His Favourite Book

Chapter 68 - Reboot

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[Next Morning]

Girisha twisted and turned all night on her bed. Aashna couldn't sleep either. It was a heavy night, bombarding them with unexpected weights.

Aashna decided to cook a nice breakfast for Girisha. Breaking her normal daily cycle, she was in the kitchen way earlier than usual.

Maybe the sound of her internal thoughts was too loud for Aashna to hear another pair of steps approaching her. Two arms and one cloth stuck to her waist.

Girisha was making her wear an apron. "When are we getting our life together?"

Aashna turned her head. "Aprons make my life better?" She tried to smile in an attempt to make Girisha smile with her.

"No, silly." Girisha breathed and perched herself on the counter, beside Aashna.

"Hmm... But, I have you." Aashna continued, her eyes resolved to spread a dosa on the pan.

"Until when?" Girisha's words, out of the blue, made Aashna swiftly turn her head.

"Huh?"

"I can't be here always, no? I have my life, you have yours... what if we part ways someday?"

"Woah there, what's with you all of a sudden?"

"Random realisation. Shower thoughts."

"You scare me, woman," Aashna confessed while turning off the gas stove and wiping her hands.

"Shut up."

Aashna side-hugged Girisha and slowly caressed her waist. "See now. Here you are. In my arms. Away from the world. Never letting anything happen to you inside this perimeter. And outside. So stop scaring me with those words."

"I don't know, man... See... I got that cafe for you, look where it stands today... I thought I would be the one to deal with whoever was Khushi's culprit. I wanted myself to be the one you all depend on. But see... here... you all are doing so much for me... I can't take it... I don't know how to... I don't—"

"Depend on us for now, alright?"

Girisha turned to meet Aashna's eyes. "Hmm?"

"For once. This once."

- X - X - X - X - X -

[5th November; the day before zonal level results]

It was a pretty day— a light-hearted one.

A flatbed truck stood outside The Chai-Script book cafe. New shelves and computer hardware had arrived.

It was decided that they would do away with the rest of the shelves, too, and install new ones throughout. The clean-up was done. The good-quality shelves were donated to Khushi's orphanage.

Girisha and Aashna took care of the books while the workers brought in the new shelves. One of the books caught Girisha's attention as she took it out of one of the stacks. "Remember this?"

Aashna looked up and read out the title. "How Do You Live by Genzaburo Yoshino!" She took it from Girisha and opened it up to a random page, only to sniff the life out of it. "Whoaa! It still smells just as beautiful. I'm glad I read it when I needed it the most."

"I know!" Girisha agreed.

Not so far away, Kartik and Abeer were on their way to the cafe. Kartik held a large packet of Kurkure and munched his snacks while Abeer talked about his commissions and college assignments.