Living In Oblivion

44

"This time I am not taking a No Divit. At least look at the photo. This girl is really good—" Gaytari told him sternly.

Divit leaned against the balcony, scratching his temple as his mother, Gayatri, spoke sternly to him over the phone. This conversation had been going on for a year now, and he was growing increasingly irritated whenever his mother called. He understood her concern, but he couldn't comprehend why she refused to give him the time he so clearly requested.

"I'm not interested in getting married right now, Maa," Divit sighed, his voice filled with frustration.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Gayatri let out a tired sigh. "I don't understand you, Divit. Whenever I ask if there's a girl in your life, you say no. And when we try to find a match within the family, you refuse. You're turning twenty-nine soon. Don't you think it's the perfect time to find a life partner, someone to spend your life with?"

Her words brought back memories of his past, and a soft smile graced Divit's face. Speaking in a gentle voice, he replied, "Maa, you need to stop worrying about me so much. I'm doing well in my life. I'm not saying that I don't want to get married ever. I will, one day. But right now, I need time. Please try to understand."

There was another pause before Gayatri changed the topic. "When are you visiting us, though?"

Divit felt a sense of relief. "As usual, during Diwali."

"That's months away, Divit. It's like you don't miss us at all," Gayatri complained.

He chuckled softly at his mother's attempt at emotional blackmail. "You know I enjoy being alone, Maa."

"I know, but I still don't understand how you can live alone in that ghost of a flat of yours."

I don't live alone Maa.

The words never left his mouth.

Divit withheld the truth. He didn't want to give his mother any wrong impressions. Even he wasn't sure of what he wanted at the moment. He was taking his time, allowing the waves of time to heal the cracks in his heart. He was choosing himself over him, making himself the priority.

He was trying to decipher the blur, and the grey, both- the canvas and the brush.

And he wasn't going to trade with that.

It had been over a week since Avanti's accident, and things hadn't changed much from before, except that they had started talking more often. Avanti had taken a two-day leave to recover, and once her leg had healed, she never asked Divit for a ride. Although he maintained a tough demeanor around her, he couldn't help but notice the small things she did for him—cooking his meals sometimes or ironing his clothes. Maybe it was her way of trying to mend things, even without speaking.

Although she never entered his room and maintained a certain distance, they were slowly getting used to bickering and arguing with each other.

"By the way, do you have any idea what your crazy brother is up to these days?" Gayatri asked, changing the topic.

Laughing at the mention, Divit questioned back, "What has he done now?"

"What hasn't he done?" Gayatri replied sarcastically. "He's always causing trouble for me and your father."

"Maa, stop overreacting! Talk like a normal person," Divit sighed, rolling his eyes. "And by the way, I spoke to him a week ago, and he was doing fine."

"You always take his side," Gayatri complained.

Divit grew silent. He knew he had supported Milind's decisions. He didn't want his brother to go through the same fate he did.