There were sounds of raised voices and shuffling feet outside the coffee shop. Swarmed with cops and medics. She walked over to see what had happened.
"Believe me." A man informed the police. "She pulled out a sword and stabbed him in the heart. Then… few guys in casual clothes carried his body and left in a black semi-truck."
"Sir, are you saying you witnessed a murder and didn't record it?" an officer said.
"I've already told you, my phone stopped working," the man said.
The officer who had bumped into Manya earlier approached the scene. "Sir, same with the cameras at that pizza shop," he reported.
Amid a sizable crowd, her eyes locked onto an officer, waving in her direction. It was Vicky, her mamu's friend, and her only companion in the search of his whereabouts. He called her inside the perimeter.
"How did it go?" he said.
Manya nodded. "Tomorrow." Her mind still reeling from the shocking incident. "What happened here?"
"A mysterious murder," he said. "One of those cases where there are several witnesses, but there's no concrete proof. A white-haired woman killed a coffee shop employee with a sword. Can you believe? A sword. How often you see something like this?"
Manya recalled the time she had caught him flirting with that exact woman moments before she entered the pizza parlour.
"But the actual issue," Vicky continued, "is that there are at least a thousand cameras around this place and several phones were recording or live-streaming, but none of them captured footage of the murder. As if it all just—"
"Disappeared," Manya said. Her eyes widened in terror. "Just like—Why is this happening again?"
"Let me worry about it. You should go home now. And one more thing, I've placed it under the bed."
Is there going to be another tragedy, but mamu said there won't be? Where are you mamu?
Manya walked into a narrow alley. "Krishna! I was joking about wanting him dead." Out of nowhere, her purse started vibrating, catching her off guard since the only thing that could cause vibration was in her trouser. The MS logo on the card shimmered in gold, with a countdown to 5:55 AM and tomorrow's date under it.
"I just quit my job and I can't even have a day off?" She regretted kicking the wall just a second after. Her gaze again fell over the coffee shop. "May his soul rest in peace."
***
After several hours, she burst through her apartment door, her body aching, and her mind drained, and collapsed onto her bed.
"I want that massage again!"
Before preparing for her departure to MS, Manya pampered herself with a day full of refreshing activities: watching a movie, visiting a spa, and exploring an amusement park. She decided against shopping, as it would be impractical since she couldn't carry any new clothes with her. Her arms throbbed with pain after countless hours of shooting practice and intense workouts at the gym.
"Should I call her?" As she stretched across her bed, she reached for the contacts with Ira's name on top. "Let's not."
A note on the side table caught her attention. From Vicky. Read. "Check before you go to sleep." Carefully, she opened a box that was placed under her bed, resembling a toy box. Inside was a gun, a few mags, and a pepper spray.
"Is he kidding?" Vicky included enough cash to last a few months. There was another note at the bottom of the box. It read, "Don't die, or Atharv will kill me." It brought a slight smile to her face. How on earth could a missing person could kill him?
She texted Vicky, "Found your pepper spray. Take care." And took a selfie. Captioned. "For mourning. Miss me."
The moment she pressed the home icon, her shoulder slumped, and tears welled up, blurring the screen. A familiar scent lingered in the air, a subtle reminder of Dhruv's presence. A blue jacket sleeve peeked out from the cabinet. She walked to the cabinet. "Dhruv," a whisper escaped her. Closing her eyes, she savoured his essence that remained in the folds of the garment. "I am finally entering the world you came from." She embraced the jacket. "And you won't be there!"
A sudden knock at the door startled her and brought her back to reality. She wasn't expecting any visitors, as everyone who knew her believed she should have already boarded the flight. She brushed away her tears.
"Who's there?" Ira said, and the sound of the knock wasn't light.
Along the way, Manya stumbled over a forgotten blanket, losing her balance and crawling towards the door. When she opened the door, her and Ira's heart slightly missed death. Her best friend stood there, tightly gripping a cricket bat.
"You! What are you still doing here?" Ira said.
"My flight's postponed to tomorrow."
Ira's face lit up with a smile, and her eyes quickly assessed Manya's posture. She patted her head, "Who's my good girl?" and pulled out a cookie from her bag. Manya, in a playful gesture, lightly sank her teeth into her leg.
"Leave me, you hungry bitch!"
"Why are you here?" Manya said.
Ira lifted her up. "I had just returned from work. Then I heard a noise from your apartment. As I checked through the balcony, your window was open."
"And you are famous for being a good neighbour." Manya stretched out her arms to welcome a hug.
Should I force her out? No, she's strong. Telling Ira to leave was not a simple task, for it would surely lead to weeks of tears, and she didn't want to miss out on witnessing it. "She deserves a goodbye." She spoke her mind.
"Yes, I do."
Manya pulled her inside, then hurried to the kitchen to gather snacks and beverages for their last night together. But when she returned to the living room, the sight of Ira's clothes scattered across the floor confirmed her suspicion that Ira wasn't wearing anything but her undergarments.
"At least wear a layer or two."
"Why? It's not like I am naked, and who else is here beside us?"
Manya didn't mind Ira wearing just undergarments, but she was concerned about the possibility of MS people showing up unannounced. "Do you want to spend our last night together or not?"
"Why are you acting weird? You know how much torture is to look attractive in formals. At least let me be free here."
"I know, but. Can't you listen to me this once?" Manya tossed her a pair of PJs.
"Not wearing. And why all gloomy?"
Manya matched Ira's gaze. Lie, lie, lie, lie, oh! "You heard about the murder today?"
"Yeah, at the coffee shop, it was weird. A sword—" Ira glanced at Manya, her eyes widening in disbelief. "No! Was it him?"
Manya nodded. A perfect lie! Thank you, Krishna! There was no need to persuade her to wear clothes anymore. She extended the sofa bed and arranged plenty of drinks, snacks, and ice cream within arm's reach.
"Hey, I have never asked you this. How someone get a skin this good?" Manya brushed her fingers against Ira's flawless skin, which was as smooth as porcelain.
"Meditation."
"Really?"
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Ira giggled. "No."
"Then?"
"Preservatives."
"Don't tell then." Resting her head on Ira's shoulder, Manya closed her eyes and let herself relax.
"Is it the part where we cry?" Ira said.
"No, just trying to get a last peaceful moment."
"Last?"
"You know how a new job can strain you."
"Yeah, it does. Now that I have noticed. Where are the boxes and suitcases? Don't tell me you're planning to do everything last minute!"
"Too much work," Manya said. "I'll buy new things there."
With pursed lips, Ira's gaze remained fixed on the ground. "Without me? Can't I come with you?"
Manya let out a sigh. "We've talked about this. And who wants an ice queen on their staff?"
"Even then, I'd still be a queen."
"You know, there's a big world out there, and people will go crazy if you just smile."
"I do smile," Ira said, a smile spread across her face. "See?"
A chuckle slipped out of Manya. "Only to me!"
"Others act fake the moment I look or smile at them, trying to be someone they aren't." Ira explained with a hint of welled up tears. "I want to be with you. I want to help you set up your new place, spend hours arranging your new cabinet."
"Aw! My baby's feeling sad." Manya wiped away her tears. "Well, we can't arrange a cabinet but can empty it."
"How?"
"I'm not taking any of my clothes with me." She walked to the cabinet and opened it. "So why don't you choose whatever you want?"
With a burst of energy, Ira leaped out of bed and landed on the floor. "I'll take everything!"
While sitting by the cabinet, they carefully pulled out clothes and Manya's pristine footwear, still untouched because she deemed them too precious to be soiled.
"Oh—" Ira said. "I forgot to tell you what happened at the office after you left. The boss yelled at Amelia."
"Why?"
"No one knows. When he returned to the floor, he appeared upset. He yelled at her, and she ended up crying in the restroom."
"Wimp!" they said in unison.
"But Amelia is no pushover," Manya said. "She's clever, and she'll be fine once the new manager arrives next week. Poor guys in the office don't realise how she's manipulating them. But I admire her wit and guts."
"I am thinking of befriending her," Ira said, a mischievous smirk played on her lips.
"Yeah, for sure. All the best. Walk on her path and you'll end up as a slave to someone's wish."
"A joke, Manya."
"I haven't even left the place!" Manya pretended to fake a cry.
"Sorry, master." Ira humbled herself by assuming a dog-like posture on the floor, facing away from Manya with her rears in her direction. "Please, punish me, master. Punish me harder."
The calm valley of Manya's cheeks welcomed a tsunami of tears. "Why am I missing you when you are still in front of me?"
Ira rushed to her, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. "What I don't realise? Why are you acting like we'll never see each other again? I earn well, which can afford me a few days of trip to Japan every month. And there's video calling."
"I-I don't know. A blog I read the other day told that friendship weakens when you move to another place."
"Those shitty blogs appeared whenever the person wants to avoid it. Nothing will change between us."
"What if?"
Ira got down on her hands and knees and crawled towards Manya, locking her gaze with intensity. "Let me take your worries, master."
"What?" Manya said. Ira moved closer and gently licked away Manya's tear, making her body jolt with a surge of shock. Her muscles tensed. "Ew!!" Manya sprinted to the washroom while Ira's laughter filled her apartment.
Once the clothes were auctioned off to a single buyer, they indulged in their favourite foods and alcohol, savouring every bite and sip as if it was their last day on Earth.
***
The blaring of her alarm, which she had forgotten to turn off, rudely jolted her awake. She winced at the sound. This time, the alarm was not a piercing reminder of her despised job life, but of profound freedom. She checked the time on her phone. "Why the hell am I awake at 5 in the morning?"
Out of nowhere, a powerful gust of wind rushed past her, sent a chill down her spine. Startled, she jerked upright and looked anxiously through the window. "What was that?" Although the sun had not yet risen, the streets were already buzzing with the anticipation of another busy day.
"Was it my imagination?" a few seconds later, an unusual feather that didn't belong to any known bird or animal fell by the window. Her breath hitched, heart pounding against her ribs. "Angels?" Have they come back? She turned back to her bed. "Ira!!" Ira was on the ground, unconscious and critically bruised. She ran towards her but took a hard fall on the floor after stepping on the bottle. Helpless to walk, she dragged herself closer to her.
"Ira!" she gave Ira a firm push, yet there was no reaction from her. To her relief, she could feel the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Manya drew her into her lap. She sprinkled alcohol and slapped her multiple times, but Ira remained unresponsive. Even the touch of Manya's tears on Ira's face didn't awake her. Manya dialled for an ambulance.
Ira's eyelids fluttered, and a faint moan escaped her lips. Relief flooded through Manya as Ira's eyes slowly opened. Her gaze darted around in confusion. "Ira, I-I'm sorry, I never thought—ambulance is on its way, I am sorry. Because of me—"
"Man…? Sorry I." Ira was summoning every ounce of strength. "I couldn't do… anything." As Ira closed her eyes, a profound silence filled the room, amplifying every sound. Manya couldn't find any pulse.
"No," she shook her head. "It can't be. Ira!!"
In the next moment, Manya found herself surrounded by a completely transformed environment. She was, without a doubt, in her apartment, gasping with significant force. The slightest movement she made caused a symphony of clinking sounds from the empty alcohol bottles around her. The room was a mess, with empty bottles occupying half of the space.
There was no sign of any wreckage, except for the one they caused last night while drinking like maniacs. A few seconds later, the blaring sound of the ongoing alarm filled her ears, and she glanced at her phone's screen to see the bold numbers "5:00 AM". The window was also closed.
Her eyes drifted to the side, to Ira. "Ira!" In a deep slumber by her side. She leaped on her. "Ira! Wake up!" It was a dream!
"5 more minutes, please!" Ira said.
"Wake up, I said!"
She turned to Manya. "What's wrong with you? And how you have this much energy after gulping dozens of them? I can't even tell if it's your face or—"
Manya wrapped her arms around her, squeezing with all her might. "I am straight! I repeat, I identify as straight!" Ira said.
"Just wake up!" In her dream, her fear of including Ira in her plans became a vivid reality. The fear of losing Ira tightened its grip on her heart, leaving her feeling anxious and unsettled.
Ira shoved her to the side.
"By the way, what's all this?" Manya said.
Ira sat up. "You don't remember?"
Manya shook her head, "I don't, after drinking 4 of these." As the moment of relief and reuniting ended. Her brain became trapped in a foggy haze, making it difficult for her to think straight. "Here comes the aftereffects."