project.utopia

Cured and Healthy

Carefully, Nera tip-toed into the blue-painted room Aditya was sleeping, trying her best not to wake him up. She walked in and, without a word, sat on the edge of his bed. Nera watched the young, curly-haired boy, carefully, as she thought about all they had been through together in the past few days.

Meeting in Karvatan, running away from the Malotas Mansion, spending time in the orphanage, sleeping together on the streets of Wasa, eating in Jersa, comforting each other at Ben's home, arguing in the inn, and, now, here in Karvatan, their final destination...not having an idea what to do next or where to go. They were clueless.

Slowly, Nera began to move her hand to his head, and began to play with his hair, admiring all his features as her likeness of him grew. Then, all of a sudden, Aditya's eyes opened and he stared up at Nera's bright golden eyes with his own caramel-brown eyes.

"Good morning, Nera..." Aditya whispered.

"Good morning," Nera responded as she inched closer to him, which began to make Aditya feel nervous. Nera moved her face closer to Aditya's and stared at him, ultimately making him pull away. He moved away from Nera, while also staying on the bed, and looked at her, surprise written all over his face.

"You-I-You..." Aditya stammered as he stared at Nera, trying to figure out how, all of a sudden the anger and resentment she had against him had transformed into affection and kindness in the span of a couple hours.

Nera licked her lips and quietly asked, "Yes?"

Aditya stared at her for a moment, trying to understand what was happening and how her emotions had changed so quickly by studying her face. Finally, he asked, "Are you not angry at me anymore, Nera?"

Quickly, and abruptly, Nera moved away from Aditya and looked down at her lap, nervously playing around with her fingers. She didn't say anything for a while, and then, finally, said, "I was never angry at you, Aditya."

"But...yesterday. You were so-"

"-I wasn't angry. I'd never be angry at you, Aditya," Nera responded, interrupting him as she continued to stare at her fingers.

"But-"

"Listen, Aditya. I would never and and will never be angry at you. Not after how nicely and kindly you treated the night I had that nightmare," Nera responded, quietly as Aditya's face softened slightly.

Neither of them said anything for quite a while as Nera continued to play with her fingers and Aditya watched her, hoping she would say something while also wishing she wouldn't so the two of them could sit in this comforting silence for just a while longer.

Finally, Nera spoke up.

"Nobody has ever treated me as kindly as you did that night. Nobody. Ever," Nera whispered quietly, her back still facing Aditya.

"Oh, Nera," he quietly whispered as Aditya shifted closer to the young girl, his face soft and his eyes filled with sorrow and sympathy for her.

Nera swallowed, as if trying to contain herself from bursting out in tears, and whispered, "I appreciate what you did for me and how you treated me, Aditya. I really, really do. Even though it might not seem like it sometimes, but I do."

For a moment, he didn't say anything and watched her carefully. But, finally, as he placed his bandaged hand on her back, Aditya responded by saying, "I had to do that."

Quickly, Nera turned around and furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused.

"What-What do you mean by that?," she stammered, studying him with her golden eyes.