Chapter 6 REFLECTION

Deen didn't rush as his steps were so delicate and quiet, yet with total intent. Each step he took brought him closer to the girl who had taken up all the space in his thoughts, even without saying a word. As he approached her side, he slowed down by taking shorter steps as he walked just a breath away.

"Hello." he said softly.

Zara jolted as she snapped out of her deep and distant haze, as she turned sharply with her eyes wide open. Noticing whom had greeted her, her gaze soften and melted like wax, as shock briefly caresses her face before leaving her face to settle with and unreadable expression. Even as she felt a bit shocked and warmth from his aura, just like it was in her trance, she still kept a cautious shield in her face.

"I didn't notice I was being followed." Zara whispered as she tucked a strand of hair behind her 3ear

"But I did." Deen said as he offered a faint smile that seemed brighter than the sun in his eyes.

They stood still for a moment, in silence, neither of them in a haste to fill the quiet. As if it was some sort of unspoken agreement, they turned their back to the hospital, as if rejecting it. They began walking side by side each other, making their steps synchronize naturally.

"What are you doing out here? And alone. You shouldn't be out here alone." Deen said as he glanced at her with his side eyes.

"I didn't plan to walk far though, I just wanted to walk, clear my mind and kinda reflect a bit." She replied.

"Understandable..... as it seems, a lot has happened." He said with an affirming nod.

Following the words from his mouth, Zara paused fro a brief moment, as her fingers brushed down the edge of her gown. "That is definitely one way to put it."

"I have been asking myself, is all these even real, from meeting you, the accident, to the healing, to the dreams. I can not seem to make sense out of anything." Zara said as she lowered her voice.

Not waiting a response from Deen, she continued too speak. "Who are you Deen, like what really are you?" After a split moment of reflection, she continues. "We both aren't going to act like we are not seeing the sign and connection between everything. I mean I suddenly met you, then I had an accident later, now you miraculously end up in the same hotel as me, the doctor said I was in a critical condition and yet here I am standing and talking to you. Not just talking to you, and you face happened to be the first I see when I wake up. If this doesn't seem connected to you then tell me what does." Zara blurted out.

Caught in awe, Deen blinked trying to muster up the words to say. After a brief moment o silence, he seemed to have had a thought pop into his head and decided to speak. "First of, you wouldn't believe me if I said it was a coincidence I happened to be in this hospital few days after your accident, which was on the day Micheal found you here, and that is because the hospital belongs to my childhood and best friend Daniel; Daniel is the chief doctor who has been attending to you. Also, I had to attend the launching at the art gallery because, I couldn't turn down the special invite of a really good buddy." Deep in his heart, Deen knew he owed her no explanation, yet he couldn't help but explain to her. Not because of anything, but for a fact that he was led by his gut.

"I know this sounds crazy, but things are beginning to feel like an unending thread. I don't really wanna say it is fate, because I believe no such thing really exist" Zara said.

"I don't think it is crazy." Deen said, as he turned to her, steadily holding unto the gaze. Intently but no cold.

Attempting to process more thoughts and meaning to everything in her head, Deen smiled as he shook his head gently, as if brushing off something so deep in his thought. "Don't crack yourself up for now, you don't need such mental stress considering the capacity of what you just came out from. Calm your nerves." Deen said as he patted her arms. "What is your favorite meal, what do you do for fun, jus tell me the basic you." He blurted out.

She frantically blinked at the sudden shift, as a reluctant smile attempted to tug her lips. "Are you being real?" Zara asked as the motioned towards a fine wooden handcrafted chair, placed at the edge of an artificial garden placed at the side of the car park.

"Of course I am. If I have to drag you out of your head to make you feel at ease and breathe then I would." Deen said as they both sat of the chair, side by side, staring into the beautiful garden.

"Well I do like potato, and scrambled egg.... it's safe to say I am weirdly obssessed with it." She said as she let out a light laugh

"Boiled, fried or roasted?" He butted in.

"Honestly potato itself is really my favorite, and I think my mood also count when I'm deciding on how I want it. But my go-to is the fried, I like it golden brown with crisp at the edge." She said with genuine excitement in her eyes.

"Not a bad choice though.I would be documenting that in your mystery file." Deen said with a wide grin on his face. "And your hobby?"

"Well I spend most of my time painting and drawing, I really do love art." Zara responded.

"Oh I see now, that explains why you were at the art gallery on the day we met, seems you have deep love for art." Deen said.

Zara chuckled lightly as her face relaxed for the first time in days since she woke up. The strong tension her eyes carried melted and something about her posture became uncoiled and at ease. The aura around them had changed into a calm one, even Deen felt it too, he felt the strange calm. The kind of calmness only felt when one was at the right place and at the right time.

Back inside the hospital, Daniel sat, finalizing Zara's discharge documents. Everything was almost ready, and he was just going through the final part which was to authorize the document by his signature. Zara had passed every test, she had defied all scientific odds, and was now due to be relaeased. As he penned down his signature on the edge of the first page of her file, he thought about how she was when she came and how he had gotten to the point of signing her release document.

In the large marble-laced mansion on the hills, across town, Micheal stood by one of the tall windows as he looked over at the driveway. Despite the ongoing preparations going on in the mansion for Zara's arrival, everywhere seemed oddly quiet. The staffs moved about as they intently putted things down in order, despite being occupied with work, they noticed the aura emancipating from Micheal was down. And this created a high inflammation of their curiosity.

" I have never seen thim this calm before, this is strange." one of the housekeeper whispered to the other.

"I don't think it is the ma'am we know about, because he always seemed excited whenever she was coming." The other housekeeper replied.

Micheal watched the wind stir the trees with an empty gaze, as he sipped a dark liquid from a glass. Whatever emotions he felt about the whole incident, till Zara's return were deeply buried inside him, in layers of control.

Back at the hospital, Deen and Zara' walked side by side as they entered te reception, unaware to them, the answers which they desperately sought, would soon begin to unveil itself to the surface.