The grey canvas

📌Chapter 18- Why?

Ayan:

A lone tear trickled down my cheek.

Bhai frowned looking at it. He then moved closer and brought his fingers upto my face. I thought this courtesy was for wiping that salty streamline. However, it was just meant for wiping the froth moustache that I owned due to the hot cappuccino I was having so long.
-"Why are you crying like an idiot?" He snapped as soon as was done.

"Emotional stuffs bhai!" I sniffed.

-"Really an idiot!"

"I have few questions." I asked out of nowhere. Yeah, that was just a random sentence I could frame so early.

-"After all that I said, you still have questions!" He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Shoot."

"First of all... why did you name her 'Nitara' when you already knew her real name?"

-"Becoz 'Nitara' sounds like 'Nayantara'. Simple. Morover, this name has got the 'Tara' part in it. Afterall that is what matters at the end of the day, isn't? Tara.. Tara.. Taraaa..." he sang the words dreamily. I smiled and sipped the last drop from my cappuccino mug.

"Nitara....means broken star from the heavens right?"

-"Nitara means 'deep roots'."

"Deep roots?" My jaws hung down in astonishment. Phew. "But you always said 'Nitara' means broken star, the one which grants wishes!" I protested.

-"I always lied!" He shrugged.

"But why??"

-"Becoz I didn't want anyone to know that the girl staying in my house, has indeed deep roots in my life!" He retorted quickly but the pitch of his voice decreased soon, followed by a helpless, deep sigh. "I couldn't have done that Ayan, not atleast till Tara gets back her memories. And now you know better that if she gets back her memories she will simply leave me again... just like the old times!" He said.
There was a certain truth in his statement. Nitaradi had been an illution all thoughout his life!

"She has already left you bhai, only if you remember." I acknowledged.

-"I know, I know. This was bound to happen someday... Tara is not there in my fate you see!" He faked a smile. It seemed intoxicated.

-"She was there, but YOU chose to throw her away... why did you do this bhai? Why didn't you keep her with yourself?.... why didn't you confess your love to her??" Damn! My voice was cracking!

-"What was the point? When she already has a boyfriend, how would have my proposal mattered?" He raised his eyebrows and looked at me as if I was the greatest idiot on this planet.

"It mattered bhai, it mattered." I huffed a sigh. "Don't you the love in her eyes bhai? Its all reserved for you.. and not for your bestfriend."

-"Oh seriously?" He smirked in pure sarcasm.

"Yes, bhai." I nodded and looked into his eyes, hoping it to create some wanders in his mind. But gosh, I failed!

-"Aren't you doing a lot of dramas these days? Kolkata's air didn't suit you I guess??" He swayed his jaws and pulled his eyes in narrow slits.

"I know am younger than you, but do you thinks only the grown ups act matured? That they can't committ any mistake ever??" I kept arguing.

-"You are pissing me off you know!"

"Only if that helps you otherwise........ bhai, that girl doesn't say you anything or complains about all the harmless tortures you do to her, doesn't means she don't love you! Infact this is the love only that kept her bound so long."