Too good to be true?

 

Too good to be true?

“ can I pick you at 6:00”

“hmm.. “

“ rly? A hmm??? Not again purvi”

“what do you mean not again? Just come and pick me. end of discussion Vineeth”

Purvi cut the call and continued to stare at the white ceiling for a while. There were a thousand thoughts running in her head and there was not an answer for at least one. The clock on the study table pointed half past 5. She pulled out a pair of jeans form the cupboard and paired it with the routine T that she usually wore most of the time. She spent a minute to set her hair by running her fingers through the tangles and yet another minute to spray some perfume around herself.

The notification on her phone showed Vineeth’s name that read, “ be there in 5”.

She grabbed her mobile and the wallet quickly and locked her front door. She checked the door twice before leaving just to make sure it was locked.

“Hey babe! On time huh?” Vineeth waved at her.

“hmm”

“ seriously.. whats wrong with you? is it me?” Vineeth wasn’t prepared for such a reaction.

“Im absolutely fine. It is not about you baby.”

The drive went so quiet with no words uttered by either of them through out. The sound of the wind echoed in purvi’s ears as he drove at 60 kmph. Her eyes had started to burn because of the dust and the hair tangling around irritated her even more.

It was within minutes that they arrived at their usual vada pav centre. Vineeth parked his bike, gave her a smile and tried holding her hand. Purvi’s hands were cold with the wind and her hair was extremely frizzy. Though she looked a mess, Vineeth just stared at her as if she had just walked out from a makeover.

“ what are you looking at?”

“ the perfectly beautiful mess right here” Vineeth brushed her hair behind her ears with his fingers and parted her hair properly in place.

“ 2 plate vadapav bhayya!” Vineeth talked to the guy at the counter.

“aur.. ek me hari chatny zyada dalna” it was purvi’s regular choice of chutney.

He pulled a couple of chairs around one of the open tables. Evening breeze was slow and traffic noises added on to the conversation. The yummy smell of vada pavs being prepared at the counter behind them was so distracting for Vineeth.

“ purvi…?”

“huh?”

“ do you wanna talk?”

Purvi just looked pale and numb. She made an eye contact but Vineeth couldn’t really figure out anything from that energy less look. He knew for sure that something was bothering her.

“ is anything wrong purvi? You know u can tell me right? We both had agreed that communicating the needs would be the first pillar of our relationship. Now what is it? do you need time to talk about it?”

Vineeth tried to be as clear as possible with his words he held her hands in his and made an eye contact which implied it was all gonna be okay soon.

“actually…”

“ ye lo sir.. do plate vada pavv” purvi was interrupted.

“ okay calm down lets eat first” Vineeth handed over the plate with extra green chutney to her.

He passed her a couple of extra tissues because he knew exactly how messy she could get.

Purvi grabbed her plate, picked out the extra chilli on the side and passed it to his plate. She knew his tastes too. she passed the water bottle to his side as he was a quick eater and would end up either coughing or panting.

The vadapavs vanished from their plates in no time and they decided to walk for a while.

The sun had almost set and the moon half moon was vividly visible on one side.

It was a peaceful road just beside the “KISHORE vada pav vala” there were very few people walking by and a bunch of school kids playing on the streets.

“ thank you Vineeth” purvi broke the silence.

“ thank you?? that’s not what I wanna hear.”

Vineeth’s phone rang to distrup the conversation.

“ heloo? Ha mumma! ..

Yeah the purple one.

Yeah works for me..

Done done.

Ya I will…”

Vineeth cut the call and looked back at purvi with a smile.

“it was your sasu maa ! she has finalized my wedding kurta. Purple would complement your pink lehnga perfectly haina?”

“ Vineeth.. actually… I don’t know if I should tell you this.. but..”

“ hey hey hey.. hold on. are you breaking up with me?” Vineeth added a pinch of sarcasm.

“ no no .. listen.. I mean I don’t know.. its just..” purvi was searching for right words.

“ whatever it is, u can tell me… trust me”

“ okay see.. im trying to be as clear as possible” purvi made herself comfortale on one of the street benches near by and Vineeth followed her.

“Don’t you think we are too perfect to be true? I mean there has to be something right?”

Vineeth sat up straight and was keen to listen more.

“ you see, the way you and I met, the way we fell for each other eventually, the way our parents approved at home and everything that we have right now.. Do I even deserve this after all that happened with me?”

“ are you thinking about Rishab?”  it was not like Vineeth did not know her past. Her breakup had hit her very bad and Vineeth knew how much she had suffered too.

“ not exactly.. but after that, i just don’t know if this much perfection is good. What if we become aimless? What if everything becomes so perfect and we start taking each other for granted? everything being this easy and this happy, scares me right now. All this happiness I have what if I get used to it?”

“ relax purvi! What happened? we wre perfect right now “ Vineeth tried to console her.

“ look Vineeth! I was a person who had gone through so much. And you know it all. I had finally become strong enough to face any circumstance in my life. I worked hard on myself to be that version. I started accepting situations as they were. I made myself stronger everyday to face the worst. And now…”

“ and now???” Vineeth was looking at her with raised brows.

“I don’t think I can ever be ok if something goes wrong. All this perfection we have is making me believe in good times again. Now, iam just scared that being this way, I wouldn’t be able to accept the facts in the future if things go wrong. This very mistake-free relation ship we have.. is it.. is it even correct?”

“ see first of all, there is nothing like a correct relationship okay. And secondly, you deserve this purvi. After all that you had gone through, maybe karma is paying back to you. why cant you embrace the present and enjoy it to the fullest?”

Purvi’s worried look still continued and she tried framing her words again.

“ that’s exactly the problem na Vineeth. Iam scared to enjoy the present because im scared to loose the self that I had worked on so much. I made her ready for any kind of situation. Now this is just erasing her. Im starting to see things and expect happy things. I have stopped expecting the worsts. And now, if something would go wrong, iam soo not prepared. The girl who was prepared is just leaving me.”

Purvi took a pause to look at Vineeth.

“ do I even make sense?” purvi asked.

“ hey you always make sense to me. no matter what you do, it makes sense to me even if it doesn’t make sense to the world.”

“really” purvi was trying her best to put herself together.

“yes! I totally get your version. And yeah, the fact that we never fought sometimes bothers me too. but maybe we will someday.” Vineeth chuckled.

“ maybe we are the first couple who is hoping for such a stupid thing to happen “ purvi giggled too. the smile on her worried face was soothing her.

“ just relax. What ever it is, we will deal with this. And if that’s what you want we can have a mock jagda too.. haha what do you say?” Vineeth was trying to lighten the tone.

“ oh please. Lets see where it takes, but whatever it is, we will deal with it together haina..? lets stay on each other’s sides until we can. We never know where destiny takes us.”

“absolutely. Well try all we can. Beyond that, its destiny. Also it doesn’t mean that always expecting the worst is the only way to get stronger. Sometimes expecting the best can strengthen you more. So just relax.. you got this idiot with you.” Vineeth put an arm around her and made sure she was ok.

They just sat for a while in the comfortable silence. The kids playing cricket kept them distracted. They watched the kids’ game for a while and then realized it was getting late.

“ just a second..  stay right here.” Vineeth went back to the main street, bought a chocolate ice cream and a hair scrunchie from the store.

“ here! At this very moment, this is the maximum I can extend myself to you. ye le thoos ye ice cream ab!”

Vineeth’s sarcasm always made purvi feel better and he knew it too.

“ and tie your hair. Its getting messy na.. “ he handed her the hair tie too.

“ yeah..! and.. listen..” purvi slid her hand into her wallet and pulled out a strip that looked more like a sheet of paper.

“ what is that? For mee???” Vineeth tried examining the sheet to understand what it was.

“ pimple patch dude.. you were talking about that yesterday right.. use that. Its gonne vanish over night. Pakkaa!” purvi explained him how to use the patch.

“ shaadi me you need to have the killer looks too na.. after all it has to be a perfect wedding isn’t it? haha” purvi gave a whole hearted smile.

“ damm.. pimple patch?? Ye bhi hota hai? Fine ill use it. im gonna slay too.. dekle” 

The talks had gone for a while and then realized that the kids on the street had gone home and it was almost 7:15 . The people on the roads had also reduced.

Vineeth observed the surroundings and moved closer to purvi. He looked into her eyes and tried moving close to her lips. The moment was about to be perfect, but a middle aged women barged out from one of the balconies.

“ dammmm!!” Vineeth exclaimed dissappoined.

Purvi burst into laughter.

“ see things aren’t always perfect purvi..” there was a pause after he spoke.

“ shall we leave then?” Vineeth picked his helmet from the bench.

“yeah chalo need to go home and ive got some drafts to mail too. my room mates would be home by now.” Purvi looked at her watch and began to walk along.

Vineeth dropped purvi at her flat and this time, her hair tie kept her hair in place and she looked less messy. Vineeth un clipped his helmet to talk to her.

“ go have a shower. You dint right.. I know it was perfume” Vineeth giggled.

“ you go and wash your tshirts first. Its yesterday’s right.. I know it all too.” purvi shot back her reply.

The lane seemed so quiet again and the street light was poorly lit at their side. Purvi checked her surroundings and walked closer to give him a hug. Vineeth hugged her tight this time and if their hugs could speak, maybe vineeth’s hug would say,” you got it all.. its okay don’t re-think”

And on the other hand, purvi’s hug would say “ thank you soo much..”

After the intense hug, as purvi broke the hug, she quickly pecked on his lips.

Before he could even realize it, she had moved a few steps back and waving a bye at him.

“ see you got to make it perfect Vineeth.” Purvi waved at him.

“ I could make it perfect-er you know.. “ Vineeth chuckled as clipped his helmet again.

“ see ya!” purvi walked back with a whole hearted smile and an energetic soul again.