Mananff - Iss Mohobbat Mein

chapter 23

Manik's pov:

Swift touches of wind washed across my face as I pulled the car windows down, finally realising the weather is fresh again and the rain has stopped.

"Is it morning yet?" I heard Mukti yawning from the back, her head rising up from Cabir's shoulder whose head was dipping into Dhruv's lap. I cringed on their uncomfortable postures because they sleep in such difficult yoga forms that even Baba Ramdev can't perform.

"Keep sleeping. It's still night." I spoke hoarsely, tiredness depicting in my voice as I kept watching the faint, rainy roads surrounded by dense trees that led us to the Temple.

It was a tiring day. We could have landed straight to the destination but these stubborn heads of mine argued to land at a different spot just to book a Fortuner for some road trip fun to reach our destination. Seriously? Wasn't it fun by direct flight? What kind of cartoons am I living with?

I am a stupid cartoon as well because I agreed.

And if I'm being honest, I don't really hate it. Roads are fun.

The moisture in atmosphere was finally sinking in our Car as all the windows went open and I witness it was almost morning, with the sun blazing out aghast, golden rays on our foreheads.

Pretty warm for 5 am, but then that's how Punjab's weather is.

I heard Nandini groaning as I felt her mouth moving on my jeans due to the sudden rush of winds that interrupted her in the open car.

"Sh, shh. It's not morning yet. Sleep." My hands went on her head on their own to pat over lightly as I felt my voice turning softer on her.

She whined again as the winds kept messing with her hairs and her face dipped deeper on my lap, clinging it tightly. I immediately put my jacket over her, covering her from the wind as her whining stilled and she was asleep again.

There was a constant smile playing on my lips and I didn't even knew it until I ceased it. I think I am turning into one of those stupid teenage boys that appear in fanfictions.

These are one of those times when I can appreciate life. I have everything. Family, friends, fame. What else can I ask for?

I drove slower as the traffic came back, chaos of noisy horns mingling with sounds of other cars and the smell of dusty, fresh rain converting to the smell of diesels.

There were several children that approached stopped vehicles to sell little, playable accessories for some petty amount of Cash, and one of them stopped at our Fortuner to show tiny trinkets to me. I smiled at the kid and took one of them.

I dipped my hand in my pocket but immediately became disappointed when I couldn't feel the wallet in it, Oh no. I left it at home. I looked back at the kid's face who was desperately waiting for some amount of return from me. Sighing guiltily, I just handed one of the malnourished kid ten packets of Kurkure, which are the only things I have right now.

"Bhau, paisa?" The kid with his skinny figure and tired, russet eyes spoke lowly, raising his palm to me.

I gently showed him the pockets of my jeans signifying it as empty when the kid peeped through the window and then sighed with utter disappointment.

Damn, I should have listened to Nandini and carried the Wallet from start.

Now the kid's big saddening eyes were making something sink in me.

Just then, the backseat window opened as I saw Allen taking out some amount of money, handing it down to the kid and his russet eyes turned brighter looking at him.

The kid jumped through the whole way across the road in sheer excitement as he showed the Five Thousand Rupees proudly to the group of children, they all started to open their packets of Kurkure on the road side and their glowing smiles were comforting my insides again.

"Thanks, man." I looked at Allen carrying a genuine smile.

"You are too formal."  He smiled wider and I nodded, looking out to the road as the traffic vanished , bushy trees filling in the view again.

"India is different." I heard the American guy say.

"I guess so." My eyes being focused on the way as I tried to make a conversation between us. I'm never that good in talking, so let's overcome that flaw now.

"How do they survive like this?" Allen spoke, his face observing deeply at several kids with similar situations selling small things on roads.

"I think only they can answer it."

I have never been unknown to the reality of our city, our country. But sometimes, it becomes too hard to solve a dark crisis by just thinking about it.

"They're brave." Allen muttered, smiling lightly looking outside.

"They know a lot better than us."

"Right, poverty is a curse."

"And our problems are nothing compared to it." I heard my own voice speaking, remembering how easy my conditions are as compared to others. I have people who helped me Everytime I got through a trauma while the world is suffering for the primary needs to keep and soul together. How could I ever complain about my situations seeing this everyday?

"Right." I heard the same deepness of thoughts in Allen's voice as it was in mine. What is he thinking about anyway? "I heard you have an NGO. You're also pretty famous, Manik."

"Wherever you got to know that from? Well, yeah the NGO is quite a secret, don't want any hustle for it in Media. And I am a Musician." I think I'm getting better at this talking thing.

"That's great." He muttered under his breath but I heard him enough.

"Yeah, actually I am not really comfortable talking to people for the first time, so I don't want to interact more." I said। as flatly as If could.

"Are you an introvert?" He asked me curiously.

"You can say that."

"Dude, me too."

"So then I guess we both shouldn't interact further." Because really, I am worried I might bore people after a certain time.

"Yeah." He is as uncomfortable as I am, Thank God.

There is liveliness in my soul and my heart beats faster in journeys like this, confined with my people. The cold rush of air across my face makes me feel privileged to be alive.

Few years back, I couldn't see it at all. I could not understand the support that surrounds me as I was to busy to tangle up my own mess. 

I wasn't someone who deserved a support system, just a bragging teenager who thought his own problems are the greatest in the world. But then I observed it better, and realized that my conditions didn't even get places for the tiniest ones.

The world is a variation of problematic lives.Each of us fighting their own demons. But I could feel my demons losing to my feet everyday when the scarred part of me heal slowly.

I believe I can talk normally to new people one day, and staring silently at the person sleeping on me, maybe some day I will be able to even trust people without any fears on the back of my mind.

"Ayy, you dumbheads! It's morning! I can feel Amritsar from here!" I shouted to annoy all the creatures sleeping soundly and one by one, they all woke up with distorted hairs clinging everywhere on their foreheads.

"You wish, punk." Cabir yawned.

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