Beyond the Boundaries

Chapter 19

It was 1 AM and Maahi lay wide awake in her bed looking at the ceiling. She had to get up early the next day for a client coming up at 8 AM, but sleep was nowhere near. Her thoughts were wandering hopelessly, spiralling out of control. She was wondering whether or not she should consult a therapist. Everything was intense and whenever she thought about her relationship, she felt like it would never work anymore. It was like her brain had registered it as a fact. She wondered if words like 'hope' and 'compromise' had any place in her dictionary anymore. She went up to her balcony to get some fresh air. It was cool and pleasant. In the opposite block she could see Raghav's light was still on.

'What is he doing at this time of the night,' she wondered before deciding whether or not to message him.

She could make out shadows in his room. She saw Raghav and Yolo moving in the house. She took out her cell phone to message him.

'Sleep.'

'Hey, you up?'

'I can see you in the shadows.'

'Haha, wait lemme come out.'

Soon she saw a shadow moving toward the balcony with a four legged thing running behind.

'I see you now.'

Why you up?'

'Watching a movie. Not sleepy. What's up with you?'

'Cannot sleep either.'

'Can I ask you something?'

She hated such questions. She knew it would be either because they are falling in love or are about to. A question she hated to answer.

'Yeah why not?'

'Maahi...is everything alright in your life?'

'Yes,' and she added a smiley to it.

'Okay good, would you like to join me for a movie?'

She hesitated for a moment but then agreed on impulse.

'Yeah, sure, if that's okay with you?'

'A company is always appreciated.'

She looked on with a slight awe as she entered Raghav's house. It was her first time visiting him and his place was clean and tidy, not something that you would expect a single guy to have. It was aesthetically beautiful in every sense. The living room was extremely spacious, large and oval, painted in white. Over the far end was an artificial waterfall with a flat screen television next to it. The furnishing was soft and comfortable. There was a six-foot tank which revealed the slow, angelic movement of jellyfish against a florescent light. Muffin was sniffing the entire house and soon settled in a corner with Yolo.

'Wow those jelly fishes are stunning!'

'Thanks.

They entered his bedroom, which was a bit of a mess, with pillows down the bed and the sheet was all crumpled.

'Sorry about the set up. You know Yolo loves playing with my pillows and throwing them around.'

'That's okay, you have already seen mine and it's not even close' she smiled in understanding.

There were square wooden frames on the bigger wall adjacent to the bed. Every square had a super hero toy. There was Batman, Superman, Spider Man and even Avengers resting on them and some still inside the box. Four minions rested in one square in different poses and then there was a little wooden ship resting in the bottom square.

'These toys look awesome. I like them.'

'Thanks.'

'You've got an inspiring interior, I must say.'

Raghav smiled at her 'What should we watch today?'

'Well, anything but not a love story.' Maahi laughed.

'A mystery thriller?'

'Would do.'

'How about 13 Sins?'

'Perfect, I haven't seen it before.'

'Cool. Popcorn?'

'No, thanks I am fine.'

'Something to drink?'

'Mmmm...okay.'

Raghav immediately went into the kitchen and got two bottles of Beer.

They sat on a plush sofa of the living room. The laptop was connected to the television set. The movie started and both of them watched it in silence for 15 minutes. Raghav broke the silence,

'Are you comfortable?'

'Yes, very.'

'By the way, is everything okay with you?' He asked again.

'Yes, I am fine'

He moved a bit closer to her and took her hand into his

'You can talk to me you know. I am a good listener.'

Maahi couldn't muster up words and just kept staring at him blankly. It had been a very long time since someone had touched her with concern. She lifted up her head but her eyes betrayed her this time and tears came running down her cheeks. Like a flood which had been kept blocked for far too long, finally broke looking for its much awaited escape. Her tears spilling like rain drops on the palm of his hands.

Since the inception of the mankind, love has remained an unsolved mystery. Everybody experiences it in their own unique way, yet kind of a universal phenomenon that everybody can relate with. One thing's for sure: Love hurts and it takes a lifetime to forget the broken promises and imprisonment. It churns the soul inside out and is a kind of cardinal sin that everyone experiences at least once in their life.

She gave in and poured out everything to him. How she met Abhay, how they got engaged and he went away and how things now seemed broken beyond repair. She was speechless afterwards, wiping tears from her eyes she rose up and started walking towards the door. Raghav pulled her back and asked her to sit. He offered her a glass of water and wiped the remaining tears off her face.

She looked at him, her tear strained face and eyes filled with pain and rejection. Raghav's gut twisted to see her like that. He touched her cheeks gently with his palm. Closing her eyes, she leaned onto his hands.

'I am tired of fighting with myself, I am tired of showing the world that I am happy and I am tired of doing everything that is not me,' her face was scrunched up in disgust. He pulled her to himself and gently planted a kiss on her lips. All her anger went away as she embraced him in a hug warmer than a thick blanket on a cold night.