[Sequel of Warm Love, hence can't be read as a standalone.]
In the first phase, Reyansh concealed a web of mysteries, but as they stand face to face once more, it's Kiraz who holds the tantalizing secrets waiting to be unveiled. These hidden truths...
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There are many things we can't control. They're never in our hands. They never were, in the first place, yet we tried—maybe, yes. To correct them? To right the wrongs. Memories—can we ever erase them? Can we ever control them? Have we ever had control over them? None.
Will it stop us from making memories? Never.
I roll the stem of the brown leaf between my thumb and index fingers. Winter is retreating. Suddenly, I find myself nearing towards the ending of February.
29th February is still far.
Yet, I'm finding myself closer to it.
I look down, my white sneakers a contrast to the old and weathered bridge, its wooden planks creaking softly under my weight. Moving my eyes down at the small lake that flowed beneath the bridge. The water, clear and tranquil, meandered lazily through the landscape, reflecting the delicate hues of the morning sky. Announcing the coming spring. Gentle ripples danced across the surface as a light breeze brushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of blooming flower, dancing the red strands of my shoulder hairs.
They are yet to grow.
I leaned on the railing, letting my fingers trail over the rough wood. Slowly, I released the leaf I had been holding, watching as it drifted away. The world seemed to slow down around me, the leaf twirled gracefully in the air, catching the light with each delicate movement. It descended slowly, savoring its final moments of freedom before it met the surface of the still lake. As it touched the water, it created a tiny ripple that expanded outward, merging with the calm surface.
Was this a happy ending, or had I merely separated the leaf from its natural path? I watched the leaf float, its journey complete. Are beginning and ending this peaceful?
"You are dirtying the lake."
"Am I?"
"Of course. The leaf looked better on the ground."
"People would've crumbled it under their shoes," I mumbled.
The leaf continued its slow drift across the lake, indifferent to our conversation. In its own way, it had found its place, even if it wasn't where it started. The lake, too, seemed to accept the small intrusion with a quiet grace. Maybe endings weren't always clean or perfect, but they had their own kind of beauty, just as beginnings did. Heartwrenching? Heartbeating?
"You're right," a pause, too long to my liking, "But isn't there a certain beauty in letting things find their own way, even if it means they end up somewhere unexpected?" Two arms wrap around my waist, bringing warmth to dance on my skin. I close my eye, letting the waft of spicy scent trail in my nostril, bringing me its own serenity, "We shouldn't be afraid of impending."
"Even if it's not going the way I want it to be?" I asked, feeling a twinge of doubt.
"Why worry about something we've never seen? The future is the future for a reason," he replied.
