Of Goodbyes

Here is my attempt to write something I've never tried before.
*********

There was once a girl. She lived in her own world. In her own head. Her own dreams. She was very different from the rest. The other girls did things which probably categorized them. She never was like them. She lived with them but in a unique way. Not an outlaw. But a variant. She wore spectacles. She could never see properly through them. The moment she put them on, she zoned out from the world. So it was like a veil for her. She thought no one could see her simply because she couldn't see anyone else. It didn't make sense. But that's where she lived, in her head. That's actually where everyone lives. And like Dumbledore said, ' Just because its happening in your head doesn't make it unreal'. So it was real.
She spent most of her life like that. She needed to come out if it. Her spectacles. Let's not get her wrong. She was pretty confident. But she liked to be on her own. She had plenty of friends. Some very close. But she never found the idea of sharing her life with anyone pleasing at all. In fact it made her uncomfortable. She never understood how others did it so easily. So, she was very happy in her own world. Merry.

He was sluggish. Laid back. Relaxed. Or at least he seemed so. Or tried to project himself so. To the world. We cannot really determine how he was. He had a dual personality. He mostly projected himself to be very understanding and intelligent. But on major occasions he never behaved like one. His words and actions clashed several times. So we remain confused on how he could be nice. Nice and mean both. Sometimes we suspected he was all a pretence. Trying to hide his true self behind a curtain and acting cool for the world. Nobody could be so emotionless. So non- ruffled by everything. But let's give him some benefit of doubt, to bring out some balance in our description.

Pretence. I guess most people are masked. Not their fault. The trick is to find those in front of whom you can comfortably lift the veil.

They walked with a gang of friends one sunny afternoon. All chatty and lost in the midst of don't-care-for-the-world and life-is-going-somewhere kind of feel. She chatted and walked toward the public transport. They were all heading back home. She did not weigh much of the situation nor did she observe much. She was selectively observant. She choose to ignore most of the day to day mundane details. It kept her mind free. And observing another human being is something she could never do.

He scrambled behind her with other friends. He had a weird style of walking.
His foot was funny. He laughed with others but couldn't help but notice her from the corner of his eye. She was, of course, oblivious to this. He noticed everything, the way she talked or smiled. They were such opposites. Everyone exchanged goodbyes and left on their own ways.

Later, one fine evening, he pinged her. They were decent friends. She was social enough. They spoke of normal stuff. Weather, music or movies. Then he told her. Of how she said goodbye.

"You barely look back. Just half a wave, move your head away and leave. You say bye on the move.", he said.

She didn't know where this came from. But she smiled. She had never realized she did this.

" You're a little weird. But I guess you're right. Why waste time on goodbyes. Its just a bye after all.", he continued.

She laughed it off and promised, next time, she'll say a 'proper' goodbye to him. She thought, what's in a bye after all.

Time flew. And stories grow, weaving people together. So it was, for them too.

What's in a goodbye after all. Little did she know, that saying goodbye to him, would become the most difficult thing for her to do ever.