Morning: Akshara's home
Akshara was smiling at the mirror, it looked like she was thinking about last night. She wore her favorite white dress which perfectly matched her personality. With a smile on her face she stepped down the stairs. Her Grandpa was busy reading the newspaper and her Grandmother was in the kitchen preparing something. She walked to her grandma in the kitchen. Her grandma was very surprised to see Akshara dressed very beautifully. " Akshara, You look very beautiful, are you going somewhere?" she asked.
Akshara smiled, and said, "no".
" — No thanks, no gratitude" Akshara's Grandpa mumbled behind the newspaper; he was listening to their conversation.
" Did you say something, Grandpa." she asked.
"No, go to school" he grunted.
Akshara walked to him, pulled the paper from his hands and asked, " — What— ?"
— He adjusted his chair and took a breath.
" — sometimes we have to turn into a villain in someone's life. Life is boring if there are no problems…" he said.
" — hmm… I know … but, I didn't get you" she said.
" See ... for suppose ... you have to sneak to the stairs at midnight and run on the roads" he said.
— Akshara's eyes wide-out with surprise when she heard him. She sat on her knees and whispered, " Did you see me in the night".
" — Yeah, from the windows," he said.
he took a deep breath and continued … " It was me who warned Abhi to not see you anymore. I know he likes you so much, and you both were wasting time staring at each other. It was very boring. When life gives you a shock, you open up".
" This is why Abhi did not meet me yesterday. "
"— Wow, finally someone was afraid of my grandpa — " she laughed.
" No … he was not afraid."
"He respected my words," he said gently.
"— And now don't waste my time, I have so much news to read." he grunted, taking the newspaper from the ground.
Akshara smiled and walked out of the house very happily.
Song from the radio was playing in the truck. Abhi was travelling to the bus stop. He was enjoying the song, very happy like never before.
" You know TITLE, now I don't have fear of proposing to Akshara. All my fears died last night. But, First, I will tell this good news to my Master. He will be very happy to hear. And then, I will propose to her, like we have planned sitting on one knee." said Abhi with a smile.
"Bow" barked TITLE.
" I know … I know … you are surprised to hear my plan". he said again. Abhi parked his truck at the same place near the bus stop. He got off and walked to the coin telephone which was at the roadside. He dialled the number and waited for the Master to pick the call.
— On the other side, Akshara reached the bus stop a little early. She noticed Abhi's truck parked, but could not see him. She thought he might be somewhere and walked to the truck and looked for him around.
— Here Master picked the call in a few rings.
"Hello, Master," spoke Abhi.
" How are you Abhi? You called me after many days" said Master, recognizing his voice.
"You don't believe me Master, but yes, Akshara loves me." Abhi said Curiously.
" I know, I know you, she will accept your proposal," shouted the Master.
"No, I didn't propose," Abhi said unhappily.
" You didn't,"
" You didn't propose to her," the Master said, disappointed.
"No. But I will … I made a plan" said Abhi.
"Plan … What plan?" asked the Master Surprisingly.
" Secret," Abhi Whispered.
" Take care Master … Akshara might be coming. " said Abhi, and disconnected the call. Master put the receiver back and stroked his mustache thinking … " Why to propose … when she already accepted his love. such a strange guy …
Abhi turned to walk back to the truck. For a second, he was stunned — He never expected what he was going to see; Akshara. She was standing at a little distance — She heard him talking with the Master.
Suddenly, she shed tears — She assumed he was not Abhi, because she knew Abhi doesn't speak with others except with her — She was not wrong either; as she was unaware of his past. It was the first time Abhi had seen tears in her eyes — He couldn't see her crying — He rushed to her right away, clasped her hands and looked in her eyes.
"— Akshara, What happened— "
"Please— Don't cry— " said Abhi, in an emotional voice.
She released her hands weeping,
"— You speak with everyone? — ".
" I can't believe I heard you talking with someone — Abhi doesn't speak with others —You've lied to me —" she sobbed.
Her throat felt swollen, she stuttered taking a deep breath and said,
" — You are not Abhi."
For a second, Abhi was stunned when he heard that word. He 'd never expected Akshara to mistook him as anyone else.
"— Akshara, Listen …" Abhi tried to explain to her, but she wasn't listening.
"— Don't ever show me your face — " she said the last word in her head and walked away crying.
Abhi stopped in silence — He did not know what had actually happened in his life — He wanted to say that he was Abhi, but Akshara was not listening.
Akshara did not go to school, she returned home. Her grandma and grandpa were surprised to see her.
"—You did not go to school —" asked her grandpa behind the newspaper.
Akshara didn't respond; she walked to her room upstairs. Her Grandparents realized she was not happy and something had happened. They walked to her room and knocked on the door, it was open. Akshara was lying on the bed, folding her hands under her head, staring at the window. They walked near to her, and noticed tears in her eyes.
"— Akshara — " Grandpa called worriedly.
" is everything all right?" he asked her again.
Akshara got out of her bed, and hugged them.
" You know grandpa, Abhi never speaks, " she sobbed.
" I found him speaking with someone today."
" — He is not Abhi Grandpa; he was cheating on me — " she cried on his shoulder.
Her Grandparents understood that she had seen Abhi talking — They never expected someone to cheat on their granddaughter. They did not know that Abhi could speak with Akshara because she didn't tell them. But her Grandfather knew that Abhi was a good man, and he never hurt anyone — In Fact, he was very happy that Abhi actually speaks. Thanks to his positivity…
"I know, I know ... you liked him so much,"
"— Don't Cry —"
" We are there for you,"
" Everything will be alright?" he said calmly.
He smiled and said again, "You will forget everything once your Grandma prepares your favorite dish."
Akshara calmed down a little. She wiped her tears, looked at them and said, " Love you both".
— On the other hand, Abhi was at the bus stop. He was still thinking about what had actually happened. He sat near his truck's tyre, thinking deeply about her. TITLE looked silent. He too did not know why everything happens to his Master.
Night: Almost 9 PM
That night Akshara was sitting in the living room, she kept her hands close to her chin, and was looking at the front yard and the trees. The living room, the yard and the trees were reminding her of Abhi and his last presence in the house. Every corner was Abhi. She didn't even realize that tears were rolling from her eyes. She didn't want her grandparents to be sad again, so she walked to the terrace for relief. The Moon and the stars in the sky looked brighter.
Here, Abhi was still at the bus stop. The village was almost silent and very few people could be seen. He was figuring out whether to cry because Akshara thought he was not Abhi or smile because she was jealous to see him speaking with someone.
He looked at the stars in the sky and said, " — Watchman once said, your loved ones will always watch you from the stars — Do something ... Akshara said I am not Abhi. She doesn't believe me now. I want her to believe that I am Abhi … ".
Abhi received no response. He was throwing a tantrum; he was frustrated like never before. He could not imagine his life without her.
— For a second — he stopped; something reminded him, he hoped that would help him prove to Akshara that he was Abhi. Without wasting a second he started running on the roads — TITLE too ran along with him.
Here Akshara was on the terrace, she was looking at the Moon and the stars in the sky. Suddenly, The stars reminded her of the letter she read when she met Abhi last night. Tears rolled in her eyes again, she was depressed, she knew it was not that easy to forget him. She rushed down the stairs to her Grandpa.
" I can't stay here; We will go to your village, Grandpa" she asked crying. Her Grandpa knew Akshara was thinking of him. He nodded his head, "yes — go pack your luggage".
Here, Abhi reached the farm. He rushed into the house and searched for the wooden Truck; it was on the table. The farmkeeper shuddered to think what had happened to him; he tried to calm Abhi, but he was not listening; Abhi was in a hurry — he took the wooden truck on the table and ran to Akshara's house. To his surprise; the door and the front gate were locked. He gave a little shake and started running to the bus stop. He guessed Akshara might be going somewhere.
Night : Almost 10 PM
Here, Akshara was sitting at the bus stop with her grandparents. She kept her bag on her lap and was holding it tightly — Slowly, her eyes moved to the place where Abhi stopped his truck daily. She was surprised to see the truck was still there, but not Abhi. She expected he would come to see her at least to say a sorry, but he didn't.
— At last, Abhi arrived at the bus stop with his wooden truck— .
He was relieved to see her there. His heart calmed down, but he was taking breaths continuously, because he had been running for a long time. Akshara and her grandparents were surprised to see him. Abhi moved his left hand forward, and showed her the wooden truck. For a second, Akshara could not believe it — It was the same truck she had gifted to Abhi. She rushed to him, and asked,
" — Where did you get this?"
Abhi smiled and said, taking a breath, "This … This ... was given by my little Askhara, when I was leaving Vinnur — she is now jealous that I speak with someone … "
Akshara covered her mouth with hands out of surprise; she realized that she was jealous to see him speaking with someone. Tears shed from her eyes; it was tears of happiness — without wasting a second, She hugged him tightly.
Akshara's Grandpa stared at them; he smiled and said to his wife," Look at them, you never hugged me like that".
Abhi looked at the sky and said, "— Thank you ... But ... don't bring me one more problem —". TITLE barked out of happiness.
Akshara's grandpa saw the truck which was parked near the bus stop. He smiled and said, " Was that a plan to travel with him Akshara? — you packed luggage for".
He now stared at Abhi, blinked his one eye and said, " go on a trip somewhere". Abhi smiled; he was shy. With some funny conversations and laughs they got ready to travel. Akshara's Grandpa was more happy than them. TITLE jumped to the back.
The truck moved. Akshara waved at their grandparents and said, "love you both" — they waved back. Her Grandpa looked at the moving truck, and said in his mind, " I don't know how many days we still live. I hope to see you both Marry".
Once Again, Abhi never expected but in the end it was the best day. Yes, Life is all about unexpected events and sometimes unexpected misunderstandings.