Till Forever Falls Apart

16). Anika

ANIKA

A year ago, someone asked me, What is the most memorable day of your life? I thought a lot, but couldn't think of anything and eventually had to make some excuses and leave from there.

It's not like I never had a happy moment before, I do, a lot actually. But they all are later followed by a lot of disappointment and hurt. Like the time when I won my very first Inter school dance competition and got the trophy. I was ecstatic. I never believed that I could ever win against so many children but I did and it was so surreal. I thought that maybe finally my parents could see my talent and my hard work. But all they did see was how much time I was wasting by participating in these activities. They didn't even see the look of pure hurt on my face and just dismissed me like one of their employees. 

Every one of my beautiful moments is tainted with these kinds of reactions from my parents. It's not actually their fault. They thought that they were protecting their daughter from destroying her life and that I am a child and can't really know what's best for me. Not really knowing that they were actually killing me by doing so. That's what the real problem is. They never listen to me, never take me seriously. The only person who really understands and supports me is my 'daadi'. She is the one who aroused my interest in dance. My happy memories would have stayed untainted, if daadi would have lived with us.

But if someone asks me the same question now, I can answer without even thinking about it. Today is the best day of my life. It was just perfect. And it happened only because of this amazing person. Zane. 

Zane arranged the whole show, in which the voice coming from the speakers told us a lot of things about stars, planets, and galaxies. In short, about the whole universe. 

We are lying down on the blanket looking at the beautiful stars and constellations on the dome shaped ceiling.

"This is just so beautiful." I said.

"Really, so so beautiful." Zane whispered. 

I turned my head towards him and found him already looking at me with so much affection in his eyes.

"I was talking about the stars." I said in a low voice.

"I was talking about you." He said.

He turned on his side and put his head on his hand. With his free hand, he tucked my hair behind my ear softly. My breath hitched and my heart started beating crazily in my chest. I have never, ever felt like this. I never understood what 'I am feeling butterflies in my stomach' meant? But now I know, because I am feeling them. 

"Zane, I think we should leave, it's getting late." I whispered.

"You're right." He said but didn't get up. 

Damn… I could spend my entire life just looking at him like this. Up close like this, his eyes are even more gorgeous. I was damn right his eyes are damn captivating. 

Before I knew it, I sat up, looked into his eyes and I started singing, 

"Tere naina bade qaatil maar hi daalenge

Tere naina bade qaatil maar hi daalenge

Qaatilana.. qaatilana adaon se ek din is dil ko..

Hasayenge, rulayenge maar hi daalenge."

He too sat up and said, "That was wow… Your voice is so beautiful and melodious, Ika."

I smiled and said, "Well, not more beautiful than your eyes." 

He chuckled and said, "You really have a thing for my eyes, don't you?"

I nodded my head in yes and said, "Blame your eyes for that. There's just something about them which I can't pinpoint. It's like something is haunting them, troubling them but at the same time they are so gorgeous, that no one can notice the chaos happening inside you because of their beauty."

For a moment, all his playfulness vanished and a shadow fell over his face, like the troubled and haunted expression I was just talking about. But as soon as it was there, it vanished. And I was left thinking whether I was imagining it. 

He said, " At least tell me, the meaning of the lines you just sang."

I noticed him avoiding talking about what I just said, but I let him because I don't wanna ruin this beautiful moment by talking about something which he clearly doesn't want to.

"Well what I said means, your eyes are quite killer, they'll eventually kill me, with the killer styles, one day they'll make my heart laugh, cry, they'll eventually kill me." I explained.

He smiled and said, "Trust me I can never think about hurting you, ever."

I believed him. It's stupid, I know. I mean, even though we've been talking for a month, we just met. But still, I believe him.

"I know." I told him with all sincerity. 

"We should go now, it's getting late." He said.

I nodded.

We got up, folded the blanket and left the room. We came downstairs and found John waiting in a car. He saw us coming and made a gesture from his car which made Zane stop. He took his phone out and called someone. 

"How the fuck did they even got here?" He said.

He was talking to John and sounded very angry. Who are 'they'?

"Pretend that I am there with you, in the car. I'll use the bike again. No issue."

After some pause, he said, "Don't worry about me and call me when you reach home safely, okay?" 

And then he hung up. 

"What's going on?" I asked nervously. 

"There are a lot of reporters in the front of this building. They somehow found out that I am here with a girl and they are all waiting at the front like vultures." He explained.

I was scared, like really scared. I have never dealt with this kind of situation but I've seen these things on phones and news. Zane is right. They're like fucking vultures always wanting a piece a piece of you. They can literally chew us off. 

Zane might have noticed my nerves because he turned towards me and lifted my chin slowly with his fingers and said, "Hey… don't get scared. I won't let anything happen to you, firefly. Trust me."

And just like that I knew that everything was going to be fine.