Up in the Clouds

1. Red.

Asher.

Tripping over his trousers, Asher tried to get out the bed. He looked around the room, trying to interpret the time.

It must have been very early in the morning from the amount of light that was entering in his room. He tried to focus on his wrist watch but it was little hard with the throbbing headache he was having. He cursed at himself for drinking as much as he had last night.

Last night, he tried to remember. His best mate had thrown a birthday party and things had become blurry after his sixth drink. Though he did remember there was a girl he had picked up from the party, but her name was long gone from his memory and judging from the way his apartment looked, she probably was too.

He tried again to remember what had happened, but his headache only got worse. Blindly, he reached for his bedside table to find the meds.

What really had last night was, Asher had passed out even before things got heated between the two. He slept soundly while she threw several pillows and cushions at him. Eventually she left the house, crying. Little did she know even if things had gone well, she still wouldn't have heard back from him. Asher was a ladies man who had the rule to keep things simple in his life. He hadn't been in a relationship since he finished his high school and he intended to keep it that way. The summer romance back then became a major heartbreak and he never wanted to walk down that road again.

He tripped again before throwing the trousers towards the desk chair. He carefully navigated his way to the kitchen even though his house was no less than a BHK big.

He was lucky enough to find this house at such a prime location in the city. He lived in the heart of the city and he loved it. Busy lanes, the rush of city, it kept him going everyday. The apartment was surrounded by similar buildings and apartment complexes. The 40th floored ensured a great view and no traffic noise. His parents lived on the other side of the country, ensuring enough space from them. His job as the photographer for one of the leading fashion magazines was not just fun but also paid well. He was happy with how his life was going.

He brewed himself a cup of coffee before stepping out in the balcony. The balcony was the best part of his apartment. He had to pay extra to get this but it was definitely worth it. He could see the city on his right, and in his far left lay the suburbs with the canopy of the trees.

Today he was greeted with clouds and cool breeze which soothed his headaches. The sun was still rising and the sky was still struggling to choose between the dusky blue of the night and orange of the dawn, as the moon was slowly beginning to hide.

On the opposite side, he saw her. The girl with red hair.

He saw her, sitting as always on the balcony swing, sipping, what he assumed was coffee. Her pale skin contrasted her hair and that was all he ever knew of her. He didn't know who she was, except that she lived in the opposite building, same floor with the balcony facing his. Her building was part of a apartment complex where he had never been. The roads separated them even more.

Everyday he would find her sitting alone in her balcony. He knew she lived there with a man but he rarely saw him. The man was way more different than her, infact he wondered how they both were together. Some days, he wished for him to be some brother of hers but he knew it couldn't be. She looked small and thin front of his tall bulky built. He had dark hair. He was probably taller than him because he did remember noticing their balcony railing being a little low for him. Even with all this information, he didn't stop to make a few stolen glances her way. She looked beautiful from this distance and she made him curious.

Everytime he came across some lady with red hair at work, he would ask them if they were the same one living in that house or if they knew who she was, but he never even came close to getting to her name.

In his mind, she was Red and today Red was shinning against the rising sun.