supernova

original epilouge

This was the original epilogue before the rewrite.

Amukta looked into the mirror at her overly fancy makeup. Her brows were thick, her eyeshadow bright, contour strong, blush heavy, highlight poppin', lipstick bold. She had a large golden nose ring and small face jewels outlining the top of her brows.

"Okay, this next," her mother said and she and Aleks put the red veil over her head.

Amukta was getting married at twenty three years old.

Five years after the death of Arabella Rosalyn Turner and Atlas Abbas Phoenix.

Atlas died at the sight, before the ambulance even got there. Arabella died a month later when they took her off life support.

They died in her father's BMW, which was completely destroyed in the crash. Barely any piece of it was recyclable. It was a pile of toxic waste.

It destroyed them that they never got to tell Arabella and Atlas was really happened the night of homecoming.

Atlas's surprise party wasn't the first time they said 'I love you', and Daniyal didn't want to take the preciousness of the moment way because they were too drunk to remember it. So he let them live through it twice, once sober, once drunk.

Daniyal didn't know whether or not to feel guilty about it. It would've been such a funny story to tell after his party.

Amukta and Aleks ended up going to the same university and became inseparable. They recognized each other on campus and bonded over their trauma and losses.

She was in her first year of medical school. She wanted to be an oncologist in honor of Arabella, a reminder that the Turners will always be there with her, but she still had a long way to go till she became one.

"Beta, you look beautiful," her mother complimented.

"Arabella would love all of this. She would be so excited."

"She's still here, you got her name tattooed on your heart."  Amukta let out a sob, tilting her head up hoping not to destroy her heavy makeup.

She was marrying the man who didn't leave her for a week after they found out Atlas was dead, and stayed in her room, crying with her, for a whole month after Arabella was taken off life support.

The boy who her parents refused to acknowledge as her boyfriend until their fourth year dating, half a year before her wedding.

The boy who made her feel safe and protected and made her scream and cry and yell but also laugh and get all soft and mushy on the inside.

High school Amukta hated soft and mushy.

Arabella would be more excited than her. She'd perform at the Sangeet and probably make Atlas dance with her too, with wet mehndi on her hands and feet. She would would steal the shoes, and request an enormous amount of money as a joke before settling for fifty dollars.

"I wish she was here," Amukta sobbed out. She silently thanked her mother for making her buy the waterproof makeup.

"Me too," her mother hugged her. "Are you sure, you want to mary him? I can arrange you with a lot of boys from our culture."  The question was being asked too often, it enraged Amukta but she didn't let it show. She understood her parents, and was quickly to remind them this is what she wanted.

"Mom, this is what I want."

"Get up," her mother said, and she and Aleks made sure the wine red sari was worn properly.

Amukta wore heavy gold jewelry in her ears, around her neck, golden bangles accentuating the brown of her mehndi. She rested her hand on her blouse over her heart.

I love you Bells.

"Let's go. They're here."

Neha's husband, Zahir, and three of Amukta's cousin's walked her to the mandap, where she saw tears in the eyes of the man that helped her pick herself up as she helped him pick himself up.

Michael Smith.

She went into the mandup and sat cross legged next to him, and he placed a hand over hers and squeezed it.

Aleks had stolen the shoes, and asked Michael to give her a seventy five dollars as a fair trade.

All that was left, was the reception, and then they were off on their honeymoon.

Amukta wore a dazzling gold chaniya choli and Michael wore a gold kurta.

She had to give a speech.

She looked into the crowd.

Daniyal and his wife Fatima with their two month old twins, Anaya and Abbas.

Sophia and Munynyim.

Marion and her boyfriend Carlos.

Kane and his girlfriend Seraphina.

Marion and Kane dated for a few weeks, but it was so uncomfortable for them as they realized they were better off as friends.

Fred and Michelle. When they announced that at the end of senior year, everyone was in shocked.

Reed and Alexa were on and off the entire second semester of senior year, and called it quits before they left for college. We were all surprised to find out Alexa was pregnant senior of college with his kid, and they had been together since the end of junior year, despite the distance.

Aleks and Luis.

She opened her mouth to speak, swallowing every last bit of nervousness.

"Hey! I never expected to get married in the Cayman Islands, and I want to start off by thanking everyone for purchasing a plane ticket and traveling for our wedding. I know a lot of people here have had to do their research on an Indian wedding and why it lasts a whole week, and why there's just so much going on, and I really appreciate it. I appreciate that you took out the time to watch someone you love," she looked over at Michael and took a deep breath. "Marry someone whose culture you had to learn in a short time frame."

She felt her throat clog up and she cleared it, she can't cry yet.

"We have an amazing support, friends family, colleagues, but there are two people who aren't here who are the reason, this day even happened. Arabella Rosalyn Turner was my best friend, and her boyfriend Atlas Abbas Phoenix, was a close friend of mine. They died in a car accident five years ago. She was planning my wedding junior year of highschool, so excited, to be a part of it. The entire Turner family, died in a time period of four years. We all remember them today through each other. Michael and I keep in touch with our highschool best friends, because although the friend group just randomly happened in a manner where there was no real foundation, the deaths of our best friends, brought us closer, defying the laws of building and architecture. I want to thank them for their unconditional love and loyalty."

Amukta's view was blurry from the tears swelling up in her eyes. Michael was in a similar situation. There was never a conversation about their best friends without a couple tears.

They both could swear, that for a split second, they could see Arabella and Atlas standing together in the back of the large hall.

Arabella wore a shiny silver chaniya choli, matching her eyes, and waved a replica of Michael's shoes at Amukta before resting her head on Atlas's shoulder, who wore a mint green kurta, matching his eyes, just as Arabella promised Amukta.

the end