Maroon

Twilight's bond

Ishaan's POV

I'm dumb. I don't often use the brain I've been given. I just completely forget about its existence. Like right now. My first mistake was letting Kabir make the list of so-called things we need to get. My second mistake was not fucking planning shit out.

We are at Keshav Bazar and Nitara is buying something. I look at her, again. I somehow can't stop looking at her. She looked like an ethereal angel with that devine smile on her archangelic face. Her kurta has these little peacocks on the bottom which matched her jhumkas perfectly. Her hair is clutched back with still a few strands on her face. Her eyes lighted up when she saw this place, and fuck I would do absolutely anything to see that again.

Nitara once told me when we were younger how she loved the lakes, how she dreamed of being there in peace and quiet. It did not take much time to search for keshav bazar and it sure as hell did not take any time to convince the person on the boat renting desk to rent all his boats to me for a day. It was all pretty simple actually.

I tap on Nitara's shoulder and she turns towards me. She smelled like sage and flowers.

"Let's go" she said, taking the packet from the lady sitting in the shop. I took the packet from her hand and gave her the so-called ticket.

"We should probably get someone to help with the boat" she said as the boat wobbled.

She glanced around us with trepidation. The nearest boat is, well lets just say not that near. "This is not the best idea"

"We don't need a guide." I shifted, the canoe rocking with my movement. "We're perfectly capable of maneuvering a little wooden boat."

She glanced back at me. "Is this another one of those man things? Like how you guys refuse to ask for directions when you're lost?"

"No it's not I would never not take directions when I'm lost that's just dumb and as for this, it's a small boat Nitara, I think we are capable of doing this on our own"
The truth was that I did not want a stranger ruining our moment. I wanted Nitara to myself.
"Sure" she looked doubtful "but if we tip over Ishaan Malhotra, you'll be responsible for whatever that will happen to you"

A smile ghosted my lips.
"We'll see"

We got into the boat and were given two wooden paddles. Nitara looked around in fascination, the place was really pretty but the view I had was prettier.

"We should probably get the thing" she looked at the list again, that stupid, stupid list.
"Yup" I replied and changed the direction of the boat to one of the shops nearby.

I had planned this conversation out in my head. Thought of so many things to say, to ask. It's all blank now.

My brain is pretty useless.

I bring the boat towards the shop and lock it in with the paddle, restricting its moment. There are multiple boats in the lake, filled with flowers. The blue flowers on one of the boats catch my attention, it's the same color as her dupatta.

I look over at nitara to find her already looking at me.

"I'm not going to go through this alone" she says "help me choose a matki for our sagai, Ishaan" she batted her eyelashes sarcastically.

"How does one choose a matki?" I ask "all of them look the same"
"Oh but they don't" she picked up one of the matki "this is smaller" she picked another "than this one, fascinating isn't it?"

Her sarcastic smile made an appearance, her face clearly said she's fed up already.
"Let's just buy them both" I paid the lady and kept the matki in the boat.