Nina Sugandhi

Destiny.

Nina was surprised when Kat said that word. But, she only realized it a split second after and she quickly tried to cover it up with an awkward laugh. Silly Kat with her big mouth, Nina smiles. She knows her best friend of eight years would never tell on her, it was just Kat being Kat; she can hardly keep the truth to herself. There must be some inner angel in her that always compels her to suddenly spit out the truth at unexpected moments. Maybe it is her guilt-free mechanism.

If she only knew how lucky she is, Nina thinks to herself, a comfortable life, a promising career, there is no stopping her at all for living the life she wants. There is one thing Kat does not have in her life, a ‘Damar’ for her. Someone, who is head-over-heel in love with her. Someone, who is kind and loving, but suffocating at the same time.

Maybe Kat was right. Maybe this is her destiny, to be stuck here with Kat and Damar.

Damar, Nina sighs.

She could hardly contain this anymore. This cocktail of emotions; love, despair, sadness, pity, remorse, and strangely, excitement! It tastes bitter like badly mixed drinks at some cheap dive bar in Bali, but also complex like expensive wine. Like the one she tasted at The Lounge, that exclusive club she went to with her lover, the invisible person standing between her and Damar. The person who makes her feel alive, attractive and exciting.

Nina lights up a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Even though she hates the taste, the sweet clove cigarettes smell has calming effect on her; it always reminds her of home. Besides, the repetitive motion of inhaling and exhaling distracts her from over analyzing everything.

This is an excerpt from “Urup”. As we go through the final editing, I will share work in progress (even though my editor would probably kill me :)) and the tiny jumps of joy and despair (!) that I experience along the process with you.

Let me know what you think, review, or simply green-heart it. I would be humbled to receive valuable feedback from you.