The Mute And The Reader [#YourStoryIndia][#Wattys2015]

Ten

For the last five days, since I've confessed to Ayan, all we talk about is my mind-reading ability. He's pretty intimidated by the whole thing and always has questions. Also, it's pretty evident that he likes me. A lot. He doesn't hide it. But I still hang out with him because 1) He's the only person around whom I'm not weird. 2) He doesn't want to get into my pants.

-How come we never met for the past one year? We're in the same college and batch!

We're returning from college and as usual Aryan's mind pops with another question.

"I don't attend normal lectures." I reply.

He looks at me questioningly.

-Normal lectures?

"I didn't tell you I guess. I cannot read the minds of women."

He looks at me in surprise.

-Oh that's strange. No woman at all?

"Nope."

-So?

"So I attend all girls lectures."

He's surprised.

-Is that even a thing?

I laugh.

"Yes it is. Our coordinator is a great friend of mine. She knows that I read minds. So she's the one who arranges such lectures for me."

-Ah! I see. So what about school? You went to an all girls school?

"Yes."

-For how long can you read minds?

There's a pause. I have my own theory as the answer to his question.

"I don't really know. It just happened gradually. I obviously don't remember the exact time but I think it was when I could understand and speak. I think I had it in me since birth. But I discovered it when I myself could speak and understand speech."

He looks ahead on the path, nodding, trying to absorb all that information.

-Interesting. Tell me one thing. How does this mind reading thing works?

I look at him with irritation.

"Seriously, Aryan?!"

He has a puppy face.

-Please?

I look ahead and take a deep breadth, preparing to start.

"I don't know how much knowledge you've gained from those science fiction movies but actual mind reading is nothing like that." I say, "The voices I hear in my head are my own. Only the content I hear is what others think."

He looks at me intently, comprehending what I just said. I suddenly have this urge to tell him something.

"Let me tell you something interesting," I say, "To hear a person's thought in his or her voice I'll need to have a memory of the voice. Right?" I look at him asking for his affirmation.

-Yes.

He's bloody interested in what I'm saying. I continue.

"Now, having a memory of that voice will require me to listen to it at least once, if we take my non-existent super human capability of memorizing voices into consideration."

He looks confused and baffled.

-What on earth do you mean?

A laugh escapes my lips. I admit. The choice of my words were equivalent to Anupama Chopra's movie reviews!

"What," I say, "I mean is that I'll need to hear the voice to memorize it, right?"

He nods.

-Yeah.

I smirk at him.

"But I hear the thoughts of every person. Even the ones whose voices I haven't heard. And even you! I've never heard your voice. So it's pretty illogical to hear people's thoughts in their voice." I say with triumph. Frankly speaking, I love explaining this thing.

He nods slowly in realization.

-Ah! I see. But I have a question.

I smile. I already know what it is.

-How do you differentiate between the thoughts of different people?

"That's where my gut feeling comes."

He looks at me questioningly.

-Gut feeling?

I nod.

"Yes. I don't exactly know how but I get what thoughts belong to whom." I say with a shrug.

He looks at me with a freaked out expression.

-Yeah. That's creepy.

"Yeah," I reply, "I believe that too."

-Do you have...like a range or a distance within which you can hear thoughts?

"Oh! Thank god I do! Otherwise my mind would be an erupting volcano of thoughts. I can't hear beyond about ten feet. So basically for me to hear you you'll have to be in the same room or vehicle as me. The voices become fainter as people move away."

He breathes in deeply.

-Okay...so what other super powers do you possess?

I look at him sarcastically.

"Super powers? Really?"

He shrugs with a cute smile.

"Well," I start, "Other than hearing thoughts I can feel what men feel and I can overhear their conversations using my ability to hear. Thankfully, I can control the former."

-You mean the feelings thingie?

"Yes."

-Interesting.

"But then again, unlike in those movies I can't know about your past. I can only hear what's going on in your mind in the present. Only if you are thinking about a past event, I can hear it."

-Complicated, much?

I laugh.

"Not really. I don't understand why the concept of mind reading is so vague. I mean I'm not a telepath. I just hear what people think. Simple."

Suddenly he glances at his wrist watch. Then he looks at me.

-It's 8pm. I need to be at home. Before Suhas comes home.

I'm confused.

"Okay. Who's Suhas?" I ask.

He suddenly looks very worried. He's running away towards the sidewalk.

-Shit!

And before I can hear anymore of him he has disappeared into the crowded road, along with his thoughts, possibly ten feet away from me.