Her Splash of Color | ✓

✤ 1.10 two can watch✤

Posted August 21st, 2018

✤ Sanya: 1.10 two can watch ✤

I cannot believe I am on a motorbike right now.

It's not that I fear them because let's face it: I live in Mumbai. People travel on two wheelers a lot more than in cars. But, call me a rich spoiled girl because I always travel in cars. We have drivers, for crying out loud! When I was young, I have been on motorbikes with my parents. I used to love sitting in the front or even just standing in between mom and dad and feeling the wind against my face at night time.

But, in the longest 6-7 years, I haven't sat on a two-wheeler. The whole ride, I find myself tensed. It has more to do with sitting behind Rihaan whereby our thighs are touching and so is my front flush against his back, my arms around him and less to do with riding a bike. I do trust Rihaan to not get us into an accident, even though this is just his second time driving as far as I can remember.

This is a complete contrast of my childhood days going on a ride with my parents. This is heart-pounding all the way till my ears kind of intense.

It makes no sense to me why Riddhima Aunty would let him drive and give him the keys. Why make this hard? Going in a car is such a better option.

"San, we're here."

I blink out of my nervous thought hearing his voice and realize he'd turned off the bike and was balancing it, waiting for me to get down. Fearing my knees will buckle, I step on the gravel, holding on to the back seat. I finally feel free to breathe as a sense of personal space returns.

I look around at the port in the distance and instantly recognize the famous place. "I'm p-pretty sure I've been to Elephanta Islands before."

He rolls his eyes, "Right, when you were what? 6?"

I don't answer at that, getting his point. I ask another question, "Why'd you want to bring me here?" I surely remember the view. Sketching the Gateway of India from the distance would be a thing, but I can't sketch that with the evening sun ready to set and darkness ready to envelope us in the next 30-45 minutes.

"Because we're getting on the island and going to the caves."

I step back opposing instantly, "No way! I'm not going into some caves when it's about to get dark."

He reaches forward to grab my hand and has to literally use strength to make me walk in the direction I don't want to, "San, c'mon. It'll be fun. Or are you scared of some rocks?"

"Nope, not falling for it." I try to fight him, for I don't care if he'll tease me for being a coward. "Take me back home."

He frowns a little that makes me wonder if it could be called a pout, "Don't you trust me?"

I tug my hand out of his and cross it over my chest. "No."

His jaw drops in surprise. "Ouch. That hurts."

I shrug my shoulders and turn on my heels to walk back to his bike to make a point that I mean it when I say I want him to take me back home.

I don't get more than a step away from his as his hand reaches out to grab mine again and in a blink of a second, he twirls me around and pulls me towards him.

I inhale sharply, my heart leaping in my chest at the sudden move and finding myself crashing against him. His face is only a centimeter or two away. My breathing halts at the proximity.

I blink setting into the reality to question him when he leans his face sideways so that his cheek is next to mine and he is speaking in my ear. His breath hot fanning against my skin whereby I have to fight my body's reaction of shivering. "I'm getting on that ferry, San, and if you want to know what happened that night, you'll get on that as well. But..."