Lot Like Love: A Bengal Romance ✔

Chapter 11

I blow my horn as the cars in front of us isn't moving after the traffic signal turns green. Behind me, there are another series of vehicles awaiting in line. We crawl along in the traffic. Red light, green light, red light, green light - like some damn kid's game. Sweat covers my body as a second skin and my sherwani sticks on it like third.

"What the (beep)," I curse in my breath as it's been half an hour we're stuck into the jam. Although we've reached Kolkata, the jam holds us and if that's not enough, there is the sticky weather of Kolkata. It's January but Kolkata is as hot as it has always been.

My eyes moves to the back looking glass and see Agni is waiting for our cars to move. She's stretching her hands, resting its muscles as she's been riding for three hours. My lips purse into a thin line as guilty nests in my chest. I should have shoved her into the car forcibly. She must be exhausted by now.

The cars move and we cross the signal but barely moving with the flow as Kolkata's traffic jam can take your entire day. I huff a frustrated sigh.

My phone vibrates.

I bring it out and see it's from Trayi.

"Take it," I say handing it over to Dev.

"Hey," Dev answers.

He hums for a few moment then gazes down at his watch while biting his upper lip.

"I know..." he pauses and begins, "There's a big traffic jam."

"I see," he says to the phone, "Okay. I'll see what I can do." He hangs up the phone and looks at me.

"What?"

"We have to reach home in-" He looks down at his watch, "-twenty minutes. Because, the bar bela* is approaching and if we don't get her before the lagna* is over. It'll become a bad omen."

I look at the long crowd around us then the traffic signal countdown. There's no way, we can make it in twenty minutes. It'll take one hour at least.

A knock comes on Bratati's window glass. I see Agni stands, towering over the car.

As soon as I bring it down, she peeks inside, "We need to bring her to your house, immediately before Bar bela. Mom called."

"I know. We've got a call too. But it's impossible in this traffic," I inform.

She looks around and suddenly her face brightens up and a grin spread on her lips and I know the feeling. There has to be another one of her silly ideas is cooking inside of that head.

"I have an idea."

"And let me guess, it's very silly," I interject and her grin broadens.

"My bike can go through there." She points out a narrow way to escape the jungle of cars and indeed, her bike can go through it.

"Angshu can take her through it."

As much as I like the idea, I scratch the back of my neck and Dev's lips purse together while Angshu looks between us, his face blooming in colours.

"Err... I'm afraid, I don't know how to ride," Angshu answers.

"What?" Both of the sisters ask together.

"He doesn't even know driving. He has a phobia of riding any vehicles," Dev informs while Angshu bites back his lips in embarrassment.

"It's okay. You don't have. I know how to drive." Bratati pats on his shoulders and then she pauses.

Both of the sisters look at each other with a bulb goes off on their heads. I know what they are thinking and it's going to be a hogwash.

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