Page 113 of Storm
I stood hugging myself staring at the last of the drowning sun. I shivered with warmth when my elbows rubbed with heat. I looked sideways to meet Aariz's eyes, but I could not speak as his hands made their journey upwards and squeezed my bare forearms. Clasping them, he gave me an easy smile,
“I think we must leave now.”
I nodded but he did not take his hands off me and went on to ask,
“Sanu, you’re tired?”
“Completely spent.”
“Then how about I give you a ride?” With that, he grazed his hands down to my wrists and turned around still holding them.
“C'mon! Climb over.” Aariz grinned at me from over his shoulder.
As if in some other world of daze, where nothing else mattered, and no rational thinking remained, I allowed him to lock my hands around his throat, while I jumped on his back knotting my legs around his torso.
My jeans was folded till my calves, so I trembled with proximity and hid my face in Aariz's neck when he gripped my bare legs as he ran out of the beach.
Aariz did not speak the entire way, nor did he try to move my curls aside, when they fell over his face. Soon we reached his car. But Aariz did not drop me to the the ground, instead he opened the car door and turned around bending slightly thus putting me right on the car seat.
Aariz then turned and started fastening the seat belt around me. I could have done it myself, but I guess he did it just as an excuse to touch me, because his fingers lingered on my stomach, even after he was done locking the seatbelt in. Our faces just a breath away now.
“Thanks.” I murmured.
Aariz shook his head keeping me arrested in his eyes,
“Thank you for coming.”
Giving me a loving smile Aariz moved away, went to sit behind the stirring wheel, and started driving.
It was time to go home.
“Thank you so much for the beautiful evening.” It was all I could say after Aariz dropped me at the turn of the road near my place.
For obvious reasons, he couldn’t drop me directly in front of my house. Much to his dislike as at that same moment, rain came down heavily on us. Thanks God, for not throwing it earlier as a third wheel on our date.
We exchanged smiles, biding each other goodbye. But for some reason I thought he looked worried.
No sooner had I fallen on my bed smiling like an idiot recounting the ‘best date ever’, when suddenly my phone chimed with an incoming text. It was from Aariz.
That was fast! Maybe the force that is Sani has blown him. I have captivated him in my love and he is finding it difficult to let loose or maybe he doesn’t want to lose, rather tighten this thing between us.
I was ready to pat my back in pride, while thinking I should write a self-help book for those poor girls out there who don't have much luck in the dating scene or to be blunt, are just complete bores. I could write for them and...
Before I could think further, I lazily read his text.
I wanted to strangle him and laugh all together! What the hell?!
Aariz's text said,
‘Hi! Reached home safely?’
‘Yeah, you dropped me, remember?’ I replied back slightly miffed.
Did he forget about me already?! How dare he?!
Aariz
I thumped my forehead reading her reply. Of course, I had dropped her myself. How could I be so stupid to ask such a question?
