Vibrant

I trudged down the grey street noticing how the once blue grocery store was now grey. In fact, everything was grey. My clothes, my shoes, my bag, the trees, the sky, the clouds. Everything!

My mind couldn’t help but think of Praveen. He bought colour into my life. Both literally and figuratively. We live in a world that is in shades of grey till we meet our soulmates. Then the world becomes bright and colourful. A metaphor for how we feel when someone important comes into our lives. It however only happened if both parties felt the same way.

I lived in that vivid world till about a year ago. Why did it have to end?

*3 years ago *

I kicked a charcoal-coloured stone as my best friend Seema yapped on about how amazing it is to see the world in colour. She had recently found her soulmate and was enthralled by the radiant colours. I couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous, I so badly wanted to experience this. I was nineteen and had never seen any shade other than grey. 

Anyway, the both of us along with her soulmate Aryen were going to a club tonight. Maybe I will find someone there. I hope I find someone there. I do not want to third wheel the whole night.

Soon, we reached my house and greeted my parents. They were so lucky. They have spent twenty years living in a vibrant world. 

I dragged Seema up to my room where we started getting ready for clubbing. The legal age was 16 so we were in the clear. 

I wore a knee-length sleeveless bodycon dress with pumps and she wore a floor-length figure-hugging dress with a slit on the right leg paired with strappy heels. It's not like what we wore mattered. Everything was in a dull grey. Well, it mattered for her now as she could actually see colours. 

We took a cab as none of us wanted to be the designated driver. We were at the club to have fun. 

On entering, she immediately spotted Aryen and introduced us. He was handsome with shaggy hair and a sharp jawline. I noticed the looks of adoration he was throwing her way. I was extremely happy for my best friend. She deserved to be with someone who treats her well. But their sappiness was getting too much for me, so I excused myself and headed towards the bar. 

As I approached the bar, I noticed that the usual woman who bartended was missing. In her place was a guy who I couldn’t see properly due to the throng of crowds dancing. I sat myself down on the barstool and called out for the bartender. As he turned, my breath caught in my throat. He was even attractive in grey!

I took a good look at him and almost fell off my chair. His face was bronze and his lips were a juicy red. The wine bottles around us turned a translucent green and the counter a dark brown. 

He looked just as taken back as I. He almost dropped the glass he was holding. He quickly composed himself and asked me what drink I wanted.

“Bloody Mary.”, I replied as nonchalantly as I could. But inside I was hyperventilating. I was seeing in colour! It was amazing. And somehow this Adonis was attracted to me.

He swiftly prepared my drink before coming and sitting next to me. He sent a smile my way which sent my heart racing. 

“So…”, he started,” I assume you are also seeing the world in colour?”

I simply nodded. “I’m Praveen.”, he continued.

“I’m Sakshi.”, I replied shyly. 

“It’s just so amazing to be able to witness how mundane things look so much better with a splash of colour. I actually want to take a sip of the wine now that it doesn’t look like grey slush. You look absolutely magnificent by the way. You already looked beautiful when I first saw you enter but the tint of colour just elevates your beauty. With your high cheekbones and tan skin.”

I was beet red by the time he finished. Downing my drink, I began,” You look pretty good too. The colours really compliment you.”

He flashed me a grin and stood up,” Do you want to dance?”

I took his outstretched hand and followed him to the brightly lit dance floor. Neon lights were colouring the entire area red and blue, and we danced the night away. 

I woke up the next morning feeling extremely groggy. Memories of last night flooded my mind and I grinned like a Cheshire cat. We had exchanged numbers and planned on hanging out today as well. As friends. 

We continued being just friends for a month and found out a lot about each other. I found out that he was afraid of lizards and bats, and that he enjoys playing basketball and badminton. I also learnt that he was the only person in his family who was tall, standing at 6 foot 2 inches.

After a month of friendship, he asked me to come to the bar where he was bartending. I went there and saw that it was empty. Praveen stood in the centre of the empty bar holding a bouquet of colourful flowers. He had decorated the bar with bottles of different coloured liquors and neon lights bathed us. 

“I know that we’ve only been acquainted for a month, but I can’t hold it in anymore. I like you. I like how nice you are, how funny you are, how non-judgemental you are but most of all I like how open you are. I like the cute face you make while concentrating. I really like you. So.. will you be my girlfriend?”

I was so overwhelmed, there were tears in my eyes. I threw myself at him and whispered one word in his ear.

“Yes”

He somehow pulled me closer and pressed his lips against mine. A thousand butterflies erupted in my stomach. I responded with equal fervour and deepened the kiss. I had no clue where all this confidence was coming from, but it felt amazing. Soon we had to break apart due to lack of oxygen. 

We chatted a while before I had to go home. He walked me all the way to my door. My lips were still tingling from the kiss.

That night we made plans to go paintballing for our first date. It is a very common thing for couples to do. Since they see colours it is a very enjoyable activity for them. Everyone is allowed to do it but it's no fun for single people considering they only see grey. 

We reached the place at 9 in the morning. I was wearing a grey crop top and mom jeans. He wore a light blue t-shirt with jeans. Soon we started playing. It was amazing watching the bright colours erupt as they hit someone. Suddenly, Praveen gestured to come with him. I followed him. He pushed me into a board and made out with me. I responded instantly, curling my arm around his neck. We soon broke away and then he shot me and walked away. It took me a minute to register what happened before I ran after him trying to get a good aim. His laughter rang in the air. 

After we cleaned off as much paint as we could, we had brunch in the attached café. It was an amazing date. I wanted to stay like this forever.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see him as much as I would have liked. We went to different colleges. But, we made time for each other and college. We went on multiple double dates with Seema and Aryen and lived the best life. They were an extremely entertaining couple. 

The both of us were ecstatic about our 2 year anniversary. I had made him a painting of a picture of both of us at the paintballing place. It had taken me 3 months to perfect it and I couldn’t wait to give it to him. Along with that, I had gotten 2 tickets to a basketball game considering both of us enjoyed the sport. 

I was walking home from college with Seema excitedly discussing my plans for this special day when I noticed something strange. Slowly the green trees were becoming less green and the sky a dull blue. In two minutes, everything turned grey again.

“No no no!”, I whispered horrified as I looked at my grey hands. Seema immediately understood what had happened and comforted me. I was crying uncontrollably, and I didn’t know how to stop. There was only one possibility as to why this happened – he died. 

Seema called Aryen and together they figured out which hospital he was in and took me there in her once green car. 

I entered his hospital room and saw him laying on the bed, a hundred tubes surrounding him and a flat line on the monitor. His parents were in the room and got up to hug me. Seeing him like that just increased my crying. 

His mother pulled me aside and told me what had happened. He was driving to a flower shop to get me flowers when a drunk driver hit him. He was killed instantly. There was no saving him. Then she showed me another thing. It was a promise ring that he had got me. Our initials were carved in it. 

"You were one of the most important people in my son's life. Thank you for loving and taking care of him.", She hugged me sniffling slightly.

I excused myself and went to the bathroom. Seema got up to come, but I shook my head. Once in, I completely lost it. I was a complete mess. My hair was a bird’s nest, my face puffy and tear-stained. All these memories with him were circling my mind and it increased my wailing. I held onto the sink counter tightly, trying to calm myself down. But then I saw the ring which added another unwanted thought in my mind. It was my fault. If he hadn’t gone to get me flowers, this wouldn’t have happened. 

Despite my protest, Seema came into the washroom and comforted me. She helped me pick up my broken pieces and get my life together. Aryen too was a great friend to me. They both were there for me through everything.

I wore the ring for six months. After that, I stopped because I realized it was unhealthy. I still have the ring. It sits in my jewellery box on my dressing table. During this time, I took down most of the photos of him from my room and kept everything in the jewellery box. It was just too painful to look at the photos. 

*end of flashback*

Soon I reached my office. I met Seema near my cubicle and we continued with our day’s work. She and Aryen had gotten married and had a child. The wedding ceremony was beautiful despite me seeing it in grey. My mother told me it looked ten times better in colour. 

We ate lunch in the office kitchen every day. It had 2 tables and a whole lot of cabinets with cutlery and snacks. But when we got there, we saw that one of the tables was full and the other was occupied by another guy. We walked up to him and asked if we could sit to which he responded in affirmative.

“I don’t recognize you. Are you new?”, Seema asked.

“Yes, I joined the company newly. I’m Siddhant.”

“I’m Seema and this is Sakshi.”, she said pointing at me.

He looked at me and I was taken aback by his beauty. He was beautiful with long eyelashes and full lips. Then I looked closely and realized that his eyes were green. Wait! Was I hallucinating? Or were his eyes actually green?

“It was nice meeting the both of you. I have to go now.”, He said. I noticed his lingering stare directed at me.

And as he walked away from the table, I realized that his eyes were green. It was not a figment of my imagination. Slowly, the cabinets in the office kitchen turned brown and the counters white. I sat back and a smile crept onto my face.