Love So Far

A New Life

After a long journey of nine hours, I reached Zurich, where I had two and a half hours layover for another flight to catch for Chicago. So, I passed the time in exploring the shopping area at the airport. After purchasing some goodies and some personal stuff on the duty-free shops, I headed to the boarding area to check-in. After ten hours of journey, I reached Chicago, where I had seventeen hours layover. So, I decided to explore the city of Chicago until my next flight. After waiting to explore and being tired waited in the lounge until the flight for Kentucky has been announced. Finally, when the flight announcement was made, I waited in the boarding area for another hour, and it took another one and half hour to reach Lexington in Kentucky. Moreover, it took another half an hour to reach my apartment, so after spending forty hours, which seemed like an eternity I was standing in front of a two-storey apartment. The front view of the apartment was creating a pleasant shaped and maintained. The plants were looking healthier and an organic sense in my tired body. There was a green lawn outside the apartment with a stone pathway that leads the way to the door of the house. The garden would at least cover half of the yard, it had flowers, creepers and climbers neatly shaped and maintained. The plants were looking healthier and an organic one. I took my baggage from the taxi; I hired from the airport and walked through the lawn along with Snowy.

I took a deep breath before knocking the door, but before I knock the door, a young girl of my age opened the door.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Can I meet Mrs Peter?"

"Yeah, wait a sec." She went in by keeping the door held open.

After some time, a lady in her fifties came to the door, "Yes, dear?" she asked.

"Mrs Peter?"

"Yes. Dear, I'm Mrs Peter. What can do for you?"

"I'm Looshin, from India," I remembered her.

"Oh! Yeah." She raised her eyebrows. "Wait a sec, I'll bring the keys." She said and went in to fetch the keys. After some time she came and bought the keys and said, "The next door is the way to upstairs. Do you need any help dear." She asked with a gentle smile on her face.

"No thank you, I will manage by myself." I declined with a pleasing smile.

"Okay dear, but if you need any help then please let me know." She nodded.

"Yeah," I said and left for the upstairs with my baggage.

After a long struggle with my heavy bags and Snowy, I reached for the door, upstairs and opened it. To my surprise, the place was clean and tidy with the furniture covered by a white cloth. As soon as I closed the door after bringing my heavy bags in, I sat on to work. One by one I started to arrange all my belongings in the order I like. Some hours later, I heard a knock on the door, when I opened the door the same girl of my age, who I met downstairs, was standing in her T-shirt and shorts with a box in her hand.

"Hey!" she waved her hand.

"Hey!"

"Looshin, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Paige, Paige Chase."

"Come in." I left the door open and went in.

"Yeah sure." she nodded and followed me, "Aunt Michelle, said you to give this to you?" she extended the box.

"Aunt Michelle?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh! Sorry, Mrs Peter." she corrected.

"Oh!" I smiled, "What is this?" I looked at the box.

"She has sent dinner for you, as it's your first day." she shrugged and looked around the room, "And it also seems that you haven't yet done your unpacking."

"Yeah." I looked at around, "It's almost done." I turned back to him.

"Need any help?" she was still looking across me.

"No thanks, I'll manage it." I forced a smile.

"Are you sure?" she raised an eyebrow.

Before I could open my mouth snowy collide herself into a box and box fell upon her, "Maybe, yes." I widened the hands.

"hmmm..." she nodded with a slight smile, "What's that?" looked across me.

"That's Snowy." I turned back, "My dog, s***h my only friend from India."I smiled

"You have a pet with you?" She seemed excited.

"Yeah." I widened my eyes as I gripped a smile.

"Can I see it?" she asked in excitement.

"Wait." I lifted my forefinger upwards, "I'll bring her back." I turned around to get into the room and bought Snowy along with me.

"Aww, it's so cute." She took Snowy in her hand, "What is the name of it?"

"Snowy."

"Hey, Snowy." She shook its head.

Then we cleared all the mess around and cleaned the house. It was fun while working with her. She helped me in shifting the furniture from one place to another, lifting heavy things and much more. It was almost late at night as we sat on the couch adjacent to each other after cleaning the house. I liked each her company, she was a friendly girl come easy-going person. We shared our personal information. She said that she has a twin named Mike; he lived in boarding schools while she lived with her parents. After their parents died in a plane crash, three years ago, she and her brother came to live with their aunt that is Mrs Peter. I felt sorry for her and her brother.

"So, in which college you have joined?" she said as she took a sip from her drink.

"University of Kentucky."

"Really?" she was surprised, "You are kidding right?"

"No." I shook my head suspiciously, "Why?"

"Even I and Mike are going to join there?" she was over-excited. "What's your major?" she was curious.

"Hmmm... Brain and Neuro Surgeon. What about you?" Even I was curious to know hers.

"Business." Her face saddened. "But you don't worry; Mike has also taken as Brain and Neuro Surgeon his major." She smiled.

We chit-chatted for a while, then she left as she got a call from her aunt. I washed the dishes and placed on the sink and went to sleep after changing into night suite. I was damn tired, so as soon as I hit the bed, I fell fast asleep.

Next morning, I woke up by the shining lights of the sun, when I checked the time on my phone, it showed 8 a.m. I got up and refreshed myself, had breakfast and went out to buy some groceries and a new number. Later, Paige too joined me in the afternoon, she was accompanied by a boy who resembled like her, and I was damn sure, it was none other than her twin, Mike. We had lunch together. Mike was a tall, handsome, fun-loving guy; by his talking, we can say he would have many friends. Suddenly, I came across the idea of getting a part-time job after college and I didn't want my parents to know about it, if they did then they would never allow me to stay alone. At first, I hesitated to ask Mike and Paige about the part-time job but finally, I asked them and they managed to get me a job as an attendant in a restaurant along with them.

"Good Night", I wished them as we reached the house.

"Good Night", they wished back and went into their house.

After a week, we had started our college life. It was a different feeling; it was a mixture of nervous, excited and frightening etc.... But luckily, I had Mike and Paige with me.

I took a deep breath, as I pulled my car in the parking lot. Beside mine was the car of Mike and Paige, they were standing back of my car.

"Looshin, are you okay?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I made a meek smile.

"Are you sure?" Paige side hugged.

"Yeah." I nodded.

We walked into the corridor, which was a huge one with the mob of students. We went into the office to enrol our name in the official record. After finishing all the formalities, we got our class schedules. As Mike and I had taken Brain and Neuro Surgeon as our major, we had the same schedules of classes while Paige had different from one from ours as her major was different. But still, we managed to meet up in lunch breaks and other free times we got. Sometimes, Mike joined with his new friends with whom he befriended, while I and Paige befriended some friends named; Katie, Morgan and Jessica.

Katie and Morgan were my classmates, while Jessica was Paige's classmate. We became good friends and I started to enjoy my college days with my new friends. Even though I was busy and enjoying my hustle-bustle life in Lexington, I missed the company of Krish so badly from my heart. Due to time differences, we rarely spend time with each other, over phone calls and video chats. But still, we managed to spend time for each other.

"Okay, we are going to see about 'Abnormal Activities'" said Mr Chadwick, my neuropsychology tutor, as he scribbled the white chalk over the green board. "So, any guess about the abnormal activities of children." He rubbed his palm with a gripped smile.

"Shyness!" I raised my hand.

"Yes! But I want more." He looked around the class. "Come on, Guys! don't be a passive listener." He wrinkled his nose, "It sucks me to the hell."

"Social withdrawal, Inhibition and Sociability." I heard a familiar voice from the front.

"Yeah, exactly." Mr Chadwick Snapped his hand.

The class went on actively. This was one of the interesting classes, which I would like to attend.

"Hey, Looshin!" Jessica joined me in Cafeteria as I was reading a book.

"Hey!" I raised my head from my book.

"Where are others?" she sat near me.

"Were there." I pointed towards the food serving area.

"hmmm...." she nodded. "So, what are you going, this weekend?"

"Nothing much." I shrugged.

"Okay." She took a deep breath, "We are going hiking, so are you coming with us?" she asked.

"I'll, Of course." I accepted her offer.

"Okay, then we'll be leaving Friday night." She leaned back on her chair.

"Friday night?" I frowned.

"Yup."

"So, when are we leaving?" Paige took another seat beside me.

"Friday Night", Jessica repeated once again while she was busy in unpacking her homemade lunch.

"That sounds great." Katie took a sip from her soda tin.

"But guys, I'm afraid that I will not join you guys." I interrupted their exciting conversation.

"Why?" Paige frowned as she looked up at me from her phone.

"I have got some work to do."

"Oh! Come on, dear. It would be fun." She tried to convince me.

"I know." I forced a smile, "but we can't leave on Friday Night."

"Why?" Once again, all asked at once.

"Because I have important work to do."

"May we know what's that important work?" heard Mike's voice, behind me.

We all looked up from our table towards Mike as he pulled a chair from another table and placed it near Paige.

"I had joined a pottery class. So I have to buy some stuff for it." I leaned back on my chair.

"Hmmm..." Paige thought for a moment, "Well, We'll leave after you are done with your shopping stuff." She suggested, "What say, guys?" she looked at others.

"yeah." Everybody nodded in agreement.

"Okay." I agreed with her.

That week was a busy week for us, as we all were busy with our college and personal deeds. As I had been meddling with my college and a part-time job, I had no time to think about Krish and I know he would also be busy with his life. On Thursday evening, I was sitting in the living room couch, reading The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord. While reading that book I felt like I was missing Krish and the days I had spent with him. I took the Silver rectangular pendant that was clinging around my neck and shut my eyes. As I closed my eyes, the image of his face was crystal clean with that cute smile on his face. I missed his dark brown eyes that melt my heart; his heart throbbing cute smile which tempts me and makes me lose control over my heart.

Meanwhile, I could feel the tears rolling down on my cheeks. A strange kind of feeling was felt in my heart. It was a mixture of loneliness and togetherness. Though the latest technologies made easy for us to communicate and abandoned the feeling of farthest, it could not compensate for the feeling of togetherness with our loved ones.

As I opened the eyes, I took the phone from the couch and dialled Krish's number, but stopped at the mid-way before pressing the call button. Then kept the phone aside and went to my wardrobe for packing for camping. I heard a knock on my door, as I opened the wardrobe and I knew it would be none other than my friends, "Yes, coming." I shouted.

"Hey!" all said at once as I opened the door.

"Hey!" I stepped backwards to I let them in.

"What's up, baby?" Morgan sat in the couch and took snowy on her lap and started to play with her.

"Nothing much." I locked the door, "I was about to pack my bag."

"hmm..." she nodded, as she was busy with snowy, while Katie and Jessica sat on other couch, engaging themselves with their phones.

"So, you haven't done with your packing kinds of stuff, huh?" Paige looked up from the magazine she was reading.

"Nah!" I shrugged, "I'll do it later."

"Come, I'll help you." She linked her elbow with mine.

"Its okay, Paige." I tried to take away my hand but she held it tightly.

"Oh! Come on." She pulled towards the room.

"You are not going to listen to me, right?" I raised my eyebrows.

"No. Way." She said sarcastically.

I smiled and went with her into the room.

"Girl, your room is damn neat and tidy." She wondered, "It's a contrast to my room." She looked around.

"huh, huh?" I asked in amusement.

"Okay, let's check the wardrobe." She pulled open the door of the wardrobe, and took a box in her hand, "What's this?" she looked at it.

"Oh! That's a gift which I received from my best friend as a departure gift." I took it from her, "And I forget about it in these busy days." I rolled my eyes.

"You haven't opened it, yet?" she wondered.

"No." I shook my head.

"Can you open it now, please?" she pleaded.

"Yeah, sure." I took the box from her and began to unwrap it. It was Journal note that was printed with pictures of me along with Neil, Vicky, Suhana, Nikithaa and Monica with funky faces as the front cover and a picture of me and Krish dancing together in the farewell party as the backside.

"Are they your friends from India?" she looked at the journal.

"Yeah." I nodded with a meek smile.

"And who's this?" she looked at the picture of me and Krish.

"Krish." My cheeks flushed, "My friend."

"Your friend or your boyfriend?" She smirked.

"Hey?" I frowned.

"Come on, Looshin. The way you both are standing seems to be there's something between you guys." she grinned.

"Okay." I took a deep breath, "His name is Krish and he is my boyfriend."

"I knew it." She snapped her hand. "What is he doing?" she asked eagerly.

"He is doing his Fashion Designing course in London."

"You said that your hometown is London, right?" she wrinkled her eyebrows.

"Yeah." My smile widened.

"So you can meet him, whenever you go to London, right?" she asked eagerly.

"Yeah," I repeated.

"Tell me everything about him." She made me sit in the bed and I told everything about me and Krish; our first meeting on the bus; his proposal and everything as I recalled those sweet memories.

"And now I'm here and he is in London." I shrugged.

She remained silent for a moment, her face was dull. "So how do you both keep touch with each other?"

"We rarely talk with each other; it's been a week since we talked with each other." I smiled.

"A week?" she frowned.

"Yeah." I nodded with a meek smile.

"And do you think, that your relationship with your boyfriend, would last longer?" she asked in dismay.

It seemed like she could guess the anger rushing through my body.

"I know Looshin that I have no rights to poke into your personal life." She sighed heavily, "But I like you a lot and you are my best friend. I don't want you to get hurt in any way."

"Paige, Paige, Paige...." held one hand up as I interrupted her, "Let me make it clear to you that, it is not necessary that a relationship can last longer on only either talking or chatting frequently or living together. And I do believe in the theory; the more distance between you, the love you get from each other."

"You are a pack of emotions." She hugged me.

"Okay, now get up." I pulled her out of my bed and went towards the wardrobe, "Let's finish packing before other's come in."