FF: Serendipity [Completed] - Page 8

Chapter 7:

As expected, Geet was on time. He opened the door and stepped aside wordlessly allowing her to enter his abode. They didn't exchange any verbal greeting but she simply returned his nod of acknowledgment. She followed him into his apartment wordlessly both feeling the air of awkwardness settle between them. He led her to dining table where cutlery was already laid out and place holders for food were ready.

"I don't have alcohol, is ginger ale okay for you?" Maan asked holding two cans. She nodded offhandedly and continued to explore the apartment with her eyes. The apartment was probably a reflection of him; tidy to the point of being obsessive and eclectic. Splashes of colors adorned grey toned walls exuberating Kafkaesque daze in the expanse of the room. One particular poster on the wall caught her attention and she gravitated towards it ignoring the polite invite by Maan to take a seat at the table. By the looks of it, it seemed like some sort of cosmic phenomenon with the colors making a bold statement in front of a dark backdrop.

"It's a picture of two galaxies known as the "Antennae Galaxies" colliding," Maan said standing next to her. She hadn't realized that he was standing right next to her. She simply nodded.

"It's beautiful," she said after moments of companionable silence. "What happens when two galaxies collide?" She asked.

"It really depends on size and shape. But I guess in the end, some stars in the galaxies collide and create new stars that undergo their own lifecycle and sometimes a black hole can also be created. " He said and looked at Geet who was still looking at the picture.

"A lot like two different personalities," she replied and turned to look at him.

"I suppose so." He replied and walked back to the dining table. "We should eat," he said pulling out a chair for her sit. She was momentarily taken aback by the chivalry and searched his eyes for'something. His eyes, like always, were clear and aloof. She shrugged discreetly and thanked him while taking the seat.

Geet raised her eyes in surprise as her mind registered the dish that was served on her plate.

"Risotto?" She asked him taking a forkful of rice and inhaling its aroma.

"It was easy to make," he answered with a shrug and helped himself a large portion.

"I love Risotto," she whispered as if she was talking to herself and began to eat.

Maan didn't speak for the rest of the meal. Geet had heard enough about Maan's quirks and his odd behavior but awkward silences wasn't something she was a fan of. And with Maan, awkward silence seemed to have had its own definition. After thirty minutes into dinner, the awkwardness slowly started melting away. They still didn't speak but amidst the cacophony of spoons and forks dancing on the porcelain plates and dishes, she found an inexplicable solace.

Maan cleared the table once they finished eating. He didn't refuse her offer to help him in cleaning. While he washed and rinsed the cutlery, she wiped them clean and arranged them on the counter. The feeling that had taken her to the threshold of insanity returned. The quivering of her heart turned to a thundering one when their fingers brushed as he handed her a plate after washing. She took an additional breath to calm her breezy heart and wondered if she was truly going insane. She wanted to tear her hair out when she saw Maan wash cutlery in sheer nonchalance.

"I'll be outside," she said and dropped the dishtowel on the counter and exited the kitchen little annoyed at her pathetic crush on the enigmatic man. Maan merely looked at her retreating back wondering what caused her sudden mood change.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"There is something about this picture," she said taking the coffee mug handed by Maan. She took a lazy sip and ran her fingers on the blue background. "It's much more than a pretty picture to you isn't it?" She asked him.

Maan smiled at her. She didn't know the reason behind his smile but she smiled back at him anyway; it was impossible not to.

"I am a man of science Geet. But the day I saw this photo, the first thought that came to my mind was the realization ' in the grand scheme of things, just how insignificant us humans really are. This collision has been set to motion hundreds of millions of years ago during which stars have born and died in supernovae and reborn once again. But in the background, the act of collision just went on." Maan stopped and took a sip of coffee. Geet leaned on the wall next to poster and looked on. She wasn't much of a fan of stars and outer space but listening to Maan made her miss sleeping on the terrace and count stars with her father. Residue of a smile was still left on his face as he sighed deeply.

"What is it?" She asked softly. The moment was too surreal, too intimate to be broken by loud voice.

"It's so overwhelming, sometimes when I see this picture. Less than a million years ago humanity was still in the process of evolving and trying to survive let alone acquire the knowledge to observe outer space. But here we are, trying to understand the grand design of universe and everything it encompasses by taking one small step at a time during which we stumble upon grand events like these which render us speechless and make us feel so young." He paused to look at her.

They smiled at each other, neither knowing the reason behind it.

"Why did you become an astrophysicist Maan?" Geet asked.

"I am too afraid of the dark to be alone. So I am always with stars."

Geet stared at his open confession.

To be continued.

Antennae galaxies colliding:

Originally posted by: RockBarbie

Originally posted by: ivre

the picture is frigging awesome. My cell phone wallpaper is Andromeda. :)

Well, as for what Maan said, how insignificant we really are, its really strange that such great things are happening above us and yet we are in our homes doing things. Its like the forest is so huge that whatever happens in it, the ants and cockroaches aren't affected at all! Weird line of thought.

Liked the update

Originally posted by: -nirvana-

A question many have raised...'how significance is the human race in the grand scheme of things'? The term significance or insignificance implies someone is evaluating so unless you know how the human race came to that conclusion, it's a relative term for discussion.

Maan being scared of the dark, and yet finding solace in the stars, seems primordial!