Fernweh

Prologue:Nikki

Her idyllic house, one that looked like it was something out of the movies she loved to watch, suddenly didn’t seem so. She was sitting on the wooden bench with her laptop and a notebook on the table, overlooking her house. Her house was set upon a cliff of a mountain in Kodaikanal. It was a beautiful, mesmerizing place with the lakes, parks, forests which were seasonal hotspots for tourists. Her hometown too, was idyllic.

She had come out with the belief that fresh air and a change in atmosphere would give her the push she needed to move further with the plot of her novel. She had typed a few lines, that lead to her getting agitated which gave rise to crazy thoughts.

Has my novel made me hate writing?

Is something wrong with my brain? Maybe I should visit a doctor?

Will I ever be able to publish another novel?

Was my first novel a fluke?

The comments, emails, blogs that people had put up, partly accounted for her thinking. The subtle calls from publishers, asking her about the progress, slightly aggravated the situation. She felt her plot didn’t seem intriguing. She thought it would make the readers bored. She was stuck in a hole with no glimpse of even the shadow of a ladder.

She closed her laptop, her notebook and lay on the bench with her hand behind her head acting as a pillow. She closed her eyes, hoping to have a moment of quiet in her chaotic brain. She was about to pass into what she liked to think of blissful sleep, even though the sun was staring straight at her, when her father called, “Nikki, it’s lunch time.”

Why?

She took all of her stuff and walked into her house. It looked normal now.

Mm. Maybe I need to close my eyes occasionally to remain calm.

She washed her face and went to the dining room, where her family minus her brother were seated. They started without her because as was tradition, she was late. She sat in her seat and filled her plate with fried rice, prawn gravy and cooked beetroot. Her favorite combo since childhood.

After lunch, the whole family was lounging in the living room, watching a movie. She didn’t even know what movie was going on. She was lost in thought, visualizing a scene. There she was... Laurie lying unconscious in a dark alley, when suddenly she feels someone lift her. She could make out a blurry face, sharp jawlines, she could feel as she attempted to touch the face. She broke out of her thoughts. It seemed plain, and like a tale told one too many times. She needed something new and exciting.

Dinner was a blur, and all she remembered was falling onto her bed, and watching some funny videos on her phone.

She laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling after she woke up. She felt useless, and felt she had hit a new low in life. Her phone on the bedside stand pinged with a message. It was Parker.