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Scrollstck- Suganthi Lakshminarayanan
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Video Attached: 'O Rangrez' Acoustic version by Sanah Moidutty ft. Clinton Charles. The original version from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was already my favourite but this deserves recognition. I love Sanah's voice, ethereal tbh.
Hearing her father's gruff voice, she rubbed her eyes and opened them, expecting to see his large frame. But instead, her gaze landed on the guy sitting beside him.
Aww! She couldn't help but giggle to herself.
She knew her father inside out, down to the last fiber, and was certain that he would never let anyone sit in his reserved seat. And, as always, she was spot-on in her assumption about him.
Earlier, she had considered warning him about the reserved seat, but where would the fun be in that?
She watched him closely, trying to gauge his mood. Unlike the typical boys who would push back with attitude when faced with Mukesh Agnihotriâher strict-looking fatherâthis one hadn't argued at all. Little did he know that behind her dad's stern appearance was an absolute softie, a real cutie-pie who loved everyone around him.
Instead of causing a fuss, he quietly settled in the corner, his impossibly dark eyes meeting hers. There was something in his gaze, a fleeting emotion that disappeared before she could make sense of it.
Shaking off the thought, she turned her attention to her father, "Baba, I asked you something, didn't I?"
Her father, ever the character, pulled funny faces as he adjusted his glasses. He'd been recently diagnosed with hypermetropia and couldn't stand those pesky spectacles.
With a heavy sigh, she leaned forward and adjusted his frames, "There, it's fine now," she said, earning a nonchalant shrug in response.
"I was looking for this," he said, nodding toward the two cups in his hands. "Drink up." It wasn't a suggestionâit was an order.
"As I said, Iâ"
"It cost me five rupees, and I'm not wasting it!" her ever-thrifty father insisted, thrusting a cup toward her.
"Alright, alright, I'll drink it. Calm down," she replied, taking the cup without further protest.
What? One would be crazy to refuse a cup of tea!
As she sipped from her cup, she noticed a faint orange stain near her father's collar. "It really shouldn't have taken..." she glanced at her wristwatch, its thin leather strap snug around her wrist, "...nearly forty-three minutes just to buy two cups of tea, Baba." She raised an accusing eyebrow at him.
Her father, sensing the unspoken question behind her calm tone, downed the rest of his tea in one gulp before offering a sheepish smile. "Samiksha, sorry," he admitted, almost pleadingly. "Okay, I ate just one samosaâand it was really small."
"Small? Like what, a human tooth? You know you'll getâ"
"Acidity and all that... I know, I know!" he cut her off, already defending himself. "But don't worry, I've got a packet of Eno. Your Aai made sure I brought one for the trip," he said, grinning like he'd just solved a major problem. "Actually, two. I've got two packets!" He proudly pulled out two lemon-flavored Eno packets from his shirt pocket, holding them up like they were some grand prize.
She rolled her eyes. "Antacids aren't a solution," she muttered under her breath.
It was his only real flawâan insatiable craving for street food and a knack for ignoring any advice she gave. And guess who suffered the consequences? Him, every single night. How many packets of Eno had she bought for him over the years? If she tried to count now, the number would probably rival the stars in the sky.
Her mother never missed a chance to complain about his street food addiction, while her older sister tried to stay neutral. As for her, she did her best to make him see sense, lecturing him about cholesterol, fats, and all the health risks. But, as usual, he brushed off her concerns and continued to devour whatever he pleased.
She turned her gaze to the window seat and found her eyes landing on that same handsome guy. Ugh, why was she so drawn to him, unable to look away?
He was still scratching his brow, his focus locked on his phone screen. Jealousy flared up inside her, and she had to restrain herself from hurling that damned gadget out of the window.
Wait, what!? She blinked rapidly and let out a frustrated huff. Before she could turn her daydream into realityâsomething she knew was impossibleâshe tried to push him out of her mind.
Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together, determined to distract herself from him. She tossed her empty cup aside, reached under her seat for her duffle bag, and began rummaging through it.
Inside her duffle bag were two pairs of salwar suitsâher favorite ethnic dressesâalong with a large, fluffy towel and various other neatly packed garments. A small pouch was clipped to the side, holding her toiletries.
In one corner of the bag, she'd tucked away two books for her entrance exam, planning to dive into them the next morning. Samiksha always made sure to stay on top of things; she was driven and goal-oriented, never missing an opportunity to excel.
She pulled out a book filled with mock test papers, finding a pencil wedged between the pages from where she'd left off last night. Zipping up her bag and tucking it back under her seat, she settled into solving the questions.
After dutifully tackling problems on Theories of Evolution, boredom set in. Like any student, she flipped through a few more pages with a blank expression, her mind wandering.
Her hand seemed to have a life of its own, sketching absentmindedly on the book's last page, meant for rough work. What began as a simple outline of two almonds gradually took shape into a pair of eyes with long, elegant lashes.
"Devaa!" she gasped as she looked at the drawing. It captured his eyes in a way she hadn't consciously noticed beforeâperfectly detailed, with beautifully curled lashes framing a pair of deep, onyx eyes.
But the standout detailâthe disheveled left eyebrow with a fine cut running through itâmade her snap her eyes shut and slam the book shut in a hurry. How had she even noticed that?
She'd always been proud of her drawing skills. Whenever her teachers praised her for perfect diagrams, she'd glow with pride. She'd often thanked her lucky stars for giving her the knack to notice and remember such tiny details so vividly.
This time, though, she felt like groaning and tearing her hair out, completely frustrated with her own work. At this moment, she despised the perks of being a biology student!
"Samiksha? Is something wrong?" her father asked, concern evident in his voice.
She forced a smile and replied, "Uhm... Nothing. Everything's fine." Her eyes flickered open as she tried to sound cheerful.
"Hmm," her father said, eyeing her with concern. "Beta, don't stress yourself out. You've done enough revision for now; just relax." He handed her a bottle of Rail Neer and added, "Drink thisâyou'll be thirsty. Just calm down; everything will be fine."
Everything might have been okay if her eyes hadn't betrayed her. She thought to herself as she quickly drank the water.
But her eyes betrayed her once more, drifting toward him. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw him peering out of the window into the pitch-black night.
His wavy hair was tousled from the dry summer breeze, giving him a slightly comical look. The summer's heat had started to dull the sheen of his bronze skin, making his usual glow less pronounced.
Yet, he clung to his phone as if it were a lifeline. Damn!
She noticed him murmuring softly to someone, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Hmm. Yeah. Haan, Maa. I'll be there in ten minutes," he said. Her watch showed that there were only ten minutes left until her station, which she guessed was also his.
"I don't get why you're making such a fuss over these small things," he said, rubbing his eyes as he listened intently to the person on the other end of the call.
After a long pause, she saw him start to say something but quickly snap his mouth shut. In the dim light of the compartment, she noticed him shake his head. "Maa, I'm just waiting for the day you'll treat me like the adult I am," he muttered with a bemused chuckle.
"Bye, but not really a goodbye. You'll be at the station to meet me, right?" he asked, his tone hopeful. "Yeah, Chhattisgarh Express and that specific coach," he clarified, awaiting a response.
"Alright then," he said, pressing the button on his earphone's connecting wires. He turned from the window to face her.
Once again, she found herself drawn to him, captivated by the deepening dimple on his right cheek as he smiled.
But then, his sparkling black eyes locked onto hers. The warmth and affection in his gaze felt almost unreal, like something out of a dream. Her heart seemed to swell with an unfamiliar emotion, and in that moment, she felt a profound shift within herself, as if he was drawing her in completely.
How she'd live easily now...?