Nice to Meet You Again

Hai Pyaar to Kai dafaa kiya, Tujhse Nahi Kiya to kya Kiya

It was raining heavily the next day. Parmita waited for sometime but on seeing that the rain didn't stop, she ventured outside waiting for a taxi. There was no taxi showing in the Ola app even in the 5 kms in the vicinity but how long could she wait?

More than 45 minutes had passed and Parmita was drenched in the rains when a car stopped near her and blowed the horn. At first Parmita thought it was just a car stuck in rains but when she saw Mahaswin unrolling the window, she was surprised.

"What are you doing here?" She asked bending in front of the car window, "And where's your driver?"

"I've let him leave early as the rain began," Mahaswin said, "Get inside! You must be feeling so cold."

Parmita got inside the car and she was quiet for the first fifteen minutes. To ease off the awkwardness between them, Mahaswin switched the radio on.

The song "Ik Vaari Aa" was playing. Mahaswin began humming along the lines- Hai Pyaar to Kai dafaa kiya, tujhse nahi kiya to kya kiya.

"Shut up!" Parmita said.

"Why? You don't like my voice?" Mahaswin said, tackling a tricky turn as the road was full of potholes and puddles.

"Yes!" Parmita said, "I hate your voice and I hate your face."

Mahaswin stopped the car at the left side of the road and leaned towards Parmita.

"Miss Parmita Tomar!" Mahaswin said looking into Parmita's eyes, "This world is not made to please your highness and cater to every whim of yours. If you hate me so much, it's your problem to deal with. Anyways, it's you only who need me to be a part of the project."

"You are so arrogant," Parmita said, "You care only for money. You've developed a God complex, Mr. Mahaswin Goswami. Just because you have money you think you can make everyone dance to your tune. Sometimes I wonder that good, kind Mahi I met in school was just a mask of yours to fool us. Maybe you were always like this. Perhaps you were always an emotionless robot who's cruel to everyone. Maybe that's why your own wife hated you so much that she ruined you."

Mahaswin inhaled and spoke in a low voice, "Get out!"

Parmita was stunned. It was then she realised what she had spoken in anger.

Mahaswin got out of the car and opened the door at Parmita's side, clicked her seatbelt open and said, "Get out of my car Ms. Tomar."

When Mahaswin reversed his car, he could see Parmita standing in the empty road in heavy rains.

Only ten minutes had passed when Mahaswin reversed his car again towards Parmita and just then lightning striked, his car narrowly escaping it. The lightning caused the nearby tree to be on fire.

"Mahi!" Parmita screamed.

Mahaswin got out of the car, worried for Parmita.

"Mahi!" Parmita was screaming still staring at the tree on fire.

"It's all right, Paro," Mahaswin said, trying to calm Parmita down. Parmita was still screaming his name and trying to break free of Mahaswin's hold.

"Look here, Paro," Mahaswin said, holding Parmita to face him, "I'm Mahi."

Parmita touched his face, at first softly, then she frantically started tracing his face and hands. Finally when she was sure, it was indeed Mahaswin, Parmita started laughing hysterically.

Mahaswin was puzzled, yet he tried to push staggering Parmita back into car. But Parmita laughed and laughed and then finally she collapsed on the road and said softly, "I thought I left you to die just like I abandoned Dev."

---

Flashback

Parmita cajoled, "Dev! Since how long have you not taken me to a long drive! Come on na, let's go out."

Dev was trying to concentrate on Mahaswin's faulty heart case by noting observations from his hospital file. He said, "Not today Paro. I'm so tired."

"You are behaving odd since last month?" Parmita's tone suddenly became serious, "Are you not happy with our wedding? Are you having second thoughts?"

Dev finally closed the file and made Paro sit on the sofa, "Kya kya soch leti ho Paro madam? Marna h kya mujhe ye sab sapne me bhi sochkar? Chalo, let's go on a long drive."

It was heavily raining that day. Parmita was teasing Dev by tickling his feet with her toes. Suddenly a kid came in front of their car and to avoid hitting him, Dev tool a sharp turn, causing their car to ram in an empty truck standing at the roadside. This collision coupled with lightning caused their car to catch fire.

Parmita looked at Dev. He was unconscious. Parmita tried to open his seat by but it was blocked. Parmita tried her best to get the seatbelt open. She was blinded by too much light. Despite trying the seatbelt didn't open. The fire was reaching the petrol tank. Left with no choice, Parmita got out, leaving Dev inside the car.

It took five minutes and nothing happened. Maybe the fire wouldn't reach the petrol tank. Parmita was going to get back inside the car to get Dev out but the car exploded.

-----

Parmita could never forgive her for her self-preservation instincts that day. She knew if the roles were reversed, Dev would never have left the car without her. It was her who asked him to go on a long drive, it was she who got him distracted, and she left him just like that to die alone.

Paro felt someone's hand patting her head. Her face was buried against someone's... someone's strong chest? She looked up. It was Mahi who was soothing her. He didn't speak a word. He didn't even say it will be OK. But he was there with her, sitting on the road, despite lightning was striking around them burning everything and they could be the next. He didn't abandon her like she'd abandoned Dev.

------

"Mahi!" Parmita whispered and kissed him there on the road itself. Mahaswin kissed her back. It was a long, tender kiss. It was not a kiss of hot passion and hasty attraction. It was a kiss that was like a warm blanket on a freezing cold December evening.

Suddenly Mahaswin pulled back. He wanted to kiss Paro as long as eternity but her safety was not important. Another thing was that Mahaswin knew Paro was confused by her guilt and grief. It was not right for Mahaswin to let her do something she would regret later.

"What happened?" Paro asked.

"You'll catch cold," Mahaswin said, covering Parmita in the blazer he took off himself and carrying her in his arms back inside the car.

Please let me know of your feedback for this chapter as always.