Sunshine

Chapter 11

Piyali

He did not shine...He did not talk. He did not even hold hands with me. He looked distant. There were shadows under his eyes.

"Aditya..." I call him.

"Hm...?" He would say.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He said.

"Can I do..anything?" I asked... "Anything to make you feel better?"

"I am okay, Piyali. Don't worry." He said.

One night Aditya was dropping me outside my house... I did not want to leave him and go home yet. So I turned back to Aditya.

"What happened?" He asked.

I leaned up to him and kissed his lips. And I backed down...

"Piyali..." I heard my dad's voice. I gasped and turned to see my mom and dad looking at us.

My parents led him inside... Aditya sat in front of my parents looking like a criminal.

"Mom, Dad, I like him," I said aggressively before they take it out on him. I was scared. Aditya was already at his limits. "And he is a nice guy."

"He might be a nice guy." My father said. "But I don't plan to give my daughter to a blind guy."

"Daddy..." I said.

"How can you be so careless, Piyali?" Mom asked. "He can't even see..."

"Mom..."

"Look..., You seem like a nice boy." My dad told Aditya, "But we don't want you to meet our daughter again."

To my surprise, I felt like Aditya looked a bit relieved now. As if he expected this, and as if this might solve things. No... No. It should not be like this. I don't want it to end like this.

"Dad." I tried to argue.

"You stay silent, Piyali." Mom said. "We care about you. And there is no way that we give to a boy who can't even take care of himself, let alone you."

"But I like him." Somebody, understand this, please... Aditya, you understand this... "I like him," I cried.

"You can't live a life with just love." Mom said strictly. "You can't take care of this blind boy forever. And I am not letting my daughter's life be like that. You deserve a healthy boy who can take care of you and give you happiness. Not someone who you have to take care of."

"Stop it both of you..."

I saw that Aditya was looking more and more hurt...

"Aditya, get up... You don't have to sit here listening to all this..." I said pulling him by his hand.

"Piyali..."

"I like him, okay..." I yelled at my parents. "And I don't want anyone but him. There is no meaning if it is not him..."

I pulled Aditya out of my house... "Listen..." I told him. "You don't have to be bothered by him... Don't mind them. I will talk to them..."

But he was avoiding my eyes. Or more like, not letting me see his expression.

"I will talk to them," I said.

He did not say anything. Aditya who was so talkative and energetic seemed to have vanished inside him.