Journey of Hope

CHAPTER:- 16

Ishaan's Pov

The biggest fault I did was to trust Prati's innocence. I never knew that, she would took my comment 'cry baby' to this deep in her heart. The girl, I was going to marry was a fragile innocent doll of a rich father. I never ever imagined this attitude of hers'.

Well, our overnight change in equation had affected Prati a lot. Earlier that girl was too afraid of me to say anything on my face. I said her whatever came in my mouth and accused her unnecessarily. But, not for once she had opened her mouth to defend herself. It was hard to imagine that Prati was taking revenge on me for calling her a 'cry baby'.

"Prati! Drive slowly." I shouted for nth time, cursing myself for giving her the car keys. Well, I had no idea that she can drive. I thought she will request me again to drive, after some failed attempts. But, no... Here she was driving as a racer. And I was just praying God to save my life.

"It's the normal speed, Ishaan." Prati said, concentrating on the road. She was still normal, but my heartbeat was increasing along the speed radar.

"Really! It seems like you are flying an aeroplane." I mocked in a voice of disbelief. "My fault. I shouldn't trust your driving skills. After all the little devil is your teacher." I said, remembering about the car-driving session of Prati and Ashia.

"Little devil?" Prati asked, making a curious face.

"Yeah, your newly found best friend, who taught you to drive like a mad girl." I replied, hitting her forehead. "Concentrate, Prati! Which way is this?" I asked looking at the unfamiliar road. There was no crowd.

"That's a long root to our college. The road was silent, as much people prefer the main road, which is also short-cut." She said, increasing the speed of the car.

"Oh! I never knew about this." I said, scanning the outside from the car window. Being brought up in USA, I had no idea about the roots of India. Just before two years, I came to India. Then Papa's death, new environment and new responsibilities didn't allow me to explore much. But, I didn't expect Prati to know about this road too. "Well, Ms. Driver! Why are you taking the long root, except the short one?" I sarcastically asked.

"Because, with the length of the road, the crowd decreases. What could be a more suitable environment to increase the speed?" She said and winked at me. Then, she increased the speed at a sudden, making me scream in horror.

"Prati, Slow down. You can't control the car." I shouted. While she laughed at my misery. "Damn! What's wrong with you girl? You are not the same innocent Prati anymore."

"Even, you are not the same rude and arrogant Ishaan anymore." She said smilling a little.

"That little devil has taught you all this, right?" I said, bitterly.

"Little devil, who?", asked Prati, taking the left turn.

"Who else but the new friend of yours? Ms. Ashia!" Prati smiled, hearing the bitterness in my tone.

"She is not a devil. She looks like an angel." She commented.

"Oh, Come on. An angelic face only she has!" I said, remembering her honey brown eyes.

"You did notice her face too. Not bad, I thought you hate her." Prati said, looking at the front scenery. I couldn't miss the teasing inside her voice.

"First of all, I haven't noticed her face... Okay, I did. And I don't hate her, but kind of dislike her." I completed my opinion, being careful with the words.

"The way you two are looking at each other in college, I thought you have some kind of spark between each other. Like you know... Opposite attracts." Prati said, sighing dreamily. Then she winked at me.

To be honest, I was confused with the sudden happenings around me. I was always practical in my life. But, after Ashia stepped into my life, something had changed. I had no idea, what effect that change would have in my life. But, for sure it was not feeling bad.

Yesterday, when Pratik Uncle had asked me to drop Pratyasha, I was angry. From the day I had returned India, and Mom had fixed my marriage, Prati became a chain on my foot. I had to take care of Pratik Uncle's business because I would marry Prati. I had to drop her in college. I was frustrated with her naivety. I was upset with her for why didn't she deny our marriage proposal.

Then the moment, Ashia stepped into our life, I found myself guilty. Her eyes held those captivating aura that made me realise my mistakes. I realised that I had been a jerk to Prati. She must have some problem like me, so she has agreed to marry me. Then I apologised to her. I did friendship with her. I knew that... I was changing. And behind my change, Ashia was the only reason. But, I was not feeling captured. Under her captivating eyes, I felt free. There, I could have been back to myself - the carefree and jolly Ishaan, who had no worries about other's opinion. My trance was broken, when Prati hit my forehead lightly.

"Hello, Mr. Done with your day dreams? Or you still need privacy to dream about your little devil?" Prati asked jokingly.

"That's rubbish." I said, showing fake irritation. "You know what, till yesterday, you are just a scared kitten in front of me, but now all of a sudden, you are behaving this much carefree." I said with fake anger, so that Prati would be diverted from the topic, 'Ashia'.

"Maybe because you are not scary anymore.", replied Prati, with a carefree smile.

"You mean I was scary back then." I asked raising one eyebrow.

"No doubt in that." She said, shrugging her shoulder.

"Stupid." I said, giving her a mean look and faced the front, acting angry.

"I am just saying truth." She turned her face in a sideways to manofy me. That's when, I noticed another car, coming in a opposite direction. I shouted, "Hey... Look at the front... Damn."

Prati pulled the sudden break. Both of us jerked off from our seat. But, the other car's driver had taken a side turn, crashing the car with a big tree.

I just opened the car door and ran towards the other car. Prati had stopped the car engine and ran behind me.

When, I reached near the car, the first thing I did was - try to open the car door, which was locked from inside. While, Ashia kept shouting my name, "Ishaan! Ishaan, carefully."

Stupid girl! Only for her carelessness, this happened. Now instead of doing something, she was shouting. I peeked inside the car window, to find the driver to be a girl. Her hairs were covering her face. There was too much smoke, as the engine was damaged.

"Excuse me, who's there? Are you fine." I said but there was no response. The smoke was too dense. It was difficult to identify the person, though her features seemed as if someone familiar. "Hello! Hello Madam, Are you hearing me?" I shouted, while hiding my nose to be safe from smoke.

"Ishaan, Carefully." Prati again shouted.

"Stupid girl! Someone is stucked inside because of your carelessness. Only if you have been a little careful, this would have never happened." I scolded her being frustrated. "Now, don't shout like a maniac. Give me some thing, sharp like needle."

Her face fell hearing my rude words. But, I cared less about it. The situation was too complicated. There was high chance of engine blast. I had to save the person inside, before anything bad occurs.

"Here, take this." Prati gave her hair pin to me.

From a long time, I was struggling to open the car door, but this girl didn't think of giving me her hair pin. I sighed and tried to open the car door. But, the car lock was too secured.

"God!" I shouted in frustration. The smoke was increasing. My fear of the car blast was going to be true.

"Ishaan, Is it done?", shouted Prati from behind. I looked at her and the car behind her.

"Prati, Drive the car to a little distance. I will come with her." I said her. But that girl stood there, without understanding the simple thing. "Prati. Go fast, God dammit." I shouted and she ran towards the car.

Well, you can't except girls to obey you at once with the words of love.

Prati drove the car crossing me. I sighed, seeing her at a safer distance. Now, I had to save the other girl. Her car was going to blast in a few minutes and she was still inside the car. The hair pin was not enough to unlock the secured lock of the car door.

I knew that it was next to impossible to save the girl inside the car. I was risking my life only, standing there doing nothing. But, something inside me was stopping me to leave her in that condition. Only a miracle would have saved us.

Then the miracle happened. I heard the sound of groan inside the car. That meant the girl was not senseless.

"Hey! Listen. I'm here to save you. Can you please cooperate. Just open the door." I said in excitement.

At least, now I don't need to leave her like this in the middle.

She did respond to my words. I thanked the God for the thousand times. Then, she was still not in her full sense. She just clicked a switch. In stead of the door, the car windows opened.

I had no time left. I jumped into the smoke. Nothing was clearly visible. Sliding my hands inside, I held her waist and pulled her out of the car window only. The girl was enough slim to my advantage.

I kept her body on my shoulder and walked away from the car. The smoke was increasing. I coughed, but kept walking, holding the car on my shoulder.

I saw Prati, who was standing a little away. Her car was there too. I was about to reach there, when the sound,'Boom' echoed. I turned around to find the car burning on fire.

Unknowningly, my hold tightened. I had no idea, why I was so much worried about this stranger girl on my shoulder. I reached near our car.

Prati was standing there. Her hands were on her mouth. I was feeling too much anger on her for her carelessness. Thank to this unknown girl, she saved our life. She hit her own car on the tree. Otherwise both of our car would have collided. I put the girl's body on our car bonnet and marched towards Prati.

"What did you think before driving? Is this some kind of joke to you? Can you imagine what must have happened, if anything wrong happen to that girl? No... Why will you think about it. You are the princess of Pratik Ahuja! He will save you at any cost. Why will you care about other's life." I kept shouting. While Prati stood there without any expression. A gust of wind passed, boiling my blood. I held her arms in a tight grip and shouted, "Pratyasha Ahuja! Are you even thinking about anyone other than you?" I shook her shoulder, and finally she reacted.

Tears glistened in her eyes. Her lips trembled when she said, "Ashia..."

"What?" I asked in confusion, though her name had calmed me down. She had a strange effect on me. I looked at Prati in confusion. Why did she take her name, now in the middle of the accident?

Was she teasing me? Of course, what else she can do. She is a daughter of a rich businessman. Other's life is a play of business for her. I was about to scold her again, but she jerked my hand. Surprising me, she ran in the opposite direction of mine.

I turned around. Pratyasha was muttering something while sobbing. She was standing near the car bonnet, where the other girl was lying. She tucked the hair strands of that girl, and now I could see her face clearly.

"Ashia!" I whispered in dismay.