Arayna Oberoi

I didn't know what was happening, why was I letting this man dance with me and as if that was not enough I was dragging him down the streets of Paris not even knowing where to go. One thing I did know was him; Steven Richards, 'One of the youngest billionaire Investor', I mean who didn't know him and this situation could land me in so much trouble. With his eligible bachelor image the media was all over him digging to get any information on him. I on the other hand; who always kept low from the media and paparazzi didn't want to become part of any scandal.

So the question again is why am I with him, I am sure alcohol is to be blamed for this because this is not me; not Arayna Oberoi and for some reason today I didn't want to be Arayna, I wanted to be Ari.

I did not realise I had spoken that part aloud until I hear him repeat more like a question, "Ari?"

He looks at me with his brows raised. I just shake my head and point towards a park having a big fountain at the entrance. I just absentmindedly say, "I love fountains" and start walking towards the park dragging him along.

Its closing time for the park but we somehow sneak in and Steven doesn't question or stop me. We walk around the fountain and stop at the point farthest from the front gate so that no one can spot us.

Removing my heels I sit at the edge of the fountain dangling my legs in the water knowing its not allowed but we've already broken rule by getting in the park after hours. I see Steven follow me and he sits besides me. Looks like he is used to breaking the rules. The lights of the park were slowly shutting off and so was the water flowing in the fountain.

I hit the water beneath collected in a pool with my legs and the water splashes; few drops landing on my face and some on Steven as well. The water is very cold given the temperature outside.

"Oops sorry!" I say looking at him. He raises his eyebrows at me and says, "I know you're not," then lets out a soft chuckle.

"So, what's the occasion or the reason?" He continues after a short pause. I look up at him questionably not understanding the context. He understands and continues, "You're pretty drunk, alone at a club, dancing away to your own music..." he says trailing off. I just shrug my shoulder and continue splashing water. He understands I am not going to talk about it and just leaves it there.

The sober me would have never done this but I am not Arayna; I'm Ari. Ari is me before this day happened seven years ago; carefree, positive, so much love for life and just living to the fullest. 'I miss Ari.'

I didn't realise I had zoned out and spoken aloud again until Steven asks, "Who's Ari?"

"Someone I wish I could be." I reply looking straight into space. I can feel his eyes on me, studying me waiting for me to elaborate but knowing that I wouldn't he doesn't push me.

Maybe this is the reason I let him accompany me today. I liked the fact that he's not initiating much conversation, trying to small talk or questioning but just keeping company; maybe that is just what I need for today a good silent company.

I am drunk but not stupid, I know he is silently observing me, not just my moves but also my face, my expressions; he is an investor afterall, he has to be calculative and analysing but I know I am not giving much away. That is the best thing I have learnt growing up becoming Arayna Oberoi nad I hope I am able to keep up this pretence.

He slowly scoots closer to me where we're sitting and I look at him sharply enough to let him know I am not that drunk and he must know his limits. He just lets out a chuckle raising his hands in defence saying, "Its too cold and you're too drunk to feel it."

I look at him to see he is only wearing a sweatshirt, its thick but not enough for this climate. "You need a wardrobe and climate check" I say looking at him.

"I can normally bear the cold just not used to cold water splashes," he says mocking me.

"It may rain or even snow, its January and its Paris." I say defending my water splashes.

"Well the sky looks clear, so clear you can see the stars and the moon." He says pointing towards the sky implying there were no chances of raining or snowing.

I follow his hands and look upwards and indeed it is a very clear sky with many stars visible. It looked beautiful; glimmering and shining in the dark sky. Even with all the lights turned off in the park, it looked well lit. 

The stars remind me of my loss. I have heard people say when someone dies they become stars so they are always with you; looking after you. I obviously did not believe that; but sometimes I wish it was true; I wanted to believe it. It just gives a hope that they are with me, looking at me and will guide me when I am wrong. I keep staring at the sky; all these thoughts running in my head; the memories again invading me deeply and taking a toll on me. I take a sip from the bottle in my hand trying to calm the raging war in my head when I feel his eyes looking at me.

Steven Richards

I sense her tension besides me looking at the stars. I stare at her as she gulps a sip from the bottle she carried from the club. I am sure she is thinking something; something that is disturbing, something that is making her sad. Her facial expression is blank not letting much out but when you look deeply into her eyes they show the sorrow in them; they don't look dilated and drunk as before but look very intense and in pain.

I want to ask her what she is thinking; I want to ask her what is bothering her, what is making her upset, what is it that is running in her head that has deviated her mood from playful to sad. I want to ask her name, where she is from, what she likes, dislikes so many things that I want to know about her.

I can't explain why but I just knew; by her personality maybe that she was not a regular drinker. I think about the question I asked her earlier, there are two types of non- regular drinkers; its either to celebrate an occasion or to drown in pain for a reason. I knew she wasn't drinking to celebrate but to drown her pain. I understood that the moment that song played in the club that made her shoulders tense, her eyes deep; unlike her playful dancing on the first song it was more intense; more graceful.

I wanted to ask her what the song meant, but that would only make her mood worse. So instead of asking her all this I chose to distract her trying to make her forget what is bothering her I say, "Have you ever slept under the stars?" It feels splendid especially with a weather as clear as today."

"We're both wearing white", she says pointing at my sweatshirt suggesting it won't be a very good idea as the grass is damp and might stain our clothes.

I shrug and reply, "I don't care, do you?"

She just clicks her tongue and stands up ready to lie down. I follow her and sleep besides her on the grass. The grass is cold, given the temperature. I see her shiver a little as her back touches the cold grass. I think to myself whether it really was a good idea. I don't want her falling sick.

She slowly scoots closer to me her shoulders slightly touching mine; I could feel her body heat besides me and it is very comforting and I have a strong urge to move closer but I restrain instead my head immediately turns towards her and I look at her, she raises her brows at me and defending herself she says, "What, lying on the cold grass was your idea!"

And it definitely was a very good idea, I think to myself. I look back at the sky a small smile on my lips. God, you're a pathetic teenager; my subconscious retorts at me.

I look at her from the corner of my eye and she is deep in thought, looking at the stars. I clear my throat and say, "Me and Stell, my sister spent our childhood in the countryside. So we always got nice clear skies and beautiful view of the stars. We practically grew star gazing. Well that's the entertainment you have as kids when you don't have enough money to buy expensive toys or go on outings." I just rant about my childhood just to distract her.

"Those are the best kind of entertainment as kids that no money can buy." She says looking at me smiling softly.

"Money can only buy materialistic things, it cannot buy nor sell memories you have earned." She continues looking straight at the sky.

"Well, we had a difficult childhood financially but we were happy. So yes that's true material things don't last but memories do, forever." I say agreeing with her.

"And sometimes I wish some memories didn't last and I could just sell and get rid of it." She says turning to me, her eyes look vulnerable, for the first time her face is not blank but looks sullen and pale.

'Which memories are hurting you?' The words are at the tip of my tongue; I have this strong urge to ask her, to know what it is that is hurting her so much. No its not curiosity but just the need to be able to do something to make her forget those awful memories. I realise asking her would only make it worse, would make her relive everything. I understand that you need to vent it out, let it out to feel better, to feel light but there has to be a right time and it didn't feel like right now is.

I feel her body stiffen, she swallows hard and then suddenly she starts searching for something looking around her frantically. I realise she is searching for her bottle of alcohol which she left near the fountain; she tries to stand up to get it but I stop her holding her elbow midway I gently pull her down so she is lying again besides me and I slowly take her hand in mine and hold it. At first she flinches but I do not let go of her hand and she slowly relaxes.

"Look at me, just breathe," I whisper in her ear and she looks at me matching my breathing. I caress the back of her palm and I feel her body relax and breathing even. I had never dealt with a situation like this, meaning comforting someone so I was scared if I was doing the right thing but when I see her relax I feel relieved.

Her eyes look into mine, they are the most beautiful eyes I have seen. She looks better now and stares up at the sky again her hand still holding mine.

I am astonished how her feelings and expressions are so strongly impacting mine. I never really cared much about anyone other than my closed ones, but her, she is someone I just met and I was feeling all bad knowing that she was hurting. This is surprising as well as a little scary.

There is a silence between us, its not awkward but I want to hear her say something to know if she is feeling better, I ask her pointing at the the thin crescent moon, "You like the stars or the moon better?" I know its silly question but I just needed to break the silence and it worked as she replies, " How can one answer that?"

Then after a short pause she says, "Well if you ask me if I like the full moon or the crescent I would definitely choose crescent. I don't know what is with all the hype about the full moon being beautiful and special and movies showing couples kissing under the full moon. I feel crescents look prettier. It looks like the sky is smiling and you feel like smiling back at it." She smiles at the moon saying that and it is the prettiest smile I have seen, a genuine smile, a smile that shows her teeth and makes her eyes twinkle and I am awestruck.

We talk about random things the sky and stars and even constellations and I am stunned at how smart she is. Suddenly the weather changes and it becomes cloudy, stars no more visible and it starts to drizzle. I start standing but stop when I see her feeling the droplets of rain on her face with her eyes closed and hands spread above her.

I let out a chuckle and say, "You look like a small kid enjoying rain."

She opens her eyes and looks at me, "What's not to enjoy about it?" As soon as she says that there's lightning followed by the thunder.

Answering her rhetorical question, I point at the sky and say, "This, lightning and thunder, it is an indication of heavy rains that can even devastate everything."

"You are having a negative lookout at this. Lightning is like a ray of light, its like a ray of hope in the dark clouds. Its all about perspective, how you look at it."

"Really, and what positive perspective you have about the thunder that scares the shit out of some people?" I ask her amused at her theory of perspective.

"Um...its" she takes a short pause before saying, "Its the clouds celebrating and thats how lightning is their fireworks." She lets out a small laugh and I feel my heart melt, it is the most beautiful laugh I have heard and I yearn to hear more but its gone and I see her shaking her head smiling to herself and says, "I know that's silly."

"No its not. I mean its amazing to have an optimistic approach but then why don't you have the same positive perspective for memories. Maybe memories last because they serve a purpose in our lives. Good one's to reminisce and fill our hearts with joy and bad ones to teach us something, to remind us of our deeds and learn from them."

She does not say anything for a while and I instantly regret saying all of that. She was in a good mood, we were having fun, silly conversations, she even laughed and I had to bring the touchy subject again. I don't know what I was thinking saying all of that, it is not like it will help her in any way. Hell, I don't even know what are the memories that are hurting her, I don't even know what she is going through. I am just about to apologise when she says in a low tone almost difficult to hear, "But what when they only cause pain?" Contemplating something she sighs and shakes her head as if to vanish the thoughts coming to her.

It starts to rain a little harder and I stand up and offer my hand to her saying, "Lets find shade, don't want you falling sick."

She takes my hand and stands up, "You're very boring and its not even raining that heavily."

She removes the scarf around her neck and says, "Lets play blindfold."

I look at her strangely, not clearly understanding what she implies. She rolls her eyes at me and says, "You will tie this to your eyes and I will give you three hints by clapping and you will catch me. Understood?"

She explains like she is showing a kid how to play a game. Mocking her I salute and say, "Yes Madame."

She ties the blindfold around my eyes, O bend a little so she can reach to tie, then holding my shoulders with both her hands she turns me around three times and counts, "One...two...three...go!"

I hear a clap and follow the sound. With my hands spread ahead of me I try to find her, I ask for second clue and she claps shouting, "You only have one left."

Again following the sound I move to catch her and suddenly I feel everything quieten, no sound at all. Its not like it was not quiet before; she was moving very slowly, I couldn't hear her footsteps but I could sense her presence. I ask for the third clap and its still quiet, I call out again and it's silence that I gat back.

A weird kind of feeling sets in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that I do not like. I open the blindfold and the fear that I already felt inside surfaced into disappointment to see the empty park. She was gone like she was never there. She was gone like all of this was my illusion; my hallucination. The only proof that she was in-fact there was her scarf  that I was holding.

I tried to look for her, running around the park but there was no sign of her. Suddenly it occurred to me if this blindfold thing was her plan to escape without wanting to say goodbye. Did she plan on leaving like this all through the evening? Was this the first and the last time I saw her? The thought alone made me sad; very very sad. I am unable to comprehend how did she have so much effect on me in just one night. I wasn't someone who cared much about others; about someone I just randomly met.

I didn't even know her name. How am I going to find her? All of these thoughts keep running when my cell phone rings, "Steve, where are you? The show is over, I am back at the hotel, I hope you're not with some girl." Stell says at the other end.

"No Stell, I would never break the promise. I am on my way back." I tell her reassuringly.

Hola!

Your thoughts!!?

Vote, Comment and Share!