Falling Petals Of Daisy - Chapter 2

A smile spread across my face.

I thought she must have been someone who had always been left out, experiencing loneliness from a young age.

Her trauma could have led her to believe that no one could see her.

But I was mistaken. I had no idea that something like that could ever be true in reality.

Nevertheless, that’s a story for another time.

“Can we be friends?”

Her eyes brightened with hope. The excited smile on her face wiped away the previous sadness.

The word “friend” held a special meaning for me. As a loner, I had few friends, especially female ones. It was just you.

Becoming friends with a girl for the first time felt heartwarming. Maybe, I could have helped her escape from her loneliness too.

“Of course,” I said, matching her smile.

“Yeah! You were looking for this book, right?”

The girl pointed to ‘Is Death The End?’ in her hand, the same book I had been searching for earlier.

“You’re right. I’ve been trying to find it everywhere.”

“This book was something my dad loved! I’ve always carried it with me.”

“Really? So, it’s not available in any shops…”

“Maybe…” Her expression turned gloomy, and she seemed lost in thought.

I could tell that she felt a little down, probably because she couldn’t help her only friend, me, in finding the book.

Asking to borrow the book felt awkward since we were yet total strangers and only friends in name.

I changed the topic to something we both could relate to.

“Have you read ‘The Diary Of a Young Girl’?”

Her eyes went all cheery. She quickly exclaimed in front of me with a huge smile, “Yes! I loved that story!”

“What was your favourite scene?” I inquired, curious about her thoughts.

“Anne’s last birthday,” she somberly muttered, “It reminds me of something similar. They were celebrating just before the German Reich declared war, and everything changed. If only there was not that betrayal…”

Tears ran over her eyes as she continued, “Humans are strange beings. They will find the slightest reasons to hate and kill one another. Blood, race, nationality, colour… it’s all so senseless.”

Seeing her get lost in deep thought, I gently shook her to bring her back to the present. “Hey! Are you okay?”

She blinked a few times, wiping away her tears, and managed a small smile. “I’m sorry, I got carried away.”

The past that haunted her to this extent intrigued me but I knew it wasn’t right to ask right away.

Still, my curiosity got the better of me even though my words were full of nervousness.

“Can you tell me what happened to you in the past?”

She swayed her head with a distant look and said, “I don’t know. My memory is hazy; I can’t remember anything.”

“Oh…O! How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself before. I am Dhruv. And you?”

“I don’t remember anything. Neither my name nor my origin.”

‘What a strange girl…’ That was what I thought to myself.

Indeed, she was peculiar. A girl who believed her existence meant nothing, someone who couldn’t remember anything.

Someone even more helpless than me.

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder. “If you don’t have a name, then let me give you one!”

It sounded pretty cool at that time.

She looked at me, puzzled. “A-a name?”

“Yes! Ana… Anamika! Let’s call you that!”

There was a brief silence. I started to worry that she didn’t like it.

“Uh… was it not to your liking?” I asked nervously.

Her eyes seemed surprised but grateful.

A small grin appeared on her lips as she nodded in agreement.

“Anamika,” she repeated, trying out the new name.

The word itself held a meaning similar to her situation. ” ‘Anamika’ means ‘a girl who is nameless’ in Bengali.”

We chatted about books endlessly, and time slipped away unnoticed. Those moments were so peaceful.

When two book lovers with similar tastes came together, their conversation could go on forever.

But this was different. We could share both pain and happiness.

Amidst all our talks, one question kept nagging me – how could I help her? Yet, I still needed an answer.

***

She rose from her seat and bid me farewell, “The time is up for me now, see you later, Dhruv.”

“We must have talked for ages; I didn’t realize it was already 7:30,” I replied while checking the time on my watch. My heart felt a tinge of sadness.

“Are you heading home?”

She didn’t say anything and stood there quietly. I thought she might be unsure, so I didn’t push for more answers.

After exchanging our goodbyes, we each took a step in opposite directions.

But something inside urged me to turn back.

“Um! Anamika!” I called out, my voice echoing.

She looked back, her eyes meeting mine, and asked, “Yes?…”

If I hadn’t said those words at that time, I would have missed the best experience a human could ever have, one that would stay with me forever.

“Maybe we could meet here every day and read the book together?”

“Only if…” I paused, hoping she would understand my longing.

“Yes! I would love to!” She responded with a bright smile.

On my way back, I noticed her disappearing into the forest area, but I didn’t think much of it.

The street lights were on. I walked over the bridge, passing by a large green meadow where fireflies fluttered around.

Summer breeze gently swayed them like a giant’s breath.

The moonlight shimmered upon the river, creating a serene sight.

The same street that once felt empty and dull to me now appeared majestic.

It made me giggle to myself; it was the first time something like this had happened.

I was happy even though I knew that it was hell that awaited me in the place called home.