A Normal Encounter

SNEAK A PEEK

BACKGROUND: Airplane, Economy Class

Almost a week passed by, since their date. Sarah was restless at times and occasionally opened the book in a superficial hope. None of her calls were being picked up. After reading the last part in the book, she was bewildered for few minutes, but pulled herself together and wrote back "Yes".

No reply came in a day. Then she wrote "Josh?" The same went for three days and she eventually stopped. The only that was out of the box was the reply that read "Sarah?" Could it be that, her mother wrote it?

What was she expecting? She faced palm when she thought about how curious she had gotten over that name. But, when did her mom manage to do that? It was so confusing and she eventually stacked that memory deep inside her mind, covering it with her daily life thoughts. A month or so passed. She was planning on visiting her grandparents in Noida. She was packing bags 5 hours prior to her departure, running around like a Maniac, when she noticed that something from her study table was missing. She stared at the table for a full whole minute, scratching her nose for backing up her memory.

"Ah! Josh's Diary!" she exclaimed and then "Where the hell did it go?"

She was suddenly bewildered by the thought of her mother taking it away and ripping off its pages to write grocery list. She ran off towards the refrigerator were her mother could have kept it. Her flip flops were thrown off in the process. She searched on top of the refrigerator but it wasn't there. She was furious all of a sudden. She threw the whole apartment upside down in the next half an hour in hopes of finding it.

Her mother entered the apartment after her early morning walk and was bewildered at the sight of her apartment. She wasn't bewildered by the sight of her apartment but by the idea of a thief breaking in. As she stood there, collecting her thoughts, her daughter swung towards her swiftly from the kitchen counter and shook her shoulders furiously.

"Where is my Book?"

Josh was lucky enough to persuade the graveyard workers to stop the work for a while. They doubted him at first. He said he needed to bury his father's favorite diary with him and threw it on top of the wooden coffin below, in which his father lay. The workers were confused but as his actions weren't anything dangerous, they let it be. Nobody took the Diary and this fact died down with the payment he gave to those workers.

The other book disappeared along with the closing of that book in his father's grave. The cursed love destined to destroy Sarah disappeared along with it. He never picked up her calls after that. He wished to disappear. He made a grave mistake by tying her down with him. That was wrong of him, even if there wasn't any curse on the books. She deserved a better man, who wouldn't try to cut her wings. This was his way of showing his love for her.

There was no reason for him to stay in London anymore. It was dull and the thought of his fated lover living somewhere around him wasn't in his mind anymore. The reason why he always ended up with her was because of the books, or so was his belief. He packed up to leave the stuffy life in London and stay in his father's beautiful house to calm his beating nerves. That was necessary. He arrived at the airport.

The fact that the same guy who had been hitting on her so hard, was now not even replying to her desperate looking messages was putting her at her tip toes. It happens. She felt like- 'How dare he?' It was as if he just vanished into thin air. Was he an imposter? She was burning in flames of fury as she stepped out of the cab which stopped at the Airport. She dragged her luggage with the tightest grip on earth and went in, leaving burn marks of her angry steps.

After helping his Uncle and Cousin sister with her child, settle back down in London, Josh packed up to leave London. His heavy luggage had already been send away and he slowly strode through the airport, with his tiny suitcase. The airhostess gave him a warm welcome and he gave away a warm smile in respond. Searching through the seat numbers, he finally stumbled upon the seats closest to his seat number. On glancing at the passengers sitting there, he was confused and after a second, disgusted.

A young woman with her hair loose around her shoulder and face was napping at the window seat and her body was slowly giving away. She swayed East and North-East. An Englishman, who couldn't be a single day younger than 50 was sitting right beside her. On seeing the young woman sleeping and swaying towards him, that man's face lit up and devil took over his mind. As her hair came closer to his shoulder, he leaned in and smelled the scent of her hair. (PERVERT ALERT)

There was a loud THUD.

Before the man could smell much of her scented body, a leather handbag came straight for his head from the heavens. Good thing, Josh planned on keeping one bag with him. That man looked like a toddler who got smacked on the head while smelling lilies. That man shot his head up in rage but his sparks of fury died down on seeing Josh standing, towering over him like a wall.

There wasn't a moment for retaliation as the hero spoke

"Oh. Christ. My Mistake. Hands slipped." He motioned towards the overhead compartment which was not even open yet. He smiled innocently. The commotion caused the victim lady to stir in her sleep and wake up. She straightened her posture and fell asleep. Before, moving ahead, he once again checked his seat number and then glared down at the guy.

"Sir, that's my seat. You should move…" He again acted polite with a brutal look. The guy stuttered and stammered for an answer. But soon, the man gave up the seat and went to his own seat, the one right ahead of him were an old couple sat. Josh sighted as he settled down on his seat beside the dozed off lady, still holding human warmth. As soon as he plopped down, the sleeping lady lost her balance and her head went for his shoulders. She was still sleeping as she snuggled onto his coat collar unknowingly.

He was stiff for a moment and then asked himself- 'Then they say, men harassed them...' He wasn't flushed red or shy. He simply used his index finger and pushed her head slowly to the other side. Her head swung back slowly but gained momentum quickly, causing her to hit the same heavy head on the window side. She quickly woke, startled and eyes heavy.

She looked around almost as if to find where she was and asked herself with her wet drawl at the corner of her lips

"Did we reach India?"

To which he went like "NO. The plane has yet to take off" calmly. She had an amusing personality, he thought. Upon hearing the answer coming from her side seat, she flung her head that way, swinging her loose hair along and hitting Josh in the face with them. He didn't show his annoyance. He at first had the thought-'I should have just swapped seat with that asshole.'

But two pair of eyes and minds went wide open as their gaze met. Sarah was puzzled to see Josh there and he was puzzled to see her there. He was relieved and a small smile played upon his face. He himself didn't know why. She was happy as well. She was supposed to be angry. He didn't pick any of her call. She even had the fear that he just came on date to apologize and wasn't interested in her. But, her mind was too overwhelmed with joy of seeing him, to remember her earlier disappointment.

"Hi. Fancy meeting you here…" Josh began.

"Hi. Indeed. It is…" they were being so queer like toddlers who just got a kiss.

"Where are you going? I am going for our Hometown."

"Oh! Me too. I wanted to visit my grandma. You are also going for vacation…?" the Queerness lightened. But Josh lost his smile but he didn't bother lying.

"No. I am leaving London…" That had her. She felt a bucket of cold water thrown on her stiff back. She hesitated but didn't bother hiding her emotions. They both had the feeling that they won't be meeting again.

"Why? You also didn't answer my calls…" she didn't mind coming desperate in front of him.

This wasn't a lie but neither was a complete truth. So he used it.

"Um. Dad passed away…" One need not say any further to gain others sympathy. He had completely forgotten his mission of abandoning his one sided love. On joining one and one, Sarah came to the conclusion that he was devastated by his father's death and decided to move back for a new start. She unconsciously empathized with him. But what mattered was he was in front of her right now. She put her hand over his to comfort him, thinking he will need it.

There is a kind of encounters, which you least expect but but would wish for. Magic wasn't necessary for that encounter. This moment they shared wasn't controlled by any source of magic. Josh saw a light, the light to the fact that he still had a chance. Hence, he didn't shake off her hand.

THIRTY YEARS LATER

The family grave was reopened to bury the next member of the family, who was none other than Josh Zachariah. The funeral was handled by his nephew, the same boy who hung to his mother, while Josh was weeping at his father's death. The workers were called upon to clean the remaining of the last dead body. On discovering two books inside the grave, they handed them to the young man. He looked at the books closely while his Aunt Sarah sat at the corner weeping and clutching her shawl.

The curse remains.