Prologue

Prologue

(New York)

"Man, I am fine. Why don't you get that" I heard his muffled chuckle from other side. He must have sensed that his constant phone calls have gotten on my nerves. Why can't these people leave me alone on this day?

'Because they love you, they care for you' My inner voice chided me for not seeing the love behind their calls.

"Okay I agree with you Mr. Inner voice but I know how to take care of myself." I calmed down my inner voice.

'I know they care for me and become extra conscious about me on this day.'

My mobile rang again and flashed the beautiful face of my elder sister. It was her sixth call since morning but I didn't have the heart to shout at her.

"Hi doc, before you ask me for the sixth time, let me tell you that I am very fine" She giggled.

"Did you have your pills?" How she always know if I have skipped my medicines. My silent reply was enough for her to get worried.

"Baby please take them otherwise you know.." I stopped her in between

"I know, I know. I promise I will take them but not now" I requested almost pleaded.

"Those pills stop me from peeking into my past and I wanted to remember her for some more time." she sighed

"It has been ten years Alex. Please forget her. Let someone come close to you." My sister was not ready to give up on me.

"Let's not talk about that. Please, Sis" I insisted.

"Now if you please excuse me, I have to attend some very important meetings" My request was completely ignored because I started getting a lecture on the negative impacts of being a workaholic. This is the biggest drawback of having a doctor sibling and that too an elder one.

I put the phone aside and peeked outside the floor length window. After a few minutes, she said bye because she realized that I was ignoring her.

Thank god! I immediately switched off my mobile but my office phone rang in the next moment.

"Mr. Miller, your father is on the line. Please pick up the phone" Linda politely requested from the half-opened door and vanished quickly. I was irritated by the regular ringing of phones but it was from dad so I finally gave up.

"Hello, dad! How are you?" I was tired and wanted to tell him to spare me for today but his booming voice hit my eardrums like a thunderstorm.

"Alex, I have sent you the tickets. You are flying to India in 2 hours. Don't worry about the leave, I have sorted it out with Linda and canceled your appointments. Leave the office right now." Desperation was clearly visible in his voice.

"But Dad!" with a thud he disconnected the line.

"Jesus! He canceled my appointments, so many important meetings were lined up and HE JUST CANCELLED THEM!" I paced back and forth to vent out my frustration and anxiety.

'God, I could never understand what this man wants from me. Am I a puppet who will move on his wishes? And why he wanted me to go to that place on this day when I want to live alone?'

I was about to call Linda when she rushed inside my cabin and handed me my plane tickets. I gave her an annoyed glare but she wished me a nice journey with a sweet smile. I controlled myself from not shouting at her.

My father never ordered me like that except once. It happened ten years ago and his order has changed my life upside down. I didn't want to go to that place which has played with my heart and emotions.

'My parents know that her memories still haunt me and if I would step on that land again, her memories would be refreshed. But they still want me to go there. Why?'

I brushed that thought aside and headed towards the airport. I boarded the flight to India, the gateway of my past which has mended and then wounded my heart forever.

I never wished to visit that country but I was forced to go there as an act of punishment from my parents especially from my Father.

Later on, I was glad that I got that punishment. I could never meet her if I was not sent there. After meeting her, I never wanted to return to my home. I have started looking at my life in a different light when she was with me. She gave a meaning to my life with her existence and even after her death.

Her absence made a black hole in my heart that engulfed all my happiness. She left me alone to live in agony at this day a decade ago. I tried hard to forget this day but it just clicked in my mind every year and forced me to remember her painful death.

"Why God, why did you snatch her from me? Was her rejection was not enough to hurt me that you destroyed her existence?" I mumbled when I felt that my vision has become hazy due to overflowing moisture in my eyes.

I settled myself in my seat and closed my eyes. After a decade, that one year came in front of my eyes in a blink and it seemed to be so fresh like it happened a moment ago.

FLASHBACK (Royal International School, Delhi, India, IST 8:30 AM)

I stepped into the classroom with the Principal and silence spread inside the room. Within a second, all eyes moved from the principal towards me like I was some kind of alien. It seemed that the whole class was under some spell except one student. The loud voice of Mr. Sharma forced everybody to stop their staring process.

"Good Morning Students, I would like you to meet your new friend Alex, Alex Miller. I hope you ALL will make him feel comfortable. As you can understand, it will be little difficult for Alex to adapt in our culture and education system BUT I know, all of you will help him and accept him as one of your own and behave well with him." The principal has finished his little speech which was more like warning. He was assessing every student with a steely gaze.

"Am I clear?" Students just nodded their heads in agreement because nobody wanted to get on the wrong side of the principal.

"Have nice day kids!" When he was assured that the students got his warning, he waved them bye and left the room.

"Brad Pitt"

"Matt Damon"

"No, yar (Buddy), young professor X"

"Nah, Wolverine"

"Come on, Damon Salvatore"

"Whatever but he is damn hot!" I heard girls comparing me with movie characters in a hushed tone.

"I wish he sits next to me" one girl sighed while smiling at me.

"Alex! You can sit with Gauri." Mr. Rai indicated towards the desk in the front row where a thin girl with black hair was sitting. I behaved like an obedient student and walked towards the indicated seat.

"Hey look, he is sitting with that charity case" I heard a girl whispered to someone but her voice was audible enough to her neighbors and I was one of them. The girl was sitting behind my seat.

'You dare utter another word and I will happily cut your tongue'. A female voice threatened in the same hushed tone and silence followed after that.

'So, I am sitting with a charity case' I smirked inwardly

My classmates were really interesting and a little violent too at least in dialogues. Just half an hour ago, I was thinking that how would I survive in this school.