I don’t know why people say that when you truly intend to get something, the whole universe conspires to bring it to you. In my case, it feels as if the entire universe—winds, walls, trees, clouds, even nature itself—stands against me.
Have you ever heard of a starving child who cries for hours for his mother to feed him, and just when she arrives, the bowl in which she carried the food slips from her hands and shatters… leaving nothing left to ease his hunger or thirst? His misery deepens, and fate mocks his desperation. That child feels like me.
Set aside all that—think of making a promise, setting a goal, committing yourself entirely. You give a hundred percent, push until your bones ache, only to find yourself standing in a pitiful place, confronted by what feels like two hundred percent resistance. That’s what happened the day she grabbed my hand. She clutched it suddenly after seeing a snake, and for a fleeting second, I wished—God, I wished—it had been out of love. But it was fear.
And even if it was fear, I would have settled for that. I secretly wished another snake would appear, just so she might hold me again, even if only out of terror. But nature refused me even that small mercy. Why is nature always against me? Why me, every time?
Not since 2014—since the day I lost Abeera in that tragic accident—has life shown me softness. Ten long years of solitude. Can I not crave love after a decade of emptiness?
Lost in confusion, drowning in thoughts I could barely organize, I felt a heavy hand drop onto my shoulder.
“What are you doing, man? I’ve been waiting for you in the lobby for twenty minutes.” It was Talha.
Instinctively, I positioned myself to block his view of the room. “I’m not going anywhere,” I muttered. “I’m exhausted. I have an assignment due tomorrow. Let me just take a nap.”
But Talha was Talha—persistent like a storm that refuses to pass. “No excuses. I’m all ready. You’re coming with me.”
I sighed. I had no choice but to agree. As I turned to close the door, a sharp fear shot through me—what if Talha saw what was lying on the floor?
The moment the door clicked shut, I bent down and snatched the card from the floor.
On it was written: “7 PM, VivaPines.”