The Pinky Promise

I was sitting near the balcony, absorbing warm sunlight for my bones, when my phone beeped and I saw a missed call notification flashing on the screen. I looked closely and saw it was from Captain. I quickly called him and asked, "What is the matter, sir?" He smiled, "Nothing serious. I just wanted to know that how are you doing." I smiled, "Like you left, young and healthy." He asked, "What about Ash? It's been quite a long time since I met her last time." I replied, "She is doing great and in fact, she is taking care of me like a mother." He said, "Okay. Once you feel okay to continue your missions, notify me and I will send my jet for you." I asked, surprised, "You have a private jet?" He replied shyly, "Yeah. I am a senior member of U.C.I.D and they pay me enough annually to buy a jet of my own." He disconnected the call and I looked at Ash coming towards me. She was holding a tray which she put on the table in front of me. There was a bowl of probably vegetable soup, a plate of boiled spaghetti and four pieces of chicken. I smiled, "Thanks." She smiled, "There's no need to thank me. It's my job and in fact, you are the first person to thank me."

I asked shocked, "Why? You and people like you help so many agents with whom you have no prior connection to recover and become useful to the nation again and you never got any gratitude for that." Ash smiled, "No actually that's not a bad thing. Most of the agents who came here are usually battle worn and entangled in other serious issues. I don't blame them anyway." I asked, "How do you know Captain? He particularly asked for you." Ash replied, "I met him when I was newly appointed here after the previous caretaker died of a sudden cardiac arrest. He wasn't severely injured but required a mild recovery session and Sir Antonio himself brought him here." I smiled, "So, he is your first patient, then. Yeah, I know the connection a caretaker has with his first patient. I have been there myself too." She giggled, "What are your plans for Valentine's day?" I replied, "Nothing worth mentioning. Cathy is so far away and I am not in a situation to go to her. So, I will just celebrate by watching our photos together." She smiled, "Yeah. Typical couple things." I asked, "What are you plans for Valentine's day? You have someone as your special one?" She sighed, "Nah. I don't have that privilege. I am just a lonely, poor soul." I smiled, "The job is squeezing all the love from your life and you have still nothing to say."

She smiled, "Okay. I did have a special someone one who has lost in the winds of time. He was a good companion and I miss him very much sometime." She took out a small photograph from her apron and gave it to me. I looked at the photo. It was a young Asian guy with a pink umbrella in his hands standing near a cherry blossom tree. He was quite intelligent looking and was dressed formally, probably for some meeting or job interview. I asked, "What happened to him?"

Ash said with deep sorrow in her voice, "His name was Michiku Tadashi and we finished our higher studies together from Japan. He had always been one of the most intelligent students in the school and showed his virtues in the university too. I was on the other hand, not so intelligent nor the prettiest among the girls studying in my class. I still remember, I was filling my water bottle, when a gentle tap on my shoulder diverted my attention. I turned around and saw him standing in front of me. I was frankly mesmerized and could feel butterflies dancing in my heart.

He asked politely, "Can you please let me fill my bottle first? I have an important class to attend and I cannot afford to be late." I smiled and moved away quietly. Then, I seldomly got to see him as he remained busy in his work and other duties. The photograph in your hand was taken secretly by me when he was standing near the cherry blossom tree. I had decided to confess my feelings to him that day, but he left early as he had an interview that day. I reached home and after a couple of hours, a news flashed on the TV that a guy was brutally crushed by a truck which was overspeeding and to my utter shock and melancholy, he was Tadashi. I investigated further and found that the truck was of the Italian Mafia which was slowly thrusting its roots in Japan. I tried to investigate further and also told my father, who was a policeman. He also tried to dig deep, but the case got suspended as invalid and the Italian Mafia killed my father.

I was devastated that day and wanted to end my life and was about to hang myself, when a hand hold me and slapped me. It was Sir Lorenzo. He introduced me to Antonio and then the rest is history." I patted her head, "Your story is quite sad. Don't you feel bad that you couldn't avenge your lover and father's deaths?" Ash replied, "Maybe that's not written in my fate. But, promise me that you will finish every fucking Italian bastard and finish their evil reign." I grasped her hands and said, "I will. I promise, I will." Ash smiled and kissed me on the lips. I pushed her away and slapped her, "It is wrong. I have a girlfriend." Ash went away crying in her room.

I went inside her room and saw her leaning on the bed, sobbing quietly. I sat beside her and said, "What you are asking for is wrong and you only will regret it later." She put her head on my shoulder and said sobbing, "Why always me? Why should I always be the alone one? In college, every girl had a boyfriend and I was mocked that I will remain single all my life. Then, people made me guilty for my father's murder and even my mother distanced herself from me. What have I did wrong in past life to live in such a hellish life?" I patted her head and said, "God gives the hardest challenges to his toughest children because he know that they will overcome them eventually." She said, "I don't want challenges. I want affection, some ounce of selfless love. Why God doesn't give me that?" I looked at her and said, "Maybe he wants me to fulfill your wish." She asked, "What?" I kissed her lips and we ended up kissing each other passionately for a moment. I then unzipped her skirt and then took her to the bed and we drowned in the sea of love; and the afternoon turned into evening.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Ash was smiling in her dreams. She was probably dreaming about Tadashi and were spending time together in her dream. I slowly climbed down the bed and looked at my phone. There was a missed call from Cathy. I wore my clothes and went to the balcony. I lit a cigarette and called Cathy. After a few rings, she answered, "You, cheat. Why the fuck were you sleeping with that bitch?" I asked startled, "What?" She started laughing loud, "I almost gave a heart attack, right? I just wanted to prank you. Anyway, what is my love doing alone on Valentine's day? I'm damn sure you must be missing me." I smiled, "Yes. I'm agonizing like a fish out of water." She said, "Then, come to your momma." I sighed, "I wish, but I am a little broken right now." Cathy said, "Okay. Take care and Happy Valentine's day, my heart. I love you." She blew a kiss through the phone and disconnected. I finished my cigarette and went downstairs to get some fresh air. My stomach suddenly started growling loud in hunger. I looked around and saw a pamphlet lying on the grass. It was a new restaurant which was offering food at cheaper rates on the occasion of Valentine's day. I quickly ran towards the road and called a taxi. I showed him the pamphlet and speeded towards the restaurant. I paid him and went inside the restaurant. The whole place was decorated with balloons of maroon and pink colors.

Though the place was quite romantically decorated and was also offering a very nice cuisine, it was very deserted. I took a seat and a lady came near me and asked, "May I take your order, sir?" I replied, "Yes. Two veg noodles and two medium strawberry muffins." She went away and disappeared in the kitchen. I looked at my watch and saw it was already six and I forgot to inform Ash about my sudden plans. I wanted to call her, but she doesn't keep a phone of her own. I looked around and saw a lady sitting couple of seats away from me. She was wearing a burgundy colored dress and her hair were tied in a bun. I assumed that she was either waiting for someone or she was reminiscing about someone. I stealthily peeped at her face and recognized her. She was Alisha, who was my first girlfriend and had suddenly disappeared for years. I slowly near her and asked, "Is this seat available?" She said grimly, "No. Find another seat, sir." I smiled, "Alisha, is it you?" She looked up and asked, "What are you doing here, Harsh? Are you stalking me, stupid?" I replied, "Of course, not. I have far more important things to do than stalk your ugly face." She smiled, "Ugly? You once cried to even talk to this 'ugly' face." I said, "And now, I cry why I have talked with this 'ugly' face?" She laughed and said, "You haven't changed a little in these years."

I smiled, "Neither have you." She smiled, "I see you are still alone. No girl liked you yet?" I replied, "Oh, hello. I have much prettier, smarter and more caring girlfriend than you ever been to me." She said, "Wrong, no girl will ever love you much more than I did. I brought the most expensive things for you on Valentine's day." I said, "Yet, you left me alone when I needed you the most." She said, "You had never understood me then and you will never understand me ever. I had a dream to be independent and not become your parent's slave." I said angrily, "Slave? You would been a queen." She said, "Yeah. A queen who has her wings clipped." I said, "It's worthless to argue with you." She said, "Ditto." I went to my seat and finished my food and went away.

I went inside quietly and saw Ash was slitting her wrists with a knife. I caught her and shaked her, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She started crying, "Let me die. I have polluted both your and mine love by having sex with you." I slapped her and said, "Whatever happened between us ended on the bed. Now, we are both free from any burden that may have been on our hearts if we had not done it." She said sadly, "But, this is wrong. Tadashi has watched all of this and what am I gonna say to him after I die?" I hugged her and said, "Listen, Ash. We are not made to be right all the time nor we need to be either. Just think of it as mediation and not sex, which has lessen your burdens and helped you to find tranquility." Ash caught my hands and said, "Pinky promise me that you never ever tell this to anyone, not even Cathy." I smiled, "No way. The day Cathy knows our secret, even hell won't match her fury. Anyway, I, Harsh Bhardwaj pinky promise you that I will never tell our secret to anyone and especially not to Cathy." Ash hugged me and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I sighed and went inside my room, as the sun started hiding behind the horizon.....