The Last Kiss

Chapter 2

I rang the doorbell and waited in the porch.But when there seemed no movement of anyone coming to open the front door,I slightly pushed the door,it opened.When I stepped inside the house it was all in a huge mess.The table was all dusty,leftover food lying in the sofa,empty beer cans lying in the floor.I paved my way carefully through the mess up to the library,all the while calling out to Mr Johns.There was no answer.When I reached the library and opened the door I saw Mr Johns,a book in his hands sleeping soundly in his armchair.I went up closer to him.He looked tired, worry lines all visible in his forehead even in his sleep.Rhea was right, he is going through a rough phase. I slowly removed his spectacle and the book from his hand and kept it in the table beside him. As I was about to leave I noticed a framed picture kept upside down in the table beside him. I picked it up to have a look at it. It was of Mr Johns' and Kiara's taken in this very room. They were happy, smiling ear to ear. Kiara was wearing Mr Johns spectacles and goofing around. Unkowningly,a tear slide down my face and landed in the photograph. I looked around the library, lots and lots of memories were attached to this room. It was both mine and Kiara's favoritel place in this whole wide world.

When father died Mom was too broken to take care of me so Mr Johns offered to take me in for a few days . Mr Johns and father were best buds from the childhood, just like Kiara and I were,and when father died Mr Johns took it upon himself to provide me all the love and care a father gives to his child . He became my second father. The things which I didn't even say to Mom I shared it with Mr Johns.I would call it our little man-to-man talk.

I remember we, Kiara and me, used to sit for long long hours at a stretch and hear Mr Johns' great tales of the world unknown to us.The evenings spent in this room were blissful and carefree. Hot chocolate and cookies prepared by Mrs Wilson, who was more a family and less a housekeeper of the Johns family, and the wild tales of Mr Johns kept us engrossed for hours. Kiara would always be found in this library, browsing over the books whenever she had leisure time in her hand. She loved this room and the books kept here.  The smell of the old books, the golden letters engraved in the covers of the books, the cosy armchair, the thick cashmerian carpet,she loved each and everything of this room. The day I broke up with Rhea, I remember I had come to meet Mr Johns and have our little man-to-man talk. I didn't find Mr Johns, he had gone out for some work, but I did find Kiara sitting in the heavily carpeted floor of the library with a book in her hand.As soon as she saw me and my red, puffy eyes she kept the book aside and motioned me to sit beside her.

"What happened? "

"Rhea and I broke up."

Kiara gently took my hand in hers and looked straight into my eyes and said,"Its okay. I'll be okay. I'll pass". The look on her eyes was so calming and understanding that I knew in that instant that it'll be okay, I'll be okay! I don't know for how long we sat there in perfect silence. The warmth of Kiara's body transmitting into mine, slowly calming me, easing my pain. Though the afternoon was chilly my cheeks and ears turned red hot. We didn't utter a single word but it felt like we were still communicating, understanding and knowing what the other had to say.

"When did you arrive? "

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice Mr Johns had woken up and was now following my every movement carefully.

"I..I was just. ..I just arrived. ."

"It used to be Kiara's favorite place. Being here makes me feel she is still here", he sighed. It was as if like Mr Johns had been reading my thoughts.I placed the photograph that I still held in my hand on the table and walked up to Mr Johns and sat at his feet.

"Where is Mrs Wilson? "I asked.

"She had some work in the city so she had taken leave for a few days. She was supposed to be back today. Don't know whats taking her so long"

Strange! What could  have been more important than Kiara' s funeral, I thought.

"Neal! I missed you boy! "

I could only nod silently to that statement.I felt guilty.I couldn't face him. But it wasn't my fault. It was Kiara who pushed me away!

"Neal I know there had been some differences between you and Kiara in the last few months but please do know that she loved you.And she never wanted to hurt you in any way. She missed you while you were gone".

Damn this man can read my mind!!

"If she loved me so much then why did she..."

"Neal! " Mrs Wilson rushed to hug me.

"Where were you for so long? This old man here missed you and so did I.Didn't we Mr Johns? " Mrs Wilson looked at Mr Johns and smiled.

"Mr Johns did you eat something? Did you take your medicines?" Mrs Wilson sternly questioned Mr Johns.

"Umm..I was just about to...."

"What?? That means you have eaten nothing?Good Lord!! I go to the city for a few days and you stop caring about yourself. And what have you done to the house? Getup now and go downstairs. I am coming."

"But what about Neal? "

"No ifs and buts .I said go, Now! "

Mr Johns unwillingly got up and proceeded downstairs, mumbling something about being the master of the house or something like that. Mrs Wilson just rolled her eyes. After Mrs Wilson was sure Mr Johns was out of hearing distance Mrs Wilson slide something into my hand and said, "This is for you".I looked into my hands and saw a crescent moon pendant. It was not any crescent moon pendant, it was Kiara's crescent moon pendant. I looked up at Mrs Wilson's face to see if she was joking, but no, she was serious.

"But I can't have this. This was Kiara's."

"She left it for you. "

"But.. but...I can't. "

"Keep it", she said with a reassuring smile. "You shouldn't have missed the funeral Neal. You know she loved you. She missed you while you were away. "

Yea..yea..she missed me, right! I thought.

"Okay, I think I should be going now. Its getting late", I said and tried to hurry out but before I could go Mrs Wilson grabbed me "Wait!" and placed a laptop in my hands My eyes popped out. It was the same laptop that I gifted Kiara on her 18th birthday. I gave up all my pocket money and worked everyday in the summer to gift her this laptop. Even though she never told me but I knew she had a thing for writing. She secretly wanted to publish a book someday. Thinking she could atleast start it from somewhere I gifted her this laptop.She was on cloud nine when she saw her gift and from that day on she always kept it with her, even taking it to the city where she went annually with her dad to spent her Christmas holidays.

"You can't go without taking this laptop with you. Because of this I had to miss Kiara's funeral. "

"What? She left this for me too? "

"No! She didn't leave it .But I want you to have it.And remember she loved you Neal. "

A/N-Hi guys! Hope you love this chappy.Vote, comment , share, like.I'd like to know your views guys!And also anyone interested in making the cover for this story is welcomed anytime.I suck at that! So do let me know if you are interested.

Thankyou!

Lots of love!

Diti!