The Runaway

Chasing the truth,

Unable to stop the growing disaster

Running out of breath, when you come to stand still;

What do you find?

Who do you find?

**

Days had passed.

Yet the flashes remained alive in her mind.

Sitting on her bed, she took a keener look at her arms. The marks still remained so prominent, as if refusing to leave her; as if validating the fact, the incident that she so distinctly wanted to forget.

The bruises felt fresh like a rose in June.

Her eyes narrowed, as she couldn't help wondering what those uncanny deep brown eyes held within them.

Why that burning fury in those eyes hurt her as if knives were stabbed on her very own body?

Why?

Why just that one glance of him, intrigued her to the core? Why did it push her to the zenith of knowing nothing but have this feeling wherein she could give up everything just to find a concrete reason to that day?

Why did she have these strong urges, the want to know him, as if it was her right to know?

Frustrated with the helplessness of her situation, she bit my lower lip, trying hard to distract herself as she sat in her room, when she heard a knock on her door.

Khushi quickly dragged the long sleeves of her top back to her wrists, concealing the light evidences of those bruises once again.

"Come in"

She averred.

*

"How are you now sweetheart?"

Adrienne said to her , in that same ever loving tone of hers.

"Much better, mom"

She replied, managing to put up a light smile on her face.

.

Khushi hadn't been keeping well.

Ever since that day.

Fever.

High fever.

But the worst thing wasn't about her health.

It was about the fact that something was affecting her.

The Devil was affecting her.

And Khushi knew that she couldn't do anything about it.

She had left her job, the very next day since that uncanny encounter took place.

Despite the request from Mr. Jones and others, she did what she felt was right.

Though deep within herself, she had not even an ounce of idea, what was righteous and what wasn't!

She was still trying to contemplate everything as she did in the last 15 days, reaching no proper conclusion as always, when her mother's voice broke the chain of her innate thoughts.

"So, umm, sweetie, it's your father's death anniversary tomorrow."

Adrienne spoke, clearing her throat.

..And Khushi landed back on reality.

And for once, she didn't consider it disturbing like before.

.

.

"Mmhmm."

Khushi whispered, acknowledging the fact that she remembered what day was tomorrow.

"Khushi, sweetie, if there is anything wrong with you, you can tell me. I promise you, I can keep up."

How Khushi wished, her mom's words would soothe her, calm her, and pacify her.

But, no. She couldn't be in denial any longer.

Unfortunately, despite the tranquil essence of it, her mother's offer to listen was of no help!

.

.

"Don't worry mom. It's just this fever and the admissions. Nothing else. I don't feel so good because of this tension."

Khushi lied, though not completely but partially.

Out of all the mess in her life right now, her admissions and this flu were definitely bothersome. But nothing could match the magnitude of the predicament she was in due to a certain devil named Arnav Sciarrone,who although not physically present around her, had the intangible power of destroying her mind and thoughts in and out.

"You sure?"

Adrienne asked again.

Khushi nodded, her face displaying a big fake smile, and thankfully 'twas enough to put a hold on her mom's motherly inquisitiveness.

Kissing her forehead, Adrienne wished her good night and retired to her room.

*

Khushi slowly lay down on her back, her eyes fixed on the ceiling of her room.

A tear escaped her eye, as the flashes of his man-handling her without any apparent reason returned once again.

She wasn't sure anymore of why those flashes were bothering her to this extent even after a fortnight. Sure, it was intense. But what she didn't understand was what was making it linger in her mind for this long?

Unable to hold it within her anymore, Khushi instantly got up from her bed and started writing-

~~

August 12th

Dear Diary,

Some questions are better engraved. But why do we run behind only those questions, the answers to which are impossible to attain? And why are only those questions engraved, whose answers decide someone's life?

Why the terror tends to linger despite us not having a valid reason for it?

Why is it too hard to figure out the righteous and the wrongs?

Why?

Why did he hate me so much?

Khushi.

~~

A wave of relief hit her, as she penned down her musings finally, like she quite often did in hours of despair, and closed her journal.

Lying down on her bed, her fingers started roaming on the red pendant in the silver chain on her neck, as she finally managed to close her eyes.

Maybe,'

Maybe, that was nothing big.'

Maybe, I'm thinking too much.'

Maybe, it was just a bad day.'

Maybe,'

Maybe, we will meet again?'

And in the chain of those maybes, her mind slowly gave up on its own interrogations as she felt the silence building around her, and she was trapped in the embrace of the oblivion, drifting into a deep slumber.

Sleep.

Peace.

And another night just passed like that.

*

"Wake up you sleepy head!!"

"Come on now!"

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Grrr!! Gal, just wake up!"

Even in her sleep, Khushi could make out it was no one other than Rebecca shouting as if her house was on fire.

"Let me sleep!"

She replied in her half-asleep state, agitated, as she shifted her head to the other side of her pillow.

"Gee, it's 9.30 am in the morning! How long would you sleep? Sleeping Beauty!"

.

Khushi shot her eyes open as she sat up with a jerk, staring at Rebecca with wide open eyes.

"9.30 am?!?"

"How come no one woke me up?"

She muttered to herself with a sorry face.

"Well, your mother thought you must sleep since you are unwell, so she didn't wake you."

Ree averred.

.

Khushi still didn't speak.

.

"She and Jazz have gone to the church, then they will go to the cemetery and then directly go to office and school respectively."

Ree added.

.

"Umm, So, you are here since?"

"Since the past one and half hour! Do you realize how much bored I got, you sleepyhead?"

Rebecca retorted with a pout, displaying all nuances of her evergreen drama queen avatar in one blink.

No doubt, she looked too cute when her face displayed this expression.

"So, that's extremely thoughtful of you Ms. Rebecca Wilson to stay here and babysit me all this while."

Khushi teased her with a smile.

Normalcy was contagious.

Hitting her with a pillow, Rebecca replied-

"You are my best friend, isn't that my right? But, but, I had to finally wake you up."

"And what made you do so?"

Khushi inquired.

"Because it was getting way too freaking irritating trying to decipher all the things you were mumbling to yourself, while sleeping. And I became too impatient after a while!"

Her reply made Khushi's mouth flung open, and she hit Ree with another pillow.

And just like that the girls enjoyed this small session of girly- fight, amidst all the inner-storm that Khushi was dealing with alone since the last few days.

When they finally realized they were going way too overboard and it didn't really suit them being almost 18 now, they calmed down, with panting breaths.

Settling down finally, Khushi asked her-

"How the hell are you here at this time Ree? Won't you be late for work?"

Khushi's question triggered a silence, the one that she really didn't want to witness.

At least, not now.

When she got no reply from Ree's end, she knew what her senses were hinting. And that made her beyond shocked.

"You.. You left it..? The job?"

Khushi asked, stunned by the conspicuous possibility behind the reason of Ree's silence.

Rebecca simply gave a nod, the evergreen smile once again returning to her face as her expression affirmed the answer to Khushi's stunned query.

"But, why Ree?"

.

"Because it was getting way too boring without you. It seemed like I was locked in some cell, like some freaking criminal."

Ree spoke without a pause.

Khushi's eyes became moist, hearing her justifications, and she couldn't thank her enough for this perfect moment in her life. In that one brief moment, she forgot her ordeal, wherein all those haunting and daunting flashes seemed to be just background noise in her legit reality, which had her loving family, and wonderful best friend.

"Moreover, that Kevin is a good-for-nothing fellow. A true jerk!" Rebecca concluded.

Khushi giggled through her tears looking at Ree's cute angry face and her disgust for Kevin, and she immediately pulled her for a tight hug.

.

At that point she knew, that maybe, maybe, no matter what happens, she will always find Rebecca by her side.

And

No matter how dark the sky looks,

The sun always has to rise.

*

"So let's go for a shopping spree, full day out. Then, a slumber party at my place. It's been ages since we had a girls' night out, isn't it?"

Ree spoke at one breath.

"You are right. But first I need to go to the Church and then the cemetery. You know right? Dad's death anniversary."

Khushi replied, pulling the hood of her purple sweatshirt on her head.

.

"Yes, I know all that. I'm your oldest and bestest friend, remember? Don't worry, take your time. I will see you at the mall in two hours. Cool? "

She asked, her lips curving up in a big smile.

"Cool. And just to remind you, bestest isn't a word."

Khushi teased with a smile, to which Ree threw just another pillow at her.

"See you in two hours."

Saying this, Rebecca left.

Khushi sat as she darted her eyes at all corners of her room. This wasn't a bad start to her day after ages.

She sighed as she finally left her bed with a faint smile on her face.

A new day.

"This should be good."

She mumbled as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

*

The drizzling weather added to the cold and made her shiver, as she entered the gate of St. Joseph's Memorial Burial Ground.

The faint rain drops fell on her pale skin, as she kept her stand strong and her eyes searched for the name, the precious one among all the tombstones present there.

She wasn't too religious really. Neither an atheist nor an agnostic though. But she never delved into that spheres of Christ or Anti-Christ or any other religion or power beyond human for that matter.

And that's precisely why she wasn't really a frequent visitor to the cemetery to pay homage to the dead, be it her ancestors or her own father. For she always believed in treasuring memories within, loving from within, and for that one never really needed to be vocal.

True love, true respect, always reflects on your face if you have it from within, and you don't need to show it to prove it.

Wandering for about as long as seven minutes, she finally found what she was looking for.

.

.

"Stephen Erhard Vermount."

Her feet automatically followed the path and she ultimately reached her destination.

Standing near the tomb, Khushi kept the bunch of violet orchids on the grave.

.

.

In her mind, she secured a very vague memory of her father.

All she could remember was her running into his arms as soon as he returned from work.

His face, possessing all traits of a perfect gentleman, his eyes comprising of love and happiness for his family.

In short, a contented man who loved his family dearly.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the cold breeze, that instantly made a shiver run down her spine and her teeth clattered as an effect of it.

She ignored it as she remained silent, paying all her attention to her little rendezvous with her resting father.

This wasn't something she did often, but whenever she did, she made sure that it wasn't disturbed.

.

.

After a period of brief silence, she finally stood up.

Bidding goodbye to her father and promising another meet with him soon, she turned to walk away when suddenly a gust of strong win greeted her being, making the hood of her sweatshirt instantly fall off her head.

Her wavy brown hair fell free on her shoulders, the tiny rain drops falling on her snowy white complexion.

The cold was suddenly unbearable, as if the temperature had gone way too down without any forewarning.

She began walking towards the gates, not feeling quite right about what was happening when all of a sudden, a familiar scent hit her senses.

.

The royal yet lethal, dangerous yet intriguing cologne.

The unprecedented change in the atmosphere almost suggested that..

He was near.

The Devil was here.

But why did she care?

And what was this stupidity?

Was it anything relevant?

Some frivolous hypothesis?

"Or just the Oxytocin in my body gearing up its speed?"

She loathed herself, considering her own interpretations.

She tried to calm her nerves but her interrogations to her own self came to a sudden halt, when she indeed saw him there.

At the extreme corner of the graveyard.

Kneeling down beside a grave, head bowed in silence, he placed a bunch of roses on the grave.

.

.

Khushi's eyes tried observing his face, his every action keenly.

With the help of the lush green bushes, she tried concealing herself from his view and thankfully, this time, God was kind to her.

Without any hindrance, she intensely observed all his actions, one by one, step by step, second by second.

He was standing at a fair enough distance.

And his eyes were still on the grave.

As Khushi continued to watch him in silence, she observed his face carefully.

It was so calm.

So innocent.

It depicted this strange boyish charm completely in contrast to the devilish monster he was to her, 15 days back.

"How could he be the same man, who.."

Her fingers automatically traced her own arms, where the evidences of that wicked encounter lay, which were now covered by the clothing she had put on.

A new chain of inquisitiveness embarked upon her.

She failed to justify her notions, terribly.

She thought for a while and felt that she wanted to talk to him.

To simply ask him, what his problem was?

But.

But right now, she just wanted to see him.

Maybe just in silence.

To captivate every feature of his in her mind.

To frame it as a picture in her conscience perennially.

Maybe to replace those tricky, haunting flashes of his face from their past meet with this calm and serene one that she was witnessing just now.

.

.

As she took a step ahead, to get a better view of him, a jolt of shock hit her bad, abruptly.

He was nowhere to be seen.

Her eyes wandered at all the angles.

But, no.

No results!

He was gone.

Just like that.

Taking a deep breath, Khushi gulped, feeling at a loss of her sanity all of a sudden.

She didn't know what it was but something was just constricting her from within.

She turned around and looked everywhere possible.

But nothing other than the deadly silence greeted her.

Sighing in frustration, she made up her mind to finally leave, when she saw a flock of birds making a loud noise in the sky, as they flew in a particular direction.

The sight made the pores of negativity open inside her, instantly making her feel dizzy.

.

.

A chill ran down her spine and profuse terror struck her.

Without giving it a second thought, she knew that something was most definitely wrong. Because it wasn't just her instincts saying so, but also the sudden, uninvited change in the air.

And with that fear, she started running.

Underneath the dark, cloudy sky, she lost her track, desperate to head out of the place.

Which way to go?

Why was this looking like a maze now?

"Right?"

or..

or..

"Left?"

She looked at both the directions, her mind perplexed beyond words as she contemplated which way to go, but her sight not giving her any legitimate answer.

Her legs ached terribly due to the run but she knew she couldn't give up.

Running for her life, her eyes frantically tried to locate the exit of the cemetery.

But all her efforts seemed to be futile.

She panted as she rubbed the sweat on her forehead with the back of her right hand, and proceeded towards the south.

"You can't lose it, Khushi. Be strong."

She told herself, knowing it was the only way to not lose her hopes, because giving up was never an option.

.

Realization dawned on her when she finally saw the huge black gate, marking the exit of the graveyard.

Pacing up her steps, she ran as fast as she could.

If the dark tunnel had entrapped her, this was the only way out, and there was no way in hell she was letting it go.

Determined, she increased her pace, though from within she felt like her body would go limp any minute.

Her incessant efforts ultimately bore fruit as she finally made it out of the place. Out of the burial ground.

As her feet landed on the outer area, a little away from that imprisonment place, she couldn't feel her own body, her own senses anymore.

Her breathing was extensively labored and to calm the raging adrenaline and extremely high-paced heartbeat, she bent a little, keeping her palms on her knees.

After a while when she relatively calmed down a bit, she could finally see living souls outside.

Kids playing, some groups singing and seeing all of it, a sense of relief flooded in her veins.

This was Verman Hills.

She was fine.

She was safe.

She was here.

Everything was all right.

Everything was all right.

She reiterated the last part thrice to register it as her reality as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

.

.

"Why did I run?"

"That way?"

"What happened to me?"

"Did he..?"

"Did he see me?"

"Where did he disappear?"

The questions buzzed at a rapid pace in her head but unfortunately, she had no answers to those questions.

Panting like crazy, she rested her right hand on her chest, as if willing to feel her own heart beat, which was the only thing that could validate to her that she was alive and everything that happened moments ago didn't kill her after that deadly run.

She remained like that for ten seconds in silence, when suddenly the striking reality hit her hard.

"My necklace!"

Her eyes opened wide in shock as she traced her neckline like a maniac.

Her necklace wasn't there.

Not anymore.

**