The Waves Whisper ✓

8 | the devil can be beautiful

5
𓂃𓊝𓂃

I didn't go to the Rathore house that evening; instead, I went straight home. I wanted to hide somewhere. It felt like I had murdered someone. My head spun like a Ferris wheel thinking about the aftermath of my act. I didn't mean to punch him; it just happened. Or maybe I did mean to. He had a very punchable face, despite his charm. It always irked me to see the girls in my class ogling him. There were boys better than him in terms of looks and character.

The whole Rathore family must be gathered in the living room now, plotting my murder for abusing their child. I thought.

"The Rathores are bad news, but I don't think you're going to get into big trouble." Khushi, who came to my house to check in on me, said

"No. I'm in dire straits. This is going to affect my whole family." I said, putting my palms on my face.

"Why would it affect your family?"

"Because I work there in the evening with my stepmother. I can't go back there. They're going to kill me."

"Roop, why didn't you tell me all this?"
Khushi said. I sensed the displeasure in her voice.

"I was embarrassed." I sighed.

"You don't need to be embarrassed to tell me anything." She said that and embraced me. "You need to face this, Roop. You should go to work today. If you hide after a minor inconvenience, what will you do when you have to face the major challenges in life?"

"You're right. Whatever happened, it happened, and I'll go."

I went to take a bath to clear my mind, wore a red ghagra and choli, braided my long, straight hair, and headed to Rathore's house. It was mid-July and it was cold outside. I took an umbrella with me, seeing the gloomy rain clouds in the sky. It started raining before I reached the Rathore house. The umbrella was of no use in the heavy downpour. I was fully drenched in rain by the time I made it to the Rathore house. I slowly made my way into the house, like a thief trying to sneak in. To my surprise, there was no one in the living room plotting my murder.

"Oh, Roop!" I paused after hearing someone call me. I looked back to see Seema behind me. Seema is a year older than me and works in the same house.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."

"I was late because of the rain," I said.

"Fine, Kunwar Sa (Rajasthani term for a boy) has been asking for you." She said. They called Apoorva by the term Kunwar sa.

"Why?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"How do I know? You are the one who goes to school with him. Maybe he wants you to help him with his homework." She said that and walked away.

I climbed the stairs leading to his room. The rain got more intense outside. His room was big. I never went into his room for cleaning, so it was surprising to see his room. I wished to have a room like that-beautiful and comfortable. I spotted him behind a small aquarium, feeding some fish. On the table near it, I saw books scattered, a dimly lit table lamp, a globe, and a sailing boat placed inside a glass bottle. I knocked on the open door to get his attention. He raised his head to look at me. For the next few seconds, he stood there like that, staring at me. The bruise on his face looked a lot worse.

"Have you seen a ghost?" I asked.

"At least you agreed that you're a ghost." He smirked. "Did you fall into a river?" He asked as he went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"If you open your eyes a bit more, you'll see that it's literally raining cats and dogs." I replied. "Why did you call me? To fire me?"

"Yes, you shouldn't be working here, mopping the floor and dusting windows. You should be out there writing stories. I should ask my father to fire you." He smiled again.

"Don't mock me."

"Fine, I won't tell Babo Sa (father) if you don't want to get fired."

"So you haven't told them yet?" I asked, perplexed.

"You want me to?"

"No." I replied instantly. "Then why did you call me?" I asked after a pause.

"Here." He extended an ointment and a roll of cotton towards me. "Fix this."

"Can't you apply it yourself?" I asked, exasperated.

"You did this to my face. "At least I should make you treat me."

He is right. I thought. I went into the room and took the cotton and ointment.
He looked up at me, grinning like a devil. I could see the triumph on his face.

"I'm doing this just because I didn't mean to hurt you." I said this while applying the ointment to his cheek. He scrunched his eyes from the sudden sting of the ointment.

"Sure you didn't." He mumbled in pain.
He shook his head to the other side when a few drops of water fell from my hair onto his face.

"Stay still." I said this as I pulled up his chin. I briefly looked into his eyes. I cannot lie; his eyes were alluring, like the sunset on the sea. For a moment, the girls admiring him made sense to me.

"You should be a doctor, if not a writer." He said. "Because I don't see it."

"See what?"

"You becoming a writer. I read a little bit of the story. Mine was better."

"Uhuh, in your dreams." I said that and put the bandage on the wound.

"Come on, you know that mine was better. I saw the tension in your face, seeing me compete against you."

His comments vexed me to a greater extent. "Do you want a punch on your other cheek?" I threatened him with my fist. He recoiled and grabbed my wrist. His fingers felt cold against my skin.

"You're like a wild animal. Always violent. You should be tamed." He said while holding my wrist. "Physical violence won't do any good."

I ran out of comebacks. "I prefer to stay feral all the time. So as to sustain among people like you." I said.

...

btw don't forget to like or else Roop's gonna punch yo face. jk 💀