Everything I do, I do it for you

                                                      Everything I do, I do it for you

Aaron was humming the song-“Everything I do, I do it for you” as he prepared tea for himself and Maya. He added an extra teaspoonful of sugar in one cup-Maya liked her tea to be overly sweet. And he said these words aloud as he handed her the cup.

She laughed, shook her head, and said,” You need to think of better reasons to do things”.

Aaron did not laugh because deep down he knew that it was true.

They had met a year ago at a bus shelter. It was raining, and Aaron had come to seek shelter from the rain. A girl came running towards the bus shelter, struggling to keep her umbrella open. Aaron watched her for a while in quiet amusement.

He had asked, ”Do you need help?”

She had replied, smiling,” I think this is beyond help”.

The smile stayed with him.

From that day on, their lives seemed to overlap in small, unremarkable ways. They started noticing each other more often-at the bus shelter, the bookstore that was between the boutique and the Xerox shop. They exchanged polite nods, smiles, and moved on to small talk. They shared small jokes and moved on to long discussions about everything under the sun.

Maya’s outlook towards life fascinated Aaron. She was bolder and saw possibilities even in apparently absurd situations.

“ You think way too much”, she would say.

“You take quick decisions”, he would say.

“Maybe that is why we get along well”.

Maybe it was true.

Aaron looked for stability more than adventure. He lived a careful life following the rules, never testing limits, and avoiding all risks. His dreams were simple, and he had quiet ambitions, whereas Maya had loud dreams. She looked forward to exploring new places and looking for change. She wanted to do something meaningful, something that mattered, and wanted to create an impact.

Once, as they sat on the steps of the bookstore, their favourite haunt-she had said,” You are capable of more than you think”.

Aaron shrugged and said,” I am fine the way I am”.

She studied him and said,” You are not”.

This made him somewhat uncomfortable. Nobody had even spoken like this before.

That was the first time he felt seen in a way that made him uncomfortable.

There were small changes in his life.

Aaron began exploring new places, he began reading the books recommended by Maya, he tried new food, and stepped out of the boundaries he had built.

During one of their walks, Maya had mentioned her wish to start a community library for kids who could not afford to buy books, and Aaron found himself looking for locations, the costs, and other logistics involved.

Maya had said,” You don’t have to do this”.

Aaron had said,” I know, but I want to.”

He knew that deep down, everything he did, he did it for her.

The community library was their shared dream.

During weekends, they visited neighbourhoods and spoke to the people, collected the donated books, and tried to convince people that their idea was worth supporting. Some listened to them, some promised help, some dismissed them, and some did not even care.

But Maya did not give up, and Aaron, who generally quit at the first sign of difficulty, kept going because Maya kept going.

Their plans failed and were rebuilt, and slowly the idea began to take shape. An elderly school teacher provided a room in her house for the library. Shelves were built in it and books filled up the space. They rented tables and chairs for the kids to sit and read. The school teacher assured that she was willing to help the kids who would come over.

The day the library opened, only two kids showed up.

Maya smiled and said,” This is just the beginning”.

Aaron looked at her and believed her.

Months passed, and the library grew. More kids came to the library, and there were teenagers who volunteered at the library. A thing that seemed to be impossible became something real and alive.

Aaron too changed. He was no longer someone who avoided risks. There was confidence in his voice; he made decisions and started believing in the future. He also realized that he loved Maya. He did not tell her as he thought it was not necessary. He was scared of ruining something that they had.

One evening, Aaron and Maya sat on the floor of the library sorting the books, and Maya said, “This has been a success.”

Aaron nodded.

She asked,” Have you thought what comes next?”

Aaron hesitated,” What do you mean?”

She clarified,” For you, not the library. Just you.”

He bit his lip and searched for the right words.

“I don’t know”, he said slowly. I did not think about it.”

She smiled and said,” You should”.

“What about you?” he asked.

“ I got selected”, she said quietly.

“Selected?”

“As a lecturer, in another city, it is a big opportunity and something that I have been trying for”.

Aaron felt that something was being snatched from him. He forced a smile and said,” That’s amazing”.

“When do you leave?” he asked.

“In a month.”

The days that followed felt different. Though nothing had apparently changed, everything had. They would still work on the library, share jokes and moments of quiet understanding, but there was a tension-a clock was ticking away, and neither wanted to talk about it.

Aaron worked for more hours in the library, took on more responsibilities, and tried harder as if these could somehow slow down time.

Because everything he did, he did for her.

The night before Maya left, they met at the bus shelter-the place they had first met.

Neither knew what they needed or wished to say. They said goodbye and left for their homes. There were no confessions, no promises. The next day, Maya left.

Aaron would still go to the library and make sure it continued. He showed up every day, guided the kids, gave instructions to the volunteers, and kept everything running. There was no apparent change. But deep down, everything had changed. With Maya absent, the motivation began to fade, the sense of purpose, the fire began to subside.

Aaron thought over Maya’s words and wondered whether he was living someone else’s dream.

Time passed, and weeks became months. Aaron and Maya stayed in touch-they would exchange pleasantries, Maya would talk about the new job, and that she needed to wait till a staff accommodation was allotted to her. Aaron would talk about the library and how he had added more books thanks to the support of the locals.

Aaron’s life underwent a slow change that was unnoticeable at first, but Aaron too realized it. He found that the joy he saw on the face of a kid who had found his favourite book filled him with happiness, pure happiness. He started to think and make his own decisions instead of thinking about what Maya would have thought. This gave him a sense of well-being.

One evening, as he was closing the library for the day, his phone rang. It was Maya at the other end. They greeted each other, spoke for a while, and Aaron briefed her about his life and the library that they had started. She said,” I know you have done a lot for me, but I hope you are doing it for yourself too. That is the version that the world needs, and probably that is what made me fall in love with you”. Aaron found his heart beating wildly in his chest when he heard these words. Maya shared her address, and the next weekend, Aaron found himself in Maya’s city.

He was there not just for her but for himself.

He reached Maya’s place and knocked on the door.

She opened the door and smiled. It was not a smile of surprise or the smile of uncertainty; it was the smile that said she was hoping for this.

She simply said,” You came”.

Aaron nodded as he said,” Yes, I did.”

Maya asked,” Why?”

Aaron said,” Because I wanted to.”

“That’s great,” she said.” And that is all that matters”.