Saka didn't open his mouth throughout the way until he reached Vira's room. They were sleeping over at Vira's place in Marina. Atira was not there that weekend; she had gone to a conference. The two had the house to themselves. Vira wanted Saka to rest a bit after all the studying before starting back in Mann. So they were taking the early morning boat, as they normally did when they came together.
Vira took Saka's bag and put it on the table. He then turned to face Saka.
"I know you are mad at me about something; can you tell me what it is so I can properly apologize?"
Saka said nothing. He simply walked to where Vira was. He was barely a few inches away; Vira could feel Saka's body heat. Too close. Vira braced himself. Was Saka going to slap him, perhaps?
Saka rested his head on Vira's shoulder, taking Vira by surprise.
Vira put his hand around Saka's neck. "Are you alright?"
"Can I stay this way for a while?" he asked.
"Of course." Vira didn't really understand what was going on in Saka's head. At times like this, Vira felt Saka was still a kid.
Saka moved away from Vira after a few minutes.
He then said, "I was jealous and a bit sad. Not mad at you."
"What did I do to make you sad?"
Saka was quiet for a second. Then he said, "What are we to each other? What is our relationship?"
Vira cocked his head. He then grabbed Saka's hand and dragged him to the bed. He sat on his, motioning Saka to sit next to him, which Saka did, obediently.
"This is what has been troubling you?"
Saka nodded. Vira smiled.
"Can I call you my soulmate? My life partner? Or maybe my destined Mann-er? What do you want to be? What am I to you?"
"Soulmate." Saka echoed. He loved the way it sounded. "We are soulmates?"
"Ofcourse. How many people on this planet can confidently say that they've met The One? I think I'm one of those lucky few." Vira replied.
Saka's eyes shone.
Vira continued. "As for our relationship, it is tricky. I want nothing more to do than to claim you as mine, but, before that, I want you to experience things you can do only without being tied down. Being engaged even before going to college is like clipping the wings and letting the bird out of it's cage."
Saka thought for a while. "So you love me enough to marry me, and enough to not want to be engaged to me?"
Vira shook his head. "There is nothing in the world that I'd love more than being engaged to you. But I don't want to take away your college fun. I don't want to box you into commitments. Once you do, you can't get out."
Saka asked, "What if I want to get boxed?"
Vira asked him gently, "How would you know what you want, unless you've experienced both?"
Saka said," I can't wait five years, can we make it two?"
Vira looked surprised. "Huh?"
Saka replied,"If I don't talk about it for 2 years, for my twentieth birthday, can I have you as my present?"
Vira went red. What was Saka talking about?
Saka continued, "Will you say okay to being my fiancé?"
Oh that way he meant, thought Vira to himself. For a second there, he was taken aback.
Vira chuckled. " You seem to be reserving birthday presents now?"
Saka mumbled, "I can't trust you in these things. Two years without me next to you, god knows whom you'll be flirting with."
Vira burst out laughing. "I woundn't dream of cheating on you."
Saka gave him a defiant stare. "What if you cove down to pressure? Or what if some long lost old flame bumps into you? What if you are threatened to doing it? What if you fall out of love? Many things can happen if you aren't tied down."
Vira's eyes twinkled. "I will meet you every month, call you atleast once a week, text you every single day. You call me whenever you want, whenever you can. If you can't or I can't we'll let each other know what is going on. Is that okay?"
Saka looked at him suspiciously, evaluating his words before nodding his okay.
"Or maybe I should quit Mann and work in Vayu? So I can be around you?" Vira jokingly asked.
Saka shook his head. "No! In Mann, I can have Laika and Roma to keep an eye on you. They will actively ward away any potential threat. In Vayu, you will be surrounded by too many people. I can't handle that much of jealousy. I might as well torture myself to death."
Vira laughed. He gently pulled Saka to him and gave him a tight hug. He whispered, "Trust me, I am the one who is going to feel miserable. My handsome Saka will have a hundred friends, a thousand followers and atleast fifty girls or guys dying to date you. I cannot even fight off my competitors. You don't have an idea how much I have been worrying about being away from you."
Saka's eyes widened in disbelief as he heard Vira. Vira actually was thinking so much?
"You are not sad anymore right?" Vira asked him, as he pulled back to read Saka's expression.
"Why did you let that lady treat you so badly?" Saka was not letting him off for it. Vira knew this was coming. Saka had been like a tiger protecting his cub at the cafe.
"You cannot ask a crow to stop cawing, but you can choose to ignore it and move away if it hurts your ears."
Saka was in no mood for Vira's stupid examples. "I don't like it."
Vira looked at Saka. Saka looked straight into his eyes. He was clearly not over it.
How could anyone be this adorable?
"What do you want me to do?" Vira asked him lightly.
"Give them back. Don't be nice. Let them know you won't take it lying down. They won't bother you." Saka replied, indignant that Vira wasn't taking him seriously.
"That is why I have my little cub here no? To protect me? Why should I worry?"
Saka exasperatedly replied, "Vira! You know what I mean! You can't.." he never got to say what he wanted. Vira cut off his words with his lips.
Saka looked disoriented as Vira drew back. Vira gently held Saka's face and said, " What others say doesn't matter, it doesn't hurt me. The fact that it hurts you makes me feel more cherished. To have a person who gets this angry on my behalf, it makes me so happy! I don't know how to express how much I love you. I want you to know though, than I am extremely grateful to have you in my life."
Saka nodded dumbly. He brain still felt fogged by that kiss. It was tender, deep, he felt Vira's feelings pour into himself. He felt uncontained happiness.