INVISIBLE STRINGS // SARAJ

Savi grumbled in the backseat as Rajat took her on his bike, it was his father's old maruti but he had managed to tinker with the gears to get it to speed up. He seemed really happy and Savi knew the reason behind it, she also had a feeling that he was about to tell her once they reached the pani puri stand.

"So I saw that Vinayak came back" Rajat tried to stir up some form of conversation. She was always the first one to chatter away or tease him some how, but she had resorted to silence which unsettled him more than he thought. 

She shifted as a bump came by and held the bottom of the seat, firm not to hold or touch him by any means, "Yeah"

"You must have been very happy to see him" Rajat said, taking a turn with a bit more force than needed but savi was still persistent and held the bottom of the seat, even though it almost had her falling off the edge of the bike. "It's been a while right?"

She just hummed in response, and Rajat sighed. It was different, feeling her indifference towards him. They had bickered and argued, even had a  few serious fights but there was always something between them, but now it was like there was nothing. 

he knew that they would all let go of each other soon, their friends, college work, partying and complaining about classes. He just didn't think it would affect him as much. He initially was a nobody at college with two good friends who stayed loyal to studying and work, but the year Savi bustled into his life had been nothing short of euphoria. 

"Where are we going? " She asked, and he could hear a tinge of irritation in her voice. "I rather be anywhere but here right now, by the way"

 This got him frustrated too, he had done absolutely nothing to warrant this response. 

He pulled the bike over to the midst of the road and he could hear a groan from Savi, "What now?"

He pulled out his phone and started to look forn the Uber app, "Thakkar, first you waste my time by saying you're gonna take me somewhere and now we're in the middle of the road and you're texting someone?"

"I'm calling you an Uber" He says, not looking up. Her eyebrows meet and she grabs the phone away from him. 

"Paagal hai kya?" Her voice is raised higher, and he reaches for his phone but she doges it. 

He continues reaching out for it, and though he has a good few inches on her she's faster than him, and hides it behind her back. Rajat, who's tired of this, clasps her hands that are held together behind and reaches for the phone using his free hand. It takes them a second to realize the position they're in, they're again way too close than they should be. Her teasing smile soon falls and he takes a good three steps away from her. 

"Thakkar" She says, as she sees him walking back to his bike and perching himself on it. He doesn't respond, "Thakkar!"

He goes back onto his phone and she fears he's actually booking her an Uber back home, she moves towards his bike "Rajat, fine I'm sorry"

"For what?" He asks, but she doubts he wants her to answer his question. "Look It's my bad for asking you to come out, I've wasted your time and I'll call you and Uber to drop you back home.I would offer to drop you back home, but I've done enough of wasting your time"

"No you didn't" She says with a sigh, "I've just- I've had a lot on my mind so I took some of my frustration out on you"

She pulls on her ears, with a pout, "i'm sorry pakka wala"

He knows he should stand his ground, but he's never been good with staying angry at her so he melts. "Fine"

She grins and he has to bite his cheek to hide the smile growing on his face, "And for the record I was driving to the get gol gappe, at your favorite stall"