Better Together

48 | lightning

Apologies for the delay. Without further ado...

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Chapter 48 : Lightning

It had been eleven days. Eleven days since her birthday. More than a week since they were back in their city. Time was supposed to be the magical balm that healed. The efflux of time was supposed to fix things.

However, nothing of that sort was in the remotest close to occurring. If anything, the time seemed to be tearing apart everything that they had put together in all these days of knowing each other.

That night, that dance by the cozy campfire, those few minutes of delicate and intricate intimacy had changed something for them forever. Those moments had etched themselves as memories one couldn't forget.

Every night Aadarsh went to sleep thinking about that night. Every time his gaze met her gorgeous brown eyes, he remembered that moment. And the kiss. One day, just one single day had changed their equation, seemingly forever.

On the surface, everything seemed as it had been before the vacation. She spoke to him freely. She didn't avoid him. She made no attempt whatsoever to ignore him or avoid a conversation him.

Just that the depth was missing. That spark in her when she spoke to him had died down.

It was all there yet, there was nothing. Once in a while she made those witty remarks to mock him or criticize him. But it didn't feel the same, anymore.

The warmth was missing. The crazy madness that flashed in her eyes when she looked at him was missing. She was finally getting a grip on her emotions. Her feelings that had been wildly soaring uncontrolled were finally being kept on a leash.

She was learning how to put herself together and be strong. She was taming her foolishness, working on it to make it her wisdom. It was the best thing for her. She was doing herself a favor. She was doing herself good. She was protecting herself.

He should have been happy. A part of him truly was. Yet, it caused an agonizing pain in his heart. He wanted the old her back. The bizarre part was, she was right there.

They still spent the same amount of time together as they did before, but he found himself terribly lonely.

There had been so many times that he had almost walked up to her and questioned the withdrawal. However every single time, he had held himself back. It wasn't fair for her. He wanted her and yet wanted nothing with her. He wanted to see every emotion, witness each and every feeling she felt and be a part of it; and yet was reluctant to accept and reciprocate them.

Every night he stayed awake unable to sleep, waiting for her to say something— fight with him over something, tell him one of her random observations wisely, fuss over his reckless actions and show him the mirror; but nothing came. Four days ago, he had purposefully kept the temperature of the air conditioner in their bedroom at sixteen, at night. Instead of arguing, she had politely requested him to bump it up. When he had refused stubbornly, hoping she'd argue and squabble; she had calmly got off the bed brought herself a spare blanket and worn two layers of blanket.

Strangely, that night he had been miserable. He was so used to her defiance, so used to her being unapologetically herself. Her indifference gave way to a twinge in his heart.

The stupid pillow was between them too. The next night he had tossed it away in the darkest corner of their closet. Surprisingly, she had replaced it with another one, not even bothering to figure out where the previous had gone.