Five | Once Upon A Taxi

So where am I standing right now?

Airport.

Definitely not in London but in India, precisely Calcutta, now they call it Kolkata though.

I walked out with Akansha following me and oh! What an amazing weather! Rainfall!

" Ms. I- love- my-India, how do you suppose us to get to your so-called dream apartment.", I said in annoyance, looking at her.

" Don't worry. Wait! You wanted to travel in a yellow taxi isn't it? Come on.. Let go! ", saying so she handed me an umbrella and walked out opening her three fold umbrella.

Amazing!

My umbrella was pink in colour.. Somebody remind her I detest the colour pink more than rain but yes, definitely less than her!

I had to open that umbrella and walk out, I could have killed her but it's just that I didn't want to be in the jail because of her.

Plus there's no WiFi in jail and my I*******m is much more important to me.

I was lost in all this pointless thought as I opened my umbrella. Just then I noticed her waving her hand furiously towards me holding the door of a yellow taxi.

I immediately walked jogged down to her nearly getting wet as the Indian version of Santa Claus with black beard instead of white walked out and took my luggage and placed it on the seat beside the driver's seat and went back inside the taxi.

Soon Akansha sat in the taxi but I stood out trying to figure out the reason behind these taxis being yellow in colour.

It was an Ambassador, painted yellow all over with a thick transverse line of black.

"Sahabji behthiye! ( Sir, sit!) ", I heard the taxi driver say as I realized that a whole lot of similar taxis were standing behind it, blowing horns like there's no tomorrow. If this continued I'd surely lose my hearing.

I immediately sat inside as the taxi zoomed past several other cars.

The whole city seemed to suffer due to water lodging, what a feeling! For a second I felt as if I had just walked into a video game or something, it was difficult to determine if the Indian Santa Clause was driving a taxi or a roller coaster.

"Dude, you can drive slowly!", I said as he just ignored it!

"He knows his work.", Akansha said, reluctantly placing her hand on mine.

I looked at her sharply as she immediately immediately removed her hand, pretending to tuck her hair back with it, awkwardly.

We reached the apartment soon. The rain had finally stopped, the refreshing scent of rain hung.

I immediately got off the taxi, breathing in the fresh air. Akansha seemed to have an animated argument with the driver about the taxi fare but I wasn't bothered. In any case I wouldn't understand a word of the Hindi they spoke.

I looked around as I noticed a girl looking at me and smile.. Seems like I just got an admirer.

" Come on. ", Akansha said handing me the suitcase as she walked in.

I walked behind her sighing.

I wasn't her husband, I was her free of cost servant.

Thanks to the lift we were finally standing at the door of our huge apartment. It was completely white, white vitrified tiles and white walls.

Just then Akansha looked at me and smiled. I didn't look at her.

" Come in. ", she said and walked in with a smile.

I walked in behind her.

The house was furnished.

I slowly kept the luggage in one corner and shut the door. When I turned back towards where she had stood a moment ago, she was missing. I was about to call for her when I took a step towards the balcony. She was standing at the balcony looking at the setting sun. Our flat was on the fifteenth floor and a lot could be seen from the balcony. Though her likings had never matched with mine but I must say today it did.

I slowly walked towards the balcony and stood on the artificial grass spread over the tiled floor, beside her resting my hands on the railings just like her.

The sky lit up in a glow of orange and red. The clouds were slowly subsiding. Birds, mainly cuckoos and sparrows I think, chirped in the distance. Moisture laden cool breeze blew. It was comforting.

" Isn't it beautiful?", she asked sounding enchanted.

" Yeah. It is.. Much more than you. ", I said in an attempt to annoy her but she didn't seem to disagree to my statement as she replied with a low

" Yes. "

I looked at her in shock but she didn't.

She seemed to be absorbed in the scene, her lips had curved into a subtle smile. Her hair was tied in a pony tail today, still a strand or two was free as it danced with the wind.

There was silence, even through the distant sound of blaring horns, there was silence.

Unknowingly, instead of looking at the sunset which was more beautiful than her, I stared at her.

•••