47| A Night of Truth
Her hands frame my face, and she tilts my head so I'm looking straight into her eyes. But this time, what stares back at me isn't mischief or teasing.
Her hands frame my face, and she tilts my head so I'm looking straight into her eyes. But this time, what stares back at me isn't mischief or teasing.
"Priye," I call out to Samhita as she strides ahead of me, face set in an angry scowl, muttering something I can barely catch.
Samhita sets the hair spray down. She smooths the lapel of Vikram's blazer, eyes tracing the fabric with a kind of nervous affection.
"In all my twenty-five years, I've never found myself this distracted or thoroughly irritated during my morning ritual," Veer groans, pushing himself up to stretch, neck cracks audibly and muscles tense from the strain.
"Rayan, for heaven's sake, it's barely eight in the morning. Can't you take your energy somewhere else? Go pester your girlfriend instead.
"What did you just say?" Vikramaditya rises from his chair slowly, eyes dark, almost black.
"Here," Liza extends a cup of coffee towards Rayan.
The air is crisp, carrying that bite of freshness, like the world has scrubbed itself clean overnight.
"Maa," I call out, but the silence swallows my voice whole.
I knock on the wall to let Samhita know I'm about to enter.
(This scene takes place before Vikramaditya's time travel to the 25th century. It's a recollection from the past)
I drop my bag onto the cushion and sink into it, resting my head against the plush surface. The day at university was a chaotic mess.
I slam the books and piles of papers onto the table, letting out a groan of frustration. Nothing is making sense.
The air in the room is thick with a mix of scents from the piles of stuff everywhere. Ornate golden plates are crammed into every corner.
Books have always been a refuge for me, a source of endless fascination regardless of the genre—be it science, technology, the business world, or the latest fashion trends.
Humanity has come a long way. As far as our eyes can see, we witness wonders beyond the wildest dreams of primitive humans.
"Samhita, what's all this?" Dad slams the envelope on the table, looking furious.
I'm feeling totally drained, hopeless, dejected, vulnerable and just downright crappy right now like a poisoned river.
"Rayan, did you get the doctor?" Liza rushes over to him.
The rhythmic clatter of horse hooves blends with the distant rumble of the waterfall.