As she was looking down to his feet, she still had to look up and see his face.
"Why do you always think about running away whenever we meet?" Before she could look up she heard another question.
Hearing an unexpected voice suddenly close to her, she was taken aback. Instinctively she was about to take a look at that person's face but he walked past her to the sidewall.
His words hit Nora's senses. She doesn't know many people there. She had not met a lot of people these days either. She could count those people on one hand. And she remembers all those people very well.
His words and his voice only tell that he is the one whom she met a day ago at the airport. It was not easy to remember any voice. But since they both only talk to each other without seeing each other, her senses can remember only his voice as his identity.
Same as that day, she was again wearing her mask and cap which was covering her face. Like that day neither could he nor can she look at each other's faces.
One was leaning on the short wall facing the Avenue main gate, and the other one was standing facing his back.
"I am not running away." Nora replied.
"So was it my ghost who turned back just now?" He taunted as he asked.
"..."
Looking at the Avenue gate he pondered about the talk this girl had with her uncle. Still remembering the conversation she had a few days ago, he roughly could understand what might be happening there.
That night, he too did not run away from his troubles. But even after being at that party, all his attention was on that girl. There were many questions in his mind, he wanted to know whether that girl could take those small steps? Was she scared? Did that work to cope with those difficulties?
Keeping so many questions inside, when he saw her in front of the Avenue gate gate he was shocked but relieved too. Shocked to know that she actually lives so close to him. And relieved to know that she is doing good.
"Is this where your home is?" He asked.
"..."
"My so-called family lives here too." He muttered just for himself. Snickering little he looked sideways to her. "But I must say you took one big step today."
'Big step?' 'It's the only and the last step she is unable to take.' She thought.
The last time when they met he told her that if she can't think of taking any big steps, she should go for small steps in her life. And she listened to him too. But here, at this point, all that advice won't work.
However those words helped her a lot. Looking down to her feet she muttered to him. "Thanks for that day."
Since that day she wanted to say this to him. If that day she had run away, she would have done a big wrong to her brother. Now at least she has her chance to rectify her mistakes.
On the other hand, Parth got a little baffled. He didn't expect that to come. In fact, he didn't expect her to remember him this soon either. He wanted to introduce himself at the end and surprise her. But her one 'thank you' spoiled everything.
Sighing a little he continued. "Do you wanna go in?"
"No... Not today."
"Neither do i."
Nora's brows frowned a little. Staring at his back she wished to ask what he meant by that but couldn't speak up.
"But we have to go in. You know why?"
To his question, Nora gave a second thought to it, but in the end, shook her head in denial.
Taking a five second pause he answered. "Because we have to live. And that way is the only way for us to move on in our life. I wanted to ignore this place today too. But if I ignore it today, for different reasons tomorrow I'll be here again. Facing it with no choice. But today at least I have got a company of yours." Parth smirked coldly.
Nora looked at the Avenue entrance. Although the man in front of her knows nothing about her, but, his words again hit the right nail.
Inside that avenue, it's her home. If not today then tomorrow. But one day she is bound to come back and face her past. She can't run away forever.
Otherwise, she would always be stuck to the point where she actually never started.
Parth got perplexed by himself. Just now he was all against the idea of compromising with his father. He was averse to him and to his decisions.
But how mystifying it is that in just a few seconds he was all messed up, but the moment he started talking to her, his own problems got sorted again. As if he had the answers to all the questions, but he did not want to hear them. But for that girl, he is doing it all without a question.
"I am going in. I hope you will be able to do the same. If not today then tomorrow. It's your life, don't waste it on old memories." Saying that he didn't wait for her to reply and walked straight to his route.
Nora watched his back quietly. Even if he had waited for her to reply, she had nothing to say.
She wanted to go in, but not alone. This is something where her parents must have wanted both their children to come together.
Watching those gates closing after him, made her smile.
Nora finds herself very grateful to that person. Both the times when she thought of giving up, he came to her on his own as a ray of hope. And the spirit to face off all those problems came to her only when it came from him. If he had not stopped her, she would have run away long ago. She is indebted to him.