"Not so long ago, I was alone and lost and then you came along and I was home. thank you for finding me
After 10 years of disappearing, when Ember Helberg returns to India to meet his childhood crush, Arorhea Laghari, he discovers that she has compl...
Ember had been weak since always. His stomach had never been how he wanted it to be. There was always a staggering, mild pain living in it but he got used to it. It felt like there was something within and it felt like that for a very long time. But now when the pain increased tenfolds, he didn't know how to get used to it or if he would get used to it.
He remembered the last time he saw her. The look on her face was a memory, that fragmented into shining threads, and all he was left with was one of those silver threads. He wanted to hate her but he couldn't. And now he knew why she left. That didn't matter anymore, it was too late. She was already gone.
He hated the fact that his mind was playing with him again. It was playing all these memories in his head when he was already at his worst in that public bathroom. He pressed his head on the wall of the restroom and closed his eyes. He walked out and saw her, still waiting for him there, even after an hour.
"You want to tell me something?" She looked into his eyes, "Yeah,"
They went to the terrace and stood at a corner, their tiny bodies pressed against those rusty metal railing, "It's been almost twelve years since mom died and yet I'm like this, remembering her every day. I'm never able to move on, thanks to this photographic memory of mine,"
"Now that I think about it, it really isn't a gift at all," Rhea said. "I don't understand why people go all gala after this "photographic memory fiasco". All it has ever given me is pain. If it was up to me, I really wish that nobody ever gets a photographic memory because sometimes it's better to forget certain things. Do you remember once you asked me why we can't get over our past?"
"Yes," She remembered it very clearly, he told her he didn't know. "I still don't know the answer to that. I don't know why we keep talking about dead people,"
"I think we talk about them not because we are stuck or haven't moved on but we talk about them because we are theirs, and they are ours and no passage of time can change that," She smiled. He looked at her, "Yes," He smiled, "That must be it,"
He turned towards her, "Tell me, Rhea, do I make you happy?" "Of course, you do," "I'm glad," His vision started getting blurry and dark, he couldn't see her face clearly anymore, little patches of darkness appeared before his eyes.
"Arorhea," "Yes?" "Let's meet more often, yeah?" "Of course,''
The flight from the US landed at the airport the next morning. A few butlers had been sent to escorts the guest to Nason. He was a tall, white man wearing shades to cover his eyes from the burning sun in India. His face was pink and slightly swollen, his cheeks drooped and the wrinkles under his sunglasses made sure that he was an experienced doctor. He had black hair and wore a black coat and white gloves. With a nurse behind him carrying a little portfolio, he walked into the airport with one hand into his pocket and the other dragging a wheel bag.
The butlers rushed towards him and greeted him. They offered to carry his baggage but he refused. They walked beside him while talking to him. He got into the car and looked into his phone. It was Maple's call. He rolled his eyes and ignored the call. He looked outside at the traffic. The sun had begun rising and it was soon sunny.
"Mr Elford, we are almost there," The driver smiled. Elford decided to pull down his sunglasses and look at the unfiltered view through his light brown eyes, which looked pink under the bright sun rays. He unwrapped bubblegum and pressed it on his tongue. As he chewed, he pulled his glasses back up, "What a boring country, I want to go back already,"
When they reached their destination, he got out of the car and walked towards the building. He dragged his wheel bag on the pebble way while chewing bubblegum. He received a call again and picked it up.
"Speak," He ordered.
"Mister Elford Strathclyde, why aren't you here yet?! And stop ignoring my calls!" Maple shouted on his phone as he stood inside the reception while Loraine stood beside him. "I'm not as free as you. Firstly, you didn't fix an appointment. I'm busy, you know. Secondly, you asked me to come to India out of nowhere when you know I hate tropical third world countries, the poverty here is sickening. Hopefully, I don't catch a disease in this garbage dump. Thirdly, you expect me to reach here within seconds-I'm not some sort of superhero,"
"Where are you now?" Maple yelled while resting his hand on the reception's bill table. Elford entered the reception and looked at Maple. "Right behind you," "Be serious," "You are wearing a disgusting shade of yellow," Maple quickly turned back and found Elford. He blew a bubble from the gum in his mouth and popped it before Maple's face.
"That's why I hate calling you! You have no respect for anyone," Maple was ready to punch him in the face. He removed his sunglasses and kept them inside his coat's pocket, "If you called me, the situation must be really really bad," "Why else would I call someone who I hate?" "My conditions of work-"
"Yeah yeah, your highness! They have been fulfilled," "By the way it's hot. The hospital better have air conditioning," "Yes," "And I-" "Can you ever shut your demanding ass?" "Anyways," He looked at Loraine, "I'll be resting for today. I have jetlag. We'll start work from tomorrow. Take me to my room,"
Maple turned to and walked towards the lift as Elford followed him.
'If you weren't this gifted, I would not even look at you, you arrogantmaniac,'
-To be continued
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