Imperfect Perfections

[26] Come Inside

I was at a loss for words.

It felt like the sky had darkened all of a sudden, giving space to a hole for me and him to fall into. I stood still, like a statue, staring at his courage and fearlessness.

What the heck was he processing now?

Harith broke the silence.

"Does that even make sense?'

He simply kept staring at me. With those stern footsteps punching the grass yard, he exhaled,

"What's correct and what isn't doesn't change my feelings for you"

My oxygen level was deteriorating at an extreme level. If this was anything that I had dreamed of as a love expression, this was the worst.

"You mean to say, that you love her-'

"FAHIM!"

The screech made me wince. Harith's hands held mine in a second.

Fathima threw herself from the bench, dashed for Fahim's spot, and with all the force she could grab, she threw a fierce and strong slap against his face; his right cheek.

My gasp must have echoed in the air then,

"Fathima!", Harith exclaimed but was too late. A cute clingy monkey had heard enough.

She sounded hurt when she spoke,

"You brat!! You-u-u could have just-t-t said it-t without beating about the bush-h-h"

Fahim's face came back from the effect of the violence and stood before her, as the same.

"I tried to but you never lend me ears"

She sighed. I could feel her pain. Like the vibrations of sound, it came out to me and my mind revolved around it,

"She loves me, Fathima and I love her too. You should have noticed"

I looked up at his face. He was staring at me like there was not a denial to that.

I stared at Harith whose hands were curled with mine.

He simply held my face and smiled,

"As long as you are happy"

I wanted to hug him.

But my mind knew this was wrong, and the moment it spilled through my mind, she screamed,

"I'm gonna tell-l this back home-e-e...Get yourselves married-d-d"

I bit my tongue.

Harith stopped her, "Actually Fathima, their feelings are still in the way of learning and-"

"NO, IT DOESN'T SEEM SO!"

I stared at the girl who was blasting open now. Fathima was weeping,

"This isn't true...This isn't...'

I felt her. As much as what she was feeling now.

"We are betrothed, you fool!!!", she slapped his chest, again and again, finally falling on her knees. Her hairband came off in the fall, and her silky hair concealed her face.

I couldn't move.

My body was still.

"Let's go...", Harith whispered.

I looked at him, fighting my own emotions.

"We need to go. The bus will be here in five minutes"

I stared at Fahim, who was looking at Fathima now. Harith trudged towards Fahim and leaned closer. Something was exchanged then. Neither the stunned me who stood feet apart knew nor the collapsed figure below them.

However, after that, not a word was said.

We left in the last lucky bus.

Me and Harith, on the last seat, sitting side by side.

And Fahim who had successfully carried Fathima in her arms, on the front seat.

The awkwardness was there.

So I didn't ask him what he had said. But his face said, he had said something too hard, for it looked worried and stressed as much as anything. To be honest, I had never seen him like that.

Never in my life.

For a minute, I froze.

And the entire trip back home to our hotel was left in this silence.

"Your hungry?"

The knock on my door was expected. Though I had expected it earlier, I didn't know what to make of this awkwardness earlier, and how long it would take to compromise.

But the man I had expected hadn't arrived. Instead, someone else had.

Harith came.

"There are some fruits downstairs"

I shook my head, "No, I don't really want anything"

He nodded. He was in track pants and a hoodie, trying to maintain a smile. He stood there, not knowing what to ask. Usually, this never happened with us.

"Harith, wanna come in?'

He stared at me, in shock.

I nodded, "Come on. Let's get something to eat and talk"

He was so unsure about it that he actually went,

"It's past midnight and you wanna eat now?"

I sneered, "Its not like you and I can sleep after what happened tonight"

He gawked at me like I had read his mind.

He scratched his forehead and nodded.

Then slowly made his way inside.

And the door closed.

Little did I know, the situation would go steamy.

I was at a loss for words.

It felt like the sky had darkened all of a sudden, giving space to a hole for me and him to fall into. I stood still, like a statue, staring at his courage and fearlessness.

What the heck was he processing now?

Harith broke the silence.

"Does that even make sense?'

He simply kept staring at me. With those stern footsteps punching the grass yard, he exhaled,

"What's correct and what isn't doesn't change my feelings for you"

My oxygen level was deteriorating at an extreme level. If this was anything that I had dreamed of as a love expression, this was the worst.

"You mean to say, that you love her-'

"FAHIM!"

The screech made me wince. Harith's hands held mine in a second.

Fathima threw herself from the bench, dashed for Fahim's spot, and with all the force she could grab, she threw a fierce and strong slap against his face; his right cheek.

My gasp must have echoed in the air then,

"Fathima!", Harith exclaimed but was too late. A cute clingy monkey had heard enough.

She sounded hurt when she spoke,

"You brat!! You-u-u could have just-t-t said it-t without beating about the bush-h-h"

Fahim's face came back from the effect of the violence and stood before her, as the same.

"I tried to but you never lend me ears"

She sighed. I could feel her pain. Like the vibrations of sound, it came out to me and my mind revolved around it,

"She loves me, Fathima and I love her too. You should have noticed"

I looked up at his face. He was staring at me like there was not a denial to that.

I stared at Harith whose hands were curled with mine.

He simply held my face and smiled,

"As long as you are happy"

I wanted to hug him.

But my mind knew this was wrong, and the moment it spilled through my mind, she screamed,

"I'm gonna tell-l this back home-e-e...Get yourselves married-d-d"

I bit my tongue.

Harith stopped her, "Actually Fathima, their feelings are still in the way of learning and-"

"NO, IT DOESN'T SEEM SO!"

I stared at the girl who was blasting open now. Fathima was weeping,

"This isn't true...This isn't...'

I felt her. As much as what she was feeling now.

"We are betrothed, you fool!!!", she slapped his chest, again and again, finally falling on her knees. Her hairband came off in the fall, and her silky hair concealed her face.

I couldn't move.

My body was still.

"Let's go...", Harith whispered.

I looked at him, fighting my own emotions.

"We need to go. The bus will be here in five minutes"

I stared at Fahim, who was looking at Fathima now. Harith trudged towards Fahim and leaned closer. Something was exchanged then. Neither the stunned me who stood feet apart knew nor the collapsed figure below them.

However, after that, not a word was said.

We left in the last lucky bus.

Me and Harith, on the last seat, sitting side by side.

And Fahim who had successfully carried Fathima in her arms, on the front seat.

The awkwardness was there.

So I didn't ask him what he had said. But his face said, he had said something too hard, for it looked worried and stressed as much as anything. To be honest, I had never seen him like that.

Never in my life.

For a minute, I froze.

And the entire trip back home to our hotel was left in this silence.

"Your hungry?"

The knock on my door was expected. Though I had expected it earlier, I didn't know what to make of this awkwardness earlier, and how long it would take to compromise.

But the man I had expected hadn't arrived. Instead, someone else had.

Harith came.

"There are some fruits downstairs"

I shook my head, "No, I don't really want anything"

He nodded. He was in track pants and a hoodie, trying to maintain a smile. He stood there, not knowing what to ask. Usually, this never happened with us.

"Harith, wanna come in?'

He stared at me, in shock.

I nodded, "Come on. Let's get something to eat and talk"

He was so unsure about it that he actually went,

"It's past midnight and you wanna eat now?"

I sneered, "Its not like you and I can sleep after what happened tonight"

He gawked at me like I had read his mind.

He scratched his forehead and nodded.

Then slowly made his way inside.

And the door closed.

Little did I know, the situation would go steamy.