The Anklet

Page No 6

                    And when you think you
                   Have forgotten me,
                  Look deeper in your soul,
                  That's where I lie.

                                         © ELIF HOORAIN
                                     

He walked towards the book rack and picked up the box. When he opened it, he found what he had been looking for. He took it and kept it in his Jean's pocket. He was putting back the box when his hand came in a contact with a book, and it fell open on the floor in front of him.

Her delicate face with the prettiest smile gazed back at him. He crouched down and picked the book, took out the picture and held it before his eyes. His soul pinched him telling him that she still lies here and he can never forget her.

“Hey Zain, what are you doing here at this hour of the night?” Saleem entered the study frowning but got baffled to find Zain glaring at him.

“These. What are these doing in your study room?”
He shouted with hurt brimming his eyes, holding a picture in one hand and the anklet in the other hand.

“ I can explain.” Saleem gulped down the lump in his throat.

“ You must explain each and everything from the beginning because I have found, one thing more.” He produced a letter which was sealed in the layer of the picture.

“It says that she loved me, and she never went away for another person. It says that she had been waiting for me. Why the hell did you lie?” He pushed his friend against the wall.

“She had given this long ago but remember that she never contacted you again, if she had ever loved you she would have come back to you.”

“She came back. I saw her in the woods, and now I remember that this anklet is hers. It is the anklet I gave her on her 18th birthday. If she had never loved me she would have never worn it. I have one anklet and I heard the jingle of the other one in her bare foot. She must be living in this town still. Tell me where is she?” He yelled at him and punched him in the face.

“You have lost your bloody brain. You can't see her or even meet her. You went away at your 20th birthday and three years later you sent her a gift, maybe she accepted it as girls love jewellery, but she never loved you.”

“No, you are a liar and if she has left this town then wherever she is I will find her, and you will help me in this.”

“Ha, help? Why do you think that I would help you? You left her when she needed you the most, and now you want me to take you back to her. Hun?”

“I didn't leave her. I was angry on her for punishing herself again and again. If anyone called her evil or bad, she would hurt herself, and it always depressed me. I wanted her to leave with me, but she refused.”

“When you were gone, you should have forgotten her.” Saleem wiped off the blood from his mouth.

“Sorry?”

“I said that you should not have sent her a pair of anklets.” He sounded defeated now.

“ Why? Are you going to give a gift advise now?” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue.

“You can't see her and meet her, not until.....” He stopped, he couldn't utter the coming words.

“Ha. Until?” Zain came near him and grabbing his collar forced him to answer.