bounded by shadows

Chapter 18

"I can see death waiting for me at the doorstep. If you weren't holding me by the arm, I would have run to him, arms wide for the endless cold, because the warmth in this world is suffocating".                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                 - author.          

As morning light filtered into the room, Michael's mind lingered on the dream from the night before. He could still feel the ghost of the kiss, his fingers unconsciously tracing his lips as he remembered the electrifying sensation. The memory jolted him awake, sending a rush of adrenaline through his body. The memory of the kiss lingered in Michael's mind, its intensity refusing to fade. It was still early morning, and the world outside was quiet, but inside, his thoughts were anything but quiet . The remnants of the dream clinging to him like a second skin. The feeling of Janaki's lips against his was so vivid, so overwhelming, that it left him breathless.

Michael tried to shake it off, diving into his morning routine with an almost frantic energy. He showered, made coffee, and flipped through the news, but nothing could pull him away from the memory of that kiss. It was like trying to escape a shadow that clung too closely. Every time he thought he had it under control, it would slip back into his mind, stronger than before.

Within minutes, he found himself on the sofa, unable to resist the pull of that memory any longer. He rubbed his lips absently, as if trying to recapture the feeling of Janaki's kiss, to make it real again. His heart pounded in his chest, and his thoughts were a chaotic mix of longing and confusion. The softness of her lips, the way they moved against his—it was all too real, too powerful to simply dismiss as a dream.

As the morning light filtered through the curtains, Michael sat there, lost in a moment that had felt more real than anything else in a long time. The kiss had left him shaken, but it also ignited something deep within him—a need, a yearning that he couldn't quite put into words. And as much as he tried, he knew he couldn't escape the pull of that memory, not now, not ever.

Meanwhile, Janaki emerged from her studio after an all-nighter. She was tired but satisfied with her work, craving a moment of rest. As she walked into the living room, she noticed Michael sitting there, absentmindedly rubbing his lips with his fingers. Something about the scene captured her attention—his long fingers, the chapped lips he was touching. A pang of something she couldn't quite name struck her, and she found herself waking up to the moment.

"Why are you rubbing your lips?" Janaki asked, her voice breaking through Michael's thoughts.

Michael snapped out of his reverie, his hand dropping to his side. There was a tension in the air, thick and palpable. He quickly offered a half-truth to cover up the reality. ."I... I had a dream about kissing someone," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's just... it felt so real."

Janaki's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a sudden surge of emotion. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but the pang of jealousy and curiosity gnawed at her. Who was this person in his dreams? Why did it affect him so much?

"Really?" she replied, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Must have been quite a dream, then."

Michael nodded, trying to maintain his composure. "Yeah, it was," he said, not meeting her eyes. The lie tasted bitter, but he couldn't tell her the truth—not now, not when he was still grappling with his own feelings.