Until I found you

Part 2 "His voice"

Suddenly receiving a reply to his message, Zayn sat up. Seeing Zayn about to leave in such a hurry, Robert said,
-- What's the matter, Zayn? You're leaving already! (Robert)
-- I have some urgent work, Papa. I'll come back later. You take some rest now. (Zayn said in a hurry)
Saying this, Zayn went straight to his room.

The unknown person to whom Zayn had messaged to seek help, having learned about this person from a friend, had replied. Closing the door behind him, Zayn saw a small message: "You can confidently share your problems with me. I will try my best to help you."

Actually, Zayn's first message was somewhat like this:
"I don't know your name or identity, but I heard that you solve many people's problems. You listen to their low moments and give them a ray of hope. Before, one of my friend's love life issues was resolved after talking to you. So, in my state of desperation, I am also seeking your help. Can you..."

Before he could finish writing, Zayn accidentally sent the half-written message. He got very angry because, before he could delete it, the recipient had already seen it. Zayn thought that the person would not reply after such a strange, incomplete message.

But the recent message made Zayn feel a bit relieved. Despite feeling hesitant to share his problems with a stranger, he knew this was his last resort because there was no way for an introvert like him. There was no other way. If Zayn didn't solve his problems now, he might remain like a lost sailor for the rest of his life.

Thinking this, Zayn asked,
"Can I explain everything to you via voice message? It might be tedious for you to read such a long message and would also take up a lot of time."

Daisy had been waiting for something for quite a while. She was surprised that a person who was in trouble had sent such an oddly incomplete message. Sipping her tea, Daisy saw a message.
-- A direct voice message! Strange. Maybe the problem is really critical. Let's see what he wants to say. (Daisy)

Thinking this, Daisy agreed to let the messaging person send a voice message. The profile clearly showed the name 'Zayn Jones.' However, Daisy wasn't interested in snooping into his profile. She was content with just listening to the problem and helping out. In fact, the irony of resolving others' issues while her own life was a mess sometimes made her laugh. Why wouldn't it? She wasn't a professional psychiatrist, yet here she was! Ever since she had left home with her sister, Daisy felt no one should suffer as she did. She knew very well how colorless life could become when joy was lost.

As soon as Zayn got the consent, he took several deep breaths and started recording his voice message.
Even after waiting for about half an hour, Daisy noticed no message had arrived yet.
-- Did he fall asleep while recording the voice message?
Just as Daisy  was thinking this, she heard Erica's call.
-- Daisy, dinner is ready. Come quickly!
-- "I'm coming, Sis," Daisy said, putting her phone down and heading outside.

Their home, a small ground-floor apartment, was just enough for the two sisters. It had one room with an attached bathroom, a kitchen, a tiny balcony, and a small garden beside it. This was their world. The house owner was a distant relative who didn’t charge them any rent, but the upstairs was vacant.

Erica worked at a private company and took care of everything for her sister. She didn't want Daisy to feel the lack of a parents' presence, which she herself had experienced.

Seeing Daisy playing with her food, Erica started feeding her. Daisy didn’t protest; she liked it when her sister fed her.
-- I got my salary today. Make sure to pay your college fees tomorrow. (Erica)
-- You have to worry about everything for me, right, Eri? (Daisy)
-- Since I’m here to worry, why are you so concerned? (Erica)
-- You’ll see, once I get a job, you won’t have to struggle so much. How about I do a part-time job? (Daisy)
-- Absolutely not. When will you find time to study? (Erica)
-- It won’t be a problem. I can manage. (Daisy)
-- No way. I’m here. You focus on your studies and achieving your dreams. (Erica)
-- And your dreams? (Daisy)
Erica fell silent. Indeed, she had long buried her dreams under the weight of responsibilities.
-- You succeeding will fulfill my dreams. (Erica said with a small smile)
-- No, Eri. Just as you’ve taken responsibility for my dreams, I’ve taken responsibility for yours. Maybe I can’t fulfill them as well as you, but I’ll do it in my own way. Maybe not today, but someday, I’ll do it.
Daisy hugged Erica.
They knew the love of their parents could sometimes become a burden, but they were happy not to have that burden so far away.

-- What’s the matter? I sent the voice message a while ago, so why hasn’t it been seen yet? Maybe she is busy. She she will see it when she has time.
Zayn consoled himself with these thoughts.

It was around half-past twelve. After dinner, Daisy’s phone had switched off due to low battery, so she hadn’t checked it. Now, after it had charged, she finally opened it. As expected, there was a voice message from that person. But how could she listen to such a long message in the middle of the night? Her sister would shout if she heard it.
Daisy decided to go to the terrace with her phone. The terrace was always lit by streetlights and was her favorite spot because of the fireflies among the large trees, which were very dear to her.

-- Why are you going to the terrace so late, Daisy? (Erica)
Hiding her phone, Daisy said,
-- You go to sleep, Eri. I’ll be back soon.
Erica didn’t say anything more. Daisy often sat on the terrace at night, so this wasn’t unusual.

On the terrace, Daisy put on her headphones and played the voice message.

"Ahhem, Ahhem. Actually, I don’t know who you are. I have no idea about your identity, but I’m telling you everything thinking of you as my good luck charm.
Honestly, my problems aren’t just about love or life; I feel like I’m the problem itself. Almost five years ago, my parents got divorced, and since then, I’ve been living with my grandfather. From an early age, I learned to hate people instead of loving them by watching my parents. I have trust issues. You might be laughing at my crazy ramblings, but this is who I am. I can tell you so much because I don’t know you. Otherwise, I can’t even tell my girlfriend so much without hesitation. I’m extremely introverted, molded by circumstances.
But amidst all this, my parents, without thinking about me, are again fighting a bitter court battle, trying to make me the owner of their business. To escape this, I always wanted Jennie by my side. Our relationship has been there since high school. Even though we were friends, I could never talk to her so much in one go. But now, even she wants to leave me, using the excuse of family pressure for marriage. I haven’t established myself properly yet, and I know talking to her family won’t help. If they find out about my parents, they definitely won’t agree.
My mother, Kayra Jones, and my father, Alex Jones. As soon as they hear these names, they won’t listen to me anymore. The infamous politician-businessman Alex Jones  and his ex-wife, divorce lawyer Kayra Jones. There has been no shortage of gossip about them!
I don’t know what to do now. This is affecting my life, studies, everything. No one has thought about my perspective because everyone thinks I shouldn’t have any reason to be unhappy as a rich kid. But this money is useless to me. Please help me. I don’t know you, but I’m still requesting you."

Daisy could tell from the voice that the boy was choking up while saying the last words. Listening to his words, she was stunned. It was almost 2 a.m. The fireflies seemed to glow brighter as if they had heard a lot. Amidst the cool breeze, Daisy stared at the stars through the tree leaves.
"Maybe no one in this world is truly happy. Everyone's problems bring them immense pain!"

To be continued...
Written by- Porna