as he took his last bite and left a delightful mourn. It has been so long since he had kulfi and so he busy having it with at most sincerity.

"Sanskaar, stop diverting me with your words." Her voice was soft but the firmness it held was high and he found it relaxing. Sanskaar smiled, he felt so good to know that someone genuinely cared for him  except for his grandparents of course. 

"Today is my dadu's birthday and- I miss him." Sanskaar closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He missed him enough that the heart of his constrained with the thought he wasn't with them. Sanskaar's thoughts never left his grandfather since the day he went away, after all he was a father figure to him and the fact that he wasn't there left him breathless. Thankfully, it was weekends and he was able to stick around with his gf and made her laugh as much as he can. It was too exhausting for him to joke and smile in spite of wanting to sit in one place without talking to anyone.