The Tenant

Love is blind

Aami realised that she is still holding to his chest, she blushed and withdrew her hand slowly and said....

Aami : Go to your room, I will come to give you medicine and apply the face pack.

Bence smiled and nodded. He took bath and waited until the valet brought the breakfast. He hesitated to have the food and asked valet...

Bence : Where is Aami, I should have the medicine before breakfast right...

Valet : No master, today onwards it should be taken after food. Aami madam asked me to serve the breakfast hot so please have it without delay.

Bence with half mind has the breakfast and impatiently waits for Aami. After one hour she comes with the medicine.

Bence : What took you so long to come.

Aami : (smiles) Iam on time Bence, you should have the capsule only after one hour of having breakfast.

Bence : So, only for treatment you prefer to come to my room

Aami while mixing the capsule in decoction answers in blank tone " other than that for what else should I be here."

Bence : """

Aami holds his cheeks to make him swallow the decoction in one gulp but he shoves her hand and takes the decoction by himself. Aami didn't understand why Bence is behaving so, nor did Bence.

It's been nine years he had been close to any woman, but recently he is changing. He wants Aami to be always with him. He feels as if she is someone whom he knows from long time, Someone who was too close to him. He wanted to clarify with her, he wanted to know more about her.But her indifference is getting into his nerves.

Bence : You give the cream to my valet he will apply,and you can leave to check on other patients.

Aami gets angry hearing what Bence said, she went to check all other patients even without having breakfast so that she could personally comes to check on Bence and spend some time with him. She wanted to cure him at the earliest and now the medicine is showing its effect too.

Aami : Hello Mr. Tenant you are not the boss here to instruct me what to do and how to do. This facial cream is not the usual one, only I know how to apply it and not your valet. Now you better sit properly so that I can apply it.

Aami gestures the valet to go out of the room. She holds his cheek and applies the medicinal pack on his face. While applying the face pack she grins to Bence who was angrily frowning at her. She thinks how silly she is for lying to him about the medicine.

Bence : The face cream smells the same, how come it is different.

Aami closed her eyes in embarrassment and pretended as if she didn't lie." do you think it's the aroma that decide its contents, its different means that's all nothing more to talk on it."

But Bence noticed those fraction of seconds she stopped applying the medicine when he asked her about the aroma.

Bence : (smiling) Yes... Yes the contents may be different...

Aami smiled and after applying she washed her hand and sat beside Bence.

Aami : Let it be there, I will clean it once it is dry.

Bence nodded and Aami patted his shoulders and was about to return he held her hand.

Aami : Is there anything you want Bence.

Bence : Can you take me down to the place where we went yesterday.

Aami : hmm... okay come let's go.

Bence doesn't takes his white cane and hold Aami's hand to walk. They reached beside the river and sat on the roots of the tree. Aami watched Bence and she feels that he is lost in something..

Aami : Bence , do you want to ask me anything

Bence : Aami, if you don't mind tell me about you. I..I want to know you...

Aami : Me... About me... What do you want to know.

Bence : About your family

Aami : My family... Iam the eldest daughter of my parents, I have twin siblings. Upto my 11 years of age I was in our house at my maternal place. Then we moved from there to Trichur district which is my father's native place. My parents are doctors working in UAE and Now they are here for vacation. And it's my paternal side grandpa who lives here , he wanted me to assist him this month so Ian staying here . Next month I will have to go.. (interrupts)

Bence : You will go in next month, to where , why?

Aami : hey, just for four days, I have my exams next month, I will come back after that.

Bence nodded.

Aami : Your face pack has dried enough , let me wipe it.

Bence : Are you going to take water from the well.

Aami : No, I have brought bottle of water with me.

Aami gently wipes the cream and stares at him. She still feels that they have met somewhere.

Aami : Bence, have you been to our place earlier.

Bence lies "No, why should I".

Aami : hmm

Bence : Aami how old are you.

Aami : hey don't you know that a girl should not be asked about her age.

Bence : Are you so conscious

Aami : No Iam just joking. Age is just a number....Iam twenty.

Bence stunned " Twenty, you are only twenty..."

Aami : Hmm.. Yes... Why are you so surprised..

Bence : nothing I thought you may be bit older too..

Aami smiles.. " And your age"

Bence : Iam 34 years...

Aami : hmm

They chats for some time and returns to the room.Days and weeks pass by with their usual routine and their friendship grew thicker and the density of their love, both had no idea..

One fine day Bence woke up from the chirping sounds of birds, he eagerly waited for Aami's good morning voice message in wats app. But its 8 am still he didn't receive any message from her. He heard the sounds of her anklets and smiled.

Aami : Good morning Bence.....

Bence : You came in person, I thought why you didn't send me message.

Aami : Iam here to say bye to you.

Bence : (frowns) say bye.... Why

Aami : I told you about my exams.

Bence : When will you be back

Aami : Within four days...

Bence gets distressed on hearing this, when Aami was around he never felt that dead loneliness. She used to talk through phone call at night until he feels sleepy. Bence accompanied her until they reached the banyan tree where they met first time. He sat on the retaining walls of the tree.

Aami walked away through the muddy street and Bence with heavy heart listened to the clinking of anklets getting farther. He wished if he could have a glimpse of vision just for few minutes so he could see her.

Aami turned back and saw him sitting alone with his white cane, unknowingly she heaved a sigh. She don't know why, she is feeling afraid and moreover guilty to leave him alone. Till she reached the station her thoughts were filled with Bence,his lonely lost figure under the banyan tree captured it's hold in her entire mind.

Next day Aami went for exam from her hostel. Her exam days passed on as any other day. She didn't made any call to Bence. She herself felt that she is too attached to him beyond limit, she had never felt such feeling for anybody. She was a very studious girl but now most of her time was engaged in dreaming about him and her mind is anxious to meet him after exams. She tried to control her feelings for him and to avoid unnecessary issues she decided to stay back for few more days.

On fouth day Bence waited under the banyan tree for Aami. As he is not aware of the time at which she will be coming he waited until midnight. Feeling desolate he went to his room.

While Aami woke up from her sleep as in her dreams she saw him sitting under the banyan tree with woeful face. She walked to and Forth in her room, her mind was disturbed and in flux. She layed on the bed and somehow slept after twisting side to side for hours.

On sixth day Aami could no more bear being away from Bence she is unaware about his feelings to her but she was sure that she could no more abandon him, She can't spare a single moment without him..

Aami decided to return next day to her grandpa's place. Meanwhile in her grandpa's outhouse Bence has made it a hell, he refused to take medicine and also lost his sleep. For the past three days he could hardly sleep for three hours, he waits for her under the banyan tree whole night .

Since Aami had a farewell party after their exams she attended the party and set for Trichur at night. As usual she didn't inform Krishnan about her arrival.

On the way she was smiling throughout in the train as she was overwhelmed with happiness, she is going to meet her love. She felt the whole world is happy for her and everything happening around her as good and peaceful . Even when she saw a begger instead of being pitying she was happy to see him so and gave him money. She was completely lost in her love world.

It's 10 :30 pm when Aami reached K station, she got down and walked through the muddy Street admiring the beauty of the night. The dark sky was dotted with stars to infinity and the crescent moon lit bright as if the nature decorated her path to love life.

She saw the dark familiar figure under the huge banyan tree. Her lips curved and her seductive dimples appeared. She wanted to run to him and hug him tight .She blushed thinking about her own silly thoughts. She moved closer to Bence and saw him about to lit a cigarette...

Aami : Hey Mr. Tenant, watch out,you are not supposed to smoke...

Bence (pleasantlyshocked) : Aami..

He throws away the cigarette and struggles to get near to her. Aami keeps the luggage down and walks to him with those love filled eyes and heart which of course her tenant couldn't see. Bence stretched his hands gesturing her to hold. She looked at his hands and got in and held his cheeks inside her soft palm and called his name in her melodious voice "Bence".

Bence hugged her.. Aami got stunned, the hug which she dreamt to give him has been given to her. She called out in husky voice again "Bence"... He strengthened his grip each time she called out his name...

Aami didn't refuse nor did she struggled in his embrace, she was squeezed in his strong arms but she didn't feel even the slightest suffocation as she was too hugging him back as tight as she could. They don't know how long they stood embraced in the midst of beautiful night.

Aami was the first to break the silence in between their hug war ...

Aami : Bence.... Did you miss me...

Bence holding her firmly "No... Not at all, and what about you?

Aami holding his cheeks Me too... Bence... Me too... (sighs)

Bence brushed her hair with his hands and pulled her closer to his chest fisting her hair. He bent his head and nuzzled his face on hers. Aami closed her eyes and felt his dry skin over her face . They could feel and hear each others breathing....

Both were scared and reluctant to unhold afraid of being apart again. While nuzzling her face he pecked her lips and feeling the wet lips he pressed his lips on to her. She gripped his shoulders tightly in reflex and allowed him to kiss her as long as he wants....

Certain love ,they are like this there may be no confessing, no proposals made with flower, or kneeling down with costly rings. There are love that are confessed not with words but with feelings from heart, they just sprouts out from nowhere as the love is blind.

Yes their love is blind, both are blind with love and of course her love... her lover is literally blind.....