Peeking Magma

Chapter-26

My desperate effort to dodge perilous revelations fail when the dull throbbing in my chest worsens in revolt as the heart realizes the mind's motive behind its command to ignore the pain. Hours have passed since I've left Adrian in the restaurant and from then I've done multiple things to keep myself distracted. The drafts which lie on my table can attest to that. I had returned to the office and decided to work through the sketches which during the last month have been the cause of Mr. Orden's ill temper. It's surprising what a little unrest in the heart can do but now that I'm done the thoughts returned too.

Today was a learning experience that we shouldn't assume things about people. All along I've been angry on the possibility that he was after me, I was consumed in my assumptions and failed to think that maybe like me he too was trying for closure. This is embarrassing. I had no business to judge him and yet I did. It's one in the morning but I'm still running on steam so I decide to spruce the house.

Vacuuming the lounge sets and carpets I'm lost in thought when I realize there's no one in the house but me. I'm no stranger to being alone but it never made me feel lonely. The silence around me reminds me of a cold winter night in a faraway secluded home where laughter rang through its warm halls. Firmly locked memories break their binds and splay through my mind's eye. Though unwelcome they are beautiful. The throbbing slowly but firmly starts increasing with each passing second. The only person who could ease this is my daughter and she's halfway across the country. The ringing doorbell provides a much-needed reprieve.

"What are you doing here?" I ask shocked to see Adrian

"Coming home" he says looking at me standing on the threshold of my house.

"Adrian are you drunk?" I ask and he fixes me with a blank stare confirming it.

He's in the clothes from today morning – black shirt, blue suit minus the jacket which he was holding over his shoulder. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, his hair was disheveled and the strain in his features prominent. He was tired and he didn't bother hiding it.

"How did you come here?" I ask dreading the answer, he shows me his keys grinning

God he was stoned.

"Why?" I ask swallowing the lump in my throat

"You asked me to go home"

"To your –" I say but he interrupts me with a nod

"You are my home" he says in a whisper

"We are divorced Adrian and you are married." I say slowly and for some reason he laughed

"If only you knew"

"Know what?"

"Come with me" he says suddenly

"Where?"

"You need to meet someone"

"At this hour?"

"Yes"

"It can wait till the morning"

"It can't" he says with finality in his eyes

"Make it wait"

"This is as long as I can hold it" he says with a faint smile but nothing about it was happy.

"I'm not coming"

"I'm not moving until you do"

"You shouldn't drive when you're drunk" I say softly

"Unimportant"

"We're not going, not when you're drunk. Now get inside." I say sternly and he smiles likes he's won the universe.