SOOD Uttarayan Kiss

Uttarayan Kiss

Twinkling lights of the lanterns and the smell of fireworks swirl all around him. Something about the open, endlessly dark sky being littered and lighted by human hands made everything feel possible. It was the kind of scene one might see in a fairytale. The kind of moment that was forever flawless. So perfect that it was magical. Damn. He loved this day. It was exhausting and exciting, and even as it was fading, it was breathtaking/striking.

He jerks from his trance when kites rustle behind him, a scream almost at his lips. It's only Nitin, here to help. Nitin looks at him, hands up, shocked himself as well.

"Where did you lose yourself?" he asks, relaxing, and for a moment Sundar thinks the twinkling of the lanterns is caught in his eyes. "Or was their dard in your disco?" For a split second Sundar doesn't understand and then Nitin starts dancing to the chorus of the song. It's horrible. Sundar hides his face in his hands, he can't help it.

It takes him embarrassingly long to look up at Nitin again who is bent over backwards in laughter, his hand beating on his chest. "Did everyone see that?" Nitin laughs even harder. And somehow, somewhere between Sundar's horror and embarrassment Nitin answers, "Yeah."

Sundar wanted to dig a hundred foot hole, climb into it and never come out that way no one could feel his skin warm with red.

"Oh, look at him," Nitin coos and takes Sundar's face between his hands shaking it from one side to the other.

Sundar pokes Nitin's side to end the humiliation and immediately thinks he should not have done that. Nitin's face is light up with fireworks and mischief. He comes at Sundar full force, Sundar can barely hears his pleas over his own laughter, body bent in half as Nitin continues to tickle him.

"Enough," he breathes out, amazed that Nitin heard his words enough to actually stop.

Nitin lets go of him and some part of him whines from the loss.

"I like it," Nitin says, somehow his voice echoes with the fireworks in the open space. "I like it when you smile." It's almost disappointing. Sundar curses himself for what he wanted. "I like it when you're happy. I want you to be happy. Always."

Something big fires off in the distance, followed by cracklings of smaller rockets. Some part of his brain even catches some music.

Sundar is moving before he can think, before he can reason, before he can stop himself and let the moment shrink. Something moves Nitin too. He is aware of it as he moves.

Into one single kiss.

Sundar can feel Nitin breathing next to him, he is disoriented on his feet but he doesn't dare open his eyes. It could all be a dream. He can feel Nitin's lips linger on his when he moves to kiss him again.

Nitin's neck is soft under his fingers. A hand moves to his neck and then another to the other side.

Nitin holds onto his head with both hands, almost desperate to keep him where he is. Not that Sundar would ever leave. Thunders fade into an echo, winds touch him with gentleness and something crystalline shatter and it all smells like fireworks, and tastes like cold water that spreads all over his chest, chilling and sparkling.

He pulls Nitin close and he hopes and hopes and hopes. He pleads and prays. Stay. Please, stay. Just stay.

He pulls Nitin close and he hopes and hopes and hopes. Please don't let this be a dream. Please don't let this end here. He feels Nitin's fingers in his hair. Please let him stay.

Sundar opens his eyes as soon as his lips leave Nitin's. Nitin takes longer, Sundar feels his deep breaths hitch under his fingers and Sundar feels another tear roll on his cheek. Slowly, Nitin's eyes open and he smiles. An ugly part of him curse Nitin. This may just be needlessly cruel.

Sundar detangles himself from Nitin and wipes the tears on his face with the back of his T-shirt. He leaves without saying a word. He can't.