The Guy Upstairs

etter. It was a cold December night, and the breeze felt like a stabbing pin throughout my being. I cannot do this anymore! My inner being screamed. I took a deep breath and let my cell phone slip t

hts of stairs. Maybe I should quit smoking! My brain yelled as I was huffing and puffing for ai

ping that no one was there using our only functional washing

” I asked as the large fig

ried to finish his load. Who is this tall, almost six-foot-crossed-e

e to meet you,” I sai

ir greying and messy, beard so full that any saint would get a complex. Crocked eyes are hiding behind black square-rimme

e?” I asked, pul

for more than two yea

I have never seen y

e or twice, I think. Which flo

tle wrong, falling on the threads of knowing

first floor. One zero

id, my eyes shifting tow

s were interrupted b

I gestured for him to carry on as I peaked

way. I could faintly hear him mutter something, but a part of m

he said. I just looked at him with eyes full of fake affirm

e of relief, as now I knew this conversation could finally be over

look. It seemed like two very not-so-impressive guys. One looked rather tall, muscular, and dusky, with a little chiselled jaw and a pair of big square-rimmed glasses. On

livan,” the p

nd guys, this is Athena,” Arthur

u work, Athena?”

e are competitors of brands like Keller Williams and JLL.

led HermathEarth,” Sullivan said. “Other than tha

iter, I have two of my books published in

do you write abou

of Faith and Destiny, which is based on Norse mythology, and the second one

” Sullivan said,

you write

name Mr. Bond, and I love perform

, you should definitely watch this show on Netflix cal

k?!” Ray and Sulliva

” I wh

ause very few people watc

w; that is a master pi

ospitality head do

ting and end point for the customers, so in a nutshel

ng how much you get

s incentives every three months,” I replied. I c

vacancy?” he

t your job profile and designation to k

at HSBC. I also have a little

ur CV, and I will ch

aid, offering me his phone. I quickl

said. I nodded and turned to get my

takes Arthur ages to wash

ettings; maybe someday I will te

smiled as I picked up my backpack

entered, my

soon as I pressed

or something?” the

e too clingy, dude. You need to have a life o

ely you are slipping away. You never have ti

ur thing and let me do mine, okay?! Now I will

swept under the rug. Days kept passing, voices kept getting muffled, and opinions kept getting disregarded. Deep down, I did not want to hurt Kai, not because I loved him, or maybe I did. I don’t know. A part of me just pitied him—pitied everything. I pitied the fact of what we have become and mostly the fact that I longed to go back to my university days. When all we knew was each other and all we longed for was each other’s loving embrace, when bunki