Lumanti (Memory)

Recollections of Past

"So, you lied?" Lumanti said, unable to resist her silence from all the truths, lies, circumstances and all these information that Aaron was pouring onto her.

"Technically, he didn't say your name so I didn't know Ray Jones, I only knew Lumanti Ray Jones." He tried to joke. She didn't even smile.

He noticed her reaction and continued, "Sorry, I thought my sister was trying to pull a prank at me in a very wrong time and she told dad to go and ask if I knew some girl named Ray Jones.

My parents were furious at me when Reva called it off saying that she didn't want to move here and wanted to live in Nepal. My dad found it fishy and blamed it on me that I might have done something wrong. When Meekha told him about you, he just burst out in anger and started asking me questions like if I was dating someone or how can't I date someone who doesn't understand our culture.

Before I could explain him about you and add first name to his question, my mom in her stress looked at me and gave me a strict lecture on how I cannot marry or date someone who is not Nepali otherwise it will break their heart and my dad agreed with her and added, 'We can find a girl from Nepal for you just like your sister found someone from Nepal.' I did not like the idea, but my mom was not doing well due to her health condition as you know, so I just shut up and didn't say anything. At the point I was convinced that I didn't want to break their heart and that meant continuing along this relationship with you would not be ideal for both of us."

She stayed silent for a long time after he said those words. She remembered that night. She was aware that his parents left soon so along with his friends she shifted the surprise in restaurant to his home itself and went a dinner at restaurant before the surprise to keep the ruse going. She was very excited that day until she heard the snippet of his conversation with Samantha.

That one night held a lot of surprise turns for him than he expected. He was delighted that night and almost forgot about the conversation with his parents just a night before. And then he remembered the conversation that ended up hurting someone he loved the most.

That night when Samantha cornered him, she asked, "So how was your trip to Nepal? Did you meet that girl?"

"Yep, turns out she has already left her boyfriend, and would marry whoever her parents choose."

"Oh, no what are you going to do? Did you tell your parents and Ray?"

"I don't know how to tell her but I don't think I can disappoint them and dragging this relationship is only going to cause more pain for her and me both."

"So what, you are going to break up with her?"

He didn't hear what Samantha was saying when his eyes met the fury in Lumanti's eyes. She was glaring at him full of disappointment in her eyes. He moved towards her but she was quick at her steps. She reached the door and stormed outside. He tried to hold her by her arms but she jerked his hand away and said, "So, this is how I know, huh?"

"No wait."

He tried to hold her wrist but she raised her hand and shouted, "Leave me alone B."

She went towards the road and when Rianne saw her, she stopped her car. Lumanti let herself in and went home. Aaron went in quickly to grab keys to follow her and explain but got bombarded with his friends' question regarding what just happened. He did rush back to her place but he was too late to understand what actually happened. It took a year for him to know what happened to her afterwards.

He cursed himself for not trying enough. The dark clouds were looming above them at present, but it didn't bother them as there were thunderstorms inside their mind. As they sat on the very bench, they professed their love and kissed each other for the first time, they sat there now with unknown strangeness between them.