Shimmers & Shrouds (Abstruse) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and returned home. It was so sad to keep this as a secret from my best friend that I was going to spend another day with.... him, somehow it didn't feel right.
"I am home!" I announced. The television set was switched off and it worried me a little. He could be nowhere except here.
"Orpheus?" I called out again. My voice was a little loud this time.
"In here, Oceana."
 It was time for me to get used to the full name.
    The vo ice came from the kitchen and I heard a faint sound of something getting fried. Uh oh.
    I prayed he didn't get a boil beca use of the nuisance he was up to, but when I reached there, the scenario was unexpected. There he was, dressed in his quarter pants and T shirt that were clearly complimenting his biceps, skillfully tossing a pancake. The lunch was nearly ready.
    “Where did you get the stuff to wear?” I asked.
    H smiled like a young boy. “Let’s see. You said that I was not allowed to go out, so I called my servant to have this delivered to me.”
    Wow. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?
    "And I thought, while you're out; let me help you if I can." The self contended look on his face was back.
"You cook?" I was taken aback. Okay that was the part I had to clear about first, but, anyway… "Since when?"
"It’s been a long time. I am trained to handle any kind of adverse condition."
"Well, I must say, you're in one." I helped him with the food.
"It's rather beautiful."
"Is it?"
"You bet!" He promised.
"I am impressed." Oh no, did I blush again?
     

     
     
    It didn't look like he was raised in the family where there were approximately hundred servants to take care of every little chore of the house that was likely to come up.
He washed his dishes, made my bed, cleaned the forever-present-webs from the places my hands could never reach and helped me with my assignments, I had forgotten to make the front pages of them and he was a great help, really great one. All these things were very new to me. Whenever I read the newspapers, the news were either about him dating some supermodel or creating a controversy. However this side of him was never explored, the more I got to know about him, the more I was falling, never to get over him again.
And at last when the clock struck nine pm, I knew he had to go. It reminded that he did not belong anywhere near me. He was Orpheus Albert, a guy so rich, he could set a rocket to land on mars. A billion girls were out there who actually go gaga over him, wishing if they could have a handshake with him, touch him, feel his gaze and witness the god like smile he had; all what I had cherished in the last few hours. A part of me wanted him to stay but I knew this was wrong, entirely wrong, the very thought was wrong. It was not the right time to ask what my heart was wrestling with my mind for all this while.
"You're... leaving huh." A strange pain evoked in my chest, hard to ignore. I knew it was difficult to keep myself from crying when I wanted to cry so badly.
He was looking right into me. His gaze made it difficult to think, to say anything further, like they were urging me to speak up stuffs I would never say knowingly.
"Yes." He looked away. I understood that it was the only reply I was going to get.
"If you― wanna come back to watch the horror stuff, I'm just thirty miles away." I smiled, trying to keep it where it should stay. It was funny how thirty miles sounded like thirty meters.
"Like you promised." He smiled; it wasn’t very visible though. "Don't worry. I might come back. I might need you and your little home to comfort me again." He added.
I grimaced.
"It's time, I must leave now."
    Words are mere words. They are just said. It takes effort to follow what one has said, and it looked like Orpheus wasn't paying attention at all. I had to do something about it.
"Bye." I closed the door on his face. I knew he was standing outside, or maybe I was imagining all of it. I squeezed my eyes shut. The tears that I had tried to hold