When You LOVED Me...

44.

*Unedited*

Mia laid her head back on the car seat, too tired from the events of past two days. It was an incredible trip but everything just didn't fall into place.

One moment of joy, hope followed by a moment of fear, sadness. This line could sum up her entire life.

But, here now, even tired, she is at peace, content with the person sitting next to her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to relax. They just dropped Manvi, Arav and Arnav to a bus station. Mia was very wary of the idea of them travelling in a bus but Manvi was surprisingly enthusiastic about it along the lines that it's been ages since she travelled in a bus.

Arav was upset by the idea of leaving his brother and beloved bhabhi as he quoted it, but Manvi assured him they will come back soon. Arnav was his stoic self and only passed a brief hug to his brother and a sharp nod to me and retrieved into the bus.

And that's then.

Summer winds brushed her cheeks, sun rays of late afternoon fell into her face. But the weather was quite relaxing. She just want to curl up in fluff blankets like a kitten and take a huge nap. She smiled faintly at the thought. And she felt Aaron watching her.

She opened her eyes, and gazed at her with a expression, she couldn't quite understand but his eyes shone with some fierce passion that her heart did a sudden flip-flop inside her chest.

And somehow it felt like they were talking without words. A conversation of hearts.

Her smiled widened but she turned away due to an abrupt shyness,her locks fell on her cheeks, hiding her from his piercing eyes and she heard a light chuckle.

"I took it as you are doing better." He commented and turned on the radio on a classical melody after getting a sly nod from her.

Yeah! She was doing better. After the overwhelming events of the day unfolded, she hadn't thought of being so relaxed.

They came to an stop a hour later. Aaron get down the car first only to open her side of the door. He held her hand in a gentleman's gesture and she took it before climbing out of the vehicle.

She looked around to gather of her surrounding. Many vehicles are parked at this side and a small hotel in the middle of huge clearing. Vast lands filled with tourist roaming or sitting before it. It seems like a tourist side but there was nothing monumental there aside from the hotel.

She raised an eyebrow at Aaron and he shrugged innocently looking around as if he was nervous.

"This is the last stop." He said vaguely with a tone as if he was not sure himself or didn't want to tell me the whole thing. But seeing Aaron nervous did something strange in her stomach so she didn't pressed for information instead just squeezed his hand in assurance and added, "This place seems nice and full of people."

"Yeah, this is a tourist destination, especially is this season." He replied as he started leading the way. As they approached the middle of the place further away from the hotels and vehicles, Mia started to notice the colours and laughter and joy on the people's faces, her eyes swept away on the children running around each other, people sharing food sitting on the carpet, chatting with each other.

She was so busy in looking at the people that she completely missed that they had came to the edge of the lands and standing only a few feet away from the cliff. She halted at the scene before her.

Thousand of hot-air balloon was sailing in the sky decorating it with vivid colours and below it laid earth with greenery with a small river flowing downside of the mountain. It was surreal, very much.

"Are they not afraid, being high up above the ground?" Mia asked quietly.

"Do they look like they are afraid?" Aaron said with similar hushed tone and he sounded closer, much-much closer. And he was.

Mia turned to look at him and then at the people in the balloon. Though she can't see their expression, she knew that they are having fun. The laughter around her became tenfold as if reassuring her that she was right.

"Come." Mia followed him to a set up small picnic table which was decorated with flowers which are surrounded by dishes especially sweets. Her eyes brightened at the chocolates wrapped at the end of the table. They sat at the chair and for some moments, Mia just sat there taking in her surrounding, the balloons, the food and finally letting the happiness and joy to sweep in, she said,"You planned this."

Aaron just smiled, holding a spoonful of sweet dish towards her and she opened her lips and bent forward tasting the unique flavors explode on her tongue. She bit back a moan of pleasure at how good the dish tasted. "It's good." She exclaimed.

"It an Italian dish." Aaron dipped the spoon, which he used to feed her, and tasted the sweet, before approving the dish. At times like this, his chef personality, couldn't help but make itself known.

They ate a few spoonful or rather Aaron feeding her before Mia uttered looking at the hot air balloons, which was increasing in numbers every few minutes, "I would rather not each much, if we have to get on those things."

"Take your time, this is not going anywhere." He stated. "And I know about your fear of heights, so don't force yourself, if you are not comfortable."

"But isn't that will ruin your planning?"

"I just wanted to make you smile."

Something, about that way he said it, so innocently, it hit hard, deep somewhere. She took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze before saying, "You do make me happy, Aaron. No one did this for me before. No one tried so hard. No one gave me so many surprises in so small span of time. And, forgive me if I may not seem to know what to say... how to express this feeling, but I can assure you that no one made me so happy as you did. Thank you, for trying and thank you for making me feel... Beautiful."

*****