Amdo zoomed through the streets; hoping against hope to make it on time to stop Malad. But it was around 6 p.m. meaning peak time for traffic in London. Even with his motorbike, it felt like he was doing a hockey drill around the orange cones. Turning left and right to pass by the cars that blocked his path. He was just in time to see the screen showing the next flight to France was in 10 minutes. He didn't have enough time to buy a ticket. He went to the announcement-making officers and asked them for help. Soon enough, the announcements asking for Malad to meet her visitor reverberated through the airport.
Malad was asking the flight official to check if there were any seats for her again. But "there has been overbooking, we are so sorry for your inconvenience. We are looking to check if we can find you a guaranteed seat on the next flight." was their only reply. So, when she heard the announcement, her curiosity was pinged. Her heightened boredom meant she could no longer stay in that seat for another minute.
When she saw Amdo waiting for her at the office, her first reaction was to turn back and rush towards the direction she had come from. But he ran towards her and caught her wrist before she could. "Stop molesting me." she cringed. "I wasn't trying to, I'm sorry." Amdo replied. "I know I have hurt you a lot." he added, "but I can't. I can't travel without you, I can't enjoy a view without you in it, I can't live without you."
"Oh wow! How sad! You can't enjoy views without me? Well, that's too bad. Because I have decided to live and enjoy my life on my own. I'm so sorry for ruining your happy life, but you ruined mine too, so I guess now we are even." she said before starting back towards her flight. "We have found you some seats in the next flight." The flight official said at the first sight of her. "It is in about an hour. We are extremely sorry for the delay. So we have given you an upgrade to business class."
Amdo was left all alone in the huge airport. He felt more lost than he had ever done in his life. Even when he was in the most deserted islands, thousands of miles away from home, had he not felt as lost as he did in that moment. He knew the only place he could go to now was Malad's house. Give them the news of his failure.
Marguerite was surprisingly cool and calm. She even comforted him and appreciated his efforts. He asked Malad's mother for advice. What could he do with himself now? How would he live? What would he live for? She told him he could try to connect with Malad's reality while she connected with his.
He instantly decided to get a job as a professor at St Albus University. Malad's university. It didn't promise anything for his future, but it was the only shred of hope of keeping a connection with Malad. Well, that and her extremely generous family, who had accepted her tormentor into their doorstep.