The life of a withering flower [COMPLETED ✔️]

Chapter 15

I tossed in my bed for some more minutes. I didn't leave my bed that day. I kept replaying her words in my brain, over and over and over, until I was so clearly annoyed by it...yet I couldn't stop it.

I was addicted to her words.

I sat up straight on my bed and looked to the pile of books beside my bed. One of them caught my sight.

The God of Small Things.

Reading that name, a few words flash across my mind. Marxist and Naxalite. Irish-Christian, Hindus and Indo-Christians. A tale of political and religious uptight. How much Rahel and Estha had to actually suffer. How much Velutha and Ammu had to suffer, everything flashed across my mind.

When I started reading it three years ago, I kept it aside because I hadn't been able to understand a single little word of the book. Today, all the words seem like, they are originated from the pool of thoughtfulness and are organised to bring about hope. No wonders, the author Arundhati Roy also received the Man Booker's prize award for this book. The reviews said it was in easy to understand. I hadn't known, how was it easy, each word poking through each of my brain cell, not wanting to understand anything.

I let out a sigh. Why am I even thinking about this book? With books, I remember, she promised to give me a book that she always read. I wonder if I had ever read that book.

I jumped out of my bed, and walked into the washroom. Mom has been staying at home frequently, now. She might be expecting a quick visit from Divyank bhai. Foolish.

A quick, cold shower soothed down the fibres of my body. As I came out of my washroom, my eyes fell on the calendar. A week more to school.

I had never been excited to go to school, or visit places, or even see people. I don't have that urge even now. But, the fact that school will be reopening soon, sent a cheery hormone down my spine.

"Darshan", mom called out for me.

"What happened?", I asked walking down sluggily.

"Oh. You are here. I need you to buy some groceries. We are running out of them", she said.

"Isn't it fine? We can always turn to sandwiches", I huffed. That's what I used to do before she came up home frequently.

"Don't be a lazy goose and get to work, now", she ordered, waving the spatula.

I took the money and a bag and went off to the nearby mall.

It was the worst decision I ever made. I should have sent mom or someone to get the shopping done.

In there, I bumped into Kaavya.

Her sister.

I wished so truthfully that she shouldn't recognize me.

"Darshan, right?", she pointed. I didn't have it in me to lie even when she sounded so unsure of herself. I nodded in a yes.

She let out a soft sigh.

"Do you have a minute?", she asked.

From the encounter I had with Divyank bhai, I could partly predict what this conversation was going to be about. And boy, I didn't want that conversation at all. Nevertheless, I nodded in a yes.

She took hold of the T-shirt I was wearing and tugged me to a nearby cafe. I never knew there was a cafe here. Now I know how bhai could sneak off and not be known even if we searched the whole city. The cafe looked old, and was situated in between two buildings.

"This is about Divya", she said stirring sugar in her coffee.

"What's that?", I said looking at the whirl in my coffee caused due to the stirring.

"See... If you are sticking by her side, make sure you stick by her till the end. Do you have that power? She might look like a jovial person who can do things without a care in the world, but it's her that is hurt. She won't show her pieces. Instead, she would show the completed puzzle of her pieces and act like a whole. But, no matter what, she would end up falling apart. She had crawled up into a ball and cried knowing that nothing could save her, now. Yet, she put up a brave face and asked mom and dad to discharge her. That's when I decided to break up with Divyank. My sister was going to die, so I decided to spend each moment of my life with her. I don't know what happened to him. But that day, even he seemed distant. It was quite unnatural that both of us wanted to break up at the same time. I didn't know why he wanted to break up with me. But, I didn't question. Sure, I was heartbroken with the loss...but, there was someone else I needed to be with. I needed her to be happy. And if you are suddenly going to knock in, make her happy and leave her, make her cry, I won't spare you. You should know whether you can take up her responsibility or not...because with each relation we build up, comes a responsibility", she spat out. I didn't know what was hurting more. I didn't know what was hurting. I didn't know why it was hurting. For the person I was, I never got affected by something as futile as a word, yet here I was...although they weren't curse words, they were heavy.

We don't have any kind of relationship.  was all I wanted to say...but sounding it in my own brain, I got it sounded way more unconvincing and foolish. We didn't have a name to be called as.
To see that, we weren't even friends. What should I be telling her?

Fighting back with my intuition to bring out a right word, I curled up my finger to a fist, on my lap. As though, the nails digging in to my skin would bring out even a slight word, that sounded convincing.

Having no words, I stayed quiet.

"Well then, I don't want to see you around Divya anymore, then. If I see you again, I want you to attend her funeral too", she looked at me through the corner of her eye as she turned to go out.

I was left there, numb to myself.

I didn't know what to do.

For the timing, I decided to do the task at hand and go to the mall.

Why do people need to act like they are okay? As long as I remember, I never acted. I stayed still. Just still. Like stagnant water. But with time, that stinks. Maybe, I stinked too. That is why, people decided to keep away from me with time coming. Maybe, that stagnant water was being drained away and it was going to rain again. I don't know how. I don't know why. I just have a feeling, an intuition as they say.

Humph. Emotions are so tiring.

// Hello guys!! This chapter is kind of short. But I hope it comes to circle, now. While you think about it nobody would break up without asking a why to the other person. But Kaavya and Divyank had their own things to take care of. Maybe I will bring them back towards the end. Well then, take care and stay safe (´ω')(´ω')(´ω')//