Together Forever

Chapter 52: Stroke of Midnight

One Last Time - The creak of the front door, though vague was distinct due to the eerie silence of midnight in the house. Sanskaar sneaked in safely and made his way to his grandmother's room, hoping her to be rested already.

Just as he thought, the ivory room was enlightened by the dim gold night lamp but the old lady had already slipped in a deep slumber. Asha had sunk in the pillows yet not in a proper sleeping position. The book she read remained abandoned on the bed, her right hand placed on the particular page.

Sanskaar reached her in baby steps to lower her to the soft pillows gently and pulled the covers up to keep her warm from the cold winds. Asha was turning older he could say- her tender pale skin held more lines even when she rested and a few more locks of black had turned silver to join the majority.

Asha's presence alone was enough to put down his chaotic mind at rest, even if it was for a temporary cause she held that power to calm him. There were several times Sanskaar had kept her in dark, mostly about the extra jobs he used to pick up once in a while. The guilt that engulfed him everytime he does such stunts would vanish at thought of her disappearing smile. That was something he could never afford to do so.

He stroked away the streaks of silver that rested on her closed eyes. From the very moment, he would no more have a reason to hide things nor go through guilty trips until he was off to sleep every night. Afterall he had resigned those jobs for good before working for one last time. Sanskaar pressed a brief peak on her forehead before leaving the room, "Sweet dreams."

Back in his room, the royal blue shimmered in the flicks of silvery moonlight through the window and the wind screen danced in the tunes of the cold breeze of the night. No cold winds and moonlight bothered him much the way the band-aid palm did. Of cause, he had it changed twice a day but still those gentle damps of antiseptic cotton on his ragged skin and her soft touches lingered faintly.

As Sanskaar roughly threw his jacket on the arm rest of the chair, something fell down from the clothing and laid on the cold floor. When he bent to reach the unknown object, his hands retreated for a moment. It was the beautiful butterfly ear piece she dropped in haste and he picked to keep it safe. He had been carrying in with him all around.

Sanskaar leaned by window frame, the dark orbs trying to seek comfort in the midnight blues and moon's glow. The cold ear piece she left, he held it in his warm palm- so gentle and hearty that he could feel the coldness the silver metal emitted, sunk into his warm layers of skin. True, that his skin was warm but something in him remained cold.

Three dawns have rose and dripped into the horizon and was gone in abyss, and he had not seen her ever since they exchanged a conversation and she left incomplete abruptly from his sight. The crowded school hallways, teacher's lectures, presidental duties and side jobs besides- Sanskaar had so much to do. But her absence bothered him and fragments shared flashed across only to falter his focus.

Damn! he missed her too much that even verbal terms may fail to express the exact emotion felt. Sanskaar was so prone and addicted to her presence that for the past few days not having her beside got him foul mood. Even Asha pointed out the difference many times and he would casually shrug it away.

Frustration and longing was so high on him that he left quite a number of texts and calls which were all unanswered. Several number of times, his foot had lead him to her house on it's own but he just couldn't go in. The vow to keep himself away from her didn't let him in take another step forward, for he knew just a glimpse of her and he would melt.

Promises would be long forgotten, lines drawn for boundaries would be erased and Sanskaar knew he would loose it all and more. He was more afraid of the after consequences which might be both- positive or negative sides. How dare she torture him like that even without her presence, Sanskaar sighed as he collapsed on the couch.