Masks And Masquerade

By Rituparna Bhaduri

“Find your soul mate

in this mysterious night

through the borrowed identity of

a mask.”

“Original but creepy. An invitation to attend a masquerade dance party? You have changed, my friend.” Elliot huffed. “What is a masquerade ‘dance party’ like anyway?”

“Seriously, Elliot, come on. Don’t be a…grandpa. We are in high school, we should enjoy it, right?” the girl beside him exclaimed in excitement.

“First of all, do not call me a grandpa, young lady. Moreover Alex, you know I hate tuxedos.”

“Fine, just lose the bow tie? But can we please go there? Chris’ parties are world famous and his brother is our literature teacher. What bad thing could possibly happen? Moreover, you might actually come to like it. The world is fu-”

“Stop! Do not give me that the ‘world is full of possibilities’ lecture.”

Alex rolled her eyes.

“But we are going?”

She looked up with the best puppy eyes she could muster.

Surrendering, Elliot let out a heavy sigh.

“We are going? Yes!! I am going to go home and prepare a dress. Meet me at five.” the brown hair girl said, almost sprinting towards the exit.

“Hey Alex, you don’t actually think that you are going to meet your soul mate, a guy with black hair and ocean blue eyes, do you?” Elliot teases.

“The world is a masquerade ball. People wear masks to hide their true identity. If you find their true self behind that mask, or if someone breaks through that mask to find you, then that there might just be your soul mate. I don’t care if that person has blue eyes. All I know is that this party might just be a beginning or end of it. So let’s just be ourselves, my friend.” Alex answered in a deep voice and a rare smile.

They reached Chris’s house that evening, which, apparently, was big. The duo could not believe that they were just one-step away from being— social. They were probably the most distant, introverted people who lived in their own little bubble daydreaming, quizzing each other, watching amazing TV shows and trust me when I say that they have the best taste in music. Anyways, let’s continue.

The house was a four-storey building with a front yard, which had freshly mowed grass; it also had some beautiful skylights, and this was just the outside. Chris was a living prince. The hall where the party was held was decorated like a bar. While entering the party they were handed a mask. They were indeed beautiful.

Alex roamed around, and was readily embraced by the idea of finding a soul mate when a tall man wearing a blue tuxedo approached her. On the other hand, Elliot sat at the bottom of the stairwell, in a much darker corner. He understood the fact clearly that socializing wasn’t his game to play.

“Boring much, this party?” A voice said behind him. A boy, wearing a mask and a starless black tuxedo.

“I see that you cannot take your eyes of that young lady. Unrequited love, I suppose?” he continued.

Not wanting to break this unique Shakespearean flow, Elliot answered:

“It’s not unrequited love— there is none. She is my best friend, Alex. Anyway, how may I entertain you this evening?”

“Why? Are you the host? Taken aback, but great party.”

“No, I don’t even know the host. But he did indeed throw a great party,” Elliot chuckled.

An awkward silence fell over the two young gentlemen.

“Want to go an awesome place? I just went there, it was beautiful,” the boy asked, in an attempt to break the silence.

“Yes, please.” Elliot answered almost desperate.

The place he led Elliot to was a semi-circular room, with glass windows and a huge skylight on the ceiling. One window gave the full view of the hall, and the skylight, the night sky. They sat under it, watching the stars and talking for hours in a silent room with no one to disturb the peace. Careers, love, friendship, family— and what not. By the end of the hour, Elliot knew almost everything about the boy’s family dynamics.

Whilst he absolutely loved what he was doing, he decided to check up on Alex.

“Alex is dancing,” he said in low, disappointed voice, coloured with a hint of surprise.

“She is enjoying this night, isn’t she?” the boy asked.

“Yeah, she most certainly is. I have never seen her like this.”

“It’s Christmas, Theo. A time for miracles.” The boy imitated a dialogue from a movie.

“It might as well be Christmas,” Elliot answered bitterly.

“You hate it, don’t you? Because she is actually having fun with a stranger, while she never did with you, even though you were always there.” She does not know how lucky she is. “Don’t pretend. This night is about truth, not lies.”

“You sure know a lot about me while I don’t know a thing about you,” Elliot retorted, with an unknowingly charming smile.

He is right, he knows nothing about me.

He began to speak, “I....used to figure-skate when I was around seven. I won many competitions with my partner in crime. He was definitely more popular.” He chuckled.

“A wardrobe malfunction made me quit. Not as little as it sounds— I almost slit his throat with my skates during the accident. That was my first time seeing red ice, and hatred,” his voice broke.

Elliot was dumbfounded. He didn’t even know what to say. All he could do was sit there and be silent.

After a long while, he asked, “What time is it?”

“Almost midnight.”

The boy could see Elliot’s grin: the one described as ‘utterly creepy’ by Alex.

“Want to see the young lad who is wooing my best friend?”

“Sure.”

The clock touched twelve; a song started to play as spotlights fell on the couples and they loosened their masks to reveal their identities.

“’Before you go’ by Lewis Capaldi is a good song choice. Kudos to that.”

The spotlight fell on the lovebirds as Alex discarded her mask and the boy loosened his.

“Wow! His deep blue eyes— someone could get lost in them. And his hair, as black as a blackberry, looks so silky!” Elliott said in a high, cutesy voice, imitating his best friend. “I bet Alex is thinking that.”

“That is Eren Dawson.” My partner in crime. “And I doubt you would know him but…” he continued, “you know her very well, don’t you? Alex?”

“Yes. But not just that, that guy looks like a heartthrob, everyone’s type.” Elliot answered.

The boy chuckled genuinely and said:

“Personally, I am a fan of redheads with hazel brown eyes.”

“Yeah, good luck finding someone as unique as that.”

“Well, I am willing to search the whole world for that person.” I hope that, that person is like you.

The spotlight travelled through the hall and suddenly fell upon the duo.

“Hey look, the spotlight fell on us. Funny,” the boy said, looking up. Just as he looked down, his eyes fell upon Elliot, who was without his mask.

“Oh.” Wow.

“What?”

“You are a redhead with hazel brown eyes.”

“Yes, so?” Elliot asked, not get the meaning. “Now you show your true self, the one behind that ridiculous mask; I’ve been waiting for that the whole evening.”

And he did. He had beautiful green eyes, slightly tanned skin complementing his brown hair. While that mask hid his true self completely, Elliot looked through; a delicate boy, full of insecurities.

“You are Chris.” He sounded surprised.

“Yeah.” Chris exhaled.

“You are not very humorous, you know?”

“I see,” came the reply.“So…” Chris asked, biting his lip. “Now that you know that I am the party planner who is not very humorous— what’s next?”

Elliot stood there, trying to find the words to convince himself, that he has to go.

“I h-have to pick Alex up. We have to go home.” He finally found the words.

“Hmm…”We were after all escaping reality. It catches up fast.

“Goodbye then,” He managed to smile through the sadness as Elliot turned away.

“Elliot.”

Elliot froze.

He knew my name. I am the most insignificant person in the world and yet he knows me? How?

“Elliot, let’s go.” He could hear Alex say.

“Coming.” Why am I stuck? Why am I feeling like I am about to do something stupid?

He was at the verge of getting lost in his head, his thoughts.

But he then took a deep breath and turned back, as he let out the words which would have suffocated him the rest of his life, if he didn’t.

“Umm…Chris?” he exhaled. “I read somewhere that people never meet again after a magical masquerade ball, which now apparently is a dance party. Heh. And I know that we both hate clichés, so how about…how about we grab a cup of coffee sometime?” That was smooth. Well done, Elliot.

“I would love that.” Chris blurts out. “Really.” And he smiles, this time truthfully.

By Rituparna Bhaduri