Chapter 5

My practical and theory finals came to an end by 6th July '19. But my project presentation was holding me back, to grab my graduation certificate. In fact, after my last theory paper, the days passed, being a busy bee. Mornings in the laboratory, evenings with Armaan, discussing my project, and spending sleepless nights, eyes glued to the laptop screen. Those eyes were thirsty for rest. We, students, have the ability to dump our works till the final day arrives nearer. The more nearer it comes, we gather our awareness of being trapped in 'lack of time' plus, extra strength to complete our work in a rush. The same defined my condition as well.

"I heard some footsteps last night. Armaan why don't you trust me? I was fully awake whole night, typing my project. In fact, during my theory finals, I heard the footsteps. You know well that I spend sleepless nights during my exams. That might be a thief. Besides, the most riskier part is, one of my room's window is broken" - I was speaking to Armaan in his living room, among one of the evenings while discussing my project work.

"How can it be a thief? Don't you lock the main gate? That might be one of your three rent mates sharing the same campus or a kitty or a doggy passing by,"  he investigated.

I said, "Earlier I used to lock the door but now our new rentmate does that, who arrives late at night. I have not even met him, yet. Rather none of my other three rentmates have met him as well. Our owner had informed us about the new rentmate. Moreover, no one goes by that side to stroll in the garbage dumping slot."

He tried to relax me, "Fear can sometimes predominate over our stress. And hallucination predominates over our fear. So, you need to rest well to give you best presentation the next day."

I nodded. "Hmm.... Probably, you are right,"

Finally, my delivery day approached. It was the first opportunity to present my experimental work in front of highly educated professors. Beating away my nervousness, I delivered my best. My guide was proud of me which added to my achievement. There my hard works ended, to grab my graduation certificate. Everyone being a student had felt that heart-pounding happy moment, on the last day of school/college's examinations. Alas, that was officially the last day with everyone in the H.G. college, before getting the title of ex-student by the college.

That evening, I and Armaan had planned for an outing. We picked one of our favorite places. The yellow-colored rays showered by the sodium street lights relaxed my eyesight. The portion where its dimness is spread, we sat there. The cars and bikes also spread their lights. The assemblage of those white rays fell on our eyes for a while and then moved away. It repeated with the passage of each and every vehicle. Those overlapping rays, define the truth of life - dimmed rays of happiness continues a life, maintaining consistency and sometimes brighter rays of happiness garnishes over this consistency.

The pavement on the footpath where we sat, faces a top view of a mango tree. The motion of two, three, or four-wheelers disturb the air, to allow a cool breeze to blow. We talked, we laughed, we spent our best evenings, sitting there. Our voice waves overlapping the wind waves, tickled the leaves of that mango tree to move, indicating a response to our discussion. Moreover, walking on that footpath and heading down, gave a view of the busy street of Chandmari. Crossing the roadside scenario, there arrived a railway track. It is that side of the Chandmari flyover where I and Armaan use to walk together, whenever possible but, never hand in hand. Somewhere, we both were more like friends, away from relationship's bindings. We used to enjoy each other's company, laugh to the fullest, spoke our hearts out, and live the moment of togetherness. Sometimes, these aspects go missing in a relationship when overshadowed by some rules of possessiveness.

                       *****

A voice asked me, "Lap of nature or a bungalow?"

I didn't exactly remember, the sex of the voice. Darkness didn't allow me to differentiate, whether my eyelids were open or close.

I replied, "On the lap of nature." As soon as I replied, I felt a hand grabbing my left hand. Our fingers were locked. That palm felt rough and tough, sketching a manly hand. A piece of melodious music was turned on. The tune depicts the sound of sea waves, scaled up by the chirping of birds, breaking the consistency of the tune.

His hand allowed me to step out of the darkness. The disappearance of the darkness, supervised my eyes the theme  of the piece of the music - a beach. The water waves were teasing the sand particles - beating and running away.

"I will support you, innocent sand particles,"  I shouted, running, to fight against the sea waves. The beach was all empty. No one was present there but I felt his palm which meant someone was there running with me. As my game started I was freed from the grip. I shooed away the waves, till my breath shortened and laid on the sand, on my back.

Suddenly, the grip prisoned me, again. The water waves were tickling the sole of my foot. The wind waves were playing with my hairs, tangling them, and jabbing on my face. Another hand slipped off my hair strands, towards the back of my left ear. I didn't bother, as my glance was lost somewhere above the endless ceiling of the universe. The Queen of the night sky - The crescent moon was surrounded by the royal jewelry of twinkling stars, enhancing its beauty.

His hand pulled me up and his voice whispered in my ears, "I want to walk to the end of the beach with you."

I agreed and started walking. I was overwhelmed by the night scenary of the beach. I was neither nervous nor fiercer, for being accompanied by an unseen grip.

Strolling for quite a distance, I observed something unbelievable. There was a patch of grass that felt like a mirage on the beach. The patch was ornamented with beads of flowers. Blooming flowers attracted varieties of butterflies. The butterflies looked different. Their wings were sparling as if, someone has sprinkled glitters over them. I was grinning, looking at their flickering wings. I sensed the warmth of someone's breath for a few seconds near my earlobe. I was about to turn that side but a whisper froze me, "I know colorful butterflies are your addiction. Your addictions make you more adorable to me"

My lips curved. The easiest way to make a girl happier is, just make her feel special. The voice did the same.

Silently, I tiptoed towards them. I was about to grab a butterfly but the sound of a glass falling on the floor, blurred away everything. I turned on the bed-switch. My eyes fell on the clock hand that struck at 3 am. I looked all around and saw, a glass falling on the ground that was kept on the study table, beside my bed. I thought it to be a mouse, who kicked off the steel glass that blocked his path.

"Wasn't that a unique dream?" I was narrating the dream, I saw last night, to Armaan at a tea stall.  He used to visit that stall every evening. He was laughing at my fairytale.

I continued, "But the strange thing was, I was given an option to create my dream. What if, if I would have chosen the bungalow?"

"Next time choose a bungalow and please take me along with you. I will buy that for us" - He teased me. I turned into an angry bird and punched him on his back.

"By the way, I'm jealous. No one has the right to grab my favorite hand of yours" - He said and curved his lips downward, stretching his eyebrows nearer. I pulled his cheek and said, "C'mon, that was just a dream." "But baby, if it turns out to be real ever, then will you leave my hand to grab that hand?" He interrogated in a childish manner.