Eclipsed Hearts

CHAPTER 2

The black handlebar moustache and a sharp look in his brown puddle eyes was something every bachelor girl would fall for. Alongside the charming looks, his peaked height and bulging muscles were something that would keep all the eyes drawn on him.

Tam had been staying in Delhi for the past few years in order to complete his studies. It was unlikely for a man this well dressed to be seen in a small remote village of Rajasthan, especially if they spent their entire life bathing in money. He had once planned on living with us, but that was when he wasn't affected by the lifestyle of the Delhi nawabs, when we both had a sense of familiarity.

At the third knock he could hear the footsteps approaching followed by an open door and there stood Suraj with his pale face as if he had seen death itself. Their eyes meet, Suraj's drawn out of every emotion, staring into his soul and Tam enjoying the look of horror, passing the small hint of mischief with his smirk.

"Namaste Bhaiya" said Suraj Greeting the unwanted guest. The look of disgust filling his face.

Tam had sensed the feeling of distress between them and intended to be the fuel bearer of this fire, reverting the unpleasant greetings with a scorching taunt.

"Looks like I'll be getting tea and snacks right at the door" His voice filled with sarcasm and a grin that brought a charm to his already pleasing face.

Who said he'll be getting tea or snacks

Suraj slid aside from the door frame as a gesture of invitation although he showed no signs of being welcoming.

Tam had done horrendously shameful deeds towards this house and still held pride in his audacity to step onto this doorstep and ask for an invitation. Suraj's family had just dug themselves out of their grave, and there stood Tam filling it again. Watching the charm in their eyes fade into dust, had they been aware of such happenings, they would better want to die than to preach of light.

"What work of yours do you now have pending in this household? Or did you just show up uninvited because you wanted to entertain yourselves in our suffering?" Said Suraj furiously while keeping that same look of disgust.

The tension heating single sidedly, Tam had been the center of havoc the entirety of life, as much so he became prone to such insults but that did not mean his heart was like the cold hard metal. His heart and his expressions did not sync, one thing melting with the fuel filled insults the other unaffected by the fire, after all he was no steam engine.

Tam heaved forward now standing right in front of Suraj, he bent to reach his height, he said whispering coldly in his ear "Suraj, I am in no mood of conversing with uneducated teenagers who lack the mere ethics of talking to their elders, so please where are uncle and aunty?"

His lips slowly growing apart, ready to blurt with an insult but instead the words shallowed to his stomach and his lips finally met with a sigh.

"They are at the market and I am telling you that they won't be please at your arrival"

"Listen Suraj, I don't know if your parents ever tell you this, but you are to answer only what you are asked and not a word more, what is the benefit of being born in such a respected family when you don't even know how to talk properly?"

"Sure, like I'd care enough to listen to you" Suraj scoffs rolling his eyes and paces upstairs to his bedroom leaving Tam to enjoy himself in the solitude of the plain characterless room.

He was at the brink of crying when he entered his room and their eyes met.

A beauty indeed, for that moment the window had turned into a painting whatever was on the other side, it was more than enough to please ones eyes, the portrait smiled and her rounded eyes came to life, brushing her darkened hair the wind rustling between her curls, mesmerised, praising the creater of such art.

Her gaze softened into confusion, the look on Suraj's face changing from horrified to normal but not quick enough to miss her eyes, the words came out as a warm embrace for him "Something wrong Suraj?"

Of all the things he could have said, he shook his head and passed a smile.

:)