Living In Oblivion

09

Goals, targets, objectives, purpose, destination; just the same words with the same meanings - efficient meanings that everyone focuses on. But what they often overlook and fail to appreciate is the journey that leads to it. The journey that witnesses their struggles, feels their sweat, and shares in their successes and failures. It's the journey that holds the most intimate brawls and secrets of your life.

One can never fully confide in another person, no matter how close they are. There are always thoughts that remain hidden, shadowed and perched within the deepest corners, beyond anyone's reach. And one day, a moment will come when there is no one else, only you and your thoughts, along with the journey you embarked on towards your destination. In that moment, nothing else will matter - not your family, not your friends, and not even your love. It will be a moment that belongs solely to you, and you alone.

Avanti sighed as she played with her phone, lost in her thoughts. She had just finished talking to her mother, who had tried to assure her that everything was fine back at home. But Avanti knew better. Her mother's constant coughing during the conversation couldn't be hidden, no matter how hard she tried. Excuses like the weather or eating ice cream couldn't mask the truth- her mother hadn't bought her asthma medicines. With both of her daughters away, there was no one to enforce it.

Her mother was growing old, burdened by the stress of supporting her younger daughter, managing house expenses, bills, and groceries. The only expenses she could gamble with were her own medicines, sacrificing them to save money. Taking a deep breath, Avanti dialed their neighbor's number, asking them to check on her mother in case she became more careless.

As they say, life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, and a tragedy for the poor. Avanti knew she was poor, aspiring to become rich, not a fool, and wise enough to dream of a better life. But for now, she was hungry, and it was already past evening. She decided to go out and prepare dinner for herself.

Not finding Divit in the hall, she walked to his room and lightly knocked on the partly open door. She could see him lying on the bed, engrossed in his laptop, with headphones plugged in and slow music playing. He looked up and removed his headphones when he noticed her presence.

"Sir, I was going to the market to buy some groceries. Should I cook something for you too?" Avanti asked, maintaining her distance and not stepping into his room.

"No, thank you for asking though. As I told you, I prefer handling my own food," Divit politely declined.

Avanti blinked, not wanting to pester him about it. She had asked out of basic manners, but if he wasn't comfortable sharing his space or mingling more than necessary, she understood. It wasn't her place.

"Can you please close the door then?" she asked, and with a teasing glint in her tone, she continued, "Or should I lock you up?"

Understanding the tease, hidden behind her straight face but glinting eyes, Divit rolled his tongue inside his mouth and replied softly, "No, thank you very much. I will do that myself."

With that, he got up and walked out to lock the door, while Avanti followed behind, giggling silently.

After dinner, Avanti cleaned the dishes while discreetly observing Divit sitting at the dining table, silently focusing on his food without any distractions. He had ordered takeout, and she noticed that he was a quiet eater, not engaged with his phone or any other activity.

When she finished, she walked up to him, taking a seat opposite him, and began, "Not trying to intrude, but do you always order from outside?"

"Mostly, yes," he replied, chewing on his food and finishing his bite. "But sometimes, I do cook for myself."

"Oh, so you know how to cook," Avanti admitted to herself.

Divit couldn't help but chuckle at the frown on her face. "Being judgmental, eh?"

"Nah," she dismissed with a wave of her hand and then smiled. "I just haven't seen you cook in these two days."

"Practically one," he pointed out.

She ducked playfully and continued, "So, tell me about yourself."

Divit squirmed in his seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He was never at ease when talking about himself, but he knew she was simply curious, a normal human instinct. It was natural for anyone to start a conversation and try to get to know their housemate.

Clearing his throat, he started, "Well, I completed my college in Dehradun, my hometown, and I have been working with this company for the past three years. As for my family, I have a small one. My mother is a homemaker, and I have a father and a younger brother."

"What about you?" he asked, trying to reciprocate the conversation. He wasn't particularly interested, but he also didn't want to come off as rude, imagining himself finishing his answer, grabbing his plate, and retreating to his room.

"I completed my college in Shimla, my hometown, and got an internship here. My mother is a teacher, my younger sister is studying in college, and my father passed away when I was young," Avanti shared.

"Oh," Divit responded.

"Yes," she nodded and changed the topic. "So, don't you miss home?"

"Nah," he dismissed. "I enjoy staying alone."

"Clearly," she made a face and muttered to herself, covering her face with her hand.

Seeing her silence, Divit got up, saying, "I'll just clean this up." He picked up his plates and headed to the sink, smoothly avoiding any further exchange of words. Avanti kept observing his every action in silence.

She wasn't foolish enough to not notice what he was trying to do, so she found it incredibly amusing that someone would go to such lengths to avoid a simple conversation.