Something About Him

"To say that one waits a lifetime for his soulmate to come around is a paradox. People eventually get sick of waiting, take a chance on someone, and by the art of commitment become soulmates, which takes a lifetime to perfect."

– Criss Jami

"Mia, this is my aunt's sister's daughter-in-law and this is my mom's moms' fourth son. Oh and Maneesh here is my grandma's grandson..." my mother kept pointing at people and introduced them to me, who by the way gave a tight smile and greeted them. My jaw was hurting from so much smiling. The weird thing is that all these people were chatting and laughing like crazy completely avoiding me after their brief introduction.

I sneaked out of one of the conversations and looked around to sit somewhere. I saw Jimin staring at the people and decided to go to him for company. He saw me coming towards him and smiled which I returned. I was almost a few feet away from him when an aunty grabbed my arm and turned me around.

"Mia!" she exclaimed loudly and hugged me. I awkwardly hugged her back glancing at Jimin who stood there with an amused grin.

She broke the hug and looked me from head to toe, "You've grown so big. Wow and cute too" she pinched my cheeks making me wince slightly and rub it. Jimin chuckled covering his mouth with his tiny hands and watched us.

What the hell, women?

She then went on and on about something I don't even remember from my childhood. I just nodded my head and listened with a fake smile. Finally, an older man called her and she bid goodbye to me with a last hug almost choking me to death.

I panted clutching my chest as I heard Jimin laughing and coming towards me.

"Are you okay?" he asked amidst the laughter.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" I shot a glare.

"A little, you looked so desperate" he doubled over laughing.

"Oh man, she was a radio," I fanned myself.

"So, how're your foot?" he asked regaining himself.

"It's pretty good," I said raising a leg to look at it, "Thank you"

"You are always welcome" his eye smile. Oh god!

We both stared at each other. I wanted to be lost in those eyes so bad and that intense stare, it's so alluring. My brain was warning me not to be lost in it but those warnings were far away from my consciousness. The distance between us was approximately 2 feet but the distance between our gazes was zoning out to nothingness. In my peripheral vision, I saw his hand slowly reaching out to touch my face, cheeks to be precise. I waited patiently for the contact. His hand was only inches away from my face when someone grabbed my arm and dragged me away.

I looked at the culprit and was surprised. It was Rithik, Ryan's older brother. I looked back at Jimin whose hand was still in the air as he looked at me wide-eyed.

"Rithik bro?" I asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"Oh um just for some job assigned to me. I can't do it alone" he said without even looking at me, still dragging.

I yanked my hand away from his and followed him to a storeroom in their house.

He turned around and looked at me as I entered the room.

"What's it that I should help?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Uh, are you okay? I mean you don't look fine" he said stuttering.

"I'm fine, I think?" I squinted my eyebrows.

"How is your school going?" he asked again.

"Boring?" I'm not sure now. What's with the random questions?

"How about life? Is it tiring?" he inquired again. I blinked.

"Uh, yeah?" I responded and shook my head, "Why are you asking these questions out of nowhere bro? Are you alright?"

"Sorry, " he looked away nervously as he shifted from one foot to another, "I just wanted to talk to you".

Huh? That's weird. Like I said, out of nowhere?

"What do you wanna talk about?" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him.

"Um, why were you staring at Minshal?" he asked now stern.

"Sorry, who?" I blinked my eyes, frowning.

"The bar attender. Both of you were staring at each other?" he tapped his feet on the floor.

"I was? Sorry, I think I spaced out, I was uh thinking about something" I said guessing when I was actually looking at Jimin he might have misunderstood I was looking at the bar guy. The bar attendee might have been just behind Jimin.

"Oh," he mouthed, "So you wer-"

"No" I shook my head, "Why did you ask this in the first place?"

"Nothing," he said and stood there awkwardly.

"If there is nothing else, can I g-"

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly looking up from the floor, "For what I did 2 years ago"

The memories flowed out of my head and it flicked before my eyes vividly. The night when everything changed and crumpled down. I gritted my teeth and balled my hand into a fist.

Calm down, Mia! It's past, just past!

Don't feel it, ignore it! Conceal it!

"It's o-okay", I bit down on the inside of my cheeks, "You've already apologized many times."

"No, it's not. I feel guilty thinking about it. I feel depressed when I see you now, you re not you. You've changed a lot. And I know it's all because of me." he said looking at me apologetically.

"I've been hearing that for 2 years, bro" I sighed annoyed a little as he was making me remember all about it, "Like I'm saying to all of them, I'm happy with who I am right now. This is me I like and I'm going to remain like this."

"I'm sorry-"

"If you say sorry one more time, trust me bro I'm gonna kick you," I said glaring at him.

"Okay, I won't" he raised his head smiling.

"Finally, whatever it is, it's over bro. Let's just talk about the present" I said.

"I'm glad that you are fine," he smiled popping his dimples out, "Everything good between us?"

"Yeah" I smiled a little.

His phone rang flashing his girlfriend's name.

He glanced over at me.

"C'mon, go take it, bro," I nudged him with a playful smile.

He smiled widely and walked out of the store taking the phone talking sweetly to the girl.

I sighed and squat down on the floor.

Don't think about it! Don't! Don't! You have moved on! Pull yourself together!

I stood up straight and looked straight ahead with confidence, raising my head.

I closed my eyes and breathed in-out.

After calming myself, I stepped out and the first thing I saw was a guy chasing behind a cute little cat. He was giggling to himself and was cutting through the people to chase it. Finally, he caught it and picked it up the floor into his chest, cuddling with it. Automatically a small smile formed on my lips as all my worries and problems vanished in an instant. Only he was capable of making me smile when I was depressed or sad. What are you doing to me?

Jimin kissed the cat and held the cat close to his chest. His gaze caught mine as he smiled widely and waved me over to come to him, which I did.

Thank god he was in a comparatively deserted place or people might have freaked out witnessing a cat floating in the air. How hilarious would that be!

"Why are you chasing behind that cat, Jimin?" I asked when I reached him.

"Isn't she cute?" he asked chuckling and caressing its fur.

"It's a she?" I asked looking at the white cat with ginger spots over its body. It was comparatively small maybe just a couple of days after it was born. Its eyes were closed, and was snuggling into Jimin's shirt clutching him tightly.

"Yes, can we take her home?" he asked with big doe eyes.

"What? No!" I exclaimed.

"Please...." oh, there are his puppy eyes and pouting lips. Aish! I turned my head away from him not wanting to agree with him, "Please...please. I will take care of her, you don't have to do anything. Just carry her home?"

He kept persuading me and in the end, I had to agree.

"Fine" I sighed rolling my eyes, "I'll ask dad whether he'll agree to take her in the car"

"Yay!" he jumped waking the cat up. Jimin then cradled her in his arms and she went back to sleep peacefully.

"And put that thing down, " I said pinching my eyebrows, "People don't want to see a floating cat"

"Oh," he sat down on the floor putting the cat between his legs and caressing it with care. He was literally lying on the floor.

I rolled my eyes. What's he even doing?

Now I have to take care of a cat and a ghost.