Reminiscences | Episode 01

He cast a glance at the window to his right, his eyes half closed. Hoping to see light filtering through the thick curtains, all he could discern was darkness. Lying on his bed with his chest pressed against the mattress, he could feel the warmth of his own breath against his face,rebounding off the pillow. Longing for early dawn, a tinge of disappointment crept into his senses as awareness grew. Shifting in his bed he reached for his phone, intending to check the time.With the hit of a button, the screensaver revealed the ungodly hour of - 3:43 AM.

Somewhere nearby, a couple of dogs added their howls to breach the night’s symphony. His ears could now focus on an insect cricketing somewhere nearby. Letting out a faint grunt, he pushed the blanket aside and lay on his back, observing the ceiling fan emit a persistent squeak as it rotated. Sweat had dampened his body, as he felt the warmth in his palms and feet, an odd sensation for the typically cold month of December.

Unlocking his phone, he swiftly turned on the data and accessed the messaging app, hoping for some respite from the solitude of night. Disappointingly, there were no new text messages in any of the muted chat groups. Sitting up, he tugged at his t-shirt, finding relief from the heat his body emanated. He rose from his single bed and reached for the water bottle atop his study table. Gulping down more than half of its content, he quenched his thirst.

He returned to his bed, burying himself back into the blanket, pulling his iPad from the table. Unlocking it, he launched his web browser, opting for a private tab before logging into his social media account. Typing “Palak” into the search bar, he hesitated before hitting enter. A list of profiles flooded his screen, with hers prominently displayed at the top, her profile picture captivatingly small yet captivating. He continued to gaze at the screen for some time. He could sense a rush of blood coursing through his veins, on its path to his brain; as though a small switch had been flipped in his mind. His nerve cells ran wildly with electrifying speed, flashing images from the past before his eyes.He could now feel his soul squirm and squeal, as his mind viciously sifted through the bitter-sweet echoes from the past. Without hesitation, he quickly closed the tab as the flood of memories numbed his senses momentarily.

Disgust engulfed him and he got rid of the iPad, shoving it below his bed onto the floor, as he braced for another grueling bout with the reminiscing thoughts. Closing his eyes, he wrestled the tumult of his mind, praying that he wouldn’t awaken in the morning with the familiar dizzines that had plagued him for the past couple of months.