A week had passed by in Kochi. Life was back on track, things going back to normal. My parents had stopped asking about the trip and I had stopped narrating the incidents that happened. I was getting busy with my life. I had a lot of pending work waiting for me.

Siddhi had called me first time after leaving for Banaras though we had exchanged some messages among us.

“How is your Sunday going?” She questioned as I sighed at the thought of Sunday.

I was sitting in the balcony, on my favorite swing, looking at the sky. The sun was on the verge of setting down which meant, Sunday was on the verge of ending and I didn’t like the thought of it. Because I wasn’t prepared to welcome the Monday.
“It was going fine until I realize it going to end soon.”

She laughed at my response, “had you called Bhai? He had been asking about you on one of his messages.” She sounded confused, “it’s me who ask about him to you. Have you both quarreled or something?”

“No,” I lied. “Just busy with life and I am considering your advice of maintaining the distance. Why to break my heart by raising hope? There are huge chances that I might not even meet him again.”

“As much as I want to argue with you on the topic,” she paused for a moment. “You’re correct! Raising hope would mean destruction.” She sighed and I nodded as I allowed the sadness to settle in my heart rather than trying  to dismiss it.

“I hope, I have not offended you with my words.” Siddhi continued sounding worried with my lack of response.

“You haven’t! It just, I am allowing the truth to settle in.”

“Things will get better, Nivi.” Siddhi was attempting to cheer me.

“Surely it will!” Though I was unsure but for her, I uttered those words.

•••

“Hello!” I hesitated as I called back. I wasn’t fond of calls and usually ignored it but it was from Ahmed, Faizal’s brother-in-law.
What could be the reason? I wasn’t in contact with Faizal from past one week. I had ignored his existence and the worse part was he didn’t contact as well. He didn’t dial again. Didn’t even messaged if I had reached home safe.

“How are you?” Ahmed spoke from the other hand. “I didn’t want to disturb, are you busy?” He inquired, I glanced at the watch. Eleven at night, why would he call at such an hour? Was Faizal fine? That was the first thought that crossed my mind.

“I am free…” I stopped the urge of asking him about Faizal.

“Azia was acting stubborn,” he responded sounding guilty. “She wasn’t listening or I would have never called at such an hour.”

“Really sorry, Nivi.” Farya spoked from the background. “She isn’t going to sleep, keeps on mentioning you.”

“Oh! Its fine,” I assured them. “I was just watching TV.” I explained as I found my parents staring at me with curious orbs. I rarely got calls! And I never received them until it was important.

“If you don’t mind, can I video call?” Farya inquired, I felt conscious for a moment. Picking calls were new for me, video call was out of the syllabus.

“Fine,” I couldn’t deny. It was for Azia, I repeated it to myself.

I ended the call, waiting for the video call as I stood from the couch of the living area. “Who it is?” Dad was the first to inquire while mom was staring at me with questioning gaze.

“Zoya’s sister,” I showed the cell. “Her daughter wants to have a video call with me.” I explained, I was on the verge of standing up to get to my room.

“Where are you going?” Dad inquired, “we want to meet them as well.”

“But…” I wasn’t sure about the idea.

For me it wasn’t about them meeting Zoya’s sister rather them meeting someone related to Faizal. Their opinion about her was of high importance because first impression was hard to break.

“Now?” I was uncertain about the new development. “They are calling for Azia,” I shrugged my shoulder. “What if they don’t want to talk?” I inquired, “I wasn’t that close to her…” I paused, pleading with dad. “I don’t think it is a good idea.”

“You did praise them, so I just wanted to talk with them.”

“Farya is different,” I tired to reason-out. Farya wasn’t really good with me during our initial meeting. I wasn’t sure how she would behave in front of my parents. It would upset me if she acted in the manner, she acted towards me. Her behavior towards me had changed yet her mindset hadn’t! For her I was a girl born in a Hindu family and it would always remain the same.

The cell rang not giving me to complete the statement. I picked the call if I moved towards the room, my parents won’t like it. I prayed that she might act nicely as I hadn’t mentioned those incidents at home. I had recollected all the positive aspects of the journey.

“Hello!” Farya waved as she adjusted the screen so I could glimpse at crying Azia on her lap. “She is acting so stubborn from past one day.”

“Hey!” I waved at Azia trying to grab her attention but she was continuously crying. “What’s wrong with her? Is her health fine?” I was getting concern on seeing those orbs filled with tears.

“She has been behaving moody from past two days,” Farya mumbled. “She just kept repeating your name so we were forced to call you.” She sounded guilty while I blinked my orbs in assurance.

“It’s alright,” I passed a smile at her. “I wanted to talk as well.”

“I said the same thing!” Ahmed muttered in the background, “but Faizal wasn’t allowing. He wasn’t ready to call.”

“Why should I?” I heard his voice. My heart skipped a beat on hearing him. I was hearing him after more than a week. It was hard to control the emotions I felt on listening to his voice. “If you wanted, you should have called yourself.”

“I was uncertain if she would receive an unknown number.” He provided with his explanation.

“I have your number saved,” I informed.

“But I didn’t share mine,” he was confused.

“I did,” Faizal muttered.

“Hey,” there was silence and Farya was staring at Azia who was staring at me with her almond orbs.

“Aww…” she looked so adorable. “How are you, Azia?”

“Candu…” she had extended her tiny palms towards me.

I so wished I was there and could carry her in my arms. The way a small smile was playing on her lips was an indicator that she was missing me.

“Her voice…” Farya expressed as she was adoring her daughter. “Why can’t I hear it more?”

“You will soon,” I assured her while Farya passed me a sweet-smile.

“I hope, we hadn’t disturbed you by calling you at such an hour.” She sounded guilty, “how are you and what were you doing?”

“I am fine, was just watching Tv.”

“Alone?” Ahmed peeped into the screen.

“With parents,” I informed as I passed a smile at my parents who were listening to our conversation. “Wait a second,” I moved the screen in a manner so they could glance at the phone. “They are Zoya’s sister and brother-in-law, and that is Azia.”

“Hi! Uncle, Aunty,” Ahmed waved at them.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Farya smiled, “you have very young parents.”

Mom laughed at the compliment. “You wanted to say a young mother but an old father.” Dad added making the others laugh.

“No…” Farya was nervous but dad’s laugh calmed her down.

“It nice to meet you as well,” dad continued. “We had heard a lot about you, all. Thanks for treating her as a part of your family. She isn’t normally an outgoing person. She had never gone on trip with her friends and I was very scared about her decision to attend a wedding so far from us. Especially when we hadn’t seen her,” he paused for a second.

“Where is Zoya’s brother?” Dad looked at me for an answer. My heart accelerated at the highest speed. Why he wanted to talk to Faizal.

“Why?” I stared at him in horror. What was going in his mind?

“Faizal, he wants to talk to you.” Ahmed didn’t waste a second and handed the phone to Faizal. I wasn’t able to move my gaze from the screen. I was seeing him after more than a week when I had accepted that I won’t be ever gifted to glimpse at it. His hands were busy keeping those hairs on their respective place while he was glaring at Ahmed.

“Hello, uncle!” Faizal managed to fake a smile until his orbs glanced at me. I could feel his orbs softening as he glanced at me. As if he was waiting for the moment as much as me yet I opted to ignore it. To name it as my delusion.

“Hello,” dad passed a smile. “I had heard a lot of scolding for doubting your intention.” I was offering glare at dad but he opted to ignore it. “I didn’t want to humiliate you, I was just concerned about my beloved daughter.”

“Dad…” I pulled the phone away from him, attempting hard to cover the camera. “What are you doing?”

“You wanted that I apologize to him.”

“I never said that!” I yelled in annoyance. “This is so embarrassing…” I cried in embarrassment, “what would they think about me?” I groaned as I ended the call. “You shouldn’t have done that!” I was glaring at him while he laughed.

“I was teasing you and they will get it!” He patted my head. “They seemed nice,” dad passed me a smile.

“You never told us why you had to travel with him alone?” Mom interrogated; I lowered my head.

“I lost the bus,” I mumbled. “He stayed behind so I won’t be left alone.”

“How you lost the bus?” Dad got curious.
“I went to washroom,” I shrugged my shoulder.

“And they didn’t wait for you?” Mom was staring at me with her sharp orbs.

“Mom, they couldn’t…”

“What you mean by they couldn’t…” Mom was glaring at me. “They had no problem with keeping you behind in that deserted road. A place you had no knowledge about… How could they do that with their guest?” She was fuming in anger, “and you call them nice.”

“You can’t blame them all because one wasn’t ready to listen.” I felt the need to justify them. “If they were so cruel Faizal wouldn’t had stayed behind.”

“There is nothing to glorify his actions, that is humanity.” Mom grumbled as she walked out of the living room. Dad stared at me with his concerned orbs.

“Are you sure that they treated you well?” There was worry underlying in his orbs. I gave a slight nod in assurance yet he wasn’t convinced. It didn’t turn out as planned! The first impression had turned so wrong!

•••

My heart was getting anxious after the conversation I had with Faizal. I had controlled my urges not to contact him but upon seeing his face. I wasn’t able to hold myself back. I was staring at the screen from past half-an-hour. I sighed as I kept it aside.

“Is someone going to call you?” My colleague inquired, staring at me with concern. “You seem lost?”

“I am not just in a mood,” I shrugged it off.

“There would be some reason behind it,” she was encouraging me to share but I wasn’t sure if she would understand. She was closest to me after Faizal and Siddhi yet I couldn’t must the courage to inform her about Faizal. I wasn’t sure about her reaction. How would she react on knowing that I had developed feelings for a human I met online. The person who comes from a completely different background and caste and considers me nothing more than a friend.

“You are acting different from the moment you have return from the wedding,” she kept staring at me. “You can share if there is a problem.” I decided to unfold the events that had taken place.

“I am not able to avoid a person,” I shrugged my shoulder. “I am aware that person isn’t good for my mental peace yet I keep walking back to him. I don’t give care about my self-respect.”

“Oh!” Ashwariya passed me an understanding smile. “I don’t take you for a girl who will waste your time on the person that doesn’t care for you.”

“But he acts as if he doesn’t! He hadn’t called me after I ignored his one call. That isn’t how I will act if I am getting worried about someone,” I was huffing in irritation. “I don’t want to initiate the conversation. Why should I always start it? Can’t for once he initiates it?”

“Do you believe he wants to talk to you?” She inquired; her orbs were examining my expressions.

“He liked my stories, he randomly doesn’t!” I huffed. “He does that small things and convince me that he is interested. A day before he responded to one of the messages, I shared in the group. Though he had ignored bunch of other messages.” I paused, glancing at her for her reaction. “Do you think that I am delusional? It might mean nothing…” I shrugged my shoulder, narrating the entire incident that had taken place in my life.

“Does he do this often when you keep him in silent mode?”

“I don’t keep him in silent mode,” I glared at her. “Why can’t he drop a message asking if I am fine?”

“He might had tired it before and you just ignored him,” she pressed. “Because you weren’t in a mood…” she suggested. “What if, he just trying to offer you with space when you’re mad at him? Maybe he wants to talk but he is just clueless how to start it, without offending or upsetting your already sulky mood?”

“You shouldn’t be supporting my delusional, Aishu.” I groaned at the new scenarios shaping in my mind. “This are only going to make the situation worse,” I cried in displeasure.

“According to me nowadays people have enough option to entertain them,” Aishwariya was smiling at me. “If someone is there, replying to you, listening to you, waiting for you. They are as interested in the bond you share with them as much, you’re.” She blinked her orbs in assurance, “believe me…” she smiled at me. “If he wasn’t… he wouldn’t have been tolerating your tantrums. People don’t have time to deal with it!”

“But if he doesn’t want to behave rude with me? Maybe that’s the reason he is dealing with my nonsense.”

“He wanted you in his sister’s wedding,” Ashwariya was staring at me in disbelief. “If a guy isn’t serious, he won’t ever introduce you to his family.”

“But that was his sister’s plan, she wanted to meet us.”

“But there will be a reason behind his sister’s interest in you. She had never had a proper conversation with you yet she fought with her father, why? Because she knew your importance in her brother’s life.” Ashwariya sighed, “you say, he is different. Difficult to understand, if you will back off, who will understand him?”

“What if he doesn’t want to talk with me?”
“He will clear it up if he doesn’t want to…” she paused for a moment, “don’t assume on your own. Let him say it out loud, listen to your intuition. It won’t lie!”

On Ashwariya’s advise, I typed a message to Faizal.