Pursuit Of Liberation

Epiphany

One Week Later

It was 8.00 in the morning and Lisa was still sleeping. She had to go to work but she was so cosily lying in his arms. It felt so good, so right, as if nothing else in this world mattered. Just the two of them and the rest of the universe could really go to hell.

But she knew she had to get up, get dressed and go to work. She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked up at the man, the one man she had come to admire and fallen for. Aden was wide awake but he didn't get up lest she would get disturbed.

Her head was lying on his bare chest and he gently brushed her arms with his fingers. His one hand was behind his head and he was looking up at the ceiling, when she said, "Good Morning!" She could have easily slept for another three hours but the world doesn't wait for you. Even if it did, the DA's office certainly did not.

"Good Morning!" Aden smiled. He was behaving a little off since the day of the judgement. He was with her but somehow he wasn't. Lisa couldn't put her finger on what exactly was wrong but then she knew him for just about a month. And that is nothing when it comes to knowing a person, especially someone who has spent seven years in captivity.

Lisa studied his face for a moment and then decided to just spit it out, if not for anything else, then just for her peace of mind. "Aden, is something wrong?" Lisa asked, resting her body with on her elbow.

Aden looked at her and sat up on the bed. He remained silent for a moment and then said, "I need to tell you something Lisa. Just don't freak out or get mad. Listen to me first, okay?"

"Quit the suspense Aden and tell me." Lisa said, suddenly getting serious.

"Lisa, I need some time." He said.

"Time for what?"

"Time to get to know myself. I am not that person anymore, the one that I used to be. And I don't know who I am. I need to find myself. I cannot do that here, in this city where I am constantly reminded of all the dark memories that I want to forget."

Lisa let all of what he said sink in. "So what exactly are you saying?"

"I need to go, for sometime. You need to let me go." Aden said, trying to explain himself.

"How long is 'sometime'?" Lisa asked, frowning.

"I don't know. But I will come back. I promise. I will come back to you." Aden said.

Lisa looked at him and Aden thought she would blast in anger, but that didn't happen. Instead, she got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up, without saying a word.

That was worse than what he had expected. Shouting was better than silence. And when Lisa was silent, the world definitely got scarier.

She came out of the bathroom and found Aden standing at the door. "Say something." Aden said, like a child asking for his candy.

"There is cereal in the box. Eat it if you want." She said without looking at him and making herself very busy, getting ready.

"Lisa! Please talk to me." Aden pleaded.

"Aden. I'm getting late. Can we not do this right now?" Lisa said. She grabbed a banana from the table and stormed out of the house.

Aden sat down on the bed positively upset with himself.

The whole day at work she was like fire-not to be messed with. She was in such a foul mood that Harrison too came up to her desk to ask her what was wrong but she faked a smile and got away without having to answer honestly.

That evening when she returned home, she was still in a foul mood. She had been thinking about what Aden had said the whole day. She knew in her heart that he had a point and that he did need space and time to start afresh. But she had begun to feel so responsible for him that she just could not come to terms with letting him go.