Chapter 8: Of Words and Silence

It was like any other day. We met at the metro station, had some ice-cream together, cracked a few jokes, he asked me to bunk my class, I refused and I was just about to go about my business when he asked me to stay, and held my as if he would die if I left. His emotions were always intense, but that day looking in his eyes, I knew something was wrong and that I should stay.

I asked him what he wanted to do, I would have 2 hours to kill if I bunked my class after all. He said he didn't want to do anything. He didn't talk much that day, I had to work really hard to get him to speak, couldn't believe he was the same guy who couldn't shut up, on any other day. So, we just sat on the stairs, quietly. It was when he was quiet that it struck me, how perfect we were for each other. I needed all his words to understand his love; all he needed was to look in my eyes, to hear my voice! To him words words were a luxury, to me a basic need! But, we were doing fine, he could never stop telling me how he loved me, and I could not help but smile..! And in that smile, he would know all he needed to.

In that very moment, when I had a chance to reflect did I realize that although he talked a lot, most of what he said was about me. And, most of what I talked was about me as well. that totally explained why I could not understand his silence today. so, I decided to talk to him, about him.

He didn't say much. But, I knew something was terribly wrong.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't notice when he suddenly looked at me and said, "That's why I love you. Because you can be there with me, not knowing everything, yet believing me and just being there."

He had a smile on his face for now, not one as bright as it usually is, but as bright as he could fake. He would tell me all about it, I knew it, all he needed was a little time. And all I needed was to understand this guy just a little more. Words, you know, can express a lot of things, but his sadness wasn't one of them. I could cry and tell him all that was wrong. Or he would just read my mind, but after this meet, words were a little more redundant, his silence a great deal precious.