LIFE.... AS IT COMES (CHAPTER 8)

The bike was zooming at quite a high speed. As the needle touched 120 km/hr, Sheila was forced to shut her eyes.

“Hey Shell! You okay? Haven’t been talking for quite a while, you know?” Ryan shouted back at her as the wind zoomed past their head.

“Um the speed is making my head spin.” Sheila managed to croak out. Her head was spinning and she felt that if she did not hold onto Ryan, she would definitely fall off the bike!

“Should have told me that before, idiot!” said Ryan indignantly as he slowed the bike down to 60.

As Sheila’s breathing became easier, she straightened herself and loosened her death grip on Ryan. Get a hold, she scolded herself. Even though she was trying not to think about it but the moment of the kiss was replaying itself over and over again in her head.

“Home Sweet Home, Shell!” announced Ryan as he swung himself off the bike. With a start Sheila realized that they had reached home. She was so lost in her own thoughts that never paid any attention to the road.

“C’mon won’t you get down?”

Ryan was extending his hand towards her. She looked down at the hand and the memory of them dancing the other night came flooding back. Was it true that her dreams were taking a definite form or was it to be broken by the harsh reality, she wondered to herself?

“Shell! What’s up? You ok?” Ryan was clicking his fingers in front of her face, trying to break her trance.

She gave a weak smile at him and got down. Her legs felt wobbly, from the speed or from the kiss she had no idea!

“Shell! We need to talk.”

They had reached their deserted flat when Ryan said this to her. She gave a nod and sank herself down on the couch. He sat down beside her, and took her hand in his.

“Look Shell. Let me explain myself. We have a great friendship and I really treasure you above all my friends. And I really don’t want tonight’s incident to spoil it. I was really stuck at work as you saw. Couldn’t get out. So called you thinking that you will come and waltz me out of that place. But it didn’t happen so. Under the given circumstances I was forced to introduce you as my fiancé. And I had pretty much guessed that you wouldn’t really mind. And you did not. It just shows how well I know you. And it’s not that am ashamed of you being a chef and all. It’s just that saying that over there would pummel your image down. And man, did you shock me with that story! Gosh! How scandalous was that! But dear look I wouldn’t have kissed you if it really weren’t that necessary. Am sorry. This shouldn’t have been the way a kiss should take place. Even I wasn’t comfortable that much but I put up to it. So I can really understand what you went through. Am not that kind of guy and you know that. I wasn’t taking advantage. I want you to understand and forgive me for kissing you today. If you need time to do so, it’s ok by me. But it’s my sincere request to you to not break our friendship. I need you. You are too good to be lost!”

With that he gave her a bear hug and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him. Leaving behind him a trail. A trail of broken dreams, shattered hopes, and a bittersweet taste of the memories shared.

Sheila sat rooted to the spot. Tumultuous memories ran through her head. The time when he wiped away her tears, when he let her sob in his chest, when he rocked and cuddled her to sleep, when he took her out for lunch, when he bought her home after a break up, when he asked her for the dance, when he called for her help, when he eavesdropped on her, and the kiss!

She didn’t know what to think, she didn’t know what to do. All she knew was that whatever she might have felt for Ryan, it never seemed as a mistake.

Mistake? That’s what he thought it was! He wasn’t even comfortable in kissing her? He said that! What did that mean? Her heart whispered that it meant she wasn’t that special to him as he was to her!

Then why did he keep her on the hook? Why did play games with her? Comfort her, take her out, dance with her and even kiss her? Why? Angry tears sprung to her eyes. He wasn’t a kid and nor was he a teenager controlled purely by his hormones.

She looked in the direction of his closed door and her anger took control of her and wanted to bang on his door and tell him just what she thought of him. But would it solve anything? Not at all.

Her mind kept on thinking and thinking till she fell asleep on the sofa, having no idea when or where she fell asleep.

Waking up in the morning she found herself in her bed, tucked neatly beneath a blanket.