Kuch Itne Haseen

chapter 1

Ankit began to lose his hearing mid way when he was 28 years old. It started when he was at a party, he was dancing and he heard this piercing noise come through then it was silence. The world around him was a blur and he covered his ears, walking outside. 

He rubbed his ears a couple of times with wide eyes, mouthing words to people to ask them to say something but to his dismay he didn't hear anything. In a couple of minutes his hearing had returned but by then Ankit felt worried to the core. The thought that he couldn't hear even for a couple of minutes disturbed him. He couldn't return to the party at all. 

That day he went home and slumped inside his bed, letting the warmth of his blanket lure him to sleep. When he woke up a headache ensured and he covered his ears again, the sound returning and then silence. Tears streamed down Ankit's face as he was unsure of what was happening to him. He curled himself up with his knees touching his chest as he sat on the floor, head resting between his hands. 

This was not the last of it, after the fourth time Ankit convinced himself that he should get up and go see a doctor even if the thought scared him. The visit was one of his worst nightmares. He had mentally prepared himself for the outcomes but despite that he was not ready to hear it verbally. 

He was losing his hearing. In a couple of months, Ankit would not hear anything at all. Ankit cut himself off from his friends and the world for the following two months. He hated the world and he hated that he wasn't able to gain anything from it. He hated that he felt useless. It was either his house or the library, nothing else. 

Ankit busied himself in books, nose deep as he thought of a world that he knew would remain imaginary to him. He was suggested to start taking sign language classes because that would help him in the future.

So he was standing in front of the class, clenching and unclenching the straps of his backpack, nervously rocking on his heels. He feels someone nudge his shoulder and he looks back.

A bright face, with beautiful dark brown eyes came in front of his vision. She held a playful smile as she mouthed something to him. He was too distracted to even notice what she said. The girl waves a hand in front of his face. Ankit snaps out of his trance and looks at her. 

She signs something with her hands and Ankit tilts his head in confusion. Then, she motioned for him to wait and takes out a notepad from her yellow backpack. She scribbles something quick onto her notepad and shows him the note. 

Are you not going in?

Ankit blinks once, not responding. 

The girl flips the page once more and writes something on it, showing it to Ankit again. 

Are you nervous?

Ankit nods his head to this and the girl makes an 'o' shape with her lips as if to say that she understands. 

I'm Priyanka! 

"Priyanka," Ankit tests out the name. 

Priyanka looks at him and writes another thing on her notepad. 

You speak? I can't hear you. 

Ankit is stunned as he takes in her bright smile. Despite the world being completely silent, this girl is still smiling and biggest thing is that her talking through her notepad is oddly comforting. 

Priyanka smiles at Ankit and tilts her head mouthing, are you going to go in?

He nods and intakes a shaky breath. Ankit turns around facing the doors again but remains rigid. That is until he feels soft, slender fingers slide into his hand. A squeeze is felt then two and he looks down to see the same girl standing beside him, waiting for him to enter the room.

It made him feel like he wasn't alone.