The Strange Street to the Wrinkled Memories

Talent of dreaming

"Shravi! Actually why did you tell you are a Natya Rajyan?" Asked Akshara.
Shravya sighed, "I don't know it came out of nowhere. My head feels spinning with so much doubts of myself filled in it."

The day had dawned and there was no light source to help them move forward. Akshara guided, "Right and then few steps and we will halt there tonight.
Shravya exclaimed with temper, "What a dilemma! My head burns! Why had I come here? Actually, Why is your library too far?"
Akshara calmly put forth, "For the outsiders, coming through the palace way it's near. Also for the northern part the library is close. From the hospital it's a bit lengthy route but we could have reached earlier if we took the short cut."
Shravya hustled as they headed to the right path, "So why haven't we taken the alternative cutoffs?"
"We had to cut through the forbidden medusa street, then the river bay and lava crater to reach there. Why choose danger?"
"River bay. Lava crater. What are these places?"
Akshara confabbed, "The river bay is the river stream that's ice cold. It flows from the Arka-hima village. There is no much danger of speedy river currents or any other such things rather than the extreme coldness of the water. Then... About the Lava crater, there too nothing to worry but it will take us a lot of energy to walk and it would smell of ashes and sometimes there will be flashes of lava and that's when the smoky scent comes, that will most probably make us unconscious. How so wonderfully amazing, isn't it?"
Shravya nodded with a grin, thinking herself crossing those dangerous landmarks.

Akshara clarified, "We will stop here. That's Greshma's house. She's a tuition teacher and a tailor. We will start our tomorrow from there. Come on, follow me! We can spend our night in her house. You can dream, you can snore. No worries! "
Shravya shook her vocal cord, "Dream?" Akshara nodded.
"I guess I have lost the talent of dreaming," Shravya hesitated, "I haven't dreamt for the past few days... since my new beginning."
"I see! But you will be able to dream again, to hope, to create your own dream world, to live the life you never lived in your life and for so much fun."
Shravya quickly plastered a smile filled of hope. Hope for everything.
Shravya and Akshara walked to spend the night in Greshma's tiny home. Akshara knocked in the door and after few minutes, a woman opened the door. The woman was wearing a turquoise night suit, her hair was clipped and she was a middle aged working woman. She welcomed them in, "Hi Akshara! It's been so long since we met. How are you doing?"
Akshara hissed being thirsty, "Hi mam! I am fine but there is very much need for water."
Greshma resolved, "Come in! I will get you some water. Who is this new villager with you?"
They got in and Greshma went into the kitchen and brought two glasses of warm water. Both of the girls poured the water into their mouths and then Akshara lied so that Greshma wouldn't go for questioning or investigating further, "She is Shravya, my friend. She went to the nearby village for higher studies. Now that she has returned, we thought of trekking. So we are on a short picnic mam... You know! Just within the village."
Greshma was stuck in some other spot, maybe some other word. She quickly put in, "Nearby village. That's the village near the valley. Isn't it?"
Shravya gave out an expeditious response out of nowhere "Yes, Aahan Mitrapura." 
Akshara was astonished, but she didn't want it to be played on her face, so she walked to the restroom. Greshma went into the kitchen to get them the dinner. Akshara kept off the snacks and pack and came back. She sat next to Shravya and whispered, "Hey! How did you know about Aahan Mitrapura?"
Shravya blabbered "Uh... Mm... I really don't know. I even have no idea about that village."
Greshma came in with the dishes in her tray and served it. She sat along with them and asked, "Akshara! How's all going, fine right?"
Akshara gave out a quick riposte, "I am a nurse myself, so all fine mam. It's been so long... I guess, I met you on my last tuition class."
Akshara, Shravya and Greshma began eating the chicken chop suey and potato tikka  with it.
It so happened that their tête-à-tête continued, "So what brings you here?"
Akshara turned to Greshma, "We are going to the library and as you know it's a long way from the hospital. So we needed a place to stay this night..."
Akshara waited for a positive outcome and that's when Greshma smiled, "Certainly! As long as you like."
Akshara and Shravya thanked her and their chit-chat went on. Later, they all went to sleep. Greshma laid on her bed in the room. Akshara and Shravya slept using the rolled bed on the floor of the small hall.

Shravya was awakened from her sleep. She got up and drank some water and then she figured out a silhouette of an anonymous spy walking around the house through the open window. She went to find out if it was someone who came searching for her. She slowly opened the door and to her surprise, there was no one other than a chouette in the branch of a tree, staring at the moon. She closed the door and turned behind. Suddenly something jumped onto her and she screamed. Greshma came running and Akshara woke up, freaking out. They ran to her and switched on the lights only to find a savannah cat standing on the floor. Greshma consoled, "Oh no worries! That's grumpy, he's Mars. My cat. Get back to sleep girls!"

Catching back sleep was a bit hard for Shravya.... Not a bit, but much harder. Akshara laid down and pulled up the blanket and wrapped in herself, whilst Shravya sat on the stool and looked outside through the window that had metal rods standing horizontally with a gap of equal distance. Being bored, she tried pulling the grills and they were strong. She gazed at the moon. She felt that the moonlight spotted at her, it's narrow light rays entered in through the window. The chouette was still looking at the moon as if to mock her. She saw the dark streets which was only dimly lighted by the moon. The roads extended straight as if it would be never ending. She kept on thinking about herself until the moon was about to go.

She was sleeping in the stool by then. She was dreaming, she had thought that she forgot the talent of dreaming. Her only rule of dreaming is that there is no rules to be obeyed. The only place to be comfortable is in dreams, which are created by self. She hadn't disapproved her talent of dreaming; from outside, there was a smile in her face. She wasn't strange, but for her, her dream was strange.

She a very young girl, maybe of four or five years of age, was running through a door way and there she glimpsed out from the balcony. She could see a whole area from the top, she could even see the vivid image of some other village overhead, as if she did only see it in movies or books, a spectacular view of many villages, few which lacked clarity and the other villages seemed to be more close and clear. She suddenly saw a very familiar shadow, jumping into balcony of the wall tomb. Where did it lead? That was not needed to be known in her made-up dream. Instantaneously someone came running from behind, "Aru!", "Shravi! Take you meal dear". Before she turned back, she saw the shadow vanish in through a door at the top of the tomb.

"Morning!" shouted a lazy voice that woke Shravya. There was Greshma walking outdoor by brushing. Shravya briskly replied, "Good morning!" Shravya rubbed her eyes and stretched herself. Then she got up and patted Akshara. She was still asleep. Shravya pulled back the blanket and pushed her.
"Morning Akshara! Wake up. We want to leave soon to step in the library today."
Akshara turned and pressed her face on the pillow. She could wait till late night but waking up early in the morning was not a step she was obedient to. Shravya rolled her up and then Greshma came over and poured a few drops of water. Akshara jumped up and was still sleepy. She folded the bed and blanket and then greeted them, "Morning!" Greshma and Shravya greeted her in return. Akshara and Shravya then brushed their teeth and became fresh. By the time they got back, there was Greshma ready with the breakfast. They had the baked bun and boiled eggs with a cup of tea.

Akshara grabbed the meal bag and stepped out of Greshma's house with Shravya. They waved a bye at Greshma and then walked through the straight road. They had to wait in the middle of the road, as there was the railway track. The traffic signal coloured red and then the train went running. Once it completely vanished out of sight, they were signalled green from the traffic lights. Hence they went on.
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Surya_SK