She storms out of the building into the chilly evening, where she left her work presentation incomplete. She couldn't take it any more. She walks with her leaden heart and heavy feet across the posh plaza onto the streets.Her beautiful red dress which she had ironed out for this presentation caught the glimpses of a few ladies down the street, but she just continued to walk.
Her pace was in sync with her heart rate, which was pretty fast. She didn't know where she was going.She was dazed, just staring blankly ahead and going forward as if her feet had its own mind to think of where it were going.
She reaches the main streets.From somewhere around a corner she could hear her favourite music blaring out of the speakers. Usually she would tap her feet and begin trotting about. Not today. She felt the tones hit her hard like a brick.She wondered why and moved forward.A few feet ahead she saw a bunch of kids playing, making merry and enjoying their childhood. On a normal day this would bring about a smile on her face and those dimples on her cheeks would melt anyone's heart. But today wasn't her normal day. She stared blankly at the laughter of those kids and couldn't fathom any reasoning whatsoever. She moved forward.
Its twilight now.Further down the street she saw an old man trying to cross the road. No car nor any motorbike halted to let him get to the other side. She would have felt pity and helped him cross the road, but not today. Her leaden heart didn't allow her to break her step and she continued forward. Further more, a street vendor called out to her as she was his daily customer. But today she didn't heed to his beckoning not having the appetite and walked further.
Her red heels were killing her feet and she was surprised that she had walked this far in them. She took them off and came to a halt on the bridge in the city. Her back to the railings and to the dangerous drop down below, unaware of the serenity behind her that had the capacity to overcome her gloom.This slowly creeping sadness over takes her beautiful mind.She knows it.She knows she can fight it. But she has no energy left, no fathomable reason to do so. So she lets it take over. She saw all the auto mobiles gushing past her on the road. She saw all the people walking past her on the footpath. She saw them. But they didn't see this lady dressed in red. They didn't see her. She got angry. How can they just walk past me without knowing what inner turmoil I am going through, she wondered.
She turns her head to the right from where she just came and could see her office building towering over the others, mocking at her misery. She grips the heels in her hands even more tightly.She then turns her head to the left and sees a couple embraced in each others arms,passionately kissing away into the sunset. She is all the more angered and tosses her heels into the river below.
There is a cool breeze blowing through her beautiful black hair.She closes her eyes to let the breeze ease her pain. But she feels sore. She feels numb. She feels cold, no not from the breeze outside but the indifference that was generated inside her. This left her even more confused. She wanted to cry because they said crying would let it all out, but of late not a single tear came to her eye. She doubted her emotions. She looked at the building.Anger. Anger of not being satisfied with the job she was doing even though she excelled at it. She looked at the couple deep in love.Sadness, for she did not get a kiss yet that she deserved. Sadness for she too secretly yearned for a platonic warmth of sorts from her Prince Charming. Sigh.
Then she looks out at the vast expanse from that bridge. The sun has set and the moon has slowly crept up. The wind is now whistling and her hair is swaying in the wind even more.A chill runs down her spine.She embraces herself for the cold.She hoped that some one would come up to her and ask her about her turmoil. She just felt mooted in one place with all of life flowing past her in fast forward. She yelled out loudly, hoping for an answer to echo back to her. Sadly there was just the dull roar of the motor boat below. She wanted everybody to stop for once. She wished that everything would just halt for a minute, even for a minute, complete stillness, everybody doing nothing. She felt empty. She felt like somebody had taken an integral part of hers and tossed it into the river below. The dark waters intimidated her. She looked like a ghostly figure dressed in red under the moon light.
The stars begin to peek out.She looks up and remembers what she was told when she was younger, about our loved ones residing in the stars after death. She hopes she could go home and cuddle up in her mother's arms just like before and forget all the worries of the world. It pains her to know this will never be possible. And there, a shiny tear rolls down her cheek. It felt cold like steel against her skin. She was taken aback. Then a cascade of hot tears begin to flow and she weeps like a baby.
Its almost past dinner time now and she is still standing there on that bridge under the moonlight staring at the expanse.The wind is still blowing through her hair. A shadow creeps up slowly towards her. She is aware of it but doesn't turn.The person is a silhouette now. Its a man. He slowly walks up to her and places his jacket onto her shoulders and walks past her. She is surprised and turns to look at the man. But he has already walked way too ahead. She just sees his silhouette disappear into the darkness.A faint smile comes across her face. Rebecca, clutches the jacket and turns toward the road to her house.
The stars above smile.
