Arakshi SS - The World Through Your Eyes - UPDATED Pg 33 - *Complete* - Page 14

Chapter 6 - The Journey through Colours

Sakshi

The sun is particularly bright today. Not a speck of cloud is visible. It looks clean, spotless. My eyes are slowly getting adjusted to the light, the colours. The mysterious world of colours. Sometimes it baffles me. The world and all the colours that has been surrounding me all these years. Unknown colours. Even though I know how everything feels, it still feels just as alien to me. I am still getting adjusted to my own flat. The flat that I was so accustomed to without my vision has suddenly transformed itself into this new world that I never even knew existed.

I haven't been out the past few days. I needed time. Time to get adjusted to this new world. Time to acquaint my eyes with this thing called light. As much as it excites me to venture out and explore the sights that yet remain a mystery, it also scares me just as much. Yes, I have been scared. Scared to go out in a world that knows too much. And I, too little.

And also, he made me wait. When I ask him why, he says, you'll know. When the moment arrives.

"Ready?" He asks.

I bite my lips as I look at him.

"I still don't know the colours." I mutter timidly.

He laughs and says, "It is not an exam, Sakshi. It is a beginning."

He offers me his hand and I slip my fingers into his. When he holds my hand in his, I breathe out and smile. He then takes my palm and places it against the glass rails of my balcony.

Sunlight passes through the thin glass, splitting into a thin band of seven colours blending into each other that plays on my palm.

I feel myself gasp and say, "Is that a rainbow?"

He gently traces the little rainbow so that it now falls on his finger and then onto my open palm, and says, "Yes. Your little rainbow. Are you ready?"

I smile and say, "Yes. Where are we going?"

"On a journey through the colours. I want to show you the colours of the world in a way that you will never forget."

***

I am wearing a pale yellow kurti above a pair of blue jeans. The two colours that I have learnt to recognise. I debate on whether to slip on the colourful bangles he bought me two days ago as I stand in front of the mirror. I feel his gaze upon me as my eyes rest on the bangles. I look up in the mirror to see him glancing at me from the corner of his eye. His gaze is so strong that I lower my eyes, trying to concentrate on the things on my dressing table. I can feel my cheeks getting redder by the minute. I wish he looks away, but he doesn't.

I reach for my rubber band and pull my hair up into a ponytail.

He then starts moving closer to me, his eyes looking into mine through the mirror. And just as suddenly, he reaches for the rubber band holding up my hair and pulls it away.

My hair is loose and stray once again, falling gently around my shoulders.

He whispers in my ear, "Don't tie it up today. You'll like it better open. Trust me."

When he walks away, my rubber band clutched in his hand, I realise I had been holding my breath all this time.

***

Arjun

I stand at the motorbike, leaning against it. It has been a long time since I have driven this. A car simply wouldn't do today.

She stands there at the doorway, her confused eyes looking up at me. I wonder how unnerving must it be to her sometimes. The world and all the unknown things held in it. All familiar and yet, so unfamiliar, so new. I can see her hesitating at the door of the apartment, biting her lips.

I walk closer to her and offer her my hand.

The smile reappears on her face as she slips her fingers into mine and I grip them tight. My eyes don't move from her until we are standing at the motorbike.

"What is this?" She asks, her eyes full of questions.

I start my bike and say, "This," I pat on the backseat, "is a motorbike."

A flicker of understanding appears in her eyes as she links the name to a sound she is accustomed to.

I beckon her to sit behind me. She stands there hesitating again. And then slowly she settles down behind me, resting a hand upon my shoulder.

I see the smile on her face in the rear-view mirror as we tear through the winding roads. Her hair flies wildly in the wind and judging from her expression, I know she loves it. There is something very liberating about feeling the wind through your hair. Even though my eyes should be on the road, I cannot help but constantly glance into her curious eyes as they gaze at the passing scenery. We have left the city behind. The roads are quieter, more desolate.

Soon we come to the part of the journey I had been waiting for.

Sakshi

My gaze has stopped on the road in front of us. The road we are travelling through is lined on both sides with trees. Lush green trees. I know what green is. He has made me feel it before; in that forest when we walked through the leaves, the branches brushing against my fingers. But never have I seen green. Not like this.

The long, dark branches rise from the trees on either sides of the road and entangle with each other in the air, making their way towards the endless sky above. Velvety green leaves cover each branch, which gently sway in the breeze, as if conversing with each other. And together, they craft a thick green shelter, just above the road. The sun shines through the gap in the leaves and the road sparkles in the intermittent light.

It is like a gateway of nature.

The road is quiet. He has brought his motorbike to a stop. The only sound we hear is the gentle whispering of the leaves as the wind blows through them. I close my eyes and listen to the sound. When I open them again, all I see is the colour green.

I look at him then, into his eyes. I see the trees reflected in his eyes and I cannot help but smile. In his eyes, I see the colour that he wants me to see. Green. The colour of the leaves, the grass, the meadows, the mountains.

In his eyes I can see it all.

"Want to see a magic?" He asks.

I nod my head excitedly, wondering what could be more magical than this.

He starts the bike again and we enter the green gateway. He turns back to look into my eyes once more.

"Look up. And feel it. Feel the shadows. Feel the light. Feel the sun."

As I glance up, I see patches of the blue sky peeking in through the canopy of branches. The sun somehow finds its way through the leaves and falls on my face, warming my skin at its touch. The shadows from the branches form a criss-cross pattern on me. As I hold out my palm, I can see the branches drawn on my skin, running wild and free. And it forms a magical pattern. I look at him through the mirror and see him smiling.

It feels magical. Unreal.

His eyes sparkle in the sunshine that plays on his face as we drive under the canopy of trees.

I don't think it is the leaves or the sun that makes it magical and enchanting. I think, it is his smile that I see reflected in the mirror that creates the magic.

Just like the sun that is shining down upon me through the branches. He is like the sun that brings light into my life. Always.

I guess, no matter how thick the canopy is, the sun always finds its way through.

***

Arjun

We have left the green behind. Another colour awaits us.

I hear her gasp as I bring the motorbike to a stop. She gets off the bike and walks a few steps towards the scene that lies before us. It is a colour she loves. It's a colour that makes her feel warm.

Yellow.

She stops and glances back at me.

"What?" I say.

"My journey through the colours is incomplete without you, Arjun."

She extends a hand towards me and I take it.

Mustard fields. Miles and miles of mustard fields stretch out around us. The petite yellow flowers are spread out all around us, engulfing us into a yellow sea.

We walk on the uneven path that winds through the fields, our hands entwined. She reaches out, her fingers brushing over the tiny flowers. The little gesture brings a smile upon my face. I can see the wonder in her twinkling eyes as they gaze at the colours around her.

I see colours every day. But it is the first time I feel it. The warmth of her skin against mine is so similar to the yellow around me. Its cosy, warm glow sends a gush of happiness through me.

I hold her gaze, silently, as she looks into my eyes again.

My world now seems to have only one colour. And it is her.

She is the colour of my life.

***

"You cannot be serious."

"I am as serious as ever, Arjun."

We are standing in front of a hay stack. Piles of hay has been bundled together and stacked on top of each other at the end of the mustard field, forming a little tower with steps of bundled hay leading to the top.

She takes off her shoes and steps on to the first ledge of the haystack. Her eyes gleam with happiness as she extends an arm towards me.

"Come on!"

I grab on to her hand and climb on to the haystack. One step after the other, we reach the top of the hay stack. She loses her balance countless times and so do I. But we hold on to each other, like we always have.

She stands with her hands outstretched, just beside me. Her eyes are closed as she breathes in the air which is brimming with the fragrance of hay. She looks so peaceful and content that I close my eyes too, and feel the wind as it brushes past me.

All of a sudden, I feel her clutching on to my arm, her face glowing with excitement.

"Let's jump."

"What?" I exclaim.

I notice the bed of hay just below us and raise my eyebrows at her.

She grins back and says, "Come on! Let's do it. I want to feel the freedom! I want to feel the nothingness."

"What if you fall? It's a long way down, you know."

She nudges me and says, "You are there. Why do I need to worry? I know you won't let me fall."

I smile and reach for her hand.

"Together."

And we jump.

It isn't a long way down. I realise, it does feel like freedom. That brief moment of freefall through the wind when I feel nothing but her hand against mine.

The hay neatly catches us as we fall down on it. She laughs as soon as we hit the soft hay.

She doesn't just stop there. Her hand reaches out to pull out the hay from the neatly bundled stacks below us. Bits and pieces of the hay get stuck in our hair as she plays with it, throwing it all over us.

"Oi! Get off the hay!" A distant voice reaches our ears.

She pauses and says, "Did you say something?"

"Uh. No." I reply.

"Oi! WILL YOU GET OFF THE HAY?" The voice sounds angrier, and closer.

This time we look around and spot a grumpy looking man running towards us, a stick in his hand. From the looks of it, he is the owner of this land. And the hay. Which was neatly stacked. Until now.

She catches my eye and says, "Run!"

And so we do. I grab her hand and we dart through the mustard fields, away from the farmer, away from the roads. We laugh uncontrollably as we run through the yellow fields. Free as ever.

Sakshi

Another place. Another time. I do not know what colour it is this time. But even if it is darkness, I don't really care. I close my eyes and put my arms around him as he drives the motorbike. My head rests against his back and I don't want to move. I want to stay like this forever. Close to him.

"You tired?" He asks. His voice is soft and caring.

"No." I murmur. "I like it this way. You make me happy."

He gently touches my fingers that are wrapped around him and says, "I like being around you too."

When he stops the bike, I hear the sound I always loved. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. The sound of people talking and laughing around me. The sound of Marine drive.

"Come." He says.

I still hang on to him, my head resting against his back. I don't even want to open my eyes.

"You'll miss it." He laughs and holds on to my hand.

This time I look up into his eyes. And there, I see it. The vast sky and the sea, just below it, reflected in his eyes. He doesn't blink as I hold his gaze.

I don't know for how long I gaze into the sea through his eyes.

I feel him tugging on to my arm and saying, "Come on! You will miss it."

"Miss what?" I say.

And this time, I follow his gaze to the sea. The sun has almost reached the horizon. Its golden yellow is slowly spreading out and merging with the blue sky. The blue, is slowly turning golden. And so is the sea.

My gaze doesn't move from the sun as he guides me to the Marine drive. We stand just at the edge as the sky slowly changes colour. The golden yellow slowly blends into another colour, a shade darker... perhaps, orange.

The sun keeps sinking and soon, the sky is like a palette of colours.

"Orange, yellow, blue." He smiles at me.

I gaze, enthralled, at the first sunset of my life.

"Is that what fire looks like?" I ask

The clouds that come in the way of the setting sun are splattered in orange, glowing bright in the golden sky.

"Yes," he says. "It does look like the sky is on fire. Now turn around."

My eyes don't want to move from the sunset and yet, I turn back. And I see Mumbai. The orange of the sky has spread all over the city, bathing it in its orange glow. There is one colour all around us. Orange.

He has added yet another colour to my life. As if it wasn't colourful enough already.

There is no more darkness. There never was, and now, there never will be. As long as he is with me.

***

"Now where?" I ask.

"Are you tired?"

"No! Stop treating me like a patient." I snuggle against his back.

We are riding through the city once again. It is now dark and the city looks even more alive. The roads are bursting with people, cars are honking everywhere. Despite of the dark night, the city dazzles from all the lights around us.

His brings his bike to a stop again and this time, I look around.

"Come." He offers me his hand once again.

I try to read his eyes, but they unveil nothing to me. My next colour remains a mystery.

We start walking towards the white building that stands in front of us. He takes me through the gate and around the house, towards the back garden.

And what I see there, leaves me at a loss for words.

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How was it? I know it wasn't one of my best You can say it lol

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