When the Sun meets the Moon

Fighting the fire within...

He looked at his reflection in the mirror, in a long time. All he could see was scars and he couldn't even remember how he used to look before. He changed into the blue kurta she picked for him. He took the comb to his hand and then tossed it away. He exhaled, feeling suffocated.

He had not had breakfast at this time, for a long time, and it felt weird. As he entered the kitchen, it smelt of gasoline, and he panicked. He saw Ann, leaning over the stove. She turned around with a bright smile, "Ah Mr.Oberoi...Your housekeeper is not yet here...So I thought I'd make some breakfast instead!". SWISH...the stove ignited, as she lit it up with a match stick.

"ANN...GET AWAY...MOVE!" He manically pushed her away. "ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU...ARE YOU HURT?" He was shaking. He held her arm by the elbow, so tight. Sweat was pouring down the side of his forehead.

"I am okay...are you?" She asked, taken back by his reaction.

"Just stay away...FIRE...ANN RUN...!!!" He infuriatingly, smashed the stove, with his crutch. He had his eyes closed, petrified of the flames, and for a brief moment he was transported back to that awful night. Ann held him back. She moved him away from the kitchen and sat him down. He was panting, struggling to breath. She held his hands tight and looked into his eyes kneeling beside him.

"Mr.Oberoi, please open your eyes...look at me, LOOK AT ME! I am here...I am perfectly fine..it was just the stove...it's perfectly safe...see I am safe..."

She placed one of his hands on her beating heart and the other on his. His hand moved to touch her face. She let him. He softly caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers and she felt the same warmth she felt the first time she met him. It radiated through her skin. She looked into his petrified, emerald blue eyes, and reassured him again.

"Come...It's all over now... It's all over...Let's have some breakfast now shall we? I am starving...I guess we'll just have toast! Toast with strawberry jam? Come!" She sat him down, and she buttered up a piece of toast. She poured a glass of water and placed it next to him. He looked startled for a moment.

"Ah Don't worry...It's just to drink this time!" She grinned, and winked.

He gulped down the water, and cleared his throat, finally coming back to reality. He took out his metal flask of scotch from his pocket, and quickly took a sip, while Ann was distracted.

"Errr I don't like any open flames around me.." He mumbled. Ann pulled out the extensive list his brother had left and gave him a sheepish smile.

"Ooops again! I ought to read this...there you go Number two in the list. No open flames around Mr.Oberoi!"

"Are you sure you are a nurse? Because you are horrible at it!" He scoffed.

" Ah well the brave soldiers I looked after would beg to differ! They were rather fond of me!" She shrugged.

He choked a little on the crust he bit into. "Soldiers?" He gulped the toast down slowly as if he was eating glue.

"Yes...Some of them went through pretty bad spells during recovery...It's quite normal post trauma...Mr.Oberoi you went through a lot too...it's okay to acknowledge that!" She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Err...So...You worked with injured soldiers? Aren't you scared of blood anymore? You use to faint at the sight of...err I mean women usually don't like the sight of blood!"

"At first yes...then I got used to seeing the scars, the burns, the broken bones...it felt normal after a while! I guess I learnt how to see perfection in imperfection!" She smiled again.

"So you are happy? Being a nurse?" He asked seeing a glow around her, as she spoke about her work. It was similar to when she used to teach the street kids back then.