'Beyond the Horizon': There's more to it...

Chapter - 29

"I love you..."

'Love' is a word beyond description. It has a meaning deeper than the ocean, wider than the sky, bigger than the universe and brighter than the stars. An acknowledgement of the feeling of love for someone comes through the innermost core of the self, illuminating the soul and enrapturing the heart. You feel like giving your all to that one person who you consider your own in the love realm. And when the very same person reciprocates with an equal fervour, you tend to fall more with a vigour redefined. It only happens when you keep the other, above yourself in all aspects of life.

Such was the case with these two deeply in love souls. One who declared it, was drowning deeper into the deepest ocean called love and the other to whom it was directed was soaring high in the vast sky called love.

"Shehnaaz...you ok darling?" He spoke as soon as she picked up the call.

There was no way he would fail to perceive her predicaments now. Initially there were times when he would overthink about each of her responses and would misjudge sometimes. But this time he knew what he had to do and so was here dialling the by-heart number again when he could have easily measured himself belittled by the girl who he had just confessed his love for. But he was not egoistic, for an egoistic person cannot love. Because love equalizes.

She had no intentions to disrespect his feelings, yet she couldn't restrain herself from dropping off abruptly after his soul-steering confession.

Rude much!? But she had her own reasons which were backed by a severe nervousness hitting a nineteen-year-old girl who was hearing those words for herself the very first time, who went scandalous the moment she heard them directed towards herself. She did feel the same from the deepest core of her heart but wording them out was far from her imagination at this point. She was supposed to be thrilled and elevated, on the contrary there was an unsettling feeling inside of hers. The stigma attached to this subject-verb-object sentence was certainly the basis of this internal discomfit.

But that doesn't mean she would disregard him; he absolutely meant the world to her. Just the bewilderment made her react spontaneously. Surrounded by panic, she had gone blank for a moment doing the unexpected. So, when he called back, she definitely had to answer it overcoming her claustrophobic mental state as the phone rang again.

"I am really sorry if that made you uncomfortable...you don't have to answer anything sweetheart...just be there, in line...please..." His concern was speaking, realizing that it must've been too much on her part.

She was opening surely, taking efforts herself yet she was the same girl who would go timorous with his smallest of actions in front. The same feeble and fragile, innocent being who would go jittery for each of his unabashed declarations. Actions have their own beauty to be handled with, but words have a whole different effect on one's conscience. And that was what happening now with Shehnaaz.

"I am sorry for distressing you...and I mean it from the bottom of my heart..." Sidharth acknowledged, overwhelmed. He just wanted to ensure that she has no qualms about sharing her apprehensions with him. Conversing is the only way out since conversation is the ultimate bond of all companionship. He wanted her to speak up.

He has time and again showed his love either with actions or his concerns but not as direct as this time expressing it all in words, hence the unexpected response from her. He ensured to take it on him to make her comfortable again, to rebuild the ambiance for her to feel light and at ease just like how she was a few minutes ago. In addition to that, it was also important to put across the point that there was nothing wrong in what he said. Who else would guide her better than Sidharth himself? She was his love and so his responsibility in every sense, he was determined.