ATTENTION GRave

10.The Isarlat

His selectivity eventually forced me to give up. He started looking for jhumkas and showed me plenty of them but now I was the one pointing out the flaws in them. And I loved it. His face after I rejected every single piece he chose was priceless. He wasn't the one to give up though. He kept on discovering for the best pair. While I, I just kept on staring at him. His dedication to find something for me made me feel overwhelmed. I smiled and kept on staring as he picked up a jhunka, kept it back, picked up another, shook his head giving a 'what even is this? 'Look and kept it back. This cycle just went on for what feels like forever. I didn't mind. He looked really innocent and I liked it that way.

He eventually settled for one pair. I didn't see it because I was too busy seeing his face the whole time. He looked cute. So I did see how happy he was to see that one pair when he bought it. Like he found perfection. My focus diverted from his face to his hands which held a delicate newspaper pocket bag.

"Close your eyes." He said with a beautiful smile on his face shining bright from his ear to ear. His excitement got the best of me. Without thinking twice, I closed my eyes. I trusted him. I heard something involving the opening of a plastic packaging. Moments later, he came close and inserted the back of an earring in my ear hole.

"Open your eyes. " He said with my phone in his hands and the front camera opened for me to look in it. Judging by my outfit, I thought that he would buy something corresponding with the colour of my kurta which, unfortunately, I won't be able to wear at some daily wear outfit. But, he was smart enough to know that pink jhumkas would be useless. He chose the perfect pair of silver coloured medium sized jhumkas.

"Perfection, " I blurted out.

"Nothing about me is imperfect. I told you so. " Saying that, he pulled my hand and started waking through the crowd again with me right behind him. "Now you got what you wanted. Let's go to the Isarlat. " He said with amusement.

The entry of the Isarlat did not look like something I was looking forward to but I couldn't step back now. The entry fee for locals was 20 rupees, 50 for outsiders and 200 for foreigners. Great business. I thought. We were locals and didn't have to worry about the fee. It's quite cheap. We entered this tall building and started climbing the circular pathway of stairs leading towards the top of the isarlat. We weren't even halfway there when I started panting.

"Where the hell are you even taking me? How many stairs does this thing have? I'll die before I reach the top. Why didn't you warm me about this. " I said in a huffing manner stopping in front of a small window which was the only source of fresh air on this floor.

"What? Are you out of breath already? This monument has seven floors. How will you survive like this? I may not have warned you before, but I will now that no matter how tired you get, I will not carry you on my back. you get that? " He said with his wicked smile. How cruel of him to take me to such a place. A restaurant or cafe wouldn't hurt.

"I won't even ask you to. I know you're as weak as a mice. " Saying that I started climbing ahead of him.

"Did you know, the real name of this monument isn't Isarlat. It's popularly known as Sargasuli which literally means passage to heaven." He said with his hands in his pockets and scanning every corner with his eagle eyes.

"and why is that? Does coming to this place mean that all your sins will be washed away?" I said in frustration. Not that I have any kind of problem with history or whatever. I was just tired and too exhausted to take interest.

"Nah, it's nothing philosophical. Its called so because of its 140 ft height." He said, lost staring at the stairs as if trying to calculate the measurements of the stairs in his mind.

"Damn.why would anyone even make such a thing. Like just imagine, People in the old times, using this structure,had to climb all the way up for I don't even know what. "

"Some people suppose that Ishwari Singh built the Isarlat to check on his minister who he doubted would conspire against him. While others like to believe that he fell in love with the daughter of his top minister but could not marry her because she wasn't from Royal lineage. He would see her from the top of the Isarlat." He said with a feeling of curiosity and a sparkle in his eyes. Like he would love to get a chance to go in the past to see what was the real reason.

"If it's the second one. Isn't is called stalking?" I said stupidly.

"It's called love. " He blurted out.

"Why do you know so much? Aren't you a science student who can solve a maths equation in like 10 seconds? You don't require this knowledge." I said though I did not mean it. It's great that he knows so much. I was just so effing tired I wasn't able to do anything but complain. Which I did regret later on.

"There's a difference between learning and enjoying what you learn. I didn't gulp all this information. I just love to acquire knowledge. As I said before. Isn't it all so interesting? " He said while getting up and starting to climb again.
We reached the top of the Isarlat, exhausted. He was enjoing the view while I was trying to catch my breath. It were seven damn floors. In circular path. I felt dizzy as hell.

I hate to accept it but I loved the place. I was tired but soon enough the feeling was flushed away by the the calm and beautiful scenario. Biggest of monuments such as Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar were all visible from this not so huge Isarlat. The space was less but so were the people so I didn't mind it.

"Pata hai log kehte hai ki manjulika ka ghar dikhta hai yaha se. " He said, deeply looking into my eyes as if trying to ask 'do you think it's real? '

"Han hoti hogi koi Instagram ki influencer adhi raat ko reel banati hui. " I said without even fliching. He burst into a laughter. Seeing him laugh, his hair coming in front of his face, his smile and carelessness made me smile a bit as I looked away from him and towards the beautiful scene of the city.

The fresh air, away from the Jaipur crowd, caught me off guard. I closed my eyes and stayed as it is for a while.

Dhairya's POV

I looked here and there several times before my eyes fell on her. Sonya Deshmukh. Her mid-length hair flowed in the wind and surprisingly, they were not tangled at all. They looked like fibroins. As long as she was a nice person, I never paid attention to what she looked like. Yes, she can be critical sometimes but other times, she is the most delicate person I know. She has created such an image that people think she is rude and can steal a lollipop from a child for herself. But it's very hard to fool me. I do realize she's a giver with a positive side like sodium gives electrons to chloride.

I have to admit, she was looking mind blowing, thanks to my amazing choice in jhumkas. I wanted to destroy her peaceful moment but I decided against it. After all, she has to go down the seven floors.

I wished I was like other teenagers, living a free life. Till now, I have never had any objection to this. I always used to say that friendships and relationships are just a waste of time. They are distractions. Stay away from people. But Sonya, she's the one person who paid attention to me. For the first time I felt what it was like to be noticed.

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