~REVISITING THE PAST~

"It has to remain a secret..."

A moment after he had spoken those words, Amar felt like an idiot out there. Judging from Anaya's reaction, it was as if he hadn't said anything like that. Anaya jumped on her toes with eyes that of a small girl who has seen ice-cream after a long time.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you are a superhero," she was repeating while continuing the dance on her toes.

Amar had never seen this side of Anaya before. She had always been a reserved sort of girl, who kept her smile only for the most acute occasions. And now, watching her that way, Amar didn't feel so bad about his powers. Maybe he had presumed wrong about the world. Maybe they won't snicker away from him when they know about his powers, but they would be equally excited like Anaya. He would think of it later though, first he needed to calm Anaya down.

Amar walked over to Anaya and held her firm by her shoulder. This stopped her going up and down on her toes, but her chanting still continued.

"I can't believe I'm actually seeing a superhero in my life. And more than that, he's my friend. Oh my god, oh my god..."

I was her friend? The statement suddenly choked the words in Amar's mouth. It was just some weeks ago that they had started having those night stories in the café. And before that, they just shared the customary talks required while placing an order. Till today, Amar was sure she just thought of him as a getaway from whatever pain she was hiding in her. And now, suddenly being a superhero qualified him to be her friend?

As much as she liked to talk to Anaya, this was just the thing he hated the most. He wanted people to be his friends for the human he was, for the heart he had; and not because of some special powers which he never wanted. This was just so rude of the humans, seeking benefit in every relationship!

"Yes," he shouted a little too harshly, "Yes, I've some powers which the others don't. But that doesn't make me a hero."

"No, I'm not a hero," he repeated to himself after a pause.

He was staring right in the eyes of Anaya when he said that. This was actually the first time he was staring straight in her eyes. Even in this adverse situation, he didn't fail to notice the little freckles of black adorning her chocolate brown eyes. With his hands still on her shoulder, he could feel how close they were standing. But somehow, that closeness didn't feel uncomfortable to him.

"Why do you think you are not a hero," Anaya asked after a while, not making any effort to remove his hands, "You're a hero for me. You saved my life today, and I'd always be grateful to you for that."

And just like that she gave Amar a hug, draping her hands around his waist. He wanted to push her aside. He knew she was doing this just because of his powers; that she won't even look at him without the powers. But he couldn't find that strength in him to leave that embrace.

Silence spread inside the café as they stood in each other's arms for a moment. Amar was the first one to move away from that and breaking the eerie silence.

"You know nothing Anaya," he said in a dejected tone moving away from the broken window and into the shadows, "You know nothing."

Anaya was jolted when Amar moved away. She felt so calm in his hold. Yes, she had never given a second thought to Amar before, yet the hug felt perfectly normal to her. She didn't want to move out of his arms ever. She thought of his powers as cool and amazing. She didn't understand why he thought of them as a trouble.

Anaya watched Amar walk away from her and into the shadows. The solitary light near the broken window and the flickering headlights of the car provided enough light to illuminate those shadows. The logo of The Reader's Café shone on the back of Amar's red t-shirt.

"Then tell me Amar," she said in an assuring tone, "Tell me what I don't know. You know I love the stories."

Amar realized he had to tell Anaya. She would keep nagging at this topic until he stops it. And so, he left a dejected sigh before starting the story of his life.

"I was just ten years old when I first started to discover the powers. It was small traces of it, as I started to notice the tiny red dots playing around my fingers. I ignored it at first thinking of it as a trick of my mind, but then, I could feel the powers in my body as well. It was like they had welled up inside my, straining to come out.

"I talked to my dad about it when my chest started to pain because of the push from inside. He laughed at me, mocked me; said it was just an excuse to skip the school next day. But when the pain increased to a level that I couldn't even get up from my bed, they decide to hospitalize me. Even the doctors were confused, because there were no external signs that they could catch. It was just me who could feel what it was.

"Two days later, when I had lost all hope, a lady showed up. She said she was a foreign doctor who heard of my case and was there to cure me, but my gut told me she was hiding something. I could feel she was someone much more than just a doctor. Just her presence in the room was giving energy to me.

"The lady proposed to take me to her facility. The doctors protested at first, my parents argued to accompany me; but she convinced them all with her words. Just the sweetness in her voice was enough for people to agree with her. And before I knew, I was traveling with her.

"The pain hadn't subsided, but her touch had doused it a little. She brought me to the forest outside this city. I was confused, why had she taken me to a forest? But that's when she revealed the biggest truth of all. She explained to me about these powers, taught me to control them, to let them flow freely inside my body."

Anaya was just a mute spectator till now. She listened to every word he spoke with utmost attention, not wanting to miss anything. She had thought these powers could be the most amazing thing in the world, but seeing what Amar went through to keep them under check gave her some second thoughts. Still, it was all sounding like a fairy tale to her.

"I was enjoying my powers," Amar continued, "Once I learned to control them, they felt like the most amazing thing that can happen to me. I made pranks with it, used them for simple things like picking up a glass; and everything you could ever dream of. But that excitement was short-lived.

"One day, I was out with my parents. We were returning from a nearby restaurant when I heard the sound of wheels screeching against the gravel. The speeding car was heading straight towards an old lady crossing the road. Even before the car came near, I knew it won't stop in time.

"As if on cue, I ran to stand before the old lady. My parents were calling out for me thinking I've gone crazy again. I didn't stop to listen to them; I just stretched my arms forward and gave the car a hard shove. That was the first time I used my powers in public, and probably my biggest mistake as well.

"My control of the powers wasn't strong yet, and I was unable to hold the car. That car sprang right towards my parents, crushing them on the spot. And I just stood there, stood there and watched them die.

"No Anaya, I'm not a hero. I'm not a hero..." his voice trailed off.

By the time Amar finished, he was down on his knees crying his heart out. He had never told this incident to anyone, and now when he revisited again, it was like he was living that horror again. Anaya quietly sat beside him, engulfing him in another affectionate hug.

No words were spoken after that. Though, they were needed as well.

But among Anaya's excitement and Amar's revelation, none of them noticed the unconscious girl behind the steering wheel of the crashed car. Neither did they notice a strangely dressed man carry the girl away.

***

So, finally his past is revealed.

Who do you think the lady who helped him is?

How do you look at their Anaya and Amar's relationship from here?

And finally, Deepa being carried by the strangely dressed man. What secret does he hold?