It's Complicated

Chapter 6: Life V/S Passion

The shutters were closing down past 12 am as Ashwin walked through the small lanes towards his home. The street was illuminated by streetlights, he could hear dogs barking in the distance and a group of men passed him smoking and cursing.

He had a smile brightening up his eyes, his upper range of small teeth visible behind his lips. Jia had called him after many months. She still missed him. She still wanted to share her deepest thoughts with only him.

"I don't feel as comfortable with anyone as I feel with you." He reminisced her words.

Even though she was betrothed to someone else, her heart belonged to him.

"I'm sorry I cannot talk to my parents about you, I wish I could but I cannot dare to go against their wishes." He words pricked his heart. But he had accepted this situation long back and he was just happy about Jia desiring him.

He stopped walking.

What am I doing? Where am I stuck and why?

He thought to himself but then shook his head furiously.

Fuck it! It was just a small conversation. She wanted to talk to someone and she did with me. That's it!

He explained himself and continued walking.

Ashwin immersed himself into the silent nightlife of Mumbai. The roads had garbage thrown here and there, spit marks and rats lurking around. But he took in the peace of the day that had ended, when the city went to sleep, and stopped rushing for its everyday needs.

He reached his lane and saw a few dogs roaming around, some barking while some scratching their ears, when one of the brown ones came near him. Ashwin smiled at him and slowly put forth his palm to reach the dog's head. As the dog looked calm yet, Ashwin caressed the back of his ear with his two fingers. The dog closed his eyes and Ashwin rubbed his head, petting him more profoundly. As he felt comfortable with the dog, he brought out his camera and squatted in front of the animal who yawned and sat beside him on his hind legs.

With a little chuckle, he adjusted the camera settings for night mode and clicked the dog.
In one picture, the dog looked tired, while in the other, he looked sideways with his ears standing. In another his face was blurred and then, the dog ran away barking at another.

Ashwin exhaled deeply. He was satisfied with his clicks that faded away the tiredness of his day. As the pictures scrolled through his eye lenses, he forgot about Jia, he forgot about his time spent with Hanish and his hectic office life. A sense of pride filled his lungs full of tar as he stood up on his feet and ambled home.

As he entered his house, his father grunted, the light of the television flashing on his face when his mom smiled at her son, "I'll bring you dinner."

Ashwin was about to say yes when his father said, "Must have eaten somewhere, your big prince!"

Ashwin inhaled deeply and walked into his room hearing his mother whisper, "Why do you do that to him?"

The next morning, he woke up with a growling stomach, "Aargghh" he moaned holding his abdomen and went in to freshen up.

He sat down at the table for breakfast quickly as he couldn't bear the rats anymore. His mother had made his favorite cheese sandwiches to please him after a hungry night.

"Bye, I am leaving," His sister Aastha was leaving with a suitcase.

"You are going to Pune already?" Ashwin asked her.

"Yes bro, my job starts next week and I need time to settle down there," she said flatly, wiping off the tikka that her mother had just applied on her forehead.