Akira casually roamed around the space intently looking and observing the antic pieces and portraits.
After a long sleepless night without a certain someone she was hardly able to focus on anything. She wasn't even able to study. The sentences were literally going over her head.
She was hesitant to call Jaison the night before. She gripped the phone tight in her hands as she anticipated what to do. There were a lot of what ifs going on in her mind. What if he is busy? What if he is sleeping? What if he is having dinner?
Engrossed in her thoughts she flinched hard as her phone started ringing loudly. Her face brightened up at the sight of her husband's nickname on the phone screen- Spexcy.
They talked for hours without even realizing. The talk went on before Jaison had to check a few files before sleeping. It was actually an excuse he made so she would sleep on time. He was not going to get any sleep but atleast she should get some. Little did he know she too was wide awake the entire night as she reminisced the time they snuggled up to each other's warmth.
"Do you like it?" Mujin asked as he approached her. She hummed in response, her eyes still glued to the painting infront of her.
Mujin made sure to check up on her the first thing in the morning. As expected she was in a cranky and sulky mood. He tried his hardest to distract her and uplift her mood but it all went in vain.
Out of nowhere an idea popped up in his mind. As a result, here they were in a museum carefully analyzing the art around. Akira had refused the first time when asked but Mujin was more stubborn than anyone around. No one can win from his childlike behavior. He even acted like a cute kid who was deprived of human affection and she just gave in to his demand.
Akira was actually able to compose herself a bit and make peace with the situation on their ride to the museum. She was a lot calmer than before and was actually showing interest in the things around her.
"I don't think I get the idea of this painting." Akira mumbled as she tried to understand the meaning behind it.
The painting displayed a man standing on a hilltop as he stared into the beautiful night sky containing stars but what confused her was the lines and creases that surrounded his head like strings and threads of some sort. His lips displayed a smile while his eyes shed tears of blood.
What could that even mean? He is happy or sad? Is that a smile of hopelessness or are the tears of relief?
"What do you not understand?" Mujin asked as he stared at the painting blankly.
Akira's eyes fell on a quote or a poem written on the lower right corner of the painting.
The sight of you brings peace and tranquil!
I'm ready to stare for as long as it takes...
You made me realise I have a heart but it aches more every passing second!
But I'll cherish this hurt, I'll cherish this pain cause this might be the only thing you could even give to me!
I wish it were lust, I wish it were childish!
But its far more purer than you could ever imagine....
"He is in love." She whispers as the weight of the words falls onto her conscious.
"He sure is." He sighs, the words were too familiar for him. They were his reality.
"But what kind of love can give you peace and pain at the same time?" She turned to him, her eyes narrowed in question.
"Where there is love, there is hate. Where there are expectations, there is disappointment too." He turned to her as well, chuckling lightly at her even more confused expressions." What I meant was, love comes with a lot of expectations and when they are not fulfilled it turns to have a bittersweet feeling to it." He gestured to the guy in the painting." Maybe his expectations were crashed too."
Akira pondered on his words, thinking deep." What about the threads, strings or whatever they are around his head?"
"He is in chaos."
"What?"
"His mind is in utter chaos. They symbolize his state of mind."
"How come he finds peace in it?" The more he revealed about the painting, the more confused she got.
"Its all about perspective, Buttercup. Some people can find peace in the hustle, crowds and noises of the urban cities while the others feel at home when surrounded by a quite atmosphere. Take wanderers and this artist as an example. The people who explore the world cannot stay at the same place for too long, they love to indulge in the chaos of the outside world. How do you think this artist would have made this painting? Try to imagine the process. The canvas you find so pretty to look at now was once a chaos of colours."
"Woah! You should become a philosopher. I'm not even kidding." She was floored at the amount of depth he had to his thinking. It was just a mere painting and he was able to narrate essays on it just like that.
Mujin who had gone too deep into his own conscious snapped back to reality.
"Okay. Just one last question." Akira raised her hand up like a child. He chuckled and gestured her to speak further.
"The love that brings pain with it, isn't it toxic. Its suppose to set you free not make you weak. If it does, shouldn't he move on?"
"Its conditional." He stares at her.
"Sorry?"
"If you love something or someone with a hope or expectation for it to make you happy, for it to return the same amount of efforts you put in then that love is conditional, its weak."
"But-"
"Love someone so fiercely that you won't ever need a condition to keep loving them. If I fell in love with you I'll love you even if you love someone else cause my love is unconditional. Its boundless. Its fine by me if I'm not the main character in your story. I'll be the knight in shining armour if I can't be your Prince Charming." Akira's breath hitched at the intensity his eyes held, as if he was speaking from the bottom of his heart, as if the words coming out of his mouth were something he had experienced.
She had nothing to say. The words had such meaning that she realised her love might have been weak. The definition of love he just gave was so beautiful. It made her want to love like that.
She will love like that.
I'll love you, unconditionally.
.............
Mujin and Akira walked side by side with a can of coke in their hands.
Akira hummed along the tune of a song she heard in the hallway of the museum.
"It was a good idea to come here. Wasn't it?" Mujin smirked at her knowingly.
"Yeah, yeah. It was fine. Just fine. Nothing extraordinary. I wasn't able to understand half of the things there." She huffed, annoyed. She was literally asking him about every small detail. She would drag him away to clear a query. They were acting like a student-teacher duo.
"Admit it already. You enjoyed it."
"I said-" her footsteps halted. She stared at something behind Mujin. He too turned around to take a look.
"What is it?" He asked, confused.
"Oh. Nothing. I just felt like I saw something familiar." She shook her head lightly.
"There is nothing there."
"It must be my imagination." She waved her hand in the air. He nodded his head, understanding. They began to walk again.
"Oh shit! I forgot my car keys there." Mujin shrieked as he felt his pant pockets. They were empty." Go to the parking lot down stairs. I'll be back. Okay?"
"Sure, no need to rush." She said as she saw him run back inside the building.
She sighed heavily and shook the empty can in her head. She turned around to find a bin to dispose of it. After locating a dustbin she dropped the item into in.
Hearing shuffling behind her she quickly turned around. She looked around but wasn't able to locate anyone.
Her heart rate suddenly spiked. She felt constant eyes on her. Someone was staring into her soul. The place started to make her feel uneasy. She quickly walked out of there and went into the parking lot as asked by Mujin.
The parking lot creeped her out even more. It was dead quiet with very less cars parked. The dim lights flickered every now and then adding to her fright.
She heard footsteps again. She abruptly turned around, her breathing became heavy.
"Wh- who is there?" She stammered.
On receiving no reply she quickly clutched her purse and drew her phone out with trembling hands. She tried to dial a number but her numb and cold fingers weren't helping.
She saw something move from the corner of her eye. A hunched silhouetted figure. She suppressed a shiver as she slowly turned to her right.
She flinched hard as she saw a pair of unblinking, narrow, concentrated eyes staring silently into her soul. The figure of the person still in the dark while the white of the eye shone making her back away.
"W- who a-are you?"
The figure moved. Emerging from the darkness, the light illuminated the stoic face of the person.
Dread twisted in Akira's gut. Her heart leaped into her throat as she stared at the blank face of her aunt with unfocused eyes. Her face lacked empathy and remorse. It was absolutely devoid of any expression at all.
"Did you miss me, my child?" Her calm, cold voice made Akira's body visibly tremble. A chill crept its way down her spine. Her fore head covered with cold sweat.
"Wh- how- what are y-you- how did you?" The lady stepped forward slowly. Akira quickly took many steps back as the panic rose inside like a wild storm.
She was scared. The woman standing before her was not a normal one. She was completely stripped off of humanity. Everything about her was menacingly disturbing.
She had lost weight. Her cheek bones became more prominent, the eye bags darker than before, her lips dry. Everything about her appearance had changed except that.
That murderous glint in her eyes.
"How could you let him go without my permission?" The woman spat suddenly as if she was deeply offended.
"You- y-you no l-longer control him." She put all the puny amount of courage she had in that sentence." H-how di-d you even get out of jail? You-"
"Shhh." Amrita placed a finger onto her mouth." I do the questioning here." She stepped further ahead.
The phone in Akira's hand fell on the floor with a thud as she stepped back with wobbly legs." Stay back." She whispered in plea.
"I won't hurt you as long as you listen to me. Come here, Akira." The woman ignored her plea and took another step.
"STAY BACK!." She was frightened down to the tip of her feet. The adrenaline she felt made her run out aimlessly in any direction. She ran as fast as she could.
She squinted her eyes shut when the bright light of the scorching sun blinded her vision. She stopped for a moment as she huffed loudly. Her throat was dry, her head throbbed. She briefly looked back. Seeing no one she sighed but still she started running. She wanted to get away from that place. Far away.
She ran aimlessly away from the museum. Her vision blurred as her eyes stung with unshed tears. She panted hard as she stepped on the side walk of the road. Her legs started to give in as she stumbled. She coughed hard trying to stabilise her system.
The people around her looked at her. Some in concern while others in disgust.
"Is she high on drugs?" She heard someone whispering.
She squinted her eyes to see the traffic signal. It was red. She sighed and slowly walked towards the zebra crossing.
The people walked past her, some bumping into her.
She suddenly heard a ding.
The light turned green.
As if everything moved ever so slowly she turned her head to see a car speeding its way right towards her. Her drunk, heavy eyes widened at the sight.
Fear paralyzed her body as she saw the same thin dried lips parting as a vile evil grin spread across the pale colourless face of the elderly woman who was behind the wheel. She stepped on the accelerator as her menacing eyes reflected the desire of pure bloodlust.
She wanted to see blood. Akira's blood.
..............