The Cocoon Season 1 Episode 5 (Finale)

As I approached closer to him, I saw him looking intensely at me. He looked tired.

“Didn’t sleep?” I broke the silence with my pretentious ‘I am unaffected and cool ‘ tone.

He kept looking at me.

“So, what brought you here? “ I asked a question I very well knew the answer of.

He came closer to me. “I love you “he said.

There were the words right in front of me .

Words which I had heard a thousand times in movies.

Words which I had rehearsed to utter to my love one day.

Words which would give a new meaning to my life now.

I had thought over it. I might want to be with him but he doesn’t know whom he wants.

“What?” I said and laughed.

“I need you.” He said

There was an awkward silence. I avoided looking into his eyes and kept looking at the watch and unnecessarily playing with my hair.

“Go Vijay “ I repeated.

He didn’t say a word and drove away.

I stood still. It seemed like those Bollywood songs where the protagonist gets highlighted in Eastman color and people are moving around in black and white backdrops. I couldn’t hear any sound or see any people around. I felt numb. Tear rolled down my eyes profusely. But why was I crying? I had asked him to go. I didn’t respond to his feelings and I was the one unhappy.

Sad Bollywood songs started playing in my head. “ye ishq nahi aasan…………” seemed so much real now.

I came back to my place. Nothing seemed right. I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t hungry. I kept crying. I had lost logic and reasoning. There was no inner voice to console me. I didn’t even get bored of crying this much.

This was the paciest weekend and it was Monday morning again.

Programmed to perfection, I dressed up and started for office like a robot. Unlocked my computer and sat at my desk.

The chat window was blinking. It was Vijay. I transformed from a rotten leaf to a freshly bloomed rose.

“hey”

“Hi Vijay”

“Send me the Unit test cases and tell me if interface testing is possible today”

I withered to a gloomy stance.

“k “ I replied.

Days passed and I and Vijay transformed from being formal to semi-formal and then friendlier.

We got addicted to each other on watsapp and office communicator.

We discussed books, music, food, incidents, life and friends (not Meera ofcourse).

We started out together with friends and sometimes just the two of us. We ate, we drank, we laughed and we talked and talked and talked.

It was Diwali Holidays and I went home. My parents had asked me if I had someone in my life and I had declined. There were a series of perspective matches lined up for my consideration and approval.

Vacations were over and I landed in Mumbai on Sunday evening. I called up Vijay.

“Hey I cant hear you….You landed in Mumbai?”

“Yes..what are you upto?”

“At a wedding”

“I thought of marrying when you were away. It would hurt you less I thought” He chuckled.

“ Who is getting married Vijay”

“What???? When?”

I didn’t know whether to be happy about it or be angry on Vijay for not telling me this news.

“ Ya………..”

We met the following day. I didn’t ask Vijay anything. He didn’t tell anything.

Days, months and years have passed since then.

It’s been 3 years now.

We still chat, speak for hours and share the happenings in each other’s lives.

Overthinking and assuming tarnishes the chromatic canvas of any budding relation so between us there is no obligation, no commitment and no relationship. We are two people who like each other’s company, care for each other and share a bond which doesn’t have any definition.

We might commit to each other in future or maybe marry one day but as of now ,we continue to be what we always were ………” A house on fire”