||CHAPTER 61||
《¤》

An hour and a half was left for departure. Arnav still wanted me to hide in a dingy hotel instead of going to Shimla for a week. The thought was tempting, but we both knew Dad had kept people to check up on us. This was something we couldn't pull off.

We were learning to choose our battles.

"You will call me if you don't want to stay there, right? If anything goes wrong, you will call, right? Wait, do you even have my number memorised?" It was so strange to see him so concerned about me.

"I do know the number of the Pizza Hut there," I pursed my lips.

"Why do you even know that?"

"Mom couldn't take me to Switzerland once because she had some work in Shimla. Shimla out of all places," I scoffed.

The driver standing outside, in a tense posture, was the only sense of privacy we were going to get. "Did you talk to her about this?"

I played with the zipper of my hoodie.

"Arvika, she could have gotten you out of this!" He fisted his hair at my very obvious stupidity. "Dude, she still has your custody, if things got ugly!"

"Why would we want to let things go ugly, Arnav? I'd rather go to Shimla for a week than go back to Mumbai and live with those stupid Vahiyad Insaans."

"But she needs to know this, Vika."

"There are indeed many things that need to happen, Arnav," I shrugged, unlocking my door and getting out. "Like me catching a flight to Himachal Pradesh right now. And then hauling a cab to Shimla maybe? You telling Dad that you are not interested in the Deewan Industries, and would much rather be on the Fox Traveller? But of course, our priorities, needs, and desires enjoy a tricky sense of humour where they never coincide and have a good laugh at our messed up lives."

He wasn't shocked that I knew. Rather, it would have been shocking if I didn't. He picked up a bottle of Appy Fizz from the back pocket of the seat in front of him and handed it out to me. "In the name of good humour then."

I accepted it. "I wish it's poisoned."

"Since you'd much rather sulk inside the airport than spend some time with your brother, I decided to punish you and not comply to that wish of yours."

"Nah," I shook my head, "You're not getting a goodbye from me."

"Goodbye's are for losers anyway. I'll see you in a week. Can't believe I'm gonna miss this spoilt brat."

We didn't hug. I just waved him off, sliding out the handle of my trolley bag. "Oh, boohoohoo."

And off to Shimla, I was.

¿¤?

The seat beside me had been vacant a few minutes ago. Somewhere between me not paying attention to what the flight attendants had been demonstrating and me shuffling my playlist six times, some one had occupied the seat on my left. The chain of the eerily familiar grey hoodie was up to the top, and the hood was covering his face. I paused the shuffling. This was strange.

I could have been mistaken, but I also knew how highly unlikely it was for the person next to me to not be Mickey. I leaned back in my seat as the plane started speeding up for take off. No matter how murderous he looked, he did have some brains in him so as to not slew me inside a damn plane for whatever reason he had.

He tapped the hand rest, I stared at the seat belt sign. It wasn't until the cabin crew turned it off, and were gliding in the air that I cleared my throat. "I thought about the big bad wolf."

He stopped tapping the hand rest, and pulled the hood of his jacket in a surprised manner. "Arvika Deewan... The hell are you doing here?"

So he wasn't exactly stalking me. "You were right. We never thought about the wolf's family. Because we were blinded by ourselves."

Two air hostesses were pushing a trolley for retailing items and water. "Excuse me," Mickey called out. "Water, please?"

I watched him gulp down the Styrofoam cup filled with water. "Is my presence spooking you, Mikesh?"

"Firstly," he crumpled the glass, "you just caught me off-guard. I was not expecting you to be my flight mate. And secondly, don't call me that. Coming from you, it sounds chilly. Just stick to Mickey."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." I shrugged. "And here I thought you followed me here."

"Nalle hai, velle nahi," he snorted. "Why are you going to Himachal anyway?"

"To haul a cab to Shimla. What about you?"

"Definitely not stalking you," he joked.

"You used to creep me out. Until you told me about the wolf."

It was the first time I saw Mickey give a genuine smile.

"Are you the wolf too, Mickey? Is no one listening to your side of the story?"

He folded his hands and pulled the hood on his face again. I put my headphones back on. This was not going to be a long ride.

¿¤?

"They found them under my stack of clothes in the closet."

Somehow, I had relaxed in the notion of Mickey coincidentally joining me at the camp. I had figured he was going to be there with me when I saw him get out of the cab outside the gates a minute after I did. No matter how hard we tried to hide this small secret, it was funny to find that we were in this together. So, that night, after dinner, we found ourselves a spot by the trees outside the dining area, him smoking another cigarette, and me listening to his sob story.

"So it is your stupidity that has brought you here?"

"Hey," he flicked his white roll, "no one had informed me that they were scheduling a spring cleaning. No one's actually ever checked my room before."

"I'd repeat my statement again," I shrugged.

"Okay," he gave in, "I wasn't careful this time. But why this camp dude? I have my board exams in a few months, they shouldn't be letting me go on a vacation."

"Your sense of humour is classier than you," I chuckled. "Please don't ever try that joke again. Teri bachi hui izzad ka faluda ban jayega."

He mocked a smile. "I really don't want to spend another goddamn year in that wretched place. There's a reason why I should be worried about not failing."

He hadn't realised yet that he had given me a clue. I nodded to show my agreement.

It was getting colder, we could see the air we breathed out. "So... when did you start taking drugs?"

"Before we could even understand the difference between what was wrong and what wasn't right."

I didn't enquire further. I was content with gazing at the stars above us, some twinkling brighter than the others. Daadi wasn't any one of them. I refused to regard her as a celestial body, because her dynamics was brighter than any celestial body.

"I heard about your Grandmother. You were really close to her, weren't you?"

I nodded. At least he wasn't sorry for my loss.

"Now I know I won't be any Lil' Red Riding Hood."

"Life is a screwed up version of fairy tale, isn't it?" He asked, smashing the cigarette into the ground. Ashes fertilise the soil, I'd read somewhere.

"What makes you say that? You grew up believing in them?"

That night, his wry smile gave away an answer. He wanted a Prince Charming too. "Well, if the shoe fits, won't you ever want to be Cinderella?"

It took me a minute to understand what he meant. "Is that the wolf's backstory that no one is listening to?"

"No," he replied. "It has become the reason why everyone tries to kill the wolf."

I rubbed my thumbs on my knees. "Why are you telling me this? I might be one the killers."

"Because I am exhausted with succumbing."

"Being gay doesn't mean you can't be bold."

"Wow, you just said that out loud. I do not want to be looking behind my back here too, Deewani. Mind your words."

"In that case, this is the perfect opportunity for you to start being bold."

"People are already wary of me, if you haven't noticed."

That was true. "Well, people normally do avoid the guy who is always stoned. What got you addicted to drugs anyway?"

He scoffed. "You almost sound like you care."

"Good thing you know better then, right? I am just curious."

"Well, there's the reason I am telling you this. You're a killer with a conscience."

"Flattery isn't what can get you through to me, Mickey."

He let out a low chuckle. "I don't need to do that. Conscientious or not, you're a killer in the end."

I realised I was smiling when he raised his eyebrows. "Ever considered writing a philosophical book? I mean you just kind of convinced me that life is indeed a screwed up fairy tale."

He laughed, playing with the fallen leaves. "With my grades, I think that might be my only career option. Apart from smuggling, of course."

I started drawing incoherent patterns on the ground. The mud was cool, my fingers were freezing.

"Why are you here though?"

"I don't have my Board exams this year, so I thought, why not just go on a vacation?"

He scoffed. "Now you're joking about me."

"Or maybe I am simply stating the truth?"

The whistle for lights-out rang, signalling the end of the day. We stayed there.

"We should go back."

I kept drawing on the ground. "My father said I could break curfews. You should go back though."

"I'm alright. I've always fantasised about pissing on trees anyway," he smirked.

This was becoming slightly awkward. I shook my head. "You and I aren't cut out for deep talks." I stood up to go back, despite my decision of breaking curfews. I wasn't keen on sharing secrets of fantasies with him. "Goodnight Mikesh."

"I told you not to call me that!" I heard him complain.

"Meet Arvika Deewan. She disregards everybody's wishes!"

And flipping him my middle finger, I called it a night.

_____


Namoshtaii!!

I want to thank you all for the AMAZING response in regards to the last chapter. I admit I was a bit sceptic about it, but you guys, OMG I LOVE YOU ALL.

Sorry for the late update too, I have my entrances lined up and was dealing with a block too. Do you guys have any 3 a.m. friends? 

BTW, a few days ago @Soni_18x made this amazing cover for DJH, which I shared on my Instagram too. All the edits that you people make for me, I love them, and god it's such an amazing feeling to show them off in front of my parents hahaha. On a serious note though, Thank you SOOO MUCH. I'll share all the cover arts and other edits with you guys soon, because currently Wattpad isn't cooperating. 

Also, are you guys interested in writing a One Shot for DJH? If you are, well, please do so and share them with us! That'll seriously give me the saathwey aasmaan wala feeling!

Read, vote, comment and promote!

~chaashnee