The Boundaries of Love

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May 24th, 2008, Saturday.

He looked around. He was bored was an understatement. He never really liked partying. But he had to come because it was his best friend's eighteenth birthday celebration. He hovered around the corner, precisely watching every single person who was present there. Suddenly, his eyes landed on a girl. She was looking for someone. He could see her waist-length hair bouncing from left to right.

He hastily walked towards her and tapped on her shoulder. She whirled around . . . And everything happened in slow motion. He had never seen a girl so pretty. The deep chocolate brown eyes rimmed with red, round face, and nose pink; most probably from crying. It was not like she looked like an angel, but there was something in her eyes that held him captive for two long minutes. His eyes greedily took in the features of that girl, slowly his eyes descended towards her lips . . . She was saying something.

"What?!" he mumbled.

"Have you seen my brother?" she squeaked. "I need to talk to him right now."

It felt like he had lost the connection with his brains to understand anything, "What?" he asked again.

"Have you seen my brother? It's really urgent, or I wouldn't have come here . . ."

"You need to tell me the name of your brother!" He exclaimed. Now that he had got his tongue back, he could see this girl was too young to be in this party; she was merely about thirteen or fourteen. "And why are you crying?"

"Arnab Tiwari, he said he will be here, it's his friend's birthday party." The girl patted her tears away, "I lost Buzo! I need him back. Only Bhaiya can get him back. He listens to him!"

"Buzo!?"

"Our dog. Now please hurry up!" She snapped. He wanted to laugh at her, how endearing she looked in anger, but he knew better. He looked around for his best friend, Akshay, it was his birthday party, and if the girl's brother was his friend, he must know where Arnab was.

He spotted Akshay, at the corner with a group of girls, "There, he must know where your brother is." Pointing towards Akshay, he asked her to stay put by the door, so that he could venture through the crowd and ask him about her brother.

He came back to her in no minute, "He said he doesn't know any Arnab."

She looked at him, with fresh tears filled in her eyes, "But he said he will be here; at Rajesh's birthday party . . ."

"Who's Rajesh? It's Akshay's birthday party." he asked. "Do you know the address of this Rajesh?"

"Yes, Block C . . ."

"There you go, it's block D. You have come to the wrong house." He smiled sympathetically. The way that girl looked at him, broke his heart immediately. "You want to go there?" she nodded without thinking. "Will you be able to go there on your own?" he asked again, by then she had already turned around towards the exit gate.

"Listen . . ." he shouted, but she didn't bother to turn around. He could see her running towards block C. He hoped at least now she would be able to find the right house.

3rd August, 2013, Saturday.

He was sitting with Akshay, he was here to meet his friends before going to England, the next day. He got accepted at Cambridge for Masters, making everyone proud. Amongst the chatter of his friends, he was slouching on the couch. It was his second nature to stay quiet. His friends never bothered to disturb him, they always did what they wanted, knowing he would be there with them, but not participating in their mindless jokes about girls and other things.