He felt a sharp pain in his temple. Trying to look around, things seemed blurry. He didn't know where he was, but it was a forest and the tree supporting him was a banyan, that much was certain. Unsure of what to do, he started walking down what seemed to be a path. Staggering on his foot, he walked on when he bumped into something, or rather someone.
"Hey! Watch where you walk… Huh! So you've returned," he heard a voice. Thanks to the headache and dizziness, he didn't realise that he had bumped into someone. But the voice seemed familiar.
After a momentary hesitation, he said, "Hey! There, could you help me, please?! I am dizzy and everything seems blurred."
"You are already quite brazen to return. And this wasted?! Seems you quite enjoyed the night. What were you even doing here in the first place? Seriously, you always like to cause trouble." the person gave him an earful, though unsure he understood anything.
'Thud!!' came the sound of something heavy put down. The guy supported him by his left arm and walked a little before taking him inside a hut. Then, he might have laid him on a bed.
"Well, rest here now. I am going to work in the village and will return by evening. So, don't you dare rush out again", came the familiar voice, but he was too drowsy to look. So, he simply lay down there. The surroundings felt extremely quiet, and he was feeling weary. He just slept.
A clinking noise interrupted his slumber. He sat up on the bed, legs folded. For the first time, he felt able to think straight. He vividly remembered a near-death situation, having a conversation, but couldn't remember anything. He thought hard, but was unsure. Was it a nightmare? But it felt too concrete to be so. His chain of thoughts ran relentlessly when a voice called out.
"Shui!! You awake?! Could you please come here?" the enchanting voice rang across the room. Once again, he felt a sense of familiarity but couldn't remember. Getting up from the bed, he put on the richly designed handmade shawl by his bed instinctively and walked towards the only other room in that little hut. Looking around as he entered the comparatively cramped room, he saw a slim and slender frame in a corner. She was wearing a dress of muted brown shade with peculiar sleeves that ended a little below her elbow. And a roughly kneaded yellow scarf covered her head. As she sat in a corner of the room, something about her was too much for the room to look old. He was gazing at her; when sensing his presence, she turned to look back. Her piercing eyes stared right into his eyes, gently but firmly. Flustered, he looked away.
A wide grin stretched to her cheeks as she slowly stood up with a jar in her tender hands.
"Shui", she said, extending the jar towards him, "here open this jar for me."
He nonchalantly took the jar in his hand and, with little force, he opened it. It was surprising. The lid wasn't that tight; he thought. Why would she ask him to do something that anyone can do easily?
"Here, Maki, it's open." As he was about to hand it over to her, he stiffened. How did he know her name?! This feels weird! I can't remember her. Yet, what is this sense of acquaintance? It was as if it simply crossed his mind.
"He... y, stop daydreaming! Give it already! I have to cook before big brother arrives, or else he'll be mad again," she chuckled, "he turns scary when he is hungry, even though normally he is so composed, one would never believe if he didn't see him like that..." she grinned.
"I think the people in the business will drop their jaws if they saw him being a spoiled kid when not served food on time. They must believe that he eats on time out of habit." She chattered by herself, meekly gawking and laughing by herself.
For the first time, he stole a glance at her face. It startled him.
As the dim evening light of the setting sun seeped through the window, it revealed Maki's face; the brutish scars and burns covering her face caught him off-guard.
Her eyes were just so captivating that one couldn't spare a moment for the face, although mostly covered.
As she was stepping out of the hut with a pot, he noticed the burn marks on her forearm. It seemed painful. But almost impossible to perceive when someone is behaving so childlike.
"Here, I'll carry it", he asserted as he pulled away the pot from her hands.
"No!! Wait!! I…" she paused as she realised her rolled sleeves exposed her left arm, the scars eerily staring. She hurriedly went inside while using her right hand as a cover.
He knew she must have realised he saw it. This must have been painful for even her and was guilt-ridden. He knew he should apologize.
But in a moment decided that leaving her alone for a while might be better for the time being. He pondered as he started walking and after a while, stood by the river. On reaching, he filled the pot.
The thought struck him again. How did he get there? She didn't tell him the way, did she? What was happening? As he sat down by the river, with all this confusion burdening his mind, he felt exhausted. All he did was just carry an empty pot to the river, yet he felt tired, for he had exerted his mind too much.
He decided on taking rest for a while by the riverside. He put the pot on an even surface and again approached the river, kneeling by the side to wash his face. As he splashed the ice-cold water on his face, his eyes fell on his own reflection. He was stunned to see a youthful face reflected.
"Wh... wh... who's this?" he cried out. In the soft, sketchy evening light, he saw his face for the first time in the day and it startled him.
He somehow felt that what he was looking at was his younger self. But couldn't understand why did it felt like he was older than what he looked. Just WHAT WAS GOING ON with him?