I was awake already, and just looking outside the window. I didn't disturb Smriti, her head was on my shoulder.
I first met Smriti in the office when I was going Canteen, She ran from behind cause the door was about to shut and she didn't bring her Card with her. I was with Nimesh, he was on my team and he was 2 years senior to me in the office. We both looked back and saw her in a rush. It was all normal then. After 2 months, there was a grant event in our office, our annual day function. She came in a very beautiful blue color one piece. Everyone was talking about her. I also gave a glance. I loved her dress but I don't know why I didn't have any affection there.
One day suddenly, I got a message in the office from Smriti, it was about the bug I caused and it was affecting their module too. It wasn't a small bug, so we had to communicate very frequently. We had to communicate through voice calls very often. So it made us comfortable with time and we became friends. She used to talk about her, how she got hired, and the struggle she had to get here and all. After that, we started having lunch together, our department was the same but the team was different. Usually, she traveled through the office van but sometimes I would drop her. Roshan, Vandy, and Kshitij also started to talk with her. And, all of us became very close friends. Smriti was very friendly with us but she wasn't that open and I never thought of opening her to talk. She was a shy person. If it wasn't for the office's communication, we would have never talked but she was more comfortable around us. Since we 5 joined the office around the same month, this trip was from the Office for completing 2 years.
Vandy stopped the Car in front of a roadside motel. Roshan was already awake, he winked at me for a few times seeing Smriti napping on my shoulder. Kshitij and Smriti also woke up and she was a bit uncomfortable and in guilt after finding her head on me. She adjusted her hair and we all went to have snacks. Kshitij ordered chowmin and coke for everyone but she asked for Fanta.
Kshitij made a joke there, "You don't like coke?"
After a pause, he again said, "Sorry Roshan, she might not like you too."
We all laughed. Kshitij would pull Roshan's leg and Vandy would add some punch there. After having snacks they sat there joking around, while I went outside and stood on the side of the car, holding a Coke in one hand and a cigarette on the other, and one leg against the car. I was scared, I saw Smriti approaching me and threw the cigarette asap and blew the smoke out of my mouth quickly.
She asked me, "Why did you throw that? I know you smoke."
"Sorry, but I feel uncomfortable smoking in front of you. I mean people."
"Haha! Don't have to hide from me. You know as a child I used to think, that people who smoke are bad and they all are goons."
"I used to think the same."
"How long have you been smoking?"
"It's like asking a girl an age."
"If I tell you my age, will you tell me that?"
"Just a year"
"But I saw you smoking in the early days of my office."
"I used to back then but I stopped, tried controlling, and back then I had been smoking only for 4 months."
"What made you smoke again?"
"Now I don't smoke more often, only 2 sticks a day on average."
"But I asked, what made you start again."
"It was the same reason, I started back then."
"Wow, exciting, now I get to hear another story, won't I?"
"Haha, I would keep this story to myself. Sorry!"
"Okay, I hope you would change your mind."
After some awkward silence for a minute or so she asked, "When was the last time you came to Pokhara?"
"I came to Pokhara back in 2017 and a year before that."
"How was your experience? Did you like it?"
"I came here on our college trip and It was special...."
Roshan interrupted us, "Hrishi, At least leave Smriti alone."
"Haha! Why? Does he flirt with every other girl?" She said.
"No girls are safe from his spell. Then it's clear he was flirting with you too."
"No, not at all. He was just being nice to me."
"You are already in his trap. That's how he starts flirting."
I was ashamed and asked Roshan to stop but he was just dragging. I politely refused him, every statement and asked him to leave, jokingly. I wasn't offended, I knew she wouldn't believe that, but I was uncomfortable.
Roshan was laughing and said, "Jokes apart we should now leave, I was here to call you if you wanted anything. Let's get in the car after we buy stuff. Do you need anything?"
"No, I don't need anything. Do you need something, Smriti?"
"A chilled bottle of water would be fine."
After he left, Smriti looked at me and whispered, "The story hasn't started yet."
Then we got into the car and we headed towards Pokhara, only 3 hours journey was left.
Vandy suddenly asked, "Smriti did you make the call to reserve a hotel ?"
"No, I will just make it now."
"We have time we don't need to rush, calm down for now," Roshan said.
"No Roshan we will be tired and it would be better if we would get to the hotel in time."
While they were talking Smriti made a call to her uncle and asked for the availability of the room.
"Is one double bed and a single bedroom okay?"
Kshitij said, "Yeah! That's what we are looking for."
We booked the room and She asked, "What are the plans for partying?"
Kshtitij: "We will party all night."
Roshan: "Let's go to some pub and just dance with a stranger"
Kshitij: "We don't want to scare Pokhara with your dance, Roshan"
Vandy: "We will be tired today so let's just rest in our rooms and maybe we could have a couple of beers and some Vodka or whiskey."
Kshitij: "You forget about the hard drinks. I have seen your drama after having only a few pegs of drinks. So let's just make beer."
Vandy: "That was long ago, now I can digest drinks."
Roshan: "1 week ago is not that long. Remember how you just puked in my room when only two of us were there."
Vandy: "I can handle that, guys. Okay, fine let's just have beers then. And you didn't even ask Smriti what she wants."
Smriti: "I would not drink today. I will just sleep after we reach the hotel, I am tired."
I insisted, "Just have a beer afterward."
"Sorry, I don't wanna drink"
Kshitij: "Don't you fear once we control Roshan you don't have to feel insecure."
Roshan stared at him with confused looks.
"Haha, I am not feeling scared. I just want to stay sober to see you guys being drunk. And probably I would even sleep before you guys even start."
Then we all stopped arguing and we all talked for a while then we started to fall asleep.
Smriti was again on my shoulders, but this time we were not that uncomfortable.
After a few hours, we all reached Pokhara. It was already dusk and it was raining outside.
"They say Pokhara is the place with the maximum number of rains. Even though I have been to Pokhara only 2 times, it never rained. Today is the first time I have seen rainy Pokhara"
Vandy: "It rains every time I am in Pokhara. When you were here maybe you didn't notice."
Kshitij: "It is rain Vandy, I think if it had rained Hrish would have noticed. It's not like your jokes that no one notices."
We all laughed and Roshan added, " Bhayoooooooo (from some meme)"
Smriti was giving directions to Vandy and we reached the hotel.
Our rooms were on the 4th floor. There was a lobby and railings on that and two back-to-back. She was talking to the hotel owner and smiling from time to time while talking. We all went into our rooms. There were two beds with white sheets on top.
As soon as we went into our room, Roshan said, "Look there's a Wi-Fi password written on the wall"
Kshitij: "I want to charge my phone first I don't see any socket here."
Vandy: "Sorry I connected mine."
"No worries I will ask Smriti if there's any port left."
He went to Smriti's room to charge his phone. I went to the bathroom and everybody became fresh within 45 min. I was sitting in the bed and watching TV.
Smriti knocked on the door, "Can I come in?"
I said, "Yes" and adjusted myself Kshitij was looking for some videos on Vandy's phone, and Roshan and I were in the bed watching TV. I made room for Smriti but she sat opposite us in the next bed.
"So, what are we going to do? Are we having dinner here or you wanna go outside."
"I said, we are tired, can you ask them to make good food and we will be good here? But we need to bring drinks from outside."
She said, " Drinks here are affordable and I will make sure that."
Then we all agreed and Kshitij asked, "They serve Tunorg strong right."
"We need to check about that, okay let me make a call from this phone", she picked up the phone and dialed the extension number written on that phone. Unfortunately, that wasn't available.
And she asked while putting the phone on hold, "Is Gorkha okay"
Except for Kshitij, everyone agreed. Looking at Kshitij's disagreed face I suggested "Let's get one Tuborg strong from outside and I know Smriti would also drink some wine."
She told me before, she preferred wine over beer. I looked at her and winked and then I told her to ask if wines were available. She asked but the wine wasn't available.
I said, "Okay let's go out and bring wine as well as beer."
"No guys you don't have to get in trouble because of me."
Kshitij, "Just think the trouble is caused by me. I wanted the beer so."
She smiled and said, "I will also go then"
So, two of us got out of the room and went down to buy some drinks.
As soon as we got out, Smriti got excited and asked, "Now we are in Pokhara you could just relate your story too."
"Which one?"
"The one where you came to Pokhara for the first time."
"Haha! I was just messing with you I knew that. You might get bored."
"Just start"
...
"It was a college trip and it was special because I was going to Pokhara for the first time and it was her hometown. She has always been excited talking about Pokhara. How everything was so beautiful and I often pulled her legs by saying the opposite but the way she explained I would just listen to it.
She called, "Hrishu, did you pack?"
"What's there to pack? Just some trousers and T-shirts. They are already in my bag."
"Huh! Pack perfectly, hide some money inside the bag, put some basic medics, and put your charger and all. You will cry for that later."
"Okay done already."
"Just go and pack."
Suddenly she changed her tone and said, "I am so happy you will be in my hometown."
"I am also excited. I want to see your house there."
"I am taking some of my friends with me, I will try to slip you through but I am scared because it's you. What if they know? No no, I am not taking you. Sorry, next time"
"What if I die next time"
"Never say that again. Just shut up and sleep it is already 11. I also have to wake up early."
"Please, stay a bit more"
"No, we need some sleep. When is your bus leaving?"
"Around 8 I guess"
"Ours is also planned around that time. Okay, good night, sleep well. LOVE YOU"
"I LOVE YOU too"
We hung up the call.
The next morning we both reached college and clicked photos together. We were from different departments so we were traveling separately. Her bus headed 30 min ahead of ours. But we met at the same place for lunch, the driver planned to move along. We had lunch together. Till now I would always prioritize her before my friends but my friends took it lightly. And I would later come to enjoy it with my friends.
We reached Pokhara, they had already booked hotels. We also booked 3 rooms near Lakeside. After that, at 6 PM we were just roaming on the road. I happened to meet her, it wasn't planned."
I pointed to the road and said, "This was the place where I stumbled upon her"
Smriti smiled. I said, "I think we came too far there's a liquor shop before."
She said, "I know but just continue with the story."
I saw her here and we just waved hello. Just a casual hello. Later we had dinners and they were planning to be in Lakeside drinking. She would drink only if I was around or she was with girls, that's too not often.
So, I suggested the same to my friends. And we bought some beers and went near the Lakeside. After some beers, all of us started to talk here and there. I also had a few beers but I was sober. I asked her to slip out. She agreed and we left."
...
"Let's buy 2 beers and wine and turn back"
Smriti disagreed, "Please don't break in the middle of the story"
"We are too far let's buy some drinks and we have time when we return too."
I bought 2 bottles of the beer Kshitij wanted and a bottle of wine, sweet red wine, of her choice.
Before she gestured anything I continued my story.
...
"We just walked through the lane on the side of the beautiful and breezy Fewa lake. She tangled her hand around mine. At the speed we were walking we were slower than the night. I would often see her face lightening under the lamps. She would look at me and smile at every lamp-post. We walked in the utter darkness and silence of the night. After some time we stood at a place and just looked straight to the lake, shining the moonlight.
I broke the silence and said, "I don't want this night to be over."
"I just want my nights to be the same around you for the rest of my life."
"Let's make a deal even if we depart you will never forget me."
"Hmm. Firstly, we will not be apart and how can I forget this beautiful moment? You know me the person I love will never get out of my head. And stop being doubtful, we will be together."
"I don't know where life takes us."
"Wherever it takes just to be sure of one thing, I would never think anything wrong about you and always pray for the good."
Anyone listening to that conversation would have laughed hearing those cheesy words. But we were enjoying ourselves, we sat there for a while, and she was resting her head on my shoulder. We talked about life about the future and didn't miss any chance to live in the moment.
After some time we got up and headed towards our friends. But they were not there. We didn't realize how long we were out there. It was almost 9 and we had sat there for more than 2 hours.
Time is a strange thing, When we are excited it moves really fast, when we are worried or waiting for someone it moves really slow, and when we are with loved ones, it just pauses and barely moves. We realized it wasn't enough and went too fast only after the moment was over. But living in the moment, it's like the world is still and we are staring.
I dropped her at her hotel and I called my friends, they were at some pub. I went there and enjoyed the Pokhara I was expecting."
...
I looked at Smriti and said, "So"
"So what? Did you go to her house? Where is it? And did you meet her again in Pokhara?"
"I didn't meet her in Pokhara again but while returning to Kathmandu we planned to be on the same bus. Our department was planning on a different trip so we departed. About her house, I don't know much but it was around some Farm, I don't remember precisely. She took her friends to her house but I, myself, thought it would be awkward for me to go. So, I didn't go."
"Farm, hmm... I don't know Pokhara myself but do you want to go there now?"
"I don't think so. And she doesn't live there anymore."
"Where is she now?"
I knew where she was but something stopped me from telling her I told her, "At her husband's house"
I think Smriti sensed my low tone and changed the topic after some awkward silence. I don't know why she didn't ask about the marriage but also, I wasn't in the mood to tell. So, I didn't give thought to that.
We went to our hotel room, we all gathered and had some drinks. Every one of us was talking too loud but I wasn't talking a word. I started to think about what I told her at our last meeting.
"I promise you, I will find your husband's address and I will come once, in front of you and I know there would still be love for me in your eyes"
I took my phone out and scrolled to the screenshot I was saving, it was her husband's address, I got back when I saw a post on some Facebook page, written about him.
I didn't know what would I do with this before. But deep down I knew I wanted to fulfill my promise.
We are so focused on major things in life we often forget to live the beautiful moments in life. While I was staring at my phone screen there were my friends enjoying the talk. Smriti was laughing and smiling occasionally looking at me. They were enjoying it, but I wasn't.