The night was dark and there was a slight drizzle. She stood there shivering in the rain. "If only I had listened to my inner instincts" she thought as he hurried towards the darkness of her room in a home where every echo, every knock seemed to remind her of him.
That night—it was an awful night, like many nights.
Some of the most terrible dreams she had ever had, and she was known to bad dreams. Everything became all muddled in sync in her latent mind. She kept restless, anxious, really terrified – and then falling back hopelessly to sleep which hardly overcame.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…
The trance like was like quicksand, plummeting her. The trepidation of Steven deserting was apprehending her. Passage after passage, searching in the darkness of her mind, every picture on the wall in that passageway was magical… it was Carol and Steven and their togetherness…
Finally, with a clatter as much of frenzy as of fear she scuffled herself out of it. Lying dumbly bleak in her bed, rubbing her arms to keep warm.A blank moment.
No reminiscence, a vague ambiance. The household silhouette of her bedroom congealing: tall frames of her artistry, over sized fashion books on a squat crate, the curve of her fashion illustration counter, the genial mass of her computer beside it with the tower of magazines and CDs on the floor. Carol gazed at the picture on her bedside. It was her mother’s. She had stepped out of town for a while, leaving her in charge of her father and siblings. Her mom wore an ivory woven shawl, clutching on it youthfully. Carol had taken after her mother; only in her mother, Carol reflected, it was all warmer, somehow kinder and sweeter. The gaze more gentle, the smile more longing and amused. Looking at her Carol found the ache of loneliness,
almost insupportable.*
He smiled at her humbly. “I understand,” he said. “Well let us make the best of what is Carol. Whatever happens, what we go through together will always make us special friends. I often wonder what would ‘us’ be like. I should like to know someday, wouldn’t you Carol?
She nodded in approval, too disturbed to articulate.*
Her recollections were pretty much uninvited. All of a sudden she drew the duvet back. Slipping out of bed, no idea where she was headed or why she was crying. She stepped from her room to the hallway. There was that tick tock tick tock breaking the stillness. The noise was irritating. It fogged up her brains. As she sauntered the marble flooring towards the main door she felt cold in her bare feet. The air was idle; her heart pounding fast. Her nightgown so white, it seemed to glow, it seemed to flow around her; she seemed to be whirling in it.
Suddenly, the door flew open and there he stood, with his arms open to embrace her. Carol cried out, “Steven! Steven I love you so much!” Tears pouring out like an unsought tempest.
He looked as alluring as he always did. His white shirt unbuttoned at the top, his chest shadowed with fuzz and his mane flirtatiously gracing in the wind behind him. “Yes! Yes Carol I am miserably in love with you!” he confessed affectionately. Tears filled her eyes, and she ran to be in his arms, she held on hard to him, “Please don’t leave me Steven!
Please don’t go!”… She wept. It was only another dream, evidently. On the contrary it always was a dream. She sat up under the false inkling of that which never was, trying to block out the agony, the dream, the whole thing. Lifting her knees beneath the duvet, resting her elbows on them, screwing her palms against her face.
All questions were to no purpose. She dared not speak not even to herself. She had learnt echoes were gossipers. They talked back when they had to. Lord! Here I am your servant! Your Servant my Lord! What do I do Lord! What do I do? You gave me signs… signs that led me to letting Matt – signs that Steven is the one.. Where do I go from here Lord! Where do I go??
Carol had faith in her Lord. She knew about the goodness of fate and she was ready to wait. She was convinced of her sincerity and devotion.
“Hold on Carol. Hold on…” the voice trailed off and so did she.
August 3, 2009 at 4:52 AM
niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
i simply loved d way u built d whole scene!!! fantastic
August 3, 2009 at 4:58 AM
I'm speechless..!! The build-up is indeed breathtaking..! :)
August 3, 2009 at 5:22 AM
:D:D:D
thank you Mayz for takin time out to read!!
Pree-yea,
mwaaaaaaaaaaah!
August 3, 2009 at 5:33 AM
artistic and well-crafted...
would be heavy to many...
August 3, 2009 at 6:40 AM
beautiful!!!
simply amazing!!
August 3, 2009 at 7:58 AM
WOW! Beautiful as usual :)
If I'm not mistaken, haven't I read moments from this story in your novel?
August 3, 2009 at 8:11 AM
yes Sania it is an extract from there :)
August 3, 2009 at 8:15 AM
ur novel..?!!!
August 3, 2009 at 8:39 AM
AMAZING!!! like always... and oh i love the pictures which you used along with it :)
August 3, 2009 at 9:02 AM
WOW!!
AD.. hats off to you..
i would love to read your novel .. :)
August 3, 2009 at 1:00 PM
wow!
Beautiful! =D
August 4, 2009 at 12:16 AM
yet again , u keep beating urself :)
awesomee
August 5, 2009 at 3:47 AM
Wow.. you seem to have great stories to write.. I loved the story.. you described everything what carol felt..
Now I don't have any other words to appreciate you
August 5, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Beautiful...btw AD, what's the talk about your novel?
August 5, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Yadayada,
hahah yea heavy is what i intended :)
Mehreen,
thank you honey!
Siras,
yup this is from there honey!
and thank you for boostin me up!
A peaceful soul,
yup, my novel, why cant i b a novelist :P
August 5, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Ubaid,
hehehe thanku!
BK,
surely one day i could offer u the full read :)
uglyduckling,
thank you dear!
Karthik,
hahaha beating myself?
Rahul,
awww thank you!
i appreciate the simplest of compliments :)
Pranav,
wellllllll my novel :)
September 10, 2009 at 10:17 AM
thank you for voting my story "STORY OF THE MONTH!"
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