Agni

Memories to remember

I have been safekeeping every memory. Every incident. Every instance.
Hiding it in my head. Remembering them. Rethinking events. Digesting thoughts. The good ones make me smile.
Laugh. The other kind haunt me. My days. It is reassuring though, to have a balance amongst these two for it helps me to remain sane.

This story I have narrating this long was a complex concoction of these two and shall remain so. I remember and narrate. I remember, remember and remember.

I had longed for this day to come. The day I finally start my semester at the Samriddhi Mahavidyalay. The night before was sleepless. Slumber stood no chance before my enthusiasm.

As the first prahar begun, I had woke up.
Dressing up, I left. No looking back. Not anymore. Reaching the university by the second prahar, I stood waiting in a line. Soon the lists were sent out. Announcements made . As clockwork, I reached my assignment dorm room. Four walls. One window. Two beds. Tables and chairs. A door. It was decent than the quarters. A new place. A restart. I was told before that I was to share it with a fellow student. The small room would have been enough to accommodate both of us.

I did not have much. Reva had given me a pendant carved out of a rock.

"Black obsidian. It is handmade. It is not much, just something to remember me by. "

I hugged her. "I shall treasure it. Thank you. "

A few set of clothes, books, ink, me.

Time passed rather swiftly that day. As the sun began setting down, my arms dropped, eyes heavy. I slept.

Crimson as blood, vermillion as anger, burgundy as the sun set, red as the soil. The colours filled vivid. My vision obstructed from truly seeing what was behind them. Soldiers storming in, killing everyone, destroying everything. A commotion of men, women and children. Screaming, crying for help as their lives were snatched away from them. Please. No. I ran. Tried to do something. Anything. But nothing came in my hands. Helpless. I was helpless. An intricate soul of harmony and peace in shackles. Beaten to death.

Someone came in front of me. Gruesome. Her eyes pierced through my thoughts. She touched me. Smiling, she muttered incoherent words. I stepped backwards. As if protecting something. Someone.
My voice was inaudible. Her grin grew wider. Soon , she was joined by other people. Just as huge . Just as sinister.
Soon a flash came. I spit out red. Blood. My blood. I fell down. A blade through me. A sword I trusted. No. This cannot be. I felt myself drifting away. Tears rolled down heavily. I was shaking.

Someone was here. "Hey, roomate. Hey! What's wrong with you ? Come on, wake up. " A loud voice filled the room. A violent shake brought me out. A slap echoed. Right across my face, that made me sit write up. "Oww", I said as I rubbed my face.

" I am sorry. Not an ideal way to wake up people. I know. But I did not have a choice. You screaming and flailing your arms around. "

I went silent, running the scenes of my dream repeatedly in front of my eyes. Again and again. None of my dreams ever felt so real . So horrid.

I looked up. It was the dead of the night. The single window in the room was open as cold breeze flew in. A lamp was lit to show a tall figure standing in front of me.

"Hi, I am Aarya. "

Her eyes shone bright . Warm brown unlike mine. She carried a cross bow across her midriff. She looked like a warrior in training. Long hair tide up neatly .

"I did not make a very good first impression in front of you, also I was busy doing something important, so I got here late. I was told it was okay, that the real thing starts tomorrow. "