C U 2MROW @ 9 (June 29, 2016)

A ‘hello’ couldn’t have been more exotic. Something like a rattle crept up his whole body. She talked in whispers and so did he. They both had that feeling of shyness till the end of the first minute. Silence and deep breaths had followed the everlasting ‘hello’. The darkness and stillness of the night had blindfolded Mannu and seized his lips.

“Pia...” He breathed on her through my phone.

“Yaaa... I’m on the line...” said Pia in a low and dusky voice.

 Something happened inside his body, again.

“Have you turned off the lights, Pia?” Mannu asked her, checking the door..

“No... Shall I?”

“Yes... why not?”

“Wait a second...”

“Okay....”

Even after hiding himself under a sheet and that too in the month of May, he was shivering.

Oh God... help me. Mannu prayed and checked the door again to ensure safety.

“Mannu...” She spoke. Her words were accompanied with a tail of some deep, warm breaths. They had the warmth just like the first fire of a dark winter night which heals the soul and the body. She was nervous.

“Congratulations....We are...” She choked.

“Hmmmm...Speak up...” Mannu whispered, peeping out of the sheet to get a glimpse of the door. Everything was fine. Mrs. K and Channu were asleep.

“I am sorry. I don’t know what happened. But I guess it was Anuskha who did it. She came to my room. We sat for a very long time and she would have sent you those messages.Now i feel how foolish I was to tell her everything. She was jealous, I knew, but how could she do it. I am sorry. Please forgive me.” She spoke altogether breaking the long silence.

“ I... I love you.” She continued.

Mannu was speechless. Such was the magic in her voice.  A tear drop rolled out Mannu’s eyes.    

“Even if you don’t say... I know you love me.” She broke the silence, again.

A smile parted Mannu’s dried lips. He didn’t want to disturb the thought by drinking water.

“I love you too.”

“I knew in my heart that you couldn’t message me those words...But..I’m sorry too. I doubted on you. I shouldn’t have done that. I was wrong Pia...I am sorry.”   

She was shy and Mannu was glad as she praised him for his courage to speak up that he loved her. Still Mannu’s heart was pounding up and down. He woke up again and again and again to check if he had become a victim of Mrs.K’s eyes. But till now he was safe.