I had so much fun in the last four days that I didn't want to leave this amazing place. I sulked as I packed my bags at a snail's pace. Surbhi scolded me to work faster, but I acted like someone had died; we were leaving today.
Yesterday was our last day of the trip, and in the evening, we had a bonfire. Mayank made sure everyone had the best experience, and for that, he had asked our school's band to prepare a small performance.
Apart from the musical surprise, we had an appreciation ceremony where Mayank called each student one by one to stand in front of others and appreciated them for their hard work; he even gifted us goodies as a memoir.
To wrap up the night, we had a story telling session and just like always, it ended with a lot of ghost stories and few students fainting due to the terror. Fortunately, I wasn't one of them though I got scared of the smallest things if it was nighttime.
I tried to sit beside Priyaank around the bonfire, but I remembered the earlier incident from the morning and sat at a distance from him. I wasn't sure about my doubt of him having a girlfriend since Shona meant a lot of things.
The word could mean love, sweetheart, an endearment used for toddlers or babies, and younger siblings, etc. So, I knew I shouldn't overreact without knowing the full story and acted normal without arousing any suspicions.
Moreover, I didn't want to disturb him with my stupid acts as he seemed pretty down. I had a very good personal experience that when I wanted to help someone, I always ended up making things worse.
Thus, I decided to let him be and wait for the right time to ask him myself. It would be better to get to know the real deal before I got myself more in trouble. One step at a time; that was my new motto.
"Are you done?" Surbhi asked as she stood in front of me with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Almost," I replied.
She let out a huge sigh and started packing my bags herself. She complained about why I didn't ask her to play with me yesterday as she arranged all the games properly and stuffed more toys in one of the bags.
"You were busy, I didn't want to be a nuisance," I said.
"You could have messaged me," she retorted and zipped up the luggage bags.
"Sorry, I didn't think of that."
"You are acting really weird for the last two days. You are talking to me, but your eyes are somewhere else. You don't even pay attention to what I am saying," she complained. "Are you hiding something from me, Sandhya?"
"Absolutely not! Why would you doubt me?" I defended and picked up my bags.
"If you ever lie to me, Ms. Sandhya Rai, you can start preparing for your funeral," she threatened.
I rolled my eyes and exited the room. She followed behind me and kept pestering me to tell her if I was hiding a secret. To put a full stop to the whole matter, I confessed to her that I had a little crush on Priyaank.
I thought that she would be happy to know that my body was functioning normally, but I got a complete opposite of what I was expecting. She narrowed her eyes at me and mumbled something under her breath.
"Why are you making such a weird face? Aren't you glad that finally I have someone I like?" I asked in concern as we reached the ground floor.
"Why are you so dumb?" She shook her head. "And here I thought there would be some progress."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, you idiot. Even if I tell you, I am sure nothing will pass through your thick skull," she teased as she pushed my head with her index finger.
"But there is a problem," I said and swatted her hand away.
"What now?"
"I think Priyaank already has a girlfriend. I am not sure but I am having a gut feeling that he does." I pouted.
Surbhi widened her eyes in surprise, and a grin spread across her face slowly. "You should have told me that earlier, dumbo."
Why did she look so happy? Was she enjoying my misery?
"You are the worst best friend ever. You should be cheering me up instead of smiling like you got your favourite candy," I grumbled, and Surbhi pinched my cheeks.
"Aww. Don't be sad. I am sure everything will turn out good in the end." She winked.
"Really?" I beamed.
"Uh huh. I can bet on it."
That brightened up my mood in an instant. I stopped worrying about Priyaank and focused on other things happening around me. After having two cups of tea, I and my bestie joined the rest of the students who were waiting to board the buses.
One by one, our fellow beings stepped into their respective buses, and a roll call was conducted to ensure that no one was left. Soon, my turn came, and I climbed the stairs of the bus after Surbhi who said that she would search for a window seat.
I was on the last step, when a pair of sturdy arms circled around my waist from behind. I felt myself getting lifted up in the air, and after a few seconds, I was standing on the ground again. Surprisingly to myself, I didn't even have to look back to see who the perpetrator was.
"Ved, what the hell are you doing?" I asked and looked over my shoulder.
"Making sure I get my full payment," he replied playfully as his lips curled up in a lopsided grin.
"What payment?" I tried to move away from his arms which were doing a better job than my sweaters.
I wanted to know what he ate to be so warm all the time. He wasn't even wearing a hoodie!
"Your memory is rotting, I see. Let me remind you then. I gave you a ride here and what I got in return? Just a thank you?" Ved twisted his lips.
"But I offered you the money. You tore it off!" I yelled.
"Well, you are the one who called me a rich brat, Sandy Pandy." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't want your money. You will pay me back in the same way I did."
He removed his arms from my waist and grabbed my wrist. He started dragging me, but I dug my heels in the ground. "I am not coming! I am going with my friends," I protested.
"Your friends don't look like they have any problem," Ved stated as he pointed towards the bus.
Surbhi was waving towards us and motioned with her hands for us to go. I glared at her. She was having fun instead of helping me out. I couldn't even spot Parth or Shreyas nearby.
"Let's go," Ved announced and took me with him.
He stopped near his bike which was parked outside the resort and his bags were already inside the side boxes. He took his helmet from the dickey and moved it towards me.
"Wear it," he said and closed the dickey after keeping my bags in it.
I glanced between his glowing face and his glossy helmet. "What am I supposed to do with it?"
Ved rolled his eyes. "You are going to drive." He smirked.
I widened my eyes at him. "Are you joking right now?! How am I supposed to drive this beast?" I pointed towards his bike which was shining like a tiara in the sunlight.
"I know you can drive bikes, and it is not that heavy. I am sure you can handle the weight. Also, I will be right here," he patted the pillion seat, "so you don't have to worry about anything."
"You can just take the money, you know," I reasoned.
"I already said no. Can't you understand once?" He frowned. "This is the only way out for you if you don't want to feel guilty. I know how your mind works, Sandhya. You can pay for the food, but what about the ride? I am just saying it for your own benefit."
I looked at him with mixed emotions. He was actually right; I didn't like to keep debts and preferred to pay back as soon as possible so that I didn't feel peccant for taking something for free. He was offering me a perfect opportunity to return the service the same way I received it. I was still scared though.
"But still... What if I rammed it into another vehicle? I won't take the responsibility, I am telling you beforehand," I argued in hope that he would drop his insane idea. But deep inside, I was really excited to get on the marvelous bike.
"Relax, I know you won't do it. I have trust in your abilities, it is high time you did it too," he said as a matter of fact and took off the beanie from my head.
"That's mine," I complained when he put my beanie over his head.
He looked good in it though-he always did! Idiot.
"Thank you for warming it up." He grinned and motioned for me to wear the helmet.
Grudgingly, I put the black helmet over my head and mounted the motorcycle. My hands were shaking like crazy when I grabbed the handles. Ved gave me the keys and told me to start up the bike.
"Aren't you going to wear something else?" I questioned as I saw him sit behind me in just his thin cyan pullover and three-fourths.
"Won't gonna need it," he stated plainly and helped me to balance the bike after taking it off the supporting stand.
"Don't blame me when you get a running nosy posy," I teased and twisted the keys in the ignition making Ved's bike roar to life.
The vehicle was heavy! I was sure I was going to get ourselves in an accident.
Ved instructed me about all the buttons and what their functions were, so the first thing I did when I got a hang of it was to turn on the seat heaters. Ved smacked the helmet, the vibrations traveling to my head.
"Bastard," I cursed.
I accelerated after fighting with him for a few seconds and zoomed out of the place. In the beginning, I kept the pace slow as I was still getting a hang of how to handle the weight and maneuvering through the curvy roads.
"Doing good, Sandy Pandy," Ved praised, and I shot him a boastful smirk from the side mirror.
"Just gotta do something about your overconfidence," he soon added, and I moved my hand to hit him but instantly put it back on the handle when the bike shook a little.
"Focus on the driving. I am not interested in dying so soon," Ved warned.
"Is that so? Then how would you like to die?" I asked in derision and giggled.
"With you," he deadpanned, and I almost rammed the bike into the upcoming vehicle.
If Ved hadn't grabbed the accelerator in time, we would be under the truck. He punched me on the back and told me to be careful. I yelled back at him saying that it was all his fault.
"Drive properly, Baffoon," he scolded.
"It happened because of you!"
"Don't put the blame on me! What did I do?" he argued, acting completely oblivious.
"What did you mean you wanted to die with me?" I managed to say without stuttering or turning the bike towards the ditch.
Ved turned his eyes into slits as his expressions turned stoic. "I meant I would die with you if you didn't drive as I told you to," he said in his signature cold tone.
Wow. I was such an idiot, I thought he meant something else.
I shut off the weird doubts that had sprang up in my mind, just like my heart which was acting like it was jumping on a trampoline. I really needed to get myself checked; my brain was going haywire.
"Okay, then." I dismissed the topic.
After that, none of us said anything. Ved ignored me and only spoke whenever I made a mistake. We made a stop at a small roadside restaurant, and to keep the deal between me and Ved authentic, I paid the full bill without any complaints.
As per Ved's instructions, I made sure to eat less to avoid falling asleep while driving. He, however, ate to his heart's content. I was feeling a bit jealous when he ate the delicious food alone. He was eating slowly on purpose to annoy me.
We returned to his bike after a few minutes of rest, and then we were back on the journey. I rode without any problem as I felt more confident in my driving skills. It had been quite some time since I touched a motorcycle, but I was glad I hadn't forgotten how to ride one.
I was enjoying the scenery and humming to myself, relishing in the soft heat provided by the seat heaters when I felt Ved wrap his arms around my waist in a light embrace.
I blinked rapidly as I felt him lay down his head on my back. I suddenly felt the heaters beneath me turn up hot by a hundred folds; the heat reaching till the tips of my ears.
"Ved?" I squeaked.
"Hm?" he replied and clutched my jacket tightly.
"Feeling sleepy?" I asked as I realised that he must be feeling drowsy after eating all that food.
He nodded his head lightly. "Sweet dreams, Sandy Pandy." He snuggled closer, and I felt like someone had placed fire under my cheeks.
I couldn't decide if I should tell him to wake up or let him rest. I was feeling overly sensitive about him being so close to me while he was sleeping like a baby without any care in the world.
Are you feeling uncomfortable, Sandhya? If you are, then just tell him. You know he won't do anything to cause you discomfort when he knows you are a girl.
But I am not uncomfortable.
Are you sure? You know you should say it when you are not.
No, I am all okay. Moreover, I also slept on his back without his knowledge. So, I am just going to let him do the same. It isn't like he is harming me. I know I should voice out my uneasiness when I feel it, but I am not feeling it at the moment.
Really? Remember, we are talking about Ved right now. Your arch nemesis.
I know, but no, I am not going to wake him up. He helped me, so I am just returning the favour. Also... I am not worried about his touch-it is really warm.
He isn't that bad, is he?
Ahem! Shut up, inner voice. I am driving right now.
I shook my head to clear out my thoughts which had jumbled up like a woolen ball, and my inner voice was busy playing with it like a cat. Whenever I tried to focus my mind on something else, some thoughts related to Ved would hit me like a cannonball.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw my passenger sleeping peacefully. He gave me his bike to ride, helped me in driving, and now he was resting with his eyes closed.
How could he trust his life to the person he hated the most?