Chapter 17
Life Worth Remembering
Part One
Her mind could not comprehend his words that hinted at Dhruv’s existence, even if it’s in a different body. Her smile trembled on her lips, only to disappear moments later. Dhruv, who once lived in her soul, was now a cherished memory. “Tell me there’s a way to.”
He shook his head. “No one on this planet would have ever shed a tear, if it would be allowed.”
A gust of hope filled her mind. “Allowed? So, there is a way to revive those memories!” She giggled like a maniac. “We’ll get our life back, we will again live as a happy couple, and Vega introduced me to a way to change one’s face,” she turned to Yajvan, “Tell me, tell me how to do it, I’ll do whatever I could to bring him back!”
“It’s forbidden Manya.”
“Who cares if it’s forbidden, I swear! I won’t tell anyone. I mean, you are the king of the planet, the great Yajvan! You can do anything, and I will owe you my life!”
“It’s forbidden, because it’s the same cause behind a war, imprinted on the souls of every native of Sevavann! And which will be remembered as the greatest loss in the entire history of this universe!” he giggled and went back to his chair, “And you here want to risk it again, just to live a ‘happy married life’?”
Knowing the whole truth should be her first choice, but gerix had pressed her curiosity. “There’s no way to bring him back in a safe way or a way which won’t affect life around him?”
He denied.
Being again with Dhruv indeed lit a dead spark inside her, but even she can’t risk others for her own happiness, however good it seemed. “And I thought Krishna had brought him back as an answer to my questions.”
“Which one?” he said.
She wiped off her tears, which weren’t ready to calm. “Why me?” Few floating particles settled under her eyes, prevented every drop of her pain and suffering from falling. “Thank you. What have I done wrong? I even pray for those who overtake me on the road, to reach their destination safe. When I opened my eyes, I had lost memories of those who formed my heart. And lost the one who made it skip a beat with a breath. And even God wasn’t happy with all that, the one who introduced me to life, to a world full of emotions, meanings of relationships, everything—got kidnapped!”
“Why would the one who made us would harm us?” he said. “No matter how philosophical it may sound, our scope of thinking is nothing compared to God’s. The sight of our loved one getting hurt or killed torment us from inside. But it shouldn’t fog our existence.” His eyes glistened with moonlight. “Manya, if Krishna has taken such extreme measures to bring you here, how big would be the goal of your life?”
“I don’t want those goals. I just want my old life back!”
He smirked. “And you say he doesn’t listen to you?”
“Listen? I am not talking about the life I don’t remember, but the life I used to enjoy. With mamu, my friends and Dhruv.”
“What about the life you don’t remember? What if your soul desire that life? Tell me one thing, did you never desired or asked Krishna to help you bring back your lost memories?”
“I did, but not in exchange for my loved ones.”
“And since when God started working in a way that suits us the best, the way which wouldn’t have forced you to find your true motive. The way, which I can assure you will lead you to eternal pain. Nobody wants such a life. Anyone with enough sanity will choose a life where they don’t have to suffer. If God had made you suffer, then you have to, until you become the one who will stand at the top and lead the entire existence. What we as human can do is accept God’s insight and move forward. Pasts are meant to teach us, not trap us in an endless arc of doubt and agony!” he walked towards the edge opposite to her.
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The extent of his reply bewildered her, to where her tears dried up. She wanted to hug him—hug him tight. But all she could take were a few steps towards him.
“What if I don’t want such a life?”
“You can either fight your way to build a life you desire which will never give you peace and happiness, or accept the divine plan and flow within it with the boat of karma.” The snacks on the table flew to his hand. Each piece of chips grew bigger and, in a split second, dozens of whales jumped out of the water to catch it. He pointed to the sky. “Don’t believe in him to appear religious. Believe in him because he believes in you.”
“Who exactly are you? I came here prepared with a motive to kick your ass. To blame you for kidnapping mamu, and for a slight possibility of you causing the attack on the capital. But look at me, babbling everything as if you are my closest friend, and what’s more irritating is that I don’t even talk much of my heart, even with those who I believed were closest. Just who in the world are you?”
“I didn’t want to tell you the truth, but you leave me no choice, so here it is. Manya, you were my slave.” He smirked. Manya glared at him. “I found you on the dumping ground. You just couldn’t stop your nose and mouth from drooling when you saw me eating a pizza slice.” After hearing pizza, she knew he was just jabbering.
“Oh, really?”
He nodded. “Then I, the kindest being in the entire universe! Dumped you in a river, you smelled worst and gave you my dearest, precious, last slice of pizza. And you took an oath to serve me to eternity and yet here you are, calling me an idiot.”
“That’s it?”
“I wanted to keep it a secret,” his shoulder hunched forward. “One can’t hide the truth for long.”
“You still haven’t told you who you are to me? Wait, were we like a couple or something?”
He smiled. “Some relations become infamous upon naming them.”
“Now you made it more complicated. Don’t play me, just answer it or I’ll get buried beneath the overthinking after this drug wore off.”
His face, which always emit a friendly aura and a vibe of grace, appeared professional, like Manya once saw on her Boss face, when he was about to fire a colleague of her.
“We were best friends. And no romantic angle, just true… friends.”
The idea sounded good, but deep down, a part of her longed for the couple thing to actually be true. She was having feelings for another man, and the confidence booster wasn’t preventing it. Do I have a thing for broken otherworldly man?
“Were?” she wanted to lighten the uncomfortable vibe between them.
“Yeah, then you died. Which turned out to be a lie.”
“Why can’t you hug me then?” she said.
“This treasure here,” he pointed at himself. “Belongs to only one, which you aren’t.”
“Bullshit,” she said while observing a hint of grief in his eyes. “I feel a sense of safety, warmth, that nothing in this world would seem impossible if I am beside you, and the only time I felt such emotions before was with mamu. Even you try to smile or act friendly, that you are all ok, but those eyes always appeared distant, and it’s bothering me since I met you.”
She had accidentally created the perfect situation for him to kiss her.
“It’s a gift I received from solitude.” he stared at the edge of the ocean, which was about to welcome the light of today.
“What is it? Did we fight or a dispute? You told about a war. Did I betray you? I have seen tons of shows and movies, and I know there has to be a big reason for you behaving like this, as best friends won’t be separated after a minor dispute. I could apologise to you, but I have to know the reason. I seriously want things to work between us. As friends.”
The moment sunlight enveloped him, the time spent with him seemed brief. His entire outfit, from his turban to his footwear, emitted a glowing golden hue.
“Some wounds torment the core of one’s soul.” His gaze met hers. “You shouldn’t have come back. But as you once said, God loves me more.”
“It’s funny,” she said. “Not being able to hug, touch, or hit the person who once was supposed to be my best friend. I have used all the intellect I have gained with this liquid and I can’t see any hope to see us as we might were.”
He again summoned the tear absorbing particles, “These tears of yours could be worth millions in the black market,”
Nervous and eager Vega, attracted his gaze. “You liked your assistant?” he said.
Frustrated by the lack of serious replies or answers to her emotional turmoil, she gave up hoping for them. “It was you right? Who assigned her?”
“I find the most compatible one, haven’t I?”
“Yeah, a compatible one, who caused an offence on her first day by hugging me.”
“You want me to kill her?” he took a step forward.
“What? No! Why would you do that?”
He laughed. “Tell me this, what’s with you and touch? She touched you, she repented. And you are crying because I am not letting you touch me. Manya, why can’t two people be friends without touch, and just see the positive side of it? The less we touch, the lesser the chance of you falling in love with me.” It took her aback and was about to utter a word. “Now don’t come up with an excuse.”
