I am back on the bus by the steep brakes and I realize we have come way past the bus station and I have been drowning in my thoughts. I catch my breath and drink water and see Ruhan looking out the window and Abeer busy on WhatsApp.

I look at you and your skin is glowing like a baby, its so soft and spotless.

I follow your eyes and they are looking out the window and I see lights on all the three horizons, stars, the neon gas lights along the street, and the little fireflies in the grass. I look at the view outside and find you staring at me instead. I look at you and our eyes are locked for the first time in this bus journey.

♪♪ The Bilz & Kashif – Tere Nainon Mein

We don’t speak for a few moments and I see his eyes, his dark eyes, his eyes full of light and full of love, eyes that never loved anyone.

You start talking to me and for the first time since I saw you at the class in 7 months, there is some conversation between us. I am talking with you and I feel, you are so sweet, you are so different and all of a sudden you start talking incessantly and you don’t stop!

“Why haven’t we talked earlier?”

“Why do you stay so quiet?”

I see your lips moving to answer and I look at them.

I am distracted by you and I am on this trip more than the moments before.

Your mysterious travel personality is talkative and very comfortable around me. You talk about your travel obsession and the way you travel light, what all adventures you embarked on and I listen to you.

Our bus halt for the tea and restroom break, and it’s time to talk to the family, the deadliest hour of the entire day. I was grateful that our bus stopped right around that time, I looked for a quiet place to have a small talk with everyone at home one by one, trust me it was the scariest and the deadliest task I ever accomplished while traveling.

After the talk, we hopped back onto the bus and you wont shut up. I listen to you and I respond. Talking to you time flied and I thought you were not much of a talker, you stayed quiet and were always neutral, It was hard to read you, your expressions, what were you thinking. And I read everyone like a book. You were something else, you were a mystery, You were the love of my life.