June 24
00:15
"Can't sleep?"
"Not at all, I'm so excited for tomorrow!"
"Clearly... your excitement is pretty infectious too, I've got to give you that."
"Awww, did I just elicit a compliment out of you Vidhi?
"It's one for the history books, darling."
"Ahhh, let's see then.... nope, you're the only one inside me and my heart right now Akshaya," Vidhi winked.
"Ewww, that's so gross. Go back to sleep, we don't want a late start tomorrow that will disturb the entire itinerary, right?"
"I just love how organised you are about everything!"
"Well, if only you would go to sleep babe and not mess up the schedule haha," Akshaya grinned sheepishly.
"Of course darling... let me kiss you goodnight, or is that not listed on your planner?" Vidhi smirked.
"I have room to accommodate a cute, little divergence - come over here and plant that kiss."
09:00
"We're all set to go, aren't we?" Akshaya inquired tentatively, eager to keep a tab on everything.
"I guess so, we've managed to tick off everything on the 'Must Do' checklist you prepared, except for locking the door," Vidhi affirmed her.
"Such a relief that we're right on track. Let's lock up the apartment and get going, yippee!"
"Alright, I call dibs on the wheels," Vidhi said excitedly and prepared to dart off downstairs towards the car in case Akshaya decided to put up a challenge.
"Urghhhhh, you beat me to it - AGAIN."
"I've been in love with driving from way before I've been loving you!" Vidhi nudged her slyly.
"So does that make me a jealous mistress then?" replied Akshaya, happy to play along.
"Law is the only jealous mistress in your life right now.." Vidhi broke into a chuckle.
"Oh damnnn, that's crazy wordplay right there, Vidhi and Law, righttt?" Akshaya responded a couple of seconds later, her face lightening up suddenly upon making the connection.
"You look so adorable right now, I'm going weak in the knees," Vidhi blurted out affectionately, flushing various shades of crimson all over her face.
09:30
With this flavour of banter, Vidhi and Akshaya began the journey from their shared apartment in Mumbai to the hilly landscapes of Manali. They had finalised this trip after a lot of back-and-forth over the destination. Having grown tired of the cliche Goa and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Dil Chahta Hai kind of exploits, they ultimately figured that the hills would be picturesque and serve as an escape from the multitude of beaches which they frequented in Mumbai. Courtesy the pandemic and its concomitant lockdowns, a long period of time had elapsed since they last enjoyed an outing together. This was in total contrast to the beginning of their courtship where they embarked upon one adventure trail after another. In fact, they had been introduced to each other by a mutual friend at one such trekking trip in the outskirts of this mega city.
Vidhi, who preferred to keep herself reserved from extracting conversations such as those with strangers you have to put up with during a trek, found in Akshaya a companion who was outgoing and spirited enough to tackle the unflattering comments about two young women going about their lives as they willed. Akshaya really spoke her mind and her words were like daggers that often stabbed the perverted men who crossed the threshold of decency. Together, they mastered the art of cornering those who dared to question their freedom. Albeit at a tortoise's pace, this solid companionship eventually transformed into a fragile courtship. The fragility was borne not out of the nature of their feelings towards each other, rather, it stemmed from the unsettling gaze which fell upon them like a spotlight once people around them had learnt of their unconventional relationship.
17:00
"Hey Vidhi, why don't you pull over and let me drive now."
"What? Seriously.. You should just sit back comfortably, play good music and enjoy the ride!"
"Pleaaseeee, I am itching to do something after so many hours of idling and sleeping and watching your sparkling eyes focus on the road. Give those tender feet some rest now babe, they've earned it."
"Alright fine, we've almost entered Vadodara so there's another two hours to Ahmedabad from here, drive away," Vidhi conceded defeat and stopped the car.
"Yeah, I know all that, I'm the one who meticulously planned it all out, in case you were too tied up to notice," Akshaya winked at her while stepping out to stretch her legs. They switched seats and were quickly on the move once again.
18:30
"I was meaning to say this earlier but forgot - lunch at Surat was so tastyyy, great pick... I kind of get now why they say Surat Nu Jaman Ane Kashi Nu Maran, their cuisine is lip-smacking," Vidhi expressed her delight.
"Absolutely!!! It was some grand last minute tip from Meher to take a pit stop in Surat for lunch, wasn't it?"
"Ohhhhh...so this is what you were discussing with her last evening, nice one."
"Yep, it was Meher's birthday the day before so I had called her to catch up on all of the gossip from the bash they had."
"Cool, quick question though: WHEN WILL YOU FINALLY INTRODUCE ME to the famous Meher?" Vidhi pounced upon Akshaya in a rage. "I mean, I feel like I've come to learn so much about her through all of your tales but each successive story makes me even more desperate to meet her in reality! It's about time too."
"Right," Akshaya said thoughtfully, "you know what, let's take a detour through Delhi and stay a night at Meher's?"
"That would actually be really wonderful, I will be glad to do this, but are you positive about messing up the itinerary?"
"Are you kidding me - I would never willingly give up on an opportunity to re-unite with Meher and R, they're my family."
"Woohooo, let's do this then!"
19:00
The day's drive came to an end in Ahmedabad on that bright note. After checking-in to their hotel room and freshening up, Vidhi and Akshaya settled straight into bed without any fuss. The pit-pit-patter noise of the drizzly raindrops attacking their balcony's marble flooring appeared to be music to their ears. They pulled the comforter over themselves and galloped into a silent, drowsy yet intimate cuddle before drifting off to sleep.
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