Marry Me

Chapter - 24 THE JOURNEY

The plane lands in at 11:45 in Delhi. I groan and rub my eyes, I couldn't even sleep because of the two Satan in my apartment last night. I call Ashraf Kaka when we check out the plane and he tells me that he is waiting outside.

When I get outside there's another devil waiting for me with brown gold eyes and vegas hair, and it's definitely not Ashraf Kaka. "What are you doing here? I thought you might be in office." I check out his Black Gabardine Suit with grey pinstripes, which he definitely wore for the office.

"The perks of being a boss," he says taking the suitcase from my hand, "is that you get to decide when the office starts or pause."

My heart squeezes a little in my chest, Kiyansh never cancels office. He is so determined that sometimes he went to office at 5 in the morning, yeah I know, crazy.

I am dressed in a black denim and a simple white plain t-shirt maybe with dark circles under my eyes, so I know I am triumphally completing the outfit of a panda.

We get inside the car, and he drives silently just glancing at me sometimes. I put my head on the cool car window and inhale his smell of pines and mint and him like a drug addict, and I don't know when I fall in a deep slumber.

My heavy eyelids barely open when I hear someone whisper, "Hey, we are home." Someone carries me and it's so heavenly and it smells so good that I wrap my arms around them and fall asleep.

****

This time when my eyes open, someone is whispering something in my ear, I groan and stretch my legs. "Hey sleepyhead, get up."

The voice is so sweet that I feel myself smile even in sleep. I turn and my hands fall in something furry and soft, and I nod in satisfaction and snuggle against it.

Something hard and soft leans on me, I sigh and wrap my arms around it, squeezing my hands against it, So hard, I move my hands, so soft.

Someone chuckles in my heavenly dream, and my eyes open in horror, when I realise, it's Kiyansh waking me up and my hands are moving on his abs under the t-shirt like a creep.

"Oh god!" I gasp out loudly and hastily remove my hands under his t-shirt.

He must see the expression on my face because he backs away and sits on the bed, laughing out loud.

"Shut up" I chastise and rub my eyes to clear them.

When I get a clear view of him laughing so freely with dimples on his face in a baby soft red t-shit which I was touching moments earlier, my heart stutters and my brain takes a moment to process the image, when I do, I pick the nearest pillow from me and hurl it at his face.

He catches the pillow midair, and winks at me, "Hangry much darling?"

My solar plexus spasms in response, it's a term we both use to say hungry and angry. I feel my face heat up, "Shut up," I say. I look beside me and see Denver innocently sleeping beside me with his mouth half open.

Kiyansh and I both grin at each other, and start to tickle Denver at the same time.

****

The conversation starts at dinner.

We all are sitting downstairs in front of TV watching the movie Mr. India, Rami and Raju uncle on the other sofa, Kiyansh and I in one eating basil cheese omelette with Denver between us.

"I slept so late, it's almost 8." I whisper to Kiyansh so as to not disturb avid Anil Kapoor fans Raju and Rami uncle.

"You needed the sleep, I know you work like a fanatic." On cue his eyes moves to my neck, he looks up and down as if scanning for something, his voice sounds weird and he touches his jaw, "Where is your pendant?"

I roll my eyes and tug it from underneath the t-shirt I have changed into.

He gives me a full dimple smile.

"So," I clear my throat, "Prisha and Rohit know about us." I touch the pendant nervously.

The grin that comes on Kiyansh's face, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, it's a sun in a winter morning. He rolls the last bite of Omelette in the fork and puts it in front of my lips, "I have to take you somewhere."

I open my mouth and take the last bite, "Where?" I ask with my mouth full.

"You will see." He says and takes my hand in his, dragging me up.

We are in his car driving towards a direction I don't like. "Kiyansh why are we driving towards my parents house?"

He doesn't say anything, then glances at me and keeps on driving.

I persist and poke him all the way, but he doesn't answer me.

"I am not going to go inside." I scowl and sit with my legs up like an adamant child, he keeps standing with the doors open.

"Come on!" he says.

"No." I look at him accusingly, "first tell me why."

He sighs and picks me up in his arms like I weigh nothing.

I holler and start thrashing my legs and arms like a complete idiot. "Leave me alone, no don't leave me alone, leave me with Denver, he is way better than you."

Kiyansh keeps on sighing and mutters something like 'crazy.'

"Excuse me" I say impudently, "what did you just say?"

He continues not answering me and carries me from the main parking lot to the main entrance of my parent's house. I stop swaying my arms like a complete idiot and stare at the doors as if it's some tragic horror entrance to another world.

"Let me down." I whine, my heart thrashing in my chest.

"Only if you promise not to run away."

"Okay, Okay." I give in like I had any other chance.

And just as Kiyansh is putting me down like a normal human the doors are opened by Tanya Tai. Her face lights up with a smile, she is so tall, I notice, that she matches Kiyansh's height. "What a surprise!" she says cheerfully.

"Sorry I forgot your chocolates this time." Kiyansh says and runs a hand through his hair.

"No problem Baba, I am just happy that you both came, I guess Sahib and madam ji doesn't know about your visit?" she asks and motions us inside.

"No they don't." Kiyansh answers before I can, then with one swish of flick, conjures two, Dairy Milk out of nowhere. How does he do that?

"Who is it Tanya?" Ashraf Kaka and dad comes strolling from the other side of the living room and Kiyansh hastily hand over the chocolates to Tanya Tai, Ashraf Kaka is known for stealing her chocolates.

Dad's eyes meet mine and lights up like Christmas lights. "Shanvi," he almost squeals in surprise and open his arms in exuberance, I smile and run up to him. At least one person in this house is okay with us visiting unannounced, I am not sure if it's going to be okay with my mother.

I step back and wave at Ashraf Kaka, who smiles and wave back.

Dad shakes his hand with Kiyansh, "I just made your favourite Arrabiata," he says winking at Kiyansh, when Kiyansh was a kid, he loved having Arrabiata pasta made by dad, then he turns towards me, "your mom is eating in the Kitchen having a video conference call."

I nod my head and look at Kiyansh, asking from my eyes, why are we here?

He nods saying, let me handle it. "Thank you, but we just had our full, we just wanted to talk with you two, let us know when her conference is over, we will be in the backyard." Kiyansh says to dad.

Dad gives us a curious glance then nods at us. My eyes become eclectic, and I whisper yell at Kiyansh, "What do you want to talk with them, why are we here?"

He nods his head at Ashraf Kaka in answer, and then just holds my hand and drags me towards the backyard.