Vy could definitely sleep. He slept through the day, and then through the night. The sun wasn't up but it was morning when he finally left the bed. And it wasn't because he slept enough, but because he was hungry.
There was a stove. There were a few packets of instant ramen. Vy couldn't cook though. And so, he enjoyed a long hot shower, and walked out. His unit was on the second floor of the three story building. It was mostly students, which meant it was mostly empty right now as it was the holidays. He trotted to the sound of his feet echoing in the quiet hallway, unable to rein in the smile.
He had a bowl of noodles with vegetables at the stall around the corner. It was so delightfully tasty, he knew he was coming everyday. With food settled, he could pay attention to the more serious matters.
Li didn't really know Ash. She was crying over Vy, when her parents arranged for her to meet with Ash. The first lunch was too formal and too quiet to be a date. Also, both their parents were sitting only a few tables away. Close enough to have ears on Li and Ash's table. Not much the young couple could discuss without being overheard.
The second time was like a proper date. Li felt comfortable with Ash, a feeling she hadn't had in a long while. So, when he asked her out, she agreed. They met over coffee, a more casual setting. This time, they were by themselves, so they really talked. Ash told Li he knew about Vy, at least as much as Li's parents told him. Li was surprised, and then, she felt that she liked Ash. His honesty was something she had long forgotten because of Vy. She told him everything. They were talking marriage, and she wanted to be just as honest.
On the next date, Ash told her he liked a girl too, back in college. But they had only gone as far as holding hands, and hugging exactly once. The relationship was short-lived, because they realised they were too different. He said he was no innocent child. He could handle her painful past, if she would let him. It was in that moment, that she decided she would like to be married to a person like Ash.
It was an arranged marriage in the truest sense. And it couldn't have been a happier marriage.
There was nothing in the story that spoke of the possibility of Li and Ash meeting earlier. They were in different cities at this time. The families weren't familiar. Also, it was entirely possible that they wouldn't even like each other if they met at a different time and as different people.
Still, that didn't mean he would keep from trying. First, he had to find Ash.
He had Li's password for her Social account. He went to an internet cafe, logged onto Li's Social account, and searched for Ash. There were thousands of Ash. It took all of the morning to narrow it down to a little more than fifty. Unable to think of an alternative, he clicked on each of the profiles, until he found the right Ash. He spent the afternoon on Ash's profile, reading all of Ash's posts, opening all the photos and viewing the friends' list.
He wore a satisfied smile as he returned home in the evening. He was certain Li would see Ash as a friend suggestion the next time she logged onto Social. They needn't be friends. As long as the name wound up in Li's head, it would be a start.
It was as much as he could do right now. Before the start of the new semester, he had to work on himself as well.
Back home, he was shocked by the state of the closet. What was wrong with him? Were those clothes a villain would wear? There were a pair of floral shirts that looked like something he bought at a holiday in some beach. The tees were round-necks, but the colours were the ugliest. As for pants, all he had were pairs of jeans, wide legged, torn, and all of them extremely distressing to look at.
If he was trying to make a splash, he certainly succeeded. How did he win Li's heart with this terrible sense in clothes? Something must be wrong with Li's head, or she must be partially blind. That was the only explanation he could come up with.
He threw out all of the clothes without the slightest hesitation. That meant, shopping.
Luckily, he liked shopping. He was shopping the rest of the holidays. He was done a couple of days before classes begun. The closet couldn't be more different. It was now all dark blue and grey. There were only half sleeved round-neck tees and full sleeved jackets, straight fit jeans of uniform shades, and several pairs of loafers.
"Yeah," he beamed praisingly. "This is more like it."
He was almost ready for college. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was forgetting something important. He didn't keep a diary. He didn't make notes on the calendar, or on his phone. If he didn't remember, didn't that mean it wasn't something very important? Why then did he feel so flustered? Could he possibly be afraid of whatever it was?
He laughed at himself. The only thing to do during such confusion, was to feast on a bowl of noodles with a lot of peppers and chillies and onions. He was whistling a tune as he walked down. And right outside the building he saw her. She was glaring at him, like she was searching for him to give him a good scolding.