“This song sounds so sensual to me, it’s like each word wraps around you, gently caressing you,” I said.

“Like a flower bending in the breeze,
Bend with me, sway with ease…”

Forgetting that I was just moving my lips, I actually sang out aloud.
The guitar almost dropped from his hands as he tried to gain his composure. He had never heard me sing.

I wanted to go on but fits of coughing seized me.

He immediately rushed to the dresser, snatching up the bottle of water.

As much as it pained me to swallow anything, I had to take sips of water to prevent my throat from drying.

I closed my eyes and gulped as the pain washed me anew.

I kept aside the bottle and snuggled closer as he wrapped his hands around me.

We sat on the floor in silence for a second.

“You sing?” he whispered in my ear.

“I love it but…”

“Don’t ever do it. You could harm yourself seriously,” there was concern in his voice.

“It happens sometimes. I sang for Jacob that day and it was all okay,” I tried to reason.

“It strains your already bruised throat. Why would you try something like that?” his voice rose a decibel.

“Because it’s something I like and I don’t want my handicap to get in my way. How convincing is that?”

I pushed him away from me.

“Phoebe, look, I know you’re fighting against everything and I encourage you to fight too, but don’t harm yourself. Fight in a clever way and don’t let foolish emotions lead you astray. You’re more intelligent than that,” he sat where he was, not attempting to come near me.

I knew my resolve was at breaking point.

“Don’t I have the right to try something which seems impossible? I had always wanted to compose music. I even have music at college and you know it. I won’t ever let EB defeat me, Daniel,” I countered.

My words betrayed my own feelings. I knew however brave I try to be, how much I may show my ‘devil may care’ attitude, I was never going to be able to hold up against reality for long. Expectations and fantasies were nice to dwell on, but at the end of the day, you had to always come back to the land of realities where fairy tales and miracles are practically nonexistent.

“Even you know that I’m right. I can see the conflicting emotions in your eyes,” he came closer, putting an arm around me again. “But at some point you need to stop and weigh your options, be mature. And you’ll realise that I’m right. I don’t tell you to curb your dreams, but you could channelize them into something different. Something that won’t hurt you physically.”

“Like what exactly?” I pointed out.

“Music composing. You’re the poet, you’ll be the lyricist. You jot down the notes and I’ll pick up the tunes. I can ask one of my friends to sing it out loud and you can correct wherever you want and then we’d record it.”

“What would I do without you?” I gave him a peck on the cheek.

“You wouldn’t have to do anything without me,” he grinned, “Because I’m here always, well as long as God allows me to be…”

He paused abruptly and looked at me, aghast.

“I think God brought you to me and that’s enough,” I smiled.

His stared at me bewildered.

“Phoebe, you know you don’t need to act in front of me,” his voice shook

“Shhh,” I put a finger on his lips. “As I’ve told before, I’m okay with your religion and I can do that without changing my beliefs.”

His lips found mine in response.
And as he cupped my face in his hands, kissing my lips slowly, savouring each and every moment, gliding his supple hungry lips over my dry, chapped ones, I felt the fire return in me.

As each nerve was set ablaze with the same flame, my lips crashed into him violently, unable to hold back any longer.

His hands restrained me carefully before my unbounded desires could seriously damage the soft skin on my lips.

“Phoebe, relax,” he breathed, “I’m all yours. I’m going nowhere. Enjoy me at your leisure.”

“Oh Daniel, you don’t know the attraction my body feels for you, it makes me so self-conscious, so aware of my shortcomings…”

He pressed a finger to my lips, “We promised we won’t be going into that discussion anytime soon.”

I shrugged, letting my body free, drowning in that one moment, which I wished could continue into the eternity.