The Anklet

Page No 3

"Is anybody home?" He shouted taking his rucksack out of the Jeep.

"Zain Sir. Finally, you are here. Saleem Sir has been waiting for you." Amjad Baba grinned his wide face at him, fixing his turban on his head and leaped forward to take the luggage out of his hands.

"Leave this to me, Sir. Your humble servant is at your service." Amjad Baba was a faithful servant of Saleem and had been at his service for ten years.

"Thank you, Baba." Zain smiled at him, before locking the Jeep and striding away after him.

"Ah, my friend. Glad to see you after a long time." Saleem opened his arms wide and embraced his childhood friend in a tight hug.

"After ten years a lot of things are changed here." Hearing his words Saleem sighed before turning to face a huge glass window.

" Right. Change is a natural phenomenon. It can't be stopped." Saleem lit up his cigarette.

"You still smoke?"

" I am surprised that you don't." Saleem smirked as blew out the tiny clouds of smoke.

"Why are you surprised?" Zain sat down in a sofa and glanced over the classical furniture and expensive decor of the hall of mansion.

"I was scared that you might have started to drink, but you don't even smoke." A mischievous smile tugged down his lips.

"What do you mean?" He frowned at his friend.

"After all you lost your first or maybe last love..."

"Shut up, Saleem. I am not here for stupid sarcasm." The brown eyes which shining in pleasure to meet his friend before were now deprived of any sort of glint.

"Oh Zain. You know that I was just joking. You were twenty at that time. Now you are 30 years old. Time heals the wounds, I know." He patted over his friend's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Leave it man. I have no wounds. So please stop this." The frown on his forehead was frozen.

"Alright. I am sorry. Hopefully I am forgiven." He grinned at him before shaking his shoulders.

"I forgive you. But remember that I don't want to talk about this again."

"As you say Sir." Saleem saluted him which made him giggle.

"Now where is my room. I want to rest for a while." Zain stretched his muscular arms and tried to relax his tensed muscles.

"What about tea or lunch before that?"

"I like the thought. Thank God, you finally learned to serve your guests." Zain winked at him.

"Haha. Business meetings made me hospitable." He winked back at him.

After lunch, he went to the guest room upstairs and instead of unpacking his luggage, he threw himself on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

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                   The forest knows all her
                   Secrets,
                  She has made a tune of love
                  For him in her anklets.
                    
                                         ©Elif Hoorain.

                      
The sun slipped behind the clouds and a white smoke danced across the sky. The cool breeze clung to the branches of trees and when she ran through the forest it danced around her ankles teasing the golden ornament in her left ankle. Her white dress high above her ankles flowing in the direction of the wind was taking it with her as she ran faster than before.

"The time has come. Finally, after ten years my patience will bear its fruit now." A pale face half hidden behind the black locks spoke. She brought up her arms and holding onto a branch she swung her body, facing the east, where he was drowned into the ocean dreams in the mansion.

Her dark black eyes shone with a peculiar glint as she walked towards the east thumping her bare feet on the rough and soft soil of forest with a lonely anklet jingling in her left foot.

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He stirred in his bed as he woke up. He shifted towards his left side to throw a glance at the wall clock.

"Oh shit. It is 8: pm. I have been sleeping for so long." He brushed his fingers through his hair.

"Nine hours exactly." Saleem smiled at him coming towards him holding a tray of food.

"I was tired as hell, actually." He rubbed his temples and massaged his neck muscles.

"No doubt about that." He brought tray near him and settled it down on the table.

"Why did you bring dinner here? I would have come downstairs. Stop treating me like a guest." He pouted at him making him laugh.

"Haha. First I thought about dragging you down in your sleep for the dinner but then changed my plan to give you some respect." He flashed him a wide grin receiving a frown from Zain.

"At least you chose to respect me."

"Haha. Yeah. Now get fresh. Eat your dinner and meet me downstairs. We will do some chit-chat."

"Hopefully that chit-chat won't contain unnecessary topics." Zain arched an eyebrow.

"I have already said sorry, and I won't repeat what you don't like." Saleem shrugged at his friend.

"Thanks." Zain smiled slightly before hopping off the bed.

"See you soon." With this Saleem exited the door.

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The moonlight was fading away gradually behind the clouds and there was no star to whisper any secrets of the night to the moon.

"Is it always cloudy at night here?" Zain asked gazing at the dark sky.

"Sometimes. Why ?" Saleem sipped his black coffee.

"Just asked. Casually." Zain shrugged his shoulders and eased himself in the dark brown leather sofa.

"Yesterday something strange and unusual happened." He leaned forward fixing his eyes on Saleem.

"Hun. Hun?" He became alert and gestured at him to continue.

"Yeah. I stayed at a resort last night. Something strange and scary happened."

"Did you come across a ghost?" Saleem whispered in deep dramatic voice.

"Maybe." Zain was gone back into that night. He could again hear that wild knock and jingle.

"Oh. Hello. Land back on earth." Saleem poked his friend's shoulder.

"Ah. I am already on earth." He shuddered a bit and took a sip of his cream coffee. Even though both were childhood best friends but their habits and choices were never same.

"What had happened there in the resort?" Saleem put down his empty cup on the table.

"I heard fierce knocking on the window of the room and loud jingle of an ornament."

"Well this doesn't sound horror at all."

"I am not making up a horror story to entertain you. I know what I felt there." Zain had become tensed now. I attached his lips to the cup and averted his gaze from his friend.

"Ok. Man I believe you. But also think that someone tried to pull a prank on you and as long as I remember it was a wild stormy night. And storm brings lots of strange sounds." Saleem leaned forward and patted his friend's hand.

"Hmm. Guess, you are right. I have been just over thinking."

"It's your old bad habit." Saleem smirked.

"I am proud of my habit." He wiggled his eyebrows and both friends began to laugh.

With his laughter his body shook, and the anklet jingled in his hoodie's pocket. It was too enjoying his laughter. After ages now it had felt his comforting heat radiating through his hoodie.

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