MELINOE

The Call

Chapter-19

The crickets, the second hand of the clock and me were the only ones awake this late at night. Even my table lamp appeared drowsy and dim. With no sleep in my eyes and a strange heavy heart, I continued with my favourite ink pen that was only meant to scribble on my diary...

"Rayan and Jenny started hanging out more and Rayan makes out very less time for me now. I wonder how nobody else finds her gang and her, suspicious, other than me. Her strange fake smile, that extra-cheerfulness surely hid something fishy. But Rayan is blindfolded in front of her charms and is never ready to listen to me. The night is still young, they're on a date and here I am, with none to share my feelings with, other than the diary. Maybe I'm jealous, but this feeling that something might go wrong is not just out of mere jealousy!"

Scene 2 - Rayan and Jennifer on date

Rayan didn't gel set his hair this time and looked fresh in a black tee and blue denim, and white shoes while Jenny dolled herself up in a short black dress, straightened hair and red lips. Rayan was explaining how bad it feels at college with all the young people around him. Jenny replied, "You love basketball right? You're tall and well-built too, better you join the college team. You'll be able to make friends easily there." Rayan agreed to that, twirling his pendant with his right hand fingers. "Why do you keep doing that? That looks precious, but definitely not of our generation!" Jenny asked pointing at the pendant with her eyes. Rayan avoided eye contact with her and took a deep breath in a dilemma of whether to disclose the story behind. "This is my Mom's...I wasn't a very good son to her while she was alive and this guilt of not being able to make her a contented and proud Mom will burden my heart all my life." Jenny placed her hand over Rayan's and said, "Don't be sad. Father says that even after death, the souls of our close ones stay around and watch us. Your Mom will be happy and so proud of you seeing your efforts to change." She couldn't complete as her phone ringtone interrupted. She took the phone and with a nervous expression, excused herself and went outside. Rayan smiled. As she left the table, Rayan looked down and blushed, saying to himself, "She is great ya!"

15minutes had passed and Rayan looked for the time about 150times within this span! Finally he got up to look for Jenny. As he went near her, he could hear her say, "I don't know anything, I want the stuff asap." She turned back and on seeing Rayan there, she disconnected the call abruptly saying the other person that she'll call later, and smiled at Rayan in an uncomfortable and weird manner.