Sotus After Story

Chapter-32 Kongpob (Dream or Nightmare?)

Dew drops on new leaves sparkling in the terrain full of flora & fauna. The green & woody forest seemed a complete new one after the heavy downpour. The fresh mud with the natural incense filled the place with an amazing natural beauty. All so serene and relaxing.
I took a step forward to move but my foot got stuck in a slippery mud. I tried hard to get out of it but a converse pressure drag me down constantly, beads of sweat formed with the ambivalent feelings of bewilderment & fear. Amidst of the deadly situation a known face brightly appeared with a smile. Conceivably, he seemed so benevolent & known. I tried hard to recall but nothing appeared in my mind. I asked for his help, shrieking out as loud as my windpipe could bear. He didn't react. He stared the same way all the time without approaching out for me.
The moment when I was almost beneath the ground & only my head was left out, he finally reached out. He gave me a quick hand to support but unfortunately it was too late. Too late for him to rescue me.
At the end I couldn't survive. "I'm sorry Kongpob," he apologized kneeling down beside my grave.
"But that's too late." My soul uttered sitting right next to him. But he couldn't feel my presence anymore.
I felt a short of breath when I woke up experiencing such a formidable nightmare. My heart beat was faster than tides of sea, conceivably. I gave a quick glance to the right but he wasn't laying there anymore. I supposed him to be in the kitchen or in the bathroom. The jug of water was right on the top of the cabinet beside the alarm clock. However, it was empty. I was left with no other option then just to fetch it from the kitchen. I could have wait for Arthit and ask him to bring a glass of water, but that would have looked much commanding. I'd never want him to take me as a commanding boyfriend. Better was to make a simple effort than to order my own boyfriend for such a trivial issue. Idly I walked on the cold tiles with my bare foot. The closer I got to the door the clearer I heard a voice, or maybe voices. It was faint due to the door being closed but I could easily distinguish the voices of two ladies & P'Arthit's. I twisted the metal  knob of the heavy wooden door to step outside.
                                  *****
The women seemed to age around 50 even though she made hard effort to conceal her wrinkles with makeup. She was wearing a loose skirt with an unmatched shirt on the top. She was not in the right order of the fashion, quite justified for woman of her age. Her nose was small but sharp like Arthit's with a remarkable dimple. She raised both of her brows in a upside down V-shape when she glared at me.
Beside her was Nung.... I didn't remember her name, but I knew her too well. She was the girl who wooed Arthit several times.
"Who's he?" The oblivious woman demanded to Arthit.
And the girl was staring at me suspiciously. Though she didn't give any look of unease but she might have known me. She'd saw me in the party. 
I wanted to reply to her but it didn't feel right to. It might seem awkward and ill mannered as well.
I kept quite in hope of Arthit to answer it in the most appropriate way. I'd never have wanted him to suffer for me, even if he wasn't cool with disclosing our relationship to that lady.
I stood like statue, staring right at Arthit. He was staring directly at me, his eyes fixed. It reminded me of the nightmare, he was almost same as now in the nightmare. It scared me too, but I knew I had to control my feelings like I always did. Creating a fuss would be way too much.
He bite his lower lips, finally uttering, " Mom....... he's.."
"He's your friend right?" His mother intruded in the middle, wittily.
Her face clearly showed she could have guessed much but tried to hide it in front of the Nung or whatever the name of the girl is.
"No!" Arthit shrieked all of a sudden, shocking both of them as well as me.
The woman clenched her jaw, but didn't spoke a single word.
Until Arthit finally vocalised, " He's my boyfriend! Did you get that?"
My heart went numb but not with pain but with amazement. I couldn't imagine it in my wildest dream that he could have proclaimed it that easily.
I pinched myself to assure me that it wasn't a dream but a beautiful reality I'd been hoping for.
The most haunting secret was revealed when his mother hollered, " It's a lie! My son can never have a boyfriend! It's against the religion & our family tradition. Nungning! Don't worry dear, it's just a prank." She smartly covered our fact with a layer of her lie, which she unexpectedly failed when Arthit retorted for the very last time in front of his mother, "Don't get me wrong! But I can't be the son anymore whom you've always dominated. It's my life & I'm older enough to decide."
His mother was wrong. She might have hated me so much at that instant. Being at her place was also tough at that time. No mother would have wanted her own child to fall in love with the same sex, but that's a decision some of us make, without regretting. I've never regretted my choice, though it might be an uncommon one.
It felt like I intruded amidst of mother & son's sweet conversation. I felt so guilty in the meanwhile for shattering his mother's dream.
Arthit was standing by the lamp stand next to the sofa. His eyes were teary with his red-hot temper quite vivid to me. It wasn't the right time for me to intervene. Nungning finally stood up, predictably to leave. Which she didn't, instead paced closer to me & muttered, " What's in him? That I don't have? A man loving a man is truly hilarious."
"My dear," Arthit's mother pleaded.
"I'm going to tell it to my mother, the entire locality must know it. People should be aware of you're son's bravery," she warned & mocked at the same time.
"What's wrong in it? At least I don't fake my gender with layers of makeup & artificial beauty to justify it!" I hurled at her. She gave me an irritating look & left right away. Arthit's mother left after her.
But before she left she uttered a word I'll never forget, " If you choose him, you surely know your consequence."
He nodded.
He was low inside, only he wouldn't let me know that. He curved his jaw to put a smile. A smile hiding the emptiness of being abandoned. I felt the same when my mother left. Here I was again forcing someone with the same fate which I shared in the distant past. A past no one would cherish.
I turned away with a feelings of guilt strangling me to death. He hold my hands from behind, don't leave now. I'm preparing the breakfast.
It was so easy for him to forgive me even after severing ties with his own mother. I turned to face him hastily and madly enfolded him into a tight hug.
"I love you so much," I cried.
"I love you more than you can imagine."
" No, I've already imagined."
"Sure?" He laughed despite of the tears flowing down from his eyes.
Loving him was not a jinx but a blessing, I ensured myself observing him closer. Struggles are for real, just need to find a way to overcome. In my notion, I got a partner, in fact the best possible one to help me out & always be with me. No matter how hard a situation gets.
******
He was in his best attire, exquisitely fitted tuxedo which I loved to see him in. He smelt like an angel with the sweet incense of cologne he applied. He was holding a bouquet of fresh bloody red roses and a box wrapped in shimmery paper.
"Congrats!" He muttered handing the flowers & the gift to me. I delicately took them both from him exchanging a smile full of felicity.
Juniors surrounded M for clicking their last picture with him, while Oak engrossed himself in giving lecture to his acquainted juniors. S was standing next to M, he was in charge of clicking photos of M with the beautiful junior girls, whoever demanded. I wasn't certain, S enjoyed it that much or not. Presumably, it was one of M's silly trick to make my brother jealous or so.
"Let's go?" P'Arthit muttered softly to me.
"Where?"
"home?"
"I need to attend the graduation dinner, please stay!"
"Okay," he smiled gracefully.

I'm really sorry for updating the chapter really late. One more chapter is left to complete my story. A big thanks for all the readers from the bottom of my heart for supporting me so far. The last chapter & the epilogue will be soon updated before "Sotus S the series" premieres on GMMTV.
If the reader group demands for more of my Sotus after story then I can try to write a sequence but once the SOTUS S the series is done with the airing. So there will be no more sequence until the second series of SOTUS ends. I'll update my next chapter within this week. Thank you all! ❤️❄️ I love all my readers💕

Arthit ❤️ Kongpob