Living In Oblivion

42

As Avanti straightened her hair, humming with joy, her face beamed with happiness, and her eyes danced with delight. Anant spoke up, placing the files in his bag, "You're so happy! It's like you're a teenager." He chuckled.

"Come on, Anant, don't spoil it for me. It's my first day on the job," Avanti said, tucking her earring neatly.

Anant scoffed, "Yeah, yeah... a primary school teaching job in a private school. Not much of a job, is it?" He teased her.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she struggled to swallow the hurt that shone brightly in her eyes. She smiled, trying to hide the burn. "Anyways... I'm waiting for you in the car. Finish up and come quickly," Anant said as he walked out, taking his bag with him.

Staring at the earring in her hand for a few seconds, Avanti placed it back, removing the one from her ear as well. She kept watching the earring, her eyes darting to her reflection in the mirror. That memory was still so fresh, etched forever into her being. She realized that she wasn't acting like a teenager anymore. She wondered if she will ever now?

She wondered if she was capable to even?

You need to behave like an adult.

It was another voice, another face, another memory that didn't go away with time.

Her ways were always questioned, well mostly- but she wasn't too special. if thought, Every one is always questioned for their ways. She didn't need to take herself so seriously. She didn't need to think too high of herself.

But still she wondered- if she was capable of being a child again.

If she was capable of not taking herself too seriously?

And If she was capable of anything-at all?

Smiling faintly, she dropped the earring back into its box and quickly tied her hair in a tight ponytail. She wrapped a stole around her neck, picked up her coat, and threw her wallet and mobile into her bag before finally walking out.

Her eyes glanced at his door as she took out the stale chapatis from the casserole and threw them into the dustbin. As the toast popped out, she quickly grabbed her slices and turned off the toaster before rushing out to reach her office on time.

While waiting for an auto to stop, she grew conscious as Divit's car halted, and he stole a quick glance at her before driving away. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away as another auto stopped.

The next few days passed by swiftly. It took time for Avanti to adjust to a new city and to Divit's presence once again clouding her life. Amidst the chaos, there was a sense of calm that washed over her. Though her energy wasn't the same as before, she found satisfaction in the ebb and flow of her heart.

Communication remained a lost key between them, and their words seemed locked away in the depths of their hearts. Most of the time, Divit worked in A and C shifts while Avanti followed her own schedule. For the B shifts, there was a compulsory cab facility, but during the day shift, she would walk alone or take an auto.

Not a single day passed when he offered her a ride or tried to talk to her beyond the few necessary words exchanged out of formality and work. At home, she would sometimes cook for him, even though she knew he never opened the casserole to see what was inside. But she did it anyway, mostly during his day shifts so that he could have dinner at home. Other than that, she did nothing for him as he asked. She avoided crossing paths with him and engaging in unnecessary conversations.

She knew she carried a heavy burden, but she had already apologized for her past mistakes. Besides that, she didn't know what else she could do. So she decided to pick up her sword once again and live her life the way she wanted: unashamed and liberated.