Page 91 - You Only Live Once [BooksLD]

Sheen and I take a walk back to the shack, crossing the backwaters. It’s
still shallow and can be crossed on foot. I head back to my room to take a
nap.

‘You are mad,’ Sheen says as she leaves the room.
‘You must be double mad to fall in love with a mad person.’

‘Maybe, yes!’

‘Madness is a crucial part of our lives. Take a man and add some
madness to him. Now, he chirps, sings, laughs, jumps, and does everything
that most common people will consider craziness. But who is really crazy?
The one who jumps and dances and chirps all over the scene, spreading
love and positivity, or the one who sits in the corner imagining what went
wrong that he can no longer do what this other person is doing?’

‘Sleep well, Ricky!’
I am not proud of risking my life and bothering Sheen, but I’m happy to

have spoken to Elisha after such a long time. Let me tell you what exactly
triggered this. Three days back, Alara had come to me. It is her fault. She
rekindled the spark in me. She made me believe that Elisha might still be
alive. While I had dragged her out of Ricky’s that very day, I feel I should
call her up and help her find Elisha. If there’s the slightest of truth in it, I am
willing to take a chance. You know why? Because you always want to give
one last chance to the people you love.

I pick up the landline placed on my bedside and dial Maria’s.

‘Hello.’
‘Yes. Madhuri from Maria’s PG.’
‘Can I speak with Alara?’

‘Yes!’ After a moment, ‘Hi,’ says Alara.

‘This Sunday, we are going to your mother’s school.’
‘Thank you! I knew you would call me. My happiness knows no bounds
Uncle Ricky.’

‘Be on time!’ I say as I hang up.
Elisha’s words from my dream, ‘I love that’, spin in my head like she had

said I love you. I re-hear and relive them a zillion times. The feeling? I
can’t exactly put it into words.