2 Chapter 2

We lived on the 2nd floor in an apartment in Hannam Hill. And as I stepped down, I could feel the cold breeze of December. It was cloudy, with no sign of sun. I could hardly see my car which was standing at some distance due to the fog, but I finally managed to spot it, as the headlights were on. I started walking towards it when I heard Ava from the balcony, "Ash, wait!" 

I looked up to check and she threw a muffler towards me, "it's cold, take care." I caught the muffler and then replied, "Go inside immediately and wear warm clothes."

She smiled and said bye. It was her old habit – she loved winters. She would be eating ice cream ; she would be wearing short dresses and no warm clothes. But now I needed to be strict with her as she had a little one to take care of.

I reached the car with my laptop on side and opened the door. My office was in central Seoul, and it would take me around an hour and a half to reach. I was working with a marketing firm, but preferred residing in Hannam Hill as Ava's parents were also living there. It was easier to visit them. As my pick up was the first, I usually took a nap on my way to the office. But that day, I was too excited. I placed my laptop on the side and put my head back, closed my eyes and started recollecting the days of our high school when I first met Ava. Within no time, nostalgia took me back in time.

BACK IN 2011

"Don't be Disheartened, son ! Feel fresh and enthusiastic; it's your first day in school," my mother said, cheering me up. My father just transferred to Busan due to his job. I was not at all happy leaving my Seoul School and friends in my tenth class. But dad suggested that shifting and adjusting was still comfortable in the tenth as I needed to start preparing for my entrance exams after this. I was the only son, but my father never let me think like that. He was my friend, but strict when it was required. My mom was a housewife and lovely by nature. She loved chatting with everyone she found interesting, and if not, she could build interest in them. My father, on the other hand, spike less and always gets to the point ; he always took time to get with others.

I was a pampered child, but not a spoiled one. I was good in studies and extra curriculars. I loved swimming and singing and my ambition in life was to trek and swim.

"Ya, mummy, I'm excited, but missing my Seoul school," I replied, picking up my bag. I was a day scholar, which meant I'd not be staying in the school hostel.

"Come, let me drop you to school," Papa said, picking up his car keys.

"No, it's okay Papa, I'll take my cycle." I always loved cycling, and as we lived in Gangnam, which was never near the school, I wanted to bike to school along the road between the lush green valley.

"As you wish but go slowly as it's a new place."

"Sure papa" I assured him and picked up my cycle keys. With a small bag on my back, I started riding my sports bike on the plain, open and traffic free road of Busan. The beauty of the tall green trees on both sides of the road was mesmerizing. I had never seen such pleasant view in Seoul. The soft cold Breeze was hitting my face and I wanted to keep cycling until the road ended. The atmosphere had a pleasant fragrance of the vegetation all around. I breathe in deeply as I reached School.

I parked my cycle at the cycle stand and went to look for my class. The school was beautiful with a vast campus. My Seoul school was in one building and had just a small playground. As I walked on the lane made up of stones, I observed students running towards a particular area. Since I had joined after one month of the session had already passed, the other students were more familiar with the rules and regulations. I became worried. I was wondering where to go. And then I saw a man asking students to rush, maybe for the Assembly. I went up to him.

"Dear, please move fast for assembly. It's starting now," he said looking at me.

"Sorry, sir. I am a new student. I don't know where to go. Help me please," I replied in a soft tone to him, with my hands folded at the back.

"Which class?"

"Sir tenth," I replied.

He took a pause and then replied "Yeah you come with me. After the Assembly you may meet the principal. She will give you all the details."

I nodded and started following him. He started walking and I followed him. After crossing the first of classrooms, we reached a significant open ground where all the students were standing, in all probability according to their class sections.

"Remain silent and stand at the corner," the man asked me to stand at the back of all the students under the corridors shed. Some teachers were standing there and looked at me with exploring eyes. I was afraid, tensed and lonely. I started missing my old school even more.

Dressed in a pale yellow shirt with brown trousers and a black tie. I stood with my eyes down. I was feeling nostalgic and annoyed, remembering my old friends when I heard the prayer on the loud speakers.

" my father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom come..."

That soft, polite and sweet voice made me look up full stop my eyes fast hundreds of students standing in an array to the small stage in front, on which a few students were conducting assembly. And a beautiful girl, wearing a pale yellow shirt with brown skirt till her knees with her hair pinned into a ponytail, with her joined hands and closed eyes was reciting the prayer. I wanted to concentrate on praying, but my eyes would not agree to blink, nor would my head agree to bend. It was the first time I was feeling something different for someone.

Just by looking at her, my nostalgic feeling evaporated and my heart condensed in her smile. As she finished, I realised I had a strange smile on my face.

There was pin drop silence during assembly but I was out of the world. My mind was running very fast, creating stories, questions and answering them all on my own. I was admiring everything about her – from the way the breeze blew her hair to the lilt of her voice. To me, she looked like water in the heat of the desert. But what made me fall head over Heels for her was the way she smiled and blinked her eyes. The way she bent her head, the way she adjusted her braids, the way she was calm and the way she looked naughty. Everything about her was driving me towards her. I knew it was a crush, but, what should i say friends, that crush was something I was in love with. I continued observing her, as she took her position back with the other students on the stage.

Soon, the Assembly got over. Sir showed me the principal's cabin and asked me to wait till he got the details of my class. He seemed like a quite supportive teacher. He went inside after taking my details.

The principal's office was huge, with the school emblem on the door, and the list of toppers from various years on the right side. By then, I was losing connect with the girl whom I had just seen during assembly, and was reading the names of the students on the notice board. Few junior girls and boys for decorating the large notice board placed outside the principal's cabin.

I was trying to read the content on the notice board when sir came out of the room and called me, "Ash, please come here."

Hearing him, I rushed towards him, "Yes sir."

"Your class is X, section D. It's on the other side of this building. Let me take you there. By the way, I am a mathematics teacher, and my name is John Stephen."

"Thanks a lot, sir, for all your help." And he started walking, while he asked me, "You are new to Busan or have you just changed your school?"

"Sir, I'm from Seoul. My father got transferred here."

"Where does he work?" He asked me another question, but before I could reply, he called someone with a loud voice, "Ava, please come here."

I turned to my left, and to my surprise, she was the same girl whom I had been admiring. She took long steps and came fast, although she was carrying a stack of copies, all covered and labelled in her hands.

"Yes sir, you called me?" She asked coming close to us, and again her voice brought a smile to my face. The dimple on her left cheek was perfect.

"He is Ash – a new student in our school. He is in your section. Please take him to your class and introduce him to Mrs. Stacey, your class teacher," Mr. John told her and left, his hands in his pocket.

"Hi! I'm Ava. Welcome to our school," she told me with a beautiful smile on her face. She was fair with pink lips and cheeks.

"Hi ! I'm Ash, may I help you?" I asked and took half the copies as we started walking down the corridor towards the class.

After walking a few steps, I tried to start a conversation. "It was a long prayer. You said it very nicely."

"I've been in this School since nursery and have been reciting since then," she replied smiling. Her voice was melodious, crushed in her soft breath and mixed with a smile.

"Oh, I thought..." I stopped in the middle as she showed me our class, pointing her finger. Just as she stepped in front of me, I said, "I heard prayers are for angels and princesses, but your voice was sounding like a princess's, reciting the prayer."

I suddenly stopped walking as she stopped hearing my words. Still not facing me, her hair at the side of her ears was moving in the breeze. She turned and replied with a naughty smile, "And you are looking like a bunny, with the bag on your back and copies in your hands." Her smile relaxed me, as she entered the class.

She introduced me to Mrs. Stacey, our English and class teacher. That was my first interaction with my Ava. My smiling, energetic, lively, beautiful Ava.

"Sir, please wake up, we have reached your office in Hongdae," my driver woke me up. I realized I had been dreaming of the best time of my life, but now I needed to get to work.

Someone said 'Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.' But when you reach far creating your life, you realize finding life was much better ; at least your family and friends were with you.

I stepped in front of the building in Hongdae, Seoul, and walked among thousands, with my laptop on my shoulder and dreams in my eyes. Every day when I walked to my office, I felt like the balloon seller who used to come to our lane when we were small kids. He carried a bunch of balloons tied to a wooden ply like thing. Same as me and others. Now, our laptop bags replaced the wooden stick, but we were the same – running and moving around every day, to earn money.

I took my seat, opened my laptop. While waiting for it to boot, I dialled Ava's phone number.

"Father in heaven. Holy be your name..." I just started as she picked up the call, but got stuck after one line intentionally to let her continue. And she did, "your kingdom come, you'll be done, as it is in heaven...."

"What happened Ash? Why does this prayer suddenly come to your mind?" I took a pause, relaxed in my seat, smiled and then replied, "Today I got the news that our love is coming to this world," paused and then continued, "So princess, how can I forget the first word which I had heard from the lips of the love of my life."

I could sense her blushing in her silence. She finally said lovingly "You still remember everything?"

"We remember those whom we forget.... You're always on my mind." And we both laughed. She said "I love you" and asked me to get back to work.

I don't know who invented these three magical words, but whoever did, must have been in love with fairies, as they are the ones spreading love in the universe.

I placed my mobile on my desk, typed my login ID and password in the laptop, but then stopped, thought for a while and then picked up my mobile to send a message to my Ava.

"Since the day I've seen you, my lips have parted wider, smiling. I smiled hearing your voice, I smiled meeting you, I smiled walking with you, I smiled talking to you, then, and today, I'm again smiling, hearing that we will be three soon ! Princess, I love you."