THAT'S NOT ALL

5.LOVE WAS IN THE AIR

Next Monday, we met for our project. He was still uncomfortable with the fact that I now, knew the inner him."Hi. You okay now?" I asked to start the conversation. And he just nodded in yes.We started working but on different things....He was working on the project and I was working on him.
It took time, but eventually the ice between us broke..... It was his official birthday... A day he hadn't celebrated since years..... A day he didn't want to come any year. And since he couldn't stop the day from coming....he himself would disappear from this world... That day doesn't exist for him.We completed our work, and like every other day I went to his desk to ask if he is coming for coffee or something..But he was not there. No one knew where he went. Today was a hard day for him always... so he usually disappears like that. But now, unlike other days, I knew where he might have gone.I drove to the beach, we talked about the last time. I came and sat by him... 

"Go, today I'm not in a mood to talk" he said without looking at me. "I didn't say you to talk.. I'm sitting silently here..." , I replied. After a few minutes, he started.. "I'm missing mom.. she loved this place... But she could come here just once. "

He held my hands and took me down to the stones.... One of them had his and his mother's names written on it... "I never used dad's name with Mine it was always mom's. She was my everything... She was my world ...." he paused for a second before restarting. 

"After her demise people thought that I grew up.. but I closed... And for whom would I had remain a child?" He said with pain in his heart and helplessness in his eyes. 

"For her.....". I replied. He stared at me with question in his eyes. "What do you think? If she's not near you... She's not with you?? No.... she's there... Watching you.. and just think how she must be feeling to see her son in this condition.... Your happiness meant everything to her... And now you are sad and she can't even do anything... How hopeless she must be feeling..." I tried to make him understand. 

He stared at me for sometime and a tear dropped from side of his eyes.... He collapsed on the ground. I sat by him.. holding him tight... Letting him break down.... The wind flew and I wished it took all his pain away... That silence was different. Comfortable and soothing. I saw something unusual in his eyes which was so satisfying. My words affected him. He smiled looking at me. 

I didn't know what he was to me No one knew what he was to me in fact, he himself didn't know yet what he was to me... For me he was the air you don't realize of having around but you can't live without it too.. .................................................... 

Days and years passed. We got closer to each other. We now knew each other or may be not..

.....................................................It was our last year in the college. We all planned a camp nearby. The whole batch, all streams went together for this 10 days camp in the mountains..
We were trying to spend as much time as possible with each other. No one in the university had any idea of what was cooking between us. Arjun was tough enough for anyone to think that he could ever be in any relation and I was the least approachable girl. So no one even tried. We were safe . No one cared where we go and what we do.We somehow managed to get the last tents in the row to be next to each other.The 1st night we all were way too tired to talk to anyone, so we all slept in our tents.Next morning, it must be something about 5 am and he shook me up.. "Have you come here to sleep? Get up. Fast. We have to reach the starting point by 6." He said with all excitement . and that was obvious. He was always the mountain lover, trekking being his meditation. He could spend his whole life just with those mountains....... And I ..... I was the one who loved to be in her room with a pen, paper and a good cup of coffee....."What are you thinking? Get up..." he brought me out of my thoughts and pulled my blanket to make me get up...
The cold air froze my body in a second.... And I started shivering..."Are you mad? Who goes out in this killer cold? I don't want to die...." I complained and pulled my blanket back covering myself as much as I could."Fine. Don't come. I'll go alone. I don't know why did I even come to you. I should have known earlier" disappointment can be clearly heard in his voice in place of the excitement, that was there a few minutes ago.He didn't force me and went alone.I got up and somehow wore as much clothes as I could and headed to the starting point shivering and shaking.He was sitting there near a rock. I went to him and sat near him after snatching the cup of hot tea he was enjoying."You very well know how to get me do something. I'll never talk to you. You are very bad. Y...you don't even love me. Because you don't emotionally blackmail people you love to commit suicide in this cold... see Arjun, If I die, the blame will be on you."
He was silently rubbing my hands between his palms to warm me up and smiling while I was blabbering.Seeing him smiling at me I pulled my hands back and gave him a kind of serious look saying.. "Aren't you taking me seriously? I have left my suicide note on my bed, stating you being the reason to force me to die in this... ""shhhhhhhh. That's enough for today." He silenced me by placing his warm palm over my mouth.I got up and continued my tantrum. "If I'll die, you will miss my bakbak the most...mind me" I said with lots of pride, and he pulled me down towards him. I fell on him, holding his collar tight to have a grip. 

He held me close and looked at me with anger in his eyes. "If you speak this rubbish for one more time, you will never see me again ever... got it? There is a limit of everything, and I've told you a million times that I don't like such jokes. And why should I ? Death is no joke miss Naina."

He was angry .. and why shouldn't he be? I acted stupid .
" I'm sorry. I was just joking. I know I shouldn't have .... But..... sorry .. please " I apologized making a puppy face holding my ears to convince him." Accha. Whatever punishment you want to give me, I'm ready. But please don't get angry.... Ok, lets go to your baes, these mountains...." I said stretching my arms and acting..."Nautanki.." he said smiling at me and we headed towards the starting point holding each others hands. We laughed, we cracked.. we enjoyed like there was no tomorrow. And in fact , there was no tomorrow. A storm was heading our way , that we were totally unaware of. A storm that was going to destroy everything.