DREAM GIRL

CHAPTER 5: The Most Beautiful Person In The World

He is not in a green field. Instead, he feels some kind of grainy texture under his feet.

Sand. His mind says.

It is dark, with the full moon in sight. The stars shine brightly, their light searching for their beloved in other constellations. Farhan looks around and sees vast stretches of sand and water that seem to stretch endlessly into the horizon.

The sound of crashing waves fills his ears as a gentle breeze carries the salty scent of the ocean. Farhan takes a deep breath, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. As he walks further into the night, he notices silhouettes of palm trees swaying gracefully against the moonlit sky. The serene ambiance surrounds him, making him feel as if he has found solace in this mysterious beach.

He takes a step and then two and looks at the vast horizon. Despite not being able to see much, he hears the waves crash against the shore, creating a soothing sound that helps calm his racing mind and soul, which was miraculous considering he had walked away from that heated argument a few moments ago.

The fresh, salty breeze caresses his face and tickles his skin as he takes a deep breath, filling his lungs with the refreshing scent of the ocean. The sand between his toes feels warm, almost comforting, as if it's massaging away his worries. In this tranquil moment, he realises that maybe this was what he needed. The onslaught of an upcoming migraine was nowhere in sight. He wishes to live here forever, if only he-

"could not come back here again."

"Yeah," he says absentmindedly, unhearing, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The thought of leaving this paradise behind fills him with a sense of melancholy.

"I want to...live here forever."

"...you can't."

The new voice finally snaps him out of his stupor.

He turns around to find the girl who had left him sleepless the night prior. Memories flood his mind, barraging like a series of images being flashed across his mind. Every word she had said to him, every smirk... and the fall.

He remembers how she had effortlessly captured his attention (by angering him) and how her presence had made everything else fade into the background (his anger had clouded his judgment). The fall had been unexpected—a sudden plunge into a whirlwind of emotions he had never experienced before (he fell off a cliff, by the way). And now, here she stands, breaking the silence and reminding him of what he had momentarily forgotten (her name).

"N-Nourie," he says, finally remembering her name as if he had solved an advanced ten thousand-piece puzzle.

"No shit sherlock," she says, rolling her eyes and kicks sand in his direction. "Did you even hear what I just said?"

He blinks, his mind still trying to catch up with reality. The sound of her voice brings him back to the present moment, but her words elude him. What was reality? Why was he on the beach when the last time he had gone to the beach with his family was when he was a bright-eyed, innocent ten-year-old? And why was he here when he last remembered storming out of his house and driving?

And since when did Hyderabad have a beach?

He could feel another migraine threatening to announce its presence.

He shakes his head, hoping to clear the fog, and asks her to repeat herself, hoping to salvage the conversation. Nourie sits down on her knees and scoops sand into a bucket. Where did she even get a scoop and a bucket from?

"I said you can't live here." She picks up the full bucket and walks to a much higher place away from the water. "It is a one-way ticket here; once you arrive, you can't leave."