A Coffee at Dawn

Chapter 14 : End - 1!

"You are a hard task master!"

Aarti sighed and threw herself onto the chair in the dance hall. Her hands waving rapidly near her face to beat the heat, she looked red and exhausted. We were practising for the dance since afternoon and it was two hours, with out any break. I felt tired as well, but dance and Aarti, a lethal combination, I could not have felt more alive than this ever before.

"Get up, no time to rest" I went to her and tried pulling her off the chair. 

She did not move an inch, but the chair got dragged instead. The squeak of the chair made us shut our ears. I left her hand, the sound stopped and she started to laugh. I stood amazed at her all-of-a-sudden out burst initially and gave heed to it in the end and joined her, continued to laugh. I sat down on the floor next to the chair, still laughing. 

Gradually the laughter ended, I was looking down at the floor, not thinking anything, just staring into the space instead. In few seconds I noticed her hand on my head. I leaned on to the hand of the chair. She brushed my hair gently. It was very surprising for myself that I had let her do that. There were times in the past when I had hit her everytime she tried to do that.

"Today, no plans of hitting me!?" she asked in a tone sweeter than a marshmallow. I just nodded my head, I was liking the pamper I was been given.

"How much do you work? You have outdone yourself mithu. Don't you ever get tired?" She asked me, slowly pulling my earlobe. I felt more comfortable and moved a little and rested on her lap. 

"You know, in this process, you have gained alot, but you have been losing alot as well." her tone was getting serious.

I did not react, I knew where she was heading. I just listened to what she had to say. 

"I have been noticing the drift between you and Tanmay, god knows for what reasons, but for all I care, I dont want my guy to lose his people due to any reason. I dont want you to be pin-pointed for any reason."

"I dont want my guy" this felt enchanting. I knew this was not the time to merry about, she was seriously telling something.

"I have known him since a kid, but this is the first time he is behaving this way. I am worried."

I expressed agony. The triad for me meant more than my family. I always have and will in the future, felt the connect with only these two. Aarti being the new addition in life.

"You say you are worried, what have you done regarding that?" her tone was getting heavier.

I sat normal, looked into her eyes. I understood what she meant. I felt the guilt filling in. A fear of losing a brother made me weak and somewhere i could sense my eyes going heavy. I could not look at her and bent my head down in disgust for the way I had handled this. She came down off the chair, kneeled in front of me, held my face by her hands. She saw my tears roll down. She wiped them and sat next to me, holding my hand and resting her head on my shoulder.

"You will not lose him. Take off that fear from you. I just don't realise onething. Why did this fear not trigger you before? Certain things have to be left to time, but when you realise it is not working, do not wait for anything, take charge. You know him, you know how to handle him. You just stayed away from him thinking he will understand. But I would say, you do that. Do not wait for him." she put things so rightfully.

Never had I discussed this with her. She caught the right string. We were in that zone where eyes could emote more than needed.

"Ok, get up now. Lets finish the final practise and get going. " She sat back straight and started to tickle me. She new the right nerve to hit.