Fantasy Fable: The Dream

As Akshat returned from his evening stroll, he was greeted by a forlorn faced Aarav. It was a rare occasion to see the ever-smiling Aarav in a state of mourning. He shabbily closed down the door as Akshat sat down, visibly tired from his jog. There was an air of gloom that surrounded the room. Alan was occupied with his cellphone and apparently playing CoC, his favourite pastime! Ravish too was in the world of smartphones but he was noticeably engaged in the messaging department. Akshat felt like hitting his head over the ceiling, clearly irritated by the agonistic environment.

“Why are you all in such a mess?” he shouted.

“This is peace! Resting in the floor is moksha!” replied Alan, the laziest of them all.

“Well, this is making me sick. Please behave like sane human beings!” called out Akshat.

“Live and let live. That should be your motto, my boy!” said Alan in a relaxing voice.

“What’s up with you, creep? You have been acting like a drunk retard since I arrived.” asked Akshat, looking towards Aarav.

“Well, this life is making things really difficult for me. Sometimes I want to go into deep mourning!” replied Aarav, with a deep sigh.

“There you go! Another Devdas born out of nowhere!” whined Akshat.

Nobody was paying attention to their conversation. Aarav looked very much in deep concern. It was very much unusual of him to be in this manner.

“I may not smirk now but do not call me by that crap name! And moreover, when was the last time you sported a genuine smile?” enquired Aarav.

“Smiling has always been my mojo!” joked Akshat.

“No no, tell me, how can you possibly have fun sans any interactions with people of the opposite sex?” asked Aarav.

“Yes, life should be full of sex. Sex is like chocolate, the more you have it, the more you like it!” shouted Alan.

“So, the stimulus to which you to respond is the word sex?” asked Aarav, in an ignorant way.

“See, my one-sided love story started and ended with someone, who has affection for somebody else. Live and let live, as our baba Alan said, should be the motto of our lives. Anyway, I will want to have some sleep now. Too tired! And no more questions.” exclaimed Akshat.

“We all need some bloody rest, man! Let us all sleep together!” laughed Alan, who was anyway ignored by everyone in the room.

Akshat went to his room looking drained to the core. This was probably the first time in the entire day that he was laying down for some rest. With the soft pillow under his head, he fell asleep quite fast. A long and refreshing sleep lay ahead.

There was someone in the room. There was a man. His back was facing Akshat. An act of silence followed. There was an air of reticent flowing through the cold wintery night. Akshat was someone, who always was reluctant to talk to people but this seemed disparate. The man turned around.

Akshat recognized the man instantaneously. His eyes cramped for light. His wet eyes seemed to have found an array of brightness. He clenched his lips.

“Dad!” exclaimed Akshat in a soft voice not audible enough.

“Akki, you look so dismal. What is wrong?” asked the man, with an aura of comfort.

Akshat still looked startled. His exhaustion made him feel like falling down on the ground and rest. His wistful mind was still filled with the jaded events of the entire day. Yet, he looked at the man with a hint of devotion.

“Dad. It is indeed you!” replied Akshat, hinting the fact that he had seen his father after a long time.

“Akki, you must first resolve this issue in your mind. Being somber isn’t exactly like you used to be when you were a kid.” He replied, with the same kind of compassion that Akshat had known of his father.

“Dad, I have done terrible things of late. In trying to ignore someone completely I’ve totally forgotten the motive of my life.” He replied in a broken tone.

“So, it is the matter of the heart. You resemble me so much! People will only point out your snout, which is a replica of mine but there are deeper illustrations of mine within you. So, care to brief about the entire matter?” He smiled, trying to fill the air with some amount of lightness.

“It’s not that I hate her. She has always been a good friend of mine. The problem lies within me. I have been trying to keep her away from me so that she doesn’t feel any kind of guilt because of me. I just want to make sure I am not doing anything wrong!” exclaimed Akshat.

“You sound like an unsuccessful superhero although you aren’t one. But whatever you do, make sure you aren’t affecting others’ lives with that. You might not be a superhero but you have always been my Super-boy.” his father replied.

“I don’t want to lose her as a friend, dad! But every time I meet her, my love for her just escalates! I don’t want to trouble her wondrous life. But I can’t stop thinking about her! Her dazzling voice, her soulful eyes and that elegant face still occupy my mind and heart! She has always been the key to the happiness inside me.” Said Akshat in tone of melancholy.

“So have you tried talking to her? Does she know about it?” asked his dad.

“I don’t know, dad. But when I surprised her with a gift on her birthday, instead of bliss, I saw a trace of fear in her eyes. Since that day, I have decided not to bring any kind of uneasiness in her life.” replied Akshat.

“See, son. Human beings are such delicate creatures and we sure tend to make some mistakes. But, there is always room for vindication. Moreover, keeping your feelings hidden inside you takes a huge toll. Try bringing them out. Don’t hold them back. Talking and discussing always helps rather than keeping silent about it. Don’t be afraid of the consequences and let that take care about it. Accept things however difficult they might sound, son.” his dad told in a subtle manner.

“Maybe, yes dad. I might be holding back guessing about the repercussions.”

“Always remember son, don’t let circumstances decide the aura inside you.”

“I will keep that in mind always, dad.” He said in a pliable manner.

“Life is more than just being a judge of the reactions of your actions. People should get the excitement of the endless possibilities that life presents itself with. Time that has gone by will never return. So it is a matter of making sure that the stage we are living at present is lived upon without any anxiety. Stop worrying about the future so much, son.” replied his dad in the most profound of manners and landing a kiss on Akshat’s forehead.

With a pause Akshat spoke, this time in a fluffy voice, “Dad, I miss you so much!”

Akshat had tears in his eyes. He hadn’t felt warmth like this for a long time. He wanted to hold onto his dad forever. As a child, he used to feel the world around him. He was one of the most respectable persons Akshat had seen in his life. Memories of those bright days shined in front of his eyes. Akshat gave him a tight hug. He had never ever clasped anyone before. He didn’t want to let him go. Peace filled up his anatomy. Euphoria had never been this beatitude before.

There was silence again. Akshat surrounded his mind in the reticence of the moment. Happiness soared higher than even the far outreach of any mortal being. He smiled with utter joy. Tears of happiness flowed throughout. Suddenly he realized the sheer laconism. The calm voice which was giving him the much-needed peace was lost.

“……Dad…….Dad!”

“Dad!”

He suddenly woke up. It was all happening in his dream. His dad’s face was still shining brightly in his thoughts. He knew dreams aren’t reality. He looked around. He wanted it to be real. He wanted to relive those moments again. He closed his eyes again but in vain! He wanted to cry out loud.

Of course it was happening inside the head, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?

The conversation with his dad had filled him with some much needed positivity. With a buoyant smile and an upbeat hope, he smeared off the tears that had soaked up his cheeks.