Dawn

Chapter 07 - Desiderium

Desiderium

[noun]

a longing for something that is lost

He was there. Again. He felt warm as the air near him started heating up. He watched the flames grow and climb over the edges of the sleek black sedan. Rough hands held him back as he struggled to move. He saw Arvind banging the window as the fire licked every space. The hands disappeared and Aryan started to run. The closer he got, the hotter he felt. He watched the flames engulf the vehicle, leaving nothing behind but ashes.

Aryan's eyes snapped open in fear as he woke up. He felt around the nightstand and turned on the dim night light. It was that damn dream again, he thought, his throat dry as though he'd inhaled the smoke from the fire in reality. He looked around and saw an empty bottle by his dresser. Sighing, he got up and walked out.

It had been some time since he'd had that nightmare. He'd suffered it many times before when the devastation of Arvind jiju's death was still new. After multiple therapy sessions, he'd learned to deal with it as a trigger due to stress.

And he'd been under a mountain of said stress lately.

He walked along the darkened hallway to the kitchen and filled his bottle up with water. He ran a tired hand over his face and started walking back upstairs when he caught sight of a lone figure on the garden bench.

What the hell is she doing outside alone at this time of night?

Aryan observed her as he got closer to the french doors. She seemed subdued and contemplative, staring at the sky without blinking. She suddenly shook her head as though frustrated with something. Arms crossed, she closed her eyes and leaned into the backrest.

Aryan walked over quietly and stood in front of her. Hands in his pocket, he asked casually – "sleeping outside again?"

Startled out of her thoughts, Imlie's eyes flew open as she let out a short shriek. Clapping her hands over her mouth, she glared at him. Aryan raised an eyebrow. Drama queen, he thought. 

Amnesiac Imlie was as dramatic as the pre-amnesia version.

"Stop doing that!" she whisper-shouted.

"What?"

"Sneaking up on me! And that!" she added, pointing to Aryan and using her finger to raise her own eyebrow as well. Shaking his head, he simply got to the point.

"What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep. You?"

"I couldn't sleep either," Aryan admitted.

"Why?" she asked, surprised. She knew he'd been working late that evening and looked exhausted.

Shifting on his feet, Aryan shrugged. "Just thinking about work."

"Of course," Imlie commented, rolling her eyes. "The love of your life- work."

Ignoring the dig, he questioned her again. "Why are you here then?"

Imlie wasn't sure how to express the reason.

"I just felt like I needed some air," she confessed. "I have a bit of a headache."

Aryan looked around and then at his watch. It was nearing midnight. If he headed to bed now, he was sure he'd end up tossing and turning for hours, trying to forget the nightmare he'd had. He motioned towards the back gate. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

Surprised at the offer, Imlie got up quietly and pushed her feet firmly into her slippers. They walked along the lit pathway for a while, this side of Delhi quieter than usual. The streets were lined with the houses of the wealthy. Very few people were loitering about this late. They stopped near a park overlooking a cliff, the horizon dotted with houses lit in the night. They sat at the benches together, stealing occasional glances at each other. Noiselessly, they watched the sky darken as people retired for bed. Neither seemed to want to break the delicate silence between them.