Here am posting a short story written by my friend.. Hope you like it..
Chapter 1:
She pants while trying to catch up to him, her hand clasped tightly in his other, yet her pace not able to match his... They rustle through the thick woods, trying their best to avoid the leaves as much as they can. Finally having enough with this nonsense, she halts in her steps, tugging hard on his hand to make him stop as well.
"Where are you taking me? What is it that you can't just tell me", she questions him breathlessly. He turns to look at her, and she finds herself softly gasping at the sight of him... His face glows radiantly at her from the ray of sunshine casting upon him, creeping through the shelter of branches above them... highlighting his already handsome features and making him seem almost heavenly. His white skin appears to be golden under the shimmering light and causes her to blink more than she really needs to from the brightness. Breaking into her mesmerized trance, the boy who looks no more than eighteen grins broadly at her that it sends her heart fluttering...
"It's something that you just have to see for yourself...," he replies and without another moment of hesitation, pulls on her hand once more and leads her further into the depths of the woods. As soon as she begins to believe that there is no end to this godforsaken place, she suddenly finds her companion slowly come to a subtle halt and follows his steps. She stares at him curiously and before she can even open her mouth to question him why he has brought her here, he looks to her with his grin widening and points high to the sky. Her gaze follows to where he indicates to and she gasps out loud in astonishment and pure amazement as she sees what the big fuss is about that he was creating before.
"It's beautiful," she breathes all at once as her eyes are transfixed onto the gorgeous sky that has formed into a collage of beautiful colors... Purple, red, and orange streaks adorn the horizon where the sun slowly begins to rise above the green hills ahead... The lake before them sparkles brightly in unison. She had never seen anything so beautiful and breathtaking before in her life, and she was thankful that he had dragged her here otherwise she would miss such a grand opportunity to witness this masterpiece of nature. Her attention is averted once she feels his hand take hers and entwine their fingers together. It was such a small gesture from his side, yet at the same time it said so much...
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"Shona, wake up baby. Rise and shine. Its morning and you need to get up, darling," she hears her mother speak soothingly to her with her silky voice. Swara takes a deep breath and releases it after she switches sides, turning her back onto Sharmishta. "Not now Maa, please... Let me sleep," she mutters tiredly into her pillows. She inwardly groans as she feels the warmth of her comforter being pulled off of her, leaving her to face the cold.
Shomi: You have slept enough, Swara beta. One shouldn't sleep for so long. Come along now. Get yourself ready and come downstairs for breakfast. I have made your favorites.
Swara unwillingly sits up in bed with drowsy eyes and pouts silently at her mother. Shomi merely smiles and nears her to place a tender kiss on her head.
Shomi: Happy Birthday Shona...
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In the midst of freshening herself for the new day, Swara dwells on her strange dream that she was slowly beginning to forget completely. She now only could remember small details... she knew that she was in a set of dim woods but she could not remember who it was that she was with nor the destination that she was being led to... It was all turning into a blur to her, like a distant memory. This though, she noted, has been occurring consequently for the past few weeks. She encounters many strange dreams that she is unable to remember clearly once she wakes up from her sleep.
She hurriedly clips her hair after rattling all these thoughts away. Today is her birthday, she reminds herself. She should only think on that...
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Swara approaches the dining table and finds a man of middle age reading the newspaper sprawled across him with absorbed attention. She smiles at this and draws his focus as she kisses him sweetly on his cheek. The man is slightly startled but smiles widely at her while setting the paper aside.
"You are finally awake..." Swara nods at him as she seats herself in a chair beside him. He affectionately places his hand on her head. "Happy Birthday Swara," he wishes her. Swara beams at her father, Shekar Gadodia, owner of Gadodia Enterprises.
Swara: Thank you Papa...
Shekar: So... do you have any plans for the evening?
Swara: Not at the moment... Why?
Shekar: Good. I want you to keep your schedule cleared. I am hosting a party for you tonight. I have invited all of your friends and their families.
Swara muses at this as she doesn't know what her father is saying. What friends? As far as she remembers, she has none. Her father catches this and rests a hand onto hers.
Shekar: It won't hurt if you tried to make one, beta. For how long will keep to yourself?
Swara: I have Uttara, Papa. I am fine. She keeps me entertained enough.
Uttara, her younger sister, is the number one reason why she always finds herself drained at the end of the day. She often wonders if she is even her blood sibling as she is so hyper all the time whereas she, Swara does not possess that same energetic vibe in herself. However, her mother continuously reassures her that they are indeed sisters and there is nothing she can do to change that fact.
Knowing that her daughter doesn't want to speak of the subject anymore by how she removes her hand from his, Shekar clears his throat and looks back to his newspaper after unfolding it.
Shekar: So how old have you become now?
Shomi: Mind you Shekar, your daughter is now twenty-five. One would believe a father would keep track of his own daughter's age, but you are hopeless when it comes to knowing any one of your daughters.
Shekar has the decency to seem abashed by this, yet speaks sternly to his wife,
Shekar: Mishti, at least do not make me seem bad in front of my own children.
Shomi: What to do Shekar... Some things seem never change.
Swara giggles while Shekar eyes Shomi, who circles around the dining room table, setting down their breakfast.
Twenty minutes later, Uttara join them at the table as well. Shekar flips through a page in the paper and says with the usual tone he takes when setting ground rules...
Shekar: I had thought I made it very clear that I do not want you oversleeping. Eight hours of sleep is plenty to keep you going through the day.
Uttara hung her head low after sharing a glance at her sister.
Uttara: I'm sorry Papa, I won't do it again.
Shekar resumes to reading his newspaper while Uttara smother her sister in hugs and wish her a happy birthday in excited whisper. After Shomi finishes setting the table, they dig into their breakfast. It isn't until their mother makes an appearance again that they begin to speak...
Uttara: Maa, who are those flowers for?
Uttara asks, intrigued, as she sees her mother holding an elegantly wrapped bouquet of beautiful red roses in her hands. Just by the appearance of it, one can tell that they are highly expensive. Shomi shrugs her shoulders and startles Swara by handing them over to her.
Shomi: I have no clue. There is no name. It is for Swara though.
Swara: For me?
Shomi nods her head in affirmative and Swara hesitantly takes it from her. She examines the beautiful flowers with a soft smile growing on her lips and finds a small card attached along with them. She reads it out loud...
Happy Birthday and many returns of the day. May you have everything that you wish for in life and always remain happy... With love, your well-wisher.
Shekar: Hand them over to me, beta. Let me see the card.
Swara does so and watches as her father's eyes scan the handwriting. She sees realization dawn upon his face accompanied with anger seconds later.
Swara: (curiously) Papa..?
Shekar looks away from the card and masks his emotions quickly, wearing a constrained look on his face.
Shekar: I have no idea who they are from, darling. Perhaps they are just from an old friend. You should just be thankful that a person was thoughtful enough to remember you on your birthday.
Swara nods her head, knowing that her father will not pursue a discussion about this any longer, but couldn't help noticing the strained tone he had used. Why is it that her father will not tell her who the person is when he very well knows it? This question bothered her throughout the rest of breakfast until her sister hassle her into going out for the day in celebration of her birthday...
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Many hours later Swara returned with bags of shopping and feeling light and content with the outing with her sister. As her Mother chases her off to her room, warning her to get ready on time for the party, she walks across the top hall over to her bedroom... but stops in her steps near her father's study as she hears him speaking in a raised voice with someone on the phone.
Shekar: I thought that everything was clear to you. I thought you understood the circumstances. Then why is it that you continuously try to reach her? ... I don't give a damn about what she is to you----I am her father! We had an agreement, you cannot go against it. Do you not care for her at all?... Then listen to me, you need to keep away. It is the best for her and you know this... It is nerving enough that she has to see you, but I will not tolerate you trying to get close with her again... It will hurt her, and I know that you especially do not wish for that to happen... You need to maintain your distance from her... you know how she reacts whenever she tries to remember anything. Those flowers you sent had her thinking throughout the whole morning. She tried remembering whether she had an old friend she knew of or not, which isn't good for her health as we all know. ... Please... (his voice lowering) I beg of you... Do not repeat this again. It will only bring her distress, nothing else...
Swara tried listening for a name... any name, but her father wouldn't mention one. She is disappointed as he ends the call. Walking quickly to her room to avoid being caught, Swara closes her door and sits down onto her bed, her head fluttering with roaming thoughts...
Who could it have been that her father was speaking to? Who was it that sent her the flowers? Why is it that, that person has to keep away from her? Why is it so bad for her to try and remember her past? For more than 8 months she has been living a life without an identity. She knows her name and her family, but she has no other linking other than that.
She had a very horrible accident in which she lost her memory. Swara does not remember the happenings of the accident, only what her family members had described to her. She was on her way to Delhi, which had been her home at the time, from the airport after visiting a friend from Mumbai, when her car had been smashed against another, completely totaled. It was declared a miracle that she even survived. The drunk driver that hit the cab she drove in died on the spot. Her driver slipped into a coma whereas she lost her whole memory. It took her many weeks to adjust in with her family and learn to accept them at her new home in Australia. The initial few weeks had been awkward and terrifying to her as she had to settle into an environment filled with strangers unknown to her. Whenever she attempted to remember anything of her past, she was always rewarded with a terrible migraine as an aftermath. So she slowly stopped trying...
But perhaps she should make more of an effort to build a connection with her unknown past, discover who she really is...
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Her birthday party went smoothly as she was given the company of a few people she recognized due to meeting them a few times before but mostly she remained by her sister side since she knew no one else. She retired to her bedroom rather early, not wishing to stay any longer with a crowd of strangers. Besides, she would be getting up early tomorrow since she will be catching a flight to Mumbai in the morning to visit her mother's best friend, Annapurna Maheshwari.
********************************************Thank You.. and please ignore mistakes..
Shreetha..
Index:
Chapter 1 - Page 1
Chapter 2 - Page 3
Chapter 3 - Page 6
Chapter 4 - Page 9
Chapter 5 - Page 11
Chapter 6 - Page 13
Chapter 7 - Page 15
Chapter 8 - Page 21
Chapter 9 - Page 28
Chapter 10 - Page 35
Last Chapter - Page 40
Epilogue - Page 45
Arjun
Web Series
