Page 37 of A Kiss in Kashmir

The conversation flowed easily and laughter filled the room. Alina began to take selfies with everyone in the room to share with Emilio. In the selfie she took with George and her mom, she noted to herself that they were holding hands. She smiled; Emilio was right, her mom was very fond of George. She had never seen her mother hold any man’s hand before. She continued taking pictures and asking Archana even more questions about local wedding customs and food and more. She made sure that Archana would attend the wedding and be part of the celebrations.

Archana served them tea and homemade biscuits as Alina chatted on and took more pictures.

Then, Archana went into a back room of the house. She returned with a pair of silver earrings.

“These are for you. For your wedding. These are traditional for a Kashmiri bride to wear. I hope you like them and will wear them for the ceremony.” She placed them in Alina’s hands.

“Oh, these are gorgeous. I can’t take them, it’s too much.” Alina looked pleadingly at her mother.

“Too much? No, no, you are family. I insist.” Archana gave Alina a big hug and kissed her on the forehead. “You look so much like your father did when he was young, and you have his heart—big and kind. Always be like that. Gracious with your words, generous with your love. Then you will always be your father’s daughter. For him, nothing was more important than making sure people around him were happy.”

The room filled with noisy children who had just come home from school. Alina took more pictures of everyone—but especially of her mother and George. With each photo, Alina felt a deep sense of happiness. Her mom, her ma, her most favorite person on the planet looked content.

“We must head to the valley now, before it gets too dark,” Suraj said. A few goodbyes later, they all headed back to Betaab Valley.

In the heart of the valley, a local was offering tourists the chance to try on the traditional pherans, typical Kashmiri jewelry and headgear, and have their pictures taken. Of course, Alina couldn’t resist.

Suraj left to set up the tent. He called out to them to join as soon as they finished their photo session.

George, Alina, and Sharmila all donned the outfits and took some turns posing for pictures. The local man offering the clothes insisted that they pose as if they were movie stars here on a shoot.

“You two look like Romeo and Juliet, but in an arranged marriage,” Alina said as George and Sharmila posed together for a photo a bit awkwardly. Everyone laughed.

“Ah, here in the valley we would say like Sunny and Roma from the movie Betaab,” the vendor said. Sharmila watched Alina pull out her phone and type something—likely the name of the movie, so she could watch it later. She smiled, knowing they’d be able to share that.

“Ma, thank you for this. And George, I’m so sorry that I was upset with you all the other day. I’m glad you found them and even happier that you’re here. Thatwe’rehere.” Alina pulled them both into a hug, and Sharmila felt her shoulder bumping George’s. He put his arms around Alina to return the hug, and his hand landed on Sharmila’s shoulder.

A moment later, Alina was gone to take more pictures of the flowing river.

Sharmila and George sat down by the river in the open-sided tent that Suraj had set up. He was on his way to join a group of locals playing cricket by the running water. The sun was beginning to set, and the crowds had increased. All around them people were laughing and talking. Several picnickers had set up feasts on blankets laid out on the green grass.

“I have something for you,” George said to Sharmila with great seriousness as he reached into a pocket of his jacket. “I’ve been holding onto it for the perfect moment, and I think this is it.”

“What? What do you have?” Sharmila smiled coyly, if also a little anxiously.

“Here you go.” George handed her a chocolate bar. “Alina told me how you gave away all your chocolate, and that it’s your favorite, and I thought…”

Taking the chocolate from him, she unwrapped it, snapped a piece off, and shared it with him, then proceeded to take a big bite. “Delicious. I don’t think a more perfect food has ever been created,” she said.

Tourists milled around them. Vendors called out to all to come see their wares. Children ran around playing games. The cricket match now had an audience, and the whole world seemed to be celebrating just being alive in the valley.

George and Sharmila sat quietly, holding hands, each waiting for the other to say something. They moved closer to each other, still conscious of themselves and of the people around them. In a serendipitous moment, they both said in unison, “I want to say something—” The tension broke, giving way to laughter as they both allowed the symphony of shared emotions to make them feel close.

Amidst the laughter, George’s eye caught hers, and he knew he could no longer resist. With tenderness, he reached out, his fingers reaching beneath Sharmila’s chin. Just that one delicate touch was filled with so much longing and affection. Had the universe really conspired to bring them closer? It was a question they would ask often in the coming days.

Finally, George leaned in, and with much tenderness kissed her on the lips. The kiss seemed like a confession, like a promise, like everything they had ever needed and never allowed themselves to want.

With a hint of shyness, Sharmila gently pulled away. It was too public for her, this open area. The intimacy lingered in the air, an ache that spoke of desires yet to be fulfilled. The unspoken words hung between them as they sat quietly, still holding hands.

Under the golden glow of the setting sun, by the gentle murmur of the Lidder, Sharmila finally broke the comfortable silence that wrapped around them. “George, it's been ages since I've felt anything like this,” she whispered, her voice tinged with a touch of disbelief.

George squeezed her hand in response. “I understand,” he said softly, his gaze still fixed on the water. “I too thought feelings like these had long faded inside me.”

Sharmila turned to face him. “I used to believe that this… this type of connection wasn’t meant for me anymore. But here, with you, it’s as if I’ve stepped into a new world. I feel like I am rediscovering something I thought I had lost forever.”

George met her gaze, a gentle smile playing on his lips. “It’s strange, isn’t it? How we’re both anchored in our pasts, yet here we are, feeling something that’s so fresh, so… new.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a soft blanket of twilight around them, they sat side by side, enveloped in a sense of connection that was as enigmatic as it was undeniable.

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