𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝟯𝟬. 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲

Chapter Thirty: Drowning in Solitude

She felt numb, devoid of emotions or expressions, her heart beating without feeling and her mind running without thoughts. As she watched him dominate the field, smashing the bowlers with aggression, she couldn't help but wonder if the anger fueled by the lies her brother fed him was fueling his game.

She sighed and turned her face to the right, hoping to relax some muscles. There, she noticed her brother already looking at her. There was some emotion in his gaze, but she felt too numb to decipher it. Rubbing her eyes through her glasses, she turned her gaze back to the field, watching him from afar, just as she had been doing ever since he refused to even meet her eyes.

And there was someone, taking full advantage of every opportunity to get closer to him. But he had switched to a strictly professional mode - just practice, gym, eat, sleep, and play. Even though they had broken up, and he saw her as the one who betrayed him, he didn't rush into another relationship. Maybe it was just the comfort of routine that kept Nehmat going, even as numbness consumed her.

The news spread like wildfire; the whole team knew about their breakup. Though they didn't shout, cry, or fight at each other when the team was around or not, their silence spoke volumes, louder than any violence could.

Within the confines of the team, they managed to coexist despite the palpable tension between them. Their interactions were strictly limited to matters related to the game. For Nehmat, the cricket field became her sanctuary, the only place where he would engage with her, even if it was solely on a professional level.

The game continued, and victory rested firmly in India's hands. Handshakes were exchanged, and the match drew to a close. Next up, they would be facing the Indies in T20Is before returning to India.

Hotel rooms felt daunting without him, but having Vamika around made them a little less so. She found solace in the child's presence, as Vamika would come up and goof around, bringing a sense of lightness to the atmosphere. Nehmat had to set aside her emotions in front of the little one, even though Vamika was wise enough not to push the topic further.

Nehmat rhythmically patted Vamika's head as the child snored peacefully. When the clock chimed midnight, signalling the late hour, Nehmat shut her eyes tightly, attempting to find some semblance of sleep that seemed elusive amidst the storms that had entered their lives. With a frustrated huff, she rose from her spot, gently covering the little one with a blanket before tiptoeing towards the balcony. There, she stood in the cool night air, taking in the salty breeze from the nearby sea.

A soft click accompanied by a faint scraping sound pierced the peaceful atmosphere, causing Nehmat to turn around. There he stood, clad only in his night shorts, his familiar absence of a shirt confirming his typical sleeping attire. His gaze locked with hers, devoid of words. At that moment, Nehmat felt her heart race, its rhythm quickening a thousandfold from its usual pace.

She walked towards him, her heart still pounding in her chest like the crashing waves against the shore. Leaning over the balcony, she reached out her hands, yearning to touch him, to feel the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips, hoping it might melt away the numbness that enveloped her.

Her fingers began their gentle tracing from his forehead, where they encountered the slight crease of concentration that often graced his brow. Moving down to his cheeks, she felt the roughness of his day-old stubble against her touch, a reminder of his masculinity softened by the intimacy of the moment.

Finally, her fingertips brushed against his lips, tracing their familiar contours, feeling the warmth and softness that she had once known so intimately.

Her hands continued their exploration, gliding over his neck where she had once left marks of her love. He had never been ashamed to display them to the world, proudly bearing the evidence of their affection. In contrast, she would often panic and scold him to cover them up, fearing the judgmental eyes of society.

Her hands then moved to the back of his neck, gently grazing over his hair. She felt the subtle poke of his lower hair, a contrast of roughness against the softness of their kisses. It was a perfect balance, a mix of rough and tender that seemed to define their relationship.

Her hands finally reached their destination: his chest. It was the strong, built chest where she used to bury her face, forgetting the harsh realities of their lies and the pain they caused. It was the place where her chest would be perfectly moulded when they embraced, a physical manifestation of what love meant to them.

Unable to control herself, she stood on her tiptoes and leaned towards him through the connected balconies. With a hand behind his neck, she pulled his lips to hers, pouring every bit of her soul into the kiss. Yet, he remained still, offering no response or reciprocation.

A strong gust of sea wind hit her face, causing her to open her eyes. What she saw shocked her to the core - there was no one there.

Confusion and disbelief washed over her as she scanned the empty balcony. Had it all been a figment of her imagination? Trembling, she leaned against the railing for support, her heart pounding with a mixture of longing and uncertainty.

Questions swirled in her mind, but there were no answers. Had she imagined his presence, or had he vanished into thin air? The eerie silence of the night seemed to mock her, amplifying her sense of isolation.

Feeling a shiver run down her spine, Nehmat wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the chill both from the wind and the sudden emptiness of her surroundings. Was it all just a cruel trick of her mind, or had something truly inexplicable occurred? She couldn't shake the feeling of his presence lingering in the air, even as she stood alone on the balcony, surrounded by nothing but the vast expanse of the night sky and the sound of crashing waves below.

Her eyes turned towards his room, which remained dark, indicating that he hadn't emerged. Was it all just a trick of her longing heart, causing her to hallucinate his presence? It felt as though her intense longing and numbness had joined forces, ready to wreak havoc on her sanity.

As thunder rumbled overhead, rain pounded the ground furiously. At that moment, a sudden realization struck Nehmat like a bolt from the blue. It felt as if the rain was a message from above, urging her to find a way out of her turmoil before she drowned in her own emotions.