Episode 03 - A beautiful dream

**** 5 Years Later *** 

18 May 2023

London

It seemed like a beautiful dream. The sun was setting down. The sky was pinkish orange colour. A cool breeze blew momentarily while the birds chirped goodbye songs to their friends as they flew back home. Her eyes twinkled and her skin glowed like the sun as she smiled at him. He was lost in the moment. He had found peace in her company. He didn't want this moment to pass. He wanted to hold it forever. He walked closer towards him and he felt sparks flying between them. He closed his eyes briefly and at last realized it was indeed a beautiful dream that had ended. 

He stretched his arms to brush off the sleep. He tried to open his eyes to stare at his large bedroom. It was dark. The automatic curtain opener app was timed to open the curtains at 7am and there were still a few minutes for the clock to strike 7. He started towards the right side of his bed where his white girlfriend, Tina Shields was sleeping soundly. Suddenly he came back to reality. He felt guilty for thinking about someone else whose name he didn't know. It had been five years and he couldn't forget that mysterious girl with grey eyes. In those five years, he had been in many relationships until he met Tina Shields last year at a rave party. They were attracted to each other instantly. A one-night stand turned into a serious relationship.

He got up from his bed and dragged himself towards the bathroom. He freshened himself and got ready for his morning jog. He wore his usual black Nike track pant and sweatshirt. The lift ride from his penthouse on the 20th floor to the lobby area was what he needed- quick and no one to share the lift with. As soon as he got outside, he jogged towards Hyde Park which was half an hour away from his apartment. There were not many people except a few office-goers who had started their morning early. Shiv didn't start his work before 9 am. He had daily routine tasks which he completed before he began his day and morning exercise was something he never skipped. 

In the midst of his run, he saw her again. She wore plain pastel colour short sleeve salwar with a white palazzo. She was examining her injured elbow. He wondered if it was a dream. So he got closer. It was really her. He couldn't believe his eyes. His heart was beating faster. "Hi there!", he greeted her softly. She looked up at him. For a few seconds, she was quiet. She was surprised as much as he was. Her eyes grew wider and it seemed like she had seen a ghost. "Hi!", she replied back. Her voice was soft and in pain. "May I", he asked, surprised by his gesture. If it was someone else, he wouldn't have stopped to see if they needed help. He touched the cut on her elbow while she winced in pain. 

"It's not that bad. Do you stay nearby? We can get your cut treated. I just need a first aid kit to treat your wound.", he said with a thick British accent.

"No. I have a car but I don't have any first aid kit.", she said.

He smiled. "It's fine. I can get your wound treated at my place."

"Thanks, but I can manage. My place is nearby.", she said and she got ready to leave. But her leg ached and she limped as she walked. "Wait! Let me help you." He lifted and carried her. She froze for a few minutes. She didn't expect to be lifted by a strange man whose big green eyes make her forget everything. 

She directed him towards the car while he carried her as if she was weightless. He put her down when they reached the parking lot where her Toyota sedan was parked. She took out the keys from her cloth bag and handed him, He helped her inside the car while he started the engine and drove towards her house as per the direction given by her. 

She lived in a small neighbourhood in Canada waters. Her house was two storey cottage house which was sufficient for her mother, brother, aunt, granny and herself. He had frequented this place as his friend Julius Cho's family stays there but never visited this part of the neighbourhood. Her mother was talking to an old Punjabi woman with silver hair on the patio whom she recognized instantly. She quickly opened the door to get outside but he stopped her. He got out of the car and helped her out of the car. As he tried to lift her, she hesitated, "It's fine. I can walk." He didn't listen instead carried her towards home. He stopped midway when he realized who the old woman was. She was his granny. "Hi Daadi!", he greeted her with one of his warmest smiles. "Nitya, are you hurt?", Nitya's mom asked as she watched her daughter being carried by a stranger. She followed Shiv who carried Nitya inside the house and put her down slowly on the couch where she rested her leg. "Thanks!", she said to him. 

Nitya's mother Roopa examined her wounds while Shiv's granny advised her to rest well. "I have told you several times to be careful. You never listen", Roopa complained. She went inside the kitchen and bought some antiseptic and painkiller ointments. As she was about to apply them, he asked if he could. She declined with a smile, saying he had done a lot for them. His granny stayed for some time and then asked him to drop her to their ancestral house. He obliged to drop her though he didn't want to visit the house which was once his home. As he left, he stared at Nitya one last time. He never expected he would find her here after 5 years. Now he knew her name and the place she stayed. But he already had Tina in his life. He wished he had met her before Tina arrived. He left heartbroken while a tiny ray of hope for a new beginning was shining within her heart.