Moonflower

LAST CHAPTER

The restaurants were occupied with bustling customers, the vendors were busy with keeping the flies away from the vegetables, the traffic policemen were on their usual lookout for bikers without helmets and thousands of people were on the streets, indulged into their own sweet world but among them, there was just one face Mehek was desperate to look at. She stumbled, she inquired and her gaze followed every nook and corner but her efforts merely got buried into the silence of vain. Her mind was blank as if her brain had shut itself down. She pushed past the crowd to look for a similar silhouette only for him to turn out to be a rude stranger.

"Was that his voice?"

"Should I look at higher places or buildings?"

"Is there a lake or river nearby?"

There were numerous questions running in her head and she followed all of them as if she was no longer in control of herself and had only let her intuitions drive her body.

"Should I ask the police for help?"

Mehek realized that she couldn't even possibly ask the police for help nor did she know anyone that could help her in any way possible. She even managed to go to his gang's secret base since the location was disclosed on the news but it was securely barricaded and few of the policemen were on the lookout. She was so engaged in her search that only an hour later she found that the sole of her right shoe was coming off and it was barely hanging onto it now. She dragged her feet as she traveled across the area and found herself in the middle of nowhere.

The sun was setting down and Mehek's hope was diminishing along with the slowly vanishing sun rays. She squatted down on the sidewalk and buried her head into arms that were tired from clutching the moonflower too tightly.

"Is it too late now?"

Her tear rolled down her cheek along with a petal of the moonflower that couldn't hold on any longer. Mehek began to wail, loud enough for a few passers-by to give her a weird look. She was overwhelmed and desperate but the mere pinch of hopelessness was enough to drive her insane. Soon, the night engulfed the day and Mehek's sniffles turned into silence. She stood up like an automated doll and her eyes were barely focused.

From the time in the hospital Mehek was feeling like herself again but there was something that her heart couldn't deny any longer.

"No one is going to help me this time, no is going to look for me or come to my aid," Mehek told herself as she began to take slow steps ahead, "I need to get stronger, strong enough to save me because only when I save myself, can I save others."

Mehek blindly followed the curves of the road, trusting it wherever it took her along, and unknowingly, the streets responsibly bought her near the area where she lived. She moved parallel to the familiar lanes like a walking corpse until she reached her apartment building. Just because she was already there, she decided to have a change of shoes since dragging her feet was slowing her down. She passed through the gates lifeless without even paying heed to the security guard calling out to her.

"How are you, Madam? I heard you were in the hospital," The old security guard began following her because Mehek kept on walking ahead, ignoring him.

"Here are your bills and letters form the past few days," the guard handed them over and Mehek took them half-heartedly with her gaze down. The guard was puzzled but he sensed the mood and stopped following her. He was returning back to his place when the younger security guard spoke up aloud.

"I really don't like that guest of yours, Madam," the young guard scrunched his facial muscles, "That bushy-black haired guy."

This caught Mehek's attention and she stopped on her tracks. She turned around to face him.