May I, My Love? ✔

19. t h e m e m o r y l a n e

Our bickering hadn't ceased even until we reached the palace. Once properly settled in my room, in the perfect heat of a typical two o'clock afternoon, I fished out the precious present from my closet and placed it like it was a rarest gem, in front of Lisa.

She was utterly gobsmacked as her jaw was on the ground. I played a button which started playing my song, and that caused her eyes to grow even wider – if it was possible seeing that previously too, her eyelids had stretched themselves to the north and south pole of the earth.

"Lisaaa, say something!"

Even though I knew precisely what she was about to say, I still wanted to hear it from her mouth. But it looked like she wasn't even in this world, already lost in admiring each and every Swarovski crystal that adorned the piano. I laughed in my sleeve, not being able to comprehend her extreme affection for this piece. It was, no doubt, a gift that would put all other gifts given all over the world to shame, but still.... it was just a gift. There wasn't any need for her be this obsessed with it.

"Harpy,"

She suddenly kept the piano away and held me firmly by my shoulders, scaring me badly.

"Listen to me carefully Harpy. You cannot – and I'm going to reiterate it for you – you cannot lose this man, okay? No matter how hard you have to fight for him, you will do it. You must do it. Not because he's rich enough, but because if someone gives you something as priceless as this, it means he is ready to give everything for you. Even your parents had bought you this piano when you asked them to, after promising them you would never think of pursuing it as a career. He understood you when even your own parents couldn't, and he shares the same passion with you, so there's no need of going further. He's the one for you."

I was shocked by the seriousness in her tone. There are rare times when I see her being like this – and most of those times are when something happens to me. And I'm not one bit surprised that this time too, its because of me. Her emphasis on certain things brought back another fit of painful memories.

My sixteenth birthday was both a boon and a curse for me. I had to trade something to get another thing in return. Give up my dream embarrassingly just so I could keep following it like a passion. Who was I kidding? My parents and I, we all knew where my interests lied, but they thought they were thinking what was best for me by keeping me away from becoming a singer. And so they negotiated with me like some businessman – I will get to keep this piano as long as I keep their dignity as members of a noble family intact.

Even though sitting at the piano had been my escape from everything, it wasn't able to do its job perfectly. Everytime I saw it, I looked at my potential, my dreams that were crushed brutally, my life that was tied together with strong metal chains underneath those silky ribbons. But ever since Josiah entered the room that day and taught me something else, those memories started to change. I was making different memories with another person in here, and I was sure as long as he would be in that room, I would be okay.

He was the only one who had known without me telling him that this was what I was made for. He respected my wishes, and desired to teach me more. He didn't judge me and sneer at me. He didn't make fun of me and mock at me for having such unique and humiliating tastes. He even took pains to put my own song in the piano set and gifted it to me, while obviously knowing how much I would love it.

I looked over to Lisa and smiled sadly at her,

"You're right. No one had ever been by my side, even my parents, when it comes to supporting my music. But even if he understands me, I can't misunderstand his kind actions and take them for something else. Just because he thought of me when he was on a trip and brought me such a gift, doesn't mean that he harbours different kind of feelings for me. I shouldn't have such kind of misconceptions."

I saw her roll her eyes as soon as I said it. Her impatient self couldn't wait for me to finish what I was speaking and as soon as I closed my mouth, she opened hers.

"Girl, just how silly are you going to be? When a busy and popular man like him goes on a trip that's supposed to take all of his time, and still remembers you, and brings you such a gift, that just means one thing. No one is going to do this for a random stranger or even an acquaintance for no reason. He did it because he likes you. He just hasn't got the guts to say anything right now. But who knows, one day he will?"

"Gosh you're such a dreamer. Does any of that make any sense?"

I had to distract her – and myself by playing it cool because her words were having and adverse effect on me. And I didn't want to know what was the truth anymore. Just the thought of him liking me like that was enough to get my heart racing. I didn't need too much of things to think anymore.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on my door.

"Harmony? Are you in there?"

"Yes mother. Come in."

She opened the door and came in, looking dishevelled.

"Mother, are you going somewhere? At this hour?"

"No, but we have to reach the main dining hall in the palace by seven pm sharp. His Majesty has invited us and some other close families for a private dinner. You have to get ready as fast as you can, and in the finest clothes. It's a boon Lisa is here too. You can help her get ready and accompany us to the dinner. Harmony, make sure to give her all she needs to get ready and don't waste any more time from now on."

And she just left us alone after dropping such a bomb on us, and forgot to close the door of my room.