Free I don't Wear Sunscreen by Kavipriya Moorthy

all misery,” Pallavi said all
this in a very low, sad tone.
    “ Cheer up, he is such an
unethical and cheap person that I don’t want to meet him again.
I’ve blocked his number already.” Laksha spoke with confidence,
which helped Pallavi feel better.
    “ That’s nice,; thank God you
had his picture! Otherwise, it would have been an epic
disaster,”
    “ True. Anyway, you take
care, and I am sorry that I feel terrible today. I can't make it to
the station,”
    “ Come on; don’t be so formal
with me. So when are you planning to leave?” Pallavi
questioned.
    “ No
plans yet, I am just feeling down and I want to spend time here at
home, so let’s see. I will call you once I decide,” Laksha
said.
    “ Bye
Laksha, I want to spend more time with you, but I might have any
interviews next week. All these months I have been preparing only
to get placed, so I haven’t really enjoyed student life as a normal
person would do. I used to think that those
who do that and don’t study would have nowhere to turn after their
course. But look where I am, fallen flat on my face,” Pallavi
vented her thoughts.
    “ This is not rock bottom.
You come to Mumbai after you get a job, we will
celebrate,”
    “ Sure, pray for
me!”
    ***
    Laksha felt lonely as soon as Pallavi
had left. Though it takes a lifetime to forget someone who gives
one so much to remember, there comes a point in life, to dial it
down and swing in life’s own way. Just being mean, doesn’t make it
easy. Even though you survive a storm and feel relaxed for a while,
life may suddenly throw another one your way.
    Laksha took a break, she
took a drive along the marina beach from the light house to the
Anna square in the morning, dropped by the Spencer plaza to for
some window shopping, drove across the mount road, and reached
Amethyst for a cup of coffee. She walked past the garden, with
thoughts of Sai creeping and welling her eyes. “ Why did he do this to me, why this happened to
me ,” and more “Why’s” crossed her mind. She drove
back to home in Gopalapuram, after the “Me” time she spent in
Amethyst, that one place she goes often to revamp
herself.
    ***
    “ No... No... Let me go, it
hurts! Ahhhh…. No... Let me go, leave me, I want to go home, let me
go, let me go!” Laksha screamed.
    “ Laksha, are you alright?
What happened?” her father was sitting right next to her with a
frightened expression.
    “ Nightmare, nothing much,”
Laksha gasped. “Just let me have some water,” she stretched out her
hands to get hold of the bottle.
    “ I warned you not to see any
stupid TV show before sleeping. I got so scared,” her dad walked
out of the room while her mom stood next to the door and laughed at
him.
    “ Stop laughing, will you?”
he glared at her.
    “ Stop kidding, will you? She
is just shouting from her bed and what else can it be except a bad
dream? Grow up, old man,” she winked at Laksha and closed the door
as he walked away with a small smile.
    Kids they are, thank God
they don’t know what has happened. I don’t want to tell them ever,
so that they stay chirpy as always. I will grow in my career and
walk their way, going forward. This crappy incident shouldn’t
dominate my life. I will let this humiliating truth and bury it
within me. Laksha thought this and whiled
away the gloomy night alone
    The next morning, she woke at 11:00 A.M
and wondered when she had fallen asleep. She walked out and saw
Pallavi’s mom sitting in the hall, discussing something seriously
with her mom. She went a few steps closer; her mom noticed her and
gestured to her to get back into the room.
    Laksha kept thinking about the unusual
visit, again and again.
    “ Why did she come? What she
is trying to do? Did Pallavi tell her everything? What will mom do,
will she lose her cool? Will she inform dad and stop me from going
back to Mumbai? No, no, I can’t afford to lose my job, I am trying
to grow there, I can’t imagine myself in any other