Gave you all an early update❤️
As it was supposed to be on Monday.
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Before reading this chapter, I want to request you all that to read this book with an open mind. We are all seeing the things just from the surface of water. We will slowly, calmly get into the water to see what we saw is it the reality? Know the brutal pains and for that all I am asking is just a little patience from your side.
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I wrap my arms against myself, the cold wintry breeze blowing past me.
I turn around, sliding a chair for myself, the two-seater table overlooked the sea.
It's the time of evening. The evening unfolds, with New Year's arrival just two day away, attracting a surge of new patrons. The year was going to end, and a new year was to bless. Every year it was same, a hopeless view from my mind welcoming the year, and accompanied with a lingering thought. A challenge to be precise. I have faced worst, what would be even worse than that. I have managed to stand fearless.
Now, it changed. The exact date of today managed to change everything, and after five years, a pray has escaped from my heart.
'I am ready to face the burnt of my past, but Veer must be kept away from it.'
I failed as a daughter. As a sister, as a friend and even as a wife.
I will not let myself fail as a mother.
The look I saw in Reyansh eyes, had a consuming allure of hatred. And I know whether its love, or hate, he will always do it passionately and devotional. Seeing him nearly after five years, had raced and paced my heart in an uncontrollable beat, and the tears held no willingness to stop. But instead of his face, I just saw his eyes. Which were enough to tell me, how much he despises me.
Yet, an urge remained in me for once to see his face, which remained covered. My skin shivered and lungs restricted in the anticipation of seeing his face for once. Even the hazy layer shining before my eyes, didn't stopped me from looking at him. His cruel shrewd eyes, and the intensive aura, rattled my legs weak. Still, a question managed to make its presence in me.
How easy was it for him, to forget me? How easy was it for him to replace his unwavering love for me, giving it the space of hatred. I also faced the betrayal, he kept me in hidden, still I never let a speck of hate near the love I have for him. For all the five years, he holds the crown of my heart.
Loving someone is easy.
Loving someone from afar is hard.
But loving the person who left you on your own is much harder. How can I forget someone, who saw me like no one, kissed me at places I could ever imaged to be kissed, made shivers run down my body, knees weaker, tore through me, licked the sweat of my skin which he called as afterglow. Left my lips swollen, tried body in a want of more, the prints of his marks that said, Kiraz belongs to Reyansh.
I close my eyes, to lessen the burning. How can he forget our tales?
Our bodily tales, our heartly tale, our lovely tale.
Maybe we were just an unfortunate lover, who meet to separate. Then, why again we meet. When even I can't look at mirror without, dropping my eyes in shame, for snatching a child father.
"What have you thought about it?"
Blinking away the tears, I turn to face Pretti, who places a steaming cup of black coffee on the table before joining me. Grateful, I wrap my cold hands around the warmth. As the hot liquid soothes my throat, I express my thoughts, "I think it's a good opportunity for us."
"Bravo!" she exclaims out, flaunting her teeth.
Rayer got an invitation, a chance to prepare the bouffe of a new year eve event. Zubaid Miller is a big noun, and getting to manage the food and beverage of his part like a once in blue opportunity. I had rather grab it than let it go from my hand. I want to make Rayer touch the success of sky, and give Veer a good future. I refuse to stand idle and let people stomp over me. I refuse to be passive.
"You made the right choice." I smile at her, crinkling my puffed eye.
Sipping her coffee, she furrowed her brows, uttering, "He even sent an invitation for you to attend. Are you going?"
I nod, "It's a big opportunity, and I don't want to mess it up. God forbids, but if anything happens at least I will be on the spot to manage it." Pretti passes me her raised thumb.
"Okay, I will send a mail to his manager." She gets up, taking her coffee along with herself, rushing out from the room.
Later, we discuss the inventory and items to be needed for preparing the listed order. The hectic day hardly served me a minute to home the ominous thoughts. No, they didn't leave they poisoned my body, making it tired and restless, even made my palms turn cold and brought shivers.
Waving goodbye to my coworkers, I head home. The passing beach captivates me with its enchanting nature, evoking memories of early mornings. Day or night, the waves unfailingly find their way back to shore. I can't help but wonder, where would he be staying?
If he was in this beach, that meant he lived somewhere nearby. And, he is here for one month. Why? I press my teeth on my lips, but no answer came. It's obvious, that no answer will come out since I had no theory to that. Yet, the overthinking of me never stopped. Staying there for few minutes, when the cold wind felt unbearable, puffed eyes more swollen, I make my way.
When I walk in the familiar neighborhood, I lift my ducked head. Pushing back my unruly hair strand, I make my way towards the crowd of my neighbor girls. Who giggled, making their body shake, and legs refusing to stand in one place. I spot Leela in between, tapping her fingers on her chin, moving her body rhythmically.
"What is going on?" I ask to no one particular.
They shout, scaring the shit out of me.
"Oh, Kiraz Didi, you scared us." One with braces, says with shallow breath, keeping her fisted hands on her chest just like mine.
I breath out,"You also," adding, "Why are you all standing in a group? Did something happen?"
"Yes," Another squeal out. I push the straps of my purse, leaning my head a little. See, I was not lying when I told, I become a noisy neighbor.
"We were talking about our neighbor, about the one you said to me." Leela mentions. My face morphs in confusion, as I probe, "What about them?"
"Them?" braces girl speaks.
"Yes, they. It's a family."
"Have you known them." To which I shake my head in denial, "I heard it from Mujli uncle. I have not meet them personally. But why?"
"Ooh, it's nothing. We were just talking about them." Leela jests, indirectly speaking, I will not answer another of your query.
"He is such a daddy." My eyes enlarge in the size of a saucer. I turn my head, furrowing my nose.
The next second, Leela squeals, "He is so hot. I wish he was my boyfriend." Then, what about your current boyfriend. I blink at her.
"No, I wish he was my husband." I rank my eyes on the dimple girl, looking at her from head to toe. Husband? When did she passed from her highschool.
"Wish we had his instgram handle." The three came together, pouting in disdain.
"Wow! Isn't that Kavya?" I look at the raised finger of Leela. A confusion laces over me akin to that of others. Why the hell she is wearing a sunglass when the sun is down and the night has taken over. She walks towards us, pushing her sunglasses a little down with her blue painted nail, on her pointed nose, and looking at us from the brim.
A peculiar aura engulfed her, her nose felt like it would any second touch the sky.
"Why are your sunglasses on instead of your normal glasses. Did you mistook them with it?" Leela taunts, making the other two girls giggle out. I pursue my lips, folding my arms.
"I wore my lens. Anyways, why am I talking to low life." She blows air on her nails, ignoring the agitated look of the girls.
"What did you said?"
"What you heard and still try to play I am deaf card." I giggle out, ignoring the glares.
Leela tears her eyes away from me, to look at Kavya, keeping her hands on her waist. "What's with your attitude?"
Kavya removes her glasses, hooking them on her shirt as she folds her arms against her chest. Stepping closer to Leela, she asserts, "Why not indeed. I've spoken to the guy you're playing your childish game of kitchen-kitchen within your mind."
Leela steps closer, both standing afront, "You're lying?"
Kavya scoffs, "Why will I?"
"Then, tell us his name?"
"That is what I didn't got to know?" she slams her fist in her palm.
"You're useless, and about talking, well," the braces girl roasts Kavya, "He winked at me."
"He waved at me," dimple girl says out loud. I stare at Leela, to hear what he did with her. A concentrating look marred her face, and then suddenly she clicks out her tongue, "Yes, we made eye contact."
"But we don't know his name." Four of them says at the same time, slugging their shoulder.
"If only Veer tells me his name?"
"Veer knows him?" I interject.
Kavya bites her tongue, realizing she wasn't supposed to make me aware, breaking her silent treaty with Veer. I narrow my eyes at her, urging her to continue. "Actually, he talked to him once, but that's..."
"Tell him to say his name," Leela orders, prompting Kavya to speak in frustration, "Don't you think I tried. He just insists he is to be called Maui and claims to have forgotten his name."
Maui? Isn't he the same drawing men to him, which according to him resembles one of the fictional character of Moana.
"Let's ask him, again." the other girl suggests.
"No." I call out, "Don't irritate him." making the group of girls look at me with stinky eyes.
"Oh, Kiraz you are not understanding the gravity of the situation."
I tilt my head, "Neither, I am interested to know."
"Kiraz didi, please," I shake my head. Veer doesn't like unnecessary attention, and the second reason is he hates girl.
"Leave it. You won't understand the pain of a lover's heart."
"Oh, really," I mock, causing the dimple girl to take a step back. "I hope you're never graced with his name. And your crush likes someone else." With a twist of my lips and a flick of my hair onto her face, I sway my hips out of the conversation. However, God seems to find delight in embarrassing me. Just a few steps ahead, the loud squealing of girls behind startles me so intensely that I lose my footing. My right leg gets stuck in the gutter running alongside the street.
My horrified eyes fixate on the half-submerged leg in the dirty water. Pulling it out, my once-white sneaker now sports a darker shade of blue and a nauseating greyish tint, accompanied by a foul smell. Twisting my lips, I curse the girls for their unnecessary shrieks, as if one of them experienced a heart failure. I turn to glance at them, hoping for even a fleeting moment of concern from them towards my poor leg. To my dismay, not a single one gives a damn about my gutter-soiled legs. Their faces radiate an odd brightness, joy dancing in their tones.
"Stupid girls," I mumble before following their gaze to see what captured their attention.
It gets even worse than my smelly leg. There he stands – my husband, glaring at me with intensity. My open mouth refuses to close, breath stuck in my throat, refusing to come out.
In that exact moment, the reality of my worst fate hits me. Despite being aware of the truth, I had tried to ignore it to feel better. Yet, here I am with my soiled shoes, facing the husband I haven't met in five years. The three given chances he offered flood my mind.
He ranks his eyes on my body, stopping it on my leg, which he lazily darg it to meet my eyes.
An evil smirk graces his face, eyes taunting me, and his mouth utters an inaudible word, hinting at the two chances left out of three.
"Look, he's looking at me."
"No, he's looking at me."
"No, at me."
None but at me. You stupid bitches. I ignore him, whilst balling my fist, turning on my heels, and dragging my legs in the opposite direction from my home. The man who despises me turns out to be my neighbor – the exact man my child spoke to me about.
Entering an alley, I thrust my fingers into the mob of my red hair, clutching the roots as sheer frustration oozes from me. I can't believe my luck. Is the universe conspiring for our meeting or my doom?
Maybe both. But why does it feel like doom in either case? I hit my head against the wall, cursing profanities.
"You started cursing?" I flinch, opening my eyes.
Turning left, I see the devil in disguise of a handsome man, whom the world calls Reyansh. I blink, pinching my skin.
"I am real," he scowls, then grins, "This makes me think, do I visit your dreams."
"NO," I shout aggressively.
He shakes his head, mischief dancing in his dark eyes, "I hate liars." The smile vanishes, replaced by a sinister one. In a flash, he holds me by my neck, a knife hanging perilously close.
"I give you three chances."
"I am not lying." Then he lifts the knife, slicing my neck, blood gushing out. He releases me, my hands coated in crimson, body slumping to the ground. He throws the knife away, smiling evilly.
"Two chances left."
I jerk open my eyes, the lifeless fan running at a snail's pace flashing before me. I push my body up, hands frantically reaching for my lacerated neck. It's intact, without a trace of blood.
It's a dream. A bad dream.
I gulp, running my hands along my face, pushing back my escaped strands from the braid. Turning to my right, I find Veer curled up, a dinosaur stuffed toy beside him. It was just a dream, a very bad one where Reyansh turned out to be my neighbor.
I shake my head. That can't happen. It really can't. My breath turns shallow. Staring at my legs hidden in the blanket, I jerk them out, glancing at my strawberry socks. It was the right leg.
Taking off the sock, with suspended breath, I bring my foot to my nose.
I am doomed.
•~•~•~•~•
Ahh, she got to know. Now, what awaits for both of them
You can always read ahead on scrollstack.
Hope you enjoyed it.
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Next update: Thursday
Published: 6 Jan, 2024