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

Fourteen

I don't see him anywhere in the college the next day. And I'm extremely irritated. I've already missed him terribly for the past four days and now when he promised to show up I can't find him! I wonder if he just sent me the text message to reassure me and he doesn't intend to see me today also.

I walk with slow steps towards the classroom, hoping to spot him somewhere, anywhere. But all my efforts go in vain. Finally, before entering my classroom I decide to peak in Prof. Shah's lecture just to check if he's inside his classroom. I peak in. Prof. Shah is nowhere to be seen and so is Aryan. I scrunch my face in annoyance as if I was actually expecting him to be there. I am about to turn away from the doorway when suddenly someone calls my name from inside the class. I turn back around and try to spot the face among all of them. I finally settle on one who's voice I can hear, calling my name, both in my head and in my ears.

"Anushka!"

I recognise him from that day. The day I first met Aryan. He is the guy who told me that Aryan cannot speak. But why is he calling me? I look at him questioningly.

"Yes! I'm calling you." He insists.

I realise I've been standing in the doorway for more than a minute and suddenly I start walking towards him.

"You're Anushka, right?" He confirms when I reach him.

"If you don't know my name why the hell were you calling me with so much confidence?" I ask irritatingly. I'm definitely not in a good mood.

"I was just confirming." He replies in a small voice.

-Why is she being so angry?

Great! Now I frightened this guy to death.

"Why were you calling me?" I ask, trying to ignore his expressions.

To that he turns to his bag pack and pulls out a neatly folded sheet of white paper. He signals me to take it.

-Aryan asked me to give this love letter to you.

I have a horrified expression in my face. I'm excited too. But I have to stay cautious.

"Wh...what...is this?" I say, trying not to stammer.

He smiles.

"Aryan asked me to give this to you today in college."

-He said he'd kill me if I read it.

"Did...you read it?" I ask, trying to be casual this time.

"No way! That guy scares me. He's like hulk when he's angry."

-No way! That guy scares me. He's like hulk when he's angry.

I sigh in relief. He is telling the truth. I take the letter from him.

"Thanks!" I say with a smile and dash out of the classroom.

Fully convinced that I'm going to bunk my next lecture, I quickly enter the restroom and lock myself into the nearest cubicle. My breaths are speeding as I unfold the paper. In seconds, my eyes land on a huge paragraph written in flawless handwriting. I begin to read it.

Anushka,

You must be wondering why am I writing to you. The thing is that I don't want you to know this by reading my mind.

I pause. My heart sinks on reading that. I continue.

Please don't get me wrong. You have no idea how much I love this mind reading thing about you.

Did he say he loves me or he loves that thing about me?

But right now I think I will be able to tell you everything completely in the form of writing, since I'm unable to speak. I promise every word I say will be true. You'll obviously know that once you read my mind. The man I thought about - Suhas, he is my father. Although I am ashamed to call him my father, I can't deny the truth. It all started when I was born. After my parents discovered that I couldn't speak, Suhas disowned me. I have grown up only to see him hate me and abuse my mother almost everyday. The worst part is that he does all this without any alcohol in his system. Only a few years ago his abuse became physical and it disgusts me. I know that he's having an affair and I can't understand what's stopping me from telling this to my mother. I've been witnessing this all my life when about a year back I took initiative. I remember that night so well. He was constantly hitting my mother, refusing to stop. So I hit him. I hit him very hard, Anushka. I don't know why but I regret doing it. He was hospitalised for three days. He didn't say a word because he knew if he did, I could land him in trouble. Things have been under control since then. That's why I have to rush home before eight pm every day. I've to reach home before he does. To protect my mother. From my father. I don't know what to do about it. Maybe it'll stay like this forever. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this but to be honest I didn't think of telling you. With you, all my worries seemed to evaporate and maybe that's the reason I never thought of Suhas and you never heard anything about him. The truth is that I feel safe with you. After taking care of my mother for almost my entire life I feel you're the one who can take care of me.

Although my eyes are filled with tears by then, my heart can't help but skip a beat as I read that.

I don't even know how I'm writing all this but I know that you're the only person that I trust and perhaps you'll be the only one I ever trust. I hope you don't hate me after reading this.

Aryan

As I clutch the letter in my hands I can't help sobbing. My eyes close and I let my tears fall on the letter. There is a smile on my face which without doubt conveys mixed feelings of guilt, pain as well as joy. As I let myself fall back, pinning my back to the wall of the cubicle, I reply to the last sentence of his letter in a soft whisper.

"Idon't hate you. I think might have fallen for you!"