The Journey

Chapter 17.

Ishitha's POV-

"Ten minutes more." Aarav stated.

"Okay, dude, you don't have to read out the time again and again." I said, glaring at him. Aarav chuckled as he again succeeded to piss me off.

"Seems like I'm going to miss you too." He smiled, softly.

"Stop making me emotional." I said, trying my best not to cry.

"Oh my god, are you going to cry? Chill, chill, I was just fucking around with you." Aarav rushed to my side to calm me down.

"It's just that I don't like saying goodbye to people I like." I told him.

"Goodbyes are bittersweet, but it's not the end, I'll see your face again." He stated.

"Stop quoting a One Direction song!" I laughed.

"Okay. Okay. So.... you like me, huh?" He asked, winking at me.

"Go away, Aarav." I chuckled, wiping the tears which had fallen on my cheeks.

"Arre, what is this? Ek baar bolti ho I don't like saying goodbye, phir bolti ho go away, mai karu kya?"

"Shut up." I mumbled.

Aarav held my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. And for the first time, without even thinking twice, I wrapped my arms around his torso and smiled to myself.

Trust me when I say this, I really like Aarav Oberoi.

"Aarav."

"Ishitha."

"What was your first impression about me?" I asked him.

I heard him laugh softly as he rested his chin on my head.

"Well, I thought you were really cute. But when I finally met you, I also got to know how amazing of a person you are too." He said, which made me smile.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"What was your first impression about me?" He asked.

I chuckled thinking about the first time I saw him.

"I honestly thought you were really good looking and was excited to share the coach with you for the next five days. I thought it would be fun, and I was right. It was fun." I said.

"Glad to know that."

I pulled away from him and looked at him.

"What?" He asked, chuckling.

"Two minutes." I stated.

"Way to ruin the moment, Ishitha." He replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you deserved it." A giggle escaped my mouth.

"Oh! Come here!" I exclaimed, quickly pulling Aarav to my side.

"I'll have these as memories." I said before clicking three to four selfies on my phone.

Before we knew it, we were in Ranchi.

"Well, Mr. Oberoi, welcome to Ranchi." I said, grinning at Aarav.

"Thank you, Ms. Sahni." He said, smiling.

"Let everyone else get down first, so we can get down in peace and not in a rush." I told him.

"You just want to spend some more time with me, Ishitha." Aarav smirked.

True that. But then obviously I won't tell him that, instead I rolled my eyes at him.

"Aren't you giving yourself too much importance?"

"Aren't you giving me too much importance?" He asked.

"No."

"Exactly. That's the problem."

"Shut up." I chuckled. He smiled at me before looking out at the station.

"Is uncle here to pick you up?" He questioned.

"Nope. Naveen uncle is here." I stated.

"Who's he?"

"Dad's driver."

"How're you going?" I asked him.

"Driver."

I nodded my head and looked out. Everyone had gotten down and it was our turn now.

"Let's go?" I asked him.

"Yeah, let's go." He smiled softly at me.

I picked up my bags and walked out of the coach with Aarav right behind me.

Before we stepped out of the train, Aarav stopped me.

"Ishitha wait." He said, holding my wrist.

I turned around to look at him.

"So this has been going on in my mind since the minute it came out of your mouth." He started.

"That is?" I asked him.

"Back there you said you'll keep those selfies as memories. Does that mean, we'd never meet after this?" He questioned.

I looked at him for a couple of seconds before answering.

"Let's leave that on fate, shall we?" He smiled at me before nodding his head, "We shall."

I turned around and walked out of the train. We walked out of the station together, but in complete silence. Neither of us tried speaking.

"So this is it?" He asked, looking at me, once we were out.

"Maybe. I don't know." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Naveen uncle had spotted me the minute I got out of the station and hence drove the car to where I was standing.

Aarav looked down at his phone and then in some direction. A man, who I'm assuming to be his driver waved at him. Aarav signalled him to wait for a minute, before turning towards me.

"So, uh... I'll get going then."

"Yeah, bye." I smiled. He smiled back, before turning around and walking towards his car.

We achieve everything by our efforts alone. Our fate is not decided by God. We decide our own fate by our actions. You have to gain mystery over yourself. It's not a matter of sitting back and accepting.

That was something my mom had told me.

"Chale Ishitha madam?" Naveen uncle asked me, breaking my chain of thoughts. I looked to my side and noticed that my bags were already kept in the trunk.

"Naveen uncle, ek minute." I told him.

"Aarav!" I shouted.

Aarav stopped in his tracks and turned around. I ran to where he was standing and stood right infront of him.

"You uh....." I started, but didn't know how to go about it.

"You what?" He chuckled. I breathed out, biting my lower lip and smiling.

"Uh... you remember the dare you had given me?" I questioned.

"Could you be more precise?" He asked.

"Uh... the date one."

"Yeah." He said, looking at me intently.

"So, I was just wondering if the offer is still on?" I asked him, trying to control my smile, but obviously, I failed.

"Yeah, it's still on." He replied with a huge grin on his face.

"You had also asked me a question while playing twenty questions." I reminded him.

"That was?"

"My phone number."

He smirked at me before handing his phone over to me. I entered my number and handed it back to him.

"So.... I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah, see you soon."