Zahara: An Arabian Odyssey
The Power of Choice
Country music plays in the background as Zahara asks the bartender for a refill. She looks at the amber liquid sloshing around in her glass and gulps it down.
“Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Livin’ on a prayer.
Oh, we’ve got to hold on, ready…”
Bon Jovi gradually fades away, and so do the clinking of glasses on top of the counter.
“Good evening, Zahara.”
She whips her face around to confront the source of the hoarse whisper.
Nothing.
No one.
“Did I… was I… ”, her thoughts trail away as she begins scanning the bar, her unsteady gaze falling on blurry, foggy outlines floating near tables. Something very odd catches her gaze; a silhouette seated near the right edge of the counter, staring at a yellow blob on the wall to her left.
Was... he who called?
Curiosity roused, her mind whirls as she rises from her seat. Balancing herself, she blinks rapidly to ward away the tipsiness looming over her mind, only to find the blob and the silhouette in each other’s place.
Right? Wasn’t it...on the left?
They switch places again and again, speeding up exponentially with each shift, until all Zahara can see is a yellow-black blur on either side, leaving her mind reeling.
Whe-where do I go?!
This tale was written in collaboration with Antony Terence, Tejas Harirajan Radhakrishnan, Sandip Nair, Sridhar Ragupathi, G.s. AviNash, Murali Krishna, Shiva Kanth Sujit, Vamsi Krishna, Akash Mani, Vishnu Deepak and Abhinaya S.B.
