"Hmm." I replied back to Neil. The sound of loud music was still emanating from the building behind us.
"I am sorry for taking this conversation somewhere else. You carry on with your story, please." He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Well, after January 2, 2014, I came back here. My 18th birthday came and he promised me that he'll be with me on my next birthday or atleast around it. I was never much concerned about my birthday. Everytime something bad would happen, either on the day or before/after. I never had any excitement for it. Instead, I felt kind of depressed that day. God knows for what reason but Theo! He would always do something or the other, which would cheer me up. This was my third birthday with him. We were on call the whole day. He managed to get me gifts with the help of Susan, for which I later on got very angry with him as I asked not to give anything to me, unless he would hand them to me himself. But as usual, he convinced me in the end. My birthday passed and so did the next 4 months. I was going back to Houston again. I was supposed to reach on May 16's afternoon but got a little delayed. He was waiting for me when I told him that I would reach tomorrow instead of today as we got late. But I was actually reaching by evening. My parents were still chatting with some neighbours but I went staright to Ariel's place to see her just as we reached. I got into her house as soon as possible because I saw Theo walking out his house with one of his cousin. He heard my voice but wasn't sure if it was really mine. We were texting and I told him that for today we were staying with our family friends and will then leave for Houston tomorrow. He was outside Ariel's house, completely unkown by the fact that I was watching him from inside. I was enjoying his view, when my mom called me to come home and he looked around, shocked completely. He started looking for me. That's when I stepped out and passed through him, smiling. Just as I passed him, I received a text from him. 'Liar! You are here already. I heard you but then thought how could it be you as you were still in NY. But it seems you are here only. Oh! Am so happy to see you again. You made it today. Love you and your lil surprises.' I turned back to him to pass another smile as the reply of his text before I entered my house."
"So, it was your little surprise for him. I wish I was that lucky."
"Neil! Don't start again. Please!"
"Okay. Okay. I was just kidding. Then what happened?"
"Then, we just met whenever it was possible. Twice, I sneaked out to meet him at midnight."
"What? You sneaked out? You? That too at midnight? What about your parents? Your mom? How did she let you?"
"My parents were strict, especially mom but not that much, okay! She was just more cautious regarding Theo's matter, that too because of his mom as it bothered her. Other than that, she was the most coolest mom ever. And with Dad, I was never really very close to him. But the last two years changed that, a bit." I said glumly.
"I wanna know really how did the sneaking part happened?" He came back to the topic as he felt me getting a little sad as I mentioned mom.
"After so many requests, I was allowed for a sleepover at Ariel's. Her dad was out of town and her mom didn't made patrols, just like mine." I joked.
"So as her mom slept, I sneaked out and met him. His mom and dad too, were out of town. His sister was staying at some cousin's place. He was all alone with his one uncle and few servants. We always wished to meet under the night sky. Stars twinkling above us and we beneath them. We wished to have a kiss with the moon shining above us. This sneak out was especially for the wish."
"You guys had it done. Great!" I know he didn't meant when he said 'great'. That was much more in a sarcastic way.
"My stay was about to end. We had our movie planned, just before the day I was supposed to leave. 'X-Men: Days of the Future Past' was the only new realease then. May 27 was Ariel's younger sister birthday. Everyone was invited to the party and so were Theodore and Adrian. Adrian's presence only made things between him and Ariel, what you say, awkward. Ariel already moved on but Adrian was still expecting her return. As everyone got engaged with each other, chatting, laughing, dancing, Theo took me to a corner where we could be alone for a while. He was very quiet that day which was very unusual. I asked him what was the matter. After I probed him a little, he told me that he met a guy who happened to know me. With little more of his descriptions, it turned out that I too knew that guy. We were together in middle school. So, he met him and suddenly my name came into their conversation. That's when he again he started talking about the rumours he heard about me."
"Because of which you guys even fought before?"
"Yup. Exactly, the same. I don't know when someone doesn't see with their own eyes or hear things themselves, why do they have to talk about what others been talking? He told Theo that I was using him and nothing else because that was what he heard from his so called resources. Also that, I had found someone in New York. As Theo was telling me all this, I was burning with anger, deep inside. He understood by my expressions that I felt bad. He assured me that he didn't believed in any of that, and that he trusted me. But I just had one question. If he trusted me or didn't believed them, then what was making him so upset? Why did he had to mention all this to me? It bothered him and I could see that. He realised what I was thinking and told me that the thing that was bothering him was only that people were talking bullshit about me, without knowing anything. He said he just wanted that guy to stop from talking but he didn't do just because he would've know that we were dating, which none of us have wanted. But whatever it was, it made me really upset. I couldn't bear standing there anymore, so I excused myself and left. After that, I met him directly on the day of the movie which was two days later."
I paused and then continued.
"The movie day, had a very bad beginning. Ariel's younger siblings were supposed to join us for the movie which was not a problem as they knew about me and Theo. The problem was their one friend , Gailyn, who even was our neighbour and wasn't in good terms with us and we didn't wanted her to know that Theo would be joining us. No one wanted to take her along but she did all the tantrums, went to Ariel's mom(Valerie), cried there and in the end joined us. Valerie got furious at me for not letting Gailyn come with us. Although, it was Ariel and her sister who didn't wanted her presence even more than me. I don't know what came into me that day, maybe I was already upset or the wrong blame on me, I snapped back at her and walked out on her face. It was really rude and I never behaved that way with any elder, ever, till that day. With all this drama, we reached for the movie. I hardly watched the movie or Theo. He knew something was wrong. He apologised for that day many times. I told him I wasn't upset because of that, even though I was, a little. After the interval, he kept on asking why was I behaving that way, why wasn't I talking. I don't know but for the first time, I broke into tears infront of him. That made him even more vulnerable for that moment. He didn't knew why was I crying, neither did I. He hugged me and asked what happened and I told him the morning story with Valerie. He pacified me and told me it was nothing wrong that I did. It was just 15 minutes before the movie was ending, we realised that I was leaving tomorrow back for New York and this was our final meeting before this year's December. I kept everything aside and kissed him. I kissed him like there was no tomorrow. He kissed me back with the same passion. I will be going away from him tomorrow, made me realise how much I'll miss him and would've regreted later, had I not kissed him then."
"So, did you tell him that you felt bad for that day?"
"No. He still doesn't know how much I was hurt and shattered that day. If he didn't believed any of those rumours, he wouldn't have given it much thought or mentioned to me. There were definitely some things which his mind would have wanted to believe as we weren't staying together. But, whatever, now its old thing. It's past. Many more things and days have come in my life which were more hurtful than that day. So, it's okay. After all, even he is a hu-'man'."
"What after you came back to New York?"
I started laughing and he was taken aback by the sudden change in my behaviour.
"What?" He questioned. I was still laughing.
"Why are you being so hysterical, Alice?"
"Because, now will come the highlight of these vacations." I answered still laughing. I was damn sure he was wondering what could've happened and expecting something funny but actually it was quite the opposite.
