| |
Meena was no longer the vindictive witch she used to be. After she learned the lesson of never letting hatred into her heart, she devoted her life and magic to helping humans. Life might not be perfect, and she might still be hiding half of herself, but at least she was doing something good. And that made living worthwhile.
The first thing she did in the Aboveworld was to start working at an orphanage to save other children from a miserable end like hers, and she worked hard. She felt as if she finally found the true purpose of her life, and wondered if this was what it meant to be human, to care for others and make a difference in the world.
“I don’t know if it’ll be possible,” she said into the mobile phone. It had been months since she used magic, but modern technology was no less effective. “I’m still working on the paperwork. It can take a while. But if the board members agree unanimously, we can fast forward the process.”
It wasn’t easy to run things, and she was beginning to have a new appreciation for the matrons of her orphanage. Every time she wanted to do something to improve the lives of the orphans, she was told there wasn’t enough budget, or she should wait because of this or that. Each excuse would be more absurd than the previous one, but she couldn’t do anything. Unless, of course, she brought magic into the mix. Yet, somehow, that felt wrong.
When she decided to make her home in the Aboveworld, she promised herself that she would live like an ordinary human. That was the only way for her to have normalcy and a sense of contentment. So far, she had managed to keep the promise.
She wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings, as she put her phone away and walked into someone.
“What are you doing here?” Rayan asked, steadying her.
“Oh, it’s you.” She looked apologetic and felt a blush rise to her cheeks.
The two stared at each other awkwardly. Meena wondered if she should excuse herself and run or stay to chat with him. They shared a home once, and she thought of him as a friend even though he saw her as an enemy, which wasn’t his fault.
“So, I’m living in the Aboveworld now.” She fidgeted.
“And my city was the only place you could think of to move?” He didn’t appear happy with the knowledge.
“I inherited my parent’s house.” Why she felt obliged to explain herself wasn’t difficult to understand. Of all the things she did wrong, mistreating Rayan was the one she regretted the most.
He sighed, ran his hand through his hair, and said, “My father told me everything that happened. I’m glad you found your heritage.”
“You are?” To say it shocked her was the understatement of the century.
“Of course,” he smiled then, “we’re friends, after all.”
Meena looked into his eyes and saw sincerity and warmth. Returning his smile, she realized what true happiness felt like. And she didn’t want the moment to end. She felt a flutter in her heart, a spark of attraction. Maybe they could be friends again or something more than friends.
“Do you have time to spare? Let’s talk for a while,” he said, grinning.
“Yeah, sure,” she agreed at once. For him, she could make time.
Talking to him, she lost track of time. It was true that she moved there because she wanted to live in the same house as her parents, but it was also because she hoped she would run into Rayan and rekindle their acquaintance. He had been on her mind since the moment they parted ways. And now, her wish had come true. She only hoped their relationship became deeper from then onward.
His warm and sincere eyes made her dream of a different future—a better one.
