The Perfect Stranger (Completed)

Chp 8 : FROM THE EYES OF A STRANGER

Not a word, not even a look, nor the angry stares...nothing...absolutely nothing from Avni.She just sat there like a mute statue.No expressions, no emotions, no eye movements,no nothing.She just kept staring out from the side window into vast nothingness.

Neil started to say something, but then stopped. After about 5 failed attempts...he finally gave up.She had shut him out completely.It was so sudden,that it left him baffled.What was she hiding in those eyes? What was she scared of that he might discover? If only she would look into his eyes one more time...just once...he would take away the pain that was so deeply embedded  in the depths of those oceans, her eyes.It was pain...he was most certain...but why was it there? ..that he was not so certain of.

The deafening silence was becoming unbearable with every passing second.There was no knife to cut through this tension.So he did the next best thing possible.The music diffused into the tense environment slowly. The music did work its magic ; Avni turned her face as the first song from the music station started playing.He was relieved to be able to see her face, though she wasn't looking in his direction.She looked straight ahead ,then closed her eyes.

Aahatein kaisi yeh aahatein

Sunta hoon aaj kal aye dil bata

Dastakein dete hain dastakein

Kyun ajnabi se pal aye dil bata

Kuch toh hai jo neend aaye kam

Kuch toh hai jo aankhe hai nam

Kuch toh hai jo tu keh de toh

Haste haste marr jaaye hum

He kept stealing glances of her face as he drove.She pretended to be asleep or was she really asleep?...  he was having a hard time figuring that out.She wasn't crying and still her face had the same kind of fatigue.What was it he kept asking himself. Words put together by his mind failed to make their way down to his lips.

Mujhse zyada mere jaisa

Koi hai toh hai tu

Phir na jaane dil mera kyun

Tujhko na de sakun..

Kuch toh hai jo dil ghabraaye

Kuch toh hai jo saans na aaye

Kuch toh hai jo hum honthon se

Kehte kehte keh naa paaye

Approximately 10 mins had gone by since he arrived outside the building where Avni's apartment was located.She had fallen into a deep slumber by the time they reached there.She looked so peaceful in her sleep, that he did not have the heart to wake her up.Her flawless skin lit up as the moonlight caressed her face.To him she shone brighter than the brightest star. He took out the pendant from his pocket and placed it on his palm.With a discontented look at the star in his hand, he shifted his gaze to the star shining beside him.The moment his eyes fell on the morning star in the shop, her face flashed before his eyes.If only he could have told her that. The stars reminded him of her, their twinkle resembled the sparkle in her eyes and their shine resembled her smile. 

A lock of her silky strands of hair had come loose and playfully moved along her serene face.Moving quietly from his seat,he carefully traded his fingers to move the rebellious strand to a side.Her face moved to his touch, inching towards his finger.Her skin smoothly slided under his finger.His eyes were fixated on her face.