A couple walked on the streets covered with puddles, under the dusk sky. The girl, excited to be outside, skipped on the uneven road as she felt the cold breeze on her dry cheeks. She wore a knee-length floral skirt and a plain tee. As she hopped further away, the man behind who was walking leisurely dressed in casuals, called her out, "Mehek, slow down. You are like a little girl."
Ayaan had convinced Mehek to go the grocery store with these words, "Mehek? Do you really not want to go outside? I promise we will just go, shop and come back. I seriously think going out for a while will be good for you, you have been under these walls for a very long time. If not for you, at least do this for me. Didn't you say you want to get better, if not for yourself then for the person who is trying so hard?"
Ayaan couldn't help but carry that huge grin on his features as he followed Mehek at her pace. Then she tripped but didn't fall and Ayaan lost his smile, "Mehek!" He called out, worried, "That's it! You are holding my hand from here on further. You are too excited right now."
"Smooth"
"What?" Ayaan's face turned red in embarrassment as he held hands with Mehek.
"You know, you are just like my-" Mehek restrained herself from speaking further because it only bought painful memories.
"What is it?"
"Never mind."
The groceries store was not a huge one with just a few aisles in between. Ayaan pushed the cart and Mehek explored the store. While she was checking out the pickles, Ayaan was losing his mind because his thieving instincts had started kicking in. His hands were itching to grab any nearby object and stuff it inside his jacket. Ayaan was trying extremely hard to fight his natural instincts because he was with Mehek; that's how he wanted to convince himself but the real reason were the CCTV cameras.
Mehek was suddenly quite while Ayaan was picking some spices, a little ahead. Her excitement had died down and she started regretting to have come out of her home as she looked around the store. All she could see were happy families, playfully bickering couples and busy individuals. The burdensome cloud of depression shadowed over her again with her face turning somber. A kid came running and stood beside her, drooling while looking at the chocolate section. He stood there for a while, deliberating when his mother called him from the end of the aisle to indicate that they were going home. The boy ran back again and held his mother's hands. Mehek just observed with a sad smile as she thought to herself that it's such a nice feeling for someone calling for you when you are left behind.
"Mehek! Come on, we have to get so much more. You are the one who wanted to hurry."
Mehek turned around and smiled from ear to ear as she stared at Ayaan affectionately. She shook off her depressing thoughts and followed him to the next aisle like a little kid.
"Okay, let's see. What kind of bread do you want?" Ayaan asked as he checked the expiry dates.
"White."
"How about brown?"
"White is more delicious."
"But brown is healthier and that's what we will be buying," Ayaan dropped a packet of brown bread into the cart.
"Then why did you ask for my opinion?" Mehek enraged.
"Sorry for assuming your taste," Ayaan mocked.
"All right, then why don't you also buy oats and green tea while you are at it?" Mehek called out sarcastically as Ayaan walked ahead.
"They are already in the cart," Ayaan responded as he walked off pompously. Mehek grumped and ran to catch up to him. What she didn't realize was that there was probably someone else in that store, envying their relationship.
~
"I would have paid but my money is tainted, so, I thought you wouldn't like that," Ayaan felt ashamed as they stood in the queue for the billing counter.
"I don't mind. I have no such principles." Mehek replied casually.
"But I do."
"Then what about those eggs you got in the morning?" She questioned.
"I didn't know you would notice that but hunger s...screws up the principles." Ayaan stuttered.
Mehek laughed, "Chill, I am kidding and why do you need to pay? You are not my father."
Ayaan pulled out the items one by one as cashier billed them. While he was at it, he noticed that Mehek was no longer beside him. He looked around when he found her near the entrance, talking to a guy. He went back to pulling out of the items but his gaze drifted to the side again. He blamed his eyes but his heart was the one pulling the strings. He was now looking directly at them, with his brows furrowed, as they chatted.
"Sir, here's your bill." The cashier pulled out the receipt.
"Sir?"
"Sir!"
Ayaan snapped out of his "no-blinking battle" with himself and called out to Mehek, loud enough for the whole store to hear it. She excused herself and walked back to him as he stuffed the bill in one of the bags.
"What?"
"Uh..." Ayaan turned stiff for he had called her out for no reason at all. "Why don't you carry one of the bags?"
"Sure."
~
"Who was that guy? The one you were talking to earlier" Ayaan couldn't hold back as they walked out of the grocery store.
"Oh, him. He was just a neighborhood guy, asking me where I have been," Mehek replied nonchalantly.
"Oh..."
"I do not like him though."
"Oh!"
Ayaan couldn't hide his smile.
The sky had already turned dark. Ayaan and Mehek walked on the footpath, enjoying the night breeze. Ayaan was trying to hold her hands but as their fingers brushed against each other, he flinched his hand away and turned red in the face. They entered a small lane and noticed a crowd gathered at the corner on their way back home. Few people from the crowd could be heard gasping as they squirmed at the scene. They halted at the sight. Ayaan asked Mehek to stay where she was while he took a look at what was going on. Mehek nodded in response and he rushed towards the crowd. He expected an accident but as he came closer to the crowd, he could hear some noises. It sounded like someone was getting beaten up according to his sharp ears. As the crowd steered cleared, Ayaan's body paralyzed because of what unfolded in front of him. A guy was mercilessly beating up another guy. The guy took a pause as he breathed heavily and pulled out a knife from underneath his jacket.
"ARMAAN!"
The guy stopped as his brother's face became visible amidst the shocked crowd. Ayaan couldn't believe that he was looking at his only brother's eyes that carried such murderous rage. First, he looked at Armaan's face dripped in sweat and then he saw the guy lying on the road, covered with intensive bruises and blood.
"Armaan, wh...what are you doing?" Ayaan felt like throwing up as his insides churned in agony.
"BHAI! YOU STAY OUT OF THIS," Armaan roared and he swung his hand with the knife. Ayaan jumped in and gripped his hand with all the strength he got.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD! YOU WILL KILL THIS PERSON!!" Ayaan's eyes were shaking in devastation and the world came crashing down from what he heard next.
"But Bhai, this guy deserves this."
Ayaan ruffled his hair so hard that he plucked out a few strands, "Armaan, we are going away from here, NOW!" Ayaan began pulling him but Armaan shook it off and kicked his brother on the thighs but since Ayaan was stronger, he literally dragged his brother outside the crowd. He noticed Trisha standing in the crowd with both of her hands placed on her mouth and called out her.
"Trisha, there's a girl standing there," Ayaan pointed in Mehek's direction, "Tell her I have sent you and drop her home without any trouble."
"But-"
"Trisha! Go!"
Trisha ran away in Mehek's direction whereas Armaan could only take a quick glance before he was yanked away by Ayaan. He could have fought back and given his brother a hard time but he compelled. Ayaan told a middle-aged man from the crowd to take the wounded guy to the hospital before they both vanished on Armaan's bike into the silent lanes.