Blooming Love

That morning, I woke up later than my usual time, feeling an overwhelming exhaustion from the events of the previous day. My head throbbed as if a relentless hammer was pounding inside it. Typically, if I didn't appear on time, Aman would check in on me. I rarely ran late, but this particular morning, it was Taeri who appeared at my door.

Her expression was nearly stoic, like a statue, but her intent gaze bore into me from head to toe. It made me feel oddly exposed, and I quickly retreated back into my room, inviting her in. There was a wordless understanding between us, born from the closeness that had developed in our team. Taeri's presence served as reassurance, a silent reminder that in our team, we looked out for one another, regardless of the situation. It was a testament to the bond that had formed, where unspoken concern and support were second nature to us.

"Taeri, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at work?"

She regarded me with a serious expression and a hint of concern in her eyes. "Seriously, Tarun?"

Confused, I asked, "What did I do wrong? We're supposed to be at work by now." I could feel the pounding in my head and tried to control it.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her tone softening.

"Yeah, I'm good. My bad. Where are my manners? Would you like to have a coffee?" I attempted to stand and make her a coffee, but as I got up, the world seemed to spin around me. I was about to fall, but Taeri swiftly caught me and gently guided me to the couch.

"Relax, okay. Make yourself comfortable," she said, concern etched on her face. I nodded, still feeling disoriented.

"Are you cold?" she inquired.

"Yeah," I replied, shivering from both the cold and the fever.

"Here..." She retrieved a blanket from the bedroom and draped it over me. Then, she adjusted the throw pillows to provide support, allowing me to lie down comfortably on the couch. I snuggled beneath the blanket, still unsure of what was happening. It all felt like a dream.

"Let me check you." Taeri placed her hand on my forehead and then on my neck. "OMG, Tarun, you're burning up. Where's the first aid kit?"

Her concern was evident as she rushed to find the first aid kit. With gentle care, she applied a cool patch to my forehead and advised me to rest. Minutes later, she reappeared with a bowl of rice porridge. Despite my exhaustion and illness, I managed to eat, and as soon as she left for the kitchen to do the dishes, I drifted into a deep slumber.

When I woke, Taeri helped me sit up and made sure I finished another bowl of porridge, accompanied by the necessary medications. In my sleep, I hadn't been aware of it, but I felt the cool sensation of a damp cloth on my hands and legs. Taeri must have been tirelessly trying to bring down my fever. As hours passed, I awoke feeling somewhat improved. My gaze settled on her, still sleeping with the cloth in her hand. Not wanting to disrupt her peaceful rest, I fetched an extra blanket from the bedroom and gently covered her, protecting her from the chill.

With my hunger growing, I ventured into the kitchen, determined to prepare dinner for both of us. She had cared for me throughout the day, and I wondered if she had even had a chance to eat herself. In the kitchen, I did my best to maintain a calm posture, but somehow ended up creating more chaos than order. Taeri awoke, her eyes half-lidded and appeared visibly concerned as she made her way to the kitchen. Her eyes held a deep worry for my well-being, and I realized how fortunate I was to have such a caring friend by my side.

Our roles had shifted, as she gently urged me to rest while she took charge of the kitchen. The aroma of a home-cooked meal filled the air, and I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for her unwavering support and friendship. It was in moments like these that the strength of our bond truly shone.

"You should be resting right now...what are you doing here? Come on let's get you back to the couch so you can relax" She took my hand and was literally dragging me.

In the movement, I hurriedly turned off the gas and went along with her. She checked my temperature one more time and it was better than morning. She made me sit and wrapped the blanket around me. She stuck a new cool patch on my forehead.

"Tarun, are you hungry?"

"No I am fine" I replied but my stomach snitched me out. It started growling so loud that the entire camp could hear it. She started laughing out loud.

"The entire camp would be hearing this now, and imagine if they start running away from the camp thinking a dinosaur is in the camp"

The way she put my growl into words amazed me. I started laughing too. I laughed till my head hurt me.

Taeri went to the kitchen and prepared a steaming bowl of soup to help me feel better. As I sipped the soothing broth, I couldn't help but wonder why no one from work had called to check on me. Taeri returned with a tray, placing it before me. She fetched another chair, settling in comfortably. On the tray were two bowls of delicious hot soup, accompanied by white rice and kimchi on the side.

We shared a meal, discussing various topics like the weather and current news. The conversation naturally drifted to the mysteries of space and the mesmerizing stars. Under the gentle glow of our dining table's light, we found ourselves marveling at the vastness of the cosmos. It was a simple yet beautiful moment, the warmth of the soup matching the warmth of our friendship. Despite my illness, the evening turned out to be filled with warmth and delightful conversation, making me forget the day's confusion and my condition. But then again, why was no one questioning my missing presence at work?

"Tarun, it is Saturday today, weekend. Remember we are off on weekends until we get the case files?" she looked at me softly while saying this.

"Oh...Ohhh...Ohhh I was a fool thinking why didn't anyone call us asking to come for work". And I laughed at myself.

"So, don't worry you still have entire tomorrow to get better." She slowly kept the bowls on the tray and took them back to the kitchen. She washed all the dishes and came back to the living room, wiping the sweat from her forehead. I am falling for her more and more and I should be careful not to make her uncomfortable I thought.

"Here are your medicines..." She handed me the medicines and I took them without arguing although I hate medicines. If Maa was here she would be shocked and would say things like "How many times have I tried? But you never took them on the first go... I sometimes even begged you to take your medicines...but now her? she didn't even have to argue? isn't this unfair?" and the thought itself scared me.

"Earth to Mr. Sherlock... What are you thinking about?" Taeri interrupted my thoughts.

"Nothing..." I tried to compose myself, but she had caught me in a contemplative moment.

"Aren't you curious?"

"What? Why?"

"Why was I here this morning?"

"Oh yes, I was about to ask you this in the morning but totally skipped my mind... Why were you here?"

"I saw it, Tarun..."

"What did you see?"

"The piece of paper you hid in your pocket."

I started panicking without knowing why, but she gently rubbed my back and made me calm. I didn't know why she had such a strong effect on me.

"You know you can tell me if you want to, and Aman seemed really worried about you the other day. Upon asking, he said you were having visions. Do you want to talk about it?"

I don't know what took me over, but I just couldn't stop talking.

"Yes, I have been having these dreams or visions... But not sure what they mean. Sometimes I see Aman dying in my arms; other times, I see people calling for some guy called Mohan, and..." I slowed down, realizing I was just blurting everything out.

I looked at her, and she looked at me, expecting me to continue...

"Do you think I am weird? Do you believe me?" I didn't know if it was the fever or the medicines, but they made me so sensitive and emotional that I couldn't control myself.

She gently took my hand into hers and sat next to me.

"Tarun, if anything I know about you is that you are not weird," she assured me. "I believe you... I am asking because I want to help you, just like how you helped me."

I wiped my tears and continued.

"Last night, I had a vision about a girl called Niveditha. She is Mohan's wife..." I paused, and she squeezed my hand. "She was abandoned by her mother. Her father expired, and her mother married someone else. He was nice and loving to her until they had a boy. They sent her away to her grandparents' house, and she lost them after a while too. When they decided to get married, she wanted to invite her mother as she was the only family left. But upon talking to her mother, she realized that she lost her mother a long time ago when she was sent away."

I could see tears in her eyes. How foolish was I to tell her all this?

"Look, Tarun, losing a parent is hard, but what her mother did to her isn't any good. Neither she nor her grandparents deserved it. But, I can tell you something, her grandparents... sounds like they were her strength, and she lost them too. You know my mother was my strength too, and I lost her too. Knowing your mother is out there alive and not knowing how she is... is much better than knowing your mother is out there alive and knowing how cruel she is. I cried because of the thought that my actual mother left me in an orphanage, but now hearing this made me realize that I might be wrong about her. What if she had no other choice? It gave me hope and a reason to look at my mother positively."

She rested her head on my shoulder, and I felt a deep connection with her, knowing that we both carried our own burdens and secrets. It was a moment of mutual understanding and support, a reminder that we weren't alone in our struggles, and that sometimes, sharing our feelings could lighten the load.

Nothing that day was romantic or ill-intentioned. we were emotionally naked to each other and that made our bond much stronger.

"And whoever Mohan was...I wish I find someone like him, someone who stands by me when my entire world is flipping just like how Mohan stood by her when she couldn't recognize her own mother. When he loved me...I could see the sincerity in his eyes but maybe I never loved him, maybe I admired him, he was a nice guy and my life would be nice if I was with him is the most practical thought I had when I said yes to him. I felt bad, sad, and partly guilty when he was murdered but not heartbroken. I don't know if I should be feeling these emotions but I hope he is resting well somewhere good where he is happy."

None of us spoke for a while...and I started shivering after a while. My temperature was rising again and she took care of me like a baby. I don't know what I did to deserve such care but all I knew was not to ever mistreat her. She gently put my head onto her lap and massaged my head so that I could sleep peacefully. The next morning I woke up in her lap. She was sleeping peacefully again and this time I did not want to repeat the same mistake again by waking her up, instead I went back to sleep again. She woke up a while later and checked my temperature, she gently put my head on the pillow and went into the kitchen to make us coffee. She woke me up and gave me my coffee.

"Look your fever is gone"

"Yeah and I feel energized, all thanks to you...I was extremely comfortable but on the other hand you..."

"I am fine don't worry" she assured.

"How do you make such a wonderful coffee? I have never had something like this before"

"duh! You are such a genius...Didn't I earlier mention to you that I am a barista?"

"Oh yeah, I guess last night after the head massage, the brain must have slept and isn't woken yet."

We both shared a good laugh at a joke before Taeri excused herself to freshen up, and I followed suit while she prepared breakfast. As I stood under the warm shower, I couldn't help but reflect on the positive impact she had on my life. It all started with a TV news report on a case, and it led me to the exact location where she had been captured. It made me ponder the notions of fate and destiny. If this was indeed what they call destiny, I felt grateful for it, knowing it had brought Taeri into my life.

Upon stepping out of the shower, I found Taeri had prepared toast and was waiting at the table for our meal. As we enjoyed our breakfast, I decided it was the right time to share with her the existence of the mysterious note. The note had been lingering in my thoughts, casting a veil of curiosity and concern. With her by my side, I felt comfortable enough to unravel the mystery together, and I believed that sharing this puzzle would be the next step in our journey.

"About the note you saw the other day, I did not mention this to Aman either so I want you to act as if you don't know anything about it when I tell the team tomorrow, can you do that for me?"

she nodded and her nod assured me to trust her.

"The note said I know what happened in there previously, if I know what happened back then, don't you think I will know what might have happened in there now? Curious much? Contact me..."

I could see the legit shock on her face. she quickly composed herself and took deep breaths before speaking

"And why didn't you tell us?"

"I wanted to, but then I was too scared. It was the second day of our work and I did not want you all to worry, especially before a weekend. Unlike us, Jang Woo and Woo Shik Hyung have kids and I just wanted them to enjoy one last weekend without worrying because we both know once we get our hands on the files, it wouldn't be an easy ride."

"I understand, you meant no offense and none taken to. The way you think about your teammates might be the reason you were appointed as the head. And I wanted to thank you for the dinner on Friday night. Austin needed it, he is extremely close with his family and he misses them badly. They were upset that they had to know what he went through on media when he himself could tell them."

"That is the least we can do, I understand what he meant and I can understand what he is going through, I never thought we would be so casual on the first day of work, but if it wasn't you guys, this would have been entirely different. We look out for each other, work with each other, and be together with each other for longer hours and it makes us no less than a family."

"Spoken like a true leader and a gentleman, here on that note let's clink our juice cartons" and we laughed and talked and laughed about various things. Taeri and I spent the rest of the day together and eventually, she went back to her room once she made sure I was fine for work the next day. 

As I lay on the bed, my mind was consumed by thoughts of Taeri and the mysterious note. I couldn't help but contemplate how the team would react to the mysterious message and who this anonymous person might be. However, amidst these musings, my thoughts kept drifting towards Taeri and the remarkable ease with which she made me feel comfortable. Our bond formed naturally and grew over time. What she had been through was no easy journey, yet she tackled it with grace and a positive outlook on life that left me in awe.

I deeply admired her, and my respect for her soared to new heights. I hoped to reciprocate her care and support, and perhaps, one day, I'd find the courage to express just how much I loved her. It was a silent longing that had taken root, nurtured by the profound connection we shared and the deep admiration I held for her strength and character.

I was engrossed in thoughts about her while rolling on the bed. My phone buzzed, and I received two messages, one from my mother and the other from Taeri.

"Beta, I hope you are doing fine...this visa is taking longer than we anticipated. Eat healthy food, and now that you are exposed in the media, it drew a lot of attention on me and Aman's wife too. We will be brought to Korea soon with utmost protection, and we now have escorts too. So, don't worry about us, and I love you. Call me when you are free!"

"Tarun, I hope you are doing fine...take your meds and sleep. You need to rest as much as possible for tomorrow. I just have a feeling it will be a long day. More power to you...goodnight."

These messages were a comforting reminder of the two most important women in my life. The genuine concern and love they expressed touched my heart, and I couldn't help but smile. With their support and care, I felt a renewed sense of strength and motivation. And so, with thoughts of my mother and Taeri, I drifted into a peaceful sleep, ready to face whatever challenges the next day would bring.