4. Fallen Angel

RIKA

After running away from my home, I don't know where exactly I wanted to go. So, I went to our nearest station and after buying the ticket, I hopped on my scheduled train for a long-distance journey. I decided to go to the last stoppage train, which is named Hadley Village. I got to know that place was bound by lush green forest near the bank of the river and a wonderful mountain view, the place eligible for trekking, rock climbing. So I decided it would be great to stay for some time which is far away from my hometown.

Although I thought my parents don't care about me, still I didn't want to take a risk, they might hunt me down easily if they wanted to find me. I have my morals. From age 14, I started to earn money by tutoring private, and online website both. I even won money in my sports. I decided to save it for future uses. Then I become interested to learn web development as I kind of liked coding mainly needed to make my website.

later I applied for paid internships and earned money by making websites as per their requirement. I enjoyed doing what I am doing. Now I am working for well-known companies developing their website and provide high-security benefits. I never get bored doing my job. And earning a good amount of money which I can later use for opening my own business. I have lots of ideas and this was the main problem of my life. I need to find myself. So, I decided to go on this journey.

Now I am sitting near the window of the train, observing scenarios outside the window. Quite a rainy day, the sweet smell of mud, fresh wind blowing my mind. I brought my camera too. I captured some view as to recall this journey later in the future. I was engrossed in my world that I didn't notice a little boy was staring at for a long time. I felt someone observing my every step. 

So I moved my attention from the window to that little boy. I frowned, lifted a brow to him. That boy widened his eyes and averting his gaze. Then I observed he was with his mom, maybe going somewhere. He was sitting on the opposite side. Well, again I shifted my attention to the window. Suddenly I shifted my head to the boy, he was again caught by me and he again shifted his eyes. His tip of ear and cheeks become red. How cute!

Again he was peeking at me, then averting eyes to the ceiling. Ok boy! you wanna play! Then let's play little fellow. I wore sunglasses and was staring at him, but the boy thought I was watching outside. So, he again staring at me. No staring at my camera. Then the realization hit me. This boy was interested in my camera, and his mom was sleeping and snoring. Now it's time to scare the little fella. I lifted my sunglass and said "BOOM!" loudly. The boy screams with wide eyes faintly while patting his chest. Oh, Baby Boy! It's nothing to get scared of. I Stifle my laughter.

While plotting to scare little fellah, His mom jolting awake and shouting "Ghost!!! Ghost!!!".

And little fellah also started screaming as chanting ghosts. Dear God! Why are they screaming?

Later little boy understand his sleepy mother was having a nightmare and the boy thought she observed ghosts.

Boy becomes shy and started giggling. Great then. Finally, he understands that I was the culprit while I smirked at his evilly.

I was occupied with the thought of the little boy. So, I asked him to join me and I will teach him how to take pictures. He hesitated earlier but then sat beside me. I taught him about camera, visual, focusing lens, and helped him to take pictures. Well, he was a fast learner. We took pictures together. He asked if it was possible to get a single copy, I printed some using my electronic printer and gave it to him. We shared our stories, I gave him a candy bar and cookies. We ate, and we read my travel book together. He was interested in traveling.

Then the time came, his destination arrived. His mom acknowledged me and said goodbye. The kid looked like going to cry anytime. I gave him candy, give him my card, and told him he can call me or email me anytime. I knew that I shouldn't give my number to that kid, but still, I gave him, which was my temporary number thought. The kid told me his name is Ryan. Well, I am gonna miss him though.

I still have 8 hours to go to reach my destination. I plugged in earphones and reached to upper bunk with my backpack and fall asleep. I was remembering my past. I wasn't like this before. I used to rely on people. Always try to find good in them. When they backstabbed me, I certainly realized I can't trust everyone.

I have a trust issue. I didn't know before the difference between black and white. Not everyone is judged by this. Those who are in the abyss, they think that they will never come across the light. They think they are sinner so they should rot in hell. They don't believe that everyone on the earth is a sinner. We all have our inner demon. We try to run away from our problems that later we have to solve by ourselves.

We have to keep the faith. Faith, self-respect, belief is important and must needed things to survive in this world. Keep patience and you will certainly come to see a way to lead or solve your problems.

In University, I got some good friends. Not all are mean to me, not that I care. They are better in many ways, sometimes marks don't judge your excellence. Many friends know better than me. They may be not toppers, but they are way too intelligent than me. This is the reason why I am always against our education system and it is the reason I don't want teaching as my occupation.

I have never been any boyfriend, well have some male friends but they are like my brothers. They are the reason for my becoming a web developer today. They are way too good coders. I know less than them but was enough for me to do my job prominently. They thought me cybersecurity, Data mining, Artificial Intelligence, Networking, Database, etc for making efficient websites and earning money at home. Work from Home. Friends are life savors and can be the pain of the ass sometimes.

Well, my parents are never being serious about me. They are always engrossed in their world. Sometimes they gave me free advice which I never needed or have no use in my cases. I want peace now, only peace. Nothing else. I have ideas, I need destination only, in this way I can find my path. So this one is my much-needed journey and the only way to breathe in the fresh air.

Thinking about my life, I didn't realize when I drifted into a deep slumber. After 6 hours, I awake and still have two hours left to reach my destination. I ate a protein bar and water, then refreshed. The train was late for one hour. So, I reached at 7 pm at the station. The village was really beautiful, with neon light post side of the road, small shops, a peaceful area. I then go to a nearby hotel which you can say a little cottage with 2 bedrooms, with one washroom and a small kitchen along with a little lawn filled with lilies and roses. Well, the manager of this cottage says that the owner of the land made this and decorate 6 cottage which contains 3 and 3 opposite as little neighborhood. 

At the beginning of the cottage have a small office where the manager registered guests name and identity. At the end of the cottage, there has a small canteen where villagers made their basic foods which are simple but more delicious. I appreciate them this and paid extra, they become glad and told me to join breakfast early so they can show me their farm. I promised them I will join them in the morning. Then I came to my cottage and unlocked it. I sat on the lawn and observe the night sky where stars are shown as bright as diamonds. I took a deep breath, then looked at the door. Then go the washroom took shower while came to my bedroom with a towel wrapped around me, dried myself and wore a long shirt, and fall the deep slumber in the bed while planning my new adventure.

The next morning I wake up at 5:30 am, I did my morning chore, wore shorts with a t-shirt. I locked the door and go to have breakfast along with the camera. I had black tea with a veg sandwich then started to roam around the farm as they promised. It was a marvelous sight to observe, a big farm with different types of veggies they planted everywhere. At early in the morning, cloudy weather and because of fog can't see the end of the farm, when its 6:15 am, sunray invaded the cloud and the view I observed was mind-blowing. I captured the view on my camera.

After sometime roaming the area, I thanked them for showing me around the farm. I went back to my cottage and take a shower and wore a back shirt with blue jeans and carried my camera and handbag to visit nearby places to visit and buy some useful stuff. After roaming sideways for hours and come to a place with was surrounded by lush green forest and near the cliff where I awestruck to see the waterfall. I can't believe my eyes what a gorgeous view it was, mother nature it was. I captured some views and later I went near the river and cold water touched my feet and tingly sensation arose in me. I was beyond happy and satisfied. I sighed leisurely and dry my feet. 

After wearing my shoes I visit nearby shops and bought some snacks, packs of noodles, coffee pouch, tea, sugar, rice, cookies, bread, butter, candies, soup ingredients, etc. much-needed stuff and some fruits and vegetables. Also bought some pots, plastic plates, and cups, a water bottle. Then I go back to my cottage and put these on the kitchen counter. I habituated to cook for myself when I was in class 6, I preferred homemade food. I can't help it. I got a kitchen and also had induction which was quite helpful for me. Well, I decided to have lunch in the canteen there and dinner would be done on my own from tomorrow.

I later had lunch near the village Dhaba, then go for roaming the village, I got to make friends with village kids, got to talk with some old villagers, they told me about their village, places to roam and camp area, etc. I got to play with kids, they talked about their school, development in their place. To me, it's really great to say that the network system was great there. The whole place was warm and peaceful to live in for days. The current and water supply also good there.

Kids told me to come again and insisted me to tutor them about science, modern technology, the science which were my only survival lifeline now. So I promised to tutor them for 3 hours to them all as long as I would stay there. They were jumping with excitement which automatically brightens my mood a hundred percent. I bid them goodbye and again go to that place where I stayed for hours yesterday. Nearby cliff from where waterfall flowing surrounded by lush green forest. Peace. Which was the only thing I look for? Pleasent place. I lay there for hours, its night near 8 pm, cloud flowing, bright sky with sparkling diamond-like stars, birds singing, and a nice melody of the insects. Can't help falling in love with the environment.

After spending some hours, I went to my cottage and locked the door, sat on the sofa. After that, I took a warm shower to relax my body. After half an hour I moved to my bedroom while a towel wrapped around me and another one using to dry my hair. I went to the kitchen to make vegetable soup and take it to a bowl and using my laptop to watch my favorite web series FRIENDS. Such a wonderful night it was.

The next day I again wake up early in the morning, I wore a t-shirt and yoga pants and went jogging. Later I went to a tea shop and had milk tea with cookies. With immense satisfaction, I again moved to the cottage and take a shower. After having pancakes and bacon with orange juice I went to the village at 7:30 am in morning and spend time with the kids, teaching them about modern technology, science. They asked so many questions curiously that I had to take water to relax my throat. Then at 11 am I bid them goodbye and again promised to come tomorrow. 

After my technology session with kids, I went back to heaven. Well you know I do I mean to say. That waterfall, in the middle of the forest. In these three days, I made lots of videos, edit them with music, and took lots of pictures of teaching the kids, conversing with elders, farming view, sus rise, and sunset near the river. I was contented and come to think rationally about every step I was going to take in the future. I started to think properly. Well, I had no idea that from that day on a new character was going to enter my life or you could say I kind of dragged him from the abyss. Never in my wildest dream, I ever thought I was gonna be a savior of someone or that character was going to be my life after some year. Can't believe it.

I was observing the view standing near the waterfall while playing with cold water. I suddenly heard breaking a branch of a tree, I shifted my attention to that direction. I watched a blond man in a white shirt was falling from the cliff, I was dumbfounded. I was watching with open-mouthed and then observed him fell into the water with a loud thud. I still couldn't believe my eyes. What the hell!! Without wasting a single second I drove in his direction and bought him to my previous spot. I tried to wake him up, pumping his heart to empty water from his lung. Anf finally he came back to life.

I was vigorously shaking him and yelling to open his eyes at once, I was beyond scared, I never in my life fought in that type of situation. Then he opened his eyes, the sight was alluring. Sparkling ocean blue eyes which were dull in sadness. I tried to cheer him up while saying, "Welcome back to life, Fallen Angel" with a smirk. Then within a second he losing his consciousness again. I then threatening him and said, "Don't you dare to die in my lap, else there would be consequences". He then lost his consciousness, well his breathing was even though, that was quite a relief to me.

I took him with taking help from the villagers to my cottage, I informed manager everything, they praised me and helped me to put him to my spare room. After they brought some male clothes and I forcefully handed them money without taking their protests and thanked them for helping him. I told them to wash him and put his clothes, they compiled that eagerly, then went their home. As a woman, I knew my boundaries very well, villagers respected me for that, and never questioned me why I put a stranger to my cottage, they knew I was just helping the poor soul.

After their departure, I went to his room with hot water and a towel, well he caught a cold. I gave him medicines and tried to help him to have warm soup which was given by the maid of the cafeteria who offered me to guide their farm, she also gave me dinner, I paid her instantly with the extra reward, which she protesting to return it, I somehow managed to convenience her to take these and help her kids for education. She finally agreed.

Feeding him was kind of hilarious, I was shaking him like a leaf, what can I do, tell me! I had to keep him alive and wanted to give him a piece of mind for trying to take his life. Well, I knew, I was no one to judge, still, suicide is not the only option to run away from your problems easily. We are all born fighter. I don't want to go to that biology staff though. We all know that basic part. So, the moral of the story is to fight back.

Life is beautiful, the only handful of years we got to live peacefully, make a bright future with our own built family. We would go for a lot of traveling, learning new things, spending time with loved ones. This is called a happy and peaceful life.

God knows what has that poor soul been through, I needed to help him. I couldn't live him before making him strong. So, I feed him with all my might, while he was still one-fourth conscious and whining like a baby, AWW! but I have to torture him, to keep him alive. I changed my plan and stayed awake till the morning while giving him water vapor and medicine for fever, at the middle of the night his temperature decrease and I took a nap while putting that towel on his forehead. I prayed to God to keep him safe and I fall asleep. Hope in the morning everything would be alright.