'Man.. Please... I'm sorry.. I wont do this ever again. Please talk to me. This is killling me'. This is what I told to everyone who kept mum to me for any of my mistakes... Be it dad, mum, bhaiyya, bhabhi or even Ajay-My bestie... 'Dont talk to me' was the worst sentence on earth for me. It hurt me that much. A day without talking to these people made me hate my life itself. I may be over reacting, but I couldnt bear the silence of my loved ones..
Then I met her. Rhea-The third of Ajay's sisters. His story about the three were like Cinderella's story- The mother and the two elder sisters torturing her eventhough she's not their step daughter. Ajay's father left the home and the family after Rhea's birth. So mom thought her as their bad luck and loved the elder ones only. The elder sisters too took the most advantage of this. But for Ajay-she was her little charm.. But I never thought the scene was so worse until I saw Rhea fall down slipping from the oil poured by her sisters. Me and Ajay witnessed them pouring oil in the floor and giggling at Rhea's 'free fall'. I didn't knew what to do when Ajay roared at them with his cricket bat. I looked at Rhea. I remembered how loud bhabhi cried when she slipped from bathroom last week. But Rhea was sitting in silence with her back faced to me.. Her head was down. Ajay ran to her, I went near them too.. Her great toe was bleeding and her tears were in the floor along with the blood. I had to look at her face to realise that she was crying so hard. Her beautiful face had turned red. 'Don't worry baby... I'll take the worm out of those filthy animals. Come lets dress the wound' Ajay took her to the room. But I couldnt move from there.. My mind was in her crying face. She didnt even realise that I was there. She was badly hurt. I kept my finger in one of those tear drops. For the first time in my life, I was carried away by somebody's silence. Her silent cry.
I think I didn't told you..
- Rhea was dumb..
Chapter Two
Phattack......!! Ajay slapped me very hard as I came out of the bathroom. Mom, dad and bhabhi stood still.... "He deserve it". Said bhaiyya. Ajay dragged me to my room and shut the door. Bhaiyya knocked the door and Ajay let him in. Ajay's fair face turned red in anger. I smiled at him showing all my teeth like one of those whatsapp smileys. He slapped me harder. Bhaiyya giggled. "Man....!!!!" I screamed... "Speak a word and I'm gonna kill you". Ajay screamed back as he kicked near my throat.. It was really painfull and i fell upon the bed. But bhaiyya was laughing... I laughed too. I hadn't spoke with Ajay since I went to his place for the first and last time. I couldnt talk to him, I dont know why. I avoided every chance that let us meet or speak. I love him like anything but still my mindset forced me to remain silent. I never knew he would be this much hurt by that. My thought thread was broken by his next slap.."Aaah" I cried in pain. He put his fingers deep inside my throat and pushed me to the bed. Bhaiyya pulled him away as I was struggling to breath. I coughed hard and breathed harder. Ajay passed me the water bottle. As my respiratory system became normal, Ajay pulled my collar and asked in a pale voice.. "Why man..??" Bhaiyya got up from the corner and said him. "Ajay.. Bala is in love...." "Sivaaa......." I screamed at him.. "What's there to hide in this? You think I'll spoil your relation??" Ajay's voice was dull. He'd have thought that I think about him that way. I couldnt tell anything. Siva helped me. "Ajay.. nothing like that. He wanted to tell u first but couldn't. He still want to tell u but I know he can't. Beacause he is in love with... your sister." Ajay reacted just opposite to what I thought. He laughed at me and said.. "Man.. what made you love those brutes. Their talent of torturing my angel?? Or the art of pouring oil at the floor?? Hahaha... OK.. Which of the monsters?? 1 or 2??" "None of them." I replied. "What do u mean?" he asked "Ajay.. I..I'm... I'm talking about... I dont know how you'll react. But you should know this.. I've been thinking about this all these days and I still cant change my mind.. Its... Its your angel..Rhea." I barely looked at his face. He stood still looking at me. He didnt speak a word or move. His face grew pale. I didnt knew what to do. Siva patted on his shoulder. Tears rolled down his face. I ran at him and hugged him. Neither of us spoke. We both were crying. The recipe of true love may be having this too as an ingredient.. But ain't this too girly?? The realization stucked me..I released him from my arms. We sat in my bed. "What do u say" Siva asked him. "If I was Rhea I'd have said a big ok.. But Rhea. I've told you how her attittude towards life is. For her.I'm the only person who loves her truly. Everyone else loves her for me or love her out of sympathy, she likes neither. I bet Rhea would have never thought about finding her love, marriage, etc.. Like most of the person who cant speak and hear she too is afraid of having a kid who is like her. She'd told me once. Dad left us when he came to know that Rhea cant speak or hear. Out of all these... I'm sorry but I dont think she'll nod a yes.." Said Ajay "You talk to her when right time comes.Tell her I'll love her truly for myself an that I wont leave her at any place. I can wait till she says, I mean till she nods a yes" I smiled.. Ajay hugged me and left.
Chapter Three
I felt like a weight having removed from my heart and head after I told everything to Ajay. My life was back to normalcy and I was attending online classes of 'The Indian sign language'. Yes. I had to impress Rhea like any Romeo. And there Ajay's life had turned upside down. He skipped meals and cricket thinking about mine and Rhea's marrriage. *Sorry for being over excited* He was just thinking how to tell this to Rhea. After learning a few chapters I set to Ajay's home.. Rhea invited me with a smile at the door. Though we have met a very few times only we well knew each other through Ajay's stories. I signed a 'where is he' and she pointed to his room somewhat suspiscious at my sign making. As I sat down near him Rhea entered the room with juice for me. She closed the door and sat before me. I ignored her and concentrated on the juice. Rhea poked me and asked(everything as signs) "what happened to Ajay?" "She is asking what.." I replied her that he is fine before Ajay was translating it. "how do you know?" Ajay's jaw dropped. "Online classes" I giggled. "Trying to impress her huh.." He whispered with a supressed laugh. But Rhea didn't seem to care all these. She asked me again. "Then what's making him sit here skipping his food, friends and even cricket-lost in deep thoughts??" With help from Ajay I said her that there's nothing like that and he was fine. Rhea became angry and told me slowly so that I could understand. "People having one or more sense organs non functioning have the other senses working perfectly than you normal people. They can also read minds well. ok??" I looked at her eyes for a couple of minutes. Our eyes met. She quickly moved her eyes and stood up. As she was about to get the glass from me I grabbed her elbow and pulled her to me. "You can read minds well huh??" I asked her eyes. She didn't understand what was happening. She ran to Ajay with a worried face. Ajay consoled her with his hugs and kisses. Rhea lied on his chest with her eyes closed tight. She was shivering..I sat a little away from them. I looked at Ajay. Understanding my situation he signed me that everything was ok and he told me to sit there itself. Ajay made Rhea sit in his lap. Ajay wiped her tears and smiled at her. I felt them both more beautiful than usual.
"Baby.. Bala is in love and he is attending sign language classes to impress her" Ajay winked at her, still nervous. "Is she deaf and dumb??" Signed Rhea. "Nope. She speaks only to her loved ones and can only hear the same too" Ajay always made sure that he doesn't address her deaf or dumb. He never said she's disabled. She was specially abled for him. Rhea sarcastically smiled and asked him. "Like me??". Ajay cleared his throat, grabbed her hands, kissed them and said.. "Its not like you my angel, It's you". She looked at him doubtfully. Ajay persuaded her about my love and my feelings for her. Rhea angrily turned to me. To be honest, I found no speck of love on her face or eyes. I was little afraid. Rhea raised an eyebrow and asked me. "You love me?? Because I am your best friend's sister?? Or because you saw me falling down? Or because I'm deaf and dumb. Thats not love. Its just your sympathy towards me. You'll just start hating me once The CHEAP SYMPATHY ends" Rhea's gestures were so swift that I needed Ajay's help to understand them. I felt angry for addressing my love toward her as 'cheap sympathy'. I quickly moved from my place turned to Ajay and said " Ok if your sister don't love me back. But tell her not to dare call my love as cheap sympathy or sentiments anymore." Ajay translated them to Rhea . Rhea looked at me with wet eyes. I gave her an angry glance and told Ajay. "At least you'll realize my love I hope". I realized how down my voice was. Anger and despair joined their hands and danced to a melancholy in my head.I quickly left his place. I wished for an eye in the back to see Rhea's reaction But i took in that I would have closed that eye if I had one. Ajay called me several times, but I took swift steps toward my bike and left for home..
*I don't know If I should write anymore. Please let me know if you liked this*