01 : Him

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Who says it is easy to forget? All those memories, all those -

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Who says it is easy to forget? All those memories, all those -

"Here you go, Ani."

"Thank you Ma'am." A young, teenaged girl - Ani replied, tilting her head to look at the café's owner, Mrs Daniels - a woman with powdered gray hair, well into her fifties.

"No need." Mrs Daniels squeezed Ani's shoulder, making the corner of her lips lift involuntarily. "How have you been?"

"Better." Ani muttered, blinking her moist eyes, and resumed reading the book laying open in front of her.

Mrs Daniels nodded, "I am here if you want to talk." and left Ani alone at her window table. Alone with memories.

Ani hummed in response, feeling as if someone has stuffed a sock in her throat. She swallowed again and again but in vain.

Why did you leave, Hailey?

Ani lifted her head away from the book - her favourite book, and looked out the window. The breeze billowing the autumn leaves higher and higher... only to tumble back to the harsh reality.

Ani squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, shaking away those memories. She looked down at the book, at it's wrinkled pages. She had always loved to fold the corners whenever she couldn't find a bookmark. But Ani, no, she never treated books so carelessly, despite the fact that her patience had always been limited.

Ani snapped out of her thoughts at the jingling of the doorbell. She was about to turn her head to look at the new entrant but as she was in no mood to socialise with anyone, she stopped. She hasn't been in mood to socialise for a long time. Shopping, movies, it all had started seeming like a waste of time to her and -

"Hello." A deep voice sounded from behind her.

Ani tensed as she heard the sound, not because it was familiar, but because she could visualise her peace of being alone going down the drain. People always meant small chitter chatter, and worst of all they never leave. They all talk under the guise of being helpful but somehow they always make things worse. To them someone's pain is nothing short of a cinema, a good, no, a great movie with which they'd probably buy some popcorn -

"Excuse me." The same voice said, bringing Ani out of her musing.

Ani, knowing she can no longer put it off, turned her head around with a small smile. "Yes."

"May I take a seat." The man, probably in his twenties, not much older than herself, gestured to the seat in front of her.

Ani trying her best to be polite, questioned. "Why can't you sit somewhere else?"

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