THE GIRL WITH THE MEMORIAL TATTOOS

Chapter 9 THE DREAM

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hat was an old house in a village, barely built of bricks. A small family was living in that house in two small rooms in a kutcha house– one kitchen and one hall room with 3 kids. It was raining outside with dark clouds covering the sky with no chance of visibility of the sun. The kids were running in that home outside in the rain. One kid, the elder one of 10 years age, went out to water plants which were present a few feet outside the front door. It was raining but still doing that. He came back into the room scurrying all through the way with inevitable drenching in the rain. The kid was doing nothing more. Just watering plants in spite of the rain, scurrying back home being wet, repeatedly as an obsession to pass time not knowing anything else to do. The room inside was gloomy with power cut and none inside. So void and alone. His heartbeat was increasing with his every scream reverberating inside the rooms, hoping someone would come to his rescue, being scared to death. He hastened his activity of watering to curb his fear with not much help. Suddenly, he fell down, crying aloud but no one was hearing in that dark gloomy day.  

Surya woke up from his dream. Sat cross-legged over his bed, riveted to one side to hangover both his legs from the edge of the bed with both his hands grasping the edge tightly, gasping for breath. He was sleeping alone. Andria left for her place the before day. He felt so lonely and his nightmare reflected his state of mind. 

The next day on arrival of dawn early in the morning, not that early but 8 am which was considered early for youth, especially on holidays. Surya planted a knock-on Bharat’s door. Bharat didn’t open the door. Surya persisted. ‘The l**t on the Russian obviously made you blind Surya Aryan Seth’, Bharat’s voice boomed from the corridor. Surya took a double take on Bharat and single one back on the door he was pounding his fists. The door was latched from outside. Bharat gave a grin baring his teeth like hyena twisting his finger one side of his head like loosening a fictitious screw. ‘You know what Surya, I am in hurry to meet my Tinder date, but then again brother code says, you supersede all’, Surya smiled and moved aside while Bharat unlatched the door. Bharat went toward his cupboard shuffling his t-shirts looking for particular one. Bharat took out a red colored t-shirt. ‘I feel like I am in love’, said Surya hesitatingly whether to disclose the information doubting his pillars of trust on Bharat. 

‘Dove? Sorry, I don’t have one’, Bharat said absentmindedly scrounging through his clothes. 

Surya was preparing to leave thinking that was a bad idea. 

‘What, say again, you are in Love? UN-BE-LEAVE-ABLE!’ Bharat faced Surya in astonishment, holding a pair of socks. ‘But I am so confused dude. What if she is not in love with me? What if…’, Surya clearly flustered with his voice faltering. 

Bharat looked sympathetically. ‘See man! Sometimes you have to follow your heart. There is nothing wiser than that. Risk is everywhere, accept the risk!’ riveting toward the door. ‘I am in a hurry. Don’t take wrong’. Bharat’s face contorted reflecting difficulty in handling the situation. ‘Have to catch up my date, Man. She might be waiting for me at CCD. See you soon. Good luck’. 

‘Thanks for your suggestion Bharat’, Surya looked unto him with gratitude. He took charge of his emotions and followed him to the door. ‘Good luck to you too, Man’. 

‘Luck is my desperate wife Man. It never leaves me’, Bharat winked at Surya who laughed with regained enthusiasm.