all we have left [ 2019 ]

[ 6 ]

CHAPTER 6

ᵗʰᶤʳᵈ ᵖᵉʳˢᵒᶰ ᵖᵒᵛ

The dry sand glistened underneath Falguni's trembling feat. The soft dance of the waves slapped against one another as her toes curled, disturbed by shriveling sand upon her soles.

'Shahid I don't like it when you touch me," she whimpered, barely audible through the boisterous bobbing of the sea.

"Wait, just wait, we're almost there," his commiserating voice attempted to soothe her discomfort. His palm clasped around her vision, her glasses hitting the back of his gritty nails.

The hum of the ocean allowed him to breathe. His grasp grew soft as he ponderously slipped his palm off of her velvety skin, her red-rimmed glasses sitting on the edge of her nose. Pushing them up against her nose, the ocean suddenly became limpid. Her lips curled into a slight twinkle.

The scenery was breathtaking; a pearly glow the dancing waves, the sky a shining sapphire, the sand glittering through their feet as their fingers brushed upon one another.

"It's, it's so pretty," her throat grew dry, barely able to speak, but suddenly, the softness of her words grew.

"You like it? A friend brought me here, and I thought of you," his hoarse voice had grown warm, almost gentle.

"Why did you think of me Shahid," her gaze glued to the clapping waves.

'The waves reminded me of you.'

Her gazed, still planted at the sea, she readjusted her glasses against her nose, twitched her brows almost instantly feeling the cold rim so close to her eyes.

"Do you like it?"

It's a common misconception that an average adult with high-functioning autism's attention span is minuscule, almost non-existent,but Falguni's mind not once did it wander from the landscape of the sea, the towering palm trees, the powdering sand, or the sequined sky. 

'Yes I like it," she hummed. it almost sounded identical to a giggle, her voice warm.

"Have you ever been here before?"

"Umh, no. no, never."

The sea bubbled against her toes, the waves curled like ribbons upon the shore. Falguni's tresses fell against her cheeks, her nose wrinkled, wispy strands tickled her face