Maya and Arav

He took it upon himself to butchering the dinner.

Arav held it by its neck - snapped and cut off the head of the chicken as it went into an epileptic seizure. Next he removed the feathers off the bird and exposed its legs and breast - the clean and delicious parts of the dinner.

All the other chicken cackled in a frenzy.

Maya looked horrified.

"What did you just do?"

"What, this is the first time you've seen it done?" Arav asked her.

"Don't mess with lives."

Maya stormed out.

"Help!" Someone screamed near the bank of the lake.

Arav's sharp eyes darted towards the source of the sound and he jumped into action. He carefully traversed the slippery muddy ground and glided into the water like it was nothing. He swam towards the girl who was just about ten years old and caught her. He carried her across the cold water over into the land. His prompt attention saved the day.

The parents of the children who had shouted out for help trembled with relief and hugged their daughter. They also thanked Arav for what he had done that day and asked him to join them for dinner.

Maya looked on silently. Maybe she was wrong about Arav. Maybe he was there when someone needed him.

She could protest when she saw something horrible but she did not have it in her to save someone should time need her to spring into action. Yet barely five minutes passed that he had sprung into action.

Arav looked at Maya once and accepted their invitation. At least she wouldn't have to have a chicken soup for the soul.

Arav was great at cracking stupid jokes. This was one of them.

Maya turned down the offer, though.

"I want to go walk," she said.

It was outskirts of a forest with a lake where they had come to camp.

Two minutes later, however, Arav joined in.

"Can't let you walk alone," he mumbled.

In five minutes they were deeper inside the forest.

"We've never walked together, like this," Arav said.

"You don't need to make conversation," Maya said.

"Why not?"

"You know, if it's awkward for you."

"It isn't. Awkward." Arav said, quietly.

Maya smiled. Genuinely.

"Okay."

They walked silently amidst trees and carefully avoided stamping on the saplings.

Arav said, "Did you know that you were my first crush?"

Maya was surprised. She knew, of course, from the way he used to glance at her from time to time, about 5 years ago, but she was surprised he brought it up now.

"Yeah. But I never knew why," Maya said.

"You were nice."

'I was nice only when you expected me to be', Maya thought. And a better word would probably be polite.

"You didn't ever notice me though," Arav said.

"I know. But you were a kid. The kind of kid whom you want to pinch chubby cheeks of. You weren't chubby, but you were all sorts of tiny and cute," Maya said.

"I thought you were the best."

"Arav, why now? Surely you don't think the same of me now."

"I don't. But if I did, would you ever consider dating me?"

Maya nodded. "I would."

What changed? He had changed. He seized every opportunity he had. And well, he had grown up. He was wise and practical beyond his years.

"But... I thought you loved someone else now," Maya said.

"I do. She left me, though."

She only heard the first two words - "I do."

It didn't break her heart. But the wistfulness that clouded the feeling was gone. He didn't know her. The old person she was, was only a polite thing who did as her conscience told her to, not because she particularly wanted to.

She wasn't the brave hearted role model Arav looked up to.

The truth was she had been hoping for more as she saw him grow.

"Whatever happened?" Maya asked.

"I don't want to talk about that," he said.

But she still wanted to know. But maybe she should give him his space.

The forest had a clearing in front. They had barely walked on ahead for ten minutes at most.

"I need to tell you the truth," Maya said.

"About what?" Arav asked.

"About how everything turned out," Maya said.

"Okay," he said.

"There were times when I was a little touched by your consideration and kindness. I remember that time, when even in my silence you thought I had things to say. I didn't, of course, but the fact the you had thought of it meant something. When he left me, you were kind, and expected nothing from me. Of course I still loved him and didn't care, but now..."

"I am glad you came to my life, Arav."

Arav stopped, stood upright.

"None of that matters now. I still love her and perhaps still will. And if not, I only will give my heart to someone who I will marry."

Maya wanted to take this sportingly. She wasn't desperate. But she was, a little bit of an overthinker when it came to Arav.

An owl hooted.

What if she asked him to marry her?

No, that was too abrupt and...stupid. Like his jokes.

"I know nothing about you. So which was the real you, the one that killed the chicken or the one that saved the child?" Maya asked.

"Both of them are the real me."

Maya stayed silent this time.

The silence was missing something. A life.

"What if I asked you to marry me?" Maya braved forward.

"I don't think so, Maya. We are two very different people."

Rejection feels bad, to anyone whom you want to seek out.

Maya had lost an argument.

"Thank you. But you will find somwone who wants you as you are," Arav said.

"Same to you, Arav," Maya said.

Their lives had converged to this point and would soon diverge. But for what it was worth, she would always remember this night.

She had given up on marriage when her ex left her. She felt sad a lot of times, and found a way meditating out her loneliness.

"Could we go back?" Arav said.

"I think I will sit here for awhile," Maya said.

There was a large banyan tree ahead.

Maya walked to it and sat down. Her legs crossed, she sat atop creepers that went into the ground.

She breathed in.

And out.

In.

And out.

Arav took a break, and lit a cigarette.

"How long is it going to take?" he asked.

"As long as it will," Maya breathed.

The Holy Mother had said, "Those who are not married will progress faster toward God than a married woman."

Many things had happened in their lives and she just wanted to move on.

"We can be friends," Arav sat close to her.

"You're disturbing my breathing," Maya said.

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"I am not hurt, Arav," Maya said. "I am just tired of living."

"You could go along with me. We can have as many adventures as we like."

"Arghh. Don't feel sorry for me, Arav. I am trying to meditate, not feeling sorry for myself."

"There are plenty of things you don't say," Arav said.

"Neither do you, Arav," Maya said.

"She left me because someone better came along," he said listlessly.

"I am sorry to hear that. I will take up on your promise to tour the world as long as you promise me you will set afoot in the spiritual world with me," Maya said.

"I would scoff, but I think it's okay to do so. Since you asked."

And then she started to sing which translated as follows,

"When you stop at places you don't want to,

When you find what you can't reach within your grasp,

Don't look away,

Don't look away,

Take it and plow the seeds where your heart will be.

Watch them grow

Form tendrils,

Trace your veins all throughout

Don't look away,

Don't look away,

Let them creep over the field as you go."

"That sounds creepy," Arav said.

"Yes, basically you carry the creepers that arise from the seedling in your heart and carry it wherever you go. It is all about karma. What you sow you reap, etc." Maya laughed.

And the good deeds you nourish and the bad deeds you let crumble - of course, as far as possible focus on the positivity.

Both of them sat cross-legged for 5 minutes.

Arav watched her breathe, eyes closed. The creases on her faces disappeared. She looked happy.

And he wondered, 'I couldn't have done that.'

Five minutes turned to an hour, an hour to next morning. She felt at peace.

Maya looked at the sunrise and at Arav, who was sleeping.

'To many adventures ahead,' she told to herself.