Seize Her And....

Chapter : 17

Touch Without Touching.

The photo frame is not on the table anymore. The entire room looks more than mere minimalistic, as if the owner simply doesn't want a personal touch. Manik has always been a minimalist but this isn't quite similar to what he was. He is trying to reestablish his identity, he is trying to wipe out the past. But why? Pihu looks beside her where he is lying, sound asleep. She thought he could take some rest while she is here, because they told her particularly, that it was difficult for the doctor to make him fall asleep. His pain was that severe. Even after injecting the medicine he couldn't sleep properly.

How broken is he?

Her eyes follow where she is holding one end of his cushioned hair brush as it keeps stroking his messy hair. A smile of adoration creeps up her face.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Pihu asked after he was done eating his breakfast, knowing pretty well that he didn't.

He hesitantly nods, yes.

"That's nice. I couldn't sleep well though, you know." She said deliberately trying to start a conversation that can make him comfortable around her.

She wanted him to talk, to express himself, but she knew it's a hard task she was embarking upon. This guy was desperately trying to shield himself, he was treating everyone as his threat for some reasons and that included her as well. She needed to put her everything to gain his trust.

Vulcan looked at her curiously, his eyebrows furrowed. He said nothing however.

"I run some free educational centers in collaboration with some of my friends. The underprivileged kids around the area are given the aid and provided with the materials to keep on studying, because they tend to abandon it even before starting properly. Mostly because their families force them into doing other stuff , stuff that'll bring them a very meager amount of money but have the potential to put their lives into huge, life threatening risks.

I can't really blame them though. They already have a very unhealthy lifestyle. They'll do anything to survive." She kept on saying without realizing when she actually got into the flow. When she looked beside her the grey pair of eyes were intently looking at her.

"So we are having some problems, running the centres that is. Nothing as serious as your eyes are making it to be." She said looking into his narrowed eyes smilingly. He immediately turned his face around, seemingly embarrassed.

"Now that I have been honest, it's your turn. You can tell me why you couldn't sleep? Because I know that you couldn't." She said the last part so affectionately that it made him turn his face towards her, looking back into her eyes to find out if she's faking it. But he couldn't find anything other than sincerity. His eyes remained focused in hers for some long few seconds before he mumbled,

"Pain."

The word was almost inaudible, but she heard it. She heard his strained voice when he uttered the word with extreme genuineness. She couldn't keep looking at his eyes anymore. The torture he goes through was clear from his eyes. Her heart clenched from inside as her eyes moved downwards and the tears threatened to spill out. She forcefully held her breath, not to make a scene infront of him. But he saw it nevertheless, the tears that were pooling around her eyes.

'Tears.. for me..' was the only thing his conceited mind could deduce out of this.

His hands fisted beside him, because the growing urge of pulling her close to his body and wipe away the tears she was about to shed for him was getting out of his control. He chose to do what he does the best, he stayed silent and kept looking at her with utmost curiosity.