Chapter 7
"Why did I agree for this again?" Sharon yawned with her head tucked in Rey's shoulder. The only flight they had found was at the abominable time of 4 in the morning. Sharon had slept through the entire road journey and during security check and now in the flight, she was in the state of drowsiness that makes the demarcation between dream and reality indiscernible. In about three hours they would reach Kashmir and then take the next flight to Ladakh. After that, the road was their only hope because they hadn't booked anywhere, given the shortage of time.
"Make drastic decisions. That's one of those things they say about having an exciting life," Rey replied.
"Yeah. Extramarital affair also makes life exciting. Especially when the spouse finds out," she replied thickly, "all those must-do's are stupid and ridiculous for all I care." She sounded more alert as she finally lifted her head, "Make mistakes," she taunted, "the bloody make mistakes'. There's a price you pay every time you make mistake. The price isn't worth paying."
"I think you're too sleepy to talk such deep and meaningful shit," Rey chuckled lightly, as he gently pushed her head back on his shoulder. Sharon dropped her head and wrapped her arms tightly around Rey's torso, making herself comfortable, ready to go back to sleep.
"If anyone ever fell for us, I really don't think they would be comfortable with how hands-on you are," Rey mused out loud.
"Bad pillow," Sharon taunted as she poked his stomach, "stay still."
Rey shook his head to himself and decided he could do with some sleep himself, so he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.
***
"Rey we passed another hotel!" Sharon was appalled at her friend's behaviour. "What is wrong with you?"
"I have a feeling there is a better hotel further ahead," Rey replied, not really looking at her, "I have heard the good ones are the farther away from market."
"And where did you hear it? In your psychotic head?" Sharon snapped.
"People told me," he said impatiently, "now, shh... let me concentrate."
Sharon rolled her eyes and sighed, shifting towards the window. From here, she could see the driver and she felt the urge to give a standing ovation to this guy for driving aimlessly still managing to hold that impassive expression on his weather beaten face. But then he was getting paid for driving so...
Sharon looked out of the window and a light involuntary smile lingered on her face. Leh was strangely tinted in a hue of sunny brown, a stark contrast to how Mumbai seemed to be tinted in grey for majority of the year except for monsoon. The place was barren, bared of any trees; she had noticed that when the plane had started landing. The scene was probably the most breathtakingly beautiful she had seen in a while, that of naked mountains. The sun beat down directly, in a much harsher way, though the air was so cold it felt like pinpricks to the face. She had experienced the moment she had stepped out of the airport.
They had started going up a hill, quite some distance from the market area and Sharon was getting restless; Rey still hadn't found the better hotel' he was talking about.
"There!" Rey exclaimed so loudly that let alone Sharon, even the driver jumped in surprise. The car swerved slightly and Sharon held her breath, going rigid as the driver took the car back in control. The car came to an abrupt halt and Sharon was almost thrown off her seat but bounced right back on it.
"Rey, you idiot!" Sharon literally screeched.
"Everything's fine, isn't it?" he said, with a sheepish smile. "Sorry bhaiya," he called to the driver who waved back and shook his head with a good natured smile.
Sharon threw one last scorn in his direction and looked out. She felt her jaw fall off to the ground and hang like a pendulum on a wall clock. This was the place he was looking for?!
The thing was, this hotel' was not even a hotel; it was a guest house. There were hotels, absolutely stunning ones, all over Leh, she had seen it with her own eyes. And this was... why?
When Sharon turned back to Rey, he was paying the driver and then signalled her to get out.
"Please tell me this is a joke," she groaned.
"Err..." he looked back at her wide eyed, and she saw his eyes flicker from her to somewhere behind her. She scrunched her face and turned back and saw two people stand, shell shocked, gaping at both of them. Well there were a five or six more people there but two caught her eye and laughter threatened to bubble out of her mouth; this was ridiculous.
How was it that Sharon and Rey were in Ladakh of all places at the same time as Swayam and... and Tani(?) and how in the name of god were they parked right in front of their hotel? Oh... and could someone please tell her why she was kept in the dark?
Sharon glared back at Rey and opened her mouth to ask. Just then she heard the sound of something shut and then she noticed the driver had taken their luggage out. Sharon felt herself turn red and immediately shuffled out of the car.
The crowd had dispersed now save the two people she had no desire to be confronted by before getting some explanation from her best friend. And she realised there one more woman, resident, by the look of it.
They kept looking at each other, all five, for a good long five minutes. They were probably the longest five minutes of her life, apart from the awkwardness, the sun was already up and it hit her head in the most unwelcoming way.
It was Swayam who first broke the silence, clearing his throat. "We heard the sound of swerving so we came down," he said in a quiet voice.
"Nah, don't worry. We got it in control," Rey replied nonchalantly. Sharon couldn't help but sulk. What is going on? "By the way, nice to meet you man," Rey strolled forward and got Swayam in a hug, "looking good."
"Yeah, you too," he replied his eyes flickering between Sharon and Rey. Something about his smile was so forced and awkward that Sharon was pretty sure, Rey couldn't be as unobservant as he was making himself out to be. Sharon greeted Tani with a beam, who smiled back at her but either of them made no move to embrace each other.
"Erm..." she looked straight at the Ladakhi woman, ignoring all eyes on her, "are any rooms available for lodging?"
The woman probably wasn't expecting being addressed to and she started, "Oh... actually... I think we have only one room left, dear," she replied, looking flabbergasted. She had a soft breezy voice, and spoke rapidly with a slight accent.
"One room?" Sharon turned to Rey who quickly said, "We're fine with that."
Sharon threw him a quizzical look and he replied with a pleading one so she rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. Well whatever.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Swayam tap Tani's shoulder and motioned her to come back in. "I'll... so you around," he said, his eyes lingering for not more than a couple of moments on either of them before he retreated.
"Are you sure?" the woman asked, eyeing them suspiciously.
"Actually," Rey moved forward and whispered conspiratorially, "you see... we are married and Sharon is feeling a little embarrassed about us being together. You know... honeymoon jitters." Sharon narrowed her eyes, trying to burn hole through Rey's head... but that went unnoticed.
The woman's mouth went a perfect o' as her eyes averted to Sharon and Sharon immediately fixed her expression to a smile.
"Okay... come in, come in," she said ushering them in. Sharon made sure to jab her elbow in Rey's chest in the pretence of dragging her luggage, and was greeted by a satisfactory oomph' and an indignant what'. She didn't bother replying and instead, she handed him her suitcase, to which he glowered at her but took it anyway when she whispered, "What sort of a husband are you? Making your newlywed wife carry heavy luggage? Be a man." They were led to the right wing of the guest house and up the stairs to the third room. As Sharon entered the room, she found a nice, neat room, furnished with a bed and two small bedside tables, two couches, a small TV over a glass plate fixed to the wall, an attached wooden wardrobe and a study table with night lamp on it, complete with a chair. But the first thing she noticed were the huge windows and the view of mountains and a clear sky. It wouldn't be wrong to say... she was in love with the room.
"Do you like it?" the woman asked, and Sharon turned back to see Rey struggling to enter the room with two suitcases in either of his hands. Serves him well.
"I love it. Thank you aunty," she smiled back.
"Fatima aunty, what's the Wi-Fi password?" she heard Tani from behind her.
Fatima turned back with a perplexed expression and hesitantly said, "Actually, my son knows that. I don't know. You ask him when he comes back."
Tani shook her head in agreement.
Okay..." Fatima nodded, "Also," she turned back to the two of them, Sharon still standing by the window and Rey now sprawled over the bed stomach first, his legs hanging from the edge. Slob. "Do you want something to eat?"
"Coffee would be nice," she replied.
"Two?"
Sharon nodded and the woman rushed off, leaving Sharon, Tani and Rey who finally sat like a proper gentleman on the bed, staring at Tani.
Sharon smiled. "How have you been?"
"Huh? Er... nice," Tani replied with a confident smile, a contrast to the fidgety one Sharon remembered. "How was the trip?"
"Good," Sharon replied. "Come in, we could chat," she gestured Tani to come in and she hesitantly walked in and seated herself on the couch, "So you're not going out today? I mean it's eleven already so..."
"Actually, we are staying in hotel for the day, resting. The people advised us to rest and let our bodies adapt to the climate."
"So what's your plan tomorrow?" Rey asked.
"We are going biking to this place called Nubra Valley," Tani replied and smiled at Sharon's excited exclamation of "Biking!", "Yeah... it's about five days trip."
"Can we come too?" Sharon asked, with so much energy that it drew out an amused smile on both, Tani and Rey's face. But it had been so long and Sharon really loved biking.
"The road is kind of rough, actually... and the altitude is quite up... not trying to let you down gently, just giving a heads up," Tani stated, "if you don't have anything like motion sickness and stuff, we could do it. We are a group of six as of now with three of us who are practiced enough to bike in such places. So we are already paired. How about you?"
"Oh, both of us can drive bikes, don't worry about that," Rey replied, "and Sharon would probably make me sit in rear if we have to take a motorcycle together."
Sharon tipped her head in his direction and shot back, "True words," with a smirk.
Tani laughed out and said, "So I'll ask for two more bikes for our groups."
"That would be great."
Knock, knock.
"Coffee?" Fatima aunty called out from behind the door.
"Coffee who?" Sharon had a wild urge to shoot back. Instead she called, "Come in aunty, door is open."
Fatima entered and placed the tray, containing a thermos flask and two cups, down on the table and smiled. "Anything else you need?"
"No aunty, not now. Thank you," Sharon smiled back at her.
"Okay," she nodded and left.
"Er... we have two cups," Rey pointed out, "What about Tani?"
Tani began shaking her head when, "Actually that was for me and Tani," Sharon stated. Rey, that jerk, literally pouted at that.
"Actually you two drink coffee, get some rest. I'll come later," Tani replied as she got up and made her way to the door. She waved to them in response to their Bye Tani' and closed the door behind her.
"So..." Sharon stared straight at Rey with a stern face, who glanced back with the most innocent expression ever, "care to explain."
"Nope, not really," Rey shot back, shrugging his shoulders, pouring coffee for himself, and took a long-drawn out sip.
"Explain," Sharon demanded authoritatively.
Rey sighed as he set his cup down. "What do you want to know?"
"Why? How? Till when?"
"Okay..." he raised his hands in surrender, "I saw the picture of this guest house on Tani's Facebook account, that's how we're here."
"Till when?" Sharon asked, the stern expression intact.
"Well, I don't know. Didn't really cut a return ticket."
"You what?" Sharon glowered at him.
"I will... as soon as I get to know for how long everyone's here."
"By everyone, you mean Tani?"
Rey looked away, embarrassed. "Yes," he drew out the word making it sound like a question. "Look," he shifted towards her, "Tani will go back to Delhi after this trip. This is my only chance."
"To win her back?" Sharon questioned.
"No... not exactly... well... maybe... The thing is... I don't know, okay. I don't know if I love her or not. The only thing I know is I'm still not over her. There is this tension in between us, you know what I mean?" he said, wide-eyed, eager. It had been so long Sharon had seen Rey this way, that it felt good and sickening at the same time. It was nice to see him get worked up for love but the fact that it felt like an old memory made her heart thud sadly.
Sharon nodded once, still recovering from the wave of nostalgia as Rey plunged back in to explain further. "I just... I want to know if that's because I never had a proper closure or because I never wanted one... if... you know... if I still... lo-love... her."
Rey looked so vulnerable and so small that Sharon all but wrapped her arms around Rey and kissed his hair. This was the part of Rey she hadn't realised she had missed so much. The part that still wanted to dream. The part that had gone missing in her for a long time. She didn't have the liberty to do that, to live freely, dream freely, and she had accepted that, even found a niche in a world that she once thought could in no way belong to her; but that was okay if she could let Rey do that. If she could live vicariously through her best friend, it was fine.
Everything was fine.
comment:
p_commentcount