[#15] Best Friends?
A tale told by Apurva Chawla
The story begins at The Haveli.
Saafiya sat still while the ball disappeared into thin air. Everyone in the car tried to process what they had just heard. Shreyansh had his eyes set on the road but his mind had a thousand thoughts that he wasn’t able to align.
Ananya held Saafiya’s hand in order to comfort her. She knew that even though she could not help her friend but she had to be with her in that difficult time.
Saafiya finally said something that made Shreyansh stop the car. She said, “I am going to future.”
“Do you even know what you’re saying!?”, Shreyansh asked her. He loved her but sometimes he couldn't just handle her spontaneity.
“Didn’t you just listen to what she said!? Do you have a better plan? I have got to save my father, Shrey. And I cannot think of anything else. I need to kill Wes, that is all I know!”
She thought about it while she said all this. She knew she had to save her father but she obviously had no idea how she was going to kill someone.
“You all have to understand and believe in this situation here before we go any further. We are not escaping this situation anyway now that Ryu is after her father. And if at all Ryu succeeds, Saafiya won't exist. If her father was never born, she wasn't either!”, Ramu explained.
Ananya and Shreyansh stood still. Saafiya somewhere knew what killing her father could mean but this shocked both of them. She was lost in her thoughts about going to future and how she would find Wes. She wondered for a second if she can see her grandparents again but suppressed that little hope.
It was Ananya who spoke first this time.
“I cannot do this”, she murmured.
“I cannot do this”, she said, more to herself, tears building up in her eyes.
“I am sorry, Saafiya. I love you but I don’t want to be involved in this. I know I am being a coward but I cannot do this”, she said, crying.
Saafiya listened to her and understood what she meant. She wasn’t planning to take them along anyway. She hugged her and said, “I don’t want you to be in any trouble, Ananya. You too Shrey. This is my fight. You both should go back to Delhi and forget whatever happened today. If anything happens to you guys, I will never forgive myself.”
“I am not leaving you and you dare not say that again Saafi." Shreyansh immediately said and held her from shoulders. He looked straight into her eyes and with utmost sincerity he said, “Whatever happens, I will be there with you.” It was the kind of stare that made Saafiya believe in what he said. In that instant she felt safe, she felt protected. She hugged him and cried, for once with a little relief.
She then hugged Ananya. Ananya said, “Leave me here, you should go on if you’re going to travel to future. I’ll return to Delhi.”
Saafiya nodded. Ananya got off the car with her bag and said, “Come back safe please. Please!”
Three of them continued on their journey. In the car, Saafiya said, “Kaka, if we time travel using this candle, will we find Wes?”
Ramu considered it for a second and replied, "We can definitely travel, but I can’t say if we will find Wes. I don’t know how powerful he has become. It has been close to 35 years when I last saw him. But finding your father and not being able to do anything to save him doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Even if we find your father on time, we don't know how to stop Ryu.” Shreyansh said.
“Exactly. Momo very clearly said, ‘Kill Wes.’ Knowing how difficult this one thing is, she has asked me to do so. I want to believe her. My gut feeling strongly asks me to use this candle and we will find our answers in future.” Saafiya said.
Saafiya talks to her grandmother in [Tale #14 Melody of Misconduct].
She thought to herself if all that she was going to do was worth it. She thought about the previous night. For a moment she considered using the candle and going to the previous day and not come to Kibber. But then she knew it wouldn’t change the future and it wouldn't bring her grandparents back. She thought about Ananya. As much as she wanted her to be safe, she knew Ananya didn't have enough courage to be with her in her worst time. She looked at Shreyansh and what he had said echoed in her mind, “Whatever happens, I will be there with you.”
After five minutes of silence, Shreyansh asked, “How do we use this candle then? Let’s do it.”
The story continues:
—
If you like this story, please hit the ❤️ below to recommend it and help others find it!
