Sunday arrived and this time Priya didn’t come into his office until noon. Atharva was worried. He released the breath he seemed to be holding when she finally barged in with that ever magnetic grin of hers.

Atharva chuckled and shook his head, getting up without a word.

“Wow! Progress! Not bad, Mr. Sehgal.”

“Do mahine ho gye hai tumare saath. I know your ways by now.”

(I have spent two months with you.)

He said looking at her through the corner of his eyes and smirking teasingly, making her giggle.

“Waise aaj late hai aap madam.”

(You are late today, madam.)

“Kyunki aaj na mera sunset dekhne ka mann hai. You know! I found an amazing place. Aapko na yakeen nhi hoga ki wo Delhi mai hai. It’s so beautiful!”

(Because today I want to watch sunset….You will not believe it is in Delhi.)

She gushed in excitement as they walked towards his car. Priya wasn’t wrong. Atharva couldn’t believe that the place was in Delhi. It was so beautiful, serene and peaceful.

Imaginary hai guys

They settled at a place where the setting sun could be clearly seen. No words were exchanged. Just pure, peaceful silence. Until he heard her soft voice.

“You know…I’ve always loved sunsets. Ye jo aasmaan ka colour hai na iss waqt…this spectrum of lights…ye mera favourite hai.”

(The color of the sky right now…this spectrum of lights…this is my favourite.)

Atharva looked at her. She was looking at the sky with a soft smile. Her hair flowing with the soft breeze. She looked so calm, so at peace. Like his peace.

“Chhoti thi na…toh har shaam khidki ke paas jaa kr baith jaati thi…sunset dekhne ke liye. Pure din school se, tuition se, homework se thak kr…jab isse dekhti thi toh lagta tha ki ab aaram kr skti hu.”

(When I was younger…I used to sit by the window every evening…to watch the sunset. After getting tired from school, tuition and homework all day…when I watched this I felt like now I can rest.)

Atharva was in awe of her. How did she manage to make everything sound so beautiful? So positive? The sun was almost down and the sky was at its most beautiful when she whispered.

“Wo dekhiye! Sundar hai na?”

(See that! It’s beautiful right?)

Her gaze never left the sky and his never left her as he whispered.

“Haan!”

(Yes!)

His voice was a soft whisper. Atharva realised what he was doing and quickly looked ahead. His heart raced wildly as he stared ahead. 

The sun was down and it had turned dark. Atharva got up and dusted his pants. Priya raised her hand indicating him to help her up.

Atharva grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet. He hadn’t realised his force because she bumped straight into his body. Their chests plastered against each other. Her hands flew to his shoulders to balance herself and his to her waist to stable her.

Both of their eyes widened. Their breaths hitched as they stared into each other’s shocked eyes. They could feel their breaths mingling with each other. 

Priya’s gaze lowered towards his lips and Atharva quickly pulled away. 

“I…sorry.”

He mumbled. She nodded, not trusting herself to form coherent sentences. The drive back home was silent and awkward. Both of them replayed the proximity. One with shyness and one with confusion. 

Another month passed by. The two have become closer emotionally. Priya was sure she was in love with Atharva. Atharva, on the other hand, was combating his feelings. He was in the denial phase.

He knew and acknowledged that she was special but failed to admit that he felt anything more than platonic friendship for her.

The two were in the home theatre again. They just finished a movie. It was about how the main lead, who always felt neglected by his family and friends, struggles to manage his life and when he finally gets success, his family and everyone who mistreated him, come running back and apologizing. It ended with the main lead forgiving them. A happy end.

But it prompted Atharva to think. Life wasn’t so simple as it is portrayed in the movies. Priya noticed him being into some deep thought.

“It’s not so simple.”

He whispered after a long thought. Priya let him speak.

“Bhut easy dikha dia na sab. Ki bas maafi maang lo and all those years of loneliness, self questioning, self hatred and pain would vanish. But aisa nhi hota. It’s not so simple.”

(They’ve shown everything so easy. Just ask for forgiveness and all those years of loneliness, self-questioning, self-hatred and pain would vanish. But it doesn’t happen like this. It’s not so simple.)

His eyes were distant. As if reliving a memory. Atharva felt a soft hand on his arm and he looked at her. His eyes glassy with unshed tears as he spoke.

“My parents never wanted me. They were at the peak of their careers when mom conceived me. Wo aur dad toh abort krna chahte the and almost kr dia tha. Dadi stopped them. She told them ki wo puri responsibility lengi meri. That my parents wouldn’t have to bother.”

(She and dad wanted to abort and almost did. Dadi stopped them. She told them she would take complete responsibility of mine.)

He started and looked ahead. His chest heaving due to the emotions he had kept trapped inside him for so many years.

“Mai 4 saal tha sirf. When she died. I don’t even remember how she looked. Kya samajh hoti hai ek 4 saal ke bache ko duniya ki. Uske liye toh bas uske maa baap hi uski duniya hote hai. Kuch time tak mere liye bhi the. Tab tak jab tak mujhe ye nhi samajh aaya ki jinhe mai apni duniya maan raha tha…wo duniya mujhe chahti hi nhi thi.”

(I was just 4….What does a 4 year old know about the world? For him, his parents are his world. It was the same for me too for some time. Until I realised that the people I was considering my world…did not even want me.)

He wiped the lone tear that fell from his eyes and sniffed.

“They said it to my face. I still….still remember those words. Mera…mera birthday tha.”

(It was my…my birthday.)

He looked at her with a sad smile. Priya felt her heart ache and she clutched his arm.

“I just turned 7. Koi nayi movie release hui thi…ye Cars, Avengers type. All the kids in my class were talking about it. Bhut excited tha mai ki aaj toh mom dad ke saath movie jaaunga. Mera birthday hai. Wo mana bhi nhi krenge.”

(Some new movie was released….this Cars, Avengers type….I was so excited that I would watch a movie today. It’s my birthday. They will not deny.)

His sad smile turned into a sad expression and Priya bit her lip to control her cries that were threatening to break.

“You know what they said? Hamara…hamara bass chalta toh hum tujhe paida hi nhi krte. Teri dadi chhod gyi tujhe…hamare upar bojh bana kr. Kaash tujhe…kaash tujhe paida hone se pehle hi…maar dia hota.”

(If it was…in their control they would never give birth to me. That dadi left me…as a burden over them. That they wished…they would have…killed me before birth.)

He sniffed and controlled his tears and Priya let hers free. She hated it. Hated his parents for saying that to a child. A mere 7 year old. So happy and excited for his day.

“I never asked them for anything ever again. Tumhe shock hua tha na…ki maine movies kaise nhi dekhi. I never had anyone to watch them with me.”

(You were shocked…that I have not watched movies.)

He said and smiled sadly again. Priya squeezed his arm, as if saying that he had her now. He clutched her hand and intertwined their fingers, squeezing her hand back.

He wiped his tears with the other hand and continued.

“School mai koi baat nhi krta tha. Sab ‘Topper topper’ kehke chidate the. Everyone thought I was too much of a nerd. Not worthy enough to fit into anyone’s friend’s group. Kisi ko koi help chahiye hoti thi toh baat kr lete the.”

(Nobody talked to me in school. Everyone teased me calling me ‘Topper’….They talked only when they needed some help.)

Priya couldn’t even imagine her school life without friends. How did he even manage it all?