CHAPTER: 30 A Hilltop Confession
Meanwhile, it was almost 2:45 AM. Abhi had driven the car up a hill, turned off the engine, and was just gazing at Tulasi, who was peacefully sleeping with her hand under her cheek. "How utterly adorable she is," he thought, a tender warmth spreading through him. "This isn't my home, so I could totally take advantage, right?" he mused mischievously, but then his inner not-so-bad boy' quickly reminded himself, "But she trusts me". He gently traced her lips with his thumb, a silent, affectionate gesture, as she slept soundly.
"How can you sleep so soundly next to someone like me, who has such dark thoughts, my innocent queen?" he mused. He then glanced at the backseat, licking his lips, wondering if she'd be comfortable there when he's on top of her. He quickly got out of the car, lit a cigarette, and leaned against a tree, watching Tulasi from afar.
After a while, Tulasi stirred. "Is the car stopped? Why isn't it moving?" she thought, slowly waking up. She looked around – Abhi wasn't there. A surge of panic hit her, "Abhi!" she called out, a hint of fear in her voice. Abhi rushed to her side and opened the door.
"Abhi, where were you? where are we?" she asked, her fear instantly dissolving at the sight of him. It was pitch dark, only the moon and stars illuminating the sky. She checked the time – 3 AM.
"You asked for the sunrise, remember?" he said, a soft smile on his lips. She looked around – it was like a forest, on top of a hill, no lights anywhere, just the celestial glow. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but also a little scary. She instinctively gripped Abhi's hand tight. Abhi, with a playful swoop, lifted her and gently settled her on the car bonnet.
"What are you doing, Abhi?" she gasped in shock.
"I'll tell you," he said, climbing up beside her.
They leaned back against the car mirror, Tulasi looking up. Far from the city, the air was crisp and fresh. Above, the moon and stars sparkled, and around them, the gentle hum of insects – no harsh car horns, no human chatter. It was a whole new vibe, utterly enchanting. She looked at Abhi, who was already gazing at her, a tender expression on his 'bad boy' face.
"Is it good?" he asked, his voice soft.
"It's absolutely divine, Abhi!" she whispered, and they both shared a sweet, intimate laugh.
"Abhi, do you know something?" she began, pointing to the stars. "This star name is …, and that one there is called ..! These are Vashishta and Arundhati, you know! And this star is sage…". Abhi chuckled, a fond warmth in his eyes.
"The sun is a god, the moon is a god, and now even the stars aren't off-limits! Trees are gods, hills are gods... you're literally making everything a God and do puja, Tulasi!" he teased, a playful glint in his eye. Tulasi pouted adorably, turning away from him.
"Fine, I'm not telling you anything! But you see, there is a deeper meaning in our traditions, Abhi. They are making the people respect, protect, and appreciate the goodness and beauty of nature," she huffed. He smiled at her in wonder. His Tulasi was always a traditionalist.
Her delicate waist, half-covered by her scarf, shimmered in the moonlight. "Abhi, I'm cold," she murmured.
"Oh, really?" he replied, offering his jacket.
"But aren't you cold?"
a sly smile on his face. "How can I be cold with you next to me? I'm practically sweating!".
"Seriously?" she asked, surprised.
"Yep, no cap, I'm genuinely sweating. "
"Why aren't you cold?". She put on his jacket, which was way too big for her, but she loved the comforting scent of him. "Your jacket is awesome, Abhi," she said, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Abhi, trying to suppress a grin, told Tulasi, "Move over a bit". She scooted. "A little more".
She moved further. "I'm gonna fall, Abhi!" she giggled.
"You won't, just move a bit more," he insisted, until she was at the very edge of the car bonnet.
"Why, Abhi?" she asked, her innocent eyes curious.
"I'll tell you," he said, then, with a playful move, he turned and gently laid his head in her lap.
"Abhi! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, a blush creeping up her cheeks, feeling a mix of discomfort and a strange flutter in her heart.
"I'm really sleepy, sweet pea," he murmured, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "I'm so tired. Wake me up after your sunrise program; I still have 14 hours of driving".
Tulasi's heart ached for him. "Okay, okay, you sleep, Abhi, I'll wake you," she whispered, her hands yearning to gently caress his head, but she held them back, resisting the tender impulse.
Tulasi found Abhi resting in her lap, feeling a bit awkward, yet her innocent heart swelled with concern for how utterly exhausted her 'bad boy' was. "My Krishna, my Abhijit Krishna, he came all this way for me, the poor soul must be so tired," she thought. Sleep eluded her. She gazed at the stars, then watched as the sky slowly shifted colours, the sun gently ascending, and the moon gracefully retreating. The sheer beauty of nature left her breathless. She had always been an indoor person, rarely venturing out, barely watching TV. Her world had revolved around her mother and father. But this? "Is the world outside truly this beautiful?" she wondered, looking at the rising sun, the fading moon, and the 'Krishna' sleeping in her lap. In that moment, a profound realisation washed over her: she was deeply, irrevocably in love with Krishna (Abhi). Shashirekha had warned her so much about him, but why couldn't she let go? Why couldn't she bring herself to despise him?
Not just Shashirekha, many had warned her, and Abhi himself had never denied it. She knew it was all true; he had subtly, indirectly confirmed it. Yet, why couldn't she hate him? Why wasn't there an ounce of disgust in her heart?. She placed her hand over her chest, a silent declaration echoing in her soul, "In this life, you are my Krishna". Gently, she placed her hand on Abhi's head, whispering in her thoughts, "Krishna, my Abhijit Krishna, I think I love you,". Abhi stirred slightly, and she quickly pulled her hand away.
The sun was rising higher, it was 8 AM. Should she wake him? He had asked her to, but he looked so incredibly peaceful, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The sunrise itself seemed to rouse Abhi. He opened his eyes, and seeing Tulasi quickly turn her head towards the hills, he asked, "Hey, the sunrise happened ages ago, why didn't you wake me?".
Tulasi yawned adorably, "You were sleeping so soundly, Abhi, I just couldn't!".
"Alright, let's go freshen up and grab some breakfast," he said. They found a hotel, got ready, and had breakfast.