Indifferent

Deafening silence

Varun's POV

Some fear silence. Some thrive in it. Some grow used to silence. Some abhor it forever.

But what about those who have been born in silence and left to survive in its suffocating claws? Do they learn to love silence or do they carve for at least a bit of words, music, noise, screams, whispers - anything and everything that would help them escape?

We never know, at least, I do not.

I am Varun Advani. Adv. Varun Advani. To the world, I might seem like the poster child of rags to riches. An orphan turned emerging bigshot lawyer of the city. A perfect tale of someone who had nothing and was empowered by someone who had everything, and made the most of it.

I will forever be indebted to Acharya sir. I still do not know, and perhaps never will know what he had seen in that scrawny little, shy and malnourished kid in a dingy and rather shady orphanage in the remote outskirts. I will never know what tales he had read in the eyes of that ever-scared five year old kid, but whatever it was, he took me under his wings.

And while I still moved to yet another orphanage, this time in the dazzling city lights of the magnanimous Mumbai, I now had proper education, more than enough food and clothing, and every other facility which would help me grow. He was no father of mine - I do not even know if I believe in such a relationship. After all, what could you even expect from a child who was found abandoned on the doorstep of that dingy orphanage?

He was not my father, neither my friend, nor particularly affectionate - he always did have that faraway look in his eyes. One which I resonated with - the look of silence, or maybe mine was of pure silence, and his was a façade underneath which was lain something much more intense and shattering.

Whatever he was, however he was - cold, unaffectionate, distant, I did not care. Whatever his intentions were, I did not care. That man made my life, basically gave me a chance at life, and I would forever be indebted to him. And this exactly is what has landed me in this mysterious predicament.

This debt of life.

And made for the first time ever to doubt his intentions.

"Varun......don't be so pessimistic man. Acharya sir ki beti hai. She will be good.", Avir let out a grunt as his placed the dumbbell back where it belonged and slouched on the floor alongside, profusely sweating.

(Acharya sir ki beti hai - She's Acharya sir's daughter)

I continued my steady run on the treadmill.

"I am not concerned about that Avir. And to tell you the truth, I do not even know what I am concerned about."

His eyebrows were furrowed at my words - rightly so.

"What I mean is, I do not know what he expects out of this marriage and what he expects out of me. A mere orphan who he has provided for."

He was about to refute my words. He always does so when I address myself as an orphan, but there's nothing wrong with it, I think. Its the fact. I am an orphan, always have been. And no, I am not garnering any sympathy out of this, I never will, but its a fact. I am an orphan.

"No Avir, wait, do not refute my words, and listen to me.", I got down from the treadmill and sat down on the floor in front of him.

"She's the only daughter of that rich dad. Raised without a mother, I could only wonder the immense amount of love he would have spoilt her with. And again, I am not judging her, or him, but what sense does it make for Acharya sir to have a mere employee like me, an orphan who owns nothing as compared to him, who is nothing exceptional, to get married to his only daughter?"