|| Haripriya ||

|| 5 | Track Suits and Movies ||

I handed her back her keys before asking for a broom to clean up the glass pieces on the floor. My aunt who had grabbed the keys so quickly out of my hands, even forgot to close the door on her way out, something that made me even more sure that my prediction was to be true. 

Digging out the emerald from the Tulasi pot, I twirled it in my hands thinking about a way to distract my aunt and find out if the key unlocked the middle part of the emerald. Taking a sip of the bottled water on my desk, I opened the notebook and wrote down everything I had found out today. Everything, from the woman that had sat next to me, to the instance with my aunt. All I hoped now was that nobody knew about where I kept this diary and nobody would snoop in and see what was written. 

One part of me wanted to search everything up online. Why is there a keyhole in the middle of an emerald? How to steal keys from an adult? Why am I the only one who can hear and see someone? Questions Questions and more questions, but no answers. It felt as though I wasn't finding answers anymore, I was just finding more questions to ask myself. 

When I was called to eat dinner that evening, all I could think about were the keys. I had tucked the emerald inside the pocket of my pajamas and zipped it up using the zipper on the side. My choice of clothing for once had come in handy. Tearing a piece of dosa from my plate I looked at my aunt in the corner of my eye. She wore the keys on the left side of her hip, the side where the pallu of her saree fell behind. 

The keys would need to fall off again. Only then will I get my hands on them. And once I do, I need to make sure my aunt doesn't notice it missing and attach it back to the rest of the keys before she even has a chance to notice. 

But that was going to be too obvious. I needed a better plan. 

My stomach churned at the thought of having to complete such a task. It was risky, unethical, and definitely not what I signed up for when I said okay to coming to India. But I had to do it right? To quench my curiosity and to make sure I at least solved the first clue that I had been given. No matter what, I was going to execute my plan and borrow the key. 

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I had spent the next two days locked inside "my room" trying to come with a foolproof plan that would guarantee that I don't get caught but take the keys. Coming out to eat my meals, I had told my aunt that I didn't feel too good, and although it hurt my soul to say that lie, I had to accept it and just move on, thinking it was for the good in the end. 

The morning after finishing my plan, I woke up before the chatter in the house had begun, completing my usual activities before strangely, the sound of someone ringing the doorbell was heard. The milk wouldn't arrive at this time, and certainly not someone who works with my uncle. Or someone who I had arranged to come by. Who could this be at this time? 

"Yeah? Good morning to you," I mumbled as I opened the lock of the door. 

"Glad someone woke up early," said the person outside the door with a chuckle. 

Rubbing my eyes, I peeked outside the door and saw a tall guy who was drenched with melanin leaning on the wall beside the door. He wore a white baseball cap that went well with his yellow tracksuit. Sports guy I guess. 

"Did you say something?" he asked making his way inside the house. 

"What no-...I didn't invite you inside you know," I replied concerned if he heard the tone in which I had spoken my thoughts. 

"I didn't need your invitation," he said turning back to shoot a light smile. 

No way. It's not him, Haripriya, you're just hallucinating. But his smile. It seems so divine, like his.