Falling In Love With You

Part 16

Clickety-clack... Clickety clack...
The train passed station after station. 

Avneet stared through the windows with big eyes. She has never traveled anywhere especially in a train after her parent's death. 
Luckily they managed to get a window seat. She closed her eyes feeling the cold breeze hitting her face. She never felt so alive and free. She looked at Siddharth who was sleeping leaning his head against the the bunk. He held her hand tightly completely locking her fingers against his so that no can can snatch her away in his unconsciousness. 

"You must have over worked and been stressing yourself. I don't know why you are doing all these for me, but I will always stay obliged to you. You have risked your life for me. I have no means to thank you back, but I will try my best to stand for you if you ever need me."

She said to herself smiling at his sleeping figure. 

"Maybe... trusting you won't make me regret." She stared through the window. 

The train took a pause as it stopped at a station. Siddharth woke up feeling the lack of motion. 

"Avneet... Where are you?", was the first thing he said. 
She shifted her gaze at him and squeezed his hand. 

"I am here..."she said with a smile. 
And oh, how much he loves her smile. 

Sid- Are you hungry? Lets have something. 
Avu- I am fine. 

Sid- But I am hungry...
He whined. 

Sid- Have you ever tried station food?
She shook her head. 

Sid- Let's go and get some food from the station stalls then. 
Avu- B-but our bags?

Sid- Let them stay here. No one will steal it. And even if they steals it, they will just get a water bottle and our clothes which will just disappoint them. 

He chuckled and lead her to a station stall. He always loves the alu paratha of the stations. He wanted her try it so it ordered two alu parathas. Those are too thick so one is enough for each of them.

The cook gave them two plates of alu paratha steaming vapors with the tomato and chili sauce. her mouth watered in the spicy smell. 

Sid- Taste it first.
She nodded and tore a piece of it, dipped it in the tomato sauce and ate it. Her lips curved into a smile with satisfaction.

Avu- It is so tasty!
Sid- Indeed it is. Alu paratha is my favorite station food.

They ate the food and were washing their hands, when they heard the blowing of the train. 
Siddharth's eyes widened.
He held Avneet's hand and ran towards the train dragging her along with him. 

Sid- Run, run, we need to catch the train.
The crowd were also getting in the train and was not leaving any space for them to get up. He somehow managed to push Avneet in the train and that was when the train increased it's speed. 

Avu- S-Siddharth....
She screamed but was pulled in with the flow of the crowd.

The last thing she could see was him smiling at her.
She panicked as the train increased its speed.

Shall she jump out of the train? Yeah that is better. But there were too many people by the door. She tried pushing them and making her way to the door but was unsuccessful. Her eyes filled with tears. 

"What will she do without him?"
"Where were they even going? It was Mumbai, but Mumbai is a city, not a small lane!"
"In which station shall she get off?"

Seeing her panicking, an old woman walked up to her. 

"What is bothering you dear girl?" the old lady asked her. 

"A-aunt, me and him were going to Mumbai but he couldn't come in the train. What will I do without him? I don't even know which place in Mumbai we were going." she explained.

"Who was he to you?" the lady asked her.
"My frie-  I mean my... my to be h-husband." she felt an unknown feeling when she claimed him as her to be husband. 

"Did he tell you that his family stays in Mumbai and asked you to come with him assuring he would marry you?" the lady felt sad seeing her. 
She nodded getting a little having a hope she will help her. 

"He is a fraud dear girl. I know these kind of boys very well! They will assure you that they will marry you and will just ruin your life. Thank God, he was left behind. Come with me, I will take you to a mess." the kind lady offered her.

"N-no! He saved me... Aunt, he i-isn't a bad guy." she protested.
"Looks like he manipulated you too well." the old lady sighed.

"Listen to me girl, he just lied to you. And he faked his act that he was left behind. You will find someone in the next station claiming that your to be husband has sent him to you and then they will kidnap you. Don't you see news? It is a common trick of them to get young girls."

"B-but..."she paused.
She knew Siddharth just for a few weeks. Why was he helping her? He didn't even have any connection with her. And he asked her to "marry" him. It is just to save her, but is he lying putting up the excuse to save her? 
She saw her seat. 

She thanked the lady and went there. She hugged her bag tightly.

He can't he a fraud. He isn't a bad person! 
Her heart told her. 

But, ever since her parent's death, she has never met any good person. Does they even exist? She has given up the hope that someone will have a good heart. Now when she was starting to belief Siddharth, he...
Did he do it intentionally? Or she is mistaken? 

She noticed the people around her staring at her... Oh, she was crying! She wiped her tears and hid her face. She was feeling uncomfortable. 

Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder. 
She looked up. There was a boy around her age. His gaze had something wrong. 

"May I help you, beautiful?" he asked.
She shook her head. She wasn't getting good vibes from him.

"Let me help you girl!" he smirked.
She hugged her bag tighter. 

"Please, p-please leave me a-alone!" she pleaded. 
She looked up to find a few other boys gathering around her. 

"Where are you..." her eyes lingered for Siddharth. 
The boy who was talking with her took a strand of her hair and played with it. She was too uncomfortable. She spanked his hand away. 

"Oh, so you have the guts to do this!" they boy sounded scary.
She closed her eyes tightly expecting the guy will slap her, but she felt nothing.

"Don't you feel ashamed? GET LOST BEFORE I CREATE A SCENE!" 
Avneet opened her eyes and say the same woman who had a talk with her glaring the boys. 

The boys went away seeing the people around them standing for Avneet.
The woman sat beside her. 

"Hey girl! Its okay, don't cry." 
Avneet joined her hands and thanked the lady. 

The woman pitied seeing the helpless condition of the girl. 

"I warned you, they are dangerous." She sighed. 
Avneet just wanted to give up on everything. She didn't have anyone in her life. No one wanted her. What is the necessity to live then? It has no purpose. 

She heard the woman repeating some consoling words to her, but she couldn't listen to them. She felt betrayed and numb. 
Siddharth couldn't be a traitor. But.. why can't he?

Clickety-clack... Clickety clack...
The train went on....
______