December 31st, 2021
The glow of the moon was more illuminating than usual. Maybe all the merry making had reached it as well and it was taking its part in the happiness scattered around. The clouds were trying their best to obscure it, but the silver rays were having a mind of their own. They fell around casting their soft glow on everything they could reach. The window of the lonely bedroom of small house at the edge of the locality included.
The ray reflected from the tinted glass of the window pane. This was not a wise choice to keep the wind coming in this cold last night of December but wise choices and this room never went hand in hand. The study table to the left of the window was a mess of haphazardly strewn papers, a few of which were blank, the remains of the struggle to scribble something across those was clearly visible. The chair in front of the table was occupied and from the looks of it the person sitting in it was a stark contrast to the jubilant atmosphere of the world outside.
With a deep sigh, she pushed the papers away and held her face in her palm. Preparing for this interview was proving to be a task she was finding way more difficult than she had thought of. As she came out of the daze of her worry the nip in the room left a shudder going through her. She immediately got up and started pulling the window panes together. Oh, she was such an idiot. Her chattering teeth were enough to tell her. As she tried fastening the bolt her eyes caught the sight of the few teenage boys outside in the street. They were running around in their bikes tugging themselves in their jackets to ward off the cold. A slow smile reached her lips and her hands stopped where they were. Something had shifted within her. Was she this isolated from her surroundings that she didn't even know when new year eve came and was now almost over?
The answer was a yes, a sad yes but a yes nevertheless. Her feet took her to her study table as if in a trance. The drawer at the bottom of it opened after she had given it a strong tug. Its hinges were stuck due to the lack of use.
Inside was an old journal. Sticky notes were peeking out of its worn out pages. The binding had thrown open at few places.
She caressed the cover lightly, her touch was feather like as if just trying to stay on the surface. Not to go in deep because deep wasn't suitable. Wasn't possible. Wasn't for her.
The moment had lasted for such a short span. Whatever was curling within her became still and she closed the drawer with a soft click.
This drawer was like looking through a mirror, the kind of which shows you worlds long gone, worlds never coming back. Worlds you are no longer a part of.
Covering herself with the shawl she switched off the lamp and the room bathed in the darkness. The moonlight was still gazing inside but its presence was as neglected as before.
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New Year eve means a very happening night duty where people can't stop getting into bizarre accidents and getting themselves in danger. The majority of the population coming into the ER was of teenagers. Some of them even drunk because of the nightly escapade with friends and there's no rocket science what teenagers do when they are left alone together.
As he bandaged a sobbing fifteen year old, his scowl didn't leave his face. The last hours of his duty were rolling in and he couldn't wait to just get out of here. He loved his job, was completely honest with it but he kind of hated irresponsible people and all those coming to ER at this time were not that good at exhibiting the proper respect for responsibility.
Giving the nurse further instructions, he pulled his stethoscope into his pocket and went out of there. Even his gait was an indication of how tired he was but this was a part of the norm for him, has always been for so many years.
As he opened the door to the on-call room, his face showed the first easy smile which wasn't strained. The mug of piping hot coffee was waiting on the table. What he wouldn't do to thank his colleagues for this? A small chit was attached to the side.
"I thought a nice mug of coffee would do just fine to cheer you up after the horrible day we've had today. It's bland of course but since you like bland so... Happy new year, by the way. I fail to comprehend what's happy about this change of digit but whatever!"
He laughed lightly agreeing to the last line. As he freshened up and sat down to finally drink this dark goodness he looked through the window at the buzzing road outside. His lips touched the perimeter of the mug and the all too familiar taste burned through his mouth.
But suddenly he felt it. The tweet tinge. The barely there taste which was not at all bad.
And then it was gone. And so were the plethora of the memories flashing across his mind. He shook his head. No. Now wasn't the time. He wasn't supposed to.
Gaining his bearings, he took another sip from the mug but now, even his favourite beverage had lost all the charm it was boasting off just few minutes back. Closing his eyes he dropped himself on the couch.
He even remembered the taste from the forlorn corners of his mind. How was he going to forget anything else?
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The small village wasn't mimicking the jostling hustle of the big cities New Year night. It had a serenity of its own. Most of the local villagers had gone to sleep hours back. This small tea shop was opened to entertain the travelers who were stopping by to get their hands on some warm tea before continuing back to their journeys. Most of them were truck drivers en route to the far corners of the country with the huge bundles of goods they had to transport.
He pulled his jacket some more around him and took the last sip of his tea. The person he was he was here to meet had come and gone almost an hour back. He wouldn't say it was a fruitless meeting, not by any means. The information was valuable and he was sure now he wasn't that behind in catching the person who was taking refuge at the outskirts of this village only. The proper way should've been him scrambling to his feet the moment he had come to know about the whereabouts of the guy. But he wasn't just going to barge in there in the middle of the night. Manners matter. So here he was, enjoying his tea while looking around the bland interior of the shop.
The waiter who was a boy hardly about thirteen came to him to clear the table. But when he picked up the cup and plates, the money lying there had him scowling.
"Sir, your money..."
"It's yours now. First day of New Year tomorrow. Buy something new for yourself."
The kid looked like he was about to burst with a thousand flecks of confetti. The genuine smile could make anyone reciprocate it and he did. He smiled back at the guy wishing he could do a bit more than this for him. But right now that was all he could pull off.
"Happy new year, Sahab!"
The kid called out behind him. He shook his head. What was new about this year? He was doing the same old chase. Touché. But if life was tough he was tougher and his fist was the toughest. That slime ball sleeping at the other corner of the village would know soon.
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The nightlife wasn't visible from the skyscrapers but he didn't have to guess what must be going on in the streets right about now. He had been a part of this celebration all his teenage years. Those were the days and these are the delays. Delay in everything. For having such a running life, delays were surely a part and parcel of this whole setting.
Delay.
As he pushed back his travel bag which was always ready in case he needed to board a plane on a short notice, he leaned into his chair. New years had a knack of making him feel so empty within. There could be several reasons for that but he didn't like this feeling. The feeling of not being able to get something, something which was supposed to be by his side but he had, of course delayed.
Delay.
He had started hating this word as well. Lately, with so much work around with having to prepare the annual reports of the manufactures of the company and other racket associated with end of the year corporate panic, delays were a given. Maybe it was the reason of how cranky he was these days. Good thing he was going away for a few days. The trip was purely professional but somehow the idea of getting out of here was comforting.
Pushing open the drawer to take out some more files, his hand suddenly brushed the thing he hadn't taken out since so long. He slowly extracted it out and smoothed it in front of his eye level.
The years old scribble was fading with the passage of time but the clear hand writing still stood out against the yellowing paper.
"20-11-2014
When you finally admitted I can outwit you anytime I want to. Had to keep it in writing because with your large head full of straw, things tend to get a bit jumble up."
He had chuckled. The slow rumble of his own voice echoing in his silent cabin. And suddenly, his mind was more at peace than it was all week. The note had felt like he had just lost in a battle of words once again and he was as happy about it as he was before.
When he was finally ready to leave to catch his flight, his mind was light, his eyes were focused and a distant laugh was echoing through his mind.
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In other side of the city, the posh area was giving the representation of how the elite celebrate the New Year. Many houses were buzzing with music which was slowly turning into a slow rhythm as it traveled across the lanes.
In a house submerged in darkness, the hallway lights were turned on. She bent down pushing the high heels off her feet feeling as if her toes were freed from tight contraptions. Taking large breaths, she pulled her coat on the couch opening the door of her room. Right now she just needed to sleep. These high class parties were as tiresome as always and she hated the fact that she accepted the invitation in first place. Bad move.
Without even bothering to get herself into her comfy Pajamas, she just dropped herself on her bed laying straight on her back looking at the ceiling and the intricate patterns on it.
She could count on her fingers the number of times Mrs. Qureshi hinted on her son who was very much interested in knowing her more. She was no fool. She knew what this meant. Another proposal was coming in very soon. She had to think of her excused and the reason of the imminent rejection because there was no point Mrs. Qureshi's son was having a go. No way Mr.
As she rolled on her side, a sigh left her mouth. Getting up, she pulled her hair out of her messy bun. Walked to the closet grumpily and pulled out a shirt from the right side of the compartment. Moodily, she rolled back on her bed keeping the shirt close.
"I'm going straight to hell for rejecting so many people without any solid reason. All your fault!"
She grumbled and burying her face in the shirt was soon sleeping peacefully.
Away from all that, a side of the city was as calm. The waves splashing past each other were looking as if washing away a tale and replacing it with another one. The sea was vast, as vast as the stories buried within it. Witnessing so much. Still never whispering of anything. It was a nexus, a combing point and it knew, the stories we so vehemently wipe out thinking they are over, they are not quite. Never. Waves are always journeying towards their shore, so is love, always towards its, to stay afloat, Stay on bank. Stay out of troubled waters.
And for this love, the journey had just started.
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