O n i s m -(n.) the awareness of how little of the world you experience.
ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ
the train's aura was as similar as the station, people were scattered all around and kids called out for their parents. middle-aged women seemed to gossip about sarees, men talked about the government and the economy of the nation, and there were a few couples that wouldn't stop gawking at each other.
they were the most annoying kinds; but adira envied those people, they were so in love, all of them. adira wondered if she was capable of finding a love like that.
"do you watch cricket?" Adira inquires as she neatly places her sneakers aside after folding her legs. Lehan occupies the seat beside her, and they have to share space.
Lehan's eyes beamed with excitement once that word came out of her mouth, "Yes, I do. actually a lot. I think you already knew because you've been to my home multiple times."
"I guess so, it's been so long but I do remember you, Harry and Uncle always having star sports on the TV."
"do you like cricket too?"
"i like it, but i never had the chance to watch it. amma never let me watch tv except on weekends, i barely watched matches. now too, i have the habit that she's always watching me and i just cannot watch any movies, sports or series. I am dying to, though."
"wow, aunty is really something. baba let me watch the test series before my boards."
"you lucky loser, amma had cut off the connection before boards started. i didn't have tv for 4 months at home."
"oh so that is why you sneaked in here using me as an excuse, I thought you were another one of my obsessed fans."
"oh you wish, it was for Harry though. he's an amazing company. aunty and uncle are very very nice too. I don't know why you've turned to be like this." adira was lucky that her mother made friends with Lehan's family, she didn't entirely hate the situation because she got to hang out with his family.
"hey, I'm usually a very nice person. it isn't my fault that you bring out the bad in me."
"ha, I guess you're adopted," Adira says laughing and falling back to the seat, lehan couldn't help but break out a little smile too. adira looked like the most beautiful woman when she smiled, not the first most, but she came right after his mother on the list.
lehan just imagined how things would have been if they didn't have this rivalry between them, would they be platonic friends? would they have something more than that going on?
a few strings of adira's shoulder-length hair fell on her face, it got annoying,
As Adira tried to tuck the stray strands of hair behind her ear, Lehan reached out instinctively and tucked them away for her. Adira paused, surprised by his gesture, and their eyes met for a fleeting moment before she looked away, flustered.
"Thanks," she mumbled, feeling a strange warmth spread through her chest. Lehan shrugged, trying to brush off the moment.
"No problem," he replied casually, but his heart was racing. He couldn't deny that he felt something different in that moment, something that felt true, something that felt genuine.
"Looks like we're at a station," Lehan said, trying to lighten the mood. Adira nodded, grateful for the distraction.
"do you want something to eat? maybe some chips, do you have water?" Lehan asks as he gets up from the side seat they both were seated at,
"I'll come too, " she stood up picking her shoes up,
"why are you so possessive about these shoes?" Lehan shot up a funny look as they both started walking to the exit, there were 30 minutes till the train started again.
"come on, these are expensive. they cost me 2000. of course, I need to take care of this pair and also they're white, so they need the utmost protection."
lehan laughs, his voice not too soft but not too raspy either, it was perfectly tuned. it was as if you were tuning a guitar to find the perfect melody. the worst part was adira was weak for this man's voice.
she slapped herself mentally and reminded herself that they were still competitors. if she softened up around him, then he'd easily score more than her.
The station was not as busy as the one they got in, this one had fewer people and fewer shops. There weren't many options for food, just a small stall selling snacks and drinks.
"Wow, what a gourmet selection," Adira remarked, eyeing the limited options with mock enthusiasm.
"You're just upset they don't have your precious white-shoe-friendly snacks," Lehan teased, earning a playful shove from Adira.
"Ha ha, very funny. I'll have you know, my taste in snacks is exquisite," she replied, trying to sound offended but failing to hide her amusement.
As they bought some chips and water, Lehan's attention was caught by a cricket match playing on a small TV at the stall. His eyes lit up, and he turned to Adira with a grin.
"Hey, look, it's the highlights from the India-Pakistan match last week. You should watch this, Adira, it was an epic showdown," Lehan said, excitement creeping into his voice.
As they sat down on a bench to eat, Lehan, true to form, steered the conversation back to cricket. "You know, I once played a match where I scored a century. It was epic. I felt like Sachin Tendulkar."
"Sure, and I'm sure the entire stadium was empty except for you and your imaginary fans," Adira quipped, rolling her eyes.
Lehan chuckled. "Hey, you should come watch a match with me sometime. I'll teach you the finer points of the game."
"Yeah, because watching grown men chase a ball around a field for hours is my idea of fun," Adira replied sarcastically.
"What is your idea of fun adi? what is it that you do to have fun, what is it that takes you out of this daily monotonous boring routine of life? i write stories, i watch cricket, i play it too at times, i hang out with my friends, i give therapy to Ayush, i listen to rabindra sangeet, i do many things. but what do you do?" Lehan asks his eyes filled with the intention to absorb more of adira. Adira was scared if she looked at him for more time, she'd melt. she'd break off the armour she had faked so far. And, lehan was probably the last person who she'd be vulnerable with.
Adira felt a pang of discomfort at Lehan's question, realizing she didn't have a straightforward answer. "I... um, well, I study. A lot. And... I cycle sometimes. And I... uh, hang out with Meghna," she stumbled over her words, feeling oddly inadequate compared to Lehan's list of activities.
Lehan raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with her answer. "That's it? Studying and cycling? Adira, you need to live a little. You need to experience more of the world. There's so much out there beyond books and routines."
Adira bristled slightly at his words, feeling defensive. "I do live, Lehan. In my own way. Just because I don't go gallivanting off to watch cricket matches or give therapy sessions like you, doesn't mean I'm not living."
Lehan held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, I'm not saying you're not living. I'm just saying, maybe there's more to life than what you're used to. Maybe it's time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new."
"by the way, who's ayush? I've never heard of him." adira asks trying to deflect the deep thoughts lehan had of her.
"oh you would if you focused a little more on the college affairs than the books,"
"Oh shut up loser, studying is fun."
"i won't disagree, i love studying too but come on, you cannot be stuck to this boring routine of life. And Ayush, he's my roommate and one of my best friends. he's a cricket enthusiast too,"
Lehan's mention of Ayush piqued Adira's interest. "Oh, so Ayush is your roommate? That explains why you're always talking about him. What's he like?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Lehan's face lit up as he spoke about his friend. "Ayush is great. He's one of the most chilled-out guys you'll ever meet. Always has a smile on his face, always ready to crack a joke or two. He's also a cricket fanatic, just like me. We bond over matches, stats, and everything cricket-related. but, he isn't exactly that in the beginning, he needs to time to open up to people. i remember the first time we met, it was him who wanted to strike a conversation but he didn't dare to do so."
"That gives me nostalgia, it's been so long since i met with meg, we've come so far."
"It does feel nostalgic, my first day with Aayu was a very homely feeling."