Shimmers & Shrouds (Abstruse) (22 page)

Theo:
             

Me:

Oceana was finally going to spend some time with the person who was going to remain loyal to her. I should have been happy at the realization but I felt like crying.

Theo:

 Uh―oh this was turning out to be a question session that was making me lie to the guy who was actually helping me out.

Me:

Theo:
        

I smiled. This was certainly something that he deserved. I loved him for whatever he did tonight.

Me:

Theo:

Me:

Theo:

Me:

Tragedy

I stood at the front of her apartment. After promising myself that I wouldn’t step inside, I couldn’t help but break it. That girl in there was in a miserable condition because of me.

I was sure that Theo hadn’t taken her his home because of her impossible behaviour after gaining her senses. But I wished she wasn’t inside. I couldn’t face her after all what I said to her. The damage I’d done to her, I just wished if it was repairable.

I took my pair of keys and unlocked the door. It was dark inside. I managed to reach the bedside without making any sound. By the edge, I felt her hand stuck out of the covers. I switched the lamp on and found her sleeping soundly. Her face was peaceful and her breathing, even. I sat there, on the floor, staring at her. Even while sleeping, she looked captivating. I raised my hand to touch her face but withdrew pretty soon. Touching the face of the person I’d ruined to an impossible extent was a courageous task. I lacked the nerve to do it.

Despite hurting her and the promises to never show up, I
ended up here at four in the morning. Solace, she was my solace. She was like a drug to me, something that would destroy me if I didn’t stop consumption, but the craving of her was having an upper hand at this.

With emotions held back, I started speaking to her as if she would really
hear me saying all what I was going to say.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                            “I’d promised that I would never come in front of you. But here I am, and yet you can’t see me. So I am pretty much sticking to this promise, aren’t I? Theo says you were singing in Italian. You never sang to me.”