••°°••

The pitter- patter of the rain echoed in the hall as the small drops touched the earth with such softness that it tinkled his heart. His eyes sparkled as he smiled at his favourite sound which is created by none but nature. Nature is really a beautiful creation and a creater,both. A creation can be creater itself, despite the creations can be different. Just like he is, creator of the sculptures. And a creation of God;The almighty.

His lips curved up automatically and taking a sip of his hot coffee,he let the warm feeling envelope him.

He is a creater,and he knows how to appreciate another creater. As he sat viewing the tiny drops of joy which played with earth by touching it, bouncing on it and finally melting in it.

As he closed his eyes in euphoria,he saw some visuals,blur in the closed curves of his eyelids. Hazy, unclear, but a little decipherable.

He tried hard to look at the visuals clearly,but more he tried to concentrate,the more they started flashing in front of him. All different. So fast that it wasn't understandable.

Sighing and frowning at this strange thing which just happened with him,he opened his eyes,concern about the growing pounding in his head.

Rubbing his forehead,he stood up to do the thing which makes him calm,which is the only reason of his living. Of his life.

His hands curved up and down as his hands worked on taking out a perfect sharpness and shape. He didn't know what he was making. Today,he wanted to do something different. A little different. He wanted to see what his hands would make before thinking of a particular goal, beforehand.

Today he wanted to go with the flow.

So he let himself get lost in the way his hands worked, with his eyes covering with a black band, blocking his vision. He would get to know today,how articulate his hands are.

After not knowing how many hours were passed,he finally let the cloth slip from his eyes as he saw his artwork. He gaped and his eyes widened as he saw that his hands had drawn an idyll,a stunning woman.. who was looking like she would come out anytime from the clayey stuff.

So real and so etheral,it looked. That he couldn't help but admire the woman which his hands had crafted.

His eyes admiring every piece of his art. He was infatuated. Attracted at how her eyes were gleaming with joy and enthusiasm,how her hands were raised up and how her toes were curled with joy as she waited looking upward for something. Her curly tresses cupping her face and making her oval shaped face lustre.

He sat there whole night, looking at his creation at awe. How she can look so real yet so fictional?

His heart admired her,adored her. Everything forgotten,food,sleep. Every other thing than her.

"Sir?" Someone spoke from behind as door closed of Atelier behind him. He didn't listen to him. His sole focus was on her.

"Sir?

"Sir? You ok??" The manager had to shake him to bring him out of his reverie.

"Huh?"

"Sir you ok? I am calling you like since minutes. You fine? You haven't even eaten anything." The manager looked at the untouched food as he asked his boss worriedly.

"Am fine." He said but his eyes were glued to the art.

"Wow, it's such a beautiful sculpture.. sir.. you can get high prices for it" manager said as he too admired the statue.

"I won't put it on sale" Kartik punctured,his eyes still on her.

"Why?" And he was answered with a sharp look,which was enough to shut him up.

"Uh.. Sir .. actually we have to go to the auction. We should get going. It's at 10. We better leave now if we don't want to get late." The manager spoke as he saw the needle ticking to 8.

"Hmm..am coming after freshening up." Kartik said and dismissed him with a wave.

He looked at her,last time. Before moving to do the needed business.

But her image didn't leave his mind even for a second. What is it? That he couldn't even forget her for a second. What is it attracting him towards just a sculpture?

••••••

Kartik looked at the passing buildings with random thoughts invading his mind. Her picture didn't leave his mind though. Not to forget all the thoughts were about his sculpture which wasn't letting him live peacefully.

There was something strange to this sculpture,it was making a place close to his heart,he didn't know why,he had made more authentic sculptures than this one. But it felt too close,to intimate to him.

He had no idea why?

Suddenly,he felt his throat dry and an urge to provide a liquid to his parched throat became strong.

"Amay, let's have a coffee in the cafe. Also there is an hour left for the auction to start. And we are just 15 minutes away from the hall." Kartik said taking out the glasses from his eyes,as he looked at the cafe.

Something was making him stop there,maybe it was just an urge to drink coffee. There can be nothing more to it,can there? But he didn't feel like that.

His black sophisticated car stopped at a small cafe. He read the name of cafe- Akira.. and that particular strange feeling again hit his heart making him feel out of breath.

What's happening?

Sliding his hands in his pocket,he walked in the cafe with a bated breath. His hand clutched the doorknob. He sighed and opened it only to be engulfed in the sweet aroma of the cafe.

His eyes frantically roamed to each corner,and he felt disappointment creeping in his heart. He didn't know why? And later as Amay joined him,he entered in the cafe fully.

Sitting on the chair,he opened some of his upper buttons, relaxing as he sunk in the chair with tiredness finally leaving his body. Courtesy- sitting in the car for an hour and more.

"How may I help you?" A voice so familiar, so mellow,so sweet spoke, his eyes opened instantly and he turned sideway to look at a waitress,whose back was towards him taking someone's order.

He was stumped,there was something in her voice. Which was familiar.. ever so lovely that he felt his heart soaring in a feeling. Which he couldn't quite explain.

He stood up, desperate to see her. Aderaline rushed to him as he took fast,hesitant and desperate steps towards her.

"Excuse me" he let out hesitantly.

The waitress turned and he gasped looking at her. Taking a step back,his eyes swarmed on her. Every inch of her body. She was the replica what he had drawn.

His eyes locked with her widened eyes. His hands twitching to touch her,to feel her. A strange feeling engulfing his heart, making his body reacts in ways which he didn't know,he could capable of feeling.

"Naira.. " another waitress called,the same girl with which Kartik was left shocked, surprised and astonished. How can it be possible? Him drawing her?

The said girl turned her back to him,almost running away from him. He felt odd. There was something which was missing. There was a missing piece which he wasn't able to connect.

"Sir,your coffee is here." Amay said bringing him out of daze. He nodded still lost. Taking his seat back on the chair,he drank the coffee. His eyes searched for her.

Where was she?

She didn't come again. He kept looking for her but he couldn't find her. Where was she?

After several requests of Amay to go.. as it was getting nearer to the time that he took steps to go to auction. His heart wanting to search for her. But he resisited.

••••••

After the auction,it was late but he still went to the cafe but oddly the cafe was closed. So thinking to come again,later. Kartik went back to his abode.

But today,he was going there and no one could stop him from meeting her. He glanced at his sculpture,and later closed his eyes as she came in his mind.

This was next to impossible that he drew everything exactly like her. It could be only possible if he knew her intimately,more closely. There is no way he can know every curve of her body so precisely.

Opening the door of the cafe,he let himself feel the throbbing in his heart. That strange yet sweet feeling creeping in his heart yet again. Everything related to her was familiar yet new.

He looked hither and thither and smiled wide as he saw her at counter.

Moving as fast as he could,he reached her. Lest she should disappear like earlier.

He didn't know what she had done to him,earlier the Kartik Goenka who never paid heed to any girl;Not because he was arrogant or something but he was just not interested in them. But now this girl was making him do things,he never imagined he would do.

This desperation to see her, hear her,find out about her was turning him insane.

"Naira" he called out, remembering how her colleague called her that day.

She looked up from the computer and in an instant. Her eyes went wide,mouth gaping and eyes displaying the emotions which maybe he was feeling at that time. Or whatever it was. He didn't know.

"Y .yes?" She asked out calmly. Atleast she tried to.

"Uhm..can we talk somewhere?" He asked jumping straight to the point. His eyes didn't leave how her fingers fiddled with each other.

A constant pounding in his head was there which was increasing as Kartik observed her. He felt akin to nauseous but taking a deep breath,he tried to normalise himself.

"Umm.. about what?" She said as she looked behind him. She couldn't see in the those eyes,could she?

"I will tell you but can we go somewhere,out of here." He said, clearing his throat.

"Umm.." she tried to come up with an excuse but he was fast to let her do that.

"PLEASE"

"Okk.." she said looking unsure but still followed him.

Her heart chanting just these words-
Why God? Why

••••••

"So.. have we met before?" He asked and she felt her heart breaking.

"Yes" she said and he was quick to look at her.

"On that day,when you came at cafe. Remember?" She said avoiding a pit which was permanently settling in her stomach.

She let her hands grip the bench on which she was sitting with him. Her teeth worried her lips,as she bite her lips looking at everything but him.

What's her fault? Why??

"Oh.. no.. before that.. have we?" He asked observing her. She was acting strange. As if she knew something he didn't.

"No sir" she replied quickly

"Ok?" After a minute he asked. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"No.. what would I be hiding? Eh.. we have just met.. there is nothing to hide,is there? She said smiling, which almost looked mocking.

"Ok.." but she cut him off. " I think I have answered all your queries. I have a cafe to run. So should gotta going." After listening to her,Kartik couldn't take it. He had been observing her for 15 minutes. She was definitely hiding something. Apart from that, this headache wasn't helping him. He was getting frustrated now.

He stood up and held her wrist as she was about to go and yanked her close.

"Tell me what you are hiding,I can see. You know something,I don't know. And I can't believe that we haven't met before. There is something. Tell me" he demanded. His eyes sharply looking at her.

She gritted her teeth," don't make me say it Kartik" she said. Her calling his name felt familiar. Why everything about her felt familiar? Why??

"What? What shouldn't I make you say? Tell me Naira." He pulled her more closer looking for answers. He was least bothered by the fact that he was invading her private space. He just needed answers now. Nothing else.

"Chuck it. I have to go. Leave me. I have a lot of work to do. Unlike you." She said trying to pull herself out of his dead- grip.

"No, tell me first. Tell me Naira"

She was getting more and more angrier by his behaviour. So she almost yelled. Losing her last strand of control.

"What do you want me to tell you? Huh? Tell me? Should I tell you how you made me see dreams,how you made me fall for you? How I stupidly fell for you?
That how dreamily we started this cafe on our name? Or this? That how easily you left me? How in a blink, you forgot me. What should I tell you. Tell me????" She screamed pulling him by his collar. Her veins propping out because of anger but her eyes crying,her tears slipping from her face only to be absorbed by her clothes.

"Or do you want to know how I cried for you, how there was no one to wipe my tears. How you enjoyed your life and I, .. I here struggled to live,to trust? What do you want to know. Tell me na Kartik?" She said as she left him wiping her never ending tears.

Kartik was rendered speechless,he was shocked. His head aching more from the visuals which flashed in front of him.

What the hell happened just now?

His head wasn't able to gather all the information he was infested with and he found himself slipping in unconsciousness.

••••••

Kartik found himself opening his eyes, but later his pupils got adjusted with the lighting of the room. So,He glanced at his side only to be met by her wet,still teary eyes.

"Kartik" she whispered, almost afraid that she had almost lost him.

"Naira", he said, trying to sit up.

She halted him and made him sit properly by putting a pillow supporting his back.

She hugged him, crying her heart out. He engulfed her as euphoria hit him. Finally he was with her. The love of his life.

"Naira..I am sorry" he whispered to be heard by her.

"No.. I am sorry.. I spoke harshly to you. I am sorry kartik. I know it isn't your fault. You had an accident and then memory loss. It wasn't your fault. Am sorry that I took all my anger on you" she said weeping on his shoulder.

"No.. am sorry that because of me. You had to suffer this much?" He said looking at her and wiping her tears.

She smiled at him,teary eyed. As he wiped every remain of tear on her face.

"Naira? Why didn't you come to me? To make me remember you?" He asked perplexed and a little angry that she didn't try to make him remember her.

"It was harmful.. as doctor said.. also I thought that maybe you are better off than before. That you don't need me." She said almost whispering.

"Why? Why didn't you think like that? I loved you naira.. why?" He asked sadly and a little bit angrily.

She just shrugged, looking everywhere but him.

But after realising something,she looked at him again and asked "you remember everything?" He nodded.

"When?" She almost shouted excited and perturbed,both.

"Just before I fainted." He replied and looked at her intensely.

"Am sorry naira. I just don't know what to say or to do to make up for the time we weren't together." He said guilty.

She cupped his face. "Just be with me from now on and never go away" She said and joined her forehead to his, he breathed out as he kissed her forehead bumping his forehead to hers, saying" promise"

END