Sunshine

Chapter 6

Piyali

There was still 10 minutes for the afternoon session of weekend classes to start. And I was back in the classroom. Aditya was talking with some friends in the canteen. He was popular here among the weekend classmates as well. He made all of them his fans. Just with his smile and lively attitude. Everyone loved him and everyone now seeks him and called out hi to him...

So I had left Aditya among his new friends and headed back to the classroom. Maybe because I was still not completely recovered from the fever and was still on medication, the cough syrup had made me drowsy. I yawned and sat down on my usual seat.

Aditya's books were left on his desk. I opened them to see if there is some figure I could draw in for him. But there was nothing to draw... I just began to move my fingers over his braille script. His handwriting...

I am not sure what is the element, but Aditya is a fascinating person for me. Not ever letting his disability come in the way and always so bright. Actually, I always wanted to be that sort of a person. Who can talk to people without fear and shyness?

I did not have any friends when I was little. Because I was such a silent person. I just sat and studied at a desk during elementary school. I was always envious of people who had a lot of friends. I always wished I could be like them...

So when I see Aditya, he...shines. Brightly.....

Yawn...

I didn't realize when I fell asleep. I woke up when I felt someone running their hand through my hair. I sat up. Aditya's fingers were on my hair. As I sat up, one clock of my hair actually went through his fingers, from the top of the hair lock to the tip of the hair...

"So you had long hair..." Aditya said. "I've always wanted to know how long it is..."

I suddenly felt my heart jump a bit.

"Ah... It's sort of long." I told him. I had waist-length hair. "Sorry, I fell asleep."

"Sorry, I woke you up." He said. Then he hesitated for a while and then called my name. "Hm...Piyali."

"Yeah?"

"I am sorry if I am being rude, but can I touch your face?"

"Huh?"

"To feel how you look. I don't have an idea about how you look....so..." He sounded sorry to ask this to a girl.

I wanted to let him do that. Even if it was not him, but another person who cannot see, I might have let that person touch my face. Because that is just seeing for that person. And I need to let them 'see' my face. That's basic manners and consideration towards the blind.

But I looked around and saw students filling in the classroom.

"Students are coming in... It might be a bit...weird."

"Right?" He asked. "Okay... I understand. No problem."

"Hm..." I said and looked away.

That night when we got into the metro train, there was a bit too crowded in the cabin we got on, and Aditya was standing really close to me. I could see the details of the brown check shirt he had on. I could see his chest under his neck, as his first shirt button was left open. I could see his chest rising and falling when he breathed. I tried to look away...but I could still smell him.

Then I realized that I was being too silent.

"Sorry, I am being too much silent, right?" I asked.