Monday, January 16, 2012

A strange relation

                "Chris is he alright?" I find myself panicking.
                "Hey, I think you should meet him. He's been asking about you." Chris had a look of amazement and curiosity.
                 I entered the room to see him propped up against a pillow. He was visibly in a better shape but boredom was written on his face.
                "Hey.. how are you feeling?" I tried to open up a conversation.
                 If he felt anything, he did not express it. "Ok.." was all he answered.
                 It was getting awkward. He did not seem interested to talk and neither did he look into my eyes while talking. I was getting desperate to ask him my questions but probably this wasn't the right time. I retreated back and was almost near the door when he called out,
                "Don't you want to talk to me?"
                "Erm.. I thought you didn't want to."
                 He did not say anything. I was not sure if I was supposed to leave or ask him.
                "Do you get dreams?" I knew I would sound idiotic if it wasn't what I thought.
                 He looked at me in rapt attention as if ready to absorb every sound coming from my voicebox.
                 I knew I had hit on the nerve.
                 "What do you see?" I probed.
                 "You." he answered. Although I was expecting him to say it, I was not ready to acknowledge it.
                 "And?" I asked further.
                 "Why don't you take a seat?" he asked me. I sat near his bed on visitor's chair.

                "Why don't we start with you?" he asked.
                I dreaded the moment. IT was difficult to explain a dream when you have grown up over the years perfecting watching it. The early vague dreams which later started getting nightmarish.. The  nights I woke up crying and couldn't explain why I felt the pain... The fear of going to sleep for the next few nights.. How could I sum it up for the one who has been the cause of it all.. Or was he?
                 
                "The dream has been the same.. The frames keep changing.. I feel I m in a house.. I m on the terrace. Its an old villa but I feel at home. I sometimes feel a hand on my waist. I m filled with love. I walk down the stairs holding those hands which make me feel secure.. I walk a short distance outside the house and feel the grip on that hand loosening and then I have nothing...I m all alone.. It makes me void. Incomplete. I cannot think, I cannot speak. I feel trapped.. I suffocate."
                 The dream in itself wasn't so disturbing as the way I felt in those moments. I lived it! I look up at his face and I m touched to see the concern in his eyes. For years I have seen people brush it aside as a nightmare.. It felt strangely good to know that someone can experience the same pain..
               
                 "Have you seen anything like that?" I ask him.
                 "No.. My dreams aren't so clear.. What I do see is hurried images in front of me.. Sometimes I see you talking to me.. Sometimes I see us being close and I can feel that you are the only woman I belong to.. Sometimes I feel sheer pain at the memory.. I see you alone and I long to touch to you.. To comfort you but it breaks me to not be able to do that. I feel helpless.. My throat dries up as I try to call out to you.. I don't remember your name.. "  I feel an intense emotion building inside him.. He is much more disturbed than me.. Maybe because his dream lack clarity. He struggles to get hold of those visions but they move faster than he can understand them..
                  "Have you always seen me?" I know I m pushing him too much.
                  "No.. no.. I never saw you.. It was a blurred face and can you imagine how frustrating it was to me? The moment I saw you I found peace. Suddenly that face became you." he gave a weak smile..
                  " I never saw you.. I only felt you.. I could feel your arms, you hands but face... I couldn't see.. It was something vague.. I never understood why.. While the feelings and sensations were so clear, I couldn't hold you close or see you all I wanted to.. I had no idea until you asked about dreams yesterday.."
                    I sobbed. I didn't know what my grief was, just like in my dreams. Nevertheless I had a deep hurt that I needed to cry on. He did not make me feel weird. He held me close and comforted me. I sense that this gives him some kind of satisfaction. It lessens his grief, which he too is clueless about. I held on to him for sometime.
                    "Why did you come to my college and who are you?" I suddenly ask him. He laughs.
                    "Time for some formal introduction. I m Nabhanyu.. I was actually waiting for one of my contacts but seems like I was in the wrong place. He was giving me directions when destiny lead me to you.. I m from New York but shifted here for official purpose. What about you?"
                    " I m Naeema. I m from this very city.. " We kept talking for a long time and it now felt like we have known each other forever.. Maybe we did..
                    "I don't know if its love, but I cannot take my eyes off her." 
                    I blushed. Oh my God!! I hear his thoughts...
                    Nabhanyu- the eternal and Naeema was the blessed one..
                   

12 comments:

Nirvana said...

oooooooh!!! I just couldnt stop reading till the very last word!! And I was almost sad when the story ended! Beautiful story-telling there!

phatichar said...

Still didn't feel it has ended..so many questions.. :|

Was the ending a bit hurried? (Maybe it's just me)

Wonderfully woven though :)

You should write more.

Chandana said...

Loved it! I sort of guessed the story! :)

Keirthana said...

Awesome! Loved the way you used the words to express such deep emotions.

Blasphemous Aesthete said...

Dreams are weird, but what would be more weird than a person from dreams just walking out into real life in a manner such as this.

Interesting twist, but is that all? or more to come?


Cheers,
Blasphemous Aesthete

Soumya said...

I agree with phatichar, the end seems hurried!!

Lovely take though, please bring on more of such stories.

Meety said...

Was hoping for more.. but loved it all the more...

maithili said...

@nirvana: thank you soo much for reading this series

@phatichar: yes I was planning to build it in two parts but because of time constraints i decided to club them.. Thank you for reading :)

@chandana: hehe this time you did!!

@Keirthana: thank you soo much girl

@Aesthetic Blasphemy: I think it would be best to stop here :)

@Soumya: thank you dear.. I wish I could find enough time to give my stories a fixed time..

@ MEety: thank you dear.. I love your name :)

Amit Charles said...

liked the way it flows. Will be back to read more.

keep it goin;)

Anonymous said...

That was sweet & cute ! was expecting more, coz the flow and feelings mixed in words are like so true ! Its wonderful ! :)

Anonymous said...

check this http://drivingwithpen.blogspot.in/2012/02/another-award.html

an award for you

maithili said...

@Amit Charles: Thank you so much

@ Smita: Sorry didn't see that earlier.. Will put it up on my blog soon :)

@ Adreamygal: thank you so much. I had originally written only the first part but on demand I went on with the rest of them :)

@ Chirag: thank you so much for the award. Will put it up soon on my space :)