The night was starting to arrive as the sky slowly darkened to a grey just few shades shy of completely black. Silent blows of air continued in the atmosphere as vehicles congested roads were in a rush to get home. 

                                        (gentle guitar acoustic commences)

Kavin was sly to maneuver his bike through the traffic to find a quick way home, while purvi clenched onto his shoulders tightly. Her eyes were too busy observing him while he could hardly notice, considering his eyes were fixed on the road. 

Tere hathon ki taraf, mere hathon ka safar

Rozana, rozanaTeri aankhon se kahe kuch toh meri nazarRozana, rozana

A brake was forced onto the bike as they approached a redlight, making kavin sigh in disbelief as his glance finally fell on purvi. She didn't avert her eyes away in hesitance, only looked on with a sure adoration, as he was just a little unsure of how to feel about it, making his cheeks flush red. She only smiled as she witnessed him to be so for the first time. The moment could have lasted longer if not only for the red light to change to green, as kavin was quick to notice and started his bike again, focusing his glance back on the road. 

Rozana main sochun yahi

Kahan aajkal main hoon lapataTujhe dekh toh hansne lageMere dard bhi kyun khamakhan?

The ride went on, as purvi found her hands sliding from his shoulders to his abdomen on right and left sides respectively. Kavin felt himself unable to focus feeling that sensation. But her hold only tightened, as his shirt crumpled from it, and her hands formed a fist on both sides. He only felt butterflies in his stomach, but when she rested her head on his shoulder, he felt not just butterflies but a complete zoo inside of him getting wild. 

Hawaon ki tarah mujhe chhu ke tu guzar

Rozana, rozanaTere hathon ki taraf mere haathon ka safarRozana, rozana

Purvi closed her eyes, a strange sense of tranquility simmering in the moment for her, and she wanted to be left with it. 

                                         (gentle violin music continued to play)

                                                                     ***

The dead silence consumed the air with a darkness swept across the sky with time getting closer to midnight. Cool winds from the fan and the air conditioner combined to blow across the room, as the lights were switched off, only glimmers of moonlight fell upon the room through the darkness, making it possible to make out some things visible in sight. 

Dushyant sat upright on the bed, with his back reclining on the headboard of the bed. He silently glared at the walls with nothingness in his eyes, when he felt ishita, who lay on the bed with her back was facing him before, turned to face him directly, making him glance at her. 

"kya hua, soyi nahi?" asked dushyant softly, turning to face her, as she only glared at him. 

"yeh aapko kya shauk hai raat raat tak jag kar bas deewaron ko dekhna ka...so kyun nahi jaate?" rebuked ishita, as dushyant just chuckled. 

"nahi, woh bas, neend der se hi aati hai mujhe...purani aadat hai..." responded dushyant, as ishita shook her head in disbelief, getting up to sit closer to him. 

"kya sochte rehte hai aisa raat bhar ki neend hi nahi aati?" interrogated ishita, a bit saddened in her tone, as dushyant averted his glance from her. 

"ishita, main...pata hai main sone jaata hoon na, neend jaise hi lagne waali hoti hai...mujhe na tab, ek khawab aata hai...jabse maa baap gaye haina, tabse...pehle aata tha ki mere ghar mein aag lag jaati hai, aur mere saamne didi uss aag mein marr jaati hai, aur main, main kuch nahi kar paata.... bas ro raha hota hoon, unki laash ke paas....phir shaadi ke baad yeh khawab mein biwi aa gayi meri, aur baad mein meri bachi....iss khawab se na, hamesha itne darr se uthta tha, ghanton baitha rehta tha, thodi bahaut neend aane se pehle subha aa jati...ab na, khawab bhi nahi aata...bas andhera hi hota hai...darr bhi nahi lagta...koi aansoon bhi nahi aate...bas, andhera hota hai...aur agar sach kahoon, shayad agar kabhi dil tha bhi na mere paas, woh bhi lagta hai woh andhera khaa gaya hai...aur yeh khayal toh ab bilkul bhi nahi sone deta...ki main uss andhere mein hi shayad khatam hogaya hoon..." confessed dushyant to his deepest troubling thought, as his eyes were blank with emptiness, ishita placed her hand on his cheek gently, making him look at her. 

"kabhi kisise kaha aapne yeh?" asked ishita gently, as dushyant shook his head in no. 

"dard andar hi andar dabba hota haina, toh aise dheere dheere khaa jata hai insaan ko..." stated ishita with a gentle, tight lipped smile as she clasped hand tightly. 

"aur akele toh andhera zyada lagta hi hai..." consoled ishita, as dushyant only sighed deeply. 

"ishita, tum, mat banao meri takleef ko apna...zaroorat nahi hai..." pleaded dushyant, as ishita looked him right into his eye. 

"takleef rahegi hi nahi kyunki woh theek hojayegi...." assured ishita, as she took her hand away from his cheek and unclasped her hand from his. 

"aap meri godh pe sarr rakh ke lete, aankhein band karke, bas sone ki koshish karein, aur main jagungi jab tak aap nahi sojate shanti se...aur aap araam se soyenge...." stated ishita, as dushyant remained reluctant. 

"nahi, ishita, apni neend mat kharab karo..." attempted dushyant to stop her, but ishita interrupted. 

"maine aapse hamare rishte ke liye ek waada liya, ki aap mujhe saath denge...aapko  bhi kaise nahi dungi woh main?" retorted ishita, as dushyant had to as a final resort, lie down placing his head on her lap. 

He immediately felt an odd sense of relief at that moment, a comfort that had been long missing was seemingly finally found. This feeling just made it easier for him to gently close his eyes, looking to fall asleep. Ishita looked on, smiling at him, gently stroking his hair, as deep exhales from his mouth indicated he was slowly drifting to sleep. 

                                                                    ***

The rays of morning sunshine were harsh enough to immediately open purvi's eyes, as they found their way from the windows to the bed in the bedroom. Purvi lay on her back right next to kavin, who had fallen asleep on his right side, such that he ended up facing her. 

Purvi felt a smile form on her lips as her glance fell on him, she felt elated seeing him asleep peacefully. she turned on her left side to face him straight in front of her sight, a small glance now turning to a long gaze of adoration. The start of the day turned out quite bright for her, as she got closer to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before she rushed to get out of bed for quite a busy day ahead, though, with a very bright smile that wasn't going to fade away soon.