You've Got A Friend In Me

Chapter 17

Next week Friday:

Aly asked his cab driver to wait outside the airport entrance. He called Jasmin, "Hello? Kaha par?"

"Aagayi yaar, bas do minute." Jasmin said on her phone and packed her bag up, rechecked her documents and ticket.

She saw Aly at the entrance of airport and told her driver to stop, "Aly? Yaha kyu wait kar raha hai?"

"Aise hi, chal ab andar." He gave her cheek a peck and went back to his car.

At the gate, Jasmin got down with her bags in tow. She paid for the cab and sent him off. Aly then walked up to her and gave her a side hug, "Apan sahi mein Jaipur jaa rahe hai?" He couldn't help but feel nervous, he was going to meet her family.

"Haan toh? Tera hi idea tha." Jasmin nudged him in the stomach and pulled him towards the security.

"Ma'am aapka id and ticket please." The guard at the door asked her.

She showed her id and the ticket from her phone and entered inside the airport. Once Aly came inside as well, they both walked towards the self-check in booth.

Aly had gotten their seats earlier, he just went for the boarding pass and deposited their luggage. Both had one trolley bag with a carry-on.

Jasmin looked up their Gate and saw there was enough time for a snack, she pulled Aly's sleeve, "Starbucks chale? Mujhe kuch chahiye." She asked him but didn't wait for his answer, going into the shop.

"Ay, ruk toh sahi." Aly shook his head and followed after her. He laid his arm around her shoulder and pointed towards the menu board. "Bol kya peena hai. Ek kaam mujhe hi apna nasha samajh kar peeja." He acted as though he got a really great idea.

"Cheee. Kya bol raha hai. Mujhe ek basic iced coffee chahiye thi aur tu apne aap ko nasha bana raha hai." She pushed away, only for him to bounce back around her and lean on her again.

Aly laughed at her and asked the barista for 2 iced coffees and got his wallet out to pay. Jasmin also brought her wallet out when he took it from her, "Ladkiyon ko pay karne ki zarurat nahi hai."

The barista scoffed at Aly and looked at Jasmin, "Ma'am aapko nahi lagta that you should've paid for your own drink? Equality ka kya hua."

Aly felt like hurling abuses at the barista, even though she was a girl, and just as he was about to reply, Jasmin held his hand and said, "I'm okay with him paying for me. We have our kind of arrangement. I don't see how that concerns you."

Jasmin then took both of their drinks and started to walk away when she heard Aly saying, "Aur haan, ladkiya pay kar sakti hai, it's just that they shouldn't have to." She smiled at him and motioned towards the door.

Aly then had his drink in one hand and Jasmin's hand in the other, both walking towards their boarding gate.

Jasmin found an empty two-seater space and parked her butt there. "Aly? Tujhe normal toh lag raha hai na? Aisa toh nahi hai ki I'm pressuring you or something?" Jasmin nervously rubbed her hands together.

"Arre chill kar. Tu mere pe kyu pressure daalegi?" He grabbed her hands in his and smoothed them out. "Jasmin itna mat soch aur chal abhi, apni flight board kar rahi hai." He dragged her up and walked towards the exit.

They showed their passes and walked outside, the buses were waiting to carry them to the plane. Since the seats were taken, they stood to a side and held onto the bars above.

Aly stood next to her with Jasmin's back towards him. She could feel him against her back and just leaned on him. Aly chuckled at her, "Kya hua? Khada nahi hua jaara?" He held her tight against him with one hand and the used the other to keep him balanced.