Chapter. 7. Outing.
Aai pushes his hand away,
Aai: "You!...". she glares at him while rubbing her cheeks.
Ren chuckled. Max just looked at them.
Nair: "Ren stop it. ....Aai we were thinking...how about we go out?".
Aai: "HUH!".
Nair: "Well since it's Sunday and we too have no work today, so let's go hang out?".
Aai: "Um.. my tests are approaching, I've to study".
Ren: "Kid, not studying for a day, won't drop your grades and your minds do need relaxation too".
Aai: "I.. ".
Nair: "Aai please. Just a day".
Aai couldn't refuse her brother.
Ren: "Done! Then let's go". Ren interrupted and walked out.
Ren: "Let's go!".
They all went in Ren's car.
They first had breakfast in a restaurant, and then after visiting the museum, they stopped by a mall.
The elders went ahead shopping while Aai and Max stayed behind.
Aai stood at a corner waiting for the two. Friends were gathering, and family enjoying themselves. A mother with her child was shopping. Aai stared at them and remembered her time with her mother.
Aai: "Maa let me carry the bag!".
Aai's mom: "It's heavy dear you won't be able to carry it".
Aai: "Then give me the smaller ones and you carry that one bag".
Aai's mother patted her head. She bought themselves ice cream and walked talking and laughing.
Max looked at Aai. He walked towards her,
Max: "Would you like to walk around?".
Aai looked back at the two but they had gone.
She agreed and began walking with Max.
Aai: "...."
Max: "Umm..about yesterday, thanks".
Aai: "....Are you a kid that didn't even notice having a fever?".
Max: "I... just that had lots of things and... "
Suddenly Aai stopped and ran into a shop.
WELCOME TO THE STELLAR STORE.
Max followed Aai. She had a different environment around her. Max was in a daze. She was like a child who got something she desired. She saw things with desire, touched telescopes with care and read books with interest.
Her eyes were filled with excitement.
Max too looked around. He picked a camera and saw through. It showed pics of space.
When he looked towards Aai, she was not there. He walked around the store but couldn't find her.
He ran out of the store.
Max: "BROTHER!''.
Ren: "Max?... hey slow down, you can't run around like that".
Max was out of breath. Ren asked what was wrong.
Nair: "Max where's Aai?".
Max: "She's..nowhere to be found".
WHAT!
Ren: "What are you saying?".
Max tells him what happened.
Ren: "Didn't I tell you to stay with her while we're out!?".
Nair: "Ren calm down!".
The three looked around but Aai was nowhere to be seen.
Ren: "Wait I think she must be there". saying he runs into that store.
Nair: "Ren!".
They stepped into a dark room. It felt like entering into a different world. They exhibited a planetarium. It felt so real the galaxies, stars, meteors.... looking intensely, Nair found Aai in a corner.
She sat there, staring deeply into the show, lifting her hand and trying to touch the visuals.
Ren let out a sigh and said, "I saw these show's posters in a shop and just as guessed she's here".
Aai was a big fan of things related to astronomy. She read books and decorated her room with night-shining stickers, and planetariums. It helps her to calm her mind and take her into a world of non-humans. The concepts of multiple galaxies forming the universe and the time travel articles give her a sense of possibility.
The probability of travelling around the time and fixing her mistake that took away her happiness and warmth forever.
She plays the planetarium and tries to find one star which could give her warmth and a sense of oneness, a familiar feeling. Using that she comes out from loneliness and feels relieved seeing millions of light in the dark background.
Max was startled to see such a hurt emotion on her face. He couldn't understand her. She sat there with her eyes closed and murmuring, "Maa".
Nair couldn't stand watching her. He ran to her and shaking her, woke her up.
Her eyes gleamed. Don't know if it was from the effect of the light or the wetness on her eyelids.