Forgetting Billions | ✓

15 | Forgetting Gravestones

AS WAS normal for them, Jasmine and Shayan sat in an uncomfortable silence throughout the car ride. He drove to the graveyard they both knew so well, and perhaps it was because of her pain or his disappointment that the silence continued on.

Jasmine's stomach twisted and turned from the lack of food in her belly and the fact that she was chugging on the water to curb the hunger pangs. She played with the sticker on the water bottle in her hand as she tried to ignore her body dying on her, no longer sure why it had decided to betray her today when her heart was already falling apart.

"Jas?" Shayan asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Yes?" Her voice came out like a croak as if she hadn't spoken in years, despite the tantrum she threw in her European History class just twenty minutes ago.

"I know this isn't the right moment, but I don't know when the next time I'll be able to talk to you will come, considering you're avoiding me as if I'm the plague." His joke came out more harsh than light hearted and Jasmine only sunk lower into her seat. "But if I'm correct, I know you have feelings for me, despite everything you've said. I know you're trying to push me away because of something else."

Jasmine let out a tired sigh, "It's complicated. And you're the one that has been avoiding me since the party."

"Believe me, complicated and I go way back. I'll understand." He ignored the last part of her accusation as if he couldn't accept that their fallout was just as much his fault as hers.

"No, you won't," she murmured and looked at him with frustration clearly written upon her face. "You're right. I am attracted to you in ways I can't even begin to describe, but I can never be with you Shayan. I think it's time you accept that."

"It's simple, Jas. If you like me, then be with me." He raised his eyebrow at her as they pulled into the parking spaces outside the cemetery.

"Shayan, could we please not talk about this? I have enough on my mind as it is." She threw him a pointed look as he parked the car.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Want me to wait here until you're ready?"

"Please. I need to be alone with him right now." She offered him the smallest, yet most genuine smile she could muster, before stepping out of the car and making her way to her Uncle's grave.

"I'm here if you need me," he called out.

Jasmine focused all the energy she had left on finding Rahul's gravestone. It was towards the back, next to Bianca's mother's grave. They thought it would be best to keep the family together even when death came to rip them from the Earth.

She sat down in front of the engraved stone in front of her, tears pooling in her eyes. She didn't shed them, not yet at least. "Hey, Uncle Rahul," she whispered, chuckling softly at the normality of her statement. "I'm sorry I didn't bring any flowers today. I kind of lost it at school and didn't have a chance to pick any up."

"I wish you were here now. I need you more than ever. Mama and Baba are getting worse and Bianca is in serious danger. So am I. I know you couldn't have protected us as much as I think you can, but you would have been there. That would be enough."

Somewhere in between her one-sided conversation, Jasmine began to cry, small little hiccups with silent tears streaming down her face. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes, letting the silence surround her like a warm hug.

"Mama and Baba hate Aunt Bia because they think she's the reason you died. You'd probably have knocked some sense into them by now. The more everything gets worse, the more I realize how much of a peacemaker you were. Who else would have been able to successfully get my dad to accept your marriage? And if you were here, I know you could've helped me tell my parents everything that's going on, because they would never dare blame me if you were on my side."

Jasmine continued pour her heart out to her Uncle, silent cries turning into short sobs that wracked her chest with every breath she heaved. The emotions she felt in this moment were too much for her to bear, especially when she realized that she would really never be over his death. She doubted that she could ever feel complete now.

Lacing her fingers together in her lap, Jasmine opened her eyes at last, the last tears streaming down her cheeks. She stared wistfully at the grave, "But I can't really know anything if you're not here with me right now. I want to be with you for good. You're the only escape I have from this mess."

She could almost imagine her family's reaction if they heard her now. They would ask her why she would want to give up everything she has, but all Jasmine could think is how she doesn't actually have anything. She has a stalker, one who is creating a gap between her and her closest friends. She has two parents and an aunt who are keeping her from making her own choices simply out of some twisted version of love. That couldn't be right.

If Rahul was here, he would put a stop to it. He would be on her side. He would help her.

She slowly rose to her feet. She had no resolve left in her to continue speaking with him. She'd just go home early today. He'd forgive her.

Anyways, her stomach was twisting her insides into a pretzel knot, sufficiently making her lightheaded and dizzy. She had a valid excuse.

"You may want to be with him, but what sucks is that we need you here." A familiar male voice rang through the empty cemetery and Jasmine turned on her heel, anger rumbling across her face like an ominous thunderclap.

"Were you eavesdropping on me?" she demanded, her voice raised far louder than he had ever heard.

"Of course not. I only came looking for you because Bianca called me. I just happened to hear the last part of your conversation with him," Shayan explained. After a moment of silence, he added, "She wants you home soon and assumed you were with me. She didn't seem too pleased about it either." His lips curled into a scowl that chilled her heart and she blinked at him, an apology racing to her mouth.

He shrugged when he heard her. "It's fine. I'm used to this. Let's just go." He started to walk away until he heard something, causing Jasmine to stop in her tracks.

Her ears identified the pitiful noise as well, noticing how it sounded a lot like sobbing. Her hazel eyes landed on a figure crouched over a gravestone on the other side of the expanse. From the back, Jasmine could identify that she knew her. Her outfit seemed so familiar, as if she had seen it just that morning.

"Shayan," she whispered, "Did school already end?"

"About thirty minutes ago. Why?" he asked, walking towards her.

"See that girl crying over there? Do you recognize her?"

Shayan shook his head, "No, I don't. Why do you care?"

"I have a weird feeling."

"Let me look then." He moved towards the girl curled up in front of the grave, her sobs filling the air with a sense of remorse.

He didn't get the chance to scope the woman out though, because a man around their age walked up to the girl and pulled her to her feet. He wrapped her in his arms and then kissed her firmly on the lips.

Shayan and Jasmine exchanged looks. She wanted to leave, considering the intimacy of this moment was not one for them to see, and she tilted her head towards the car. She would just have to deal with the fact that she would probably never find out where she had seen that girl and boy.

Shayan placed a hand on the small of Jasmine's back and was just about to leave when the couple began walking in their direction, their faces in plain sight now. Jasmine looked back for a second and her jaw almost dropped.

Selena stood there, her petite body curving into Evan's muscular one, his lips placed at her temple. Her eyes were rimmed with red, dried tears still on her cheeks and Evan looked positively tortured at the fact that she was so broken in his arms.

They had formed a team, one capable of putting up a real fight against her and Shayan, and for a fleeting moment, Jasmine could swear she saw Selena smile through her tears, as if this was exactly what she wanted.