Amaranthine Odes | ONC 2022

◻Chapter 06◻✔️

◻Guzzled Grims◻

I'm inside you, even in your silence. But never let too much of me cloud you. I'm a murmur and let me not become your voice.
~SKEPTICISM.
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Why are there so many lights? It's nearly noon!

The dancing gleams from the rope-held lantern lights emitted a teasing glare at his narrowed lids. Shrugging his shoulders, he dodged to the side where heavy hollering jars spilled the strong odor of roasted beans. With every attempt to squeeze his temples, he couldn't help his timid nerves.

"Are you paid high for deafening everyone? Knock it off!"

His retching words made a woman drop her wooden tray, spilling the mud pot to crack it into shredded pieces that can never be fixed. He gaped at her five feet for some fractions. Her curly locks messed to sway at her heart-shaped face, hiding every feature except for her twitching lips that bloomed into a playful grin. The slaughtering silence of the place made him retire, and the sudden clumsy attitude of the girl made the breath around vague enough.

"That was horrible!"

A wheezy yet demanding claim from behind made him tilt his ears. Soon before he could perceive, he saw the man rush toward him, ignoring the thick stares. He placed the black wooden tray down the stone-carved top.

"Says someone who forgot his tithi karma. It's tomorrow, right?" His arched neck made his eyes sink while his playful grin dipped his cheeks.

"How do you-"

"Haha! I know a bit more too."

With his solid glances at the spoon-handed clock ticking on the wall, he read the time. It was thirty past ten.

"In less than a minute, you will be-"

Before he could finish, he could see Tushant's phone flash red speckles as it vibrated in his shirt pocket.

"That's quick enough! Worry not. It's just a reminder."

Tushant gaped at the screen that read 'Vaadhyaar' and back at the strange man who was making him spooky and nervous.

A gimmicky quack or an intellectual sage? Perhaps it's the spirit world.

Before he could gather his scattered self, the vibrations muted. Looking at the blank screen for a few minutes, he placed it on the table.

"Not gonna call back?" He asked while dampening his regular handkerchief with dribbles of water from the matt black clay pot to spread it on his eyes.

"Why should I begin when I have reached the end already?" His cautious stares tuned with his interrupted breaths.

"Haahaa. Trusting me this early?" His nefarious grin prodded him.

"Do I have a choice?" Peeking through the wet folded linen, he lessened his grin into a smirk.

"Seems like I have met someone strange enough." He took the cubical glass, and with a careful glimpse, he traced the smooth edges with his little finger.

"Not stranger than someone who orders whisky at this time of the day."

"Ahaa. Love can't be contained."

Slowly he straightened his back to align his smoky caffeine eyes to his autumn browns.

"So is addiction."

He twirled his dozing phone.

"Fair enough. Now I get it."

With gentle whisks, he cleared the whipped vanilla cream squatting at the top of the wine-red liquid.