My Birthday Promise (Editing)

Polynomial

Mohit

Lights were being turned off as the sun rose up in the sky, its rays cutting diagonally across the row of apartments. It's winter and there was a bit of fog surrounding the area, oppressing the morning. Still the morning sun was warm enough to enjoy it. The view outside was relaxing; the trees in the park danced slowly with the wind which made me feel calm.

For a Sunday morning the park was mostly empty, save for a dog walking his owner. I could hear the owner ordering his dog to slow down, to wait for him, and the dog invariably did the exact opposite. I could also  hear few cars passing by on the road far away, the wind, and the little birds making noise on the balcony. I smelled the city, a mixture of crisp morning air and fog.

The balcony was my favorite place in this apartment. Undoubtedly it had a beautiful view; it was the main reason why I rented this apartment. I enjoyed quite a few evenings sitting here, mostly with Rutt. We used to watch the bright blue sky turn to reddish-purple as the sun went down. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and romantic this setting actually was.

The only thing that I hated was that our unit was on the side where the sun rose, so I got myself some blinds and blackout curtains to prevent me from getting woken up too early in summers. I was definitely not a morning person. 

The reason to why I was standing in the balcony taking in the serenity of the early morning along with the morning tea was that I couldn't sleep last night. My mind was consumed with pictures of Rutt with Arjun. No matter how hard I tried to get it out of my head, I failed. As the night progressed my thoughts became an entangled mess, constantly switching between Rutt and Alisha just like I switched positions in my failed attempt to sleep. I tossed and turned but couldn't fall asleep. It was first time in my life I had ever failed to drift off.

An hour later the silence of the morning was broken, kids were playing in the park, uncles were out enjoying the sun and chatting, and aunties were busy preparing breakfast for the family. Soon the smell of breakfast from nearby apartments filled the air. It reminded me it was time for breakfast.

******

Post breakfast I collapsed into bed, but when I shut my eyes, nothing happened. There was nothing playing on my mind, no niggling worries like last night. But still I couldn't sleep a wink. I gazed at the ceiling, blankly, for indefinite amount of time. It was 9 am and I was bored of trying to fall asleep. I picked up my phone and called Aman who didn't answered the call until the sixth ring.

"Hey," his voice was low. I could hear the hustle-bustle around him.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I am driving to the hospital."

"Is everything okay?" I asked, showing my concern.

"Not really. My aunt is hospitalized but she is doing okay now."

"That's good to know..."

He cut me before I could speak further. "Why did you call? Anything important?"

"Nothing important. I am bored...so I thought maybe we could hang out."

"I see, but, you know, I am going to be busy all day."

"No issues," I said. "Just let me know if you need any help."

"Thanks," he said.

"Alright then, bye."

"Bye."

The line was dead immediately.

Alisha just popped into my head for no apparent reason. I wondered what Alisha was up to and even consider calling her but then I decided against it. Soon the slideshow of Rutt and Arjun started in my mind, the next thing I knew I was talking to Alisha on the phone.