Of Fallacies And Fate

seven

"When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about" -Kafka on the Shore.

s e v e n

"Do you think every question deserves an answer?"

Samairah stared hard into his eyes, irritated that he countered her question with another question. When he didn't budge or answer her question, she resigned with a deep sigh and nuzzled closer to her chocolate milkshake. They were sitting in Chocolate room and the ambience was serene. It was mid noon and hardly there was anyone there except for them, another customer who sat alone and the workers. He knew that she loved chocolate and milk more than anything and thus chocolate milkshake was the best thing to bribe her with. She just sat there, sipping lazily on her milkshake, looking ever so pensive that his heart went out for her. He didn't want to see her sad, his friend deserved all the happiness in the world, he thought. So, he maintained his silence giving her time to open up.

"Nikhil", she said after a few moments looking up from her eyelashes.

He looked at her softly, voice stuck in his throat at the vulnerability with which she called him out. He knew that no matter how strong she projected herself, she was broken inside.

Samairah was at a loss of words. She didn't knew what Nikhil had wanted from her, what answers did he desire. But she knew that right now, he was looking at her with those sympathetic eyes and she didn't like it at all. She had to show them that she had become strong, become mature, she was not the same girl. She had to show him. She noticed how fragile her voice was when she called out her friend's name but that was just a slip up by her. She won't let that happen again. So, this time she spoke, her voice was strong and gave an air of confidence, showing that now she had shifted herself into a placid composure.

"No. I think that every question doesn't deserves an answer", she smiled brilliantly at him as if to wash out all the melancholy he had noticed in her ever since.

"But", she continued.

"Ah, there's always a but. Isn't it", Nikhil smirked.

"Ah, yes there is a but here mister", she playfully replied, "but there isn't a but always".

"You get what I mean?", she wagged her eyebrows at him.

Nikhil was taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanour. How could she go on from being in such an earnest state to being so larky. Damn, she is such a piece of work, he thought to himself as a smile slipped on his face partly by his realisation and partly by the frisky mood she had suddenly created between them. He was loving this new Samairah, although he did miss her old self.

"Yes ma'am, I do", he replied falling in tune with her playful act.

"So shall I continue now?", she beamed at him giving him no chance to think that she was sad at any point at all.

And so Samairah cleverly navigated their serious talk towards other silly things. The two friends sat in that place talking for almost two hours about everything and nothing, after they had moved on from their somber conversation which obviously was initiated by Nikhil, him wanting to know what the matter was between her and Rayhaan. But she didn't wanted to talk about it, not after what she saw in the canteen. Although after she convinced herself that she had no hopes for her and Rayhaan even after they were pulled back into each others life after such a long time, the truth was in the deepest corner of her heart, there was a slight very very very minute chance or hope that they might get together. It was very negligible but it was there, it was there because it was out of her control. But after seeing Rayhaan so happy with some girl back there in canteen, him smiling so happily, seeming so radiant, whatever little hope was hiding out in her heart died. She wanted him to be happy. He had to live his life and each time Samairah tried to step into it, there was nothing but sadness he got. She wouldn't do that to him. No matter how much she wanted to be with him, she had to realise that the two of them were just not made for each other. So now, Samairah had to pull up the notches of her cold act and just try to be neutral towards Rayhaan. She just had to forget that there was anything at all between them. And Nikhil trying to dig up the past wasn't helping either but she would manage Nikhil too.