If I Had A Love Story - Chapter 18

 

Chapter 18

The jeep was moving at fast pace maneuvering over the bumpy terrains. We were screaming at the top of our voices but it didn’t carry far as it died against the roar of the engines. Diya was sitting next to me and I was trying to hold on tight to one of bars of the jeep to stabilize myself from jerking. Her hair was undone and flew with the wind. She was finding it hard to keep her balance as she kept trying to hang on to the seat. Sensing her uneasiness, I caught her and made her to sit near the corner as the jeep slowed for a while. She regained her composure and now was holding onto my hand tightly. 

The scenery was so posh filled with greenery everywhere and glorious views of the hills. The chill air with mist dominated the atmosphere. I turn towards Diya to find her already looking at me. She turned her gaze aside as I looked at her.

At last we reached the top. I lend her my hand as she got down. She was unusually quiet. She just shook her head when I asked if there was any problem. I was greatly intrigued by her sudden reticence.

There were beautiful meadows and fog everywhere we turned. Diya in her baby blue tinted top looked as pretty as a picture against the backdrop. After walking few feet, I fell flat on the meadows. The dew in the grass created a chilling effect that made me shiver. My palms brushed against the dewdrops breaking them. (Falling asleep in one of the meadows was one of my silly dreams). I put my hands at the back of my head and stared at the empty sky. Diya was standing next to me looking anxious and sick. She didn’t even look at me when I talked to her.  

I was going to get up as I wanted to figure out what was wrong with her when Ram grabbed her hand and took her up to a higher circular platform up the stairs that was probably built to give the visitors a great view. I did nothing but watched them go.

“Whoa! Look what I had just found! A rare lost lovebird!” It was Ajith with a mocking face. Diya and Ram were now at the top standing too close seemingly in a serious conversation.  I felt that I would want to hit him just like I imagined when both of them were together in the bus. I couldn’t bear to watch them and shifted my attention to Ajith.

“Did you tell her?”

“Tell who what?” I asked him skeptically.

“Tell Diya that you are in love with her” He sounded confident.

“What!? I am not in love with her” I lied..

He smiled and sat beside me.

“The way you look at her – you are in love” His eyes told that he knew everything.

“Is that obvious?” I gave up.

“Yeah. Does she know?”

I nodded.

“What did she say?”

“Nothing much”

“Relationship is a fragile thread holding people together. It breaks if one pulls harder and the other doesn’t pull at all.” He sounded like a saint or something. Maybe he talked out of experience, I didn’t know.

“Just ask her if she feels the same way or you will just be treading a path to nowhere.”  

“I’m scared.”

“Aren’t we all? You are just scared that you would lose her. Trust me, then it was never going to work out.”

“Sometimes love just isn’t enough.” The monotony in his voice was gone now.

I fell into silence. I knew that he was right.

We were interrupted by Anu who said she had something to tell me alone. Ajith shrugged when I looked at him. She escorted me a few paces far. I was totally shaken and taken aback when she suddenly hugged me and said I love you. I hardly knew her except for some random chats in the class. I hadn’t still recovered from it when I noticed Diya and Ram standing behind me. She was on the verge of tears when I pushed Anu away from me.

I ran after her but she neither would stop nor talk to me.

“I hate you” she said.

That was the one moment I loved her the most. I felt it stronger than I had ever felt all the time I was in love with her.

The cold breeze with the slight drizzle made the best weather but I was gloomy and alone. I needed answers to the multitude of questions inside my head. Someone who could give them to me was Anu. When I confronted her, she simply said that she did it for a dare. Then I searched Diya everywhere hoping to explain and found out that she had already left with Ram. I was angry at her probably for the first time and so took time to let it sink in.

Once we returned downhill, the first thing I did was finding them. Diya turned her back as soon as she saw me and it was evident that she wasn’t very happy to see me.

“Diya, We need to talk. I don’t know why you’re doing this to me” I tried not to sound desperate.

Then Ram stepped in between us.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you.” There was a sound of authority in his voice. I wanted to punch him ever since the start of the IV but never really got the chance. I pushed him out of my way and took her hand. I froze. She was shivering. I was going to put my hand on her forehead to check if she was alright but she pushed me away.   

“Go away. I hate you.” Her eyes were filled with tears and her voice was weak as she said those words again.  

I wouldn’t. I can’t. My thoughts told me that. Her tears told that she loved me.