The Things We Couldn't Say

Chapter: 17

Maya

He has been refusing to eat ever since I helped him changed into clean clothes. His pain is so strong that all he does is sleep and I bet drink water because I have seen him using the toilet. Not like seen...I have noticed that somebody has been in my toilet.

After helping him I felt the need of eating something sweet and so all I could find was cream pudding. My favorite thing to make because of my brother, he had this thing for it. It was his weakness because he just couldn't resist it, he could finish buckets of it yet he would crave more. Whenever he was sick or lost his appetite, the cream pudding was the only thing he would eat and that was the only flavor that could rock his world besides football.

Just when I was about to pour it into the bowl, I heard a scream which ultimately repelled me toward him like a positive and negative charge.

His eyes were wide open with fear mirroring and breathing in desperately as if the air had been blocked for few seconds. The face was paler than before; tears escaping his black eyes.

I went toward him and questioned

"Was it a bad dream?"

He didn't reply, but even then I didn't wait because he was obviously in no situation to answer yet. I came closer so that I could pat him on his arm and spoke softly.

"It will be alright I am here! You can go to sleep."

Now he was calm enough to respond.

"No, don't," he said frighteningly.

"Don't, what? "I asked confusingly.

"Umm! Can you spend some time with me, talk to me but don't tell me to sleep. I am just tired of sleeping"

He pleaded like a child who is afraid of going to sleep at night. But hello, it wasn't even night and beside its broad day yet he felt the need of someone around him.

"Okie," I said with awkward silence following along. I realized my scarf was on the couch when I was cooking and suddenly I felt naked without my dupatta (scarf).

Without giving him an explanation for my excuse I got up and went to retrieve my red dupatta that now seemed like a big blob of blood on the white marble tiles.

I came in silently and walked around to the empty side of the bed.

"You like cream pudding" as I placed the tray next to him. He didn't reply which I was expecting anyway but said it only to calm his nerves so I spoke in an animated way.

And I walked around the bed to his side and placed the pillow behind his back to support him into sitting position.

"It's okay! Black, I will have your share of cream pudding as well" I joked while pushing the tray toward myself and pick up my bowl to dig in my spoon.

"Look at this thickness, it has such a lovely, rich taste and I bet that I can finish everything in here and there in the kitchen," I said in a teasing manner.

He seemed to enjoy my little show of making fool out of myself because he was already eating with his one healed hand.

 Ahh, seriously this is just so freaking retarded, I have seriously lost it. A number one fool in the town and I should be given the fool of the year award. We sat facing each other and ate silently. I could feel his blackness all over me.

I placed the bowl in the tray and was cleaning the dot of custard that has fallen on the scarf which was looking like a fresh pimple and I felt the sudden jerk in the back, thrown off guard. I let out a silent cry and held that spot because it was stinging. I know it will be fine after sometime while rubbing my lower back.