From Paris With Love!

Chapter Six

Finale

She left her mind wander idly for a moment,expecting sleep to take over her.But after a few minutes,she found herself more alert,anxiety creeping back into her stomach,twisting it into uncomfortable positions.

Though she had easily sneaked back into the room and in her bed without disturbing anyone,while the other two were pretty wasted and asleep,but she couldn't simply get to sleep.

When things on the outside were silent,it was a whole different picture on the inside.The little demons in her head noisily played tricks and juggling with thoughts,creating a havoc inside.As a result even turning to sides dint seem to help.

The words of Matt kept ringing in her ears,'I hope you get,what you are looking for!',what did he mean by that? What was I actually looking for? And why did I behave in such a manner? 

Questions filled her head one after the other and then a thought of someone long lost in the past suddenly began to resurface.And there was a sudden contraction in her heart,as if someone had just squeezed it.

All those hidden feeling and emotions started to fill her up,as though it had been entangled for a long time and just waiting to tear free and she realized that she hadn't forgotten anything,she had been lying to herself all this while masking her true feelings.And she was back to square one,being that girl cooped up in her room at Hampton,succumbed to her pain,just waiting for him to show up.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty! wake up" Camilla's serene voice called out tugged slowing at her shoulder.

Her eyes flew open and she lay shivering and grasping in her warm bed for several minutes,trying to break free of the dream.

"Hey, you Okay?" Camilla stood beside her bed a little shocked at the way she had suddenly woken up.

"Yes, I'm fine!" Raquel assured rubbing the beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Breakfast is ready! Come soon!" and saying this Camilla left the room.

She sat still for another moment,the sky outside her window had turned gray and then pale pink while she waited for her heart to slow.

Who knew that a chain of unprecedented events has already began to unfold and nobody knew where would it end!

After getting dressed she headed to the kitchen where Ruby and Camilla had just finished setting the table for breakfast.

"Hey, pancakes,today!" Ruby chirped but Raquel seemed to not notice or take any heed to it.

While the other too chatted,Raquel seemed too keyed up to have any interest in eating.She fiddled with her fork and was drowned in some deep thought.They both watched her but dint dare to ask anything,not at least at that moment.

The next couple of days,it was the same everyday,and it took troll on her,always drooped and worried.She dint talk much and whenever they planned to go out,she would deny making up some health issues excuses.

She had even stopped going to office and her condition seemed to get perpetual.And that's when the two thought it was enough of her queer and outlandish behavior and all of these needed to be resolved,instantly.

"Whats the matter with you?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing,I'm fine!" she mumbled.

"No,you are not! And who are you trying to fool here?" Camilla snapped.

To this Raquel broke down in sobs and the two consoled her.

"Until you let us in,and tell us whats bothering you,how will we know?" Camilla said caressing her head on her lap.

Raquel disclosed everything about Darryl,about the night with Matt,and how she had realized it was same all along.About he being in Paris and that she missed him.

"We gonna find a way out,I promise!" Camilla assured.

For the next some days they did everything to cheer her up,but they understood the matter was way too serious than it had seemed.Her situation was getting more and more distressed with every passing days.

On one clear weather evening,their usual outing at the Champ de Mars park.It was usually packed with people having picnic,kids running around,playing while the trio sat at one side,and Camilla played her guitar,singing in her melodious voice trying to cheer up her glum mood.

Raquel quietly listened to Camilla sing,while Ruby talking non stop on the other side and watching a little girl let go off,when she suddenly shrieked "Balloons!"

Camilla and Ruby both turned to look at her and asked "What?" in union.

"Yes! balloons!" and she explained how it was a connection.And then they came up with a brilliant plan.But she wasn't sure if her imminent choice would really work.But it was the only way to find someone in this vast Paris without knowing anything other than the name!

On their way home they had stopped at The Lovers Bridge,and attached a padlock with 'Darryl' written on it,to the bridge and threw the key into the river.

"Its a symbol for Eternal Love! We both wish it for you. You'll get him!" Camilla assured and the three hugged and cried.Their bond of friendship was beyond words and in days to come it was going to get even stronger.

That night Ruby squawked trying to brighten up everyone's mood,"How about lingerie,instead of balloons? I bet why only Darry Boy,rest all the Darry's from the entire Paris would come running!" she giggled "I could arrange enough girls to pull this stunt! Should I?" and winked.

And the trio burst out into laughter.

And the next couple days of the week passed in visiting every possible place in Paris and letting go of balloons with the hope of him noticing it.

Three days had passed with no result and Raquel finally was beginning to give up on her hope.

"Whom were we kidding Camilla? Finding him with balloon,it is beyond the realms of possibility! Maybe he is no more here to see it" grimacing at her.

"Never doubt your instincts.Believe in what you feel inside,watching that little girl at the park wasn't just mere coincidence,it was destiny's play to show you a way to get him.True Love never fail! You got to keep hope.We are here for you." Camilla conveyed.

And she conceded with it.When on this end she was growing impatient,on the other a guy had been watching,everyday the balloons afloat and tried to track down the trail.

'It can't be her' he thought,but yet his curiosity got the better of him and he was searching for the person who had been doing this.One of these day he was nearly there,but yet he had lost her in the middle of the crowd just having to see a girl from behind with blonde hair.

'It's definitely not her' he ridiculed himself of having to chase all this while without any reason some stranger,'she dint have blonde hair!' and shrugged of the thought,and he had nearly given up searching just when a beautiful coincidence waited to happen!

It was one Sunday afternoon,and she stood at the last place on the list,the Eiffel Tower foreground.Thoughts filled her head,about being irrevocably in love with him.She had never judged her profound connection with him,yet she was her now,with one last hope she let go off bundles of balloons in the air.

The balloons rose slowly up in the clear sky,when a man seated on the nearby park bench, reading newspaper by the lake,saw the reflection of it in the still water.

He instantly walked up following the direction and then he saw her,finally! It was her,standing there,she hadn't changed a bit,except for she had colored her hair blonde.





He walked up right behind her,and whispered,"Hey!"

Her heart fluttered at the familiar voice.It was the only one she had waited this long to hear.She turned to face him and threw her arms around embracing him in a tight hug.

In the middle of profusion and all the noise of the people at the park,suddenly it was all quiet for a long moment,just the thud of her heart hammering,the broken rhythm of their ragged breathing,and the whisper of their lips moving in synchronization.

She looked at his shinning,triumphant eyes and knew that they had won.Because nothing else mattered now,she had found him.He watched a tear which had been eagerly waiting at the brink of her eye roll down when she blinked.And he softly whispered,
"Seeing you still takes my breath away!"

She tried to comprehend,through the films of tears blinding her,the surreal fact that this amazing person was here with her,at this moment,and that finally she had found him.

'He is mine',she thought,it seemed the frayed strands of her life was ready to heal and knit back together.She couldn't describe,she just felt ecstatic about finding him and living that moment full length.

His hands reached up and cradled her face,delicately and they kissed again.

"Why did you leave me and go? Do you know how much I have missed you?" she complained.

"I know but it was for the good." he replied.

"Good! what good would it do to me without you around?" she questioned.

"Remember the night at the beach? our last day before college."

"Yes I remember!"she remarked.

"That day when I looked into your eyes,I not only saw the girl I loved,but I did see the girl who was dependent on me,completely.I dint want you to lose the person you actually are in between."

She quietly listened to him.

"I wanted you to discover yourself.You have always been guarded from any harm,you have always been treated to feel special.Living in Hampton,High school,having me always around had build up you then.

You dint know the world.It isn't simple,and then one day you would find out that the real world doesn't care so much about who you were in high school.I dint want that for you.I wanted you to stand up for yourself.I wanted the world to know she isn't a dependent person.That there is so much more to her.

And for you to start over I had to leave.Because me being around would never let you be the real person!"

"But....." before she could say further he spoke again.

"I would have come back,but the decision of you choosing me would not be because you have known me all long,I wanted you to live your life,know people,and then decide if you still wanted me.I wanted to be that choice of yours.

But somewhere in my head something told me that you would come find me,and I would know then we are actually meant to be together."

"Weirdo! Did you think I ever doubted it? You and Me, never! I knew you are my zing,my soul mate.
But you are right,maybe it was tough without you,but now that I really understood,I love you more for that." she declared.

"I love you too,always have!"

"You know what,the night before I left for Paris,I had asked Mom something,and she had said I would know.Now I have realized what she had meant by that,there wasn't anything to forgive on the first place.People who love us,never really make mistake,they do things that's best for us only that we don't realize it then!"she explained.

The next couple of months they spend with each other,cherishing their new life,rediscovering their love altogether.

And one September Morning,in Hampton,Mrs.Roe gets a call.She had just 'Congratulated' someone on the other end before she hung up.And then she turned to wake up Mr.Roe to give the news.There was a breathtaking smile of exultation and her eyes gleaming which he easily reciprocated and hugged her,overjoyed with the news .

At the same time,in Paris the two lovebirds were leaving from a restaurant waiting to hail a taxi,while on the backdrop a signboard just placed outside the restaurant read:

'From Paris With Love'.

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Many years later,a young girl in her twenties,had just finished with giving her speech at the inaugural conference of her new book which has recently been published and had been signing at her desk.When two ladies in their fifties walked over and asked,
"Can we get our copies signed too?"

She looked up gazing through her turquoise eyes,blissful and delighted to see them.

"Oh My Gawd! Aunt Camilla ,Aunt Ruby! So good to see you!" she exclaimed and hugged, "Mum and Dad will be very happy to see you!"

And the trio sat down to chat.While at the exit,a reader opened his copy and read the author signed page and smiled.

..............THE END? (winks)..............

Quoted: True Love waves the magic wand into the lives of people.It touches every life,but not all feel it.Its all in there,if only you believe in yourself,if you can do that,you can make anything happen.

Because some fates are guaranteed,no matter who tries to intervene.Is it any less than Magic?

Special Mention: I just want to say Sabyasachi Shome,my brother that, "Thank You for Everything!"