Chapter 1: Death
“Aila!” His loud bellow and cries of agony resonated in the blanched area of his living room. But was that subtle pain, being expressed verbally, able to overcome the one he was facing right now? The inner turmoil of his beloved's death.
Jake's parents watched him cry as their own tears wouldn't stop falling. They knew he had to let it all out. Just yesterday their son was so happy. Speaking to them, how happy and lucky he was to have her in his life.
“Aila-” he again called out. Crawling towards her body. If looks could betray people could easily tell she was taking her usual afternoon nap. But was it the truth? “NO!!” Who was gonna break the reality to the male sitting beside his wife hugging her dead body.
“Wake up love, I know you're pranking me as always. You're taking your usual afternoon nap aren't you? Tell these people you're not what they are telling you to be.”
“Jake stop, she's no more.” One of his friends tried to break the reality to him.
Nevertheless, only a lover's heart can acknowledge the pain he's feeling right now. Watching his wife whom he loved and adored so badly that he'd even fight death just to stay by her side eternally was now lying lifelessly in front of him.
All he could do now was hug her and beg with her to come back. Come back and scold him, take him in his embrace, play with his hair. Watch her sleep on his lap.
“Tell them you love me Ail, these people don't understand our love. But we do, don't we? After all the fights we put up against this animostic society just to be together you can't leave me alone here, you can't leave us alone. How will I answer our daughter when she asks me where her mother is?”
“Jake don't torture her let her soul rest in peace.” His mother said in agony, not able to witness the heart wrecking scene anymore. “It's time for the burial,” one of the older male present there announced. His eyes raged, embracing her roughly, glaring at everyone present in the room.
“Don't you dare take a step closer to my wife. She's not going anywhere. She'll be with me and Minnie. I know y'all never liked us being together but this step is extremely low for you to act.”
His hands held onto hers as if she were a fragile butterfly, fearing she might run far away forever from his hold, from his love and most importantly his life. The people around him sighed looking at her skin almost oozing out. The smell of rotten flesh soon clouded up the atmosphere.
But he didn't sense any of that. He was too blinded by her love and life to care about those things. “Jake that's enough, let go of her, if not for yourself but for her soul at least.” He shook his head, shielding her body, stopping them from snatching her away from him.
His mother walked up to him. A loud harsh sound echoed in the room Miss. Orph had slapped him, her very own son. The entire room fell silent. “Stop torturing yourself, live for your daughter if not for yourself for the sake of the little innocent soul at least.” She hugged her son the very next second, breaking down in his enfold. He didn't reciprocate the hug.
Reality hit him. She was gone, she was no more there in his life. Leaving him alone with their daughter, now he was the sole parent to that little girl which they had created with their love.
The burial process was done, he kept on crying and begged people to stop burying her. People had to frantically hold him back, he watched her submit herself to the mother earth resting herself peacefully in her arms. Or was it really peaceful out there for Aila? With the stones and worms, roaming beneath the ground.
A YEAR LATER
Jake's life turned upside down after Aila's demise he never thought she'd meet into an accident, how was it even possible? She was such a good driver. And never failed to boast about her extremely good driving skills.
He tried his best to make his daughter feel loved all alone, at day time he brought her to his office when she didn't have school and left home early at night to spend time with her.
She always whined to him how she missed her mother. Albeit, a little magic trick from his eyes would make her all silent, and nod her head hugging her dad. Today was again one of those days when he was lost in her thoughts. His mother has been bugging him a lot these days, calling him constantly.
It's not like he didn't love his mother but her recent actions forced him to believe she was up to something. Her every phone call made him even more suspicious than the previous one. "Sir Miss Orph is here." His secretary Tristan informed, he was his best friend apart from being his secretary so it was obvious for him to walk in his office without Jake's consent.
“Send her in,” the latter replied, concentrating on his paperwork. “Jake!” His mother's bubbly voice echoed in the cabin. “What brings you here mom?” He asked, diverting his attention to his mother's figure standing in front of him. She smiled widely, speaking words he never thought he'd ever get to hear.
“I've come here today with a marriage proposal for you” His gaze darkened hearing her words. “What did you say?” He asked slowly in a dangerous tone.
“I understand Jake, I know you can't get over Aila but think about your child? Will Minnie be happy, living her entire life without a mother? That child had to face such a huge thing at a critical young age!!”
“How dare you even think of replacing Aila? The mother of my child and my wife, the only girl I've ever loved with some other woman?”
He banged his fist harshly on the table standing up glaring at his mother now. She gulped down the lump forming in her throat fearing her son's intimidating aura.
“You don't have any other choice Jake, you'll have to marry her. I don't care if you don't love her, but she'll surely bring happiness in your life and be a caring mother to Minnie and also make us happy by giving us another grandchild-”
“ENOUGH GET OUT!” He shouts.
His mother looked horrified hearing his outburst, his neck veins popped out of anger and breath turned uneven. “I won't repeat myself,” he demanded.
Nonetheless, the old lady was more adamant, wanting to stick to her words. “You're coming with me, if I'm gonna walk out of this cabin.” she grabbed Jake's hands pulling him out of the cabin.
“Interesting so he's getting married ha? You just made my work a little easier there, you know?” The person licked their lips, smiling evily watching the two figures walk further and further away until they were no more in sight.
“Guess not always kings are meant to win. Using a pawn against a king is really important sometimes. Soldiers die, protecting their king. But nah, in this story the soldiers are gonna win and the king's gonna die. His entire empire's gonna fall down.”
They laughed, swirling their tongue on their dry lips trying to moisten it. “How petty can people be?” Scoffing, in curiosity as they walk away.
