After my debacle, I maintained a strictly professional behavior with Kiara for a couple of days, because I was afraid she would want to know more about my ‘emergency’. I was also constantly comparing everything in the real world with Dharti. No wonder Dharti was big business, it was ‘better’ than the real world in several ways. And I kept thinking about the old man Sam had met. That such a powerful supernatural entity could exist was mind boggling.

As Sunday approached, I asked Kiara if I could take her out this time.

She leaned back in her office chair.

“Do you plan to vanish again?” she asked with a fixed gaze.

I shifted and chuckled awkwardly.

“I’ll be at home, I promise.”

Kiara nodded and turned back to her computer screen. She resumed working. I waited for a response, but seeing that she wasn’t saying anything, I let out a cough.

“Is that a ‘yes’?” I asked.

Kiara began tapping at the keyboard.

“We’ll find out tomorrow.”

***

So it happened that we did go out.

I took Kiara to the best restaurant I knew of. Pink Hill Ethnic Eatery. Notable for its excellent cuisine, it was situated at an elevation, allowing a scenic view of the sprawling green hills.

Initially we were at a loss as to what we should order, browsing through the numerous dishes in the menu card. We eventually settled on a popular local rice preparation with pieces of chicken and turmeric imparts, accompanied by a bamboo shoot pickle. We sat at a table not far away from the kitchen and as we waited for our meal to be served, aromatic smells wafted over. The portrait of a late regional leader on the wall beamed at us.

Kiara and I chatted over the organized chaos of the place. Waiters ran to and fro. At a nearby table a vegan mother hushed her five year old who was fancying the grilled lamb chops being consumed by a group of college friends.

“The last time you said you are lonely like me,” Kiara said. “You don’t have any friends?”

“I never had any best friends,” I replied. “Just normal ones, nobody exceptionally close. They are all stuck in their own lives after college.”

“Girlfriend?” Kiara flashed her teeth.

“I don’t even know how to talk to girls,” I said, shaking my head. Okay, I wasn’t going to tell Rosa about the fling with a college junior that had resulted in nothing.

“Well, you are talking to me now. I am a girl.” Kiara waggled her brows.

I shrugged and drummed the table with my fingers.

“I’m making progress, I guess.”

“And what about your family?”

“I’ve got a brother, Sam. Crazy guy. No parents. We were raised by an uncle, who died when I was in college.”

“What about the ‘friend’ you went to help last sunday?”

“Uh,” I struggled to invent my imaginary chum. I should have foreseen Kiara would ask about that. “Um, can we not talk about that?” I pleaded with Kiara.

Kiara was a little taken aback. She nodded.

“Are you sure you don’t have a secret girlfriend?” She narrowed her eyes on me.

I chuckled, glancing out at the hills through the large window, the transparent glass mildly reflecting my face.

“If I had one, I wouldn’t come out with you, would I?”

Kiara looked down, absentmindedly playing with the leather strap of her handbag.

“My boyfriend used to secretly go out with my best friend.”

Kiara was recalling old memories, not the best ones, evident from the crease on her forehead.

I spoke carefully, not wishing to upset her further.

“I’ll tell you what happened last Sunday, but some other day. Is that okay?”

Just then a young waiter with a ponytail placed a couple of ceramic plates on the table, smiling professionally.

Pink Hill Ethnic Eatery held up its reputation. The meal was delicious and we savored every bite. It even worked magic on Kiara’s mood. As we attacked the sweet red rice and the crispy chicken, she recounted between laughs the disastrous cooking experiments she had carried out when she was a schoolgirl.

We left the restaurant at 2 pm and headed downhill along the sidewalk. It was a pleasant day with a cheerful sun in the sky. The sidewalk boasted historical importance, a relic from pre-colonial times, constructed centuries ago. Honking vehicles drove up and down the steep, winding highway.

A colorful ice cream van was parked across the road. I looked at Kiara and jabbed a thumb.

“Ice cream?”

Kiara twisted her lips and declined.

“Okay,” I said.

However, after progressing a short distance down the slope, she tugged at my sleeve, changing her mind. As we waited for the traffic to clear, Kiara drew my attention to two men near the van. Thirty year olds. One had a tumble of hair, dyed red, and wore a dirty leather jacket. Cheap sunglasses hid half his face. The second man was bald, a fat cigar between his lips. He blew a cloud at the other guy’s face.

“Are they quarreling?” Kiara said.

I concentrated on their exchange. They were definitely throwing obscenities at each other. F-words were plentiful. It seemed to be a case of non-repayment of borrowed money. There was a slur in their speech and they stood unsteadily. Drunks.

“Hey stop that!” the burly owner of the ice cream van barked at the unruly duo. Their clash was hurting his business. Parents were pulling children away.

Suddenly, the one weaning the cheap glasses shoved the other man, who fell down. Cigar guy was up in an instant, going red like a tomato. His nostrils flared.

“You shouldn’t have done that!” he hissed. He snatched a brick-sized stone from the ground.

“Hey, are you crazy, man?” the other guy said, cowering and distancing himself.

Cigar guy hurled the stone with a growl. His opponent ducked just in time and the stone missed its target, instead sailing into the open window of a passing Sedan and hitting the driver. The driver slumped onto the wheel, and the car went rogue. Registering that the Sedan was headed in our direction, I acted on instinct and pushed Kiara towards the sidewalk.

The car screeched and skidded as the injured driver pushed the brake. The last thing I saw was the freckled youngster behind the windshield clutching his bleeding head.

The sedan slammed against my legs. I found myself airborne momentarily, before my head collided with an electricity post. Kiara’s scream followed. I passed out.

***