Maya

"Oh son! Where are you lost?

This will take another hour. You are young, there's the shore, the weather is romantic, enjoy enjoy."

I smiled at Kaka as he winked at me. I turned around and checked on Karan and Khushi, who were busy enjoying their ice cream. You know, romantic weather, young people, blah blah. I smiled again and then got back to what I was doing.

She was standing far from me, very close to the sea. The waves were touching her bare feet as if pacifying her. Her hair flowing with the breeze like one makes this free, wavy movement with their hand in the cold breeze before rain.

I walked towards her and stood beside her. She didn't move. Her face looked tired, beautifully pale, her eyes were heavy and dry, and her mouth, gulping in all the emotions like a chocolate. Her mint dress was flirting with both the sea and the wind, just like her hair kissing her face, sliding into her eyes and on her forehead and lips. Her left arm was folded and left fist half open. I say half open and not half closed because she always asks me to be more positive. Her right arm rested on it, her fingers playing (hopefully) with her silver necklace as if she was lost in deep thought, trying to figure something out. I knew she knew I was standing there. I knew she was upset and that nothing that I'd say could comfort her. It's crazy how even in pain, she looked like the most beautiful girl I had ever seen and I'll ever see again.

I took a deep breath and gathered all the courage I could from the wind and said, "Can I be your hero for a while?"

She stared at me with confused eyes but the hope in her eyes made me a little nervous.

"Tum pehle bhi itni khoobsurat thi ya waqt ne kiya koi haseen sitam?" She smiled at me shyly and looked away, her smile slowly faded, and so did mine. It felt as if my heart got a really hard blow. I lowered my eyes for a second and then looked at the silent sea.

"Here!" I took some water in my hands and flung it on her face. I don't say 'threw it' because if she were here right now, she'd say it's a negative word. She put her hand on her face and smiled again, and it faded again. My heart broke, like the mirror breaks, when attacked with a hammer.

We stood there in silence for the next 10 minutes, looking at the sea and the setting sun. I only looked at her once, and saw her crying without tears. I tried really hard to think of a way to distract her, make her smile a little longer, but in vain. Something struck my mind and I was about to speak when I saw her lips moving. She wanted to say something, maybe share her pain, but she stopped. After two minutes of me staring at her and she preparing herself to speak, she finally said, "Armaan, I know you're concerned, and I'm very grateful to you for that, but, all I want right now, is silence, and some time."

"Do you want a hug?" I regretted it the second after I said it because we'd never shook hands after we first met, and the flashbacks of that day started playing in my mind. Maya, I hadn't seen a girl more beautiful. My heart ached at the thought of the happy, sarcastic, loud girl who could speak for two days straight but only if you'd listen to her. I looked at her and she smiled.

"No I'll be fine, really. Thank you for being there and accompanying me to get Chhoti, I'm satisfied that at least now she'll get all the love she didn't, during all these years because of an adopted child. It really meant a lot, it gave me the strength to talk to her and get her back to her home."

I did that thing that you do when you don't say welcome but express it, the thing with lips, moving them a little inwards, I hope you got me because I don't know how to explain it.

I wanted to say that I was going to be there for her and I was to be her strength whenever she needed me to be, that I was ready to share all the silence she needs with her. Just when I was about to say it, my phone rang. "Girlfriend with a heart? She's a lucky girl, I must say." She smiled and continued, "Talk to her, she must be worried. I'm fine". She turned to the other side. I picked up the call and looked at her while talking. She folded her arms, closed her fists, her head looking at her feet (probably) and she started walking. I felt a sudden pain, my heart asked me to stop her, but I watched her, walk away from me, trying to put aside the thought of her, and continued talking to the love of my life.

.

"Armaan, where are you lost? Watch the movie!"