[ K A B I R ' S P O V ]I woke up from the sound of the bell ringing in the apartment. Confused, I stared at my watch and it was late night. Who would be there at this hour? Carefully, I pried Alina's hands and head from my chest. Covering her body with the blanket, I vacated the room and opened the door of the apartment.And gasped, seeing the figure."Kabir, who's there?" Kriti sleepy voice asked me from behind."Dad," I whispered. "What are you doing here?"He frowned seeing me, took in my appearance. I was still wearing the waiter's clothes."Alina, where is she?" He entered the apartment, and from behind him, I found Alina's dad entering as well. "She had called me. She said she needed my help. I called her dad. Where is she?""So you flew all the way from Delhi?" I asked, shocked by his behavior."I had to," He replied anxiously. "She was crying. And she never calls me. Something must be serious.""Kabir, what happened to her?" Her dad asked, tension covering his whole face.
"What are you going to do him?" Kriti asked, pulling me out of my tensed thoughts."Don't know." I shrugged my shoulders. "Dad knows. He said he wouldn't be able to touch anyone after that." Her eyes widened. "Accidents happens. Don't they?"She gasped, but I cut myself from her look and took my medicines from my bag. As I was about to take it, someone snatched it from my hands. Shocked, I found Kabir, fuming and angry."You took them in the morning. Don't overdose." He had donned a sweatshirt over his tracksuit and settled on the chair. "And when were you going to tell me about Siddarth and Fiza?"My insides turn cold. He knew. He knew. He knew I had hidden things from him, even after when he had agreed no more lies between us. Was it my mistake Siddarth proved to be an asshole and obsessed freak?"I—I—""No excuse. I need truth. Kriti will you give us privacy." I was about to argue with her but she flew out of the canteen, leaving me and Kabir alone among few students. "Where were we
Getting up from the chair, I twisted my open hair in a messy bun, stroll to my room and got my shoes."Alina, I don't think I can live with you." My hands stopped on my shoes, and I snapped my head to hers. "Don't think me wrong. You're my best friend, and always will be. You're great. Truly. But the thing is you're scaring me at this moment. And I don't want to be involved in this stuff. I would've kicked Siddarth myself, but you scare me." My hands curled tightly. "I come from a middle-class family. We don't have connections to do such stuff. You could've tried the legal approach." But nothing guarantee then. He would've been out soon and I couldn't afford it. I wanted him to feel what I did. "I love you, but please. If something happens in future, your dad can pull you out, my can't.""Kriti—""It's hard for me, but if you love your pride, I love my family a lot. My parents saved money for my education. If the police came here, imagine what would happen to his pride? He's a soldier.
"Kiss me." I loosened my grip on him. "Please. I need his touch remove, and I can't do it. I hate it.""And I make everything good?" He brought my face with level to his."You've no idea," I breathed. "You light my world like stars.""Stars?" He grinned playfully."Like stars. You're my star. My star, just mine.""Just yours."And he touched our lips. I grabbed his jaw, not caring if his dad walked upon us, not caring I had to look for an apartment, not caring we were too fucked up to be with each other. We could ruin each other, the feelings were too intense and deep.He pushed me towards the glass door, and when I thought my head would crack it, his hand was already at the back of my head. I smiled at his lips and he knew why I was smiling because he smiled too."We fight too much," I mumbled between our lips. "No more fights. No more hiding, I promise. If something troubles me, I'll tell you.""And I'll trust you." He brushed his nose against mine. "I won't hide things from you. I'l
[ K A B I R ' S P O V ]Combing my hair with the help of my fingers, I threw the mug of coffee in the sink. Too strong. I hated them too strong. Looks like I need to learn again how to use that machine.Staring at the door of the room, I allowed the smile to grace my face. For the first time, she fought for us, and that thought made everything feel real. I wasn't the only one going deep in here, scared what if tomorrow it all ended. She was there also. I would never leave her alone again."Kabir." I changed the direction of my head to look at dad."Dad." He went to the refrigerator, opened it and looked for something. "Can I help you with something?"He frowned. "Where are beer bottles? And before you get angry, I searched for Vodka bottles, which you're always fond of hiding in your room."Instead of being angry, I chuckled, leaning against the counter table."I don't drink anymore."His actions halted, and he whipped his gaze to look at me, shocked was one of the expressions he w
Checking the mug, I threw the unfinished coffee in the sink, cleaned and put it back to its place. While turning, I saw Kabir standing next to the doorway, back to his casual clothes. His previous state entered my brain and I push it away.Don't have such thoughts.They were too much for me.But how to kill the temptation?"Your dad left." He nodded, thinking something else. "Are you tired? Want a coffee?" I went to the coffee machine and he didn't halt my steps. While I was preparing his favorite espresso shot, he stared at me."Move in with me." The mug fell from my hands and I turned to him, gasping. "Move in with me, Alina.""What?"He caught my hand, carefully helping to step out from the broken pieces of the mug."Did you talk to your dad yet?" I shook my head. "Good. Move in with me.""As in living together?"He nodded his head. "You said nobody can handle your screams. I want to see what's so scary about them. I want to see why living with you is such a tough thing for others."
I heard the ring, and quickly, I ran and opened the door. Grinning, I let him enter and snatched the polythene from his hands.Blue lays.I hated blue lays."What the hell it is?" I demanded, closed the door shut. "You know I hate spicy.""I know." He placed the Mojito on the table. "They were out of all other flavors.""But I hate it," I whined. "Really hate it."He looked at me for a couple of seconds before asking, "Want to go to grocery shopping? I'm already out of stuff, and we can buy things which you like.""Chocolate cupcake?"He grabbed his wallet from the back of his pocket, checked through it and I could see a frown coming, but he shook it off and smiled, "Yes, that too. And Nutella box as well. Come. But you need to guide me. I always get confused."I killed the urge to point out that I myself had never done grocery shopping and it was the first time for me."But we go in my car.""Fine, but I'm driving." Before I could argue, he ran and stole the keys from the key stand. I
[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]Yawning, I placed my head between the pages of the book and stared at the words entering my mind. Words could be good, words could be bad, words could cut deep, worlds could heal. What if healing was becoming tougher than you thought of? What if no words were helping to heal the void spreading in your heart? What was happening? If I lapsed to take my medicines for a week, is that what would become of me? The old Alina, dark and silent, or maybe I was still the same.Maybe I couldn't see what the reality was. What if I was living in a dream when in reality I was still in that room, hiding under the bed? What if I was still cutting myself to forget the mark of his on my body? What if I was under the influence of alcohol to curb my protests? What if he was still punishing me for trying to tell anyone? What if Kabir never existed in my life and I was imagining it? What if everyone was right and I was telling lies about my childhood? What if I had imagined of it?