"Love someone the way you dance. Freely and with all your heart."
Aranya:
Indian.
Completing masters in clinical psychology in LA.
Dancer.
Jake:
American.
Tattoo Artist in LA.
Dancer.
They are very different.
She's controlled and calm.
He's wi...
"So why'd you come to millennium? I mean it's quite obvious you weren't there to dance or you wouldn't have just left with me." I asked Jake, after the 5-minute silence since leaving Millenium, as both of us kept walking towards my apartment.
"I could've been there to dance and left only because I had to walk you home."
"Then you would be a stupid guy. You could've simply just asked me to wait for you and then we could've left once you were done dancing. But you aren't that stupid, are you?" I questioned turning to look at him.
"And you're quite observant, aren't you?" He said smiling, looking at me.
Very few people noticed, and much fewer complimented my observation skills. They're something I've subconsciously gained while studying psychology but also tried to improve over the years. I believe it's one of the most important qualities in a good psychologist, and if I ever want to try to be the best, the only way to do that is by becoming what the best needs.
"I try to be." I replied with a smile, liking the fact that he noticed. "But you haven't answered my question yet" I said referring to our earlier conversation.
"Yes, I wasn't really at millennium to dance or see others dance for that matter." He replied not offering me any more insight. I suppose he was as closed off as I was sometimes.
"Then why exactly were you there?" I prompted, trying one last time to get an actual answer from him.
He looked at me for a second before he inhaled deeply, shrugged and said, "I was just there to be there, you know. Millennium, it's one of the few places I find peace."
"I get that" I said, thinking about where I find peace.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Jake said.
"Not much, I was just thinking about my peaceful place since you mentioned yours."
"Oh, what is it?" he said prompting me to reveal a bit more of myself.
"It's not something you'd understand." I shrugged.
He abruptly stopped, causing me to stop, and looked at me saying, "There you go again. You're judging me even before you truly know anything about me. You don't know I could end up understanding it more than even you do." He said easily, smiling, staring into my eyes, a stranger to the effect what he said had on me.
"Okay, fine. I'll play along." I said just as smoothly quite contradictory to what I was truly feeling.
"On the swings, like the ones in the park. I know it sounds, and probably is, very childish but it's been my most peaceful place, always. I don't know why, but it's something about being there that just makes me forget everything else." I continued as we walked on.
I looked at him, trying to find judgement or ridicule on his face but came up empty. Rather I found him looking at me with an expression that can only be described as understanding.
"It's not childish, but even if it was to anyone else, it wouldn't matter. You don't have to justify yourself to me or anyone else. Doesn't matter what the place is as long as you feel at peace. No one else's opinions should matter." He said being mature. More than I expected him to be.
"I know. I try not to give a fuck about what others think." I said trying to lighten the mood that had somehow gotten quite serious.
"That does sound like you." He said chuckling.
After that, the conversation was pretty normal. I asked him a bit about his shop and came to know that he started it a year ago, right after graduation, and it's earning him good money. He even told me about how dancing is his one constant hobby which he's never given up on since he was 7 years old and his mother made him enter a dance competition which he lost. I answered all his questions and assumptions about Indian culture and told him about moving to the US for my masters in Psychology and how life felt here. And as we kept talking, we neared my apartment.
"Okay, so you're telling me, you just actually started dancing this year? You've never actually tried to learn it before?" Jake asked astonished.
"Well, not really."
"Why not? It's one of the more common things people do as a hobby. How come you never tried it?" He asks as we come to a stop outside my apartment building.
"Well, there's a lot of reasons and very less time. So, I'm going to keep this one a mystery for now." I said turning to go inside but stopped before entering, turned around, winked and said, "By the way, thanks for the company."
"You know, you're turning out to be quite mysterious. Though, I'm not giving up on this mystery yet."
"This isn't a mystery that can be explained. You might end up regretting your wasted time." I said looking intensely into his eyes.
"Well, it's a mystery worth spending my time on." He said making my heart flutter. "I'll see you around, Princess."
I looked at his back as he walked away and soon I walked up the stairs into my apartment as realization hit me.
Jake wasn't going to be just another name on my 'hot guys' list. My gut told me, he was going to be much more than just that.
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Author's Note I know it's a really small chapter but I've been uninterested and uninspired lately. But I hope this chapter kind of explained a bit more about their bond, and their life.
