Ragini - Cupcakes, Football and Maybe Love

Roadtrip (6/?)

Ragini's POV 

I parked the car as Aashna ducked and watched her parent's home inquisitively from the windscreen. It was still early evening, and as much as we knew that Aashna's parents were excited to see us, we didn't know if Harsh had gone and told them about his interaction with Aashna of this morning yet or not. I would probably lose my mind if he did so though. 

We walked up to the door of the house. It was an old bungalow that had been renovated just a few years ago. I had always loved it since I came to visit it the first time because it reminded me so much of the traditional bungalows back home. Even though the construction of the house was modern and very English, inside was decked with traditional Indian decor. From the Gujarati hinchko to the tulsi plant that somehow thrives inside the house and intricately carved wooden mandir in the puja room - it was warm and cozy and whenever I would step in, it would feel like I was no longer in a cold, foreign country away from home. 

But today, as Aashna's hand held mine tightly while I pressed the door bell, there was a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that was making me feel like we shouldn't be here. 

I should have heard it. The quiet, muffled laughters, chatterings coming from the other side of the thick door. I should have heard it and I could have pinpointed the sounds that didn't belong to Aashna's mom or dad or grandma, and maybe bolted, taking Aashna with me or in a moment of foolish bravery should have knocked harder and yelled for a whole 2 minutes at the person on the other side of the door who was laughing as if his relationship didn't end this morning. 

But the voices in my head were so loud that I didn't hear the noise coming from the other side of the thick door until it opened, until we walked in and oh ...

Oh....

"Oh you both are finally here!" Aashna's mom, her oh-so-so-sweet mom's voice filled the air as the laughter in the living room subsided and a few pair of eyes turned towards us. 

Through the corner of my eyes I saw those white sneakers that I saw early this morning, placed neatly near the shoe rack inside the house. And as I looked up and saw the two people I didn't want to see ever again in a long, long time, I felt Aashna's hand tightening her hold in mine. It was a tinge of pain that bolted through my knuckles due to how tight her hands were wrapped around mine. Her face had paled, eyebrows scrunched, forehead creased in a way that made me feel like I should just run out with her. Forget meeting the parents, forget confronting the ex why he's here. 

"Oh, why are you both standing there frozen, come in, look who's here Aashu!" Aashna's sweet, sweet mom wondered, pulling the sleeve of my sweater. I wanted to hug aunty and hide under her saree pallu till everything was over. 

But alas, being an adult also meant standing on your own sometimes when all the other older adults were oblivious to what was happening. 

Before either of us could say anything, dumbass spoke, "Oh Aashna, you are here!" He said as he came down the stairs from the living room towards the entrance with his arms open wide, "I missed you!"

I heard her breath hitch, though frozen, her eyes wide, I knew she wanted to disappear. So I stepped in front of her right as Harsh came right too close to us. 

He had the audacity to look confused.

Harsh looked like he was trying his best to not burst out in anger, his neck turning the slightest shade of red as he masked his anger with confusion instead. 

In a moment where I was wondering if I should take the lead to put some sense into him or if Aashna has the emotional capacity to do so, one more time during the day, I felt my hand, still in Aashna's, pressed.