Next Morning
When she returned to the hostel, Samantha continuously stared at the ceiling fan while lying on the bed. Her single decision could change everyone's life. The entire night, she thought of Alvin and her mother.
It was six o'clock when she heard the chirping outside the window. She sat on the bed and wiped her baggy red eyes with her fingers. She walked towards the window and opened it. The slow and cool breeze nuzzled her cheeks, but this smoothness was not enough for her burning soul.
She dragged her body to sit on the floor near the window, hiding her face in the folding limbs. A storm was inside her mind, and she could not find any way to overcome it.
"Why did I choose this life? I should have had the courage to say no that day when the manager forced me to have sex with one of his clients. Then, this situation never happened? All I did for my mother, but now I am on the verge of losing her. Meeting with Alvin was a warm sunshine in winter. He makes me smile and gives me strength to stay alive, but what is the use of this life now when I am losing him, too? How I will face myself when I cheat on him." She murmured to herself.
Her life got stuck between the two most important people. On the one side, her mother was fighting cancer, and she needed money to cure it as soon as possible; on the other hand, the love of her life, which she couldn't dream of betraying. She was not ready to lose both of them at any cost.
She has been unable to choose any of the ways until now. Whatever she decides, she will always be at a loss.
Her life got sucked. Many thoughts passed her mind. The reality of her life stood there in front of her, slapping on her face ironically. It was a truth that money is everything. If she had earned that much, she could have saved her mother, and there would have been no need to thresh between Derek and Alvin.
She swore to herself that if ever she survived, she would earn so much and never look back on her filthy past life. But at the moment, she just wanted to end her life. She couldn't watch her mother dying in front of her eyes, nor did she want to lose Alvin at any cost, so she thought this would be the best way to save everything.
She sobbed slowly.
"If this is the ordeal of my life, then only I have the right to choose my way to pass it. God wants to play with me. And I will not let him win this time. It's better to end this life. In this way, no one gets hurt, and I don't need to give any answer to anyone." She nodded in her thoughts and wiped her face with her palm. Standing up from the floor, she walked towards the mini kitchen set up in her room. The overwhelming thoughts captivated her; she could not think of right or wrong.
When she was halfway through, the phone started ringing, and Alvin's number flashed on the screen. The ringtone broke her trance and threw her back to reality.
She instantly jumped to pick up the call, but suddenly, she held her hand. She was bewildered as to whether to pick up the call or not, and the call went on unattended again.
On the other hand, Alvin got tensed that she had never done this before. So he sent a voice note, "Hey, what happened to you? Since yesterday, you have been acting weird. Are you still mad at me? He seems to be very angry or busy. Whatever it is, if you haven't called me back in half an hour, I will come to your hostel. And I know you are there in your room. Your time starts now." The voice call ended. He tried to keep his calm as much as possible, but he got agitated as time passed minute by minute. Without waiting for her call, he left his house, turning wheels towards her hostel.
Samantha was still in deep thought but suddenly realised that he would come here if she didn't call him, and an unwanted scene would be created. She knew his hell-bent attitude on his decision,
and Samantha called back to him. As soon as the phone rings, Alvin picks up the call.
"Get ready. We are going out?" Alvin barked in frustration. Samantha's phone almost dropped to the floor, and his words startled her.
What would be there in his head, no one could find easily.
She quickly composed herself and again put the phone on her ears to say something.
Before she could say anything, the call got disconnected.
The phone screen was silent. It was God's signal that his call saved her from doing anything detrimental.
She looked at the blank screen and rubbed her thumb slowly.
Then she turned back and dashed into the bathroom to get ready. Alvin would reach here at any moment.
After half an hour, she exited the hostel gate, wearing a simple olive sun dress and a yellow-coloured sling cross-bag, completing her look with a white, waisted kissing jacket. She didn't wear any make-up as there was no time left, and she only managed to put on lip gloss and eyeliner. Her no-makeup look was stunning him still. He wore a Black T-shirt and trousers with a black overcoat. It was making his fair skin brighter and glowing. His ravishing look could wet any woman between their thighs.
She approached him with a smile. Though it was a struggle to mask her emotions, she managed to do so.
"Where are we going?" She asked with a refreshing smile while hugging her. Her big eyes twinkled with excitement, but he chose to remain silent. He separated himself from the hug.
"Let's get inside first." Without saying much, he opened the door with a flat face.
She wanted to say something, but his silence stopped her. She looked at him and nodded. Quickly, she got inside the passenger seat, fastened up the seat belt, and adjusted herself in the car seat.
With a light thud, he closed the door and ignited the engine. After adjusting the rear mirror, he concentrated on driving only.
The environment looked heavy, so to enlighten the mood, she started the conversation.
"What brought you to meet me early this morning?" She asked in her casual tone. In response, he only took a deep breath but didn't utter a word.
After waiting a few moments, she didn't get a reply. She folded her hands around her chest and sat quietly, looking outside the window.
"How have you been since last night?" He asked softly. Though his eyes were on the way, he still asked, avoiding her gaze.
She looked at him in disbelief. After avoiding her for the entire day, pushing her to the edge of a breakdown, he had the nerve to ask such a ridiculous question. She huffed in anger but didn't say anything. She enrolled herself busier in looking outside.
The game of not giving each other the answers was going on. When she didn't avert her eyes to look at him, he switched on the black sheets to block her view.
"What the hell is this?" She said annoyingly.
He didn't say anything but scoffed. Then he sped up the car and took a sharp right turn, which caused her to topple on him.
"What are you doing? Watch out, you're driving." She adjusted herself back in the seat. It was good that she had worn the seat belt; otherwise, something dangerous could have happened.
"Why are you avoiding me? What happened to you suddenly?" Alvin asked again in a flat voice, and she just listened.
She had nothing to say at the moment.
"Speak up, Damn it!" Alvin's voice chills in her body.