It was 5 a.m.... when they reached at the top, sat there, enjoyed the panoramic view.....especially the most beautiful sun rise!
''Sumen is a liar!'' Insiyaa murmured looking far at the horizon...she shivered a little, rubbing each arms
''Doesn't matter! no one showed any interest anyway, it was just Sankalp and even if he agreed to come at all no one would have paid him extra money to come all the way here, because it wasn't mentioned in the trip's brochure. so the story he heard from townies, he tells everyone,....just in case'' Blaze replied dragging a long puff off his cigarette while taking sip from his flask...
"I really need some coffee right now" She muttered under her breath expectantly stealing glance at that flask, trembling and rubbing both hand together.
He scoffed hearing her...
and dangled the flask in front of her.....it was immediately snatched away from his hand, making him roll his eyes.
''I'm going to deny if anyone ever asks'' She said gratefully looking at him
He only gave her a look which said...'you better'
"scout's honour" She muttered and took two large sip before handing it back to him
When it was 8 o'clock in the morning, they were already back at camp and no one even noticed their absence either.
It took them hours..... like literally more than 4 frigging hours to get up there, but it took a lot less to get down.
Weird!...
OR MAY.BE.NOT!
actually Imagine this, when we climb up the stairs, it takes time and trouble, we get exhausted, all out of breath but when we are going down, we go down pretty easily....none of those happens!
Gravity!
Everyone woke up at sharp 8:30, half an hour later. So, Insiyaa got enough time get freshen up...she was feeling slightly tipsy! not that she's going to say that out loud.
But everyone was so tired that they just got on the bus with a cup of coffee in hand like zombies and let some coolies take care of their bags and gave them tips....even Blaze didn't say a word.
All of them were snoring like buffalo while travelling.
uughh! how can anyone sleep after having coffee ?
Insiyaa was way too excited to close her eyes at all. She doesn't want to miss anything!
after all it was time to leave the mountains and go back to the locality!
Damn! Is it time already ?
HOLIDAYS ARE OVER....she had to return to her cage she knew as home.
time to go!
does that mean she would never see him again...
there was this weird pang happened thinking about it...as in, she doesn't know uneasy,....not not uneasy, but what was it ?
why does she suddenly feel like crying....like she is going to loose something!
SHE WAS LOOSING SOMETHING...!
she didn't realize that she was actually crying until she felt something wet on her cheek,....silently sniffing, she wiped her eyes before looking outside.
Not after 45 minutes later,....
bus came to stop! conductor slapped on side of the bus, conveyed the message that they are finally back at the resort.
Everyone was still getting up and moving in snail's speed....looks like days of nonstop walking and not eating proper food was finally catching up to everyone.
But Insiyaa didn't get tired....she already got freshened up and changed in soft loose white kurta and black jeans before getting on the bus...only, this time she left her specks in it's box and wore contact lenses, left her long hair down... she was sitting with Rahat whose head was lolling from one side to another. Shawkat sat behind them with a girl he was flirting all the way,...they were sleeping too....so, she just sighed and got up from her seat to jump out of the bus, leaving everyone behind.
She looked around and saw from distance that the whole place was decorated with colourful papers,...plates of different colors , extra large size syringes, few enormous ponds like plastic bathtubs filled with clean water and lots of boys and girls in white clothing.....
definitely older than her talking among each other!
AND.....there was this HUGE water tanker with a long hose pipe attached to it!..
HOLI!
how can she forget about this...good thing they arrived just in time.
She grinned like Cheshire cat thinking about how it is going to be a very very interesting holi this year. This is her one and only chance to enjoy holi among the strangers...she won't be watched like hawks.
so, she is going to make the most of it, NO MATTER WHAT!
People who didn't wake up before on the bus definitely woke up when the loud music started playing outside. Sankalp and Blaze sat on the other side. When they woke up...Rahat and Shawkat was up too and they were in trance....when they realized that she wasn't there, they become frantic and started looking around but found nothing except her backpack was there and her specs in box on her seat....
Their drowsiness from exhaustion and lack of sleep vanished into thin air,.....they started looking around even more frantically. Groaning loudly they hurriedly got off the bus, only to have water splashed all over themself from the hose pipe which Insiyaa Hayat Raichand was holding.
''bura na mano Holi hai''
[ Don't be offended! It's Holi ]
She yelled and laughed loudly before smashing bright powdered colours all over everyone's face and ran away from there in a flash.
They groaned loudly again.....
'ooye, Raichand, wait' Some voice came behind her
It took them mere second to realize what happened.....they ran after her!
Everyone played holi all day long. Insiyaa even drank thandai - bhang! After that they went to see the band show, sang, danced around through the street....ate all kind of street food manali had to offer, partied till midnight.
Blaze walked around and had some drinks but avoided all the dancing and colour splashing.... though his face was caked with it and he was wet too from earlier
True Definition Of A Troublemaker!.....He chuckled
Who would have thought his reckless trip would be this entertaining!
For him it was beyond all his imagination...exceeded his expectations in every different way!...
It was almost past midnight when suddenly Blaze got a call and his expression changed from happy to stony in a second when he pulled his phone out and looked at the screen and then kept looking at it as if he could not decide whether to take that call or not and then he received it,....
''WHAT ?
I told you not to call me....
why do you care! you never did before!
....
...
Fine! I'll try but i can't promise, bye'' His voice came out as growl as he rolled his eyes getting impatient and cut the call
Insiyaa was watching him from distance, Allah knows where he was lost that he could not see her behind him.
''hey!'' She called and he stopped and turned around
''Hey!'' He smiled a little
''So! Holiday's over!?'' She asked nervously
''Mmh! I'm returning the day after tomorrow''
''oh! emergency ?'' She asked again sounding slightly disappointed.....
not that he realized it, he just nodded.....they continued their slow paced walking
''oh!'' that's all left her mouth... but she wanted to say so many things, that's why she followed him all the way here leaving her brothers in the crowd.... but it seems cat got her tongue here.
And they were just walking again in silence....until his phone beeped once, it sounded like sms tone which he ignored,...it beeped again, and then again, making him click his tongue in irritation.
"maybe it would stop if you just check it"
"never mind, it's just my girlfriend apologizing" He grumbled looking forward while she stopped on her track
she gulped...
of course he'd have a girlfriend, how could he not, girls were flying around him like flies...wait, but____
"hey, wait how rich are you ?" She asked, and this time he stopped on his track and turned around
"what!"
"i mean, private jet type or first class type ?" She asked again
"both fine.....though i prefer my jet, why!" He confusedly answered not knowing where this conversation was heading
"that's why she is apologizing...gold digger, break it off" She said taking large steps towards him to match his speed,.....but he just stood there mouth hanging open
"WHATT ? you don't even know her"
"one free advice, take it or leave it...
girlfriend 101 :: real girlfriend material never like never say SORRY.....regardless they are right or wrong....they'll make you say sorry, trust me, I'm a girl" She deadpanned, he only raised eyebrows at her...
"hm...i see" He gruffed
while, she knew that a face with a raised eyebrow might convey skepticism, she could have sworn there was smile at one corner, very small but it was there,.....and conveys appreciation of subtle wit!
then suddenly she said,... ''I'm scared''
''scared! And you ? I don't know! I don't think i can put those two words in one sentence when it comes to you'' He teased
''yeah! But no excuse is actually excusable to explain your disappearance for 11 days straight, right ? And for what reason ?
A trip!
Right now it feels like....
i don't know,....meaningless!?
she was suddenly feeling guilty,....truly guilty about running away, stealing money, not talking to her father.....she could have at least called one more time,.....but she just forgotten about him.
"So! What should be the excuse ?'' She asked
''None!'' He answered looking awfully quiet, lost in thinking....
and there was a slight change in his demeanor.....gone that teasing look, it was blank, stony and his voice,....?
it was enough to freeze anyone on the spot.....for how icy it sounded, when she stilled for a moment, blinked and swallowed before asking...
''So you would disappear on your family for entire 11 days, without any explanation, without talking to them ?''
''NO!
I've left and stayed away without sending a word for approximately 9 years!'' He answered.
His silvery eyes met her, not the bluish grey one she liked when she first saw him
No!
it was sharp and cold and hard and ruthless!
Damn how does the colour of his eye changed so quickly....
She blinked
And then Again
And then Again.....
and stood there gaping at him.....at his word.
9 YEARS!
and he ?
He just ignored her, walked towards the bus....
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