It was past midnight. Risha was wondering aimlessly as she didn't know where to go. She had already lost her connection with Noah. Before leaving, all he told her was to find her mother. He murmured something like her mother was the key to something. Risha didn't understood what has her mother, an ordinary citizen, got to do with all of this. But on another hand she was also happy. She is always been curious. She had seen her parents' photos but it cannot tell her about their personalities. Risha often wonder how her parents were like. Were they lively or moody, angry or ever smiling? She sometimes asked them but they never told her the answer. Whenever she asked, Maisha would shyly laugh and and his father would just change the topic. All of their story starts with their marriage. Even the photos Risha saw were taken after the marriage. It was almost like they were trying to remove the past before this.
'Come to think of it, how much do I know about them. I knew them as my parents but that cannot be the only side they had. I guess they hid it perfectly.'
Risha's family was like a picture, always peaceful and happy. But now when she thinks deeply, it was odd; it was in inhumane. Has she ever seen the angry, crying or tired? But no human can smile all the time unless it is a facade.
'Have you finally gone mad? After trusting a complete stranger, now your suspecting your own family! Ridiculous!'
'But they never told me anything. If they had nothing to hide, then why would the keep quiet? Everything is absolutely okay here. No sign of the Earth getting ruined. Why did the authority still put the barrier, they definitely knew. But they never told us anything.'
'Maybe they had their reasons. Not all things can be put into word.'
'I don't know anymore. I just feel angry. The life I had thought to be perfect now seems to be full of loopholes.It feels like I never really know them. They feel so strange or maybe I am the stranger here. I guess you are right, I have gone crazy.'
Talking to herself Risha kept walking.
'And that Noah! How could he be so unreliable! All he told me was that my mother is somewhere here. Can't he just send me to the exact location?'
Risha was very exhausted tired and hungry.
'He could have at least left me some food.'
Her legs were giving up. Just as she was about to fall, a slender pair of hands grabbed her.
"Got you! Are you alright?"
Risha looked for the source of the voice but her vision was blurry. Yet the figure she saw felt so familiar. Her lips moved but before she could say anything she fainted.
"Are you up, little lady?" as Risha regained her sense she had a faint voice.
"I was so scared. You crashed in middle of the road in my arms like the damsel in distress. Being a girl I still had to play your hero. I should've taken you to a hospital but you don't seem to have an identity proof on you so I brought you to my place. But why didn't you have one? What are you, a fugitive? But I heard they are taken to the Solar village and made vegetable minded. Did you run? Why don't you talk? Are you mute? But I seem to have heard you talk or was it just a growl. Ugh! I don't know anymore." Risha looked at the girl in front of her. She was a teenager just like Risha. Although she seem a bit shorter than her. s
She was thin, her face was tanned. she had a round face, her pale brown barely reached her neckline. Her eyes were brownish red and her lips were dark pink. An ordinary looking human,Maisha Alam, Risha's mother. She looked so cheerful even though she wasn't smiling. Her eyes were glowing, it was something she never saw. She wanted to answer but what would she say? This world, things Maisha was saying were all unfamiliar to her. Fugitive, her timeline didn't have one. She grew up in a place where no crime was committed.
'Wait! if it was completely safe, then what were those complicated security systems for?'
"Hey, are you listening? Or can't you hear?"
Maisha gestured with her hand asking her if she could hear. Risha nodded and started talking, "It's not that I cannot talk but I just don't know what to say. I can't recall anything about anything, nothing at all. Do you know me?"
She was having a hard time to keep the innocent look. Her own excuse felt creepy. Her mother was told her that amnesia was the worst cliche in a novel. At that time, she laughed a lot. Who knew that she would have to resort to this method?
'But what else can I say? I cannot just say that I am your daughter from a future time. Who would believe it? And I don't even look like her.'
Maisha didn't suspect anything.
"Amnesia? So you don't remember who you are. But you don't have an injury. Maybe psychological issues? It could be. You looked so devastated at that time after all. To know your identity, it's easy. We just need to go ask the authorities."
Risha flinched. The moment she does it, they would find out that she does not belong here. And if that happens...
Maisha resumed, "But you see I won't. I cannot do that. If you ask why, well because I am a to be fugitive. I mean I am gonna revolt against the authorities."
Risha was dumbstruck.
'She's what! And what's with that proud attitude? And why was she telling a stranger about this?'
As if Maisha could understood her inner thoughts, she said," I don't mind telling you these. You know why? You aren't getting a out of here."
Risha felt a chill in her spine. That look, Maisha wasn't joking. She continued, "Fret not. I don't plan to kill you, not at the moment. Then I wouldn't bother to save you. All you need to do is doing nothing. Stay here obediently. When this is over, I'll let you out."
Even without the threat, Risha had no plan to sell her out. But Maisha won't just trust her. So she didn't say anything. Anyways, she was supposed to find her mother and it was done. She didn't plan to do anything. Her lips curled into a smile before she started talking,
"Hey, what's your name? Do you have a family? How are they?"
Maisha was taken aback by the response. 'The girl was told that she was imprisoned and this the first question she asks!'
"Are you fishing information?"
Risha shook her her and in a nonchalant way, she said," I know that won't work. I am now imprisoned and will be bored. So dear, talk to me."
Maisha felt uncomfortable.'Is this girl crazy?'
"What do you want to know?" Her voice was dry.
"Everything", Risha said," Tell me about your family, your childhood, your friends,your hobby, your school life. Do you have a husband or a lover? How does he look? What do you like eat? Do you read novel? What type of story do you prefer?"
Maisha was pale. "So this is what you want to know. Why?"
"I want to know about you, pretty lady."
Finally, Maisha was flustered. Without saying a word, she handed Risha the food tray and ran out. Risha burst in laughter.
"What a shy little girl!"
Then she looked at the tray and almost jumped in joy.
'Chicken! Bread! Finally! I was losing my sense of taste with all those bland soup.'
She bit the chicken piece and savored every bit. She felt she was alive again. Eating attentively, she raised a finger and pointed at the closed door.
"If you're hungry then come inside. Don't jist peek."
Maisha was shocked. She hid herself perfectly. How could she tell? Risha, who had no idea about her suddenly sharpened sense, just focused on her plate.
"Umm...delicious!"