Night of 25TH

CHAP 43 : Storm's Silent Cry

Past:

Shubman

Two months had passed since my last visit to Chucky's house, the timing cruelly clashing with my departure for Ahmedabad for the IPL just as her parents were due to arrive. In that span, I consciously evaded Anika's persistent attempts to meet, reluctant to confront a potentially awkward encounter.

Currently, we are in the midst of the T20I World Cup in the USA, and Anika has been staying in and travelling to the same places as the team. She insisted that it was a mere coincidence that she had booked accommodations in sync with our schedule, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was deliberately trying to insert herself into my life.

In an attempt to maintain distance, I had just deflected another request from Anika to spend time together. I told her that Ishan and I had an urgent meeting with the captain regarding the upcoming match. In reality, I had no idea where Ishan was or what kind of stupidity he was up to.

As I walked through the hotel, navigating towards a quieter area, I spotted Chucky engrossed in her tablet. Her glasses rested on her forehead, and her legs were lazily perched on a nearby chair as she read leisurely. It was a welcome sight, a moment of solace amidst the brewing storm of complications with Anika.

"Hey there, lazy bee, got no logistics work?" I called out, prompting her to turn her head. Her brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she lowered her glasses to get a better look at me. Despite the beauty of her eyes, it was clear that those little orbs couldn't see much without their trusty frames.

"I am relaxing. Is that a problem for you, or do you want me to run around, making sure that you a bunch of adults don't forget your iPad, wallet, and passport?" she retorted, a smirk playing on her lips as she kept her temple on her fist.

"Huh, I don't forget things, okay," I huffed, glancing towards the ocean.

"Oh really? It was Shahu with the manly haircut knocking on my door in the middle of the night, telling me how she forgot her iPad on the aeroplane when we arrived here," she said, narrowing her eyes and smiling.

"Fine, that was one time," I muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"Is that so?" she challenged, her expression shifting to a more intrigued one.

"Fine, thrice," I admitted with a gritted teeth.

"Good," she said, patting my muscles.

"You need glasses to see me, but you're reading without them, aren't you weird?" I remarked with a teasing smile.

"I can read things at a certain distance, and I need glasses for long distances," she explained, giving me a look that seemed to convey I was being a bit of an idiot. She chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement, before returning her attention to the tab in her hands.

The stillness enveloped us for a few moments, but my emotions surged within, compelling me to shatter the silence.

"Anika is following me everywhere; I don't know how to face her," I admitted, my gaze fixed on the expansive ocean and its horizon, which began to lose its vibrancy as the weather shifted to a bit windy and rainy.

Keeping her tablet aside, she looked at me with a soft gaze. "You are scared of reliving the scary past."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, the only sound was the distant roar of the ocean waves. I felt a shiver run down my spine as the wind picked up, carrying with it the scent of salt and impending rain.

She reached out, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Sometimes, facing the past is the only way to free yourself from it. Confronting those ghosts can be daunting, but it's the first step towards closure."

I sighed, the weight of Anika's persistent presence pressing on my mind. "I know you're right. It's just that every time I turn around, there she is, a constant reminder of what I want to forget."

"I can't tell her straight away; I don't want to do anything with her, but her glossy eyes never let me, even though she hurt my feelings. I can never hurt hers, but also I cannot forget what she did to me," I reflected, caught in the intricate web of conflicting emotions.

Chucky was about to speak, but the rains landed so fiercely that seeking shelter became an urgent necessity. The matches were lined up, and the risk of getting dampened and affecting our health was not one we wanted to take. The only viable option was to sit under the umbrella, as close to the table as possible, to avoid getting wet.

As I glanced at Chucky, her shorts and light white shirt offered little protection from the wind, making her shiver. Without a second thought, I quickly removed my hoodie, watching her expression closely as I pulled it down over her head, making her wear it before she could protest.

"Shhh, we need our logistics manager so we don't forget things on match day," I joked, trying to lighten the mood despite the weather. I couldn't help but notice the immediate warmth the hoodie brought to her, contrasting with the chilly breeze around us.

"But you need to play a match, and you too can get sick," she protested, concern evident in her eyes.

"Oh, I am wearing full clothes, unlike you in those shorts. If I need some warmth, I can easily do this," I said, pulling her closer and wrapping my arm around her, creating a makeshift cocoon under the umbrella.

Amidst the tempest's roar, she smiled, nuzzling closer towards me. The waves crashed against the shore, a harmonious accompaniment to the symphony of thunder echoing through the sky. Gazing down at her, a sense of serenity washed over me, and a smile played on my lips in response to the satisfying dance of the elements.

In the silence that followed our discussion about Anika, an unspoken agreement settled between us. We consciously refrained from delving any deeper into the topic, as if an implicit rule accompanied the rain, urging us not to speak of her anymore.

Her head rested on my shoulder, fingers delicately tracing patterns on my biceps. At that moment, a unique feeling of love stirred within me — different from anything I had experienced with Anika. It was an emotion that resonated with the rhythmic beat of the rain and the tumultuous beauty of the storm. Yet, uncertainty lingered, clouding the newfound emotions for Chucky.

"I don't know what I'm feeling towards Chucky," I confessed, my voice barely audible against the storm's backdrop. "And even if I did, I'm scared to tell her. I just don't want to jeopardize what we have, our friendship."

As I spoke, the weight of my past with Anika cast a shadow over my present. The memory of my overbearing love and its consequences haunted me, influencing my hesitation to unveil the complexity of my feelings for Chucky.

"I fear that my overbearing love for Anika pushed her away," I continued, my gaze fixed on the rain-kissed ocean. "I don't want to repeat the same mistake with Chucky."

The storm outside mirrored the internal conflict raging within me. Chucky had become a constant, a source of comfort unlike any other. The fear of confessing my feelings and potentially altering the delicate balance of our relationship held me captive.

"I just don't want to lose her," I added, my voice a whisper beneath the storm's fury. "I don't want my feelings to drive her away, too."

As the rain continued to cascade and the thunder persisted, I found myself standing at the intersection of desire and fear. The ocean, the rain, and the thunder bore witness to a heart grappling with the complexity of emotions — caught between the yearning for something more and the fear of losing the one who had become an anchor in the storm.

I looked up to the darkened sky, a canvas painted with the fury of nature. The thunder echoed in the distance, mirroring the thunderous conflict within my heart. In that moment of vulnerability, I uttered a silent prayer to the heavens above, seeking solace and guidance in the face of my tangled feelings.

"Heaven above, grant me clarity," I whispered, my words carried away by the howling wind. "I am entangled in the storm of emotions, caught between the fear of losing a dear friend and the desire for something more. I need strength to navigate these uncharted waters."

The rain intensified as if nature itself acknowledged the turbulence within me. I closed my eyes, hoping for a sign, a revelation that would untangle the knots of conflicting emotions. The ocean roared in response, a symphony of nature's might.