Reborn to love

Vicissitude

Part 8

It was way past midnight and suddenly the rain was peltering on the windows. A restless soul could not sleep and was tossing and turning around endlessly. Normally, Naina never had a problem falling asleep. She always took a book to read in bed, sometimes related to coursework and sometimes a novel or some historical topic or autobiography or mythology as her mood and interest let. And most of her topics of interest were related to the discovery and use of ancient languages, Greek and Egyptian mythology and their connection to the earliest civilisation before time.

The sisters shared a bed as far as they could remember, irrespective of the number of houses they might have changed in their lifetime till now. But today, Hypnos wasn't being kind. Finally, she gave up and went to the kitchen to quench her parched throat with a cool glass of water from the earthen pot. The kitchen window had been mistakenly left slightly ajar and started rattling due to the wind. In order to avoid the rainwater from wetting the floor and the rattle disturbing her Chachi and Preeti's slumber, she thrust her hand outside to catch the handle of the open side of the window.

A few drops fell on her hand and it felt exhilarating. Thr melancholy that was unknowingly bothering her started to calm down. Only then did she realize that her body was heated to a feverish pitch. She was amazed that she had not shown any signs of sickness. Nevertheless, tranquility washed over her heart and brain. She wished she could wake up her dear sister and share her emotions, but knew that eventhough Preeti would wake up in the middle of the night for her, she herself wouldn't be able to explain her feelings. She herself wasn't sure about what was happening but something had drastically changed in her personality since the previous day since the stranger had knocked on her brain as it was a door and when she had opened it a crack to check, he had marched right inside and took over.

Not that she didn't feel grateful for his help coz she wasn't sure what she would have done without him as there was no help around. Immediately, her body stiffened as her mind wandered to the accidental occurrences of the previous afternoon and that she still hadn't shared the incident with anyone. Unintentionally, it was a shared secret between her and the stranger.

Inadvertently her eyes closed and her mind was filled with his thoughts, everything else blocked out in the process.

He had felt her trying to reach out to him and this time purposely and not unknowingly.

She wasn't aware that she had established a connection with him just by thinking about him strongly but as soon as she felt him in her brain, she could feel some gloom surrounding him. Cautiously, she whispered in her mind, "kya tum dukhi ho?"

He was taken aback by surprise and his eyes flew open. But afraid to lose the connection, he snapped it shut snd focussed back on her fragrance, "tumhe kaise pataa?" was all he asked.

"Pataa nahi...buss aisa laga!" She couldn't explain it either.

None uttered another word for they knew nothing about each other. She wasn't sure if there was anything she could do or say to make him feel better. So both maintained silence and felt each other's presence. Both were heedless that the other's apparition worked like a balm and soothed the pain of the other.

Finally, as a return favour since he had saved her life, she projected softly in her thoughts without saying it out loud, "jab mann udaas ho toh kuch aisa karna chahiye jo khushi deta hai ya aankh bandh karke kisi aise ke baare mein sochna chahiye jo dil ke sabse kareeb ho".

Sameer smiled inwardly at her suggestions as she had unknowingly succeeded is warding off some of his depression. So, he replied, "iss waqt kya karu samajh nahi aa raha hai...aur jiske baare mein sochkar sabse zyaada khushi hoti hai, iss waqt unhi ki chinta ho rahi hai".