Shimmers & Shrouds (Abstruse) (5 page)

It didn't look like he was raised in the family where there were approximately hundred servants to take care of every little chore of the house that was likely to come up.
He washed his dishes, made my bed, cleaned the forever-present-webs from the places my hands could never reach and helped me with my assignments, I had forgotten to make the front pages of them and he was a great help, really great one. All these things were very new to me. Whenever I read the newspapers, the news were either about him dating some supermodel or creating a controversy. However this side of him was never explored, the more I got to know about him, the more I was falling, never to get over him again.
And at last when the clock struck nine pm, I knew he had to go. It reminded that he did not belong anywhere near me. He was Orpheus Albert, a guy so rich, he could set a rocket to land on mars. A billion girls were out there who actually go gaga over him, wishing if they could have a handshake with him, touch him, feel his gaze and witness the god like smile he had; all what I had cherished in the last few hours. A part of me wanted him to stay but I knew this was wrong, entirely wrong, the very thought was wrong. It was not the right time to ask what my heart was wrestling with my mind for all this while.
"You're... leaving huh." A strange pain evoked in my chest, hard to ignore. I knew it was difficult to keep myself from crying when I wanted to cry so badly.
He was looking right into me. His gaze made it difficult to think, to say anything further, like they were urging me to speak up stuffs I would never say knowingly.
"Yes." He looked away. I understood that it was the only reply I was going to get.
"If you― wanna come back to watch the horror stuff, I'm just thirty miles away." I smiled, trying to keep it where it should stay. It was funny how thirty miles sounded like thirty meters.
"Like you promised." He smiled; it wasn’t very visible though. "Don't worry. I might come back. I might need you and your little home to comfort me again." He added.
I grimaced.
"It's time, I must leave now."

Words are
mere words. They are just said. It takes effort to follow what one has said, and it looked like Orpheus wasn't paying attention at all. I had to do something about it.
"Bye." I closed the door on his face. I knew he was standing outside, or maybe I was imagining all of it. I squeezed my eyes shut. The tears that I had tried to hold back all this while were now running down my cheeks. I was hoping to die because I was absolutely clueless about what was wrong with me. I was crying because I wasn’t going to see his face for god knows how many days and this thought was absolutely crazy.
 I went to bed quiet early that night but I couldn't sleep. I twisted on my side and closed my eyes, hoping if that could bring me a little sleep. When I was sure it wasn’t going to help me, I lay straight on my back brooding at the ceiling, trying to figure out every possibility that made me think something as stupid as this. He was just a guest, and he had to go. That was inevitable. But why was I thinking it would have been alright if he were by my side lying right next to me just like he did last night? Why didn't I have dinner tonight? Why was he crowding up my mind right now when I should be thinking about my projects, my parents, and my ambition? I had to prove my worth to the chairman of ‘Zinerva Hotels and resorts.’ The leading group that runs hotel chains in several countries of the world.

M
aybe I should stop thinking this because it can't be possible. I was just an ordinary foreigner and he was a billionaire, because I needed to think ten times before I spent a pound as it could ruin my budget plan for the entire month and he had everything in his reach, right from Ferrari to his three private jets. There was nothing common between us. (Age and height were really in the list.) Apart from that, he had a long string of possessive girlfriends while I had never gone for a real date with a guy in my life no matter how long we were in a relationship.

I had read an article about him which said that the wr
iter can safely assure that he was not a pure person physically, as in, he was not a virgin. I don't think I've ever let a guy touch me in that sense. So there was exactly nothing that could make me stay for a guy who was an absolute opposite of me.
I finally exhaled and closed my eyes. This pondering over the negatives helped. It was better not to argue on the part that would not be considered a reality. My heart felt lighter for the first time since he left. In a lesser time than I’d expected, the night closed on me.

Orpheus

When I woke up
, I was still feeling sad about last night. I sighed and turned over to my side. Mrs. Norrington had pulled over the heavy curtains already and it was way too sunny to go back to sleep.
"Good morning Mr. Albert." A husky voice thundered through the silent room, echoing like it always did.
I sat upright, completely unwilling to gather my strength, because I was not in any case intending to get up so early.
"Good morning Mr. Sunross. Your voice kills my sleep." I grinned at him. My voice didn’t betray me. It sounded like I hadn’t slept a wink.
"You seem to be in a good mood, sir." His elderly face lightened to see me smiling after a long time. I was surprised too. I usually avoided visiting the mansion because of some unpleasant memories that I had here, and the last time that I’d smiled this wide was at the news of my military training.
I abruptly smiled at his boldness. This bald old man who was perfectly dressed in his usual uniform was my only comforter.
"I wonder how you get up so early Mr. Sunross."
"It’s a habit sir. And old habits are hard to quit." He handed it over to me.
"I wonder." I muttered under my breath as I finished my tea.
"Would you like to have your breakfast, sir, or are you going to skip it again?" He took the cup from me and placed it on the tray.
"I will have it. It’s an important start of the day." I smiled. My words sounded stupid. "Also Mr. Sunross it would be very nice of you to have my reventon ready. I think I need to go out for a ride or something." I blinked my eye like a little child. He smiled and nodded at once.
"And Mr Sunros
s
―
" I called him again. He was almost out of the room. He turned to look at me.  “ MEDIA, "I emphasized, “is the last thing I am expectin
g
.
L
et this be strictly confidential." I warned.
I jumped up from my bed and rummaged with the clothes of my wardrobe to find a perfect outfit that would make me look more like a college going guy or maybe a guy who looked like he had failed to clear the last semester nearly a hundred times. I tried not to dwell on that. I ended up selecting a Rebok T-shirt and rag blue jeans along with a jacket. That would make me look normal, I convinced myself.
I checked the case of watches. I was sick and tired of not resisting my habit to wear these. For today, I definitely needed something casual. And luckily, I had a few watches to support my look. Anyway who was going to get out of the car.?

I quickly placed my dress and the accessories on the bed and ran to the washroom to get fresh.
Before I met Oceana, I had totally different concepts of being ‘typical’. During deployments I watched my friends getting up in the morning and exercising. The schedule included breakfast, duty etc etc and there was nothing like bathing in it. But after yesterday, I couldn’t help but take bath, not once but twenty times if she wanted me to. It was a surprise for even me to realize how influenced I was by her. We had met just once and the effect she had on me from that moment was something that I’d experienced for the first time in my life. Or was I actually being tamed by a nineteen year old college going girl who had big caramel coloured eyes, big black curls, perfectly carved out pink lips and a voice melodious than a cuckoo? Wait! What am I thinking?
I tried to focus my mind on thinking and deciding what I might want to do after I would be done with stalking her all the back to her home. With the list of those stuffs ready in my mind, I dressed up as quickly as I could and looked myself in the mirror. Not bad, I was looking like someone who had dropped out of the college and joined in after many years. I sighed and hurried down the flight of stairs to make my way to the dining hall, stumbling over my shoes, twice.

I managed to land safely on my chair. Gran was already there, so it was nothing like wasting a single second further. As soon as we f
inished with the prayer, I swallowed the lasagne in two bites, taking two immediate sips of my orange juice like I was hungry since ages.  Every body stared at me when I was done with my breakfast because the rest of them hadn’t even started. It certainly looked like they were taken aback by my haste.
"Any reason why you are acting like a barbaric dacoit today, son?" Grandma asked me, her voice strained.

I shifted my eyes on her. She ha
d placed the cutleries back in their place and intertwined her fingers her expressions were grave.
"Um
m
―
" I got up very slowly, looking sideways and bent low to have an appropriate eye contact.
"Later gran...” I kissed her on the forehead and left the place without caring to bid a proper farewell to my father and my step mother.
Thank god I had Reventon today. I reached her college in not more than twenty minutes despite the rough traffic. I was grateful that my car was not the only expensive car standing in the parking lot. There was another Lamborghini, hot red in colour, parked right next to mine, and a Bugati, parked two cars down. I ducked low in my seat, trying to be invisible. My eyes were searching her eagerly. I was hoping just a glimpse of her but it wasn’t that easy to spot her among so many students of her age.

I was on the verge of losing hope when a beautiful radiant face at the side of the corridor surrounded by probably twelve or thirteen people caught my eye. I
t was her. Smiling and greeting the students who had crowded around her. It was so easy for anyone to fall in love with her. She was just like them. Happy, easy to read, less complicated, but yet so different from any other girl I had ever met. Everything except her had blurred out and I could only see her. So beautiful yet so guarded, so shy yet so frank.
My phone was the only thing that wasn’t kept away in an appropriate state so I could admire her without getting distracted. It’s more-than-loud ringtone panicked me all of a sudden. I quickly picked it up to see who the caller was, and the name that flashed on the screen was the last person I was expecting to cal
l
―
t
he very last person on this earth indeed. My panic was so genuine that I had to compose myself before she could understand the edge of excitement. I didn’t want my plan to ruin just because I couldn’t keep cool. I finally picked up the phone.
"Hey." I tried to keep my voice casual.
"Hi? It’s been four days you haven’t called nor did you text. Is everything fine with you over there?" She sounded concerned.
"I was a bit... Occupied. And it’s been just four days Diane." I sighed.
"Four long days Orpheus. I was worried for you, honey." She melted like wax.
"I am all okay sweet heart." I hated the sound of this word though it was my favorite until yesterday. Now my new favorite word was Oceana.
"Nice to know." She breathed "Orpheus." She lowered her voice trying to seduce me perhaps. "I was wondering if you could catch me up for dinner, and then it’s going to be just you and me all night."
My words were stuck in my throat. I couldn’t speak. I noticed I was breathing evenly. Her trick hadn’t work on me this time. I knew it wasn’t tough to say I wasn’t interested in a night out with her. I just needed some courage to confess and ask if there was even one single moment when she could resist me, because I was definitely finding her concern unnecessary.
"I am sorry Diane. But I think I'd better stay back and give myself some time. You know how hard it is to avoid the media in restaurants." I lied. I was not a kind to be able to lie so easily, but this was very convincing. I was pleased with myself.
"Okay then, may be some other time." I could hear the disappointment in her voice.
“Bye Diane." I hung up.
I was doing it again. I was playing with her emotions just like I played with everyone else's. Just like I would play with Oceana's feelings if we were going to be friends, or more. It was all because I was way too unclear about what I really wanted the most. I couldn’t help but put away the thought of hurting her. I wouldn’t be able to live myself for even a single micro second if I ever did that.

I
looked up to see if she was still standing there. The entire campus was deserted with just one person who was looking straight into my direction. My mind was dazed all of a sudde
n
―
like a thousand arrows had struck me at once. Like a billion bullets had pierced through me. My dazzled mind tried to focus hard on the face. Even from a distance of a hundred and fifty yards or something, her face was as radiant as the first time I'd seen her. My eyes scanned her drop dead gorgeous body that stunned me as the first time it did. I could feel nothing, hear nothing. Her presence had made it impossible to think or concentrate. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins. My chest was beating extraordinarily loud. If seeing her gave me such goose bumps, I wondered how amazing it would be to touch her, again. Maybe it was better to admit the reality this way. The fact that was going to remain unbeatably strong was that she could be with anyone else, every handsome guy that really existed, like someone from her college, her class or something. Someone she was able to and could trust easily enough. I exhaled. The thought of losing her itself was too scary. I couldn’t even consider it. What was this strange sensation… grief? For what? I didn’t even make friends with her properly so there was simply no way I could be sitting here and thinking of the consequences of losing something I never really had.
When I looked up to the place where she stood, she was nowhere to be seen. I was so engrossed in her thoughts that I couldn't differentiate between my imagination and the actual reality. Maybe she wasn’t even there. Maybe I was figuring all of it. I was so confused. I couldn’t think of an excuse of why I was actually here. She wasn’t so attractive to make me take the risk of confronting the reporters if I got caught, that too when I didn’t want to. Why was I ready to take my chances? What would prompt such an act of love?