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

Twenty-Three

Three months later...

I remember that time when Aryan used to send me countless messages during that one month of my 'zombie phase'. I used to read each and every message but I never replied to any. Right now, I am in the opposite side of that situation. I also know that he attends college but he avoids me beautifully. I'm not able to spot him anywhere. So basically, all the contact between him and me has been one-sided for the last three months. I'm not really sure if he's still angry with me but it's evident that he avoids me. I miss him a lot and I wish I could talk to him just once but he's really good at hiding. Especially from me.

The special all girls lectures have come to an end. I am not able to read anyone's mind. It started out as a very odd experience to be frank but then gradually I started realising that this is what I really wanted.

Yes.

I enjoy the calm that comes with not being able to hear the thoughts of random people. I enjoy the silence. But most of all, I enjoy the fact that people can finally lie to me!

But then I do realise my mistakes. If I would have embraced my ability just like Aryan told me to, I would have been equally happy, without losing him. It all depends on my perspective. But as I had told him back then, I learnt from my mistake.

I accept who I am. Wholly and without any complaints. I love myself and I don't search for reasons to hate myself. And that's when I understood that that is exactly what Aryan did. He wasn't able to speak. He hated that thing. But he accepted it. He was so hot tempered because he never got a say in anything but he accepted whoever he was. And that is exactly what he wanted from me.

~*~

I'm lazing around at home. It's a Sunday and my birthday. But I don't feel like celebrating. Don't get me wrong. I'm not depressed. But somehow I find the whole concept of birthday very stupid. I mean what's so special about the earth completing a number of revolutions since your birth? Absolutely nothing! It's astronomy. Go celebrate with astronomers! Also, birthdays have never been so enthusiastic for me. It's always a small celebration, with a homemade cake (Amma makes delicious cakes) and a wonderful dinner. That's all I usually get and that's all that I usually want.

And today is nothing different.

Until the doorbell rings.

That's the thing with the doorbell. Everything is normal until the doorbell rings and that's because when I open the door I get the shock of my life to see Aryan standing in front of me.

"Aryan!" I automatically say in absolute delight. My happiness has no bounds and my breathing doesn't even take a second to quicken.

He has a smile on his face. He looks really handsome and I'm not even exaggerating. It seems like he made genuine effort to look good for me. He's holding a huge Birthday card and I can see 'Sorry' written below the 'Happy Birthday'. There's no way that I can miss a rectangular package he's holding, wrapped in glossy paper.

Great!

The guy shows up after three months with a card and a gift!

What a prick!

I'm totally not going to forgive him.

Nah! I was kidding.

I love him!

So even though I'm just a feet away from him, I 'run' towards him to give him the tightest hug possible. He's holding so many things in his hands which doesn't make our hug the cliché I-missed-you-so-much hug but then it's not that bad either. When the embrace reaches a point where the corner of that package is digging into the skin of my chest, I finally leave him. I look into his eyes and I'm sad to see that they are full of guilt.