'Do you know the seven wonders in the world? ' Smitha teacher was asking the kids in her class.
Amaya, who was doodling on the last page of her social science book, raised her head to listen to her teacher and classmates.
Some of her classmates were raising hands and answering the question
' Great Wall of China...'
' Christ the redeemer..'
Amaya usually stayed silent in class, she was that one student who was too silent and too shy in the class. But this time, she joined the rest of the class and shouted her answer, Taj mahal.
She knew this because of a documentary she watched recently , because it was in India.
Smitha teacher smiled at her student, partly because probably this was the first time she caught Amaya talking in her class or partly that Amaya smiled while answering it. While the teacher continued with her class, Amaya silently relived in that thought. Taj mahal, something that magnificent, such a monument which could consider as one of the wonder I this whole world, is in India, in her country !!. She was proud. The naive Indian in her took it rather seriously.
Like everything else in her life, she forget to realise that, despite being included in the seventh wonder of the world, situated in India, Amaya probably won't get a chance to see it. She realised it later. She is still fascinated by it, but in a detached way.
She felt the same with Advaith too...she was close to his words in the book, too close if she thought again...but that is far from reality. She admired his writing, he made her curious and maybe she had a little crush on him but when he suddenly appeared in front of her, it broke the illusion she used to wrap around it. It was like the ice just melted and she was going to drench in water when she only want to stay dry.
These thoughts were racing through her mind as she paced in her studio apartment.
' It's not real right? ' She asked herself, then stopped for a moment.
'No...I am sure it is true but why am I freaking out?'
She was curious to know about his whereabouts half an hour ago, now he was here. As a true fan she should be happy about it, which she was albeit feeling anxious about the situation itself.
What she did wasn't professional. Amaya rarely messed up in her job even though she was miserable with her life, her job was the only thing which was steady and stable. Now that's affected too.
She sat down on the tiny couch and sighed in exasperation.
' What have I done now ' she put her head in her hands and almost pulled her hair out thinking about the dramatic exit she made.
She didn't even give the menu and brochure he had requested for.
What a first impression she had made. Advaith won't even think about choosing her for personal assistance.
Amaya could forget about the extra money and tip altogether. If he complained about the ignorant staff, she would be in a tight position with the management, which she hoped he wouldn't do.
Amaya took a few deep breaths and her damage control mode started working.
She made a call to the reception and asked them to send the new guest the menu and brochure he asked for along with the premium gifts( which he deserved of course)
She hoped it won't be too late to make the amends now and she needs to apologise, in person, before it becomes too late..but she refused to go then.
She really needed a shower, some food in her empty stomach and sleep.
She took a quick shower and put on her sweat pants and sweater. She had worn it for so many times, it felt like a soft warm hug to her tired body.
Her stomach growled reminding her that all she had eaten today was the dosai from the hotel and a bottle of mineral water.
She usually had her meals at staff break room, even though she had a small kitchen at her room. Her cooking abilities were limited to making Maggie and coffee. She liked baking though , that too, occasionally. Amaya didn't want to go back there for dinner, she didn't want to risk another encounter with Advaith right now.
'Maggie it is then' she pottered around her kitchen and whipped some noodles and pour some ketchup over it. It didn't took her more than three minutes to gallop everything down which probably cause an indigestion tomorrow, which was a regular occurrence in her life. Amaya cleaned the kitchen counter and washed the bowl. She was all set to read some time. If it was before this evening, she would have been reading Hiraeth for the nth time, but today was different. She couldn't bring herself to read it now. She cleaned up Charlie's little cage like she always did. Amaya had left her pet guinea-pig with the cooking crew for the day. She was so caught up in everything she forgot to bring him back. Amaya was too tired to get mad at herself. Her frustration came out as a small sigh, which was loaded with all the emotions she had been feeling lately.
She lied down on her small bed and looked at the wall calender. 796 days without Ashi. She had written the number of days along with the actual date so that she could always remember the void Ashi left in her life.
Maybe this is how she was supposed to live . Restless, unhappy, fighting through every day and it was hard.
A tears escaped through her eyes which she wiped down with the back of her hand...
She did not deserve even to cry, so she lied there, counting the seconds ,minutes, hours, days she lived without Ashi in it.
**************
'You can do it
You have to do it '
Amaya told herself with every step she took towards the private suite.
Amaya woke up late as she had slept pretty late. She had to get ready real quick to be on time for her shift. Morning shift starts at 7 and Amaya never made the night shift guy to wait. She knew how annoying it's to wait for someone to handover your duty when you are sleepy and probably hungry.
She was a bit reserved , sure, but never inconsiderate. She waited till the breakfast rush subsided so that she could personally go and apologise for her stupid behaviour last night.
She kept her eye on the entrance door throughout the morning, hoping Advaith won't show up there before she gets a chance to make amends.
Much to her relief, he didn't come.
He hasn't asked for bed on breakfast service either . So it's safe to assume that he might skip it altogether or would go out to eat.
Amaya was worried about going back there so much that she lost her appetite altogether and the hot coffee, she opted instead of breakfast burned her tongue.
Amaya passed the infinity pool, which was empty now. Most of the families were still hanging out inside the dining area and some were still at their room.
Amaya needs to get back soon, she can't leave the reception unattended for too long because many of the guests will check out by eleven. She fastened her pace even though she was becoming a ball of nerves by each step she took.
She stood in front of the door and took deep deep breaths to calm herself. Then send a silent prayer to the heaven so that she won't mess up again while ringing the door bell.
One, two, three.. she started counting in her head to pass the time.
She was hitting 70 when he opened the door.
His fluffy messy hair was covering his entire forehead. He was wearing that black hoody from yesterday. He stretched up a little, like he just woke up now or rather she had woken him up.
'Oh?' Amaya made a sheepish noise. Maybe she should have waited some more time.
What are the odds to mess up again? For Amaya, the answer seems too many.
Advaith looked at her. She couldn't read his expression but she could feel the hesitation as his hand move to the door handle as a reflex action to shut the door if needed.
Totally understandable.
' Hello, Good morning sir. I am Amaya Nandan. '
She cluthed her ID card, trying to ensure him that she's from the staff.
He nodded in response but made no comments. Probably he was waiting for her to explain what this is all about and this is her chance to come clean. Amaya jumped in to use the opportunity.
'I am sorry for yesterday. I mean I came here yesterday evening?' (And ran away after uttering some nonsense??)
She didn't say further and hoped he would connect the dots.
' Ah....that was you? '
He took his hand from the door knob and crossed his arms over his chest.
She could feel his eyes scrutinising her, she looked down.
Suddenly the tiles on the floor were really attractive.
Perfect silence.
'Okay...so he is not going to ask further and she has to continue the conversation '
'I have read your books but I never expected to see you here. I was a little surprised( shocked was the right word?). I am sorry for the scare I must have caused.
I hope you won't fill in a complaint to the management. '
Her voice wobbled in the end.
It's not new that their guests made a fuss about small mistakes that came from the staff. They were working in a competitive field, one bad review could cause a lot of damage to the management and to the staff.
More silence followed. She raised her head to see if there's any reaction from him.
He was still studying her then nodded.
'It's okay Amaya. I wasn't planning to complain about it, not after getting the premium gifts and dinner delivered to my room. They told me that someone from the staff suggested to send them to me. '
That was a little cheeky but sounded genuine.
His voice was low, slightly breathy that Amaya actually liked it.
Okay so he is not going to complain about it and her apology didn't even needed. Not really. That easy? Amaya never got things done so easily so she was reluctant to take it.
' That's it? You are not mad right? ' She wanted more clarity.
If he said she had been forgiven easily and later changed his mind , what will she do then.
Advaith took a visible deep breath now that he needs to give an explanation.
' Amaya, I was quite surprised yesterday and I considered calling the security too. But it was nothing like getting you fired for that. I must have shocked you that much, I take it you don't take your job lightly considering you send all those goods n dinner to my room and you came here in person to apologise. Well, I think that's more than enough.'
Amaya was in awe for a moment there. It took her nervous heart a few minutes to really understand that it's really alright, she is not going to lose her job over this.
' Thank you for understanding ' she said finally.
Advaith gave her a reassuring smile which was big enough to show his lone dimple.
If amaya was in any other situation, she might have fan girled a bit but all she felt was a relief, she nibbled her lip unsure of what to say next.
She had got out of the mess way more easily than she hoped. Should she ask if he need any personal assistance or is that fetching the good will too far.
Contemplating was too hard for her. It was like her brain stopped working and playing dumb at the moment.
"Do you need anything else? I mean anything that I can do for you? '
Amaya was sweating through her shirt even though the weather still held the pieces of morning mist and cold.
He frowned. She bit the inside of her cheek.
Maybe she was going too far.
What are you doing Amaya? Why are you acting up now ?
'I am sorry again, I still feel bad for what I did yesterday. Therefore it will be great if I could do something for you.'
Amaya wasn't trying to get the assistant job right now, not really. She felt uneasy when things were going normal, easy like now. It might accumulate and blow up on her face later.
' You feel burdened...right?'
There was an understanding in his tone, like he really felt sorry for her.
Amaya didn't want him to look at her like that , where he could literally see her thoughts.
' I am here for a few days Amaya. I don't think I will be going out a lot...'
'But? 'Amaya knew there's a but in the end of that sentence , maybe it's part of her Job to ready with words all the time.
Advaith smiled..
'But if you are feeling that bad, can you come here and check on me at time to time like you did now?'
What kind of request is that?
This time it was her time to frown she quickly recovered though.
' Yes Sir, I could certainly do that.' She nodded.
Amaya kept thinking about the weird request though. Maybe because it was her first time getting such a request to check on someone like that. So she made some speculations.
Maybe he was just exhausted and sleeping for the day ?or maybe he just wanted to make her feel better by giving something to do? or maybe he has hypersomnia who knows?? but she was curious anyway. That's why she went back to his suit right after her shift, which was late because Mithila called in sick and she had to fill in, carrying Charlie in her shoulder bag. She planned to go for a little walk after checking on Advaith. Charlie on the other hand was excited to be outdoors, he kept jumping inside the bag.
She had to press the door bell thrice to get a response.
Advaith opened the door looking still half asleep. He was wearing a black t-shirt and sweat pants.
' Good evening. I hope you are well?. '
She couldn't hide the little worry in her voice. It's neither her job nor her place ask him more about what is going on with him.
She wanted to ask numerous questions like where he was all this time? Why didn't he write the rest of his books? What he was doing here? And most importantly why he needed someone to check on him ? Is he sick? Is he OK?
But obviously she didn't ask any of them instead she summarised everything in a single question.
' Well...I hope so!' came his somewhat vague response. Amaya suppressed a sigh in exasperation.
' Mind your job Amaya, do not cross the line' she reminded herself.
' Do you have any preferences for dinner? Should I ask them to deliver the regular set to your room? '
A pause...long enough for Amaya count the wall tiles in a row..it's twelve.
' Hm....that will be good. Thank you '
' No problem '
Silence descended. It was slightly awkward because Amaya didn't know weather she wanted to stay or leave yet.
Before it stretched too far, Charlie poked his little head outside.
' Oh? What we have got here?' He pointed towards her bag , he sounded a bit surprised though.
' That's my pet Charlie '
Ewww.....Nice Amaya, not weird at all after her yesterday's fiasco. She had named him after the sidekick in Advaith's best seller series.
She could see him joining the dots and cracked a small smile.
' Charlie is a really good name isn't it?.
There he goes again with that little cheeky remark. Amaya ducked her head pretending she didn't hear it at all.
Can I touch him? '
'Oh yes...he is friendly ' Amaya hoped he won't notice her face which was turning red by the second and showed Charlie.
Advaith leaned a little ,his long fingers touched Charlie's little head gently, like he was worried he might hurt him.
Charlie looked excited enough to boop his nose again any his fingers making Advaith giggle.
' We are going for a walk . I get little time to take him outside nowadays, so I was hoping to spend some time with him...'
She felt guilty about it. She worked almost every day and the exam preparation had taken a lot of time too.
She felt sorry for keeping him inside all the time and hoped their little outing would cheer him up. Charlie was her one and only companion, consistent for years now. Her fur baby who solely dependent on her.
'Do you want to come with us. We are going to watch the sunset too. '
Amaya bit her tongue. There wasn't any need to explain or invite him for a stroll. It's not part of her job. Amaya has been cautious about the way she handled her duties. She was not the one to mix personal life with her job.
Advaith took a moment to respond. He was contemplating weather to accept or not the invitation.
' It was just a suggestion. I am sure you have some productive things to do. Have a good evening. '
Amaya was quick on her heals. She did not want to make it awkward. He didn't seem to open for her stupid evening walks.
' Hey ... wait for me. Let me grab my jacket' He called after her as he padded back to his room.
He was back in a second wearing a grey jacket over his black t shirt. Amaya stood their taking him in. This was the first time, she saw him like this, that means without freaking out or apologising profusely.
He looked a bit older and mature than in his photos that she had seen before. He is tall and lean and like yesterday, his forehead is covered with his fluffy long hair which made it difficult to see his eyes for her .
' Shall we go?'
Amaya had to collect herself from visibly gawking and walked a step ahead pretending she was just leading him.
' It is just the end of this property. Guests usually don't go there often. There's another sunset viewpoint near the pool here. '
she tried to talk more in a formal tone, explaining the itinerary. The air was getting chilly and Amaya regretted not taking her jacket from her apartment.
As they walked in silence, she hugged herself to feel warm, also it prevented her from twisting her fingers nervously.
They walked in silence. She was too self conscious to make another attempt for a conversation. After a few minutes they walked upto a small uphill. At the top of it there was a small wooden bench where people could sit. Rest of the area was flourished with wild flowers and tall grass.
' We are here' she announced as it wasn't already obvious.
Amaya took out Charlie from the carrier bag and put him on the ground. It was a free space and Amaya let out Charlie there for some time so that he could enjoy the outdoors.
' Charlie be a good boy okay? Don't go far away from here okay?' She ran her fingers through his brownish white fur. He looked at her for a moment as if assuring her he won't wander away.
Amaya settled herself down on the old wooden bench as she kept an eye on Charlie.
They sky was turning into a beautiful shade of purple and orange. If she was someone who could paint, she would have drawn it in a million times. If she was like Advaith, talented to write like him she would have painted the view with words .
Alas, Amaya loved writing but she wasn't confident enough to tell or show anyone what she wrote. It was just scribbles here and there or some short stories which were unfinished.
Ashi and Vihan were her only readers when she used to write. Whatever she scribbled they loved it and asked to write more. Well, there's no one to cheer for her and no-one is there to read either. A deep sigh escaped her lips trying to find the solace in the view before her.
Advaith was watching the beautiful sky too. How long it must have been that he watched a sky this beautiful.
Years ? Maybe!
He could see the girl directly because he chose to stand a few steps behind her.
She is sitting still like she is letting herself immerse in the serenity around her. She is in her own world and he didn't want to break her bubble by talking because she was kind enough to invite him.
He doesn't know much about her , except her name and how shocked she was yesterday. It's not like that he hadn't met his fans in the past but none of them ran away like Amaya.
What made her to do so? He wondered.
He didn't want to ask about it considering she was pretty nervous around him and trying not to probe him with questions. She wanted to ask though, very badly. He had seen it in her eyes, inquisitive and curious but she kept it at that .
There was something endearing about her trying to act all cool and he liked it.
Maybe his days here would be not that boring and maybe he would be able to finish the manuscript finally.
He cannot drag it anymore. Publishers were adamant to get keep the deadline this time. He can't complain though...they had given him enough time, more than two years.
He needs to get it done that's it.
' Are you going to plan a murder scene here?'
Amaya has swiveled towards him from the bench to ask that out of the blue.
He was so deep in his thoughts, that question didn't even made any sense at first.
' Uh? What? ' Advaith looked at her.
' If you are going to write about a murder which will happen here...please don't do that. I love this place'
She looked hurt already.
their is a little pout on her lips which was adorable.
Not a fan of blood bath series. There's no such plans. Promise' He said.
She smiled.
' Thank you, for bringing me here. The sky is soo pretty '
'That's it? Sooo pretty? Don't you writers use some fancy words to explain such things?'
Amaya blurted out and her eyes widened a bit making him chuckle.
'I am so sorry...it came out that way. I wasn't planning to say that out loud'
She looked embarrassed by her own remark.
' It's okay I don't mind and some things are good to express in a simple way. We don't have to use fancy words because we both are watching it together and words can't express it that well.'
He smiled at her like they suddenly have some sort of friendship and close to each other. Amaya smiled and looked away.
She felt strange. She wasn't dreaming , it was real that she was talking to her favourite author who is almost like a secret crush but they were talking more like friends? How is that possible ! She must be in some alternate universe where Amaya is not struggling to live every day ?where she made friends easily? where she has her family around her ? where she has someone to tell that it's okay everything will be alright and hang in there like Vihaan? Where her sister was still alive ? Where Amaya wasn't guilty about it But? Where Mili has her mom to take care of her??
This Amaya is not supposed to have a good life, friends or family.
Her eyes welled up and she blinked rapidly. She could feel another breakdown is on its way. She could feel it. Her breath hitched and Amaya struggled to breath .
' You talk a lot you know?' Advaith sat beside her.
Amaya who wasn't paying attention to him, suddenly became aware of his presence near her. It was a distraction, sort of.
' Do....I ? Really?' Her words came out like broken glasses.
Amaya asked this in confusion. She wasn't sure she had said something out again.
Advaith shook his head slightly. He was watching the sky where sun was setting leaving an orange glow all the way .
' You talk a lot but in your head only . There's this dots dots in our conversation which is empty. I don't know what you are thinking , but it is not good for you. Are you alright?'
She was taken aback by the words. Nobody had seen her in such a state or asked her about it. This situation is not normal but somewhat comforting?
Amaya didn't talk, she just concentrated on her breathing.
Amaya realised that he was just trying to help by talking to her and it was comforting and terrifying at the same time. She can't receive help from someone ? Or she ?
She counted her breathing until it became steady and she felt better.
' Thank you. We should go '
He nodded. She was grateful that he didn't ask what is wrong with her.
She was glad that she asked him to come along with her.
Guess even Amaya could get lucky at times. She hoped there will be more of those days in her life, if it is not being greedy.
Hi there,
Second chapter is here.
Thank you for reading 📚 ❤
