The Anklet

Page No 4

The night had become fierce as the thunder echoed in its layers and lightening reflected through the glass windows. It seemed as if it will shatter the glass and enter his bedroom. He didn't sleep, rather stayed in his bed to gaze at the golden ornament hanging down his fingers.

'Where have I seen it before? Television, on a jewelry shop, I had once bought such an anklet for someone's too.......' Skimming through his thoughts, he jolted up at once.

"To adorn someone's ankle, but....who?" He muttered in wonder.

He forced his brain to remind him of that person, but a loud thunder broke his chain of thoughts and brought him back to the reality where he had no clue about who was the owner of that anklet.

He got up from the bed, walked towards the glass window and dragged the curtains to cover it. Later he walked back, got under the covers and putting the anklet under his pillow, he fell asleep.

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In the pouring night, soft steps wet on the marble floor made their way towards the corridor. A soothing jingle got faded under the thunder's echoes. Everyone was asleep under their comforts, but the jingle was desperate to wake up the mansion. Every nook and cranny of mansion gasped as she made her way through the corridor towards the door of his room.

"Zain..." A whisper caressed his earlobe and he woke up with eyes wide open.

Black eyes darker than the night stared back at his brown ones , holding some sort of magic in them. Time got frozen as he passed through ages gazing into the dark oceans.

*Thunder.*

Startled by the thunder he blinked and within a blink those eyes were gone. Zain jolted up, drenched in sweat and took a deep breath as if he had forgotten to breathe earlier.

"Who is there?" He mustered up his voice.

"It is me?" He heard a meek jingle.

"Who?" He wiped off the perspiration from his forehead.

"In just ten years you forgot me?" Sad voice with a sigh echoes in the room.

"Whoever you are, stop being a coward and face me." He raised his voice a bit high to be confident.

"Hahaha. Coward? I have never been a coward. Not even when they had beaten me with belt." A chill crept up his spine as those words hit him.

"Where are you? Please face me. I want to see you." He sounded more desperate than before.

"I won't come in front of you. You will have to find me on your own." Those words filled the air in the room, and he heard the jingle echoing louder now.

"Wait." He shouted and ran out of the room chasing the rhyme of the anklet.

The faster he ran the fader the sound was getting. He ran through the corridor, the hall and reached the porch. It was still pouring heavily outside. He stood still on the porch and her shadow flashed in the rain for a second which broke his trance and he ran after her.

Soaking from head to toe he chased the jingle and when he found himself in the middle of the forest, rain had slowed down. He bent cupping his knees to stable his breathing.

"Gave up, so soon?" She asked in a sarcastic tone.

"I never gave up. Look, it has been ten years, but I never gave up." She sneered as she came near him.

"Y...you?" He raised his shaking finger.

"Recognized me?" She smiled at his handsome face showing dimples in her pale cheeks.

"Elena...." His lips uttered her name and those dark eyes of her shone like pearls.

"You remember me." She came near him and cupped his face.

He looked up at her and stared at her face. He fell onto his knees on her touch like he was under her spell. She leaned down to his level and caressed his hair with thin, long but pale fingers.

"You know what, I have been running in this forest for years for you. I wish you had come to save me as you promised." She pouted at him and putting her hands on his eyes closed them.

"See what you want to forget and feel it." She brought her lips near his right ear, and he drowned into a heap of thoughts.

*Flashback*

Running through the forest he finally found her sitting under the tree with a basket of flowers in her lap.

"See what I brought for you, Ellie." He sat down near her and gave her a wrapped gift. She took it with a smile and tore the wrapping sheet.

"Wow. What is this?" She rounded her lips in excitement.

"Oh silly. This is a colouring book. Look, here I have colours for you too." Zain opened another gift and gave it to her.

"Really? Are these for me?" A girl of 10 years' age asked in wonder.

"Of course. From now on we both will color together." He opened her Barbie colouring book and thrust a few colors in her hands.

"But, I can't take these." Her face fell.

"Why not?"

" Aunt will beat me if I take these. She says that evil kids don't deserve gifts." Her bright black eyes were pooling now.

"She is a liar. You are not evil and if she beats you again, tell me. I will protect you from her." He scooted near her and patted her head with affection.

"But you are too young to protect me." She gave him a concerned look which brought a few lines on his forehead.

"Hey. I am 13 years old. I can play the best fighter games and win them. I can even climb on a tree also. I am a big boy at least bigger and older than you." He thumped his chest in proud and grinned at her, making her giggle.

"Ok. So will you save me whenever I will be in trouble?" A shine of hope appeared in those innocent black gems.

" I promise." He kissed her hair, smoothed them down and helped her in getting up from the grass.

*End of flashback*

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh." Lethal pain shot through his nerves and he opened his eyes. Holding his head in his hands he tried to get up. The forest was swirling in front of his eyes.

"Ellie...." The word barely escaped his lips and he fell back like a stone on the ground. His brown eyes could only see the black mane on the back of her white dress which faded away slowly and darkness engulfed his vision.

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