Page 15 of Reckless Hate

She went into the apartment’s kitchen and looked around. Things seemed quite organized. Whoever was staying in the other two rooms weren't untidy. She opened the shelves at the top of the coffee machine and took a packet that contained ground coffee. She added it in the machine along with some water, making enough so the rest of the roommates could have some if they wanted.

She was waiting for the coffee to brew when she heard a door open.

“Oh hi,” a soft girlish voice greeted her a moment later.

She turned and saw a petite girl. The girl was dressed in nightclothes like her, but the girl’s nightclothes featured cartoon characters.

“I… I’m your roommate,” the girl said shyly.

Samantha nodded. “I figured.”

The girl’s cheeks turned slightly pink at the sarcastic reply. “You must be Samantha Roy. I’m Anita Nair. I’m in second-year computer engineering.”

Samantha didn’t say anything.

“I… heard you are in third-year textile engineering.”

“Yes.”

The girl looked at her hesitantly. “I hope we can be friends since it’s just the two of us in the apartment. The other roommate left Simha since she got married and her husband lives in a different country. She is finishing the last semester as a long-distance student.”

Samantha didn’t say anything. She didn’t really care about why she had only one roommate instead of two or the history behind it. She wasn’t going to be anyone’s friend.

But seeing her shy roommate, she somehow felt incredibly old even though there was probably only a year’s difference in their ages. But thanks to her life experiences, she felt decades older than the other girl.

The coffee finished brewing.

Pouring herself a cup, she left the rest to remain hot in case her roommate wanted some.

“I’ll see you around, Anita.”

She caught a glimpse of Anita’s disappointed face before she walked back to her room with the cup of coffee.

She drank her coffee alone, standing on the balcony. The previous two mornings had been too chaotic and eventful for her to properly look outside. But now that she did, she noticed that the view outside was breathtakingly beautiful with green mountains and valleys.

“I have a surprise for you, my monkey.”

She recalled the time when she was seven, and her father gifted her with a small kid-friendly digital camera. She had taken it everywhere and took pictures of anything that was pretty.

And later, she shared all the pictures with Ved, although he was mostly with her when she took the pictures.

A dull ache tugged inside her heart, which she pushed away.

He is no longer the same boy or your best friend.

She recalled how she had begged him in the past to forgive her for something that wasn’t even her fault. She had called him, but all her calls went unanswered. And then, she wrote him several letters, begging him to talk to her again.

Ved, I’m begging you. Whatever I did, I’m sorry for it. Forgive me and talk to me.

Papa and Mamma are divorcing. Ma says it’s my fault and that I ruined her life. I don’t know what I did. Call me, Ved.

Please, Ved. Talk to me. Or write back to me. I miss you.

Ma is taking me to France, Ved. I don’t want to leave Papa and you. Please write to me.

I’m living in Paris now. I don’t know their language, and Ma is not home most of the time. I feel so alone, and I miss you so much. Please call me or write back to me, Ved.

Ma is getting married again. I don’t like my new papa. I want my real papa. I miss him, and I miss you too.

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