Of The Stars That Breathe

20. Thirteen. (Ajey's POV)

Ajey's POV

1st November, 2021.
9:24 p.m.

"Ajey, pura toh kha ke ja!", mom said. I shook my head and said, "Nahi Maa, bhookh nahi hai."
I got up from the dinning table, put my plate in the sink, washed my hands and made my way up the stairs to my room. Shlok had already send me the highlights of 'The Walking Dead' stream and I had to see it before uploading. I guess, I will upload it tonight itself.
Suddenly, there was Yash in front of me, on the stairs. He had went to my room to get his phone charger.

"Milgaya?", I asked half-heartedly. Nothing made me happy these days. The response on the new video was pretty good, but I wasn't happy.
The reason was very clear.

He looked pretty shocked and lost in his thoughts.
When I asked him the question again, he replied, "Haan. Sunn, umm, tu apne room mein ja raha hai kya?"

I looked at him suspiciously, "Uh-huh. Kyu?"
"Uhh, kuchh nahi.", he said and rushed down the stairs.
Weird.

Ignoring his strange behaviour, I opened the door and entered my room and switched on the lights.
"Oh, bhen-", I shreiked.

Ahalya was sitting on my chair in a black hoodie and PJ's, her hair in a messy bun. A song was playing from my PC.

'Waqt ki qaid mein, zindagi hai magar,
chand ghadiyaan yahi hai jo azaad hai'

Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo.
Her favourite song.
Mere PC mein se kyu?

She shook from her iconic not-asleep-but-eyes-closed stance and sat up straighter.

"Tu? Yahaan?", I winced at the harshness in my voice.

"Sorry. Walkman ghar pe bhul gayi thi and I had nothing else to do till you came back up."

A week.
After more than a week, she came.
I was shocked to my core.
I didn't knew what to feel; angry, sad, frustrated, happy that she came...

That is why Yash was so shocked and anxious for me to go up. I guess, he and Ahalya must have talked already.

She stopped the song and got up and came closer to me, but stepped a good 4 feet away from me.

"You know, this song talks about endings like no other.", she said sadly, as a matter-of-fact.
She said as if she had just agreed upon a casual talk about the weather.
No sign of the fight that we had, so casual.

I liked and also despised that ability of hers to talk like nothing had happened.

Endings?
I could feel my heart shatter into a thousand little fragments.
Toh maine jo socha that wahi hua.
She will leave you, Ajey.
The song is a clear indication.
I could feel the tears fighting to come out.

Barely, I got myself to speak, "So, this is it, I guess, haina?"
I faced away from her.
I could not cry in front of someone.
Someone who broke my trust.

"No! Hell no! It's just the opposite! God, why would you think something like that? I am not leaving! Is it because of the song? Arey woh toh waise hi chala diya tha. This song reminds me of you.", she said all in a single breath.

I looked incredulously at her.
Me?
This beautiful song reminded her of me?
A tear rolled down my cheek.
Fucking...
Can't even hold my tears!

She neared me and wiped away the tear and hugged me fiercely.
But I couldn't hug her back.
I just couldn't.

"Yash bhaiya told me what you are going through. He said he tried to console you, but tu mana hi nahi.", she whispered.