“I don’t want to go Nazia, I want to stay at home, watch ‘Friends’ and eat pizza.” I said while pulling my blanket over my head.
“Shut up, we’re going out tonight, and that’s final” Nazia said pulling the blanket off me
“Just let me be” I shouted.
“Adah, if you don’t come out today I’ll go alone, get myself a few drinks and then drunk call Rishi”
“Aghhh” I said defeated. She always used her ex-boyfriend as leverage to get me to do anything she wants. “I hate you Nazia”
“I love you too, now, I’ve put together something for you to wear, so clean up and dress up”
“Not like I have any other choice.”
“You don’t” She said mocking me
I found a black jeans paired up with a maroon top and a black leather jacket hung on my doorknob and maroon heels kept under it. It had been three weeks since Harsh and I broke up and I hadn’t left my bed, let alone my house. I hadn’t even let Nazia inside. I wouldn’t answer my phone, reply to her messages or open the door. She used the spare key to my house to get in today, and I knew she wouldn’t give up tonight.
I looked around as we walked into Meera’s house to attend her birthday party. That’s when I saw him. I knew at the first glance, that he wasn’t going to be just a stranger I met at a friend’s party, he was going to be much more. He was sitting in the corner of the room, on a sofa, staring at the screen of his mobile phone, when I first saw him. He wore a thin, white colored, full sleeved sweater with black jeans and black shoes that had white laces.
“Is this seat taken?” I asked him pointing at the empty space on the sofa.
“It’s empty” He replied without taking his eyes of his mobile’s screen.
I sat down and saw a girl’s picture on his screen through the corner of my eye.
Disappointed I asked “Girlfriend?”
“Ex” He said, again without looking at me
“Oh, I’m sorry”
“That’s alright” He replied and looked towards me while shutting his phone’s display
I froze when our eyes met for the first time. He was light skinned, had a rounded nose, uneven lips and his tiny dark brown eyes hid behind a pair of square shaped glasses.
“Apologies for my misbehavior” his voice made me realize I was staring at him.
“No, that’s alright, I’m sorry I disturbed”
“Oh no, you haven’t. I’m Aarav by the way”
“I’m Adah”
After speaking for a few minutes he said “You want to get out of here Adah?”
I looked around to see if I could spot Nazia. Since I couldn’t, I accepted Aarav’s offer.
We left the apartment and walked down the stairs in silence. To my surprise the silence wasn’t awkward, in fact, it was rather comforting. He opened the passenger door for me once we reached his car, and then swiftly walked towards the driver's seat.
“So what do you have in mind?” I asked once we started to drive around the block.
“I didn’t really think about that, I just felt like getting out of there, and I didn’t want to do it alone.”
“I know the feeling. I had absolutely no interest in attending the party. Nazia, a friend of mine, forced me out my house and to Meera’s party.”
“Hmm. By the way, are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“Great, I know this small joint at the Mamzar beach, we could head there if you don’t mind.”
“I wouldn’t mind that” I said with a smile.
“Music?” he said after a few minutes of silence.
“Soft, low pitched, romantic music maybe?”
“Such specifications, my god!” He said in a mocking tone.
“Well, I like my music a certain way.” I replied in the same mocking tone.
He did not reply and started to play ‘Enna Sona’ by Arijit Singh.
“I’m impressed.” I said once the song started to play.
“I’m glad. Here,” He said handed me his phone that was connected to the AUX wire “play anything of your choice”.
As I scrolled down the playlist that was open, I saw a mix of both Hollywood and Bollywood songs. Most of the songs on the list met my specifications perfectly.
“So, are you this specific about other things in your life as well?” He quickly asked, not giving me enough time to go through the entire playlist.
“Only those I am passionate about.”
“Like?”
“Movies, TV shows, books, food and the people in my life.”
“Ooh, this just got interesting.” He mumbled as if he was talking to himself.
“What did?” I asked not sure what he was referring to. At this point, I realized I was no longer sitting straight. My body had automatically tilted towards him, which happened quite rarely with me. Mostly because I enjoyed drives in silence and barely spoke to anyone while traveling.
“Tell me the specifications for the kind of people you would let into your life? If you don’t mind that is.”
“Apart from the nonnegotiable traits like being loyal, trustworthy, compassionate, and empathetic…someone who contributes to my personality, gives me constructive criticism, matches my intellectual level, doesn’t judge me, and respects and accepts me for who I am.” I said and then looked towards him to view his reaction.
“That’s all?”
“In a nutshell.”
“So you’re quite sorted about what you want and what you don’t want in life huh?”
“I like to think so, ignoring the recent events in my life”
“What do you mean?” He asked with a confused look.
“My recent breakup.” I said while trying to keep the painful memories out of my head.
“I’m sorry.” He said while shooting me a sympathetic smile
“Don’t be.” I responded
We spend the remaining journey in silence, letting the music speak.
After what felt like a split second, we reached a small cafe with neon lights that read ‘Joe’s Spot’ at the beach. Under the small board was an even smaller window which was shut. Once outside the car, Aarav walked towards the window and knocked on it twice. The window opened and a man with a small, round face having a pale complexion stuck his head out smiling.
Aarav turned around and asked me what I would like to have.
“Hot chocolate” I quickly replied.
He turned back around and gave the man our order. He then signaled me to walk towards a bench a little ahead of the joint, closer to the shore. I followed his orders and sat down, waiting for him to arrive as I admired the view. The cool night breeze made my hair fly and made me shiver a little.
He sat himself down next to me and handed me my drink.“Thank you” I said taking the drink from him. He got himself a cold coffee with ice cream.
“Aren’t you feeling cold?” I asked while looking at him have a spoon of ice cream with his eyes shut.
“I am, but ice cream is more important” He said while grinning at me.
“Ahaan, such priorities” I teased him.
“To be honest, this is what she had every time we came here.” He said while looking down “Every time I miss her I come here and have this. I know it sounds stupid but it makes me feel closer to her.”
“No, it isn’t stupid at all” I said as I moved closer to him and placed my hand over his. My behavior left me baffled, and I wasn’t the only one. I started to slowly move my hand from over his, but before I could do so, he looked towards me and his glance locked mine. My mind was asking me to remove my hand from over his, but my body was unwilling to even move an inch. His touch seemed so comforting, so familiar. We sat there, frozen, as still as statues, for what felt like a perpetual moment.
“It’s not that I’m empty without her,” He said, breaking the monotony “It’s just that her departure has left me with a void. One that I’ve been trying to fill with all of my existence”
“It feels like you’re expressing my emotions, just in a more crafted manner”
He smiled slightly and then continued to drink his coffee. My hand still sat over his, and he did nothing to remove it. He turned his head towards the sea now, but I turned mine towards my hot chocolate. We both finished our drinks, but no one broke the silence or the contact between our hands for hours. In this silence, I felt content and complete, something I hadn’t felt for a while now. It gave me hope, hope that I might be able to survive this and restore what I had left of myself. I felt like all my parts were one again, and I was no longer broken into bits.
“I should get back,” I said unwillingly when the sun started to rise “Nazia would be looking for me”
“Yeah, let me drop you back to Meera’s” He said as he got up after fleetly removing his hand from under mine. My hand felt incomplete without his under it.
“Thank you” I said as we reached Meera’s building “not just for dropping me back, but for everything. Last night will be a memorable one”
“I should be the one thanking you for your company, not a lot of people I know can be present with me in my silence”
“Well, your silence seemed quite comforting to me” I said and shot him a smile.
“I’m glad” He responded and smiled back.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Dedicated to Prathamesh,
Thank you for being the inspiration behind Aarav.