With Love, Ophelia

one

"Doubt thou the stars are fire,  

Doubt that the sun doth move,

Doubt truth to be a liar,

But never doubt I love"

The teacher read out in a drawl hunched over the desk; as if taking que the clock hands dragged slowly matching his damned pace. Air drained off every ounce of liveliness, and hung over their heads, weighed down on their shoulders. Maya sat beside the window watching the willow trees gracefully sway like strutting maidens. 

The screeching of the chalk rudely intruded her little haven as the teacher hastily scribbled on the board. Love. Trust. Loyalty.

Maya quickly noted the key terms for the coming midterms but she didn't think much of it, her mind was with the willows, far away. Another intrusive noise tore through the silence, but it was much welcomed. The bell had rung as the students spilled through the doorway eager to reach home. Maya waited for the hallways to empty before she left, sighing every other step. 

The sudden stillness of the air troubled her. Like an itchy spot on one's back, it irked her as it reminded her of herself. Wedged between the bitter past and bleak future, Maya couldn't get herself to move. The sky had cooled to a cooler shade of amber as if reflecting the muddy path she took. The evergreen trees rose to prideful heights behind her school, few if not any used this desolate path. But Maya found it rather pleasing, for on the way she was greeted by a secret pond hidden behind the swaying curtains of the willow trees, similar to the ones she glimpsed earlier. 

Delving deeper into the green depths, her feet finally soaked in the coolness of the cyan waters. Warding off the tiredness she wore her shoes again. A few minutes pass and she reached her porch. She could ear footsteps thunder across the room overlapped by indiscreet chatter. Two years back Maya would smile to herself hearing the banter, energetic movement on the other side of the door, but now every decibel seemed to pound against her head, painfully, almost regretfully.  

Inwardly groaning she enters, as usual she is greeted by her mother's ever-glowing smile as her father's over the phone in the kitchen. She places her bag on the shelf and perched beside her sister, Andy, glued to the TV while her thumb mechanically scrolled the phone. Feeling the dip of the sofa, her sister greeted her with a warm smile. She had always been close to her sister, barely a year younger.

They were often mistaken for twins considering how close they seemed. Her sister was more than a sibling, she was her best friend. The only person she could confide in besides Neha, at least that was the case two years ago. Now it was just two of them.

"How was your day?" 

"Good" And the silence resumed, the comfortable silence. 

That had been the routine day in and day out. Consistency was both her solace and agony. The show ended as Maya drudged to her room locking herself in until dinner. Placing her back against the bedside she caught a glimpse of a blue postcard, on its face was a luscious island. One could have easily mistaken it for a mythical island if it wasn't for the bold gold letters 'Croiset Island' at the bottom. 

It wasn't far from her town, a 3 hour ferry ride across Bluetale backwaters, but she never bothered to go, she didn't want to either way. She sighed as she picked up the card and traced the words behind it, written in loose cursive 

To Maya,
-with love

Suddenly, she heard her mother muffled voice call her name. She quickly chucked the postcard in the drawer and hurried out the room. It was empty. She heard the glass click against the marble kitchen island. Nervously picking at her nails, she entered the kitchen only to be greeted by familiar jet black hair. 

Her sister sat on one of the chairs chugging water. Maya quickly released the gusts of air trapped in her throat. "Andy"

She walked to the other side of the marble top facing her as she emptied her glass. As she turned the glass upside down, Maya let out a small laugh and began scrolling through her phone.

"Did mum call me?"

"Um"

"Where are they?"

"Dinner at Mrs.Kamila's, remember?"

"Um..Ah..yes. What do you wanna order?"

Andy began tapping her finger, a signal of her deep pondering. Pizza? Pasta? Dosa? Maya scrolled further down.

"Did you see it?" Andy quickly asked as Maya's finger froze. She didn't dare look away from her phone as she resumed scrolling through the menu carefully nodding hoping to seem nonchalant. "Did mum see it?" she questioned back.

"No, I took it out before she could" Maya nodded again and thanked her.

"Now what? What are you going to do about it?" Maya only shrugged, as Andy continued "Maya, its already the 7th one"

"So?"

"So?! Aren't you going to tell our parents?" Agitated by the lack of response Andy rose to her full height, and she been a few inches closer she would have easily towered over Maya. 

"It's the 7th one already! It keeps coming every every fucking month and you decide to shut up and sit in the corner of your room?!" Andy's outburst took Maya aback. But she didn't reciprocate the frustration, though it was there stocked away in the corner. 

"You know that they can't do anything about it"

"Maya..."

"Andy, if I tell them about these postcards from god knows who, tell...tell them about what happened two years ago, then what?"

"You know who its from."

"You can't say for sure"

"Maya, they deserve to know" A small determined voice from Andy.

"No, no they don't. What they deserve is this (waving her hands around signaling at their home) peace. They do not deserve to helplessly wail around because of what I did"

"It wasn't you fault Maya, you didn't know!"

"Andy please, please just stop" Andy sighed and nodded. She didn't want to push her any further, she's been through enough. 

"Alright, but just remember you can't hide it forever"

"What do you mean?" Rubbing her forehead Andy replied.

"Neha...she's coming back" Maya stood frozen, a swirl of emotions evident in her eyes as she stared at Andy speechless.

 "...and she's staying with us".

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