Love and the Dark Night

PART THREE, TWELVE

I let go of her hand. She walked a few steps ahead of me, then turning from the main road to her side of the street, she stopped and turned her face.

“Come up,” she said. Her voice was as soft as ever.

A faint film of whiteness lay all over her face. I stopped short, my body stiff, some immovable force pressing my legs and feet bound to the ground.

A shadow of a white sari faintly showed around Tessa. A red border ran around all over the edge.

Then her teeth flashed from behind a weak smile. The invisible force loosened its grip just then and I woke up in the process.

“What did you say?” I asked

“Come up,” and she continued with the smile.

“Er… no. Not now.” And I fidgeted my hands inside my pocket. “Have friends coming over.”

*

Hermen and Shasht were entering the gate of my bu