A life-altering inspiration- Part two

It was the beginning of a new year for Arin. Every day, he tried to collect as many weird facts as possible. After a certain point, the internet also failed to meet his requirements; after all, it was still in the early stages. He had to find a new source. How could he collect hundreds of such facts? The answer lay inside him. He just had to ask. Each of us knows many things that the other doesn’t. He needed to find these weird facts from others. There is no better source of information than people, of course. The task was a difficult one. He had never been one to talk openly with strangers or even known colleagues, friends, and family.

Arin knew he had to eventually step outside his comfort zone. The truth remains that most of us feel as if it is an impossible task. Comfort only provides comfort for a short time. Too much comfort always leads to anxiety in real-life situations. Arin was at this stage. He had two choices: Find funny facts or break his promise to the girl who promised. He decided that short-term anxiety was a more sensible option than long-term regret. So, he started small. He began with his roommate and eventually started talking to the neighbours. He wouldn’t always be successful in finding weird facts and would be left disappointed, or so he thought. Eventually, Arin unknowingly began leaving his shell. It was as if he had begun the process of entering a new phase in his life. He started creating friends in the process of seeking some facts.

The ‘dates’ with the girl who promised started getting better and better. Arin’s shyness was almost gone, as if it had evaporated. A single promise she asked of him had, unknown to her knowledge, altered his social pattern for the better. His roommate, David, was the first to notice this. Arin’s daily dose of absolute solitude and silence was replaced by chatting sessions. “She must really be one heck of a girl to spin you 180 degree like this,” he said. Arin replied to this with a shy chuckle. “By the way, you never told me her name,” David asked in a slightly disappointed tone. “Ummmm, about that…” Arin was struggling to speak. “HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW?” David shouted. “Well, every time we meet, we talk about the most bizarre things. It feels as if I am talking to a childhood friend. I always forget to ask her about her name,” he replied. David helped Arin to focus and learn the name of the girl who promised.

The next day had quickly come. Arin was dedicated now. He marched on to their meeting spot at the park and waited for her. He had no thought on his mind except to ask the girl her name. This dedication went down the drain when he saw her. It was as if Arin had gotten lost in another world. His thoughts turned to vapour, which almost instantaneously left his body. They began their usual fact-trading ritual, and it might have been hyperbolic, but one could already feel how disappointed David would be.

They were about to leave the park, and Arin shouted, “You never told me your name.” “You never asked,” she said. “Fair enough. What’s your name?” he asked. The tides of time leave no man safe. If you don’t cherish each grain you get, the entire desert would go missing without your knowledge.

The following words Arin heard would change his life forever. The shy boy was already gone. It was time he listened to the name of the love of his life. What could be more cruel than missing this grain of life? Perhaps nothing. Thankfully, Life’s cruelty was yet far from him. He went back to his dorm room. One could hear him say, “Felicia, huh? That’s the prettiest name I have ever heard.”

Read Part one of the story: https://apeejay.news/the-girl-who-promised/